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NEWS ARTICLES

Wyboston Lakes trusts Otterbine

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Wyboston Lakes trusts Otterbine: Hotel, spa and golf resort Wyboston Lakes in Cambridgeshire has once again trusted Otterbine with its prized possession: its lakes.

After twenty years with the same fountain, the venue decided to not only replace it with an updated model but also acquire a second to further enhance the beauty of two of its prominent lakes.

Wyboston Lakes trusts Otterbine

Wyboston Lakes trusts Otterbine

Wyboston Lakes sits at the edge of the historic market town of St Neots in 380 acres of rural countryside and as well as providing leisure facilities, it has two residential business event venues and is home to all kinds of fauna and flora, which the resort goes to great lengths to protect.

Otterbine has played a big part in helping the extensive venue achieve the look it needs for its lakes, as well as providing an environmentally-friendly water aeration solution for almost two decades, says Louisa Watson, who has been at the helm of the resort’s marketing for nine years.

“Wyboston Lakes is one of the largest independent business and leisure venues in Northern Europe and the lakes are a big part of our offering – they’re even in the name!,” says Louisa.

“Otterbine has certainly helped us achieve the aesthetics we want to present to all our guests while being environmentally-friendly meaning we don’t need to use chemicals to keep the water clean.”

Otterbine, exclusively distributed by Reesink Turfcare in the UK, replaced the resort’s old unit with a 15HP Polaris giant fountain, which combines fucntionality with a striking geyser-type water pattern. With the option of adding a High Voltage or LED Fountain Glo Light system, it creates beautiful displays at night too.

Louisa says: “We have a Lakeview Suite, which comprises three event rooms overlooking a lake, and having the Polaris fountain positioned there creates an important aspect for business delegates. It has been a talking point with all our guests as it really adds to the overall ambiance.”

In addition, Wyboston Lakes purchased a 5HP Gemini fountain for the first time to install as a centre piece in the East Lake opposite the Gravel Pit Brasserie. Part of the Otterbine’s Concept 3 range, it offers incredible aeration strength and an attractive display.

With high oxygen transfer rates and pumping ability of up to 242m3/hr, customers can be guaranteed with clear and healthy water when the Concept 3 range is in charge, as Louisa confirms: “The water is crystal clear and the impressive sprays compliment the lakes’ natural beauty so we’ve got the full package now.”

Both the Gemini and the Polaris are energy-efficient, manufactured from corrosion-resistant, durable high grade stainless steel and provide a natural control for algae, aquatic weeds and odours without the use of chemicals.

This was an important consideration, as together with WildLife Trust, Wyboston Lakes maintains a nature reserve that can be enjoyed by all and has an active policy of planting trees to support this ecosystem.

Louisa concludes: “Otterbine complements our ethos and has done for many years so it was only natural to choose them again. We’re very pleased with the results.”

To find out more about the Otterbine range of aerators and fountains, contact Reesink on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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ISEKI record year ready for restructure

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ISEKI record year ready for restructure: ISEKI UK & Ireland has reported continuous growth and is set for another successful year in 2022 with huge and consistent headway made in the market place year on year.

David Withers the Managing Director commented; “We estimate that at year end the market size for our products will be slightly down compared to last year in terms of units shipped whereas we will have shipped around 10% more units than we did in 2021, which was at that time our best year ever.  We would like to thank our dealers and customers for your help in growing our market share and being part of our success!”

ISEKI record year ready for restructure

ISEKI record year ready for restructure

As the business continues to expand it has been necessary to look at the organisation structures and make sure that the business is strong and ready for the bright future ahead. As such ISEKI UK & Ireland are creating a new position of Sales Director within the ISEKI business, the Sales Managers Phil Self, John Clifford and Andrew Donnachie will report in to this position as will Graham Hooper the Commercial Manager and our new demonstrator. Additionally the Sales Director will be directly responsible for export business outside of UK and Ireland, giving more support and focus to dealer partners in these important regions.

