Hayter & Toro appoints new LCE & Siteworks Sales Manager

Hayter & Toro appoints new LCE & Siteworks Sales Manager: Toro, a global leader in turf and landscape maintenance, has welcomed Matthew Coleman to the team. Joining the business as a Sales Manager, Matthew will be responsible for growing the LCE and Siteworks side of the business for the UK, reporting into Craig Hoare, Sales & Marketing Manager – UK Direct Markets.

Matthew joins the Toro team from his previous role at Fuchsia Exhibition Services, a family run business of 40 years, dedicated to events and exhibitions services within the grounds care and construction markets. Fuchsia specialises in the design and construction of exhibition spaces for several top companies in the grounds care industry, including Toro.

Hayter & Toro appoints new LCE & Siteworks Sales Manager

Hayter & Toro appoints new LCE & Siteworks Sales Manager

Matthew has over 12 years of experience in the grounds care market, importing and distributing zero-turn, stand-on and remote-control mowers around the UK for brands such as Ferris, Wright, Spider and Avant. Combining his technical knowledge and sales management experience, Matthew built a successful dealer network that has allowed him to enhance his knowledge of the grounds care industry whilst establishing successful industry relationships.

Now taking on his new role with Toro, Matthew will be a fresh pair of eyes for the LCE and Siteworks side of the business. His main responsibilities in this role will be to educate the UK market on the Toro LCE and Siteworks ranges and how Toro’s equipment in those areas can be a huge asset in successful sales growth.

Matthew said: “I am incredibly excited to be embarking on this challenging journey with Toro, helping to grow the LCE and Siteworks business for the UK.”

“On a day-to-day basis, I’m looking forward to visiting dealers all around the country and becoming a product specialist for the LCE and Siteworks product lines. I’ve joined Toro at a really exciting and poignant time, where products such as the Dingo have huge potential in the UK. It’ll be great to start talking about these products more with dealers.”

Welcoming Matthew to his team, Craig Hoare, Sales and Marketing Manager said, “I am really pleased Matthew has joined the team and this signifies Toro’s intent to grow within the UK Landscaper, Arboricultural and Construction markets.  Matthew has a wealth of experience and is respected within the industry and will be well placed to manage and support our dealer network, ensuring Toro builds meaningful and successful partnerships in the Professional Landscaper market.”

In his personal life, Matthew enjoys sports, having studied Sports Science at Loughborough University. He enjoys rugby and has been taking part in offshore water ski racing for the last five years.

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Reesink’s Richard Harris retires

Reesink’s Richard Harris retires: Richard Harris, managing director of Reesink Turfcare IRE, has announced his retirement from the company. Richard was instrumental in the development of the Lely, Reesink and Toro brands in Ireland and leaves a career which spans 31 years in the turfcare industry.

Richard started his career in 1974 working with a leading supplier to the petrochemical industry, followed by a move to a major distributor within the electrical industry. He started working with the then Toro distributor for Ireland, J C Distribution, in 1989.

Reesink's Richard Harris retires

Reesink’s Richard Harris retires

In 1994 Richard took on the management and development of Lely Ireland (as a sister company of Lely UK) into a combined agriculture and turfcare machinery business. He has played a leading role in helping develop the Toro brand and reputation for quality products that today sees it as a market leader in golf. A past president of the Farm Tractor Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA) in 2014, when the agriculture and turfcare divisions separated within Lely, Richard moved with the turfcare side of the business which then joined the Royal Reesink Group in 2016.

The last few years have seen Richard spearhead considerable investment by the Royal Reesink group in both Toro and other brands (such as Trilo and TYM) in Ireland through their base in Nurney, Co Kildare. Focusing on establishing a stand-alone business, the industry-respected Reesink Turfcare sales team has been together for many years moving along with the company changes. This allowed Richard to focus on building up the customer service, parts and technical support areas to enhance Reesink’s support for Toro and Trilo fine turf and grounds customers in Ireland. Richard hands the business over in a strong state to maintain and build customer satisfaction levels on a par with all Toro European distributor operations.

