Ariens’ New Director of Sales EMEAA

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Ariens’ New Director of Sales EMEAA: Ariens Company  can confirm the appointment of Jackie Williams to the role of Director of Sales EMEAA. She will be coming into the role to succeed John Horn, who will be retiring from the Ariens Company at the end of 2018. Jackie, who will report to Vice President of EMEAA, Darren Spencer, brings a wealth of experience to the company and will assume responsibility for sales and distribution of Ariens products through Ariens subsidiaries located in the U.K. and Norway, and Ariens fifty plus distribution partners worldwide. 

Jackie joins Ariens having built a successful career over twenty-five years in international sales and distribution management.

Ariens' New Director of Sales EMEAA

“We’re very pleased to have Jackie become part of the Ariens Company team,” says Darren Spencer, “she brings vast experience of multi-channel product sales and distribution across all continents, at an exciting time in the development of Ariens’ EMEAA expansion.”

Reporting in turn to Jackie will be Ariens European Sales Manager, Massimo Caner, Matt Wilson, UK Sales Manager and Scandinavia General Manager Frank Brenn. Jackie’s previous role was International Sales Director of Derwent, a division of ACCO UK Ltd, achieving year on year growth in sales and profitability. She holds post-graduate diplomas in Marketing, Export Marketing and Business Studies & Finance, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Ariens Company is a family owned business that has built a reputation for engineering excellence, manufacturing Ariens products in the US since 1933. The fundamental principle driving the design of every Ariens product remains the same today: building hard-working, reliable tools that are passed on from generation to generation.

Ariens Company Limited manufactures the Countax and Westwood garden tractors. The business also distributes ECHO outdoor power tools and the Ariens lawn, garden and snow products through a network of UK dealers.

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EcoBunker’s North America Arrangements

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EcoBunker’s North America Arrangements: EcoBunker, a global market leader in synthetic bunker edge construction, is making a number of changes to its distribution arrangements in North America.

From June 2016 until this month, EcoBunker marketed in the US exclusively via Binghampton, NY-based IVI Golf, the supplier of the well-known Sandtrapper bunker liner, with the product renamed PermaEdge. That exclusive arrangement has now lapsed, with EcoBunker now selling direct into the US and Canadian markets, and, to give full coverage across North American, is appointing new distributor and agents. The first of these is a new agent, George Fry, formerly superintendent of Kiawah Island’s Ocean course, covering Georgia and the Carolinas. Another appointment, to cover Canada, is Jay Morgan, a specialist in erosion control products, based into Ontario.

EcoBunker's North America Arrangements

“Opportunities exist for individuals and organisations to represent EcoBunker across North American, and we will be delighted to hear from interested parties,” said Richard Allen, EcoBunker’s CEO. “We have learned that the size and complexity of the American market needs widespread representation, and so we plan to build a substantial distribution network.”

Allen continued: “We have always maintained a presence of our own in the US – some of our best projects, such as at the Medalist club in Hobe Sound, Florida, and Secession GC, in Beaufort, South Carolina, have been won and delivered that way. But, as our business grows, and our brand becomes known across the world, it is important for us to have better control over our operations in the world’s largest and most dynamic golf market. From now on, we will operate solely under the EcoBunker brand in all geographies.”

Between 150 and 200 courses globally have now installed the EcoBunker solution.

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STRI Expands Ecology Team

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STRI Expands Ecology Team: The STRI Group has appointed a new consultant to their UK team in order to strengthen ecology services.

Rowan Rumball joins STRI as ecological consultant with six years commercial experience in the industry. Rowan has a Masters degree in conservation from the University of Lancaster, and previously worked at AECOM as a bat and great crested newt specialist.

STRI Expands Ecology Team

He has a wide range of experience working on both small to large scale projects such as High Speed 2, North Wales Connect and the M6 Smart Motorways, conducting European protected species surveys and data management.

Bob Taylor, head of ecology and environment, said: “We are delighted to welcome Rowan to our team of chartered ecologists, where his specialist knowledge and extensive project experience will be of major benefit to our diverse client group in the sports industry.”

Speaking about his appointment, Rowan, said: “I am very excited to have joined STRI as the new ecology consultant. After a walk around the office and talking to a lot of my new work colleagues I can see myself getting involved in lots of interesting projects. STRI will give me the opportunity to use my specialist skills in a direct and practical way on projects that make an immediate positive change to the conservation of a site.

“The most important lesson I have learnt in my career so far is that it is very rare for there to be no solution that is not beneficial for both the client and nature, whether that is in terms of abundance, diversity or habitat creation. I am looking forward to working with new clients and colleagues to find sustainable solutions and promoting ecological best practice in the sportsturf industry.”

