Ventrac Dealer Network Continues To Grow

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The UK Ventrac dealer network continues to grow with the appointment of SGM Contracts in Scotland. The family-run business is one of the leading providers of both groundcare and garden machinery, offering a range of products and related services to councils, contractors, turf maintenance professionals, golf clubs and domestic home gardeners.

Ventrac Dealer Network Continues To Grow

Based on the Belleknowes Industrial Estate, Inverkeithing near Edinburgh, SGM has an established customer base, including an extensive hire business featuring equipment from a number of the major manufacturers such as John Deere, Ransomes, Jacobsen, Toro and Scag.

Rupert Price, Managing Director of UK importers Price Turfcare said,

“From my point of view, I wanted a focused dealer who could give Ventrac the best possible coverage bearing in mind the product can be utilised in a multitude of markets, ranging from golf to contractors and municipal.  The product is particularly appealing to the hire market and therefore my first choice in Scotland is SGM, who I have known for many years.”

Managing Director of SGM, Steven McInroy, commenting on the agreement added,

“We are always on the lookout for niche, but quality products to add to our portfolio from both a sales and hire perspective and we are delighted to be promoting the product.

“Having visited the Price Turfcare stand at BTME earlier this year, Ewan Peddie, our Sales Manager, and myself, were very taken with the machine and its capabilities, particularly operating on banks and inclines, which is a real issue for the majority of our clients, particularly local authorities, private contractors and golf courses.

“Rupert very kindly brought a machine to Scotland for us to look at and immediately we were taken with its operating capabilities and quality and are delighted to have secured the franchise.”

 

Pleasant Point Pitch Vandalism Leaves Coaches Frustrated

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Pleasant Point Pitch Vandalism Leaves Coaches Frustrated. Vandals have torn up several sports fields and cricket pitches in the South Canterbury town of Pleasant Point, New Zealand – leaving teams upset and furious.

Pleasant Point Pitch Vandalism Leaves Coaches Frustrated

Police are investigating Monday’s incident, which one coach described as the worst damage he had ever seen.

Pleasant Point Cricket Club captain Cameron Lundie said a lot of people would be upset by what had happened.

“It’s just very gutting, especially the amount of work that’s gone into this new pitch, it’s had over $22,000 spent on it less than a year ago, a lot of work,” Lundie said.

The number one pitches for both the town’s football and cricket clubs, as well as the number two pitch and training pitches of the rugby club were all left with deep ruts dug into them.

Pleasant Point Constable Kris Howes said in addition to the fields being damaged part of one of the football goals was driven into, ripping netting off its fastenings.

Howes said a local resident reported hearing a vehicle between 2.45am and 3am “revving and carrying on”.

“They could see the lights coming on and off… they probably turned them on to see if they had collided with the posts.”

Howes said the football pitch had previously suffered damage on a “minor scale”.

Pleasant Point Pitch Vandalism Leaves Coaches Frustrated

“Even on the golf course next door they have never done this sort of damage. They might come in and do a couple of skids and then go, they have probably been here for a good half an hour.”

Howes said it could “possibly” be someone local, given the person had known to avoid the barrier of wooden logs placed around the pitches, and the car was seen heading in the direction of Pleasant Point.

The vehicle was “going to have some damage and it’s going to be filthy”.

Howes said it was “idiotic” behaviour. “It’s just brainless. The guys at the cricket field have spent weeks and months getting it sorted and up to standard.”

A piece of the vehicle was left behind at the scene. A Timaru District Council spokesman said while the vandalism was “very disappointing”, contractors had started working on fixing the sports fields.

He said the majority of the damage should not stop teams from playing sport there this week.

Pleasant Point Cricket Club groundsman Chris Murphy said the worst thing about it the damage is because it was winter the club can’t do anything about it. “We can’t touch the cricket pitch now until spring.”

Pleasant Point cricket and football coach Mike Otley decried the “absolutely senseless damage”.

“It does happen occasionally but it’s been a while since it’s happened,” Otley said.

“It’s probably the worst damage I have seen.”

To read the original article from Stuff, click here

Mid Kent GC Favours Wiedenmann Values Again

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Mid Kent GC Favours Wiedenmann Values Again. Mid Kent GC Course Manager, Lee Sayers has opted for his fourth Wiedenmann Terra Spike purchase in a row. The Master Greenkeeper at the Gravesend club already has an XP8, the deepest aerator in the Wiedenmann range, and previously two others.

Mid Kent GC Favours Wiedenmann Values Again

“At the demo the quality of the GXi8 HD’s finish was exceptional so it wasn’t a difficult decision. We know first-hand that Wiedenmann aerators are strong and reliable but we wanted this one for its versatility,” said Lee Sayers.

Every six weeks or so, the greenkeeping team of six at Mid Kent has a planned maintenance day. Until now their XP8 has been deployed everywhere, including tees and greens. At 2.1 m wide, weighing 1200 kgs and going down to 400 mm it has been hugely productive. However, the addition of the GXi8 HD means the heavier machine will be allowed to concentrate mostly on fairways while the new one does both fine turf and fairways.

“We’ve managed well with the 65 hp tractor but ultimately a smaller tractor (50 hp) and aerator (900 kg) will get in and around the tees and greens more easily,” he continued. “Now every 5-6 weeks definitely on our green we’ll be doing some kind of aeration. Three different sets of tines have been delivered so I will use all three regularly. It might be a 8 mm tine going 60-70 mm deep or 12 mm tine going 250 mm or on occasion a side eject hollow tine. I could have gone for something even smaller or lighter but 1.8m is a decent working width to cover ground fast and make the most of our window of opportunity so we get through all the greens in a day and a bit more elsewhere. When maintenance time is as precious, it suited me the best.”

John Bignell, Groundcare Area Manager from dealer, Ernest Doe & Sons, Dartford, who have supplied and serviced machines for Mid Kent GC for many decades, said:

“Lee and his team purchased a Wiedenmann Whisper Twister blower last autumn so they know build quality is a given with any type of Wiedenmann and not just Terra Spikes.  This was all about speed and coverage and an absolute requirement for the neatest of finishes so the GXi8 HD was the machines for purpose.”