GKB Leaf-Blower promises more airflow with less load

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GKB Leaf-Blower promises more airflow with less load: Visitors to BTME 2025 were the first to see a brand new addition to the GKB machinery portfolio, as the Leaf-Blower (LB100) made its global debut. Delivering more airflow with less power demand on your tractor, the LB100 promises greater efficiency and fast, effective clearance of leaves and other debris.

In development for a number of years, the GKB Leaf-Blower has been designed to meet the exacting requirements of modern golf course and sports turf management. With low power requirements of under 40hp and a PTO-driven fan, the blower offers powerful performance with limited load on your tractor.

GKB Leaf-Blower promises more airflow with less load

GKB Leaf-Blower promises more airflow with less load

As is now expected with GKB, the new machine incorporates the very best of robust, precision engineering for durable, long-lasting reliability. It features solid tyres, an anti-scalp roller and a lightweight, yet study, 875mm diameter metal fan. With an air capacity of 380 m³/min, the Leaf-Blower provides outstanding productivity for the fast and effective clearance of leaves, pine needles and other debris.

The hydraulically operated rear chute allows you to swiftly change speed or direction of airflow, saving time on the job. The freewheel PTO and gearbox transmission ensure smooth operation and long ma­chine life, while attaching the unit and setting the working height is quick and simple.

Its compact dimensions, weight of 360kg and a noise level of only 97 decibels make the GKB Leaf-Blower suitable for daily use on golf courses and other amenity spaces in close proximity to the public.

Commenting on its introduction, UK Operations Manager Tom Shinkins said, “It was great to finally be able to introduce the Leaf-Blower into the GKB range, and what better place to get it in front of thousands of turf professionals than at BTME! We had an incredibly positive reaction from visitor and dealers alike, all excited to get out and get hands-on with the machine in the field ahead of the busy autumn season. Sitting alongside sustainable solutions like the GKB Leaf Reducer, we now offer the full complement of machinery for leaf clearance to suit all sports, situations and settings.”

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GMA NextGen welcomes four new members

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GMA NextGen welcomes four new members: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) is pleased to announce the addition of four new professionals to its NextGen group.

GMA NextGen, sponsored by Reesink UK, is comprised of talented young grounds professionals who represent the grounds management industry and act as ambassadors for the GMA. Their mission is to encourage more young people to consider a career in grounds management.

GMA NextGen welcomes four new members

GMA NextGen welcomes four new members

Luis Arregui, Deputy Grounds Manager at Real Madrid City, joins the GMA NextGen group with the aim of promoting a profession he believes is key to sports success. With a degree in Forest Engineering, he combines agronomic knowledge and a passion for sports to advance in his career, aiming to inspire the next generation in grounds management.

Flynn Good, Skilled Sports Turf Operative at Leicester City FC, is hoping to connect with others in grounds management and inspire future professionals. He began volunteering at his local club at the age of 10, driven by a love for maintaining high-quality playing surfaces and takes pride in his team’s impact on players’ success.

Jack Leather, Specialist Groundsperson at Liverpool FC, aims to raise awareness of grounds management as a viable career. Inspired by his father, Jack developed a passion for the industry early on. He enjoys seeing the direct results of his work and is especially passionate about using science and data to improve surfaces and sustainability.

Oliver Mahon, Grounds and Gardens Manager at Monkton Combe School, joins GMA NextGen to promote grounds management to the next generation. His love for sports, the outdoors, and machinery led him to study horticulture and agriculture. He takes pride in preparing high-quality pitches for students, enjoying their appreciation for his team’s work.

Jack Langley & Meg Lay, GMA NextGen Co-Chairs, said: “We’re excited to see more young professionals joining the GMA NextGen group and helping to raise awareness of the incredible career opportunities in grounds management. It’s an industry that offers so much variety, and we’re looking forward to working alongside our new members to showcase the value and impact of our profession.”

With an estimated 1,500 professional grounds staff potentially retiring each year, workforce development is a pressing priority for the industry.

The GMA NextGen group plays a vital role in addressing this challenge by not only promoting the opportunities available within grounds management but also providing a platform for emerging professionals to share ideas and learn more.

By engaging with younger generations, the group helps ensure a sustainable pipeline of talent to safeguard the future of the profession and maintain the high standards expected across sports and green spaces.

Jennifer Carter, Director of Communications & Marketing at the GMA, said: “We know the industry is facing significant challenges in terms of workforce shortages, but the GMA NextGen group continues to make a real difference in addressing these issues. They’ve done an outstanding job in attracting talented young professionals, not only to the group but also into the wider industry, showing the rewarding careers available in grounds management. We’re really pleased to welcome the four new members to the group and look forward to seeing their contributions as they help shape the future of our industry.”

