Young greenkeepers day a success

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Young greenkeepers day a success: The greenkeeping industry is in good hands if the first Young Greenkeepers Education Day is anything to go by.

The event earlier this year was supported by Toro and Reesink Turfcare, who were also two of the sponsors, and organised by Ryan Neale, greenkeeper at Blackwell Golf Club in his role on the BIGGA Young Greenkeeper Committee, Alex Brougham from Trentham Park Golf Club and Danny Patten from Huyton and Prescot Golf Club. It was designed to inspire and educate young greenkeepers through a series of interactive sessions, machinery, irrigation and tractor demonstrations and career development advice.

Young greenkeepers day a success

Young greenkeepers day a success

Rochelle Bedford, marketing manager at Reesink Turfcare, the sole distributor in the UK for Toro’s golf and sports fields equipment and irrigation, and TYM products, says: “The initiative of these three young greenkeepers to have come up with the idea for this and to implement it, is really inspiring and it’s a great match for our company ethos to promote and support the future of the industry.”

Ryan says: “The idea developed over a pint of Guinness after a day volunteering at last year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush. I was with Alex and Danny talking about how great it would be if there was an exclusive event focussed entirely on content specifically for young greenkeepers. We wanted to encourage networking, improving confidence and sharing experiences to help with their own careers.”

The event, held at Blackwell Golf Club in Bromsgrove where Ryan works, was designed for greenkeepers aged between 16 and 30. Volunteering advice and personal development was provided by Ryan, a career development presentation by Alex and an inspirational chat on the 10 minutes that changed his career was led by Danny in relation to his successful application to the 2018 Young Toro Student Greenkeeper of the Year Award. Machinery demonstrations and an irrigation display were conducted by representatives for Toro machinery, Toro irrigation and TYM tractors from Reesink Turfcare.

Ryan continues: “We all also agreed that not many of us get the chance to have a go on the latest equipment and how great it would be to give attendees the chance to see and operate the latest kit. Jon Lewis from Reesink Turfcare put a list together of the latest Toro and TYM machines available to demonstrate and the machinery station consisted of the Toro Outcross with ProCore 1298 aerator, two pedestrian mowers including the new Toro Greensmaster 1021, a Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex series ride-on mower, and two TYM tractors with various attachments. There was an irrigation display and presentation on different heads, set up and maintenance.”

Reesink’s Pete Newton, who was there on behalf of Toro irrigation, says: “The day had a bit of everything in it and worked really well. We broke down the concept of irrigation, explaining how to set valves, open sprinklers, set their arcs and manage basic irrigation problem solving, while also demonstrating some of Toro’s irrigation products.” While Scott Turner representing TYM tractors says: “It was great to meet the faces of greenkeeping for tomorrow, it represents a promising future for the industry, and we were delighted to be involved.”

Rochelle continues: “We had a range of Toro machinery and TYM tractors there for attendees to try. Giving these young greenkeepers the chance to experience these machines gives a feel for what’s possible with the right equipment and sets a benchmark for quality.”

Ryan concludes: “We are very pleased with how the day went and look forward to planning, and helping others plan, similar events in the future. We were really lucky to have not just such influential players in the industry such as Reesink and Toro, ICL and Syngenta support and sponsor us, but to have such a good turnout of young greenkeepers keen to learn and network. The combination made for an incredibly successful day.”

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GKB launch innovative DTA

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GKB launch innovative DTA: GKB Machines, the company behind sustainable, reliable and robust maintenance machinery for natural, synthetic and hybrid turf are providing the solution to ground compaction with the launch of the revolutionary GKB Deep Tine Aerator (DTA).

From the use of heavy-duty machinery to a footfall of thousands on sports pitches over time, many grounds staff do not comprehend how bad compaction really is and can be. Compaction is considered one of the major causes of poor sward density, root development and water logging. Designed to relieve compaction, the GKB DTA works on natural sports pitches to relieve the surface, compaction enabling water to travel through and for stronger roots to develop.

GKB launch innovative DTA

GKB launch innovative DTA

Consistently developing their product range through innovative research and expert engineering, Tom Shinkins, Operation Manager said, “We’re really pleased to have this machine added to our range, it now enables us to offer golf clubs and sport pitches the full maintenance package.” He continues, “it was the missing piece to our catalogue and now being able to offer customers the full range of reliable and robust machinery will allow us to truly stand out from the crowd.”

