Symbio appoints new business development manager

/in , , /by

Symbio appoints new business development manager: Jeremy Hughes has been appointed by Symbio as its new International Business Development Manager.

He has taken the reins from Martin Ward in providing advisory services, product support and training to the company’s growing number of distributorships serving an expanding customer base in overseas markets. Jeremy also provides direct support to a number of golf resorts and football clubs in Europe and the Nordics.

Symbio appoints new business development manager

Symbio appoints new business development manager

Jeremy has been with the Surrey-based company for five years as Technical Sales Manager for the Midlands, north west England and west Wales. He was previously Course Manager at the Vale of Llangollen Golf Club where he adopted and advocated a biological approach to turf management.

Jeremy says that interest in the company’s products has never been greater. “Over the past 30 years, we’ve worked with customers to restore a healthy balance to their soil. As the market-leader, we’ve experienced year-on-year growth in recent years, spurred on by wider access to education, the withdrawal of active ingredients in chemical applications, and greater environmental awareness.

A growing understanding of soil biology is resulting in an increasing number of sports turf managers changing their approach to problem solving and the improvement of their playing surfaces, whether that’s thatch reduction, grass species conversion, disease prevention, maintaining firmer, drier greens, or increasing the holding capacity of sand-based sports pitches. Club owners are increasing seeking advice at the construction stage, starting as they mean to go on in ensuring soil and turf health is optimised from the outset. We continue to improve and develop the company and our product range, building on our excellent results and customer satisfaction.”

Jeremy can be contacted on Tel: 07554 668423 and by email at jeremy@symbio.co.uk.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

A spotlight on Ramsay MacGregor

/in , , /by

A spotlight on Ramsay MacGregor: Ramsay MacGregor, amenity specialist for Agrovista Amenity, has enjoyed a long and successful career which can be attributed to his determination, drive, passion and strength of character.

Although far from the end of his journey, the father of four often reflects on his career path, which all started when he first left agricultural college in the early eighties. “When I came out of college there were no jobs in agriculture especially for farm managers – which is what I had been studying,” he says.

A spotlight on Ramsay MacGregor

A spotlight on Ramsay MacGregor

“At that time, a lot of my friends were going to America and Australia to work on farms but I saw an advert for a job in Denmark and I like to be different – I don’t like to follow the pack. I phoned the number, spoke to a Danish farmer and a week later I was on a farm in Denmark. I stayed there for two years.”

Ramsay enjoyed his overseas adventure, which also included stints in Holland and Iceland, but at the age of 22 decided it was time to return to Scotland. As he departed his seat on the plane, little did he know that he was about to line up his next job immediately.

“I landed at the airport and went to meet some friends from my old college. While I was waiting to meet them, I picked up a newspaper and there was a job advertisement for a horticultural engineer. I phoned the number, went for an interview the very next day and got the job. However, the guy that interviewed me thought that I’d be more suited to sales.

“I learnt all of the machines in the workshop inside and out and from there I moved into the show room before eventually getting out onto the road.”

After a solid 12 years in sales, which also included a position at Aitken’s Sportsturf, Ramsay faced one his toughest decisions yet.

“At the time I was working for CSC (Chemical Spray Company), who are now part of Agrii, and my sales manager decided he wanted to set up his own business. There were four of us and we were all going to go and start up this business together. However, two of them decided at the last minute not to do it and it was just myself and the sales manager. We left in 2001 and started up a business called Terra Firma.

“I remember us both walking into a big empty warehouse and looking at each other, laughing and saying what have we done? The salaries, company cars and pensions – we gave it all up. It was scary, but we managed to build it up to a substantial size and that is probably what I am most proud of in my career.”

Since its creation in 2001, Terra Firma had grown into one of Scotland’s largest suppliers to the amenity and local authority markets. In recognising its potential, Agrovista bought the company in 2017. The combination of both companies’ industry knowledge, experience and customer service ethos quickly formed a strong, sustainable and service-focused business model.

