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Double A to acquire Nairn Brown

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Double A to acquire Nairn Brown: John Deere turf dealership The Double A Trading Company Ltd, which has its head office in Cupar, Fife and a second outlet at Kintore in Aberdeenshire, has agreed to acquire Nairn Brown (Glasgow) Ltd of Busby.

The purchase, which has been agreed by Double A owners Sandy and Aileen Armit and by Nairn Brown, will see all the existing staff and assets of the latter business transferred to Double A as of 30th September 2020.

Double A to acquire Nairn Brown

Double A to acquire Nairn Brown

Nairn Brown Ltd was founded in 1964 and became the first John Deere golf & turf dealership to be established in the west of Scotland in September 1996. The company has a long and successful track record of supplying machinery to golf courses, local authorities, contractors and private customers across a large area extending from Argyll to Dumfries & Galloway, containing well over 200 golf courses.

Double A dealer principal Sandy Armit and his wife Aileen started their business working from home in 1996 before joining the John Deere dealer network in October 1999. The business initially sold to customers in Fife, Tayside and Clackmannanshire before being appointed to take over the Aberdeenshire area in October 2011.

Double A currently employs 25 people across its two outlets and was awarded the title of UK Professional Turfcare Dealer of the Year in 2011 by the AEA and Service Dealer magazine, as well as the runner-up spot in 2019. In addition to the full John Deere range of professional turf equipment, it supplies a number of other market leading golf course and turf machinery brands including Timberwolf, Campey, Tru-Turf, Gianni Ferrari, Reform and Lastec.

“We are delighted to be given this opportunity to extend our sales territory into western Scotland, and look forward to continuing to build on the very successful business established by Nairn Brown, his family and experienced staff,” said Sandy Armit.

“Double A is a highly professional operation that has developed over the last 20-plus years to become one of the largest John Deere turf dealerships in the UK, providing outstanding customer service and total commitment to after-sales support,” said John Deere Limited golf & turf division sales manager Brian D’Arcy. “We are very pleased that Sandy, Aileen and their team have agreed to this expansion into the west of Scotland, and look forward to their continued business growth.”

Nairn Brown added: “Although sad for me to be leaving the industry, I have to say how lucky we have been to have held the John Deere turf dealership in the west of Scotland for 25 years. I would like to thank John Deere for their staunch support and help over this time – it has been a pleasure dealing with them.

“Most of all, I am extremely proud of all the staff that have helped to make Nairn Brown (Glasgow) the dealership it is today, and wish everyone continued success in the Double A team!”

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Big plans for Palace brings in more Toro

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Big plans for Palace brings in more Toro: With Crystal Palace Football Club currently investing in the development of its stadium and academy training ground facilities, its grounds team knows the importance of ensuring the club has a fleet of reliable machinery. Which is why they’ve invested in yet more Toro machines.

Bruce Elliot, head of grounds and estates, explains: “We’ve now been awarded Category 1 status and are focussed on becoming one of the country’s leading academies, and a huge part of that is investment in the training grounds. We have planning permission for a new full-sized pitch and nine new pitches at the academy with work having started this summer. With such a big project planned for the 2020/2021 season, it was important we upgraded and expanded our machinery fleet beforehand to prepare for it.

Big plans for Palace brings in more Toro

Big plans for Palace brings in more Toro

“Toro is a worldwide recognised brand, and the reason for that is the build quality and reliability of the machines. We’ve had Toro machines at the club and performing well for the last four years and while we did look into other brands, there was really no comparison.”

With TYM tractors also included in the deal, it’s an investment in distributor Reesink Turfcare as much as anything else, says Bruce: “We first added Toro and TYM machines to our fleet in 2016 and have always been impressed by the work they’ve done, so we decided to make our biggest purchase with Reesink Turfcare yet. We needed to replace some older machines at the academy and we also wanted to expand the fleet at our main training ground and stadium.”

And it’s a significant investment which will benefit the Selhurst Park stadium, academy grounds and training grounds. New to the club are a ProCore 648 pedestrian aerator and TYM T293 tractor for the stadium, a Reelmaster 3575-D mower and Workman MDX utility vehicle for the academy grounds and two Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 mowers and a ProCore 864 tractor-mounted aerator with TYM T393 tractor for the main training ground. These join the ProCore SR70, Workman MDX-D and TYM T353 purchased in 2016 for the training ground.

Having seen Toro in action at the club for several years already, Toro was always the first choice for Bruce when looking to expand the fleet, he says: “We’ve been impressed with Toro since it arrived on site four years ago. Take the ProCore 648 as an example. I consider that to be the pedestrian aerator on the market to beat, it’s outstanding. Previously, we were hiring one in every time we needed to aerate the grounds, so when the opportunity came to purchase one, there was no question for us that we were going to get it.”

