Family Business Wins Award

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Family Business Wins Award: Small family business, Clearwater Pond & Lake Management, has earned the prestigious title of 2018 Otterbine Contractor of the Year.

The Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire-based team of four achieved the highest Otterbine sales figures by a considerable margin this year thanks to a passion for the brand, a drive to succeed, and support from Otterbine and its distributor Reesink Turfcare.

Clearwater owner, Tim Soane, says: “We are delighted to have won the award. It wasn’t without hard work, but selling such great quality products really helps. I think when you believe in Otterbine as much as we do, you’re half way towards being a successful contractor.

“A mention has to go out to Otterbine’s Reg Varney, Reesink’s Pete Newton, and Caroline Gilmore and Kevin Denton from the Reesink Parts department for all their support. We couldn’t do it without their help – the latter especially, as they ensure we receive the correct orders on time.”

When delivering high levels of customer service, Reesink’s back-up support is another helping hand that is, Tim says, ‘second-to-none’: “Knowing help is always on hand gives us and our customers great peace of mind. Add the invaluable knowledge we gained from Otterbine water management and product training courses to that, and we can confidently deliver smooth projects from start to finish.”

Reesink’s National Sales Representative for Otterbine, Pete Newton, comments: “Clearwater is incredibly deserving of this year’s award. It is a delight to work with them and reassuring to know how invested they are in the Otterbine brand. We hope our close partnership continues for many years to come.”

Clearwater’s highlight installation of year was at wedding venue Colshaw Hall in Over Peover, near Knutsford in Cheshire. Tim recalls: “The customer wanted a fountain in their lake for aesthetic reasons, providing a striking backdrop for wedding photographs. They have been delighted with the result. Then again, I haven’t had a single customer who hasn’t!”

As far as sales trends go, he notes: “The fountain units are always popular because they look so good. The bigger the better, they really capture the customers’ attention.”

For more information on Otterbine aerators and aerating fountains, contact Reesink Turfcare on 01480 226948, or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Toro Stays At Yeovil GC

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Toro Stays At Yeovil GC: Yeovil Golf Club in Dorset has been a long-term Toro customer and that remains the case with the arrival of new course manager Jason Connaughton who, within days of his arrival, placed an order for a Toro Groundsmaster 4000-D.

Jason says it was an exciting time to join the 27-hole parkland course as the club was undergoing a management restructure. He says: “The club is in a very exciting position. There has been a management restructure and we are working together to move the club forward in a positive way. Plans to buy in new machinery are well supported, and we are all in agreement that investment should focus on our number one asset: the course.”

As mentioned, first up is a Toro Groundsmaster 4000-D, which Jason had the pleasure of using extensively at his previous club, Saffron Walden Golf Club in Essex: “I have experience with most machinery brands and for me the Toro GM4000-D is the number one rough mower. We had just replaced like-for-like at Saffron Walden, so when I arrived at Yeovil and spotted the gap for a roughs mower I turned straight to Toro and the GM4000-D again.”

Jason didn’t have to wait long, Elliot Wellman from local Toro dealer, Devon Garden Machinery, was on site by Jason’s second day to discuss what was needed. Elliot says: “Over the last six years Yeovil Golf Club had gradually been filling the shed with Toro, and there is quite a comprehensive fleet now in place. Jason needed a roughs mower, and it’s no surprise his first order is a Toro GM4000-D, as he was already very familiar with its capabilities.”

Next, comes a bigger and more detailed decision to make: a five-year machinery replacement plan. Jason explains: “While the shed is looking good, the time comes when replacements need to be made. The board trusts us to pick the right machines for the right jobs, and we think a five-year plan will best serve the club and the results we want to achieve.”

In the meantime, we leave Jason and his greenkeeping team of eight continuing to move the club forward with the help of two Toro TriFlex 3400 mowers, a Groundsmaster 3500-D, two Workman MDX-D UTVs, a Workman with ProPass 200 sprayer, a Workman with ProPass spreader, a Reelmaster 5610, and last but not least a Reelmaster 3100-D.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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GKB Combinator Does What It Says

GKB Combinator Does What It Says

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GKB Combinator Does What It Says: Landscape and sports surface contractors Mumby Landscapes have taken delivery of a new GKB Combinator. Based at Deeping Gate just north of Peterborough, the company undertakes projects over a wide geographical area and initially purchased the Combinator for a project in Wales. Working with grass seeding, natural and artificial turf, Mumby Landscapes Ltd. regard the GKB machine as an essential addition to their range of specialised landscaping equipment.

“We tried the Combinator last year and were immediately impressed. It’s very well made and does everything it says. It’s an easy machine to work with and matches all our expectations.” Says Mumby’s Director, Mark Dew. The Combinator is a multifunctional fraise mowing machine with the option of three types of blade or chisel used in conjunction with the CombiRotor. It offers the capability of fraise mowing the surface layer of a natural sports pitch, or the natural grass and surface layer of a hybrid grass pitch without damaging the remaining synthetic fibres. You can also use the rotor shaft for scarifying and there is also a special brush for synthetic turf which enables you to remove sand, cork and rubber infill. Material removal is by way of conveyor belts and the working depth of the Combinator is easily controlled with the pendulum system of the conveyor rollers.