“Agrovista is a great company to work for,” he said. “Admittedly I was apprehensive – particularly going from a small independent company to a massive organisation. Big ships are notoriously difficult to a steer, but I’ve been amazed at just how reactive they are. I’ve been really impressed. The company is big on education and I’ve always had a hunger for developing and learning. Every day I learn something new and I think the day that I stop learning is the day that I will hang the boots up. It’s not always about grass or weeds or weather, but about people. I love to learn about someone’s background or how they function and operate.”

Ramsay’s passion for conversation and people is demonstrated daily as he attends his diverse customer base. While he admits to enjoying the variety of his work, he also believes it has made him more aware of some the struggles faced by some amenity professionals – particularly greenkeepers.

“On any one day I could go into a couple of golf courses in the morning to see some greenkeepers, then in the afternoon I could go and visit a council and be talking about Japanese Knotweed, and then I could be out talking to a landscaper – I have a very diverse and interesting customer base which I really enjoy.

“Unfortunately, it does make me realise some of the troubles these people have. Greenkeepers are becoming under more and more pressure – whether that be from the club where they work or the members. The number of greenkeepers that are going off with stress is disappointing. In fact, so many greenkeepers have walked away from their jobs because of the grief they have received.”

Many of his customers will know that Ramsay is, in fact, his middle name. Allan Ramsay MacGregor is his full name, but by his own admission, he cares little for names or titles.

“Over the years I’ve had various titles, but I’ve never been big on them if I’m being honest. What’s in a name? It’s what is on the inside that counts. People take you for what you are and who you are.”

It is safe to say that most people Ramsay has encountered throughout his career have taken him for who he is and that is why he is such a respected figure in the industry – someone who people can turn to for advice, support or just a good conversation.

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

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

JCB finale for Terence

/in , /by

JCB finale for Terence: JCB’s Terence Smith has put the fun into furlough with a madcap fancy dress fundraising idea which has netted almost £3,000 for charity.

For the whole of April he donned a different fancy dress outfit every day, filmed a funny sketch and uploaded the footage to his social media pages – all to raise cash for worthy causes.

JCB finale for Terence

JCB finale for Terence

Now he has signed off from his wacky month of fundraising by donning fancy dress outfit number 30 – a JCB digger he made from scratch out of cardboard in his garage.

Terence, 35, who works in sales at JCB Power Products in Hixon, Stafford, says building his mini 3CX backhoe was one of the most difficult challenges of the month.

He said: “We’ve got a fancy dress box at home with outfits worn at parties over the years, but the JCB backhoe loader was one of the harder ones to devise! You have got two choices when you are furloughed; either sit at home doing nothing or make the best use of your time by staying active. I chose the latter, not only to raise money for charity, but for my own sanity too.”

Terence, of Littleover, near Derby, is now just a few pounds away from raising £3,000 in aid of the Derby and Burton Hospitals charity, Community Action Derby and Rainbows Hospice in Leicester.

Over the past month he has dressed as a Transformer, Harry Potter, sports star Tom Daly, Baywatch characters and even Britney Spears – trying hard not to disturb his fiancée Nicola as she worked from home.

Terence added: “The response from friends, family and JCB colleagues has been amazing. I originally set out to raise £2,000 for charities, which are assisting with the response to COVID-19. I’ve had fun, it’s helped my my mental health and it’s great to know that I’ve put a smile on people’s faces for the past month.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Adapting your business to seize this unique opportunity

/in , /by

Adapting your business to seize this unique opportunity: How a business and a brand adapt to challenging situations will shape their future, and in true British style, now is the time to work hard and make sure that these unprecedented times don’t define you.

The impact of the coronavirus outbreak can be felt across the world and in every industry as it continues to transform the way we live, work and do business. As physical interaction has been suspended, we see digital channels becoming more important than ever to communicate with each other. The UK’s lockdown alone has roughly doubled the UK’s internet usage during the day, according to Virgin Media, which is why it’s even more important to ensure that you’re still actively talking and listening to your audience through the likes of social media and PR. Trade and consumers will be carrying out considered online research and will be identifying the strong, decisive brands that stick with them in a crisis.

