Norwich Install Hunter Irrigation

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Norwich Install Hunter Irrigation: Norwich City Football Club is reaping the benefits of the latest Hunter Industries irrigation technology after new systems were installed at both the Carrow Road Stadium and the Club’s training ground; the Lotus Training Centre.

The system, which was purchased through KAR UK – a distributor of Hunter Industries irrigation equipment, consists of a variety of G995, I-40 and I-80 rotary sprinklers, ICV valves, an ACC2 controller with Wi-Fi, a Roam remote and the ST1600 system for synthetic turf.

Norwich Install Hunter Irrigation

The Lotus Training Centre Grounds Supervisor, James Randell explained that the new technology was much needed: “We had to change our old irrigation system because we just didn’t have enough stations. Previously we used to get by but when we launched the Lotus Academy there was no doubt about it that we needed to upgrade.

“We spoke to KAR UK about the situation and Mike McDonnell (KAR UK Sales Manager) came to visit and advised on what would work best for us. The systems were installed in April last year and we’ve noticed some huge improvements.”

As James says, Norwich City FC has just seen the completion of a £5m project which saw the construction of new state-of-the-art Academy facilities at the Lotus Training Centre. With the addition of new natural and synthetic pitches along with the increasing demand for better quality playing surfaces, it was imperative that the club invested in a superior irrigation system.

With this in mind the club opted for the most technologically advanced commercial rotor on the market – the all-new Hunter I-80 gear-driven rotor.

Engineered specifically for sports turf, the I-80 is built with a robust, dirt-tolerant gear drive that offers the highest torque output of any rotor in the commercial sphere, and extends a radius range from 11.3 to 29.6 meters. The I-80 features a wide range of highly efficient, dual-trajectory, wind-fighting nozzles for highly efficient performance in a range of applications. It also provides total top serviceability (TTS) via its integrated, surface-mounted snap-ring for no-dig easy maintenance.

“We had 32 I-80’s installed and they are phenomenal,” said James. “Prior to these being installed we couldn’t get the grass to grow around the pop-ups. But with these new I-80 heads, with the nozzles and the spray pattern, they are a lot better and the growth this year has been amazing.”

With the I-80’s working wonders on the pitches at the training centre, James has also been blown away with the results from using the ACC2 controller which is ideal for delivering advanced water management to meet the demands of large-scale commercial projects and the Roam remote – which eliminates the need to go back and forth to the sprinkler controller.

“The controls are very easy to use and the remote allows you, no matter where you are onsite, to activate any of the sprinklers at any time. If for example, one of the coaches wanted to irrigate one of the pitches just before the players came onto the pitch then we can easily do that at just the click of a button.

“Overall, this new system has signalled some huge improvements. It has given us greater flexibility, is more accurate and because it is more accurate, we have seen a lot less water wastage. We have really enjoyed the Hunter Industries experience and KAR UK has provided an excellent service – they are always on hand to offer advice and are incredibly reliable.”

Hunter Industries is distributed in the UK by KAR UK. For more information, please visit www.karuk.com or www.hunterindustries.com.

You can also follow KAR UK on Twitter @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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STIHL’s Pro Products At SALTEX

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STIHL’s Pro Products At SALTEX: STIHL will be showcasing an array of new products at this year’s Saltex exhibition, the UK’s largest event for the grounds care sector, offering professional users more options than ever before to tackle the toughest jobs.

Taking centre stage will be a preview of STIHL’s new RMA 765 V PRO mower, which will be the latest addition to STIHL’s expanding range of high-performance professional models. Packed with innovative features, the new cordless mower is designed with a 63cm magnesium twin blade cutting deck, height adjustable front wheels for zero turn, and variable speed, controlled via the digital cockpit. In addition, the solid mono handlebar ensures users can empty the tough fabric 80-litre grass catcher box with ease.

STIHL's Pro Products At SALTEX

Visitors to the stand will be able to see up close the new MSA 220 C-B, the most powerful cordless chainsaw in the STIHL range. Powered by a 36 V Lithium-Ion battery, the new saw comes as standard with the STIHL exclusive 3/8” Picco Super 3 (PS3) full chisel saw chain with a guide bar length of 35cm/14”. The powerful MSA 220 C-B makes quick work of any task and guarantees consistently high-quality cutting performance for felling, snedding, firewood processing and much more, regardless of the battery charge level.

The new STIHL BR 800 C-E will also be on display, the latest addition at the top of the range of innovative and high-performance blowers. Producing an impressive blowing force of 41N, the 80cc STIHL 4-MIX® engine runs on a fuel-oil mix just like a 2-stroke model and offers the benefits without the compromises of 4-stroke power. The STIHL 4-MIX® engine provides fast acceleration, more power, added torque, and lower noise during operation to complete jobs quickly and more easily. In addition, the engine offers reduced emissions and increased fuel efficiency.

To make getting up and running even easier, the BR 800 C-E is designed with a convenient starting system featured on the side of the machine, allowing users to re-start the blower while wearing it. The simplified starting system also features an automatic choke reset and a switch position on the control handle that is always ‘ON’, ensuring that the professional user can start the BR 800 C-E with ease.

For more information please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

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Cobra’s Breast Cancer Mower

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Cobra’s Breast Cancer Mower: Cobra garden machinery are proud to have teamed up with the Breast Cancer Now charity to produce a limited edition pink Cobra GTRM38P electric lawnmower with the aim to help fund the future of breast cancer research.

“We have colleagues, family and friends who have been effected by this life changing illness and so we decided that this would be a great idea to raise money for this excellent charity. Breast Cancer Now is the UK’s largest breast cancer research charity and are dedicated to funding research into this devastating disease,” explained Peter Chaloner managing director of Cobra.

