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Powering Success for Whitby Town FC and JC Gardening

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Powering Success for Whitby Town FC and JC Gardening: In the coastal town of Whitby, Joe Cook wears many hats. Not only is he the Head Groundsman for Whitby Town FC, overseeing the maintenance of their pitch, but he also runs his own gardening business, JC Gardening. In both of his roles, one tool stands out as indispensable: the Avant compact loader.

“Whitby is a very close community, and the football club is at the heart of the town,” says Joe. However, maintaining the pitch hasn’t always been easy. “Over the years it has been fair to say that no real renovations have been carried out, and no programme set in place. I’m starting to change that now.”

Powering Success for Whitby Town FC and JC Gardening

Powering Success for Whitby Town FC and JC Gardening

Enter the Avant compact loader, a versatile workhorse that has become Joe’s go-to solution for pitch renovations and maintenance tasks. “For the renovations, we put the bucket on to fill the contractor’s trailer up when they are spreading the sand. It is very useful,” he remarks.

Additionally, the Avant aids in accessing hard-to-reach areas of the football ground. “At the football ground, I use it to carry people up to the floodlights where they can receive maintenance or be readjusted where needed.” The Avant’s versatility shines through as it also occasionally transitions to cutting the pitch with the mower attachment.

Joe relies on loaders from the Avant 500 series, sourced through APSV, the main dealers for Avant compact loaders in North Yorkshire, Co. Durham, and Northumberland. “The relationship with APSV is brilliant,” Joe praises. “They are always on the other end of the phone if I need them and will always accommodate the best they can.”

The Avant 500 series, known for its power and manoeuvrability, has become a reliable partner for Joe’s diverse needs. With over 200 attachments available, the Avant offers a solution for every task, from plowing and sanding to lawn care and brush clearance. “I use it a lot for my own business too, particularly for clearing brush land with the flail mower attachment,” Joe adds. “It excels on a brush land area which is a couple of acres, all of different levels. It cuts through the brush in no time at all.”

Describing the Avant as a “Swiss army knife,” Joe highlights its versatility and adaptability. “Whether you want a snow blower or a rake for clearing out stalls on farms, it can do anything. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Avant – I have already passed on APSV’s number to lots of other people who the machine would benefit.”

As Joe continues to juggle his responsibilities at Whitby Town FC and JC Gardening, the Avant compact loader remains an essential machine which enables him to tackle any challenge with ease and efficiency.

For more information, please visit www.avanttecno.com/uk

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GGM Group announce new specialist

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GGM Group announce new specialist: GGM Group, the leading specialist supplier of high quality professional groundscare equipment and after-sales support are pleased to announce the recent re-appointment of Rob Taylor as Area Sales Manager.

Rob is a well-known face throughout the area and has extensive experience in groundscare, most recently within the Golf sector. His role will see him working alongside the rest of the GGM team to develop the sales of the GGM product portfolio including Kubota, Baroness, Amazone, Dennis, SISIS and commercial robotic mowers throughout West Yorkshire and Lancashire.

GGM Group announce new specialist

GGM Group announce new specialist

Rob’s appointment demonstrates GGM’s ongoing commitment of building an ever-growing team capable of exceeding customer expectations and delivering first class sales, hire and service support across the North West of England and Yorkshire.

Rob is delighted to be re-joining the GGM team and says,

“I know from my time previously at GGM that the ‘GGM’ name holds a strong reputation across all groundscare sectors and this gives customers confidence to work with us. We offer an unrivalled level of customer service both in our sales and after sales offering. Our Parts team are on-hand with a large stock-holding offering if required as are our team of highly skilled engineers and technicians who are able to offer any required technical advice or assistance.

I’m really looking forward to getting out and about and seeing some old friends and meeting new customers.’

Chris Gibson, GGM Managing Director says,

“We’re delighted to welcome Rob back to the GGM Team. He has extensive industry experience including hands-on experience as a Greenkeeper and this knowledge of what is really required at ground level is incredibly valuable and his approach to customer service is outstanding and I’m sure he will hit the ground running.”

Rob can be contacted by Tel: 07960 024657 or email: rob@ggmgroup.com

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Bernhard and Company unveils new brochure

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Bernhard and Company unveils new brochure: Bernhard and Company has unveiled its all-new brand and sharpening systems brochure, packed with comprehensive details and stunning visuals, showcasing the company’s latest offerings and renowned customer service.

The new brochure includes full details of Bernhard and Company’s latest grinding machinery, including the recently launched Express Dual 4300 reel grinder. The brochure also features the full range of Anglemaster bedknife grinding machines, as well as small machines and accessories.

Bernhard and Company unveils new brochure

Bernhard and Company unveils new brochure

Steven Nixon, Managing Director for Bernhard and Company, said: “We’re really pleased to have launched our brand-new product brochure. In addition to extensive product information, we’ve added great new visuals, interactive elements, and consumer case studies to give prospective customers everything they need during the buying process.