With an adjustable 25-degree heave angle, the GKB DTA’s tine holding system allows you to take control on removing compaction. From varying depths up to 16 inches. Featuring a 3-speed heavy duty gearbox, you can adjust the speed on the tines to create the required hole pattern in the turf, and with its unique tine mounting system, quick changeover for different size tines has never been easier.  In addition, built on the understanding that ‘the worker is king’, GKB Machines ensure that the GKB DTA requires minimal maintenance as it’s fitted with a heavy-duty sealed bearings on the crank shaft, ensuring focus is always on improving the ground and less on maintaining the machine.

Launching to market early April, the GKB DTA will be out for demos from now. If you’re interested in learning more or booking a demo, please contact Tom Shinkins on 07495883617.

For more on GKB Machines and their reliable and robust range of machinery for natural, hybrid and synthetic turf, please visit www.gkbmachines.com.

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Iseki launch virtual demonstrations

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Iseki launch virtual demonstrations: The day after the UK Government announced a further lockdown of “at least three weeks”, David Withers, Managing Director of Iseki UK has produced the first in a series of virtual demonstrations showcasing the benefits of ISEKI ownership.

With turf care workers mainly unaffected by the lockdown and with grass continuing to grow as spring blossoms, Withers was looking for a way in which he could keep in contact with his customer base, ensuring that when the UK finally comes out of lockdown, grounds care professionals up-and-down the country are fully prepared.

“Demos are an important aspects of our sales process,” explained Withers, “so given the current restrictions concerning COVID-19, I thought that if customers can’t come to us, we’ll try to come to them, albeit even if it’s only in a virtual sense.”

The video, which was filmed by a member of Withers’ immediate family, was shot using an iPhone in a nearby paddock close to their family home in Suffolk, and as Withers explains, helps demonstrate an Iseki SXG323+ mower.

“Over the past few weeks, I’ve received a number of calls from prospective customers as well as our dealer network, saying that they’ve had a number of demos that have needed to be postponed due to the lockdown, so I thought that it made sense to try and answer as many questions about the SXG323+ as possible. ”

“I’m not sure we will win any awards for the narrative or the production quality of the video, but I felt that it was important to try to connect with as many of our community as possible in a light-hearted and informative manner.”

“We wanted to try and pretend that you were here with us in person rather than watching ‘virtually’ and hopefully we’ve been able to achieve that aim. These are challenging times for everyone working within the turf care sector, and I genuinely look forward to the time – hopefully, next month – when I’ll be able to demonstrate our range personally, rather than virtually.”

The video can be viewed on YouTube, the link is:  https://youtu.be/GVvM4Kbvi8Q

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Hayter restores vintage Harrier

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Hayter restores vintage Harrier: As part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Hayter® Harrier® range of lawnmowers, Darren Hummersone along with members of the Hayter team, worked to restore a vintage 1970’s Harrier model.

Forming part of the yearlong celebration of the Harrier’s golden anniversary, the search began at Hayter to source a vintage Harrier, to be set alongside the current models. The team eventually found a 1970’s model available for purchase online and went about ordering the mower.

Hayter restores vintage Harrier

Hayter restores vintage Harrier

When the team received the Harrier from its previous owner it was in good working order, but work was needed to bring it back to its original appearance – the work was superficial as the mower itself still functioned. Darren Hummersone, Grounds & Golf Product Specialist at Reesink UK Ltd., a distributor for Toro products, was primarily in charge of the mower restoration.

As the red and green colours on the classic Harrier had faded over time, Darren had to colour match the paint, and repaint all of the parts of the mower. This involved disassembling the entire mower, cleaning all of the individual parts, repainting them, and reassembling the mower. Some of the original labels and smaller components also had to be replaced as, due to the age of the machine, not everything had lasted or had been lost over the years. Some parts were also shot blasted in the Hayter factory to enable them to be painted again.

Darren Hummersone said: “It was a real treat working on the 1970’s Harrier and to restore it to its former glory was a privilege. The mower itself worked well when we managed to get hold of it, so the process of restoring it wasn’t too complex – I mainly had to repaint the machine to get it looking as good as it used to.