GKB Combinator Does What It Says

“The Combinator is such an all-round machine it’s ideal for our type of landscaping and sports pitch contracting,” says Mark. “We currently have plans for a joint venture in artificial pitch maintenance and the Combinator will be used for rubber and sand surface work. We’re confident the machine will stand the rigours of what’s ahead.”

For more information, visit: www.gkbmachines.com

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New MD For Kubota

New MD For Kubota

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New MD For Kubota: Kubota Holdings Europe is pleased to announce the appointment of David Hart as Managing Director of Kubota (U.K.) Ltd.

With over 28 years of leadership experience, David Hart brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of the agricultural and construction industries. After graduating with a degree in Agricultural Engineering, David started his career in Agricultural Construction & Grounds Care Equipment at Ben Burgess & Co. In 1990 he joined John Deere and after several sales and marketing roles, became the Division Manager for Commercial and Consumer Equipment in 2004, managing both sales and marketing for turf and utility equipment (homeowner, commercial and golf). David built a strong commercial track record in sales and marketing for the UK and Ireland and in 2011 was appointed Regional Leader for Strategic and Key Account Management, responsible for John Deere’s agricultural and non-agricultural strategic and key account business in Europe, Near Middle East, North Africa and CIS. During this time he was also a member of the John Deere Ag & Turf Regional Leadership Team.

New MD For Kubota

Dai Watanabe, President & CEO of Kubota in Europe, states: “We are very proud of the fact that we have a leading market position in the UK & Ireland with our current product portfolio. Our ambitions reach even further than that. With David on board we have a leader that can support that ambition by bringing his extensive experience and knowledge to identify and exceed our dealers and customers’ needs and requirements.”

On his appointment, Hart said: “Kubota has a deserved reputation as market leader in many areas. We have a big opportunity to grow further and continue to diversify into new sectors, bringing our strong business values and quality delivery to match the demands and rightly high expectations of our dealers and end user clients. Kubota’s brand, values and proven quality are facets I have respected as a competitor over many years, and I am excited to be part of the team that will take these to the next level.”

For more information on Kubota UK visit www.kubota.co.uk or call 01844 268000.

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Groundsman Recommends TM1000

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Groundsman Recommends TM1000: David Hodgson, groundsman and president at the Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club in Headingley, Leeds, believes that a lot more local cricket clubs would see significant improvements if they used a SISIS Rotorake TM1000 tractor mounted scarifier on their pitches.

Established in 1853, Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club is one of the oldest cricket clubs in the country. The club, which is based at the Field of Dreams on Queenswood Drive in Leeds, boasts two Saturday league teams, a Sunday 3rd team and a range of junior teams from under 9’s to under 17’s.

David, or ‘Hodgy’ as he is more commonly known in the local area, has been looking after the facilities for the past twenty years and president of the club for the past twelve. The compact ground surrounded by trees, hosts on average, between 85 and 100 fixtures per annum and David leaves no stone unturned when it comes to preparation.

‘Hodgy’ is passionate about sports turf and particularly cricket – he is a previous winner of a Yorkshire Cricket Board OSCA (Outstanding Service to Cricket Award) and was also commended by the West Yorkshire and Leeds branch of the Institute of Groundsmanship for his work in developing and presenting “Understanding of Groundsmanship” courses to Yorkshire’s cricket development groups and raising the profile of groundsmanship in the region.

When he is not tending to the pitch at Kirkstall Educational Cricket Club, David has his own groundcare business and applies his expertise at a number of sports clubs throughout Yorkshire. With his workload increasing, he felt it was time to invest in new machinery and specifically something that would make his end of season renovations easier.

“I’m getting no younger and I thought that instead of operating pedestrian machines it might make sense to have a tractor mounted machine. I have colleagues who have the Rotorake TM1000 and they gave me very good reports on it. I have known of SISIS for years and own a SISIS Variseeder (tractor mounted seeder), which has served me incredibly well for over twelve years now.

“As my business developed I made the decision to increase my machinery stock to make my life easier – hence the purchase of the SISIS TM1000.”

The SISIS Rotorake TM1000 is a tractor mounted heavy duty scarifier and linear aerator and is un-rivalled when it comes to removing and controlling thatch. It includes a collector box and floating unit to follow ground contours and its contra-rotating reel throws debris forward ensuring a clean, consistent groove resulting in an excellent finish. With interchangeable blades and a quick, simple depth setting without tools, it seemed to be the perfect machine for David.

“I’m highly delighted with the purchase – the strength of the machine and the durability is excellent. I’ve used it for all of my recent autumn/winter renovations at around 25 venues throughout Yorkshire already.

“It’s great for ease of use and I like the fact I can adjust the depth setting depending on the site and the level of thatch that is in the profile. It’s a great feature to have and you can adjust it very easily without any tools.

“I have the scarification reel and the fraze mowing reel – which I think is absolutely brilliant. I’m also now looking at purchasing the brush for cleaning the squares during the playing season.

“Personally, I think that a lot of local cricket clubs would benefit from using the SISIS Rotorake TM1000.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

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