An Update From Scott MacCallum

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An Update From Scott MacCallum: It’s now a month since many of us converged on Birmingham for Saltex, met with friends and colleagues and left promising to keep in more regular touch. A regular touch which in many cases will be repeated for the next time at the same time and place next year!

It is a truism that life gets in the way of an awful lot – friendships being among the more unfortunate casualties so while an annual meet up at Saltex may be a little too long a gap, at least it happens.

An Update From Scott MacCallum

Of course, business was the reason we were at the NEC and the number of follow-ups from the many leads taken at the Show will have already been completed thus proving the benefit of face to face encounters.

As we head into December I know that it is a particularly busy time for all groundsmen and greenkeepers. Winter programmes at golf club and cricket grounds will be well underway and while the fact that, with golf in particular, tree management work can be unseen by the members leading to jokes about overused dartboards, much of the success of the work carried out in the out of season periods is responsible for a less stressful time next spring and summer.

For those working in football and rugby the festive period is particularly action packed with many games played in weather that it particularly unsuited to recovery or remedial work. It’s not just the players who look at Christmas with a feeling of dread!

What I would say is that whatever you are working on at the moment – Good fortune!

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Pellenc Introduced At SRUC Oatridge

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Pellenc Introduced At SRUC Oatridge: Students studying landscaping, horticulture and agricultural engineering at the unique SRUC Oatridge campus in West Lothian near Edinburgh recently participated in an event which gave them the opportunity to discover more about Pellenc’s innovative battery technology and gain some hands on experience with a wide range of equipment.

SRUC College is a bespoke land based industries institution based throughout Scotland which offers a number of courses at all levels from college and university level study, through to postgraduate, consultancy and research opportunities. Many of the courses at the Oatridge campus relate to the ways in which we make use of the land and natural resources around us – from agriculture and horticulture to veterinary nursing and equestrianism, and a huge variety of exciting and relevant land based topics in between.

Pellenc Introduced At SRUC Oatridge

The College has a philosophy of continuously exploring the innovative science that supports these land-based industries, and the way they interact with and support the environment around them. It is for this reason that Thomas Meenagh, a horticulture lecturer at Oatridge, decided that it would be a good idea for the students to become familiar with the increasingly popular battery powered machinery.

“I think that in every walk of society it is becoming common knowledge that we should be more environmentally friendly and be producing less CO2 and greenhouse gasses. An awful lot of hand held powered equipment used in land based industries comes with two-stroke engines which burn off fuel and oil, and so it is good to see the likes of landscaping and horticulture industries moving towards battery powered machinery.

“As a teaching institution we should be ahead of the game; we should be at the forefront of this kind of development – so that is why I wanted to organise some kind of event which could introduce the students to this equipment.”

Having being in the market to buy some battery powered equipment, Thomas’ research led him to Pellenc, which is exclusively distributed in the UK by Etesia. He arranged for four sessions to take place over two days in which Etesia representatives firstly delivered a theory based session which offered a greater insight into the Pellenc technology, followed by a practical demonstration. The students were then invited to trial the equipment for themselves.

“The students were delighted because they got to use the equipment to cut hedges, cut grass, use brush cutters and much more. The feedback was excellent and they were very impressed with the equipment. They commented on it being really light – a lot lighter than equipment they had been exposed to in the past. They also remarked on the equipment having very low vibration, being very quiet and extremely efficient.”

Light, odourless, relatively noise-free, with no starting problems and no refilling the fuel tank – it’s no wonder more and more people are turning to the innovative technology of Pellenc. In the last five years, Pellenc has gained market recognition by offering a unique range of ‘zero emission’ battery-powered handheld tools, thanks to the development of Lithium-ion ultra-high performance batteries. This technology, which is exclusive to Pellenc, guarantees non-polluting, odourless operation with quick start-up and long lasting battery life.

In reflecting on a successful event, Thomas believes that it was essential that the students got a first glimpse of the products that they could very well be using on a regular basis in the future.

“I would anticipate that in five years from now this kind of equipment will be the norm throughout the industry. By the time the students graduate and get jobs no doubt the two stroke fuel equipment will become less and less common and the battery powered equipment will be more dominant in the workplace.”

