SALTEX 2018 Voted The Best Yet

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SALTEX 2018 Voted The Best Yet: The post-show visitor survey from SALTEX 2018 has revealed that an overwhelming amount of attendees believed the 2018 show was the best and most vibrant to date.

SALTEX at the NEC, Birmingham has again proved to be the annual meeting place for the UK and European groundscare industries. Only at SALTEX does the industry have the opportunity to experience a comprehensive overview of the latest developments and innovations in groundscare and to find out about the capabilities of this sector.

SALTEX 2018 Voted The Best Yet

Following two days of networking, education and innovation, the 73rd SALTEX exhibition closed with an independently audited, visitor total of 8,902.

Visitors attended from 44 different countries and according to the findings of this year’s visitor survey, these attendees included grounds personnel, greenkeepers, landscapers and contractors.

The event organisers are very pleased to hear that 90 per cent of visitors, who took part in the survey, were successful in meeting their show objectives and equally as many rated their overall show experience as either very good or excellent and no less than 90 per cent of visitors have already put SALTEX 2019 into their diaries, which takes place at the NEC from 30-31 October.

Survey respondents said that their top priorities for attending were to source new products/services and suppliers (79 per cent) and discover new innovations (77 per cent).

More than 47 per cent used their visit for professional development by attending show features such as the Learning LIVE education programme, Ask the Expert and the Job Clinic.

More than half of the survey respondents held a leading or management position at their respective companies, with 84 per cent either having sole responsibility for purchasing or contributed to the process. In addition, 65 per cent had the ability to sign-off on amounts up to £50,000 and 12 per cent had the ability to sign-off on amounts of more than £500,000.

The survey findings also revealed that SALTEX visitors had very specific interests: almost 80 per cent attended to find out more about machinery, power and hand tools for their daily work and nearly half of the visitors were interested in seed, turf and aggregates. More than 38 per cent of visitors wanted to see exhibitors representing both sport surfaces and facilities and landscaping materials. Other areas of interest included: arboriculture, horticulture and forestry (37 per cent); commercial vehicles, tyres and trailers (33 per cent); synthetic turf (24 per cent) and security, personal protection, health and safety (18 per cent).

Vic Demain, head groundsman at Durham CCC, believes that the show is well attended because it caters for everyone in the industry: “I consider SALTEX to be the best show in the industry and it is ideal for everyone to come to, whether you are a volunteer, a professional or an international groundsman – there is something for everyone,” he said.

For Adam Witchell, head groundsman at Forrest Green Rovers FC, attending SALTEX provides him with a great opportunity to continue his learning. “For me it’s all about education. I love the seminars and here at SALTEX I’m learning lots of things from great people in this industry. It is a fantastic event, there is some absolutely brilliant machinery on display and a good range of exhibitors.”

Alison Saxby, estate team leader at Workington Town Council also thought the opportunity to enhance her knowledge was a top priority for attending SALTEX: “I like the live talks because they keep you abreast of the current regulations and new innovations,” she said.

With the NEC being located in the centre of the UK and boasting fantastic travel links, it is no wonder that 85 per cent rated the accessibility of the venue as excellent. Stuart Kerrison, head groundsman at Essex CCC said: “The NEC is so easy to get to. I attended to look at a couple of new machines because this is where you see all of the latest innovations. Anyone who attends SALTEX gets so much from it – from viewing new products, attending seminars and networking,” he said.

Benjamin Imamovic, assistant groundsman at FK Željezničar Sarajevo, believed that his journey to SALTEX was certainly worthwhile.

“It’s awesome; I came all the way from Bosnia and Herzegovina to see all of the new machines and learn something new and I am amazed.”

SALTEX 2019 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on October 30 and 31.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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Reesink’s Respects For Clive Pinnock

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Reesink’s Respects For Clive Pinnock: Clive Pinnock, Reesink’s training ambassador who worked for the company for 34 years before retiring in Spring 2018, has sadly passed away following a short battle with cancer.

