Rigby Taylor Appoint Peter Robin

Rigby Taylor Appoint Peter Robin: Rigby Taylor has expanded its product management team of industry product specialists with the appointment of Peter Robin as UK Irrigation Product Manager.

Peter will spearhead the company’s expansion into the irrigation market as the UK distributor of Rain Bird’s golf, sports pitch and landscape products.

Rigby Taylor Appoint Peter Robin

Peter, a New Zealander by birth, has a Bachelor of Horticultural Science degree and over 20 years’ experience across a wide range of irrigation market sectors and installations, 10 years of which have been spent in the UK.

Peter lives in York but has a nationwide brief and can be contacted by email (peter.robin@rigbytaylor.com) or by ‘phone on 07741 665679.

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SCH Supplies Entrepreneur

SCH Supplies Entrepreneur: In 1987, entrepreneur Andrew Rodwell noticed a gap in the market when he became frustrated at the lack of suitable lawn care attachments to fit to his garden tractor.  With the help and encouragement of Malcolm Vandenburgh at Wests Engineering Ltd, the pair set about designing and manufacturing a range of grass care machinery. Before long, SCH (Supplies) Ltd was created and began selling machinery to the public from their workshop in Holbrook, Suffolk. Malcolm later continued with his core business at Wests.

To market and grow the company, SCH attended many garden machinery shows cross the country, talking to potential customers and machinery dealers, who sell products on behalf of SCH. As of 2019, SCH have over 800 machinery dealers across the UK and Europe, who drive the majority of SCH’s sales.

SCH Supplies Entrepreneur

Andrew has always encouraged his staff for input on the companies’ products, which has been an essential driving factor to their profile of over 250 machines, ranging from grass care and flail mowers to trailers and leaf collectors. There is a wide range of experience at SCH, as their 25 employees design, manufacture and deliver their products themselves.

After reaching the grand age of 80 last December, Andrew has decided to hand the reigns over to two of his long term employees, Ian Holder and John Free, as he takes a well-earned retirement. He’s happy to be leaving the thriving company with an annual turnover in excess of £1.5 million.

Ian and John have been with SCH for 14 years each, and will be adapting their previous roles as the works manager and accountant to run and oversee the company. Andrew is sure they will continue his entrepreneurial spirit, as new and innovative products will be added to the SCH range in the coming years. They are fortunate enough to have an enthusiastic and dedicated team to support them, including Alan Lawrence, who has helped smooth the transition by taking over many responsibilities of the works manager.

SCH produce over 50,000 copies of their free 80 page brochure, which contains their most popular products. Many of these have been inspired by the unique and innovative requests by customers over the past 33 years. If you have any ideas that you would like to see manufactured, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01473 328272, email sales@schsupplies.co.uk, or visit our website to find out more www.schsupplies.co.uk

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JCB Celebrate Apprentices Record

JCB Celebrate Apprentices Record: A record-breaking group of JCB apprentices had two reasons to celebrate at the launch of National Apprenticeships Week on Monday (March 4th).

A total of 79 apprentices were awarded their apprenticeship certificates – at the same time as getting coveted contracts of employment with the Staffordshire-based digger maker.

JCB Celebrate Apprentices Record

The group is the biggest in the history of JCB to graduate as Level 2 and 3 apprentices in a single year. They received their awards from JCB directors at a special graduation ceremony at JCB’s World Headquarters, Rocester.

JCB has a long history of recruiting apprentices and this year marks 55 years since the first intake of nine completed their training and were presented with their apprenticeship certificates by company founder Joseph Cyril Bamford.

JCB Chief Executive Graeme Macdonald said: “New talent joining the business is fundamental to JCB’s future growth and success; our business is growing rapidly and the apprentices are an important part of our plans for the long term.  Over the past five years JCB has invested £30 million into its training programmes with more than 700 new recruits joining the business as apprentices or graduates. Their commitment to learning has been exemplary and their hard work has paid off with the award of full-time contracts.”

JCB Director of Learning and Development, Max Jeffery said: “The apprentices who have been awarded full-time contracts range from age 18 to 38 and include a former professional rugby player, pub landlord and cleaner as well former students from the JCB Academy. The diversity of this year’s graduating apprentices shows this is a great route into a new and promising career – no matter what your background, age or experience.”

