Kubota Establish Innovation Centres

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Kubota Establish Innovation Centres: Kubota Corporation (Headquarters: Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan; President and Representative Director: Masatoshi Kimata; hereinafter referred to as “Kubota”) is establishing Innovation Centers in Japan and Europe as organs for the creation of new business ventures, products, and services in Kubota’s fields of business including agriculture and construction. Working together with external partners, the Innovation Centers will advance open innovation for proactive engagement with ICT, AI, and other advanced technologies, and accelerate the creation of new business, products, and services.

Kubota Establish Innovation Centres

Background and Aims

・To date, Kubota has pursued the development of products responsive to the needs of customers mainly through specialized development departments for each of its product lines, such as agricultural machinery and construction machinery, working in partnership with an in-house research and development department in charge of advanced technologies and component technologies. At present Kubota is developing and strengthening its research and development bases both within Japan and internationally to respond to business globalization and product line expansion.

・At the same time, in order to respond to changing customer needs such as the rising awareness of food safety, environmental conservation, and other aspects of social sustainability, the company needs to deliver new forms of value such as “system solutions” utilizing ICT, AI, and other advanced technologies, beyond the existing product lines. These technologies are evolving at an increasingly rapid pace, and in order to engage with them in a timely manner it is essential to pursue partnerships (open innovation) with venture businesses, companies in other industries, universities, research institutes, and other external partners.

・It is for this purpose that Kubota is establishing its new Innovation Centers, which will take the lead in planning and proposing new business activities, products, and services that transcend existing boundaries between different product lines, promote open innovation through investment in and joint research with external partners, and seek to create new forms of value that surpass customers’ expectations.

・In order to respond attentively to regional needs, Innovation Centers will be established in both Japan and Europe. The company will also consider establishing centers in other regions in the future.

 Outline of the New Organization

Name Innovation Center
Role Surveys and planning for the creation of new business activities, products, and services in the fields of agriculture and construction, and commercialization thereof
Timing of establishment June 2019 (Japan) / July 2019 (Europe)

For more information on Kubota, please visit www.kubota-global.net or www.kubota-eu.com.

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A Tribute To Eddie Seaward

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A Tribute To Eddie Seaward: There are some people who leave a mark. Eddie Seaward was definitely one of those people.

He was the man in charge of the All England courts at Wimbledon from 1990, until the London Olympics in 2012 – fittingly taking his final bow as Andy Murray was taking the applause and a Gold Medal.

A Tribute To Eddie Seaward

It is a mark of the esteem in which he was held that his bosses had requested that he put his retirement on hold until after the Olympics, knowing that there was no-one better to peak the iconic courts twice within the space of 20 days.

However, while he shone on the greatest tennis stage of them all – he picked up the monikers of the “Guru of Grass” and the “Grass Whisperer” among others – it was behind the scenes, with his work at the IOG, helping aspiring groundsmen, that really marked him out as a special person.

You often find that the people with the biggest jobs have the biggest hearts and no-one epitomised this better than Eddie.

His lasting legacy are all the young, and now not so young, Head Grounds people, who he mentored and who went on to achieve great things within the industry.

Indeed, there are many others, who didn’t have the good fortune of meeting Eddie in person, but who have been able to witness what is possible, through hard work, dedication and by a genuine willingness to help others.

You can be sure that Eddie will be looking down on the great work that Neil Stubley and his team have continued to produce during the Championships, proud that his legacy is being continued.

Eddie. Thank you for all that you did for groundsmanship.

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INFINICUT Key For Duncan Toon

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INFINICUT Key For Duncan Toon: As part of an on-going investment programme, Warwick Independent Schools Foundation have purchased two Cub Cadet INFINICUT® mowers, as well as a selection of TMSystem™ cassettes.  In a very short time Grounds Manager Duncan Toon says the vast improvement in the condition of the natural grass surfaces is down to these newest additions to his machinery fleet.

Four schools occupy the 8 hectare site of natural turf and sports facilities – Warwick School, Warwick Junior School, King’s High School and Warwick Preparatory School. Duncan and his grounds team of 6 are required to deliver top-quality surfaces for all. “I joined the school in June 2018 whilst it was in the midst of a significant investment programme and started sourcing machinery to help improve the quality of the grounds. I’d had a demonstration of the INFINI’s in my previous role at Birmingham FC and they’d been on my
wish-list ever since. I knew these would be key to achieving the quality we were striving for.”

