Shelton Sportsturf Drainage win Exporter of the Year Award

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Shelton Sportsturf Drainage win Exporter of the Year Award – Lincolnshire based drainage company Shelton have won the ‘2017 Exporter of the Year’ in the East Lindsey Business Awards after reporting export growth of over 65% in the past year.

Shelton Sportsturf Drainage win Exporter of the Year Award

Shelton design, manufacture and sell machinery specifically for the drainage of sports pitches, turf playing surfaces and agricultural land and have over 15 specialist drainage machinery products in the range, all built in the UK by Shelton who can boast nearly 60 years of combined experience in the drainage industry.

Director Richard Clark said: “We export our machinery to 20 different countries; we have overseas dealers in USA, Australia, Germany, Denmark and Sweden which are our main markets, followed by Ireland, Belgium and France. Export sales now represent 35% of our total business with growth having largely been driven by the launch of the CT150 Agricultural Chain Trencher after we were awarded a Rural Development Fund from East Lindsey District Council enabling us to progress its development. The grant was key to the success of the project as it enabled us to use computer aided design to develop the production of the CT150 and to invest in the marketing of the product in a new market. Export sales growth has also been attributed to our ability to manufacture bespoke machinery; we can modify our machines to suit the different working conditions of our clients, i.e. in Denmark their high silt content soil can cause problems with fines entering the drainage pipes and causing a build up, leading to blockages preventing the drainage from working efficiently. We engineered our Supertrencher+760 to suit this market by adding on a reel to lay geotextile material at the bottom of the trench underneath the pipework, preventing the small fines from entering it, thereby improving the efficiency and longevity of the drainage system being installed.

We have had a positive start to 2017 with machines being exported to Hungary which is a completely new market for us and we are committed to growing our export business, so it’s great to be recognised by ELBA with this award.

 

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Visiting the Spider’s Web

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Visiting the Spider’s Web – A number of the UK turf industry press attended a factory visit in the Czech Republic enabling them to catch up with the latest developments being made by the manufacturers of the unique four-wheel drive wheel Spider remote controlled slope mower. 

Visiting the Spider’s Web

The company’s  new 1.8 million Eur, 3,500 square metre factory that was officially opened in 2014, replacing the old factory owned by DVORAK – machine division was opened in 2004 by its current owner, Lubomír Dvořák, the man responsible for coming up with the original concept of the remote radio-controlled slope mower, which was named the Spider.

The idea stemmed from the need of their highway construction company, who having constructed many miles of motorway embankments, were then tasked with the ongoing maintenance of the steep grass road verges. So, to help reduce time and make the job safer, Lubomir came up with the solution of a remote-controlled banks mower.

The first Spider the ILDO1 was launched in 2003, offering an 80cm cutting width, using one blade with the capability of mowing slopes of a maximum of 55 degrees using a winch.

This was then followed three years later with the ILD02 in 2006, offering a 123cm cutting width using four blades, again with the capability of cutting slopes of a maximum of 55 degrees.

In 2014 the company launched its now popular Spider, offering a 56cm cutting width using one blade with the capability of mowing slopes of a maximum of 30 degrees.

The company manufacture over 1500 parts of the mower themselves, reducing the reliance on other providers, thus improving their quality control and waiting time.

The factory is geared up to produce two spider mowers a day, while there are plans to extend the factory doubling its size in the coming years enabling to cope with the growing demand for spiders worldwide.

Like most companies, not content to rest on their laurels, they spend a huge amount of money on research and development, refining their products, improving performance and above all listening to their customers.

With the future in mind, the company was keen to allow the press a chance to witness a demonstration of a new prototype of one of the next generation of machine expected to come on line next year, to be named Spider 3.

It is essentially a remote-controlled ride on transport unit that can offer different mowing options to the end user. The operator can sit on and operate it from a seated position, when mowing reasonably flat areas and then jump off and stand and control the mower on steeper slopes.