STRI has expanded in the last five years to provide ecological and environmental services to the global sport, amenity and aviation industries. Their ecology consultants administer the annual Golf Environment Awards and are official verifiers for GEO (Golf Environment Organization). They work with elite sport governing bodies such as the R&A, for whom they are engaged as official ecological consultants to The Open Championship and Open Qualifier venues.

Rowan will be presenting a station at STRI Research 2018 on 19 and 20 September. Places are available by email info@strigroup.com or by calling +44 (0) 1274 565131.

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Pitchworks Grow With New Area Manager

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Pitchworks Grow With New Area Manager: Pitchworks, market specialists in supplying superior ground equipment and products to the sports industry, have confirmed the appointment of Lee Williams as its new Area Manager. Lee’s role will involve covering North Wales, Shropshire, Merseyside, Cheshire and surrounding areas.

Founded in 1993 by former Manchester United FC player Garry Worrall, Pitchworks has significantly grown in size and reputation over recent years.

Pitchworks Grow With New Area Manager

The company prides itself on its commitment to develop close customer relationships which are created through its dedicated sales representatives who provide in-depth one-to-one consultations.

Lee’s previous roles have included being the Head Groundsman at Rydal Penrhos School – a position which he held for 30 years. With experience in the polo industry as well, Lee is also a keen golfer and has represented the County of Flintshire.

As the company continues to grow, the appointment of Lee is another step in the right direction and continues to ensure that the Pitchworks team is perfectly placed to understand the daily demands faced by modern day groundsmen and greenkeepers.

Lee can be contacted at lee@pitchworks.co.uk

For more information please visit www.pitchworks.co.uk or call 0161 427 0857.

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Reesink’s Mike Stephenson Retires

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Reesink’s Mike Stephenson Retires: After 21 years of serving the business “extremely well” across a number of roles, Reesink Turfcare’s business information manager Mike Stephenson is now retiring.

A well-rounded individual, Mike gained experience from every pocket of the industry over his expansive career. He explains: “After studying Agricultural Engineering at Rycotewood College, I started out as an apprentice at a tractor dealership in Yorkshire where I worked my way up to service manager.

Reesink's Mike Stephenson Retires

“From there I worked in a range of engineering, sales and aftermarket positions for irrigation equipment and agricultural machinery companies, before joining Lely Turfcare [now Reesink Turfcare] as turf product manager in 1997.”

Throughout his time at Reesink Mike mastered many roles involving service, dealer support and training, all the way to aftermarket support, running business operations and project management. As a result, his skillset grew exponentially and he became an instrumental figure during many Reesink milestones.

Reesink Turfcare’s managing director, David Cole, says: “Over his 21 years with the business Mike has adeptly covered a variety of roles, starting out as turf product manager through to his current post of business information manager. His positive approach and attention to detail has served the business extremely well through many important projects.”

One such project was of course the company’s transition from Lely Turfcare to Reesink Turfcare, when Royal Reesink acquired the business in 2016. Mike deems this the biggest challenge he faced in his career: “My job during the changeover was to see the Lely business information system transition to Reesink. This should have been an 18-month project, but we had just four months to complete it – and we did! The key to success was having a hardworking and dedicated team around me.

“Another of my biggest achievements,” he continues, “was being part of the Lely Group Continuous Improvement team in 2009. For this I analysed and advised how to improve our processes around Europe. I found the role incredibly fulfilling as I was sharing the knowledge I’d gained over the years to make jobs more efficient and easier for people.”

Mike reflects on his time at the company: “Reesink has been a brilliant company to work for. My job has been varied and my role within the business kept challenging me – every day has been exciting! I particularly enjoyed my time working with Toro on our shared business information systems and helping with UK product launches. Toro is second-to-none in the industry and it was a privilege to share such a close working relationship. It’s thanks to all this, and great relationships with my team, that I always looked forward to going to work.”

David summarises: “I was involved in Mike’s original recruitment back in 1997 and have always appreciated his drive and focus for the right outcomes – and his sense of humour, which is probably a secret of his longevity.

“Our business has benefited from his exemplary commitment and loyalty. I would like to thank Mike for his contribution over the years and wish him all the best for a well-earned, fulfilling and enjoyable retirement.”

During his retirement, Mike will continue to pursue his passion for the industry as an active member of IAgrE (The Institution of Agricultural Engineers). He also plans to spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying the countryside through his hobby of wildlife photography and by volunteering for wildlife charities.

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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