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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BALI Award For John O’Conner

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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.

BALI Award For John O’Conner

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 42nd 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.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Glyphosate Roadshow A Success

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Glyphosate Roadshow A Success: Complete Weed Control’s glyphosate roadshow has been hailed as a huge success after the series of seminars offered vital guidance on the application of glyphosate to over 150 delegates throughout four UK locations.

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used herbicide and has been proven to be effective in controlling unwanted vegetation in public spaces, gardens and in agriculture. However, over recent years it has been exposed to an abundance of scrutiny and debate which has left more unanswered questions and created further confusion.

Glyphosate Roadshow A Success

In this series of seminars, which took place in York, Bristol, London and Stirling, Complete Weed Control aimed to provide a greater clarity on glyphosate, as managing director Ian Graham explained in his introduction at each venue.

“As an organisation we felt it was time to put together a series of seminars to deal with the issues surrounding glyphosate and its use in the amenity sector. There has been a considerable and sustained volume bad press and a much negativity surrounding this product – so we felt it was essential that we explore the reality and present the data that exists from numerous agencies around the world that have all declared this product to be safe.

“As contractors we are very happy that our using it is entirely appropriate as it delivers a safe, environmentally sound and cost-effective means of dealing with weeds.”

Following Ian’s introduction, Bayer’s Roundup Technical Development Manager Barrie Hunt shared his wealth of knowledge and offered a fantastic insight into the history and development of glyphosate.  Barrie also discussed how and why glyphosate was re-approved for use in the EU back in 2017 and provided best practice information to help delegates plan ahead for their 2019 weed control programmes.

Commenting on his participation in the roadshow, Barrie said: “I got involved because I believe the stewardship of glyphosate and our Roundup brand is incredibly important – it is not something that can be left to chance.

“These seminars have been a great opportunity to engage with so many local authorities and contractors and to present the facts about glyphosate, present the science about glyphosate, and to address everybody’s questions which have ranged from glyphosate safety through to the specifics of controlling Japanese Knotweed.

“Without doubt this amenity usage is the place where pesticides meet the public so we have a responsibility to ensure that they have a good clear stewardship message and that they understand the safety of glyphosate.”

Delegates also got the chance to see a live demonstration of the Weed-IT machine and discovered the environmental and productivity benefits that this unique technology offers the industry. Developed specifically for the control of weeds on public footpaths and similar hard surface areas in urban situations, the WeedIT technology allows for spot treatment, which is a label requirement for glyphosate.

Complete Weed Control’s Technical Director Alan Abel then went on to further discuss spot treatment options and provide greater clarity on glyphosate label legislation.  Alan also talked about the relative costs of alternative treatments such as acid, heat and hand weeding, concluding that the WeedIT machine is both financially and environmentally economical.

To conclude Ian Graham presented information regarding the ongoing Japanese Knotweed trials currently taking place in Cardiff in partnership with Swansea University– which have demonstrated that glyphosate is the product that best controls Japanese Knotweed making it more important still that this valuable active ingredient is not lost through lack of knowledge and understanding.

Each seminar concluded with a Q&A session before lunch, and Ian Graham was pleased to see each event so well attended.

“Over the four venues we have seen in excess of 150 delegates, which we consider to be a success. These delegates are keen to learn the truth about glyphosate – they are the ones dealing with the public and are being asked the difficult questions. They want to make sure they have the answers at their disposal for when they are asked and I think these seminars have provided them with the knowledge they need.

“As an industry, I think it is very important that we collectively put our weight behind supporting glyphosate. It is important to us and it is important to be able to deal with weeds effectively and in an environmentally sound fashion.

“We are looking to reach out and gain more support from other organisations within our industry and hopefully that will continue to have positive results in representing the product.

As a consequence of the shows we are now developing an online product that will be launched in January that will serve as an information resource for clients and the public alike.”

For more information, please contact Complete Weed Control’s national office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeweedcontrol.co.uk

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Two Toro Launches At BTME

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Two Toro Launches At BTME: Reesink Turfcare are kicking off 2019 with the launch of two new Toro fine turf machines at BTME.

Full details of both machines are being kept under wraps until the show, but what the company can reveal is that one takes a popular ride-on greens mower and makes it super quiet, while the other brings new innovation to pedestrian mowing.

Two Toro Launches At BTME

In the first, a proven engine, no more hydraulics and a significant reduction in operator noise, but with the familiar feel of its series counterparts will undoubtedly create a great deal of interest with UK greenkeepers and course managers keen to up their green credentials.

The second launch improves the operator experience without affecting the quality of cut. The handle and suspension on this new pedestrian mower have all received the Toro touch and together means operation is simpler, cut is more consistent and adjustment is even easier.

