Dave Harrison retires from Campey

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Dave Harrison retires from Campey: Campey Turf Care Systems export sales manager, Dave Harrison, announced his retirement after ten years and left the company at the end of 2019.

Dave joined Campey in 2009 from Dennis Sisis with a wealth of experience and global industry knowledge. His remit was to develop further growth in sales throughout the European and world markets as well as introducing the Campey range of products into the Middle East and Asia. With Dave’s involvement, Campey has become an established presence in Asia, with Dave himself becoming very popular with all the customers he has worked with.

Dave Harrison retires from Campey

Speaking about his time in the industry, Dave said: “Forty-three years seems to have flown by, and I’ve loved my time in this industry. I’m really looking forward to spending time at home with the family and catching up on all the things I’ve missed out on in recent years, like getting on my bike again! We’ll be having another grandchild soon, so that is something that will occupy some time for us all.

“Working for Campey has been a brilliant experience, and I’ve been fortunate to meet some fantastic people from all over the world.”

Campey chairman, Richard Campey said: “Dave joined us in 2009 and was given clear objectives, and over ten years he accomplished a great deal. During his time with us, he has contributed greatly to the expansion of the company in Asia and the Middle East and the work he has done will be remembered for a long time to come.”

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Alan Prickett joins ISEKI UK

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Alan Prickett joins ISEKI UK: ISEKI UK & Ireland are pleased to announce that Alan Prickett has joined the growing team in the role of Business Development Manager, responsible for dealers in the central band of the UK, along with key and national account sales.

Alan is a very well-known figure in the industry having previously worked for many years at Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd. Prior to his leaving there in July of 2019 he held a number of positions ranging from Regional Sales Manager to Managing Director.

Alan Prickett joins ISEKI UK

In Alan’s early career he studied agricultural engineering in Oxfordshire, before commencing a career in the professional turf industry from 1981, initially working for professional machinery dealerships in the midlands, rising to the level of sales management and key accounts.

Commenting on the appointment David Withers adds; “Alan will be a great asset to the team at ISEKI, he will be looking to further drive market share gains in the compact tractor and collecting mower categories where ISEKI excel.”

For more information, visit: www.iseki.co.uk.

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Sea change for Greg Harris

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Sea change for Greg Harris: Ex-Royal Navy weapons engineer Greg Harris from Fife in Scotland has won SRUC Elmwood’s annual John Deere HNC Golf Course Management Student of the Year Award, sponsored by John Deere and Scottish turf dealer Double A.

Greg was chosen particularly for the leadership and mentoring skills he displayed during the 2018/2019 academic year.

Sea change for Greg Harris

Born in Dundee and brought up in Kirkcaldy, Greg took up an apprenticeship with the Royal Navy at the age of 19 and spent 12 years with the service until he was medically discharged in 2016 with knee problems. However, this paved the way for his next career move into greenkeeping and golf club management, as he was still encouraged and able to play golf.

While deciding what to do next, Greg was playing regularly at The Duke’s Course at St Andrews as well as his father’s local club at Glenrothes, where the pro mentioned the SRUC course.

“I realised I was never going to be a good enough golfer to turn pro, but taking up the greenkeeping option meant I could still be active and involved in the industry,” he says. “I attended an open day at the college, where I spoke to course tutors Paul Miller and Ian Butcher who outlined the opportunities and were very supportive, so I put in my application and was accepted.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and the people I met. I think my Royal Navy background prepared me well for many aspects such as planning and teamwork, which are key skills for any greenkeeper. The academic side of things was never a problem, and I also enjoyed the hands-on time spent as part of the tournament support team at Kingsbarns Golf Links during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

“Everyone there was really accepting of me, considering my relative lack of practical skills. They recognised that I was there to learn and it was a great experience, apart from my least favourite job, swishing the dew off the greens!

“The John Deere award was mentioned at the beginning of the course, but I never gave it another thought. When Ian told me towards the end of the academic year that they were going to nominate me and I then found out that I’d won, I was really surprised but also very proud of the achievement.

“Since graduating I’ve ended up away from greenkeeping, and moved more towards golf operations – I worked in the pro shop at The Duke’s Course for the season following the course, and currently I’m assistant store manager for American Golf in Dundee. I did plan to return to Elmwood and do the HND course, but as that isn’t running this year we’ll see what happens next. If it runs again it would be a really good opportunity to go back and see how I can progress in my second career.”

Course tutor Ian Butcher, who is based at the Elmwood campus in Cupar, Fife, adds: “Throughout his time at SRUC Greg was a positive influence on the student group. He was a natural leader, and many times supported both individuals and the HNC team as a whole to meet various challenges. He consistently showed initiative, enthusiasm and a capacity for mentoring which is rare. This is of real value to us as an organisation, as we seek to involve our students more in the development of the SRUC programmes.