For more information about the GMA NextGen programme or the new members, please visit thegma.org.uk/who /ambassadors.

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SIS Pitches announces major project

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SIS Pitches announces major project: SIS Pitches, the team behind the World Record-breaking Kingdom Arena pitch, has announced it is set to deliver a major project in Saudi Arabia.

SIS Pitches, which produces premium hybrid, synthetic and natural pitches for an array of sports, has announced its partnership with Aramco Stadium in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. The project reflects the brand’s commitment to delivering high-quality sports facilities in the region.

SIS Pitches announces major project

SIS Pitches announces major project

As part of the project, the SIS Pitches team will design and build a hybrid grass football stadium pitch, complete with an SIS Air classic vacuum and ventilation system, and two natural grass training pitches. Works will also include associated irrigation and drainage and pitch accessories. With design development completed to be completed by January 31st, the stadium and training pitches should be finalized in 2026.

The project will benefit from the proximity of SIS Pitches’ local turf farm in Saudi Arabia, guaranteeing a quick supply of high-quality, locally grown grass. Grass from Saudi farms will be installed specifically for the Aramco Stadium works and is due to be operational from April 2025.

David Ball, Managing Director at SIS Middle East, said: “A year on from the Kingdom Arena, our flagship project for the region, we’re thrilled to be able to announce another major project.

“Demand for high-quality sports surfaces in the region has skyrocketed in recent years. This project will be the perfect opportunity for us to help support Middle Eastern sports and showcase our wide offering – from pitch design and construction to irrigation and ventilation – across a range of disciplines, including football and cricket.

“We’re looking forward to unveiling our design for the Aramco Stadium very soon.”

SIS Pitches made its first foray into the Middle East in Dubai, UAE, in 2011. After recognizing a growing appetite for high-level professional sports – and the resulting increased need for cutting-edge surfaces – the brand established a dedicated SIS Pitches office in Saudi Arabia in July 2023.

Within weeks of establishing the Saudi Arabia office, the team at SIS Pitches undertook one of the world’s most ambitious sporting infrastructure projects to complete the Kingdom Arena – the world’s first fully indoor hybrid pitch, famously built in just 21 days – in partnership with Sela.

For more information on SIS Pitches, visit sispitches.com/uae/

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TMS invest in six Iseki mowers

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TMS invest in six Iseki mowers: Iseki mowers’ exceptional cut-and-collect features has made them the go to choice for Team Maintenance Services Ltd over the last 15 years, with the company getting their fleet replaced for the third time, as they continue enhancing their green waste recycling.

The Cornwall-based company covers the whole of Cornwall http://tmscornwall.co.uk/ and provides comprehensive grounds maintenance to retail parks, local authorities, industrial estates and schools, making the high-quality cut and reliable collection of the Iseki SXG327 crucial.

TMS invest in six Iseki mowers

TMS invest in six Iseki mowers

The latest six new mowers were again supplied by Devon Garden Machinery, a local Machinery dealer with forty years’ experience and a long-standing relationship with TMS, providing a consistent on-going supply of Iseki mowers with an excellent back-up and replacement parts service.

In use across various sites, John Julyan, Managing Director of TMS, clarifies the role the Iseki machines play in their environmental efforts.

“As a company, we want to reduce our carbon footprint, and the perfect way for us to do that is by recycling our green waste,” John explains.

“At many of our sites, removing grass clippings is important both aesthetically and practically. Schools don’t want students walking grass into buildings, and businesses don’t want their staff doing it either, so for us, being able to provide that service using the SXG327s is really important.

“The mowers leave the grass with a really clean finish and very little debris, and that consistent performance has kept us using Iseki machines over the last 15 years.”

Renowned for its exceptional cut-and-collect abilities, the SXG327 has several attributes that allow the machine to cut and collect with no blockages and leave a superior finish every time.

The rear axle is mounted high under the seat out of the way with chain drive to each of the rear wheels, this allows the grass to flow straight through from the deck to the collector with no obstructions to avoid unwanted blockages. For maximum airflow from the decks to the collector, the air vents on top of the mower deck can be opened or closed to allow as much grass and debris as possible to be picked up and passed through to the collector. This is especially useful when collecting heavier, wetter grass. In the summer, these can be closed to avoid excess dust and debris being kicked up when cutting dry areas.

One SRA550F joins the five new SXG327s in the TMS fleet, which is a perfectly balanced brushcutter capable of cutting anything it can drive over. With that combination, the company’s 20 staff are able to tackle a majority of the landscapes they face.

TMS pride themselves on their professionalism and reliability, and those values have seen the family run company grow since it began in 1998. For the past 15 years, Iseki machinery has been a part of that journey, John believes the reliability of the mowers has played a part in their own development.

“With this selection of machines, we know we can deliver every day,” he said. “Besides the performance of the machines, the other factor is the excellent quality of build. We rarely have to change the parts of the Iseki’s, and when we do, Devon Garden Machinery are always very responsive and send the parts directly to us.”

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BIGGA celebrates exceptional BTME

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BIGGA celebrates exceptional BTME: The British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) signed off from its annual education conference and trade show in Harrogate with news of a refined strategy that will shape the direction of the association for years to come.

A video of BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton, Head of Membership Scott Reeves and Chairperson Steve Lloyd discussing the strategy can be viewed online here.

BIGGA celebrates exceptional BTME

BIGGA celebrates exceptional BTME

The BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) saw turf professionals and some of the most influential figures behind the sport of golf gather at the Harrogate Convention Centre in North Yorkshire. Held alongside BIGGA’s Continue to Learn education programme, the best learning opportunity in Europe for golf greenkeepers, BTME is considered among the most important events in the golf industry due to the development opportunities and access to the latest technology and innovations afforded to golf greenkeepers and club officials.

Across three show days, 4,204 visitors walked through the doors of the convention centre, where 157 exhibitors provided a warm welcome. Visitors stayed for an average of 1.56 days and of those who came to Harrogate, 10% were from overseas.

The Continue to Learn programme was 99% sold out with 1,220 places pre-booked across the Classes and Conferences schedule. Accompanied by two outstanding free-to-attend seminar programmes throughout the show, the popularity of Continue to Learn solidifies its importance in the training and development of the greenkeeping and wider turf management community.

A large number of product launches and major industry announcements took place during BTME and you can find details of these in the Digital Media Centre on the BTME website.

A wide variety of events also took place during BTME, strengthening the festival feel of the entire week. Organisations such as The R&A, Bernhard and Company, ICL and others hosted events, while the Golf Environment Awards also took place. The BIGGA Celebration with Kress revealed the winners of this year’s BIGGA Awards and the Syngenta-sponsored Early Bird Run raised £810 for the Greenkeepers’ Benevolent Fund. The Monster Putt with Huxley Golf raised a further £957 for BIGGA’s charity, which supports members and their families in need.

Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO, said: “BTME 2025 has been a resounding success, not only in terms of attendance but also in the invaluable opportunities it has provided for learning, networking and innovation within our industry. With over 4,200 visitors and more exhibitors and educational opportunities than ever before, it’s clear that BTME remains a cornerstone of the golf and turf management calendar and we’re excited to welcome everyone back to Harrogate in January 2026 for what we are certain will be another exciting and vibrant BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition.”

At BTME, BIGGA also revealed a three-pronged strategy that will further advance the ambitions of the association in its role as a prominent figurehead within the golf industry. Informed by the recent membership survey undertaken by the association, alongside an extensive consultation period, the refocused strategy will ensure BIGGA remains a strong and influential voice, effectively representing its members on an international scale and supporting them in their professional ambitions.

Jim Croxton, BIGGA CEO, said: “We had an absolutely fantastic response to our membership survey at the back end of 2024. Thank you so much to all the members and non-members who responded and gave their views on our association, membership, the initiatives we run and the work we’re doing to improve the greenkeeping industry. All the results of the survey are helping us refine our strategy.”

The key strategic pillars are:

  • Increasing membership numbers as a unified greenkeeping community is better able to positively influence the sport of golf.
  • Increasing engagement in BIGGA activity and evolving the membership offering to ensure all members, at every stage of their career, can get involved, become better educated and progress through their careers.
  • Advancing BIGGA’s advocacy efforts to positively influence the governance structure within golf facilities, ensuring greenkeepers are recognised as critical to the success of the sport.

These strategic pillars will inform BIGGA’s activities over the coming period and further updates will be revealed in due course.

The BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition and Continue to Learn education programme are hosted by BIGGA and take place at the Harrogate Convention Centre in North Yorkshire. The trade show will return on 20 to 22 January 2026, with Continue to Learn taking place from 18 to 21 January 2026.

For more information about BIGGA and its various activities including how to become a member, visit www.bigga.org.uk

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