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Baroness to bring precision, performance and versatility to SALTEX

Baroness to bring precision, performance and versatility to SALTEX

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Baroness to bring precision, performance and versatility to SALTEX

Baroness will showcase its renowned range of industry-leading mowing technology at SALTEX 2026, with an extensive line-up of rotary and cylinder mowers taking centre stage on stand E060. Visitors will have the chance to explore leading solutions for maintaining fine turf and sports surfaces, including the company’s premium GM2810A five-deck ride-on mower, alongside a selection of robust and reliable equipment ideal for renovations and in-season maintenance.

Baroness to bring precision, performance and versatility to SALTEX

Baroness to bring precision, performance and versatility to SALTEX

The popular Baroness GM2810A is equipped with five rotary decks that individually follow undulating terrain, delivering a quality cut and a precision finish on a variety of areas. It’s 2.8m mowing width enables high productivity, while a large displacement turbo clean engine and unique hydraulic circuit drive system provides first-class climbing capacity and unmatched performance on banks and slopes. Complimenting this on stand will be the LM351 – a flexible, well-balanced triplex cylinder mower with the power to cut longer grass and the finesse to produce a superior finish – and the pedestrian LM56/66 machines.

At the heart of every Baroness reel mower is the cutting cylinder and bedknife, with every cutting cylinder individually balanced and heat treated for longevity and a cut which stays sharp and true.

With leaf-fall season just around the corner, SALTEX also provides the perfect platform to showcase the AgriMetal Turbine Blower TB-270. Equipped with an aluminium cast turbine propeller, the TB-270 provides a long-lasting solution to the fast and effective clearance of leaves and other debris from golf courses, sports facilities and other amenity green spaces.

Completing the display will be the FS900 sweeper/collector. Not only is the FS900 the perfect partner to time-critical golf course renovations – quickly lifting and removing scarification material, cores and other maintenance debris – it is also proving a highly productive alternative to the traditional rotary mower when it comes to the post-match ‘clean-up cut’ on sports pitches.

Stand E060 will once again be shared with fellow groundcare leaders, Kubota, providing visitors to SALTEX with a unique opportunity to experience the complimentary capabilities of two Japanese manufacturers whose products are built around precision, reliability and performance.

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Replay Maintenance invests in Redexim machines

Replay Maintenance invests in Redexim machines

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Replay Maintenance invests in Redexim machines

Replay Maintenance is strengthening its expanding natural turf division with the investment of a Redexim Verti-Drain 7416 aerator and Overseeder 3D 1575, helping the company deliver high-quality pitch renovations for sports clubs across the UK.

Replay Maintenance invests in Redexim machines

Replay Maintenance invests in Redexim machines

Having taken delivery of both machines, the specialist contractor has already seen impressive results on a range of grassroots sports pitches, with customers reporting significant improvements in grass establishment and overall playing surfaces.

For Natural Turf Manager Ben Sadler, the decision to invest in the Redexim machines was an easy one.

“We’d used the Verti-Drain previously and were very impressed,” he said. “It’s a strong, robust machine and we knew it would work well on the contracting sites we look after. When we launched our natural turf division, it was always this machine we had in mind because we already knew the quality and reliability of it.”

The Verti-Drain 7416 has quickly become an integral part of Replay Maintenance’s renovation programme thanks to its simple setup, versatility and ability to aerate to significant depths while causing minimal surface disruption.

“It’s quick and easy to set up, can work to a good depth and leaves very little surface disruption,” said Ben. “It’s suitable across all sports turf and with different tine options it’s incredibly versatile.”

Alongside the Verti-Drain, Replay Maintenance also invested in the Redexim Overseeder 3D 1575, which has already made a noticeable impact on overseeding operations.

“We’ve used it extensively on grassroots sites and it’s very easy to set up for the seed rate you require,” Ben explained. “Because it’s a disc seeder, there’s very little disruption to the playing surface, so pitches can be used again straight away. It leaves a really neat finish, and we’ve already seen some very good results from the seed establishment.”

Those results are already being recognised by customers.

One such example came from St Giles Park – a sports facility in Nottingham, where Replay Maintenance carried out a programme of aeration and overseeding after challenging growing conditions.

“The pitches at St Giles Park were extremely bare after a long wet season followed by an extremely dry summer, where previous seeding hadn’t established particularly well,” said Ben. “We inspected the pitch, recommended a programme of treatments and carried out the work. The customer says that the improvement has been outstanding, and that they been left with a great covering of lush grass. It’s great to see customers noticing the difference. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.

Having used Redexim equipment throughout his career on golf courses and as a sports turf contractor, Ben says the brand’s reputation for reliability played a major role in the purchasing decision.

“I’ve used the machines before in previous roles and always found them to be reliable and capable of producing excellent results. That experience gave us confidence when investing in equipment for Replay Maintenance.”

Looking ahead, Replay Maintenance is focused on continuing the growth of its natural turf division while supporting an even wider range of sports facilities.

