Fleet Line Markers Preview New Machine

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On Wednesday 8Th March 2017 line marking specialist, Fleet Line Markers Ltd previewed its latest innovation in line marking technology. The company invited a select number of representatives from industry leading publications to spend some time at Fleet, getting a tour of the premises and being introduced to a ground-breaking new GPS line marking system, the MAQA line marking machine.

The MAQA line marking machine (release date TBC) is the new era in line marking, using GPS technology to save both labour and time. This innovative line marking technology has had numerous IP rights registered and granted. The MAQA line marking system can reduce the time it takes to initial mark by 3/4. Mike Lewis of Highground Maintenance has said “I can initial mark a full sized football pitch in 20 minutes, on my own. The results have left us speechless!”. The MAQA has a free life time guarantee and also free life time software updates!

The attendees had a tour of Fleet Line Markers head office, based in Malvern, Worcestershire. Then the group all actively took part in a demo at the Malvern Rugby Club. Line marking has never been so easy, with novis line markers producing an excellent first line attempt. The MAQA line marking machine handles circles in a way never seen before, producing exciting results with ease. A thoroughly good day was had by all!

DLF ProNitro Shortlisted For Premier Sports Sector Award

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DLF Seed’s newest nitrogen seed coat technology ProNitro has been shortlisted for the “Innovatieprijs Sportaccommodaties” or “Sports Innovation Prize” for 2017. The award, presented for the first time this year, is intended to stimulate a focus on innovation and the introduction of new concepts in the sports sector.

The European initiative is run is conjunction with Branchevereniging Sport en Cultuurtechniek (BSNC), Vereniging Sport en Gemeenten (VSG) and the National Olympic Committee (NOC*NSF) for the Netherlands. From the original 12 entries, an advisory committee reduced this down to just three nominations, with judging done on the basis of originality, creativity, practical value and effectiveness.

The jury were particularly impressed with how ProNitro® makes the growing process faster and more reliable as well as its cost-effective, precision approach to seeding – reducing wastage and input required.

Launched in 2016, ProNitro® is aimed at improving nutrient utilisation during the early stages of plant growth – particularly important when overseeding into a competitive sward. Containing 10% Nitrogen, both fast acting and slow release, Nitrogen uptake with ProNitro® is up to 4 times more efficient compared to broadcast applied fertilisers. Roots and shoots grow rapidly, delivering up to a 30% increase in root growth, and the seedlings become strong and vigorous with up to 34% more viable plants. The enhanced root growth also improves the availability of soil nutrients and can reduce nutrient loss into the environment through leaching by over 50%.

ProNitro® is available in the UK exclusively on selected Johnsons Sport’s Seed mixtures.

Out There bolsters its Kubota fleet to 150 machines!

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Out There, leading grounds maintenance and landscaping businesses in Northern Ireland, has strengthened its fleet of Kubota machinery following a successful 2016 and a strong start to the new year.

The company, which has developed an excellent reputation in the market for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves, is going from strength to strength. This latest order of Kubota’s market leading range of high performance groundcare equipment, supplied by local dealer Laird Grass Machinery, will enable Out There to continue to provide the highest service to its customers whilst also enabling the company to continue its growth plans.

Steven Thompson, Managing Director of Out There, commented: “2016 was a significant year and a major milestone for our business. For over 35 years we were known as The Landscape Centre. However, having gone from a small landscaping business all those years ago with a handful of staff, we now have over 250 employees and operate over 70 commercial vehicles across Northern Ireland.

“We therefore decided to rebrand the company to Out There to reflect the way the business had changed over the years and our service proposition.”

Out There’s partnership approach to working is also reflected in its relationship with its supply chain. The company has worked with Kubota and local dealer Laird Grass Machinery for over 15 years. The latest deal takes Out There’s fleet of Kubota machines to 150 and includes 12 new F series out front mowers.

Steven continued: “The performance of the Kubota’s solutions is what makes them stand out from the competition, in terms of overall quality, durability and robustness. Essentially, we know exactly what we’re going to get and the operators find the machines easy to navigate, allowing them to get their job done effectively and efficiently. This product quality is backed up by a first class service from David and his team at Laird Grass Machinery.”

Out There use its Kubota machines on services such as grounds maintenance, landscape design and environmental management. With large contracts in open public spaces including parks, public gardens, schools, hospitals and social housing, it’s imperative to the company that the performance of the machines is second to none.

Steven concluded: “Kubota machines have always been reliable and we’ve never really had any major issues in terms of maintenance, but with a fleet of over 150 machines it’s inevitable that things will sometimes go wrong and that’s where Kubota and Laird Grass Machinery really stand out for me. The aftersales support is impeccable, we know that a member of our local dealership or Kubota will be on hand to sort any issues within 24 hours. This gives us the confidence that we will get maximum efficiency and minimum downtime, particularly when working on larger contracts.”

To find out more about Kubota and its market-leading range of solutions for the groundcare sector, visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

Ballybunion – A Focus On Quality

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Tom Watson famously said of the Old Course at Ballybunion Golf Club in south-west Ireland: “It is a course you will always enjoy and never tire of playing. I know I never will. Ballybunion is a course on which many golf architects should live and play before they build golf courses. I consider it a true test of golf.”

The Old Course at Ballybunion – ranked by 2016Golf.com at #17 in the Top 100 golf courses in the world – has been subject to a complete renovation of the greens and surrounds under the stewardship of course manager John Bambury, together with course architect Graeme Webster and construction firm Atlantic Golf Construction, which was achieved in under 16 weeks.

