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NEWS ARTICLES

Green-tech helps Janet Willoner edge closer to goal

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Green-tech helps Janet Willoner edge closer to goal: Green-tech is proud to share an inspiring update on Janet Willoner’s progress. Back in 2019, motivated by her grandchildren’s passion for combating climate change, Janet embarked on an ambitious mission to grow 5,000 trees from seed by the time she turns 85 – a remarkable achievement that Green-tech is delighted to support.

As 2024 draws to a close, Janet has grown an additional 800 saplings, bringing her total to an incredible 3,500 trees raised since she began this journey. Many of these saplings have been planted at Skipbridge and Bank Woods in Summerbridge, part of the beautiful Nidderdale area. These new trees will enhance the local landscape, support biodiversity, and contribute to the Northern Forest project.

Green-tech helps Janet Willoner edge closer to goal

Green-tech helps Janet Willoner edge closer to goal

Janet continues to prepare for the coming year with her characteristic determination. She has already collected and stratified seeds, ensuring they will germinate successfully when spring arrives. With the finish line in sight, she remains optimistic about achieving her target of 5,000 trees.

Janet expressed her gratitude, saying, “I’m thrilled to see the progress we’ve made this year. Knowing these trees will stand for generations to help combat climate change and increase biodiversity is immensely rewarding. I couldn’t have done it without Green-tech’s support. Their sponsorship has provided me with the compost, grit, and fertiliser I need to grow healthy saplings without worrying about funding. I’m thankful they agreed to sponsor me again for another productive year.”

Green-tech’s Marketing Director Kate Humes expressed her admiration for Janet’s ongoing efforts: “Janet is an inspiration. Her dedication and hard work remind us of the power of individual action to help mitigate climate change. We’re delighted to help and look forward to supporting her as she works towards her 5,000-tree goal.”

Looking ahead to 2025, Green-tech is proud to support initiatives like Janet’s that align with its mission of promoting sustainability and creating a greener future for all. It will continue its commitment to Janet’s project, ensuring she has the necessary resources to nurture her next batch of saplings.

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Top quality topdressing tops the bill for GKB

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Top quality topdressing tops the bill for GKB: If finding top quality topdressing solutions is the question, visitors to BTME are guaranteed to find the answer on stand 644 as GKB Machines return to Harrogate.

Before attendees have even stepped foot inside the exhibition halls, they’ll be able to see the mounted GKB SP100 parked outside of the Hall 6 entrance, with details of trailed and material-handling options all available by speaking with the GKB technical team.

Top quality topdressing tops the bill for GKB

Top quality topdressing tops the bill for GKB

With four different hopper capacities and trailed and mounted models, there’s a GKB Sandspreader to suit all surfaces. Delivering the ultimate versatility for broadcast topdressing, it is the fast and effective way to incorporate sand into greens, fairways and surrounding areas to assist in the breakdown of thatch, increase infiltration and create conditions for vigorous grass growth.

The GKB SP100 is the smallest unit in the range, offering a 1.0m3 hopper capacity and up to 10m spreading width making it ideal for tasks around the golf course. Moving up through the range are hopper capacities of 2.3m3, 3.0m3 and 4.0m3 – the larger SP400 models providing unrivalled productivity therefore making them a popular choice for the contractor market.

In addition to the SP range, GKB also offer three SPM models, combining all of the characteristics and qualities of the robust and reliable Sandspreader with the addition of a material handler – ideal for topping up bunkers.

If time is tight and conducting sand integration with other operations is what’s needed, then GKB have you covered here too with the renowned GKB Sandfiller! The Sandfiller is proof positive that multi-tasking doesn’t have to result in a compromise in quality, tackling the issues of organic matter, compaction, drainage and sward density in a single pass.

The Sandfiller utilises the principles of GKB’s much-praised Combinator, with carbide blades effectively slitting the surface, removing vegetation and creating channels to be easily refilled with dried sand, or a combination of sand and seed, creating a clean, play-ready finish.