Roon Hylkema, managing director of Reesink Turfcare BV and a colleague of Richard’s since 1991, says: “Richard and I have worked together for a great many years. We were originally from different companies, I was with Jean Heybroek BV and he was with Lely UK, but we had the Toro brand in common. Then in the last four years when Reesink acquired Lely, as Reesink had acquired Jean Heybroek in 2010, much more closely as we worked together to raise the Reesink profile in Ireland. He’s the type of colleague, employee and friend you’d want in your professional life, honest, straight-forward, loyal and reliable, and he’ll be greatly missed for the contribution he has made to the development of the business in that time and throughout his career.”

Richard says: “During my career I have had the privilege of working with so many great teams of people both within our own companies in Ireland, the UK, The Netherlands and Denmark, as well as within The Toro Company and more recently Vanmac/Trilo. I have shared some great experiences and relationships with many colleagues and contacts within these companies and the turfcare and agricultural machinery industry at large over the years. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working within this industry.

“While looking forward to now having time to focus on other interests, I will certainly miss it all and will keep an eye with interest on the future development of the business and the turfcare industry. While COVID-19 has affected the whole industry and will bring many challenges and changes to the way we do business in the future, I have no doubt that Reesink, Toro and the turfcare industry will bounce back over the next couple of years and grasp the opportunities that will present themselves.”

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A spotlight on Chris Turpie

A spotlight on Chris Turpie: Chris Turpie, amenity specialist for Agrovista Amenity, provides an insight into his career to date, his varied client base, and his pride at building up an impressive customer portfolio.

Chris has been working for Agrovista since 2010 and credits the challenge of working on a completely new project as the only motivation needed to accept the job. At that time, the nation was suffering from a recession hangover and Agrovista did not have a local authority and industrial division. Never one to shy away, Chris got straight to work.

A spotlight on Chris Turpie

A spotlight on Chris Turpie

“It was a huge challenge and arguably the biggest highlight of my career,” said Chris. “I didn’t have a ledger when I joined but I’ve built one over the last ten years and that was no mean feat especially during a recession. This was at a time when local authorities weren’t spending money, so yes, it’s an achievement and I’m proud to have played a part in building up this side of the business.”

Chris originates from Scotland but moved south when he accepted an assistant greenkeeper position at the prestigious London Golf Club in Kent. Four years later, and following a two year spell at Boughton Loam, he embarked on a new role in construction working for Championship Sports Surfacing. In his two years at the company he worked on some fantastic projects.

“I constructed four grass tennis courts at the Bank of England during that period and was also involved in the construction of Pennyhill Park – the England rugby team’s training ground. We built a version of the Twickenham pitch at Pennyhill and the team trained on it for six weeks twice a day in the lead-up to their 2003 World Cup glory. It was a great project to be a part of and we completed it within six weeks.”

Chris then spent six years as an area sales manager for Fleet Line Markers before he joined Agrovista Amenity. A decade later and he hasn’t looked back.

“It’s no secret that this is the longest I’ve ever been with a company and every picture tells a story,” he said. “I have absolutely no desire to leave – Agrovista is an exceptionally good business and they really support their staff. They invest in their people and there are plenty of opportunities for progression.”

Chris continues to work closely with his portfolio of customers which he has worked hard to establish over the last ten years. In fact, not many people know that Chris is closely involved in helping to keep some of London’s most iconic open spaces maintained and well groomed.

“I look after some of London’s Royal Parks including Hyde Park and Regent’s Park. I work closely with the contractors and take soil samples, provide advice, recommend products, and write reports. It’s a pleasure working on these sites.

“The diversity of my portfolio is incredible, and the variety is probably the best part of my job,” he continued. “There are no two days that are ever the same, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

From Royal Parks managers to airfield operations managers, from contracts managers to greenkeepers, Chris’ working days are indeed varied. He admits to relishing the opportunity of learning everything he can about his customers and the sectors they represent. However, he has also found that each of them has their own challenges to overcome.

“Everyone has their own obstacles but in particular, contracts managers trying to run a council contract have not got an easy task,” he said. “They are always under huge demands to save as much money as they can and quite often it can seem impossible. There’s also quite a high turnover in council contracts which presents challenges for me.”