David Withers explains further; “Alan Prickett will take up the new position of Sales Director, reporting to me. A lot of people within the turf industry will know Alan, be aware of his long history within the sector and will no doubt welcome working with him again. Phil Self who was focused on the ADDAX and Raymo electric range will now sell all products including ISEKI and will take over Alan’s Dealership area covering North Wales, Midlands, East and North England. John and Andrew will continue with their roles but adding responsibility for Raymo and ADDAX to their sales portfolios in their areas.  We believe that this will strengthen our position, allow for further growth and expansion and look forward to what 2023 brings.”

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New location and bespoke stand

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New location and bespoke stand: Price Turfcare, the UK and Ireland distributor of the Ventrac multi-implement, all-terrain compact tractor, returns to BTME with a new location and a bespoke stand for this year’s event.

For the past three events, we have occupied a space at the top of the stairway leading to Hall 3, but for this year’s event we have moved to Hall 1, where you will find us on a new, bespoke stand with an impressive display of the new Ventrac 4520 compact tractor and attachments.

New location and bespoke stand

New location and bespoke stand

For some visitors it will be the first opportunity to see the new machine. It’s not a radical change, but there’s a whole series of improvements ‘under the bonnet’ resulting in 30% more available power, giving the best mix of machine performance, operator experience and durability.

At its core, the 4520 is a compact tractor, but it is very different to what most greenkeepers are used to seeing. The purpose of a tractor is to perform tasks more efficiently than manual tasks. The Ventrac 4520 plays on these advantages, then takes it to the next level. When coupled with the extensive line of over 25 Ventrac attachments, this tractor is a versatile machine for a variety of professional users.

The 4520 retains all the features of its predecessor, including its 30-degree slope climbing ability, but has been enhanced with an all-new hydraulic system featuring larger bore piping, more powerful auxiliary hydraulics and more resilient hoses and fittings resulting in faster and stronger operation. That means 30% more available power, improving performance and productivity while providing the operator with a quieter working platform.

Ventrac has become the number one choice for versatility in the greenkeeping sector. Combining a blend of peak power and agility with front-mounted attachments for superior visibility, a pivoting frame for manoeuvrability, and excellent weight distribution for balance and stability, the new 4520 elevates the Ventrac experience to a whole new level.

To understand why the industry has embraced the Ventrac product come along and visit stand 122 in Hall 1.

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Ripon Farm Services acquires F G Adamson & Son

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Ripon Farm Services acquires F G Adamson & Son: John Deere agricultural dealer Ripon Farm Services (RFS) is to acquire F G Adamson & Son to offer professional turfcare machinery and servicing to its customers for the first time.

F G Adamson & Son, which serves customers across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, was established more than 75 years ago and has been selling and servicing John Deere machines for more than 25 years.

Ripon Farm Services acquires F G Adamson & Son

Ripon Farm Services acquires F G Adamson & Son

It has two depots – at Swanland, near Hull, and at Langworth, near Lincoln – which will be taken over by RFS, with all staff being transferred as part of the process.

Geoff Brown, RFS Managing Director, said: “This is really good news for RFS, its staff, customers, and the John Deere brand. This will be the next stage in the evolution of our business as we offer our services to the professional turf market for the first time.

“F G Adamson & Son is a hugely-respected business with a strong reputation for excellent customer service, and we know that the high standards set by the staff for more than seven decades will need to be continued.

“With its staff, we are privileged to be taking on experts in their field, and they will be instrumental in ensuring a seamless transition.”

Both parties are working towards a completion date of 31 January 2023.

John Adamson, Partner in F G Adamson & Son, said that the business has been at the heart of the family for many years.

He said: “Across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire we have dealt with a huge number of golf courses, caravan parks, estates, sports grounds and commercial contractors who value the customer service our team has been able to offer.

“This has been backed up by the confidence in the John Deere brand which brings the quality, reliability and longevity they need from their machinery investments.

“The sale marks the start of a new era for F G Adamson & Son. We know its legacy will live on in the RFS business which already has the infrastructure to reach more customers across the region and ensure that our existing customers remain well looked after.”