Visitors will be able to see solutions from across GKB’s portfolio for natural turf in action on stand 644’s high-impact video wall, so be sure to stop by this January, grab some GKB giveaways and find out more.

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Large Kubota fleet exceeds even larger expectations

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Large Kubota fleet exceeds even larger expectations: Looking after one football pitch can be tough! Managing a multi-sport site poses a few additional challenges… now imagine a remit consisting of 38 winter sports pitches, 11 grass cricket squares, a nine-hole golf course and various artificial and athletics surfaces to boot!

It’s therefore no surprise that the grounds operation at the world-renowned Eton College is a sizeable one and, at its heart, is an equally sizeable fleet of equipment from Kubota.

Large Kubota fleet exceeds even larger expectations

Large Kubota fleet exceeds even larger expectations

Eton College is a leading educational provider for boys, with a number of notable public figures proudly within Eton’s long and illustrious catalogue of alumni. A platform for success, even the staff are receiving accolades, with the school’s grounds department securing the title of ‘Best Independent School Grounds Team of the Year’ at the 2023 Grounds Management Association (GMA) Awards. In addition, Grounds Manager Lee Marshallsay also scooped the top individual honour of the night.

Sport is a central pillar of the Eton curriculum, with almost 1500 acres of sport surfaces and landscaped areas around the campus – all of which have been under Lee’s expert guidance for the last four and a half years. “I’ve personally been a longstanding Kubota user, having run a fleet at both Charterhouse School and during my time at Harrow School before that. I was therefore pretty pleased to see Kubota equipment in use at Eton when I joined, and it’s only grown from there” he explains.

“We have 10 Kubota RTV’s which are the main method of transport for the team, as well as getting smaller equipment and materials around the site. We then have tractors ranging from 23hp up to 99hp for complete versatility and capability when powering our implements of all shapes and sizes.”

Their most recent delivery, a Kubota M4-073 75hp tractor, was made by Lister Wilder and Lee emphasises the importance of a strong dealer relationship in their procurement process. “We need good, reliable product that is supported by fantastic back-up service if it’s needed. We’ve always had that from the team at Lister’s.”

The M4-073 joins other tractors from Kubota’s M Series, together with three L-Series compact tractors, which Lee says are the most frequently used. “These are the power houses for our operation, incredibly reliable and versatile.” He continues, “We conduct a lot of renovation work at various times of the year and it’s our tractors, particularly those with higher horsepower and those equipped with the loaders or other attachments that really help to get the projects complete on specification and on time.”

“Interestingly, most of the other powered equipment we run here at Eton is also equipped with Kubota engines, which gives us the peace of mind and quality we’re looking to achieve across the board.”

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Perfect Playing Surfaces Start with Mansfield Sand

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Perfect Playing Surfaces Start with Mansfield Sand: Visitors to Mansfield Sand’s stand (242) at BTME 2025, taking place from 23 to 25 January at the Harrogate Convention Centre, will have the chance to explore an exceptional range of sand-based products designed to elevate the performance and health of sports pitches.

With over 170 years of industry expertise, Mansfield Sand leads the way in premium silica sand solutions. Their products cater to diverse applications in sports, landscaping, and equestrian industries, including professional stadiums, championship golf courses, and world-class equestrian arenas.

Perfect Playing Surfaces Start with Mansfield Sand

Perfect Playing Surfaces Start with Mansfield Sand

At BTME, Mansfield Sand’s knowledgeable team will be on hand to discuss how their innovative range can transform your turf projects. Featured products will include:

Reinforced Rootzone

Mansfield Sand’s Reinforced Rootzones are crafted to enhance natural turf surfaces while meeting the high demands of today’s sports industry. These products offer superior stability, drainage, and durability, ensuring consistency across surfaces.

The range includes:

Fibre Reinforced Rootzone – reinforced with polypropylene fibres for added strength.

