Alan Prickett Appointed Managing Director of Iseki UK

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Alan Prickett Appointed Managing Director of Iseki UK: Iseki UK & Ireland is pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Prickett as its new Managing Director. Alan succeeds David Withers, whose imminent retirement follows a remarkable period of growth and success for the business.

Alan brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent nearly three decades working closely with David, fostering a shared management ethos and strategic vision that has underpinned numerous successful initiatives in the UK and export markets.

Alan Prickett Appointed Managing Director of Iseki UK

Alan Prickett Appointed Managing Director of Iseki UK

Alan re-joined Iseki UK & Ireland at the beginning of 2020, initially serving as Business Development Manager before moving into the role of Director, with responsibility for both operational and sales activities.

His extensive background in the groundcare industry includes a 23-year tenure at Ransomes Jacobsen, where he held various positions across the UK and internationally, culminating in his appointment as Managing Director in 2014.

“The future direction of Iseki UK & Ireland under my leadership will remain largely unchanged from the present successful path, with an ongoing focus on quality products, good staff and dealers, plus the provision of excellent after-sales care,” said Alan.

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David Withers Announces Retirement from ISEKI

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David Withers Announces Retirement from ISEKI: David Withers, Managing Director of Iseki UK and Ireland, will retire at the end of 2025 following a distinguished career spanning more than four decades in the turf care and grounds maintenance industry.

Speaking at the SALTEX show in 2025, David reflected on his time at ISEKI, describing the process of building the brand as “one of the most fun and satisfying things I have done in my career.” Under his leadership, the company has doubled its sales over the last eight years and continues to grow.

David Withers Announces Retirement from ISEKI

David Withers Announces Retirement from ISEKI

David  began his career demonstrating verti-drains for Charterhouse Turf (now Redexim), followed by 25 years at Jacobsen, including six years as President. His eight-year tenure at ISEKI UK & Ireland as a stand-alone entity marks the culmination of his full-time professional journey.

“I feel it is time to finish full time work… I may still do a bit of consulting and advise for a couple of companies, but plan to end serious work and focus on developing a golf swing and a tan!” he said.

Expressing confidence in the future of ISEKI UK & Ireland, David said that he had worked with Alan Prickett for around 30 years and am very comfortable leaving the business in his hands to keep it growing and prospering for many years to come.

He also extended his gratitude to dealers, customers, and fellow manufacturers for their support and partnership throughout his career, wishing them continued success.

In addition to his role at ISEKI, David has been an influential figure within the industry, serving as a director of the Agricultural Engineers Association for many years and as its president in 2022. During the recent AEA 150th celebrations, he spoke at an event in the Houses of Parliament.

He has also recently taken up a Directorship at the Grounds Maintenance Association and intends to continue contributing to the organisation in his retirement.

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Gareth Phillips joins Tim O’Hare Associates

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Gareth Phillips joins Tim O’Hare Associates: Tim O’Hare Associates (TOHA), the industry’s leading independent environmental consultancy specialising in soil science, landscape engineering, and sports agronomy, has welcomed Gareth Phillips in the role of Senior Agronomist to its Wallingford-based team.

Gareth brings over 35 years of experience to the practice, working across the full spectrum of sports turf management and agronomy. He joins TOHA from Ecosol Turf Care, where he provided agronomic and project management support. Prior to that he held significant roles within a leading sports turf design and agronomy consultancy, contributing to various sports turf projects, from racecourses to bowling greens. Gareth also has extensive lecturing experience, teaching at the Welsh College of Horticulture and Reaseheath College, where he delivered courses on sports turf and amenity horticulture.

Gareth Phillips joins Tim O’Hare Associates

Gareth Phillips joins Tim O’Hare Associates

His expertise has been invaluable to a range of high-profile clients, including racecourses; premier, championship, and football league clubs; international stadia; and prestigious organisations such as the Rugby Football Union and Sport England.

Tim O’Hare, Principal Consultant at TOHA, which he set up in 2006, said:

“We are delighted that Gareth has joined us and brought with him his wealth of knowledge and experience in sports and amenity agronomy. Sports pitch design and agronomy is an increasingly important part of our business, where our clients are often from high stakes environments that depend on receiving quality consultancy on their sports surfaces; I am pleased to say that they are already benefitting from Gareth’s expertise.”

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ICL Appoints Jack Hetherington

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ICL Appoints Jack Hetherington: ICL has appointed Jack Hetherington as Technical Area Sales Manager for Scotland, bringing over 20 years’ experience in sports turf management, developing high-quality playing surfaces, and implementing effective turf programmes.