Chris Meacock, Division Sales Manager for Turf at John Deere, said: “We owe Gillian, John, Mike, and the whole Adamson family a huge debt of thanks for the fantastic service they have given John Deere’s customers for the past 25 years.

“RFS has an enviable reputation for looking after our agricultural customers and I have no doubt that it will continue to thrive with its new professional turfcare service offering on board.”

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Turf management made easy

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Turf management made easy: Turfco built the first mechanised topdresser in 1961 and continues as the first choice of professional turf managers worldwide. Turfco designs and manufactures products that help do jobs more efficiently and effectively in topdressing, seeding, debris blowing, application and renovation. We work with you, and deliver the equipment and services you need to be successful.

We’re driven by a passion for improving the health and playability of your turf, and this unwavering commitment has yielded a continuous series of breakthroughs; that’s quality innovations rewarded by 16 patents.

Turf management made easy

Turf management made easy

In the UK we are primarily known for our high-quality range of trailed and truck-mounted 1550 series top dressers, powerful Torrent 2 debris blowers and our TriWave overseeders. However, we also manufacture the CR-15, a combined material handler and top dresser for fairway maintenance, the Mete-R-Matic range of drop-style top dressers and pedestrian edgers and turf cutters.

To see how productivity can beautify your course, come and see us on in Hall 6 stand 608.

www.turfco.com

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ES-860 is unrivalled at VFL Wolfsburg

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ES-860 is unrivalled at VFL Wolfsburg: After comparing various battery-powered cylinder mowers, Head Groundsman of Bundesliga football club VfL Wolfsburg Peter Sauer has chosen the new Dennis ES-860.

“Technology in this industry is evolving faster and faster and electric equipment is at the forefront,” said Peter. “It is important to speak to all the manufacturers to identify any new and upcoming products. I want to be involved and am always asking to test products, so if there is something I like, I can then plan accordingly to put it into my budget.

ES-860 is unrivalled at VFL Wolfsburg

ES-860 is unrivalled at VFL Wolfsburg

“Dennis Mowers is a company that really listens to their customers. They then put those ideas into their machines.”

Peter, who has also been a greenkeeper and worked at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, admitted to being excited when he first heard that Dennis was developing a range of battery-powered equipment.

Ever the perfectionist, he flew to England to find out more.

“I first got to see the ES-860 cylinder mower in action at Derby County FC,” he said. “It was great to see it working on a pitch as it gives you a better idea of how it will perform as opposed to seeing it in the factory. Dennis then brought it over to Germany and we tested it, and we knew it was going to be a great machine. We purchased two of them.”

The ES-860 is a 34” battery powered turf management system which delivers maximum versatility and the range of 13 interchangeable cassette options provide a solution to many day-to-day maintenance tasks such as cutting, scarifying, brushing and verticutting.

Furthermore, traditional G860 cassettes will also fit into the ES-860, meaning that customers will not have to purchase additional cassettes, something which Peter was impressed with.

“We did try other brands of battery-powered mowers, but I was not as happy with them as I was with the Dennis E-Series. I also really like the fact that we can use the G860 cassettes with the ES-860. I have the brush cassette, the spiker, the spring tine rake, and a couple of other cassettes, so it was a big bonus not having to purchase any new cassettes.”

The aim with the Dennis E-Series is to help professionals meet sustainability and environmental initiatives, reduce carbon footprint emissions, running costs and noise without any range anxiety. Peter believes the ES-860 certainly ticks all the boxes.

ES-860 is unrivalled at VFL Wolfsburg

ES-860 is unrivalled at VFL Wolfsburg

“The battery life is incredible – they hold long enough without having to charge them regularly. In fact, we never have to worry about them running out and we can comfortably mow up to two and a half, maybe three pitches on one single charge.

“They are much better for the person using them too,” he continued. “Vibration levels are very low, and you obviously get far less noise – I often have my earphones in and can still take phone calls when using the ES-860. They have had a huge impact and every member of staff loves the ES-860’s – no one wants to use petrol mowers anymore.”