“Our aim is to keep growing and continue supporting clubs, particularly those benefiting from the Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund,” said Ben. “At the same time, we’re looking to expand further into cricket outfields, rugby pitches and golf courses. Whatever the sport, we want to help clubs improve and maintain high-quality natural turf surfaces.”

For more information, visit https://www.redexim.com/uk/ or https://replaymaintenance.co.uk/

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Polymer injection for healthier trees

Polymer injection for healthier trees

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Polymer injection for healthier trees

Terrain Aeration is working in Scotland in the next few weeks. Now is the time to book your deep aeration treatment for waterlogging and flooding

Terrain Aeration’s Terralift system celebrates 50 years of successful deep aeration treatment of bowling greens, sports turf, golf clubs, parks, trees and more.

The summer months have not been kind for trees and turf. Increasingly, year on year, we are seeing the effects of climate change across our landscape as droughts persist. Trees in parks, golf courses, public and amenity areas, turf on sports pitches through to lawns in private gardens have all suffered from the lack of rainfall. The ground becomes hard and compacted to a considerable depth, and when the rains do come, this often leads to standing surface water and waterlogging.

Polymer injection for healthier trees

Polymer injection for healthier trees

Suffolk-based Terrain Aeration has specialised in one-metre deep soil aeration to relieve compaction, panning, and waterlogging nationally for over thirty years. In addition to underground fracturing to allow drainage, Terrain Aeration’s Terralift system also releases dried seaweed into the fissures it creates. This swells in the wet to keep them open. While that takes care of the drainage and aeration when it’s very wet, there remains the opposite problem of grass and tree roots not getting enough water in periods of drought. It’s a problem addressed by the same machine, the Terralift system, that aerates the soil at depth by releasing compressed air via its one-metre depth probe. As that fragments the soil to create the fissures and cracks, the probe can also inject water-storing polymer. Once in place, the polymer will expand one-hundredfold with rainwater or irrigation water, which it stores for the turf or tree roots to take up as needed. It’s a one-way system, so the polymer does not take water from the roots.

In this way, we will be able to make better use of what water we have, and it’s a very long-term process as the polymer takes a long time to degrade. Spreading the polymer on the surface is not practical, as when it rains it turns into a gel, making the area dangerous to walk and play on. Injecting it into the ground using the Terralift machine offers the best, most beneficial, and wholly cost-effective method, says the company. Terrain Aeration is the only operator of the Terralift in the UK, and the treatment has proved itself since 1985. In 2026 The Terralift system celebrated 50 years of operation. Today, there are different versions of the machine to treat large open spaces such as sports grounds, golf courses, and avenues of trees, and to negotiate narrow accesses onto bowling greens and gardens. Anywhere from airports to zoos.

Terrain Aeration www.terrainaeration.co.uk  01449 673783

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John Deere apprentices far outperform national average

John Deere apprentices far outperform national average

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John Deere apprentices far outperform national average

Apprentices on John Deere’s agriculture, turf and parts engineering programmes are completing their training at a rate well above the national average.

John Deere apprentices far outperform national average

John Deere apprentices far outperform national average

More than 90% of those who start their course go on to successfully complete it, compared with around 60% nationally.

The level of achievement is also extremely high with 74% of apprentices receiving a merit or distinction from their End Point Assessment (EPA) – the final, independent evaluation that an apprentice must pass to prove they are fully competent in their job role.

A merit or distinction is only awarded to those who score 75% or above, which is broadly equivalent to an A grade at A-level.

On top of this, every apprentice completing the programme has passed their EPA for the fourth consecutive year, marking another significant milestone in the manufacturer’s long-running commitment to developing skilled technicians for its UK and Ireland dealer network.

“Achieving a 91% programme achievement rate is something we are extremely proud of, particularly when considering where the national average stands,” says John Deere Branch Training Manager Allan Cochran.

“To see almost three-quarters of our Level 3 apprentices achieving a merit or distinction shows they are not only completing the course, but performing at the very highest level.

“These results are a fantastic reflection of the commitment shown by our apprentices, their dealers and mentors, and everyone involved in delivering the programme.

“Our core values of commitment, quality and integrity are central to everything we do, and these results demonstrate those values in action. We would like to congratulate every apprentice who has reached this milestone and thank the dealers, mentors and training staff who have played such an important part in their success.”

John Deere’s pioneering apprenticeship programme combines training with paid employment, leading to nationally recognised and valued qualifications. The apprentices are trained in partnership with ProVQ at the John Deere Apprentice Training Centre in Upper Saxondale, Nottinghamshire.

The apprenticeship programme has been running for more than 30 years, and in that time has produced over 1,400 talented individuals who have gone on to have exciting careers across the John Deere dealership network. The aim remains to help young people take their first step on the career ladder, and to mould and nurture those with the skills and the desire to work in this industry.