Fibrelastic Rootzone – combines polypropylene and flexible Elastane fibres for enhanced surface resilience.

Fibresand – perfect for maintaining surface integrity during periods of heavy use or winter wear.

Sand Soil Rootzones

Ideal for renovation or new construction, Mansfield Sand’s Sand Soil Rootzones blend high-quality Mansil 40 Silica Sand with screened topsoil to create an optimal foundation for healthy turf growth.

Sand Compost Rootzones

For surfaces requiring organic-rich foundations, Mansfield Sand’s Sand Compost Rootzones provide a premium blend that retains nutrients and enhances drought resistance, ensuring robust and healthy turf.

Top Dressing

Mansfield Sand’s Soil Top Dressing, tailored for fine turf surfaces, combines superior silica sands with sterilised and screened top-quality soils for a smooth, stone-free finish. Custom blends are available to meet specific turf management requirements.

Mansil Silica Sand Sports Range

Sourced from Mansfield Sand’s renowned Two Oaks Quarry, the Mansil range of silica sands is essential for constructing and maintaining sports surfaces, including golf courses, bowling greens, and winter sports pitches.

Visit Mansfield Sand at Stand 242 to see how their expertise and product range can help you achieve a perfect playing surface.

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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ISEKI Covers the Course at BTME

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ISEKI Covers the Course at BTME: Iseki UK and Ireland will be exhibiting tractors, a remote-control tool carrier and mowers for every area of the golf course in Hall 6, Stand 645, at BTME 2025.

Recognised as one of the leading exhibitions for greenkeepers, BTME provides the perfect platform for Iseki to showcase its innovative range of machinery tailored to the needs of golf courses and turf management.

ISEKI Covers the Course at BTME

ISEKI Covers the Course at BTME

This year, Iseki will exhibit a lineup of equipment designed for precision, efficiency, and sustainability, including the Raymo remote-controlled Torpedo with Electric Power Pack and R42/R48 Deck. This eco-friendly mower provides quiet operation and zero-emission performance across all terrain and is especially effective on side slopes, around water hazards and other areas that traditional mowers can’t reach.

The powerful yet compact theme is continued with the TH5 ROPS tractor. This tractor is perfect for a variety of course maintenance needs, with its hydrostatic transmission and high lift capacity giving the operator complete control. Comfort, lift capacity and manoeuvrability combine to make a tractor that can access and operate in almost any area of the course on essentials tasks.

For jobs that need more power over more expansive areas, Iseki has the TG6507 IQ Tractor with Loader – a robust and powerful tractor equipped with the IQ transmission system. The IQ dual-clutch gearbox works on the principle of a direct-shift gearbox, which consists of two gearboxes working in unison, offering the control of a manual with the convenience of an automatic. There are eight main gears and three ranges. Gears are changed by simply moving the gear lever through the straight shift gate with no need to use the main clutch. If D is selected, then gears 4 – 8 are operated automatically – ideal for aeration, spraying, topdressing or cutting.

For cutting in more compact areas, Iseki offers the SXG327 with 54” High-Tip Collector. Known for its precision and high-performance collection capabilities of up to 650 litres, this mower is perfect for fine turf maintenance using the high-tip function for effortless unloading, saving time and effort during busy course maintenance schedules.

Joining the SXG327 on the stand will be the SF551 Mower with 60” Rotary Deck. Built for high-capacity mowing, the SF551 offers exceptional cut quality, reliability, and speed using a turbine-driven collection system and a 1300-litre high-tipping collector, which can be emptied at any height up to 2.2m directly into skips, truck beds or trailers. As well as mowing, the SF551 is also an exceptional option for leaf collection during the autumn and winter.

Iseki’s machinery is meticulously engineered to address the unique challenges of golf course maintenance, including manoeuvrability in tight spaces, minimal ground disturbance, and superior cut quality.

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