“Our customers are the bedrock of our business, and their feedback provides us with key information on how we can improve our products and services. So, it was crucial for us to ensure that we included as much customer opinion as possible within this brochure, to really allow those viewing it to understand what it is like to be a customer of Bernhard and Company – no matter the type or scale of business,” he added.

This digitally interactive brochure also includes QR codes throughout, that link to videos of customer case studies from all around the world, and product demonstrations to allow prospective customers to gather deeper insight into the products and solutions on offer.

The new Bernhard and Company brochure for 2024 is easy to download by visiting: https://bernhard.co.uk/product-brochure/

To find out more about Bernhard and Company, you can visit the company’s website: www.bernhard.co.uk

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It’s GKB for GBB!

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It’s GKB for GBB!: As the team at GBB Services look to extend their operation to include the maintenance and cleaning of synthetic surfaces, it’s a Deep Clean from GKB Machines trusted with the task at hand.

The Harrogate-based sports turf contractors purchased the unit in early 2024 having identified a number of 3G and 4G installations in their local area and have already seen dramatic improvements in pitch presentation and playability in as little as a one pass.

It’s GKB for GBB!

It’s GKB for GBB!

Family-run GBB Services offer a wide range of landscaping and groundwork services for commercial and domestic customers across North Yorkshire. For sports surfaces, Owner George Booth along with business partner Iain Bullock and their small team can offer the full complement of maintenance operations – including those for synthetic turf with their recent purchase from GKB. “We know a number of facilities locally, particularly schools, that conduct regular brushing but maybe don’t have the time or resources to carry out the more thorough cleaning that’s required” George explains.

“We spoke to Tom Shinkins at GKB about the cleaning systems available and he brought the Deep Clean in for a demo. The day was particularly wet, but even in those challenging conditions we could see how effective it was and so purchased the machine there and then!”

The GKB Deep Clean quickly and effectively screens and clean-out contaminants from a synthetic surface in a single pass. The combination of a vibrating screen and vacuum unit removes dirt, dust and other detritus returning clean, de-compacted infill to the surface for optimal visual and play performance.

“We’ve had to wait for the weather to play ball but have now had the Deep Clean out conducting its first job on a sand-dressed pitch at a local school and it did a really great job. It stood the pile up, removed a surprising amount of contamination and left a really good finish which meant the whole job was complete in a matter of a few hours.”

“We can now move onto the next job with the confidence of knowing the optimal set-up and speed required to achieve the desired results.” He continues, “I think we’re yet to discover the full potential of this machine, but with the support of Tom at GKB who has been excellent, Iain and I undoubtedly see it opening new doors for us which we’re excited about.”

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Nomination window for the LBEL Awards extended

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Nomination window for the LBEL Awards extended: Earlier this spring, celebrity garden designer, Danny Clarke, along with Lantra and Landex, announced that the nomination window for the 2024 Land-Based and Environment Learner (LBEL) Awards were open.

So far, the Awards organisers are on course to receive a record number of inspirational nominations from tutors, lecturers, assessors, and employers.  All whilst delivering high quality education at a peak time for the Land Based Education Sector.

Nomination window for the LBEL Awards extended

Nomination window for the LBEL Awards extended

Due to popular demand and to factor in these challenges Lantra and Landex are extending the nomination deadline to 11:59pm on Sunday 30th June 2024

Therefore, they are urging employers, colleges, private training providers and universities to nominate outstanding candidates for a prestigious award before the end of the month.

Danny Clarke, who trained as a garden designer at Hadlow College said: “The quality of the nominations we have had so far is truly amazing. We know there’s been a lot happening in education in the last few months, so I am really pleased to see the deadline has been extended. I am really looking forward to a great evening, celebrating some incredible learners – so make sure you nominate your learners today!”

The Awards ceremony will be hosted by Danny Clarke on Thursday 21st November at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham. The evening is set to be an exciting celebration of talent in the land-based and environment sector.

To recap, the annual awards are open to individuals on a full-time or part-time Land-Based and Environment course or Apprenticeship in England between September 2022 and September 2024. The award categories include Agriculture; Aquaculture and Fisheries, Arboriculture; Forestry and Woodland Management; Equine and Farriery; Floristry; Landscape and Horticulture; Land-Based Engineering; Animal Care and Management; Veterinary Nursing; Environmental Conservation, Game and Wildlife; and Sports Turf and Greenkeeping.

Prizes for the above categories apply across Private Training providers, Further Education (FE), Apprenticeships Awards (Level 2-3), Higher Education (HE) and Higher Apprenticeship Awards (Level 4-7). This year we will be introducing a new category: Research Student of the Year, where supervisors are encouraged to nominate a student studying a post-graduate level either for a master’s degree or a Doctoral Degree.

There are overall prizes for: Research Student of the Year; Apprentice of the Year; Overall Winner; and Runners Up. Online entries are being encouraged, as the quicker and more sustainable option. However, paper copies of the nomination form are available on request, by emailing lbels@lantra.co.uk.

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