Once A Red Always A Red

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Once A Red Always A Red – Former Arsenal FC groundsman invests in Toro for lawn and turfcare management business

Once A Red Always A Red

It’s hard to imagine better credentials than those of ex-Arsenal Football Club groundsman, Mark Pettit, and IOG recognised young groundsman, Josef Farrow, when it comes to the management of your lawn or pitch. The two professionals are now partners in business, having transferred their skills to the domestic, commercial and professional market through their company Premiership Lawncare Limited.

Couple that level of expertise with the build-quality of Toro machinery, and it’s safe to say Premiership Lawncare has everything it needs to deliver a professional finish for its clients.

Based in Northamptonshire, Premiership Lawncare was established in 2015 to answer a need Mark and Josef identified for someone to provide top-flight lawncare, sports facility management, spraying services, aeration, commercial site management and renovations. Mark says: “We believe we can bring our professional experience to various facilities across the region as well as to the domestic market.”

When there are such high expectations to meet, Premiership Lawncare chooses only the best, hence the recent investment in a Toro ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator and Toro Z Master 7000 rotary mower.

Aeration is an essential part of professional turf maintenance. There are few single procedures than can produce as many benefits for the grass, creating a healthier plant and a better quality playing surface. So when Mark and Josef decided to invest in an aerator they “looked no further than Toro.”

“I’ve used the ProCore many times before as it was ever-present in Arsenal’s shed and it is, in my opinion, the best there is for professional spiking. Having this pedestrian machine means we can offer aeration services to a range of challenging facilities across the region. It also makes a great tool for the renovation services we offer to local cricket and bowls clubs,” says Mark.

Meanwhile rotary mowers are expected to cope with a variety of grueling mowing tasks, while always delivering a good finish with well-contained clippings, sometimes in far from ideal conditions. Therefore, it’s no wonder Mark and Josef trusted in the powerful and reliable Z Master 7000 that gets around with ease thanks to its zero-turn ability, so they can be assured of maximum productivity whatever the terrain and conditions. Mark says: “We decided to buy this mower to use for the commercial sites we look after, it’s a fantastic machine which helps us achieve a great finish and enables us to get the job done more efficiently.”

“We look forward to bringing in more red machines as we believe the best machinery will only strengthen our business and ensure we continue to offer premiership-level, professional services to our clients.”

For more information, please visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk or call 01480 226800.

Cricket Club Raid Sees £13k Of Equipment Stolen

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Cricket Club Raid Sees £13k Of Equipment Stolen – Thieves using high powered machinery broke in to a cricket club’s storage unit, taking £13,000 of ground maintenance equipment – one of three incidents of criminals targeting sports clubs in the area.

Oldswinford and Stourbridge Social Cricket Club was victim of a ‘professional and clearly planned job’, say club bosses.

The thieves used high powered machinery to take off locks to the storage units to one of the club’s bases, in Norwood Road in Brierley Hill.

Once inside the shed, close to nearby homes backing on to the cricket field, the criminals took three grass mowers, three trimmers and a hover mower.

The total cost of the haul is estimated to be £13,000.

The theft, discovered on Friday afternoon, is the latest targeting of a cricket club.

Three weeks ago, a storage unit at Swindon Cricket Club’s ground in Hinksford Lane, Swindon, was broken into, but nothing was taken. And another club, which asked not to be named, was also recently targeted, with equipment being stolen.

Paul Hatton, vice-chairman at Oldswinford and Stourbridge Social Cricket Club, which also has a ground in Stourbridge, said: “We have had graffiti in the past, things going missing. But this was something else, it was a professional and clearly planned job.”

He said the theft was discovered by the groundsman when he went to use the equipment on Friday, and discovered the locks had been broken.

The club, which has four adults teams and six youth teams, is now to use equipment from its other ground, while depending on Dudley Council to cuts its grass.

He said: “They got in using highly powered machinery, and then managed to move out the equipment and take it away. It is strange no-one heard it, it was just 30ft from houses, we don’t know when exactly it happened.”

The club, he said, will now have to consider bringing in CCTV to protect the club, adding more expense.

He added: “We are feeling a bit depleted. Why someone things they can just come in and take our equipment we depend on is beyond us.”

 David Darlaston, chairman of Swindon Cricket Club, said “We were victim of an attempted burglary about three weeks ago. They opened up the unit, but don’t think they took anything.”

He added: “Sports clubs survive on the generosity of members, so to lose pieces of equipment, it causes upset, not just for that club, but others.”

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “We were called to reports of a burglary at the Cricket Ground, Norwood Road, Brierley Hill, which is believed to have happened sometime between 10pm on 10 May and 2.30pm on 12 May.

“Garden equipment was stolen from a storage unit. Anyone with information can call 101 quoting crime reference number 20DY/99157M/17.”

To read the original article from Express and Star, click here

The Trilo S3 Is A ‘Revelation’ To Robert Cleisham Of Northenden GC

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The Trilo S3 Is A ‘Revelation’ To Robert Cleisham Of Northenden GC –  The Trilo S3 vacuum sweeper is a versatile and adaptable machine to easily collect grass clippings, leaves and litter and finds a natural home on the golf course.