“The Harrier range of mowers has always been a hugely popular and prestigious product range and one that has always enhanced the British gardening experience. I am really proud to have been able to help with celebrating the Harrier’s 50th anniversary.”

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

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Inverallan expands Pellenc fleet

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Inverallan expands Pellenc fleet: Inverallan Landscapes has taken one step further in its quest to become fossil fuel free by expanding its Pellenc portfolio with the purchase of two Rasion Easy self-propelled mowers and a set of Airion blowers.

Step by step, Inverallan Landscapes, a gardening and grounds maintenance contracting business in Stirling, is changing the way it does business. By integrating battery-operated equipment and reducing its carbon footprint, it hopes to offer customers a completely ‘clean’ service – according to managing director John Maxwell.

Inverallan expands Pellenc fleet

Inverallan expands Pellenc fleet

“We want to be the first landscape contractors that operate battery-only, so during the past three years we have been upgrading our tools and equipment to the equivalent battery models, as well as installing solar panels at our business unit,” he said.

The company first became acquainted with Pellenc equipment back in 2018 after purchasing a set of Helion 2 Compact hedge trimmers – the lightest battery-powered hedge trimmer on the market. After reporting excellent results, it continued to invest in Pellenc equipment and two years later, Inverallan Landscapes now boasts an impressive portfolio which includes chainsaws, blowers, hedge cutters, pole saws, road sweepers, grass strimmers and mowers.

The company’s most recent Pellenc additions were prompted after it was awarded a new contract in which a dedicated maintenance team would be working for a large housing association with over 1000 properties.

According to John, the zero-emission approach made total sense.

“To my knowledge this may well be the first maintenance team in Scotland to be 100% environmentally friendly so we are making huge strides. Not only will they solely be using the Pellenc equipment to maintain the houses and grounds, but they will also be using a brand-new Nissan E-NV200 electric powered van.

“It ticks every box – from the machinery point of view, the operator’s point of view and also from the residents’ point of view. There are just so many benefits from using the Pellenc equipment.”

Light, odourless, noise-free, with no starting problems and enough power to enable professional users to work for a full day on a single charge, it’s no wonder more and more professional users are turning to Pellenc. It is an attractive alternative to those who have, for a number of years, been relying on fuel-based machinery.

Not only will users see a huge amount of savings by eliminating the necessity of purchasing fuel but by using the Pellenc equipment, they will be contributing to protecting the environment by reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and noise pollution.

“The team much prefer using the Pellenc equipment compared to the two-stroke products,” John continued. “It is far more lightweight, so they are less fatigued while working, there are no fumes and the equipment is so quiet. You particularly notice the benefits in those long, hot summer days.

“You also don’t have the issue of maintenance or parts going wrong in comparison to traditional two or four stroke equipment – such as spark plugs, air filters or oil changes. With the Pellenc equipment you just push a button and off you go.”

John saved particular praise for Rasion mower, claiming that it has enhanced the team’s grass cutting operations: “It’s a brilliant machine and it has more advantages than a traditional petrol mower. Firstly, it is so much lighter and from our point of view up here in Scotland, with the amount of rain we have, the ground can quite often be saturated. If you go onto that ground with a petrol mower, you are adding a lot of weight and you find yourself sinking into the ground. With the Rasion mower we have been able to get onto those saturated grounds and we have been able to tend to grass that we might not have previously been able to cut.”

“The other benefit is that it is wider than most petrol mowers, so we find ourselves cutting faster and covering more ground in a shorter amount of time.”

Inverallan Landscapes purchased the equipment from Agrovista Amenity in Stirling, and Allan Wright, amenity specialist for Agrovista, said: “It’s great to see that Inverallan Landscapes is revolutionising its approach to service provision through the introduction of battery-operated equipment.

“With Pellenc tools, there’s no compromise on performance, and users benefit from long-term cost savings, reduced noise and operator vibration.

“All Pellenc tools come with a three-year commercial warranty and batteries benefit from the new improved four-year commercial warranty. I believe the future is in the use of battery equipment and the new technological developments from Pellenc are certainly leading the way.”

Pellenc is exclusively distributed in the UK and Ireland by Etesia UK.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.pellencuk.com

You can also follow Pellenc on Twitter and Instagram @PellencUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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