Born in Scotland, Chris enjoys spending time with his family and following his two football clubs – Liverpool FC and Heart of Midlothian F.C.

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Huxley puts trust in employee ownership

Huxley puts trust in employee ownership: Huxley Golf is entering a new era in its already impressive history.

The well-known specialist supplier and installer of all-weather surfaces for golf, is now owned by an Employee Ownership Trust, following the Huxley family’s decision to provide for the long-term future of the business. The Huxley family has provided funding for the Employee Ownership Trust to purchase 100% of the shares of Huxley (UK) Ltd, which it holds on behalf of employees. The employees continue to run the company and will benefit from sharing the company’s profits.

Huxley puts trust in employee ownership

Huxley puts trust in employee ownership

Paul Chester and Jo Lyon will continue to manage the Huxley Golf business, both becoming Directors. Hugh Fraser, who manages Scotland and the North East of England, has become a Director of the Trust company to represent Huxley staff. Paul Huxley will be staying on for the time being as a Director of Huxley (UK) Ltd and a Director of the Trust company.

Paul Huxley commented: “My father founded the Huxley company nearly seventy-five years ago in 1946 and it has been a very successful family-owned business ever since, largely because we’ve always been blessed with amazing staff. The creation of our Employee Ownership Trust will ensure that, for many years ahead, the Huxley Golf business will retain its independence, culture and values built up over decades, as well as providing long term stability for staff, distributors, suppliers and customers.

“This new and exciting chapter in Huxley Golf’s growth could not have happened without the company being financially strong, with an excellent track record, enviable reputation and first-class team. I am grateful to our three new Directors and to all staff for their support for this important step in the Huxley Golf journey.”

Several hundred British businesses are employee-owned in this way, the best known being The John Lewis Partnership. It’s an innovative and successful formula, which the UK Government is encouraging to boost and incentivise employee ownership.

For over half a century, the name Huxley has been synonymous with premium all-weather golf surfaces and products. Endorsed by the UK’s leading golf organisations as well as many legendary golfers and celebrities and their coaching teams, the Hampshire-based company’s artificial golf surfaces are in use all around the world at top-flight courses, resorts, and training academies. For more information visit www.huxleygolf.com.

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Rain Bird Europe appoints Lukas Böttcher

Rain Bird Europe appoints Lukas Böttcher: Lukas Böttcher has been appointed by Rain Bird Europe as Golf Sales Specialist for Germany and Switzerland.

Having spent all his career in greenkeeping and golf course management working at golf courses throughout Europe, Lukas joins the company to strengthen the team in Germany. In his previous role as Head Greenkeeper, he managed strict water restrictions and focused on water conservation during multiple drought-affected seasons.

Rain Bird Europe appoints Lukas Böttcher

Rain Bird Europe appoints Lukas Böttcher

Lukas comments on his appointment: “Working in golf course construction and turf management has given me a significant amount of hands-on experience building, maintaining and running irrigation systems. Having dealt with water restrictions, constant heat stress during the summer and tight irrigation windows, I understand the pressure a lot of golf courses are under to use every drop of water in the most efficient way. As Golf Sales Specialist I will be helping clubs with Rain Bird systems to optimise their efficiency. I am also looking forward to supporting those looking to upgrade or renovate their irrigation system with Rain Bird technology.”

Didier Genty, Europe Golf Sales Manager for Rain Bird added: “I am delighted to welcome Lukas to Rain Bird. He brings valuable, practical experience in the golf sector and considerable expertise in irrigation and water management.”

Lukas can be contacted via email at lbottcher@rainbird.eu.

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Ariens appoints new Director of Sales and Marketing

Ariens appoints new Director of Sales and Marketing: AriensCo has announced the appointment of Brad Stiles as Director of Sales and Marketing EMEAA, reporting to Vice President Darren Spencer, who adds “The appointment reflects the strategic importance of growing the EMEAA business.

Brad’s priority will be on building upon the existing footprint and successes.” Massimo Caner, European Sales Manager, Matt Wilson, UK Sales Manager and Jef O’Riley, Marketing Manager EMEAA, will report to Brad.