In partaking in one of the most prestigious courses that John Deere provides, an apprentice will learn the valuable knowledge and skills for them to work their way into a career anywhere across John Deere’s worldwide dealership network.

Candidates interesting in applying for an apprenticeship can do so via the John Deere Apprenticeship Findertool.

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JCB invests for the future after Hydromax world record

JCB invests for the future after Hydromax world record

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JCB invests for the future after Hydromax world record

Fresh from setting a new world land speed record of 406.320mph powered by its pioneering hydrogen technology, JCB is accelerating investment in its future, with major commitments to British manufacturing and new production capacity in the United States.

JCB invests for the future after Hydromax world record

JCB invests for the future after Hydromax world record

The manufacturer is investing heavily in the transformation of its Staffordshire World HQ, while in the USA, JCB’s new factory in San Antonio, Texas – its largest in the world – opens next month, creating 1,500 jobs over the next five years.

As JCB invests for its next chapter, George Bamford is to become Joint Chairman of the family company alongside his father, Lord Bamford. It is the first change at the top of JCB in more than 50 years, during which the business has grown from its Staffordshire roots into one of Britain’s largest privately owned manufacturers, with 23 factories and more than 20,000 employees worldwide.

The announcement coincides with JCB reporting a resilient performance in 2025, despite mixed market conditions and geopolitical headwinds around the world. Sales turnover totalled £5.7 billion, profit before tax was £642 million and machine sales reached 113,498 units, while the business remained debt-free with no net borrowings. JCB also increased its global market share, despite flat demand in North America and a 12% market contraction in India.

At the heart of JCB’s investment in Britain is the £100 million transformation of its Staffordshire headquarters – JCB’s home since 1950, when Joseph Cyril Bamford moved production into a former cheese factory in Rocester. A £60 million fully automated powder paint plant and a comprehensively modernised shop floor are part of the transformation, helping to secure the future of more than 8,000 UK jobs.

In the USA, JCB’s new $1 billion factory in San Antonio, Texas – at one million square feet, JCB’s largest factory in the world – opens next month. It will build Loadall telescopic handlers and access equipment for North America, the world’s biggest construction equipment market.

Investment in factories is being matched by investment in innovation. Hydrogen-powered machines are now in production following JCB’s £100 million programme to develop hydrogen combustion technology, making it the first construction equipment company in the world to bring a fully approved hydrogen-fuelled combustion engine to market.

Last month, those engines powered JCB into the record books at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The JCB Hydromax, driven by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE, recorded 406.320mph (653.909km/h) on the Salt Flats to become the fastest ever hydrogen-powered vehicle – more than doubling the previous hydrogen combustion record and beating JCB’s own Dieselmax diesel record, set 20 years earlier. JCB Hydromax was powered by two production-based hydrogen engines manufactured at JCB’s factory in Foston, Derbyshire, and went from idea to world record in just 18 months.

Meanwhile, the JCB Academy, a pioneering project championed by Anthony Bamford to address the UK’s engineering skills shortage, goes from strength to strength. This year 708 students applied for 314 places available this September, maintaining the Academy’s long-standing reputation for being heavily oversubscribed. Since opening in 2010, it has educated around 3,750 young people and boasts a 100% record of leavers progressing into employment or further education. This month a total of 116 new apprentices, undergraduates and graduates, selected from more than 6,300 applicants, also joined JCB.

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said: “Last year JCB celebrated its 80th birthday and, as we look ahead, we are investing heavily in the future of the business – from the transformation of our Staffordshire headquarters and pioneering hydrogen technology, to our new factory in Texas. As part of that next chapter, I’m delighted that my son George will become Joint Chairman of JCB. We have never been a company that stands still, and these investments will ensure JCB is well placed to seize the opportunities ahead.”

George Bamford said: “From the day my grandfather founded JCB in 1945, innovation and investment in Great Britain has been at the heart of everything we do. JCB Hydromax showed the world what British engineering can achieve. That same spirit is in every machine we build. While JCB has expanded globally over the years, our home has always been here, and the record investment we are making in our facilities and in new products is good news for Britain and good news for JCB.”

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “While 2025 was a more challenging year with mixed market conditions around the world, JCB delivered a robust performance overall. Machine sales were down by around 5%, but turnover remained broadly stable due to a more favourable market and product mix. Despite nil market growth in North America and a 12% market contraction in India – both important markets for JCB – we increased our global market share during 2025, which is an encouraging result. The overall outlook for 2026 is for moderate growth, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, and with new capacity coming on stream in Texas and Staffordshire we are well placed to take advantage of it.”

JCB 2025 annual results at a glance:

2025

(in £s Sterling)

 2025

(in US$)

  

 

 2024

(£)
Turnover £5.7 billion $7.64 billion  

 

 £5.8 billion
Profit before tax £642.0 million $860.2 million  

 

 £687.3 million

 
Machine sales (units) 113,498 $1.34/£1 119,848

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