Offering a triple deck option will no doubt be a big hit with Local Authorities, Highway agencies and contract firms thus allowing the machine to operate efficiently over flat and steep ground using the same mower and operator.

The company has recently changed their distribution in the UK and are now represented by T H WHITE Machinery Imports Ltd. They also recently recruited two well-known UK Sales Managers, Nick Penn is European Sales Manager, while Jason Bristow leads the Americas sales operation, supported by Lubor Hladik, International Sales Manager.

John Deere Names Apprentices Of The Year

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John Deere names apprentices of the year – A total of 33 young service technicians have graduated from the latest John Deere Ag Tech, Parts Tech and Turf Tech advanced apprenticeship programmes, run in partnership with national training provider ProVQ.

John Deere Names Apprentices Of The Year

John Deere has also been listed for the first time as one of the best 100 employers for school leavers in the UK, the only agricultural and turf machinery company to be so recognised (for the full list, click here: www.allaboutschoolleavers.co.uk/employer-rankings).

Three of the company’s apprentices won overall awards for the 2016 graduation year. Jack Robbens of dealer Ben Burgess, Norwich was named Ag Tech Apprentice of the Year, for which he received a crystal plaque, a certificate and vouchers for workshop tools worth £250.

Lewis Parker of Mona Tractors, Llangefni was awarded Turf Tech Apprentice of the Year and Grant Roberts of Cornwall Farm Machinery, Penzance won Parts Tech Apprentice of the Year. Both also received a crystal plaque and certificate, and the same value workshop tools and shopping vouchers respectively.

The presentations were made by Deere & Company’s Region 2 training delivery manager Dr Lutz Schueppenhauer and John Deere Limited training centre manager Richard Halsall at the John Deere Forum visitor centre in Mannheim, Germany. They took place during the apprentices’ annual graduation visit to the company’s tractor and cab factories and European Parts Distribution Centre (EPDC).

John Deere’s three-year Ag Tech and Turf Tech and two-year Parts Tech apprenticeships lead to IMI Level 2 & 3 Diplomas in Landbased Engineering, and registration at LTA2 level in the industry’s Landbased Technician Accreditation scheme. In subsequent years qualified technicians undergo further education and adult training within the John Deere University programme, on a career path that can ultimately lead to the highest possible LTA4 Master Technician accreditation.

Now in its 25th year, Ag Tech was the first such scheme to be introduced in the UK and won a National Training Award at the end of 1997, the only one ever made to an agricultural machinery apprenticeship programme. Since the first programme started in 1992, nearly 700 apprentices have graduated through the three main John Deere schemes (Ag Tech, Parts Tech and Turf Tech) and are now working in the company’s nationwide dealer network.

The John Deere and ProVQ schemes were recently included in the 2017 School Leaver Awards, in recognition of the programme’s quality and the opportunities it presents to young people working productively in the agricultural and turf sectors.

“We beat some very strong competition from other household names, coming first for an engineering and manufacturing company and third overall in the ‘Best Intermediate Apprenticeship Programme’ category,” says ProVQ managing director Julian Lloyd. “To be recognised as one of the country’s top 100 employers for school leavers, as judged by the apprentices themselves, makes us all very proud of the achievement.”

Your Industry – Your Show

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SALTEX launches new 2017 campaign – Organisers of SALTEX (Sports Amenities Landscaping Trade Exhibition) have launched their new 2017 campaign, which features the distinguished heart-shaped logo formed of grass complete with the words – Your Industry – Your Show.

Your Industry – Your Show

In 1934 a groundsman at Eton College named William Bowles believed the industry needed a voice, and an organisation which sought to improve both the status and standards of grounds professionals, so together with 10 other founding members the National Association of Groundsmen, which later became the Institute of Groundsmanship, was formed.