Ariens appoints new Director of Sales and Marketing

Ariens appoints new Director of Sales and Marketing

Brad grew up in the industry, with a father at AriensCo for 25 years. Brad himself has been with the business for 9 years and started in 2011 with Stens, which was owned by AriensCo at the time. He specialised in parts programmes and strategies with dealers to grow their overall parts business.

In 2014 Brad was promoted to a District Manager representing a territory in Indiana, where he specialised in creating plans to grow dealer business, regional marketing programs, commercial product sales, and new dealer acquisition and growth. He was subsequently promoted in August 2020.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Brad to our team.” Says Darren Spencer. “We very much look forward to working together on this new stage in the development of the company. Brad brings a wealth of experience with a fresh view of our marketing future and he will be out to meet customers as soon as possible.”

Brad is exceptionally pleased to have this opportunity. His wife, Hannah, is from the UK and they have a 3-year-old daughter, Madeline, both of whom are already in the UK awaiting his arrival.

AriensCo UK manufactures the Ariens ZENITH, APEX and IKON X range of zero-turns, as well as Countax and Westwood garden tractors from its EMEAA headquarters in Oxfordshire, UK. The business also distributes ECHO outdoor power tools through a network of UK dealers.

For more information call Ariens on 01844 278800 or visit www.ariens-uk.com

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Reesink’s John Pike retires

Reesink’s John Pike retires: Reesink Turfcare has announced with sadness and genuine gratitude for the role he has played in the company, the retirement of regional manager John Pike. After 17 and a half years working with the Toro UK distributor and its predecessor Lely UK, and close to half a century working in the turfcare industry, it’s certainly been an interesting career.

John first started work straight out of school and made the move to Triumph Motorcycles in the West Midlands, but after completing his engineering HND he soon realised he belonged in his home county of Dorset. He moved back and began working as a warehouse assistant at J.T. Lowes Garden Machinery, part of the Flymo company (the original importers of Toro), in what was originally meant to be a summer job, but soon saw him work his way up to trade and retail sales manager, and then area sales manager for Flymo in 1986.

Reesink's John Pike retires

Reesink’s John Pike retires

It wasn’t until 2001 that he joined the then Toro UK distributor Lely as a business development manager, and it was his passion for Toro machinery that inspired him to join, says John. “I had been involved with Toro since 1972, and enjoyed demonstrating the Toro70, 58, Trojan, GM3 and GM72 through the 70’s and 80’s and saw the brand develop and progress. I’ve always had faith in Toro’s quality and its place as an industry leader within turfcare.”

Coming from a consumer machinery company, John was one of the first to join Lely without full commercial experience. “I had to go from selling many thousands of inexpensive mowers a year, to selling hundreds of Toro machines at a much higher price point, so that was definitely a learning curve for me.”

But that didn’t stop John from making his mark with both Lely, and later Reesink, playing a fundamental role in the appointment of new Toro dealers and service centres in the South West region, a career highlight for him.

“I’m particularly proud of the work I did appointing service centres, some of which I had to really fight for,” says John. “And of course whenever I was able to convert a customer to Toro that gave me a real buzz. The harder the challenge, the more satisfying it was!”

John has seen many changes throughout his time in the industry, but the move towards finance deals he says has been the biggest. “It used to be that clubs would buy one or two machines a year on a rolling basis, which would mean they’d end up with a fleet of both brand new and 10-year old machinery! When I started, I would only get two or three fleet deals a year, and only really with the bigger clubs. Now, the introduction of finance options allow more clubs, irrespective of size, to secure fully modern fleets for course maintenance, which has been a really positive change to see.”

David Cole, managing director at Reesink says: “John has been the stable bedrock of our Midlands and South West regions forever, it seems. So, replacing him will be an obvious challenge – but he leaves his many colleagues and dealer partners in good shape for the next step. We wish John a long and happy retirement and thank him for his excellent contribution to the Toro profile and customer service in his region.”

John’s retirement plans have changed somewhat due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, however this isn’t going to stop him from enjoying all of his hobbies.

“Originally I was meant to be flying off to the sunny Maldives to spend a couple of weeks detoxing the workaholic out of me! But that will have to be postponed for now. Instead, I’m looking forward to enjoying my hobbies; shooting, water skiing, off-road driving and photography – definitely enough to keep me busy!”