“Greg is one of a new breed of graduates who are open-minded as to their career paths, and is enthusiastic about gaining experience beyond the golf course maintenance shed. Taking advantage of workplace experience in customer services at The Duke’s clubhouse within the Old Course Hotel Golf Resort at St Andrews is an example of Greg having a more varied role in golf operations during last summer.

“His passion for the game combined with a long-term career perspective opens more doors for Greg, and we trust he finds the right opportunity to progress in his chosen profession. We look forward to him being a great ambassador for us.”

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Tributes to JCB employee

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Tributes to JCB employee: Tributes have been paid to a former JCB employee who joined the company as a teaboy and rose through the ranks to become a director.

Bill Hirst MBE – who was the third person recruited by JCB in 1947 – passed away last night (Sunday, January 5th) at the age of 86.

Tributes to JCB employee

Today JCB Chairman Lord Bamford led the tributes to the man who joined JCB as the company was in its infancy. Lord Bamford said: “Bill and his generation helped my father to build a company which became a real force in the world of construction equipment.  Bill was very proud to have worked for JCB and will be remembered by many, many people from the early days of the company. I’d like to offer my condolences to Bill’s wife Jean and all her family at this very sad time.”

Bill, the fourth of eight children, joined JCB as a 14-year-old tea boy when he left St Joseph’s School in Uttoxeter, where he had been Head Boy.

He was recruited on a salary of £1 a week when the company was based at stables at Crakemarsh, three miles down the road from JCB’s World Headquarters at Rocester.

And it was Bill who was instrumental in the relocation to Rocester in 1950 to the site of a former cheese factory. Bill knew JCB Founder Joseph Cyril Bamford was searching for a new location for a factory and suggested the Rocester site – because it was closer to home and meant he could spend an extra 10 minutes in bed each morning.

Tributes to JCB employee

Bill started his National Service in 1951 as was posted as a Royal Military Policeman to Kenya, returning to JCB two years later.  He married his wife Jean in 1955 and the couple had four children.

On his return to JCB, Bill completed 10 years as welding foreman, five in research and then joined the service and spares department at Rocester as service engineer, later becoming Warranty and Final Inspection Manager. He was awarded the MBE for services to export in the New Year’s Honours List of 1975 and became Technical Services Director in 1981. Bill Retired in 1991. He was a staunch supporter of the Royal British Legion and served as President of the Uttoxeter branch in retirement.

Speaking on JCB’s 65th anniversary in 2010, Bill said: “I am proud to have been part of JCB – it’s been my life.”

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JCB engineer scoops apprentice award

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JCB engineer scoops apprentice award: A JCB Design Engineer is the toast of the UK today after winning a national apprentice award.

Louise Meredith, 21, scooped the title of Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year at the finals of the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) Awards in London last night (Wednesday, November 27th) just weeks after winning the regional final.

JCB engineer scoops apprentice award

It was a night of success for JCB apprentices as Quality Engineer Tom Lomas, 21, from Cheadle, was also highly commended at the same ceremony in the National Advanced Apprentice of the Year category just weeks after he was named Regional Advanced Apprentice of the Year. Tom works JCB Earthmovers, in Cheadle.

Louise, a Design Engineer in the Loadall division at JCB World Headquarters, in Rocester, said: “I’m passionate about apprenticeships and undertaking a degree / higher apprenticeship has been a fantastic way to start my career, so to win this national award is just amazing. I still can’t believe I’ve been recognised in this way.”

JCB Director of Learning and Development Max Jeffery said: “We are immensely proud of the outstanding achievements of these award winners who have excelled in their studies at JCB. To be recognised at national level is testament to their hard work and commitment.  The company now has more than 400 young people on its apprenticeship, undergraduate and graduate training programmes, as we continue to invest in the next generation of engineering and business professionals.”

Louise and Tom are part of a group JCB apprentices who are proving they are in a class of their own when it comes to winning awards.  JCB World HQ Business Degree Apprentice Elena Newbrook, 20, of Nantwich, Cheshire has won the Regional Make UK Business Apprentice of the Year: Rising Star award and Morgan Smith, 21, of Handforth, Cheshire has scooped Regional Make UK Engineering Apprentice of the Year: Final Year. Degree Apprentice Morgan is a Hydraulics Design Engineer at JCB Heavy Products, Uttoxeter.  Elena and Morgan will now represent the region in the National Make UK Awards on January 29th, 2020.

In addition, two JCB apprentices were highly commended on the Make UK awards shortlist. In the Midlands awards Engineering Degree Apprentice Chris Owen, 19, of Newcastle-under-Lyme who specialises in Electrical Engineering, and Olivia Pearch, 19, of Derby who is a Business Degree Apprentice at JCB Power Systems were honoured.

Applications for JCB’s 2020 apprenticeship and graduate training programmes open in December. Visit www.jcb.com/about/careers for details.

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