In 1938, SALTEX was launched to unite the industry and offer educational and networking opportunities for those that managed green spaces. 79 years’ later the show has continued to grow and has now established itself as Europe’s largest annual turf management event. With its home at the NEC, in Birmingham, SALTEX remains true to those within the industry offering a world of limitless opportunities in which they can discover the latest trends and innovations, connect with colleagues and learn from top industry professionals.

The 2017 SALTEX campaign boasts the fact the exhibition is indeed “Your Show.”

This year, the show floor will be bursting with everything a visitor needs to increase their efficiency and improve operations. More than 220 leading manufacturers and suppliers have already confirmed their attendance to showcase an extensive range of products and resources and visitors can expect to see the industry’s newest advances and compare the full array of equipment, products and services.

Learning LIVE, SALTEX’s world-class educational programme, guarantees to offer a wealth of new knowledge to delegates as well as boosting their CPD points. Throughout the programme over 100 industry experts and leaders will share important information that can ultimately help a visitor further their career. SALTEX also offers its visitors free advice and guidance on specific turf challenges through the IOG regional pitch advisors on hand.

SALTEX 2016 saw a number of unique show features all designed to assist and help develop those within the industry – the Young Groundsmen’s Conference provided an ideal opportunity for young people looking to advance their career; Pathology and Soil Science LIVE allowed visitors to look in detail at the symptoms of turfgrass fungal disease problems; and the SALTEX College Cup – an academic test of turf management knowledge for students enrolled at UK colleges, helped to raise the level of academic prowess in the industry. These features have again been confirmed for SALTEX 2017 and are set to be even bigger in size and offering.

From show features, to educational topics, the show is continually evolving with the people of the industry in mind. Each year a large team of dedicated show organisers undertake strategic planning to ensure that the show remains fresh, vibrant and essentially everything a visitor and exhibitor expect it to be.

Perhaps it is the underlying vision of William Bowles and his co-founders, combined with the IOG’s unrivalled ambition for the show, which has ensured that SALTEX continues to go from strength to strength. The 2016 exhibition saw an increase in both exhibitors (292) and visitors (8,754) and over 20 exhibitors have increased their stand size for this year’s event.

Growth is a key word as show organisers strive to get people all over the world talking about SALTEX and the industry. Visitors from over 45 countries attended SALTEX 2016 and its social media campaign for 2016 boasted a reach of over 1.1 million users across Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIN.

Each year more and more grounds care professionals and manufacturers from around the world come in record numbers to immerse themselves in two days of unparalleled interaction.

SALTEX 2017 will be held at the NEC, Birmingham on 1 and 2 November 2017. For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

Pitch perfect: Wolves Invest In New Playing Surface

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Pitch perfect: Wolves Invest In New Playing Surface – Work began last week on replacing the old pitch. The new one will be a state-of-the-art Desso Grassmaster hybrid pitch.

There has been recent criticism of the pitch, particularly in 2015/16, but head groundsman Wayne Lombard believes the new surface will be of a high standard all season round – and lessen the chances of injuries. He said the new pitch had been on his ‘wish list’ and added: “There’s no better system in the world. All the big clubs in the world use it.

“It was decided around March time that we’d invest in the pitch at Molineux again this year, similar to what we did in 2010.

“We’ve been talking about it for about two years and it’s been on the wish list.

“We were asked this year about making improvements at the training ground and Molineux and this is something we put on the list again, ‘is there any chance of going with this hybrid system?’. The owner said yes.

“We had to justify why we wanted to do it. But the pitch lasts 10 years so it’s a 10-year investment.

“It’s been fantastic. We’ve always been backed by previous owners, Steve Morgan and Sir Jack Hayward.

“With the new level of investment from Fosun we’ll obviously benefit from a new pitch and everything that comes with that.”

 Work on laying the pitch will be completed in time for the Wolves home friendly against Leicester on July 29. Before then two large machines will spend 20 hours a day for 15 days planting 20 million knitting needles – each 10 inches long – as the foundations for the surface.

To read he original article from Shropshire Star, click here