This new Toro two will be joined on stand 420 in the Purple Zone by the Outcross, Toro’s first super-duty utility vehicle. The Outcross combines the best elements of a tractor with a utility vehicle that’s been purpose-built to expand the operators’ capacity for work, allowing them to do more with less. With the power to tow 16,000lbs and an optional cargo bed that can hold 4,500lbs of materials, its sheer strength is astonishing.

Completing the Toro machinery line-up will be the latest ‘flagship’ machines for greenkeeping professionals. They include the Reelmaster 5010-H; the machine which introduced the industry to a fairway mower with a true hybrid drive system to seamlessly match the power needed for traction and cutting based on mowing conditions.

Also in the Reelmaster category and at the show will be the RM3555-D, the hard-working, economical mower and lightest in its category, which can climb hills while running groomers and rear roller brushes yet uses less fuel per acre than traditional fairway mowers.

Completing the line-up are the Workman GTX-E, the mid-duty electric utility vehicle with over 300 configuration options, and myTurf Pro, the web-based asset management system providing machinery data for efficient fleet maintenance.

Holly Jones, marketing manager at Reesink, says: “These two machines promise to be a big hit with customers and the show provides the perfect launch platform. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the stand, where our specialist machinery team will be on hand to give help and advice about all our products.”

See all this – and more – on stand 420 in the Purple Zone.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Dennis & SISIS To Exhibit At STMA

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Dennis & SISIS To Exhibit At STMA: Dennis and SISIS will be heading to Arizona in January to showcase an all-star line-up of equipment at the 2019 Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Conference and Exhibition, including the recently launched Dennis PRO 34R rotary mower and the Syn-Pro SVR 1500 synthetic turf cleaner.

As Dennis and SISIS continue to fly the flag for British turf maintenance equipment, it is no surprise that many of the machines are being relied upon by a large number of turf managers in the states. The British manufacturers have been regular exhibitors at the annual STMA Conference and Exhibition and have reported great success over recent years.

Dennis & SISIS To Exhibit At STMA

When the 30th STMA Conference and Exhibition takes place January 22 -25 in Phoenix, Arizona, Dennis and SISIS will be looking forward to continuing this trend as they introduce new products to existing and new customers.

One of which will be the hotly anticipated and newly launched Dennis PRO 34R rotary mower. This unique 34” (860mm) rotary mower has been designed to help turf managers achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface. It is ideal for sports pitches producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently. The angle of the cutting deck and twin blades can be easily adjusted using a single ‘click adjuster’ ensuring the mower is suitable for changing conditions and meeting groundsmen’s requirements.

The PRO 34R features 5 forward and 1 reverse selection for speed of operation, a front brush for standing grasses upright and a 2 section cast aluminium rear roller for that all-important presentation.

Visitors to the Dennis and SISIS stand will also be pleased to see the new SVR 1500 synthetic turf cleaner which is the latest product to be added to the Syn-Pro range. The SVR 1500 deep turf cleaner is a tractor mounted system that removes not only large debris from the infill but also finer dust particles before returning the ‘cleaned’ infill back to the surface.

Designed for use on either sand or rubber filled surfaces, the SVR 1500 is ideal for deep cleaning and aiding de-compaction. Operators will notice that this process allows water to permeate through, which can help to reduce bacteria, algae and moss and minimize the risk of player injury.

Dennis & SISIS To Exhibit At STMA

No doubt many visitors will already be familiar with the SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid 1500 tractor mounted vertical action aerator, which has gained plaudits from turf managers, organisations and independent research institutes. This popular machine injects air directly into the root zone speeding up the aeration process, moving air uniformly throughout the root zone for complete aeration and not just where the tines have penetrated the surface. Those operating the Javelin Aer-Aid have the flexibility to alternate tines for other operations such as hollow coring prior to top dressing. Other benefits include a fast forward speed for excellent productivity, minimal maintenance and a smooth and quiet operation.

Also featuring prominently on the stand will be the SISIS SSS1000 – a tractor mounted sweeper which can be pulled by any machine. There are no tools required for the adjustment of the brush or the angle of the draw bar and to make storage easy the draw bar lifts to an upright position. With an aluminium hopper with stainless steel mesh, any infill that is collected when using the machine is returned back down to the surface leaving it free from contamination of debris.

Last but certainly not least is the Dennis G860 cylinder mower which is used at many high-profile stadia. The mower features a large diameter front roller with an adjustable scraper which has been designed for a precise height of cut control, giving an excellent finish.

Weighing just 166kg, it is light and extremely versatile due to the interchangeable cassette system. With a simple one minute changeover, users have the option of fitting eleven different types of heads including scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, spikers, slitters and cutting cylinders.

Further information about the range of maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com.

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