“This event has given them experience of using this type of equipment, of being able to understand how it works, how to hold it and use it properly. Hopefully they will have learned something and benefitted from this demonstration. Even in the job interview process there is every chance that they will be asked about their experience with this type of equipment so no doubt this event has been a great first step and I’d certainly look at hosting more of this type of event in the future.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.pellencuk.com

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Gripclad At Kings Hill Golf Club

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Gripclad At Kings Hill Golf Club: Kings Hill Golf Club in Kent had a problem with people slipping on wooden surfaces around the golf course and clubhouse. Old railway sleeper have been used on golf courses from the 1930s and provide an ideal material for many situations whilst maintaining a natural feel in the landscape. Many golf courses today use them either in bunkers or grassy hollows or more often than not to provide stepped access to elevated or steep sided tees. The advance of soft spikes and moulded sole golf shoes away from traditional steel spikes has led to an increase of slips on wooden steps and in the early 2000s this was becoming an increasing problem.

Having searched for many years and looked at various ideas at other golf clubs, including carpet, astro, chicken wire, tar and chips and chainsaw cut grooves, all in their various ways trying to eliminate the slip issue and presenting a trip issue or a higher than expected replacement schedule on wooden sleeper steps, a chance advertisement in a trade magazine highlighted a new product called GripClad. That was back in 2006. The club decided to obtain some samples and look at the benefits of the product more closely. Following that initial assessment a trial set of steps were chosen and the product installed. Installation was easy and straight forward, GripClad arrived in pre-cut lengths and to the dimensions that had been specified, only holes had to be drilled and the cleats screwed down with a mastic to act as a cushioning agent. A set of steps could be easily completed in a couple of hours and a large set in a day, much quicker than some of the other products mentioned. In addition if a sleeper had to be replaced it was simply a case of unscrewing the cleat and replacing it onto a new sleeper.

Gripclad At Kings Hill Golf Club

“Since that first installation we have purchased GripClad every year to complete all of our wooden surfaces around the course, which includes 10 sets of very large sleeper step installations, four sets of sleeper rails around teeing areas and ancillary surfaces including service and mobility ramps and so on around the clubhouse,” said a club spokesman. “The performance of the product has been outstanding, not only did it cope with the wear and tear of traffic, it performs in all weathers and has not deteriorated in the 10 years that the initial batch has been down, it still looks as good now as it did 10 years ago. We will continue to use it around the golf course as it provides the most cost effective solution for both time and longevity. I wouldn’t hesitate to rec
ommend this product out on the golf course or around the clubhouse.”

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Promising Student Winner Announced

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Promising Student Winner Announced: Award sponsors Toro and Reesink Turfcare, an official UK Toro distributor, are delighted to announce Matthew Skingle from Coventry City Training Ground as the winner of the Most Promising Student of the Year Award at the tenth annual Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) Awards on October 31.

Matthew, who was presented his award by Reesink’s Alastair Rowell, was recognised as an ambitious and passionate groundsman who has plans to use his award to encourage others, particularly younger people, into the industry.

Promising Student Winner Announced

Matthew, who has wanted to pursue a career in the industry since first getting a taste for groundskeeping at a young age, says: “The industry as it stands consists mostly of an older generation, which is great on one hand because they have a lot of experience we can learn from, but we need to ensure the industry has a future.”

“I’d love to inspire young people. I really benefitted from work experience in the industry through school and wouldn’t ever have considered a career as a groundsman without it. It gave me the chance to see what it was like. So, I think we should do more to get out there and show younger people what it’s really like.”

After a successful year studying at South Essex College while working at Coventry City, Matthew is now working full-time as a groundsman at the club. “It was great to do the course and expand on my knowledge,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot in this past year and I know I’m really lucky to be part of such a great team.”

Speaking of the awards, he said: “I was so shocked when I found out I’d won. I wasn’t expecting to be a finalist so even that was an honour in itself. The competition was tough, and the other finalist was really deserving as well, so I was chuffed to win. I’m really grateful that Toro sponsors the award as I believe this will give me a platform that will help my career.”