Cobra's Breast Cancer Mower

The company donates £25 from every sale to the charity and the entire stock will be sold, making a total donation of £5000. The electric machine has a 38cm/15” cutting width and its rear roller will deliver those much sought after stripes.

Grass cuttings are either collected in the 40 litre bag or can be discharged as a mulch to help fertilise the lawn.  It has seven different heights of cut and comes with 10 metres of electric cable.  The machine has a two year guarantee and sells for £99.99 in specialist Cobra garden machinery dealers. See cobragarden.co.uk for further details.

“We have been delighted with the customer support for our pink mower and plan to offer it for sale again in 2020,” says Peter,  “We hope to make even more money for Breast Cancer Now.”

Cobra products are available to buy online at the Cobra store or via a network of expert dealers across the UK.

For more information visit www.cobragarden.co.uk

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GSK Couldn’t Be Without ELMO

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GSK couldn’t be without ELMO: British multinational pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), has explained the benefits of having adopted Husqvarna Automower® technology to maintain the green spaces around its Global head office in Brentford over the past three years.

GSK house in Brentford has relied on ELMO, a robotic lawnmower manufactured by Husqvarna and named by GSK staff, to work unassisted and maintain a large lawn area surrounding its headquarters.

GSK couldn’t be without ELMO

ELMO stands for Electronic Lawn Mowing Operative and is a Husqvarna Automower® – a robotic lawnmower which is able to maintain green spaces up to 5000m2 per machine. Installed in 2017 by Sodexo, GSK’s grounds maintenance provider, the robotic mower has quietly gone about its business and without disturbing office staff, cutting little and often through its random mowing pattern, ensuring that grass of GSK house remains a lush, healthy green.

The Husqvarna Automower® has freed up time, allowing the grounds staff to spend more hours on maintaining other, more labour intensive areas of the GSK site. Husqvarna Automower® is an environmentally friendly machine and means that the team now does not need to use as many petrol machines in order to keep the grounds looking pristine.

Sodexo’s Senior Facilities Service Manager for GSK, Michelle Chapman, commented: “ELMO has truly become part of the family at GSK house – our staff just love watching the robot work and GSK couldn’t be without ELMO now.

“For us, the Husqvarna Automower® means time saved and an environmentally way for us to manage the green spaces at our headquarters whilst improving the lawn appearance. It gives the grounds team more time to focus on other, more crucial things and the fact that it’s silent in its working means it does not disturb staff when cutting the grass.”

The little and often cutting principle of Husqvarna Automower® means the mower feeds micro-clippings back into the soil as natural fertiliser and its random mowing pattern improves lawn quality. The extremely low noise levels also ensures that the machine can work away without disturbing people.

UK Manager – Husqvarna Professional, Kevin Ashmore, commented: “Sodexo’s close relationship with Husqvarna was key in them being one of the first in the UK to trial Husqvarna Automower® in public spaces. The result was that GSK Brentwood recommended the Husqvarna Automower® to many of its main Global sites.”

Husqvarna has an impressive list of commercial installations across the UK, ranging from municipalities (Edinburgh, London & Glasgow), botanic gardens, multi-national headquarters, stately homes, sports facilities, universities & schools and zoos & animal parks.

To learn more about its technology and for more information on the Husqvarna Automower® range visit: http://www.husqvarna.com/uk/products/robotic-lawn-mowers/

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Toro On Board At Chigwell GC

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Toro On Board At Chigwell GC: Chigwell Golf Club in Essex has taken delivery of its second Toro fleet as it proves itself a winner in the eyes of its membership.

For a golf club managed by its membership, investment in the course is central to achieving a happy collective says course manager Jeff Foulger: “We have an active membership who are very much involved in the decision-making of the club, along with the board of directors and general manager Ben Driver. When the members were presented with the five-year plan for the course, which had been put together by a special committee made up of members and included further investment in Toro machinery, the membership agreed it by a landslide. The plan highlighted the positive difference Toro machinery had made and would continue to make to the course.”

Toro On Board At Chigwell GC

And not just that, but when you consider the main points of the plan, which includes maximum course playability all year round, quality greens, tees and fairways, and bunker maintenance and improvement, alongside the usual course management and maintenance work, it’s clear to see that Toro is integral to all.

Jeff continues: “We need Toro on board to help us tackle the plan, there’s no two ways about it. There’s a lot to do but it’s all achievable with the seven-strong team we have here and a reliable fleet of equipment on board.”

And joining the club in this latest fleet deal, delivered by Reesink Turfcare, is a Toro TriFlex 3420, Groundsmaster 3500-D, three Greensmaster Flex 2120 pedestrian mowers, two Greensmaster pedestrian mowers, a Workman MDX-D utility vehicle and a Pro Force debris blower.

With a CV including top international clubs it’s a role Jeff, who joined the club three years ago, is taking in his stride. “This role at Chigwell Golf Club sees me return home and come full circle career-wise. Not only is it my home club, but it’s where I started my career.”

And it’s a career which has taken him all over the world to the likes of Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA and K Club in County Kildare, Ireland, and Jeff continues: “I’m really excited to be back where it all began, I can’t wait to bring some of the different aspects and ideas I’ve learnt from some of the best clubs in the world to my home club.”

Chigwell Golf Club has also undertaken a major course review with the original course designers who have made recommendations for improvements, while retaining the fundamental character of the course.

Jeff concludes: “The board of club directors has prioritised available revenue for the continued development of our course, which is regarded as our prized asset. That’s an exciting position to be in and one of great responsibility, but with all the right partners on board such as Toro and Reesink, it’s entirely achievable.”

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