He began his career in 2005 as an Assistant Greenkeeper at Ponteland Golf Club, before becoming Course Manager at Alnwick Castle Golf Club in 2016. He later held Course Manager positions at Boldon Golf Club and Chester-le-Street Golf Club.

ICL Appoints Jack Hetherington

ICL Appoints Jack Hetherington

Alongside his club roles, Jack has played an active part in the wider greenkeeping community, serving as Founding Chairman of the BIGGA Young Greenkeepers Committee, BIGGA/Bernhard Delegate to the GIS, and most recently as BIGGA Northern Region Director. He has also volunteered at prestigious events such as The Open, The British Masters, and The BMW PGA Championship.

Jack says joining ICL feels like a natural next step. “When I became a course manager, I quickly realised ICL was the perfect partner for producing premium surfaces,” he said.

“Their industry-leading portfolio, commitment to sustainability and science-driven approach stood out to me from the start. I’m looking forward to working with turf managers and distributors to deliver tailored advice and programmes that enhance turf health, playability, and resource efficiency.”

Phil Collinson, Sales and Business Development Manager – UK North, said Jack’s appointment strengthens the team across the region. “He brings deep practical knowledge and experience with ICL products, which will be of real value to our customers and distributors. His professional attitude and focus on delivering expert advice stood out during recruitment. He’ll be a great fit for our team.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

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Agrovista Amenity welcomes new Amenity Specialist

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Agrovista Amenity welcomes new Amenity Specialist: Agrovista Amenity has announced the appointment of Paul Matthew as its newest Amenity Specialist, bringing with him decades of hands-on experience across golf, sports turf, and stadium management.

Paul’s role will primarily focus on stadia and sports facilities, an area in which he has extensive expertise. “My role is going to be primarily stadia, just due to my background as a groundsman,” he explained. “There are so many stadiums, sports grounds and pitches across the country, and it’s something I’m very familiar with and passionate about.”

Agrovista Amenity welcomes new Amenity Specialist

Agrovista Amenity welcomes new Amenity Specialist

Paul joins Agrovista Amenity following a distinguished career that began in greenkeeping before moving into high-level sports turf management. He started as an apprentice greenkeeper at Windyhill Golf Club in 1990, before progressing to Deputy Course Manager.

After a brief period as Deputy Head Greenkeeper at Hardgate Golf Club, Paul became a Golf Machinery Demonstrator for Scottish Grass Machinery – an experience that helped him gain valuable insight into turf equipment and product support.

He went on to spend over a decade working at some of the UK’s most recognised football clubs, including senior positions at Glasgow Rangers and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Head Groundsman at Motherwell FC. Paul also has experience in the sales sector, having served as Area Sales Manager at Nairn Brown, a leading machinery dealer, and most recently as Sales Advisor for North Grow Lighting.

Reflecting on his move to Agrovista Amenity, Paul said:

“I received a message from Sam Honeyborne, Agrovista UK’s Senior Amenity Manager, inviting me for a coffee in Edinburgh – and it turned out to be much more than a coffee! I was actually offered a position at Agrovista about four or five years ago, but I wasn’t ready to leave my role at Motherwell then. When the opportunity came around again, I met with Sam and John Marland (Head of Amenity), and after a really relaxed chat, I was delighted to be offered the job. I’m so thankful for that and want to repay the faith they’ve shown in me.”

Paul added that it already feels like a natural fit:

“You can tell straight away this is a company with a great support network – everyone’s been so welcoming. It’s a huge company with so much knowledge to tap into. I want to take all my experience from being a groundsman and combine it with the technical expertise that comes from being on this side of the industry. My goal is to be known as Paul from Agrovista, not just Paul the ex-groundsman – and to help customers get the best out of their surfaces with that blend of practical and technical knowledge.”

Paul will work closely alongside Ramsay MacGregor, Agrovista Amenity’s long-standing Amenity Specialist for Scotland. Speaking about the appointment, Ramsay said:

“We are delighted to have Paul starting with us. He brings a vast amount of industry experience, and his knowledge of stadia and golf is impressive. We’re really looking forward to working with him going forward.”

With his extensive practical background and passion for the turfcare industry, Paul’s appointment further strengthens Agrovista Amenity’s presence in Scotland and its continued commitment to providing expert support across all areas of the sports turf and amenity sector.

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

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