He continues: “In this industry if you work hard, you can get far and that’s what I intend to do. I’d like to be head groundsman at a stadium one day, or even a pitch advisor for IOG. The opportunities are limitless.”

Marketing manager at Reesink Turfcare, Holly Jones, says: “Encouraging and supporting young talent in the grounds industry is a hugely important undertaking for us and sponsoring this award demonstrates Toro’s long-term commitment to the development of the industry and our investment in the careers of young people. This is a wonderful achievement for Matthew, and we hope the award continues to encourage more young talent like himself. We will follow his career with great interest.”

The awards, which took place on the 31 October at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, recognise leadership, innovation and outstanding achievement across every aspect of groundscare. Attended by more than 650 of the UK and Europe’s leading groundscare experts, the ceremony highlights the progress of young, student grounds professionals.

But it’s not just winning the award which will set Matthew apart, his passion and determination to help promote the benefits of a career in the industry to his peers will undoubtedly do that too. And Reesink and Toro are proud, as ever, to play a part in giving Matthew a platform to do that through the sponsorship of such an important award for the future of the industry.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Rigby Taylor Key At Great Yarmouth

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Rigby Taylor Key At Great Yarmouth: Great Yarmouth Racecourse has been named as the best flat course in the Racecourse Association’s prestigious grounds staff awards 2018, and Rigby Taylor’s amenity products have played a vital role.

Combined with high-class groundscare routines led by head groundsman Richard Bradley, the use of a host of products as well as continual advice and support by Rigby Taylor this year saw the Great Yarmouth team succeed with a “well-covered and great-coloured” course during a racing season that experienced the hottest summer on record.

Rigby Taylor Key At Great Yarmouth

According to Clerk of the Course, Richard Aldous, the award reflects “both the success of the grounds team’s expertise as well as the efficacy of the products” that have been used at the site for the past five years or so.

“We use a range of Rigby Taylor products to ensure the track consistently looks and performs superbly,” he says, “and we’ve been especially pleased with the combination of using the Fineturf 6-0-18 and PolyPro 25-3-15 slow-release fertilisers and Microlite Activ-8 (both 12-0-12 and 6-0-24).

“Together these have enabled us to produce a track that particularly this year has received laudatory comments from jockeys, trainers and owners.”

He continues: “We re-laid the turf on the straight in 2015 to ensure we could attract top-class horses to Great Yarmouth and to provide opportunities, particularly for horses which might go on to big festival meetings such as Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood. This has certainly been the case this season and I’m in no doubt that the amenity products we use have played a significant part in that success.”

Rigby Taylor Key At Great Yarmouth

Staging 23 meeting each season on the course, from April through to October, the Great Yarmouth team utilises a year-round programme of Rigby Taylor soil testing regimes and products, including the Propel-R wetting agent, liquid seaweed, Greenor systemic herbicide, and Delta Sport granular and Microsol soluble fertilisers, as well as overseeding with the R14 100% perennial rye seed. This, says Richard, “not only germinates quickly and presents a sward that holds together excellently, but it also is very wear- and disease-tolerant”.

With expert groundscare routines coupled with regular visits from Rigby Taylor’s Technical Sales Representative Mark Keysell who, adds Richard, “is always on hand and offers an awful lot of support”, the Great Yarmouth team is happy that everything is being done to ensure they stay on track for successful racing at the 300-year-old racecourse.

For more information, visit: www.rigbytaylor.com

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New John Deere Mower At BTME

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New John Deere Mower At BTME: Boasting the same advanced technology as John Deere’s award-winning A Model family of fairway, rough and trim & surrounds mowers, the new 6000A Series PrecisionCut fairway machines will be launched at BTME 2019 in Harrogate next January and will be available from UK and Irish dealers in the spring.

Based on a three-wheel drive, smooth tyre configuration, the 6080A, 6500A and 6700A five-gang cylinder models have been introduced to meet a specific customer need for improved budget control, while still delivering a mower designed for the rigours of fairway applications.