Adapting your business to seize this unique opportunity

Adapting your business to seize this unique opportunity

In the same way as consumers are doing, use this time to get your house in order so your brand and business can come out of this crisis faster and stronger than your competition. Your employees are living in uncertain times and positive, impactful changes will give them a new focus and an exciting story to tell when normality resumes. Having a robust growth strategy and plan in place will support your business in minimising the negative impact of the outbreak and will pave the path to recovery. In times of crises such as this, the most successful businesses are those that have a progressive approach with an optimal combination of defence and offence.

Martin Dupree, Managing Director of full service marketing & brand development agency Dupree International, commented: “Since lockdown, the majority of us have allocated more time and effort to communicate with the ones we love and offer them support. At the same time, while it might seem difficult to prioritise the cost of ongoing brand communications, some companies are abandoning customer relationships by simply not talking to them. In peoples’ minds, the strength of their brand relationships can be equally as important as with their best friends – if not more important. These relationships may have taken a great deal of time and effort to build and we may never resurrect them if we suddenly stop.

In contrast, we’ve recently worked with a number of brand teams around the globe to help them re-discover and define the ‘authentic identity’ of their brands. This has helped develop solid, short and long-term strategies to help them cope with the here, now and beyond this challenging climate so they can emerge stronger. Once Coronavirus has been contained, these forward-thinking brands will have stolen a march on their competitors, building upon the relationships that they’ve continued to service.”

With long term thinking in mind, consider:

  • Does your audience know your ‘authentic identity’ and do they understand why they should buy from you and not your competitors?
  • Is your key messaging right for your audience? and where appropriate does it transfer globally
  • Do your team know and understand your core values and are you living them?
  • Is your advertising achieving the results that you’d like?
  • Are your assets such as your website and brochures reflective of your brand and are they working hard enough to change audience perceptions and drive sales?

Long-term strategic planning can often be a challenge for internal teams as they can be too close to the situation, which is why Dupree International are offering free, no commitment video calls with their strategic team to start the process of developing key messaging that aligns with your core values and resonates with your target market to alter perceptions and in turn drive sales.

Learn more about Dupree International via www.dupreeinternational.com. You can also view their e-brochure via goo.gl/v2LLUo.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Miki Stengaard Petersen wins student award

/in , , /by

Miki Stengaard Petersen wins student award: Miki Stengaard Petersen has been named the Campey Turf Care Systems and Havdrup Student of the Year 2019.

The award is presented by the Groundsman Association Denmark (GAD) and is given to the student that finishes the Danish Groundsmen’s school with the highest grade in the final exam. In the event of two students getting the same grade, the decision is made based on the overall highest grade.

Miki Stengaard Petersen wins student award

Miki Stengaard Petersen wins student award

Miki works for Skive IK, who are into their second season in the Danish First Division after topping the Second Division and winning promotion in 2018/19. The 26-year-old has worked for the Jutland based club since April 2016 and works alongside three others at the 10,000 capacity Skive Stadium.

As well as winning the title of Student of the Year, Miki was also given the opportunity to travel to Spain and spend a week working Paul Burgess and his staff at Real Madrid CF. Miki has since spent a week in Madrid, and the experience has been one that will stay with him for the rest of his career.

“I almost didn’t believe it at first,” Miki began. “I was so happy and super excited, I’ve never won anything before, so to win the award and be given the opportunity to work with Real Madrid was huge for me.

“It was simply amazing; it was the experience of a lifetime. Paul Burgess and his staff are all very talented, and I feel that I learnt a lot from them. I’m very thankful for the experience because I’ve seen how beautiful our line of work can be.”

GAD was founded in December 2011 and aims to bring those interested in maintaining football fields and similar areas together. In doing this, they hope to use education, professional networking and educational tours abroad to strengthen the professional environment for groundsmen.

This has already included a visit to England in 2019 organised by GAD and Campey Turf Care where thirty-eight groundsman from Denmark and Spain visited leading venues such as Arsenal’s London Colney training centre, Liverpool Football Club, Stoke City Football Club, Tottenham Hotspur’s Enfield Training Ground and the brand-new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where head of playing surfaces and estates, Darren Baldwin, gave up his time to give the group a tour of the stunning new facility and answer questions from the groundsmen.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.