Clive will be remembered for achieving a level 4 in the Landbased Technician Accreditation scheme (LTA) in 2016, one of the highest training accolades there is, and growing and shaping the company’s training department into what it is today.

Reesink’s Respects For Clive Pinnock

Fondly referred to as a ‘training trailblazer’, he will be much missed says turf equipment aftermarket manager at Reesink, David Jackman.

“It was very sad news to hear that Clive had passed away following a short battle with cancer. Clive played a big part in helping the training department grow to the size it is today and he always got on well with our dealers and customers, helping them achieve the very best from the machinery that he knew so much about.”

He continues: “When Clive turned 65, he still had passion and a love of the product and the people that he worked with, so he became more involved in training, he had a genuine interest in cutting edge technology and helping to train others. Anyone who attended a technical training course at St. Neots would have come across Clive and his enthusiasm for the products. He will be sorely missed by all, especially those at Reesink Turfcare.”

Over the years, Clive left a big impression on those he worked with, inspiring others with his passion for learning and sharing his knowledge. This enthusiasm is remembered by Reesink managing director, David Cole.

“I have known and worked with Clive off and on since the early 90s, and over that time have always fed off his infectious enthusiasm for engineering and the opportunities in agriculture and turfcare,” David says.

“Over his career he channelled that enthusiasm into giving generously of his knowledge to everyone he came across and in doing so improved the technical ability and understanding of many greenkeepers, groundsman and technicians, as well as influencing the career path of some. That generosity, with his experience and sharing what he knew, was a real loss to Reesink, the Toro brand and the wider industry when Clive retired last year and should be reflected upon with the sad news of his passing.”

Having made such an impact in the industry and those around him, Clive is truly irreplaceable. However, his legacy remains in the form of all those he’s trained. Reesink’s condolences are with Clive’s family.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Farleigh’s New Partnership

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Farleigh’s New Partnership: A brand new partnership between Farleigh Golf Club, John Deere and dealer Farol Ltd has seen the first ever fleet of John Deere course maintenance equipment arrive at the course. This forms part of an ongoing investment in the club and its facilities worth £6.5 million since the Hayton family acquired Farleigh in 2010, to become part of The Foxhills Collection.

“The partnership is a true representation of our commitment to improving quality and maintaining our golf offering at all times,” says Adam Walsh, who has been general manager for two years following a spell as golf sales manager.

Farleigh's New Partnership

Opened in 1997 near Croydon, Farleigh is a fast-draining downland-style course which boasts 27 Championship-standard holes redesigned by Ryder Cup legend John Jacobs, with greens built to USGA specifications. Three separate nine-hole loops can be played in any combination as three different 18-hole layouts or even all 27, each layout providing an enjoyable challenge for golfers of all abilities.

The course hosted the 2018 PGA Assistants’ Championship as well as its southern section final qualifier, and is the only national PGA venue in the area. The club has also recently signed up for the next two years to host the national PGA Fourball Championship.

Adam Walsh explains the reasoning behind the club’s decision to partner with John Deere and Farol for the first time: “Our previous fleet was coming up to eight years old, so we decided to go through a formal tender process to upgrade and replace the machinery as necessary. At the same time, we were looking to establish a new partnership approach with a supplier as an exclusive agreement, rather than simply replace the odd machine here and there over time.

“The local dealer Farol started demonstrations with us in 2017, arranged by golf & turf area manager Dave Searles, and we soon found that there was a real willingness to create a proper partnership with the club and meet our long-term business needs. One of the main influencing factors in the choice of John Deere was the effort that was put into delivering the full package we were looking for, compared to the other companies we dealt with.”

Course manager Kenny MacPhail, who has been at the club for approaching five years, had used some John Deere equipment before but as he says: “What’s good for one course may not be so suitable for another, so I wanted the greenkeeping team to experience the John Deere kit as widely as possible before we made the final decision.