New John Deere Mower At BTME 2019

“With tight operating budgets and increasing labour costs, many customers need a more cost-effective solution to get the job done,” says John Deere’s European turf sales & marketing manager Carlos Aragones. “With this in mind, we challenged ourselves to design a machine that can still boost productivity and maintain quality of cut while keeping costs down, and we’ve done that with these new 6000A Series mowers.”

All three models utilise a powerful 24.7hp (18.4kW) diesel engine, and boast several other premium performance and comfort features. Just like the existing John Deere A Model range, these latest mowers offer exceptional cut quality, even on slopes, thanks to the standard LoadMatch system, while the innovative eHydro transmission eliminates linkages between the foot pedals and the hydrostatic pump.

Cutting widths are 2.03m (80in) on the 6080A and 2.54m (100in) on the 6500A and 6700A, with a choice of 46 or 56cm (18 or 22in) QA5 5in or QA7 7in diameter cutting units depending on the model. In addition, the 8mph (12.9kph) mowing speed allows operators to cut larger areas in less time.

As with all A Model machines, the new fairway mowers also feature the innovative TechControl display with password-protected controls. TechControl allows course managers or technicians to enter a range of commands, including mowing, turning and transport speeds as well as service intervals, while also providing on-board service diagnostics, to give complete and consistent control over cutting performance and quality.

The established frame design provides strength and durability, and a high quality cut is maintained in undulating terrain thanks to a rear-attaching yoke on the cutting units. Combined with the standard GRIP all-wheel drive traction system, these features allow the mowers to climb hills more easily without slipping.

The new John Deere 6000A Series PrecisionCut fairway mowers also provide several features designed to increase machine and operator uptime. These include internal hydraulic wet disk brakes that eliminate the need for linkage adjustments and grease points in the braking system, along with the traction drive system that needs only one fluid type for regular maintenance. In addition, the comfortable operator station includes CommandArm mounted controls that move with the seat.

For more information, visit: www.JohnDeere.co.uk

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GreenMech’s New Dealer Cover For Devon & Somerset

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GreenMech’s New Dealer Cover For Devon & Somerset: Europe’s top-selling wood chipper manufacturer GreenMech have announced a rearrangement of their dealer cover in Devon and Somerset. As from 14th November, Andrew Symons Ltd will be handing sales and support for Devon, with dedicated GreenMech specialists operating out of three depots.

Stocking a wide variety of equipment for agricultural, construction, gardening and groundcare applications, family-run Andrew Symons Ltd have over 30 years of experience offering sales and support for a number of leading brands. The groundcare team headed up by Simon Newsome at the Crediton depot, alongside Lee Hatter at South Molton and Dave Daniel at Holsworthy, will become GreenMech product specialists. Their knowledge, backed up by a fully trained service department, will see the GreenMech product reach a range of customers including holiday parks, golf course, municipal areas and much more.

GreenMech's New Dealer Cover For Devon & Somerset

Commenting on their appointment, Dealer Principle Andrew Symons said, “We are extremely proud to be appointed the new GreenMech dealer for the Devon area. We feel GreenMech offer a superb range of products that complement our existing portfolio and will suit both professional and domestic users. We are also pleased to support them as a British Manufacturer, and as a market leader, which will benefit both us and our existing and future customers.”

Completing the rearrangement, existing GreenMech dealer New Forest Farm Machinery, will be extending their territory to cover Somerset. Having picked up the GreenMech franchise in May 2017 for the Hampshire and Dorset areas, they will now offer sales and support for customers in Somerset, operating out of their new dealerpoint in Sparkford, Wincanton.

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Jensen Grow With New Dealers

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Jensen Grow With New Dealers: Arb professionals across the UK are set to see even more from Jensen woodchippers over the coming months, with exciting new dealer appointments in the East of England and Scotland formalised recently.

Constantly growing both in awareness and popularity, the Jensen brand is synonymous with quality, power and longevity, developed by the business who manufactured the world’s first woodchipper in Maasbull, Germany, in 1884.

Jensen Grow With New Dealers

In the East of England, we are pleased to be partnered with P. Tuckwell Ltd, established in 1954 by Len Tuckwell and with 7 depots across Essex, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Suffolk, 3 of which will be offering Jensen sales, service and parts initially.