Having “loved every aspect of the job” it certainly is bittersweet for John to be saying goodbye. “I will miss most the relationships I’ve made during my time at work. I’ve made so many friends, and I’ve had so many lovely comments and well wishes already from customers and colleagues alike. In return, I wish them all the best for the future.”

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Nick Brown Joins Campey

Nick Brown Joins Campey: Campey Turf Care Systems has appointed well known industry figure, Nick Brown, as their new Export Sales Manager.

Nick has over 20-years of experience in golf, and sports turf and through his previous role at Ransomes Jacobsen has extensive knowledge of the international markets. His understanding of these areas doesn’t only come from work. Four generations of his family were born and worked in the Far East, and he has lived in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and predominantly Indonesia across 25 years.

Nick Brown Joins Campey

Nick Brown Joins Campey

His experience in this part of the world, in particular his knowledge of local cultures, makes him exceptionally well suited to the role, and his decision to join the company is centred on Campey’s innovation and creativity as well as the core value of building and maintaining long lasting customer relationships.

Nick Explained: “Campey is a highly regarded company in the turf industry here in the United Kingdom and across the world. They have earned that reputation by providing innovative, reliable and robust machinery that meets the needs of customers through an excellent distribution base.

“In my new role, I want to build on the consistent and well-known message that Campey is always willing to go the extra mile to help. I have always worked on the basis of ‘making a customer, not a sale,’ and that matches perfectly with the common goals and message the Campey team has.

“By listening to customers and what they need, we can continue to make machines that solve common issues while thinking one step ahead and finding more creative solutions to improve turf quality. I think by putting these aspects together we can grow the Campey brand into new territories and I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the team.”

Nick joins Campey during a challenging time for global travel and distribution, but Campey chairman, Richard Campey, believes Nick’s knowledge and enthusiasm will bring a fresh approach to the situation.

“Nick is someone who comes with a lot of experience and will be a great asset to our company, and we’re delighted to welcome him to Campey,” Richard began. “He joins us at a time of constant change in terms of global travel, in particular the restrictions we have to work with while still providing the best service to our customers. With support from our Director Lee Morgado, who is already well-known to our dealer network and end users from the middle east to Australasia we hope to continue to grow in these established and new markets. That will require a different approach in terms of connecting with our export markets, and I’ve got no doubt that Nick will take that challenge on with enthusiasm.”

Campey currently has 53 distributors across Europe, Asia, North and South America and the Middle East. Their wide range of product lines has allowed them to assist turf professionals across the world in improving turf standards through innovations in fraise mowing, aeration, spreading and seeding.

For any international enquiries, contact Nick at nick@campeyturfcare.com or phone +44 7974 318 584.

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A spotlight on Martyn Parrish

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish: Prior to the launch of Agrovista Amenity, Martyn Parrish was a technical area sales manager for Maxwell Amenity. He had been in the role for two years before the acquisition.    

“We’ve become one of the largest companies in the sector, and are able to support the industry and create something very special,” he said. “Merging two companies of that size is no easy task but I have been extremely impressed with the work that has been done. I feel proud to be working for this company.”

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish

Martyn has spent most of his career in greenkeeping and started working at his local golf club at the age of 16. During his time as a greenkeeper, he completed his foundation degree in Sportsturf Management at Myerscough College and participated in the Ohio State Programme on a 12-month internship in which he worked on a Jack Nicklaus course construction and a grow-in in Texas – something which he pinpoints as a career highlight.

Before moving to Agrovista Amenity, Martyn was tempted away from golf for six years working as a grounds manager on an ambitious landscape construction project of a 400 acre site in Henley on Thames. Commenting on this role, Martyn claims that it was “extremely challenging but ultimately a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

He admits that moving into sales was a transition which took some time adjusting to. However, in the past three years Martyn has built up an impressive portfolio of clients and now looks after an area spanning from Berkshire across to Essex and up to Northampton.