Apprentices offered contracts include:

  • Adam Parkins, 29, from Alfreton, Derbyshire. Married with four young children, he left school aged 16 to pursue a professional rugby career with Premiership clubs Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints, where he remained until he was 27.  He is now a welder and assembler working on the iconic JCB Loadall production line, at Rocester.
  • Wesley Hemmings-Topliss, 19, from Burton. Having studied a BTEC at college, the former Thomas Alleynes High School, Uttoxeter, student found work as an office cleaner at JCB. He saw his friends studying apprenticeships with the company and decided he wanted a career making the machines too. He is now a welder in the JCB Hydraulic Business Unit, at Rocester.
  • Tom Clarke, 29, from Stafford, a former team leader at Screwfix, Stafford, where he was in charge of almost 100 people. Tom has become JCB’s first Level 2 Health and Safety Apprentice with the company’s Loadall division, at Rocester.

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New Management For Machinery Distributor

New Management For Machinery Distributor: The UK distributor of Ferris, Wright and Spider mowers and Jensen woodchippers has announced new leadership this week.

Divisional Director Tim Lane, who established the Machinery Imports business at T H WHITE in 2016 and has been instrumental in the growth and success of the business, is moving onto a new role after 19 years at the company.

New Management For Machinery Distributor

Bill Johnston now assumes the role of Head of Machinery Imports from 1st February, taking full responsibility of the management of the division.

“I joined the T H WHITE Group in 2015 as a woodchipper specialist and since early 2017 have been responsible for Jensen UK, building relationships with dealers across the country and developing a comprehensive and growing dealer network for the brand” says Bill.

“My new role will involve further promotion of our four brands and further growth of the dealer network throughout the UK, using the momentum gained already in the past three years created by our experienced team.

“I have identified areas where we still have further opportunities for both our team and our existing dealers to grow and am excited for the future of our business.”

Bill will manage the Machinery Imports team of Area Sales Managers who will continue to support all the UK Ferris, Wright, Spider and Jensen dealers, as well as remaining the primary point of contact for Jensen woodchipper enquiries.

“Following a superb 18 months with Jensen, I feel we have barely started our journey with this premium brand. I’ll be working closely with our Jensen Woodchipper Specialist, Nathan Jacobs, to ensure we maintain the same level of dealer support.

“We have already identified opportunities for further gains in our parts business and will be appointing additional staff in that area in the coming weeks to support our parts offering.”

Focusing on the future of the business, Bill has impressive plans and aspirations in place for all departments, commenting:

“All four brands will benefit from technical and sales training that we are rolling out to our dealer network throughout 2019. We have plans in place to continue increasing brand awareness across the board and the business is forecasted to grow market share as a result.

“Particular focus will be given to our parts department where our sales and expertise grows year on year and with additional investment will create an enviable and highly efficient after-sales function.”

Prior to joining the T H WHITE Group, Bill spent 22 years managing Character Landscapes.

Based in central Wiltshire and operating from three depots, his company maintained a reputation for quality, with the business achieving significant repeat custom. Designing, building and maintaining some of the finest gardens in the South of England, working on a mix of private historic homes and parks, commercial developments and sensitive environmental sites.

Bill believes the success of his company was a direct result of the staff employed, with a diverse skill set and unequalled enthusiasm. Everyone within the company whatever their position, from the team of garden designers to the teams undertaking ground maintenance in all weathers were valued by both Bill and the customers.

“I fully recognise how a motivated team can achieve great success and will continue to pursue this aim throughout my career.”

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Wildflower Appoint Phil Singleton

Wildflower Appoint Phil Singleton: The UK’s leading bio-diverse turf supplier has recently expanded their sales team.

Wildflower Turf Ltd have appointed Phil Singleton to assist them to further service their growing customer base in the north of England.

Wildflower Appoint Phil Singleton

Phil has a strong background in the horticultural and landscape industries, having formally worked for Icopal Limited (part of the BMI Group) and Greenscape UK (now trading as Fytogreen).

As former Deputy Chairman for GRO (Green Roof Organisation), Phil will use his skills to great advantage from the outset, with Wildflower Turf Ltd currently working on several large wildflower roof projects.

Phil’s appointment follows Wildflower Turf Ltd’s ambitious expansion in 2017, with a production site situated in Helperby, Yorkshire now complementing the company’s Hampshire production facility.

Managing Director of Wildflower Turf Ltd, James Hewetson-Brown, said, “We are delighted to appoint Phil to this role. As interest in, and demand for, our range of wildflower products continues to grow apace, we remain committed to providing our customers with outstanding service. Phil is highly qualified and will be instrumental in providing our northern partners with the exceptional level of support that our customers have come to expect from us.”

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