Tuckwell’s began selling groundcare machinery in 1986 and have since continued to expand and serve a wide variety of commercial industries, well established in their communities as machinery experts who supply high quality machinery and equipment.

Jason Clark, Forestry & Arboriculture Sales Specialist at Tuckwell’s commented, “we have identified the arboricultural market as being under-supplied in the Essex region and are looking to become a key supplier in this sector. Our new forestry and arboriculture line, launched in October, provides a wide-ranging selection of professional brands including tools, clothing, equipment in addition to the Jensen woodchippers.

Excited by the opportunity that the premium Jensen brand offers, Jason added: “Jensen woodchippers are a well-established and highly regarded brand within the arboriculture industry, manufactured to a high specification for optimum performance. Professionals will find the product to be a reliable option while reducing operator costs and improving productivity.

“Our carefully selected brands are recognised for being at the forefront of the industry, and Jensen’s products with their exceptional reputation will complement our existing machinery portfolio.”

Moving into brand new territory for the brand in Scotland, Jensen are now partnered with Field and Forest, who specialise in arboricultural machinery sales and hire. Field and Forest were first established in 2014 by Tom Brown and are delighted to be the first Jensen dealers north of the border.

Tom commented: “Field and Forest’s philosophy has always been to supply the highest quality machinery to the arb and forestry sectors – we see Jensen as being good, reliable, honest kit. We see the A530L as being a particularly versatile machine coming in at 750kg which means it is great for all users and can be towed without a specific towing licence.”

Based just outside Edinburgh in Broxburn, Field and Forest are the first Scottish dealers recruited by Jensen and will be providing sales, hire and service support.

“We are extremely excited to be working with Jensen and have taken delivery of our first few machines. Our aim is to build a short- and long-term hire fleet – and Jensen was the obvious choice of woodchippers having been tried and tested.”

In addition, the Jensen UK team has expanded with the full-time recruitment of Nathan Jacobs as a Jensen specialist sales representative. Nathan joined the business in the summer and has spent several months learning the ropes with the Jensen distributor as well as working with the team at T H WHITE Groundcare to develop his understanding of the brand from a dealer and end user perspective.

“I’ve been working in the arborist sector for ten years,” Nathan recounts, “initially as a field engineer and then moving into management of groundcare and treecare machinery hire. “I am enjoying my role within the Jensen UK business, it is a great challenge and I’m looking forward to continuing to build the brand across the country, supporting dealers and working with the manufacturer to reach the full potential that we know is possible for the Jensen brand.”

Nathan is a dedicated Sales Representative for the Jensen brand across the UK, working with Business Manager Bill Johnston to support the ever-growing dealer network and customers across the UK.

Naturally Bill is delighted with the expansion for the brand:

“The Jensen brand is ever-increasing in awareness, popularity and market share, and we are pleased to welcome new dealers into our growing network, especially in the East of England and Scotland where we see huge potential for the business in partnership with Tuckwell’s and Field and Forest.

“Both dealerships bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table in a range of sectors and I’m looking forward to working with their teams to develop our business in their regions alongside our existing selection of dealers across the country.”

Jensen continues to expand its dealer network across the UK, so keep your eyes peeled for even more new dealer appointments over coming months.

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SALTEX Shapes The Future Of Groundscare

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SALTEX Shapes The Future Of Groundscare: From robotics to hybrid mowers and digital apps, ground-breaking ideas to thought provoking debates, career enhancing advice to limitless opportunities; the recent SALTEX 2018 at the NEC in Birmingham was a landscape packed with possibilities and prospects for the future of groundscare.

Europe’s largest annual groundscare event featured 300 exhibitors, many of which embraced new technologies through the launch of their latest products and services showcased at the event.

SALTEX Shapes The Future Of Groundscare

One visitor – Chris Wood, ECB pitch consultant, was certainly impressed with the machinery on show: “My job with the ECB is to gather as much information on all the new innovations and this is one tremendous outlet for that. I always think that we are one big family in this industry and SALTEX is the one occasion of the year where we can come together, network, and look at all the new machinery – it’s like a toyshop at Christmas.”