The Trilo S3 Is A ‘Revelation’ To Robert Cleisham Of Northenden GC

Suitable for year-round use, the S3 was designed in direct response to industry demands for a light-weight unit working at a respectable 1.5m width.  At only 1200kg it only needs a mid-range 30HP compact tractor, however, the full floating brush head, and low ground pressure, allows the machine to work under the heaviest of conditions where others may struggle.

The modular design of the Trilo S3 means users can tailor elements of the machine, including brakes and tyre options, to their specific requirements. It comes with the options of a scarifier, flail shaft and gulley brush rotor giving the operator the ability to conduct multiple turf maintenance tasks all with one unit. These heads are interchangeable and can be swapped in and out in under one hour resulting in less time spent in the workshop and more out in the field. The vacuums power is provided by a 700mm, 4-bladed fan which lifts and holds the grass vertically to deliver a higher quality of cut and finish.

The material is then removed and collected into a 3m3 hopper which can be emptied via the S3’s 1.6m high tip facility. Utilising a single ram lifting and tipping system is just one way that the Trilo machines are built with low maintenance in mind. The S3 also features a 5m long, 200mm diameter wander hose to allow for easy cleaning of confined or restricted areas such as bunkers, shrubberies or refuse bins.

Over at Northenden Golf Club, Course Manager Robert Cleisham calls their Trilo S3 a ‘revelation’, making the job of debris collection a task which his team now enjoy. “Seeing the improved course presentation once the leaves are collected is quite rewarding” says Robert. “The wander hose is particularly useful for getting down into the ditches, taking even wet leaves easily in its stride. Thanks to the S3, the job of clearing long stretches of ditch, which used to take the best part of a day now takes just an hour or two.”

New ProTurf Analysis from ICL

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New ProTurf Analysis from ICL – ICL has announced the launch of ProTurf 15-5-15 + 2CaO + 2MgO, a new analysis to join the popular range of ProTurf fertilizers.      

New ProTurf Analysis from ICL

Over the last few years, ProTurf has become the number one choice for turf managers who are looking to significantly improve the health and presentation on a wide range of turf types including sportsfields, stadia, golf courses and racecourses.

The ProTurf range was the first to utilise the mineral polyhalite, a naturally occurring form of potassium, calcium and magnesium, which is mined at ICL’s own mine in Cleveland. ProTurf fertilizers provide a strong immediate growth response and a deep green-up colour, combined with a 2-3 month longevity.

The new analysis has been created as a result of customer feedback, after users reported that they would like a product containing a slightly higher level of nitrogen to kick-start growth in the spring. Taking the feedback on-board, ICL formulated the new ProTurf 15-5-15 analysis to provide an enhanced boost of nitrogen along with balanced levels of potassium and phosphorus. The calcium and magnesium are designed to support turf needs on sand based constructions.

Groundsmen and greenkeepers cannot only expect a greater kick-start of growth, even in cooler conditions, but they will also see an increased longevity along with an enhanced colour and growth response due to the Polyhalite.

Rigorous trials have already been conducted and early feedback has confirmed an overwhelming positive response with turf professionals who trialed the product reporting exceptional results.

Commenting on the launch, Henry Bechelet, ICL Technical Sales Manager for UK & Ireland said: “Over recent years we have seen ProTurf become an integral part in many turf maintenance programmes and we are delighted to be moving the range forward. This new analysis offers users of ProTurf a greater variety and it will also go a long way in providing that much needed boost in spring.

“We’ve been very excited at how it has performed throughout the trial period and I’m confident that many will be seeing the benefits of this product on their own turf.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

New Business Development Manager for Etesia UK

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New Business Development Manager for Etesia UK. Etesia UK has announced the appointment of Stephen Muir in a newly formed position as Business Development Manager.

New Business Development Manager for Etesia UK

Stephen started his career in the automotive industry in which he worked with prestigious brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Audi, and it was during this time that he gained his Business Managers Accreditation.

After this successful spell in the automotive industry he moved into the groundcare sector and utilised his experience of working with leading brands by undertaking the role of Area Sales Manager for Ransomes Jacobsen dealer Fairways (GM). During his time here, Stephen played a key part in helping to develop the company into arguably the largest machinery and service supplier to Scotland’s groundcare industry.

In his new position as Business Development Manager, Stephen will be further promoting and creating brand awareness for Etesia, and also Pellenc and Oeliatec – for which Etesia are exclusive UK distributors.

Commenting on his new position, Stephen said: “With over twenty years’ experience in sales I believe this is a fantastic opportunity with Etesia UK. We have an excellent product range and I will continue to ensure that our customers are provided with world-class products, service and back-up. It’s an exciting time because we have a host of new innovative products to offer and new customers to find – and I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

Outside of work, Stephen enjoys spending time with his wife Michelle, 19 month old son Max and their West Highland Terrier – Chalky.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk