Countax And A Race To The Rescue

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Countax And A Race To The Rescue: Every year, universities from around the world compete to build a single seat race car for autocross or sprint racing.

Countax And A Race To The Rescue

Formula Student is Europe’s most established educational motorsport competition, backed by industry and high-profile engineers such as Ross Brawn OBE.  The competition aims to develop innovative young engineers and encourage young people to take up a career in engineering. Following that edict, Surrey University’s Formula Student team set about building their new electric 80kW single seat racer, with a specification that would take it from 0-60mph in under three seconds. Little did they know the project would bring them into contact with garden tractor manufacturer Countax, themselves the company behind British-built Runningblade, the racing lawnmower that broke the world record on Pendine Sands.

Formula Student forms part of a degree-level project that provides the opportunity to deliver a complex and integrated product and present it to a hypothetical manufacturing firm. The rules are the car must be low in cost, easily maintained, reliable, with high performance; and the team has to demonstrate it can support a viable business model for both parties. The Surrey University team’s car is entirely student designed and built by them, making virtually everything from the tubular frame through to the aluminium suspension uprights. It’s powered by an 80kW/240Nm electric motor with 600v 7kWH LiPo battery. Each team has to go through a rigorous testing process, including a Static Event, where the cars are judged on design, cost, sustainability, business presentation, technical and safety scrutineering, a tilt test and brake and noise test.

The venue for the Surrey team’s Static Event was Silverstone Circuit and when they arrived to assemble the car they found they were minus the correct wheel nuts. The ones they had with them were from the previous year’s model and this year’s had undergone a design change to the studs. They needed M10 x 1.25 pitch wheel nuts with a tapered seat to fit the new studs. Nowhere at Silverstone could they find the size. Bill Backhouse, Automotive Technician for the university’s Mechanical Engineering Sciences Department, phoned his father Graham at the John B Backhouse power and garden machinery dealership in Yorkshire for help.

Graham realised the wheel nuts they needed were coincidentally the same as fitted to the post 2013 Countax garden tractors and the race was on to the Countax Factory near Oxford, where Lauren in the Parts Department had a set of wheel nuts ready and waiting in reception. The short hop back to Silverstone saw the wheels and nuts in place ready to pass the Formula Student Static Event; and have the car ready to go on to the Dynamic Event with skid pan, sprint, acceleration, endurance and fuel economy. All with a big thanks to Countax from the Surrey University team and, one other coincidence, Ross Brawn has been a Countax customer for many years.

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SALTEX 2017 Visitor Registration Now Open

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SALTEX 2017 ‘Your Industry, Your Show’ Visitor Registration Now Open

SALTEX 2017 Visitor Registration Now Open

The countdown to Europe’s largest annual turf management event has officially begun, marked by the opening of online visitor registration.

SALTEX 2017 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham, from 1-2 November, and has already attracted over 250 exhibitors – a number that’s set to grow further in the weeks leading up to the event. Confirmed to return are a number of leading brand names spanning the whole turf management industry including manufacturers and suppliers of world-class products and services for the maintenance of pitches, grounds, landscaping, parks and estates.

SALTEX will also once again boast unique show features such as:

  • Learning LIVE – an all-encompassing free-to-attend education programme offering grounds and open space practitioners across all disciplines, volunteer as well as professional, the chance to increase their CPD points.
  • Outdoor demonstrations – providing an opportunity to see a number of products in action directly outside the SALTEX halls 6, 7 and 8.
  • The SALTEX College Cup – a national student-led sports-turf challenge sponsored by Ransomes.
  • Pathology & Soil Science LIVE – allowing visitors to look in detail at the symptoms of some common turfgrass fungal disease problems.
  • The Young Groundsmen’s Conference, sponsored by Rigby Taylor and Top Green – an ideal opportunity for young people looking to advance their career in the groundscare industry
  • Ask the Expert – free pitchcare advice from the IOG’s team of regional pitch advisors based on the IOG Hub
  • The IOG Industry Awards – the UK’s biggest celebration in groundsmanship held on the evening of the first day (1 November) at the National Motorcycle Museum.
  • NEW for 2017! Careers advice area – the chance to receive one-to-one advice from industry expert Frank Newberry on how to progress your career, write a compelling CV and perform well in an interview situation.

Visitors can register to attend SALTEX via the website – www.iogsaltex.com. Visitors will receive a confirmation email with their badge to print and take along to the show in November, to gain free entry.

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Question Time At SALTEX

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The Amenity Forum will once again be hosting its ever popular Question Time at SALTEX 2017. The event is modelled upon the BBC programme where a panel of people drawn from the sector respond to auQuestion Time At SALTEXdience questions on a range of topical issues concerning amenity management. Professor John Moverley OBE, Independent Chairman of the Forum, will act as ‘David Dimbleby’ and this year’s panel includes:

  • Jim Croxton, Chief Executive Officer, BIGGA
  • Will Kay, Managing Director, Languard
  • Mark Pyrah, Landscaper & Industrial Business Manager UK and Ireland, IICL
  • Tony Saunders, Area Manager & Professional Head of Environment, JSD Rail

If previous years are repeated, there will be a full house and a lively debate. There is certainly no shortage of issues to be discussed. It will take place at 2pm on the first day (November 1st) of SALTEX being held at the NEC in Birmingham.

John Moverley says ‘We are delighted to have been invited to once again host this popular event at SALTEX. The IOG are supportive members of the Amenity Forum and this Question Time allows opportunity at this important national event to discuss and debate key issues surrounding amenity management’

A key element in putting together a professional approach to amenity maintenance is by adopting an integrated approach ensuring all options are considered and the optimum management programme chosen for specific situations. A key date in the amenity calendar is Amenity Forum conference and the programme announced this year promises to be as topical and relevant as ever. This major conference has very much become the must attend event for all involved or having an interest in weed, pest and disease control matters in amenity. It also can appeal to a wider audience for those just wanting to understand more about this important and diverse sector.

The conference will be held on Thursday, October 12th, at the Pirelli Stadium, Burton on Trent. The title ‘Keeping Britain Moving’ has been chosen to align with the Forum’s ongoing and very successful campaign to communicate to the wider public the important and essential nature of weed, pest and disease management and why it impacts upon every UK citizen.

Delegate rates are again being kept as low as possible. The standard rate is £65 plus VAT but, for those who book early before September 1st, there is a special discounted rate of £55 plus VAT

To book your place contact admin@amenityforum.net

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Groundsmen Bowled Over By ICL Independent School Seminar

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Groundsmen bowled over by latest ICL Independent School Seminar: Fifty groundsmen from independent schools throughout southern England and the Midlands were presented with a wealth of useful advice and information at the latest ICL seminar, which was held at Edgbaston Stadium – home to Warwickshire CCC and the Birmingham Bears.

Groundsmen bowled over by latest ICL Independent School Seminar

Aimed specifically at turf professionals working in the independent schools sector, the popular ICL Independent School Seminar is now in its fifth year.

Emma Kilby, ICL Area Sales Manager for the Midlands and West, who organised and ran the event welcomed delegates to the event with an outline of what they could expect from the day before handing over to Edgbaston Stadium Head Groundsman Gary Barwell to give an overview of the facilities which includes a total of 24 pitches – 17 of them being first class before giving delegates an insight into pitch preparation and their trials of an SIS hybrid pitch.

Henry Bechelet, ICL’s Technical Sales Manager was next, giving an informative and entertaining presentation on ‘Root Development Technologies’. Areas discussed included what affects turf rooting, the relationship between rooting and nitrogen and what products can help turf managers improve rooting before also speaking about the company’s commissioning of independent STRI trials where he revealed that the results conclusively showed that the use of Sierraform GT consistently increases root development.

Daniel Lightfoot, Syngenta’s Business Manager, was next to the stage to give an illustrated talk and demonstration of the company’s Greencast turf app and a fungicide update including the new regulations.

This was followed by Robert Jack from Dennis and SISIS who gave a presentation on the range of British manufactured turf maintenance machinery the company has to offer. Robert also discussed the recent STRI trials of the SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid, where it proved to be a very effective tool in helping to manage the soil profile, creating better rooting, allowing water and air movement through the profile, keeping disease at bay and helping to reduce compaction.

Concluding the session, Daniel Lightfoot returned to give delegates a greater insight into Instrata Elite fungicide. Daniel explained that when Instrata Elite is applied, it quickly spreads and locks onto the wax layer of the plant surface which provides a protective barrier to the leaf and destroys any disease spores which are present at the time of application.

After the presentations, delegates were given a tour of the stadium by Gary Barwell. As well as getting a close look at the cricket wicket which would be played on later that evening, they were also shown some of the turf maintenance machinery which Gary and his team use on a daily basis.

Emma Kilby, who organised the event, believes that the day’s varied content had been what delegates were looking for and was delighted that the event had been so well supported.

“Today has been a fantastic event and it was good to get so many groundsmen attending,” she said. “These are professional groundsmen that produce surfaces for so many different sports. They come along to the event to learn and to network. It’s not just for the head groundsmen – it’s for all their staff who got an insight into the integrated turf management and agronomic support available.”

Mike Kemmett, Grounds Manager at Harrow School, said the seminar had proved extremely worthwhile and a great opportunity to network with other groundsmen from schools: “I’ve been for the last three events, and actually hosted last year’s event when I was at Haberdashers. It’s a great event to network and meet other people. I particularly found Daniel Lightfoot’s presentation on fungicides interesting as I now have a golf course to manage.”

James Pope, Grounds Manager at St Paul’s School in London commented: “I brought my assistant groundsman Tom Martin with me today. Today’s event was great to speak to other colleagues that I wouldn’t normally get the chance to speak to throughout the year and compare notes with. It was good to find out how Gary (Barwell) prepares his wicket. There are definitely a few notes that we’ve made and will take back with us and try to implement. It was particularly impressive how he logs all of his data.”

Summing up the general enthusiasm from the day, Cheltenham College Head of Grounds Christian Brain said: “This is the first ICL seminar that I’ve attended. I brought another member of staff with me and its’ been good to attend a first-class venue to see what Gary and his team do on a daily basis, which we’ve learnt a lot from to take back with us. It’s nice to hear about what is going on in the industry, the different products which are coming out and the different techniques to apply those products.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

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Jacobsen and AGCSA Deliver Successful Future Turf Managers’ Initiative

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The AGCSA, in conjunction with Jacobsen, held another Future Turf Managers’ Initiative, after the success of the inaugural event in Australia last year. With help from the NZGCSA, delegates from New Zealand were also selected to take part in this joint venture. The FTMI took place at the 33rd Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort at Mudjimba Beach, Queensland.

The two-day educational event is aimed at up-and-coming course staff who are focused on making the career leap to Superintendent or Course Manager. Focusing on personal and professional development, the FTMI uses the expertise of respected course managers, cross-industry training specialists and industry experts to mentor and educate the next generation of industry leaders.

The event involved presentations on budgeting, an insight into the Australian job market, CV and cover letter writing and interview techniques. The speakers were Stewart Fenton, CEO of Royal South Yarra Tennis club and president of Golf Management Australia (GMA), Lee Strutt, Course Manager at the Royal Automobile Club, Jeff Blunden from the Golf Business Advisory Services (GBAS), and Susanne Macphee, a human resources management professional.

The mentors were of the highest calibre and were on hand to support the groups assigned to them. Mentoring at FTMI for the first time were Leon Hennessey, Superintendent at Cromer Golf Club, NSW, and Travis Scott of Riversdale Golf Club, Vic. Mentoring for the second time was Ben Tilley of Headlands Golf Club, Qld, and for the fourth time, after being involved in the FTMI in New Zealand was John Spraggs of Royal Wellington Golf Club, NZ.

The FTMI is the only programme available to industry professionals that provides lifelong skills to both men and women wishing to pursue a managerial career within turfcare. This year, both delegates from Australia and New Zealand took part in a joint FTMI held in Australia to further broaden networking opportunities. Commenting on the success of the event, mentor Leon Hennessey said,
“It has been a privilege to be a part of this unique event in Australia. I personally found it such a fulfilling experience to mentor a group of superintendents who are so passionate about the industry and furthering their careers.

The format really worked; there was never a dull moment, and the delegates were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to network with peers from Australia and New Zealand, and have first class speakers on hand to pass on their wealth of knowledge. I would definitely urge anyone who wants to take the next step in their career to apply for the FTMI, it prepares you for everything you’ll face as a course manager.”

Speaking at the close of the event, Jacobsen’s Marketing Manager Karen Proctor, said,
“It has been another fantastic FTMI in Australia! The delegates were engaged throughout the two days, and it was touching to hear some of the positive feedback from all involved. I would like to thank the AGCSA and NZGCSA for working with us to make the event possible, it’s an initiative we are extremely proud to be a part of.

We have been given some great news that several of last year’s delegates have already been promoted to course manager since attending FTMI, and we are confident that many more will share the same success as a direct result of attending this fantastic educational event.”

Simone Staples, AGCSA Events and Education Manager added,
“We are delighted once again that Jacobsen has supported FTMI in Australia. It’s becoming the number one educational event within the industry for those wishing to make the step up to course manager, and the results are already showing. The AGCSA is pleased that there is so much enthusiasm for educational and networking opportunities within the industry, and we very much look forward to working with Jacobsen on this event again next year.”

This year’s delegates were: Luke Nowlan, Mathew Soles, Thomas Bickerdike, Brittney Goldsworthy, Ryan Pantic, Brenton Clarke, Tim Hoskinson, Simon Work, Jason Berkhout, Jacob Burridge, Rob Arestia, Matt Pollock, Danny Adams, Nick Launer, Garry Kunz, George Flynn, Alex Yates, Connor Scott, Kiel Stechman and Lance Morrin.

These delegates join a cohort of more than 160 greenkeepers from around the globe, who have graduated from the Future Turf Managers Initiative during the past five years.

For more information, visit: www.jacobsen.com/europe