The vibrant show floor offered a fantastic opportunity to witness just how these latest technologies are having a positive impact in the groundscare industry – particularly in the all new Innovation Hub where visitors were free to attend live interviews with industry experts and trend setters at the forefront of new groundscare innovations.

This new Hub was also the ideal platform to showcase and celebrate the SALTEX 2018 Innovation Award. After making its successful debut at last year’s show, the SALTEX 2018 Innovation Award attracted even more entries from various exhibitors across the globe and included a wide variety of high-quality products, services and equipment. Judged by an independent panel of industry experts it was decided that the Toro Outcross 9060 from Reesink Turfcare, PrecisionPro from Sherriff Amenity and the ROBOCUT from McConnel were the stand out entries. Sherriff Amenity’s PrecisionPro was crowned as the winner.

Sherriff Amenity representatives however were not the only trophy winners at the show as Bridgewater & Taunton College saw off fierce competition to win the SALTEX College Cup and the winning students can now look forward to visiting the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in the run up to the Wimbledon tournament, to experience court preparation from Neil Stubley, head of courts and horticulture.

There were also an increased number of visitors looking to progress within the industry as Frank Newberry’s Job Clinic sessions were fully booked between 9am and 3pm on each day of this year’s show. The expert careers advisor offered some fantastic tips on: perfecting a CV and cover letter; how to succeed at job interviews; negotiating a package; proactive job searching and self-employment.

The many opportunities to gain expert advice prompted John Ryan, founder of Lawn Care Legends, to travel from Northern Ireland to SALTEX: “I found my visit extremely beneficial because there are a lot of industry people you can connect with that can help provide ideas on how to develop a business. It’s great to see people with such a passion for the industry and share it with others. For anyone who wants to know what’s going on in the industry, I would recommend that they visit SALTEX.”

Free advice was available at every turn throughout the three large halls at the NEC. Visitors had the opportunity to gather one-to-one sports turf management advice from IOG regional pitch advisors at the Ask the Expert feature and Pathology and Soil Science LIVE provided an opportunity to share soil samples which were magnified, displayed on a large screen and assessed.

Learning LIVE 2018, SALTEX’s all-encompassing education programme, featured more than 50 free-to-attend seminars. Visitors gained CPD points for attendance and got to hear from expert speakers from the UK and abroad who focussed on vital issues that affect the industry.

James Pope, grounds manager at St Paul’s School in London, said he visited SALTEX to explore new concepts: “I’ve gained more ideas just from coming to this one show than I have all year. SALTEX is the right time of year and it’s the busiest and most vibrant show around – everyone is always in high spirits.”

Echoing James, was Ted Mitchell from the RFU, who was pleased to see just how the world’s longest standing groundscare exhibition has transformed over the years. “I’ve been attending SALTEX for many years and to see the event as it is today is incredible – it takes your breath away. It offers such a unique opportunity to meet the range of people at SALTEX in five or six hours that would, in any other circumstance, take me a huge amount of time over a number of months. SALTEX brings the industry together all in one place.”

SALTEX does indeed unite every corner of the industry – the manufacturers and suppliers, the visitors and speakers, the governing bodies and associations; who contributed to the conversations, the learnings, the ideas, the debates, and actively played their part in shaping the future of groundscare and creating opportunity for all.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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Lloyd Ltd And Bobcat Construction Expansion

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Lloyd Ltd And Bobcat Construction Expansion: Carlisle-based Lloyd Ltd, the Bobcat dealer for County Durham, Teesside, Cumbria and Northumberland in England and the southern part of Scotland, covering South Ayrshire, the Border counties and Dumfries and Galloway, has expanded the services it provides for customers in the construction and hire markets, bringing significant benefits for both Lloyd Ltd and Bobcat.

Results have been especially impressive in product and aftermarket sales for the Bobcat range of compact loaders, compact excavators and attachments. As well as the construction and rental markets, the other main sectors for Lloyd are agriculture, groundcare and materials handling, where sales of Bobcat equipment have also increased.

