January 3, 2019 - Turf Matters

BALI Award For John O’Conner: Award sponsors Toro and Reesink Turfcare, an official UK Toro distributor, are delighted to announce that John O’Conner Grounds Maintenance are the principle award winners for their sponsored Grounds Maintenance – Limited Public Access category, at the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) National Landscape Awards.

John O’Conner were announced as the winners at a ceremony held at London’s Grosvenor House on 7 December, for its work at Emergency Planning College (EPC), The Hawkhills, a leading provider of high-quality training for public, private and voluntary organisations.

John O’Conner received the award with its client Serco after an adjudicator visited the college and reviewed the grounds to see first-hand the excellent management employed and the work of the on-site staff at the 240-acre estate, which includes landscaped gardens, woods and natural parklands.

Managing Director at John O’Conner, Matt O’Conner, who coincidentally happens to be the BALI chairman, says: “We’re delighted that EPC has been awarded the principle award in its category at the BALI National Landscape Awards. This is the result of a strong partnership with our client and shows what can be achieved when you work hand-in-hand to improve standards.

“Credit must of course go to our on-site staff who have worked so hard to deliver exemplary standards on this prestigious site. It is a great example of the high level of service that we deliver for our customers day in and day out.”

With tough competition for the award, the project impressed the judges with the level of skill and professionalism displayed. One of the judges declared: “The contractor has done a great deal to improve standards in the grounds of this important venue. Client satisfaction is high, and they are aware that as standards increase, staffing and budgets must follow to maintain the overall look of the site. Regardless, this is a very impressive scheme and a credit to the efforts of the contractor’s on-site staff.”

The award was presented to John O’Conner by Reesink Turfcare’s Alastair Rowell, in front of an audience of over 1000 BALI members and guests at the 42^nd annual awards. The runner-up and fellow national award winner in the category, announced in September, was Gavin Jones for Brompton Barracks – Royal School of Military Engineers.

Alastair Rowell, Reesink accounts manager for grounds concludes: “We are very proud to sponsor this award with Toro and have the opportunity to commend the most exciting and progressive landscaping projects. As Toro is renowned for its innovation in groundscare equipment, we have a keen interest in helping to shape the future of the turfcare and landscaping industry. We are thrilled to have seen John O’Conner win this award and congratulate all those involved with this year’s winning project.”

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Toro Longevity At Bedfordshire GC: Bedfordshire Golf Club has been a Toro customer for 18 years, and much of this relationship longevity has been put down to the service received from Reesink Turfcare.

Part-way through its third five-year agreement with Toro and Reesink course manager John Gubb says he’s remained loyal because “Reesink gives you the premier service you’d expect for a brand like Toro.”

He elaborates: “We’ve been using Toro for quite some time because reliable and hardwearing machines are vital for this course. However, when you sign an agreement with Toro and Reesink it’s not just high-quality machines you’re getting, it’s the whole package.

“It’s every aspect of the experience and service,” says John. “From dealing with the Reesink rep, Julian Copping, to everyone on the parts and servicing team. We have a really good working relationship with them all, which is what you expect when you’re working with the best.”

But it’s not just that, Toro and Reesink have proven to go above and beyond to help the club when it needed it most. Since the club’s relocation eighteen years ago, major floods in 2000, 2007 and two in 2008 hit the course, but with Toro came a helping hand.

“They lent us utility vehicles and pedestrian mowers to help get the course back on track, as our equipment sheds were inaccessible because of the flood water,” John explains. “The loaned machines helped enormously in the turf’s subsequent recovery.”

The most recent addition to the fleet is a replacement Groundsmaster 4100-D for use on the roughs. John says: “We’ve actually sold on our older model to another local club. It’s been an incredibly reliable machine for the last 13 years and still has life in it yet, but for us, the new model means we can stay up to date with Toro’s latest technology.”

With its SmartPower system, the Groundsmaster 4100-D is the perfect combination of power and performance, and better for the environment. For John, there’s no question the hardwearing machine fits the requirements of the club’s 150-acres, made up of an 18 hole course and 9 hole academy course.

“With a large area to cover, having robust and durable equipment is an absolute must,” he says. “We’ve only had the new Groundsmaster for a short time, but already you can see how the new features have improved the machine.”

Looking at how the course has progressed since introducing Toro, John reflects: “We have over 600 playing members in total, and they all expect a high-quality playing surface. And let’s just say that there are no complaints from them when it comes to the course and the greenkeeping equipment.”

He concludes: “There’s nothing out there that beats Toro. So, it’s a no-brainer to keep updating the fleet. With Toro, we’re safe in the knowledge the machines will last, but we can also make use of updates in their technology to keep the club at the top of its game.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

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BALI Award For John O’Conner

Toro Longevity At Bedfordshire GC

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