INFINICUT Key For Duncan Toon

Duncan took delivery of an INFINICUT® 34” Fixed Head and an INFINICUT® 26” Floating Head mower, in quick succession. “Alongside the superior quality of cut, and striping ability, another big selling point for us working in a school environment is health and safety. With the INFINI’s being battery powered, we no longer have to spend time and money sourcing and safely storing fuel – and the noise emitted is all but eliminated meaning we can mow anytime including through the exam season. They’re also incredibly comfortable to operate, which is much more enjoyable for my guys while mowing large areas such as rugby pitches. In fact, they’re fighting to use them!”

The 34” unit, equipped with a 7 blade SmartCut reel, is predominately for use on the rugby pitch and cricket square, while the 26” floating head model will become their wicket mower. Duncan is also impressed with the cassettes from the TMSystem™ range that came with the machines – the PowerBrush™ and UltraGroomer™. “We’ve put the UltraGroomer™ across our cricket surface to thin out the sward and remove any unwanted Poa ingress and lateral growth. Compared to other
verti-cutters, this cassette is head and shoulders above anything I’ve ever used. When you think you’ve taken everything out, you go over again and it’s amazing how much more you get.”

“These machines have already made a noticeable difference to the health, presentation and quality of the swards” explains a delighted Duncan, who is looking forward to adding further units to his fleet in the not-too-distant future.

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JCB Secure Nixon Hire Order

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JCB Secure Nixon Hire Order: JCB is celebrating its biggest single order from leading equipment rental business Nixon Hire as it invests in a brand new telehandler machine fleet worth almost £14 million.

North East based Nixon Hire has signed a deal for 235 JCB Loadalls which will join the fleet at its depots across the UK.

JCB Secure Nixon Hire Order

The deal further strengthens the relationship between Nixon Hire and dealer Scot JCB and includes the full range of JCB models including the 6 metre 525-60 and the 20 metre 540-200.

JCB Group Managing Director Global Key Accounts, Yvette Henshall-Bell, said: “We have worked very closely with Nixon Hire over many years and it is fantastic for both companies that Nixon Hire has been able to place a record order with JCB.  Nixon Hire and JCB are both family-owned businesses sharing many common values and I am glad that our long standing partnership continues.”

Nixon Hire Managing Director, Graham Nixon, said: “Our decision to buy JCB was based on the quality and efficiency of the product as well as the excellent aftermarket support we receive from Scot JCB throughout the UK. The machines come with class leading telematics and this is a huge benefit to our own customers.”

Nixon Hire was founded in 1967 and remains a family-run business employing more than 5,500 people across its 22 UK depots.  The business also includes plant, tools, accommodation and portable toilet products.

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Trime Products At Balmoral Show

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Trime Products At Balmoral Show: Dungannon’s Glendun Plant Sales are ready to display two examples from the Trime UK range of lighting and dust suppression equipment. Glendun Plant will showcase the Trime products alongside their expanding scope of supply at the Balmoral Show, which is Northern Ireland’s largest agricultural event. The show is set for 15th to 18th May and held at Balmoral Park, Halftown Rd, Sprucefield.

With visitors anticipated from right across the island of Ireland, delegates will have the opportunity to view the Trime X-CHAIN site lighting unit alongside their brand new product the X-DUST dust suppression module.

Trime Products At Balmoral Show

The X-CHAIN LED is a stand-alone tower floodlight fully equipped with stabilisers, retractable handles, fork-lift pockets and a telescopic, stainless steel mast. Illumination is provided via four low consumption long life LED lamps, delivering over 2000sq. metres of safe, bright lighting.  Up to four Trime X-CHAIN LED sets can be connected together using the simple ‘socket-in/socket-out’ system and then attached to a single power source – either ordinary mains or a portable generator. The Trime X-CHAIN LED has no individual fuel costs or carbon emissions and will operate totally soundlessly. The unit is designed for zero maintenance and up thirty-two units can be delivered on a single truck.

The X-DUST is designed to provide workers with safe protection from airborne contaminates in concentrated areas, helping to deliver a healthier atmosphere in which to complete their duties. The X-DUST produces a fine spray of water through a series of high-pressure jets; the mist is then propelled onto the site by a powerful fan, rendering the area free from unhealthy and hazardous material.  The X-DUST is ideally suited for both outdoor and indoor applications.

Glendun Plant Sales is Trime UK’s Northern Ireland’s distributor. They are based in Mullybrannon Rd, Dungannon BT71 7ER.

Trime UK is headquartered in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. They supply a wide range of energy saving site lighting towers together with wash bays and dust suppression machinery.

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