Lloyd Ltd And Bobcat Construction Expansion

This has been supported by Lloyd’s own finance team, with a wide choice of finance options available to suit different customers in the market. It is one of the advantages that arises from cross-fertilisation with the motor vehicle side of the Lloyd business, covering the same areas in the North of England and the South of Scotland.

Alistair Whitby, Dealer Principal at the Lloyd branch in Bishop Auckland, said: “The expansion in construction has delivered a 20% rise in Bobcat business. This is backed by similar increases in the number of finance packages we have sold. We are also investing heavily in our facilities and processes to ensure that it is even easier for new and existing Bobcat customers to do business with us. The Construction side is headed by our Construction Sales Manager, Chris Stephenson, who runs out of Bishop Auckland and Newcastle.”

Family-owned Business

Founded in 1964 as a tractor dealership in Carlisle, Lloyd has grown considerably over the past five decades but has retained its approach and style as a family-run business with local roots. A key feature of the company is the easy accessibility customers have to interact with personnel at every level of Lloyd Ltd.

As well as Bishop Auckland and Newcastle, Lloyd Ltd has branches right across the North of England in Alnwick, Carlisle and Penrith and at Dumfries and Kelso in Scotland, where the company has increased focus on the construction sector with the appointment of construction sales representatives at each of the branches.

As well as building new premises for the Penrith branch, the construction expansion includes new investments in facilities together worth over £7 million, including refurbishment of the Carlisle, Newcastle and Kelso branches.  The investment also includes a new facility Lloyd Ltd is planning opposite the current Bishop Auckland branch, where a new 2900 m2 building will be constructed on company-owned land that will offer an outstanding showroom, triple workshop area and a training centre.

In addition, with the Bobcat range now fully available from Kelso, Lloyd offers Bobcat products from every branch. The expansion at Lloyd has coincided with numerous developments in the Bobcat range with new Bobcat products with enhanced features and quality designed and supplied from plants in the Czech Republic and the USA.

In the six years the company has been a Bobcat dealer, Lloyd has developed very close ties with Bobcat, with regular focus meetings with Paul Hyslop, the Bobcat District Manager UK North. The focus meetings explore every aspect of the Bobcat-Lloyd relationship, with a key discussion being customer focused actions to ensure the right customers are targeted with the right solutions and including forward planning on stocks of Bobcat products to help optimise lead times for customers.

Paul Hyslop commented: “I have been very pleased with the strides taken over the last two years by Lloyd, which have provided a significant boost to Bobcat sales in the areas they cover. I was delighted that Bishop Auckland was able to host the recent 2018 Bobcat Customer Roadshow as it toured England and Scotland, providing a great Bobcat experience for existing and prospective customers alike.”

Bobcat Roadshow at Lloyd

The Bobcat Roadshow provided visitors with a great opportunity to experience first-hand the latest products in the Bobcat range under the guidance of expert demonstrators from the Bobcat European headquarters in the Czech Republic and staff from Lloyd’s sales and finance departments.

One of the main themes of the Roadshow event was a focus on the Bobcat range of compact track loaders and the landscaping/groundcare market using a wide variety of Bobcat attachments on these machines. This was illustrated by using the Bobcat T450 compact track loader and MT55 mini track loader with a number of Bobcat attachments for these applications.  The Roadshow also offered visitors their first look at the new E26 mini-excavator, one of five models in Bobcat’s new ground-breaking R-Series 2-4 tonne excavator range, taking performance and innovation to new levels.

The T450, MT55 and E26 were complemented at the event with a range of other Bobcat machines and attachments provided by Lloyd.  This demonstrated the fantastic versatility offered by the machines in the Bobcat range, where the operator can switch quickly between different attachments to carry out a wide range of different types of work with the same machine.

Summarising, Alistair Whitby added: “Our Bobcat Roadshow event was a great day for our staff and customers. We had visitors from as far afield as Scotland, with several families joining in with the fun. With its unique atmosphere, the Roadshow allowed us to close off several new deals for Bobcat equipment. We are looking forward to a very exciting future with Bobcat and the expansion which will soon become a reality at Bishop Auckland with the planning permission finally in the bag.”

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