This was designed to replace the old poa annua surfaces with 100 per cent fine fescue greens, which were mapped and reconstructed to appear exactly the same as they were before. At the same time course manager John Bambury, who arrived in October 2014 from Trump International Aberdeen, reviewed the equipment at both the Old and Cashen courses, much of which was at the end of its usable life.

“Really I was coming back to my roots, as my father use to live just 15 minutes away from Ballybunion and it was the first golf course I ever set foot on as a child,” says John. “In my job interview I said the course needed to reclaim its top 10 position in the world, and we’ve developed plans to achieve this over time, with the full approval of the membership.

“A key element of this was the reconstruction project, and we have also reinvested in the machinery fleet after conducting the usual tender process. As a result, John Deere and dealer Seamus Weldon of Killarney were selected as the preferred supplier to Ballybunion for 10 years.

“I wanted to get the club onto a sustainable fleet management and replacement programme, and you can’t really do that properly over five years, particularly with the initial need to replace a lot of the older machines. We know what the expenditure will be over this extended period, and this helps the club to budget accordingly.

“It’s a comprehensive fleet and we have chosen all the key machines John Deere has to offer the golf course.” These include the new A Model fairway, rough and surrounds mowers, walk-behind and ride-on greens mowers including hybrid electric triplex machines, Gator utility vehicles, compact and utility tractors from 35 to 75hp and amenity turf sprayers.

“There were a number of reasons for the choice,” says John. “Obviously the quality of the equipment, which is a given, but primarily the local dealer service and support is a very important part of the equation. I’ve always maintained this doesn’t end the day the kit is delivered, and we know we can call Mike Weldon at the dealership if a problem arises and he’ll get it sorted, which is absolutely vital.

“One of the other big focuses of the reconstruction project was the replanting and regeneration of the dunes, and as part of this we planted and hydroseeded 10,000m2 of marram grasses last winter. There were also a lot of hard core pathways on the course, which are not as pleasing as grass, so we’ve been replacing and installing 4m wide grass pathways across the course as we go. The John Deere 7200A PrecisionCut triplex mower is perfect for cutting these, and works very well in this environment.

“The 7500A fairway mowers also really work a treat. We keep cutting heights to between 8 and 10mm, and with four-wheel drive and a special conversion to run on smooth tyres, these machines work very well on our undulating terrain. It’s a very challenging environment for mowing, especially when the fescue grass is dry, but they work particularly well in these conditions without marking.

“The new TechControl feature is great too – the operators know a lot more about it than I do, but it helps produce a consistently high quality finish and maximises productivity across the course in all conditions.”

Ballybunion is a very busy golf course, with the biggest membership in Ireland plus high levels of overseas visitors during the playing season, so good time management of the course maintenance operation is critical. “The 7500A mowers have proved to be able to cover a great deal of the surface area quickly,” says John. “We have around 600 acres of grounds to manage across both 18-hole courses, so this ability is crucial.

“The course is well known for its history and landscape – management decisions are therefore based on what will be the lasting legacy, not what might seem the best short-term solution. We need to deliver the goal of quality all the time, and that’s always our main focus.”

Devon Based Tree Care Company Invests In Först

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Teign Trees and Landscapes has continued to provide tree care, landscaping and emergency call out services in the South West area with the help of its Först woodchippers, with the business recently placing an order for two new Först ST6s, bringing its total number of Först machines to seven.

Managing Director and Founder, Paul Wright, started the company 22 years ago with just a van and an acquired set of skills. Paul started as a climber and worked for various companies, gaining invaluable experience in the field that he could take into his start up company.

After a number of years shaping the company together and recruiting a reliable team of employees, the business has continued to grow and grow, eventually receiving its Arb approval in 2010. Today, operating out of its headquarters in Teignmouth, Teign Trees employs 15 tree surgeons, 4 landscapers and 4 permanent office workers.

The work the company carries out includes all aspects of tree surgery, such as tree felling, sectional felling, tree pruning, stump grinding and tree stump removal. Larger jobs involve crown reductions and work on mature and dangerous trees. More recently, Teign Trees has specialised in highway work, focusing on public safety and utility work, comprising of line and site clearances, including several large contracts with public services covering the area from Bristol to Landsend.

The company started working with Först 3 years ago as it was in need of a more reliable and hardworking machine to cope with the increasing work demand and for the business to have high performance chippers available 24/7. The woodchippers are vital for Teign Trees’ line of work as they’re out on site chipping vast amounts of wood, and also offer a 24hr emergency call out service for storm damage.

Paul commented: “The two ST8s are great for domestic work, for example private work on hedges, the chipper can just pull it all straight through with ease. The ST6 machines are fantastic for our highway jobs and residential work. Not only are they easy to transport behind a vehicle on long journeys out, but also they’re also lightweight, which is much better for fuel consumption.

“The ST8 is really beneficial to our site clearances and larger hedge jobs. The large aperture means the chipped wood can feed through the system very quickly and efficiently. For forestry jobs the TR8 is incredibly effective as its transport system allows it to access awkward sites that other machines would not have the capability to access.”

Teign Trees made the decision to use Först based on positive reviews and the good reputation Redwood Global has built up through quality service, all of which was relayed by other local contractors and clients of the brand.

Paul continued: “Redwood Global’s aftersales service was also a factor in our decision to work with the Först machines. With both the 3-year warranty and excellent customer care, we felt confident that we were in good hands. If parts are required for the chippers, we can expect delivery the next day, with the knowledge that someone will be there to help resolve maintenance issues within half an hour if a problem were to arise.

“I cannot praise Först enough. When we were in need of a new chipper, we were looking for a solid, well-made piece of kit that not only has a good chip capacity, but can work very fast and effectively as well. The Först machines tick all these boxes and are a significant asset in helping us deliver great results for our private customers and big contracts.”