Farleigh's New Partnership

“Generally we’ve been impressed with the range, especially the easy height of cut adjustment on the rotary 8800A TerrainCut rough mower and 7400A trim & surrounds mower, which both feature the programmable TechControl display. We have a lot of drainage ditches, and the 7400A’s shiftable deck system saves a lot of manpower, as it can mow down into them more easily.

“The overall operator experience is good too – everything is laid out simply and is very user-friendly. It’s obvious a lot of engineering thought has gone into the manufacturing process, particularly to make servicing and maintenance very straightforward.”

Other machines in the 14-strong fleet include both 2500B hydraulic and 2500E hybrid electric greens mowers, 8900A wide area fairway mowers, a 1600T wide area rotary mower, Pro Gators with top dresser and sprayer attachments, TH 6×4 Gator utility vehicles and a 5075E 75hp utility tractor.

“We have just had a record financial year and the club is definitely going in the right direction,” says Adam Walsh. “The course continues to improve, and stylistically it’s different to the majority of courses in the area – it’s very open and exposed and sets different challenges, more like an inland links.

“We aim to provide a relaxed atmosphere, while underpinning every step we take with the emphasis on quality and attention to detail in order to give our members and visitors the best possible value. We’re very enthusiastic about the future at Farleigh, and this new partnership with John Deere and Farol is a definite step forward in helping us to achieve our goals.”

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

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Sharrocks’ New Etesia Territories

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Sharrocks’ New Etesia Territories: Etesia UK has announced that Sharrocks has extended its current areas in Birmingham, Shropshire and Staffordshire to now also cover the South Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cheshire areas.

Sharrocks is a specialist supplier of tractors, professional and domestic turf machinery and both agricultural and arboricultural equipment. For over 55 years the family owned business, which is now in its fourth generation, has delivered a trusted service throughout the Midlands, North of England & North Wales.

Sharrocks' New Etesia Territories

The company, which has a Northern depot in Wigan, Manchester and a Midlands depot in Sandbach, near Stafford is experienced with the full range of Etesia products and is geographically well-placed to offer an excellent customer experience for sales and after-sales support, spare parts and service.

Sharrocks has replaced the previous dealer in these areas and this new announcement comes after a hugely successful debut year as an Etesia dealer.

“We’ve been a recognised Etesia dealer for just over a year now and I couldn’t have asked for more,” said managing director James Sharrock. “The support from Etesia has been fantastic and the products have been incredibly well received from so many contractors and local authorities.

“They are expertly designed machines which have consistently proved themselves over the years. Our customer base always comment on their performance, their low vibration levels and their great longevity – there is also a very good acceptance on spare part prices. In my opinion they are products designed for this market rather than being a domestic machine made heavier to cope with commercial application – which is what the vast majority of lawnmowers in this sector are.”

The complete range of Etesia equipment is now available for both hire and purchase from Sharrocks, who will also take on responsibility for all parts, servicing and warranty for current users.

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

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Vandals Ruin Village Football Pitch

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Vandals Ruin Village Football Pitch: A village football boss has condemned “mindless” vandals who ruined their pitch by driving across it and churning up the turf.

Cartmel AFC’s ground was targeted by someone driving across the wet surface performing “doughnuts and wheelies” and scarring the sodden ground on Boxing Day.

Vandals Ruin Village Football Pitch

Club chairman Steve Chambers said it was ‘out of the blue’ for someone in the community to have done such a thing.

“It’s simply mindless vandalism,” he said. “We are such a supportive community and for this to have happened is very unexpected.”

Police have launched an investigation and the football club has gathered CCTV footage that may show who was in the area at the time.

Mr Chambers is hopeful that the CCTV evidence will help trace those responsible for the criminal damage.

“With luck the footage will give us something and the culprits will be brought to justice,” he said.

The team hope that they will still be able to play on Saturday (January 5) despite how deep the marks are on the field.

First team manager Andrew Kendall said: “A lot of volunteers spend a lot of time on the pitch and so it’s very disappointing and upsetting for the club for this to happen.”

Anyone with information should contact the police on 101 quoting log number 103 of December 27 or call CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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