The well-respected Peter, who started his career in chemistry before turning to turf management, also praised the consistency and quality of the Dennis ES-860’s.

“With petrol mowers everyone drives at a different speed so the cuts per square metre are always different. However, with the ES-860 you can set the speed of the mower. This means that you get good consistency with everyone achieving the same number of cuts per square metre. Quality wise it is the same as a Dennis petrol cylinder mower or even better.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK.You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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Smart and versatile controllers at BTME

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Smart and versatile controllers at BTME: At BTME 2023 (Stand 132), Rain Bird Landscape and Sports Turf irrigation will be displaying a number of new products including the new RC2 Smart Irrigation controller and the modular ESP-LXME 2 traditionally wired models.

Used in conjunction with and accessed through the Rain Bird Mobile App, the RC2 enables users to manage remotely residential and light commercial installations. Contractors and site managers have full WiFi control of irrigation scheduling for multiple sites and zones. Through alerts, users can monitor and manage all irrigation events and warnings in real-time, ensuring the landscape will receive only the water it needs while potentially saving up to 50% in water.

Smart and versatile controllers at BTME

Smart and versatile controllers at BTME

Compatible with Rain Bird’s IQ4 Cloud irrigation management system, the ESP-LXME 2 traditionally wired modular models focus on water conservation, flexibility and simplicity in use. The controller allows the user to customise irrigation station capacity from 12 to 48 stations. 40 independent irrigation programs can be set with up to10 starts per program. Water management features include FloManager which manages demand to maximise use of water and shorten total watering times. The  PRO model offers extra flow sensing capability including FloWatch which protects against high and low water flow conditions.

The IQ4 Platform provides state of the art irrigation monitoring, programmming and control features. The software includes the Dry Run capability to visualise irrigation programming and demonstrate graphically what to expect from the system before it happens.

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New Campey products at BTME

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New Campey products at BTME: Campey Turf Care Systems is looking forward to BTME 2023 in Harrogate and will be showcasing a number of new products in addition to taking on a new brand to enhance the excellent range of machinery than is already synonymous with the Campey name and manufacturers such as Dakota, Vredo, Imants, Foley Air 2G2, Koro and Imants!

Now back in Harrogate at its usual time, the show will provide an excellent platform to introduce a new brand of equipment to Campeys, with a range of well-known, quality products which will compliment the current range perfectly!

New Campey products at BTME

New Campey products at BTME

Campey Director Lee Morgado explains: “We are delighted to be expanding the number of products we can offer to our customers.

For us, BTME gives us the option to focus on our golf related products and look at some of the issues specific to this field. Bringing machines and people together is the best way to assess the latest options and look into new maintenance practices they might have spoken about or seen on social media.

The new brand joins the staple industry favourites of machines from Omarv, Koro, New Holland, Vredo, Air2G2 Inject Campey and Imants, with new products from several of them to be launched at the show. To exhibit this bumper range of machinery, Campey has a stand 220 in Hall 2, which will have product specialists on hand to give expert advice and answer any questions you may have.

As one of the most popular events in the greenkeeping calendar, BTME will once again be a forum for turf professionals from across the world to come together and see what’s new and renew relationships and create new contacts for the coming year.

Campey will be showcasing equipment covering everything from renovations and aeration to overseeding and utility vehicles. The machinery line-up will encompass every area of maintenance for golf including topdressing, covered by the industry leading Dakota range, and the effective TB220 and UniRake to complete the grooming line-up.

The combination of the Universe® Rotor and Vredo Super Compact, an increasingly popular duo for renovating tees, will be on display alongside Campey’s all-electric products such as the AllTrec Tool Carrier featuring mowing, hedge cutting, weed brush, and burning attachments.

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Expanded GreenMech fleet for Woodworks Tree Surgery

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Expanded GreenMech fleet for Woodworks Tree Surgery: For Nick Hosking it’s Woodworks by name and woodworks by nature as he tackles all manner of tree surgery tasks – with the trusted assistance of two GreenMech woodchippers!