“The commercial side of the industry was completely new to me,” he said. “I have some great colleagues that helped me a lot during my early days. With my background, I felt most comfortable in the golf sector to start with, however I was very conscious to get in there and experience all parts of the sportsturf and amenity industry. Sometimes you can get locked behind your own gate and you only see what is behind it.

“I quickly learnt not to be afraid of my weaknesses – the more you talk, the more you interact with people and the more you immerse yourself in education – the more you will learn about the parts of the industry that you didn’t know as well.

“I now have at least one customer that covers every area in sportsturf and amenity and can often have five visits a day that are radically different. My first visit might be a golf club followed by a local authority, then I might well move on to a football ground or a cricket ground and then visit a school in the afternoon.

“There are so many great people in the industry, and I love interacting with all the different people from the various facilities and sectors – it is the best part of my job.”

While Martyn is excelling in his current role, he admits that it is not without its challenges.

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish

A spotlight on Martyn Parrish

“The changes in legislation are probably the biggest obstacle to overcome,” he said. “It has changed the way we manage surfaces and it will continue to do so. The loss of products and the sustainable use of resources have been difficult. You have to change the way you think and the way you approach your job, but fortunately we have some amazing people in this industry that are creative and exceptionally good at overcoming problems.”

With the acquisition bringing together two of the most experienced and progressive teams in the amenity turf market, Martyn believes that Agrovista Amenity is now well placed to be at the forefront of these creative solutions.

“In terms of research and development, I feel we are in pole position,” he said. “The company is now able to lead the way in terms of introducing new ideas, new products and proven solutions to the market. We can also distribute these solutions and our products far and wide.

“Previously we only had ten people on the road – now there are well over 40 and that will continue to evolve.”

Outside of work, Martyn is recently married and admits to being addicted to sports and keeping fit. As well as playing football and golf regularly, he has completed three Iron Man races across Europe and has represented Great Britain in the World Triathlon Grand Finals.

For more information, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity.

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AEA formally appoint new president

AEA formally appoint new president: Mr Malin is Managing Director of Etesia UK and has been an active member of the AEA for over 14 years.

As President of the AEA Les’ role will be to lead the Board of Directors, while the farm equipment and outdoor power equipment councils and various technical and specialist groups focus on current issues and initiatives.

AEA formally appoint new president

AEA formally appoint new president

He speaks of the unusual circumstances of his appointment and the way forward for the Agriculture and Outdoor Power sectors.

Due to Covid-19 the 2020, the AEA Annual General Meeting was postponed, leading the Association to take the unprecedented step to nominate Mr Les Malin as its President-Elect. Now, however, and following recently introduced changes in legislation, Mr Malin’s role as President of the AEA has been formalised, as the AGM was allowed to be held virtually, with some 30 participants in attendance, as well as the company legal advisors to ensure all was legally binding.

Mr Malin commented on the alternative course of action, “First of all, I would like to thank the AEA Board of Directors for nominating me to be the next President of the AEA. It is, indeed, against a backdrop of very uncertain and difficult times. With COVID 19 now having taken over from Brexit as the focus of everyone in the UK, the work of the AEA has had to adapt like many other businesses and groups.”

Ruth Bailey, CEO and Director General of the AEA said, “It is indeed very strange times. We are delighted, however, to have Les as our President and welcome his knowledge and experience within the industry to guide us through.”

Les’ early background is rooted in agriculture, where in his early years he worked on a mixed farm and would also use the farm equipment for contracting jobs.  He then started his own contracting business in his 20’s.  In the mid 1990’s he made his move to outdoor power equipment as area manager for Polaris, after which he worked at Amazone Groundcare before finally moving to Estesia as an ASM, then General Manager and finally Managing Director.

Les has many years of experience both within agriculture and the outdoor power equipment sector and said of the future “This virus has shown us more than ever that Technology has to be the key forward for all of us, we have to embrace the  future forget the past and show our customers that we can offer expertise, money saving machinery, environmentally efficient solutions such as robotics in agricultural or the outdoor sectors. We as an industry must embrace these modern methods to safeguard our futures and entice the younger generation into a sector of employment that few people leave if they actively engage in its culture and history”

Mr Malin is due to receive his official chain of office in more certain and safe times but so he knows what to look forward to, we have mocked up his official image.

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