With Toro and TYM in use across all the grounds at Crystal Palace and doing a good job, Bruce is looking to the future. He says: “We started to see the benefits of Toro and TYM very quickly four years ago and it’s important we maintain those standards now. Plus, the timing of bringing these new machines on board is perfect with such a big project underway.

“We’re confident we’ll be able to rely on Toro and TYM to provide the excellent standard of turfcare maintenance we need and it’s highly likely we will be investing in more Toro and TYM as the club’s facilities expand.”

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Turf Tank make Robotic Line-Marking affordable

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Turf Tank make Robotic Line-Marking affordable: Makers of the world’s most accurate GPS line marking robot, Turf Tank, has announced  new affordable subscription options for the United Kingdom.

The new subscription packages aim to make robotic line marking affordable for all, take the customer experience to an entirely new level and allow users to benefit from an instant return on investment. The benefits of a subscription include unlimited software updates, access to a world-class support team, limited product warranty and an annual supply of paint.

Turf Tank make Robotic Line-Marking affordable

Turf Tank make Robotic Line-Marking affordable

Lettering and number stencilling, plus all the accessories for operating the robot including the tablet and nozzles come as standard, and customers can choose from three different subscriptions for a package that best suits their needs.

Offering the robot in this way has proved very successful in the USA, and Turf Tank CEO, Olav Jørgensen, hopes providing the same opportunity in the UK will open the Turf Tank One up to more grounds professionals and contractors.

“With positive feedback from our US customers, we are now ready to focus more on the European market and introduce our subscription choice to sports facilities all over the UK,” he said. “Our generous leasing options are suitable for organisations of all types and sizes. We offer services for small clubs with one sports field to more complex packages for schools, universities, parks and recreation, pro teams and stadiums, which include annual paint supply, 24/7 customer support, logo creation and unique robot wrapping solutions.”

The return on investment using the Turf Tank One can be seen almost instantly with a significant amount of time saved when marking and less paint needed to complete pitches. Marking an 11-a-side football pitch from scratch takes just 29-minutes and 45 seconds, while overmarking takes no more than 12 minutes. Larger templates such as a 400m running track can be completed in 1 hour 45 minutes with numerous other fully customisable templates available for track and field events and other sports such as rugby, hockey, American football and lacrosse. By having access to Turf Tank’s support team, any template you need can quickly be created, so you’re able to mark out on any site for any sport.

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International ‘Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day’

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International ‘Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day’: Golfers are asked to show their support on social media using #ThankASuper and #ThankAGreenkeeper

As a healthy outdoor activity that can adhere to social distancing, golf has seen a worldwide resurgence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. On 23 September, the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), in conjunction with other global greenkeeping groups, is recognising those who keep the game going and enjoyable with “Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day”, encouraging all those who love golf to thank their course’s greenkeeping team.

International ‘Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day’

International ‘Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day’

In addition to BIGGA, other groups taking part in the global event include Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the Australia Sports Turf Managers Association (ASTMA), the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) and the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations (FEGGA). All together the groups represent more than 31,000 golf course management professionals in 78 countries around the world.

The celebration of 23 September will include a commercial that will begin rotation on the Golf Channel in the United States and other media outlets. Social media messages will demonstrate the many ways that greenkeepers make the game more enjoyable and sustainable. Golfers and others are encouraged to join in the conversation on social media using the hashtags #ThankASuper or #ThankAGreenkeeper depending on their country’s terminology.

As courses reopened after the early months of the crisis, the demand for golf was clear. In the United States, golf rounds in June and July were up as much as 20% over the same time period in 2019 and in the United Kingdom, July rounds were up 40% over last year.

In addition to dealing with new pandemic procedures, greenkeepers continually strive to keep golf courses healthy and playable with environmental stewardship as a primary focus. Golf courses provide an abundance of habitats for wildlife and contribute significantly to biodiversity, as well as providing the platform for one of the world’s most popular sporting pastimes.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton said: “The incredible surge in popularity of golf this summer has seen people of all ages get a first look at our wonderful sport and all the health and social benefits it can bring. Golf is a tricky game to learn and you’ll never truly master it, but the fun is in the trying and thousands of people have found relief from the stresses of this year as they embarked upon their journey in the sport.

“Ever since courses reopened post-lockdown I’ve enjoyed a number of Sunday afternoon rounds with my family and I know that’s been replicated not just all over the UK, but all over the world. Those experiences have been made possible thanks to the BIGGA members and greenkeepers who continued to work throughout the UK lockdown to keep courses in a condition that meant they could quickly be returned to play when restrictions eased.

“The association and its members have also played a key role in developing and maintaining the safety protocols that allow golfers to return to the nation’s fairways in a safe manner and I’m excited that the golfing world is uniting on Wednesday 23 September to say thank you for everything they do to allow families like mine to enjoy the wonderful sport of golf.”