The most recent addition to his fleet is an EVO 205D SAFE-Trak, which was purchased on the GreenMech stand at APF in September, and sits alongside the QuadTrak 160 for complete versatility on both domestic and commercial jobs.

Expanded GreenMech fleet for Woodworks Tree Surgery

Expanded GreenMech fleet for Woodworks Tree Surgery

Nick established the company 20 years ago and works with, and as, a subcontractor for a number of clients in and around Flintshire, North Wales and NW England including large-scale construction contracts for Hanson UK and the Breedon Group. “I’ve used chippers from GreenMech for the last seven years now, starting with a turntable QuadTrak 160 and trailer which caught my eye at APF many years ago and gives me enhanced manoeuvrability and flexibility for tasks on the kerbside” explains Nick. “Impressed with the performance of this machine, I then invested in a SAFE-Trak 19-28 as a bigger, more versatile workhorse.”

It was again at APF that Nick sealed the deal on his latest purchase, a 205D SAFE-Trak from GreenMech’s EVO series, purchased through dealers GA Groundcare. “Going from the 19-28 model to the 205D SAFE-Trak was a natural progression – this machine is newer, bigger, more reliable and more powerful.” At its heart is a Stage-V Compliant 50hp Kubota diesel engine, delivering powerful chipping performance for bulky brash and timber of up to 8”. Underneath the robust, steel chassis is GreenMech’s patented SAFE-Trak system which incorporates two independently adjustable track legs providing ground clearance of up to 530mm and allows the safe traversing of slopes up to 35o.

“With GreenMech you know you’re going to get machines that do exactly what they say on the tin. Having said that, there’s a few new features on the EVO 205D I really like namely the more powerful throw and the Smart Sense controller which automatically reduces engine revs and then ramps them up again when you start feeding material in. It’s also much quicker and easier to service. Since taking delivery in October 2022 it’s been on jobs of all shapes and sizes, most recently a roadside clearance project for Hanson, and it’s taken everything in its stride.”

He continues, “Together with the performance, the thing that keeps me coming back to GreenMech is the people. I know if I come across an issue, there are three or four people I can phone who are all very knowledgeable and will go out of their way to resolve it for you. Back up support and service like that goes a long way in this industry.”

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Green-tech becomes Platinum Perennial Partner

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Green-tech becomes Platinum Perennial Partner: Green-tech has confirmed that it will continue its Platinum partnership and ongoing support to the charity for a third year running.

Perennial is the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping people who work in landscaping and horticulture, from gardeners, landscapers and designers to nursery workers, arborists and grounds staff.

Green-tech becomes Platinum Perennial Partner

Green-tech becomes Platinum Perennial Partner

Initially established as a pension fund for gardeners in 1839, 70% of the people the charity now helps are of working age, offering free and confidential advice, support and financial assistance.

Kris Nellist enters his second year in the role the Managing Director for Green-tech, a leading supplier to the landscape industry. He comments, “Perennial is a lifeline to many people working within the industry, both past and present. I am delighted to continue our support of the charity by renewing our Perennial Platinum Partnership and showing Green-tech’s appreciation for all those in the sector.”

Perennial launched their industry corporate partnership programme in 2020 to raise much needed funds. There are numerous packages available for corporate sponsorship.

Phil Swainston, Perennial’s Corporate Partnership Manager adds,

“Now, more than ever, is the time to be aware of the impact the current cost of living crisis and recession is going to have on many working in the horticultural industry. I am therefore delighted that Green-tech is continuing their support of Perennial into 2023 via our Corporate Partnership scheme and I am looking forward to working with all the team on many of the new initiatives we will be launching over the next 12 months. Green-Tech will be invaluable in spreading our message that Perennial is here to help all those working in horticulture that need our help”

If you would like to donate to Perennial or get involved in the Partnership Programme then visit their website https://perennial.org.uk/home/getinvolved/perennial-partners/  or call 0800 093 8510.

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