To learn more about BIGGA and the role greenkeepers play in the enjoyment and sustainability of the game, visit www.bigga.org.uk

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Fourth-time lucky Allett Creative Lawn Stripes winner

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Fourth-time lucky Allett Creative Lawn Stripes winner: The quintessentially British striped lawn is idealised across the world and in celebration of this Allett Mowers opened up their annual Allett Creative Lawn Stripes competition internationally.

This year’s stiff competition attracted a truly global set of entries in what has been a tough year for everyone going through the coronavirus pandemic. It has meant, however, homeowners around the world have been able to get into their gardens and work on their competition entries. Spending time in the garden can be great for mental health and there is surely no better way of relaxing than mowing the lawn.

Fourth-time lucky Allett Creative Lawn Stripes winner

Fourth-time lucky Allett Creative Lawn Stripes winner

This year everyone has been forever grateful for the NHS and the competition’s winning entry is a fitting tribute to them. Andrew Wain, Head Gardener of Euridge Manor, has placed high in the stripes competition for the past three years and this time takes the top prize. Euridge Manor is a private estate in Chippenham, UK. The estate regularly holds weddings and has 40 booked in for next year. Andrew has faced the battles of having the wear and tear of weddings and marquees on the lawn

“I first entered the competition four years ago to have some fun.” Says Andrew. “Straight lines can get a little boring sometimes and that year I came second so I decided to stick with it. It’s exciting to win at last, for both me and my employer. As a wedding venue, the lawn has become a real talking point among guests. This year, with Covid and the NHS being so fantastic I felt that this was my opportunity of saying THANK YOU to all those in all departments of the NHS that have put themselves in harm’s way to look after us. It is also my way of saying thank you to all those in the NHS who have cared for relatives of mine who in the last few years and indeed weeks lost their battles with cancer. So that is where I came up with the idea of the butterfly, to carry the thank you message with an NHS rainbow on each side. The Allett creative stripes competition has encouraged me to turn the lawn at Euridge Manor into a piece of art. I encourage anyone to have a go, as it is great fun and adds a whole new dimension of creativity to the garden. I’m over the moon with winning such a fantastic prize and thank Allett for running the competition.”

Fourth-time lucky Allett Creative Lawn Stripes winner

Fourth-time lucky Allett Creative Lawn Stripes winner

This year’s judging was done by Edgbaston Cricket Ground’s very own Head Groundsman Gary Barwell. Allett are proud partners with Edgbaston and felt Gary’s expertise was perfect for the role of this year’s judge. An internal vote was done at Allett with the top 6 entries being forwarded to Gary to pick his overall winner. Gary comments: ”The standard was truly outstanding and the time and work that was put into these was on another level it was so difficult to decide but the winner showed craft, flair, knowledge and relevance”

Creativity is the key to this competition as well as using current themes to design patterns around. The top 6 show just how creative they really are. Andrew, who is a brand ambassador for Stihl, used a Stihl rotary mower and hand trimmer to create his pattern.

Striped lawns used to be the preserve of the British garden, but now keen gardeners from around the globe compete each year for what is now a coveted green award. This year’s competition saw entries come in from USA, Wales, England, Denmark, Australia, Belgium, France, Sweden, Netherlands, Scotland and Ireland. Andrew wins an Allett Liberty 43 battery powered cylinder mower alongside the ALLETT Complete Lawn Care System of six interchangeable cartridges consisting of an aerator, a scarifier, a lawn brush, a dethatcher, a verticutter and a 10–blade cartridge together with two cartridge stands. He will also get ‘a day in the life of a groundsman’ at Edgbaston alongside Gary and his team.

”The rise in international competitors in this competition is in line with the rise in demand our company has seen for our mowers from overseas lawn-fanatics” says Austin Jarrett, Managing Director at Allett Ltd. Allett recently won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise – International trade because of the increase in overseas demand and consequently export sales. Allett Mowers is a leading manufacturer of cylinder, walk-behind mowers – the ultimate tool for creating perfect stripes. The first Allett mower was launched in 1965 and the brand has since firmly established itself as being synonymous with creating stripes on lawns and sports grounds around the world.

Fourth-time lucky Allett Creative Lawn Stripes winner

Fourth-time lucky Allett Creative Lawn Stripes winner

The winning entries in the competition with Gary Barlow’s comments:

1st Andrew Wain, Chippenham,UK- ”The standard was truly outstanding and the time and work that was put into these was on another level it was so difficult to decide but the winner showed craft flair knowledge and relevance”

2nd- Edward Aitken, Cheltenham, UK- Truly outstanding work time and effort needed is amazing

3rd– William Axmacher, USA- ‘To craft something that totally works from the air is great time and effort

4th– Cooper Thomson, Australia (Design in USA)- Batavia Muckdogs Baseball, New York, USA ‘’Brilliant despite it being created by a skilled professional grounds team’’

5th Niklas Andersson, Sweden- ‘This design looks stunning, hard to create and inspired

6th – Dennis West,USA – ‘The waves looks stunning and original’

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