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People walking around the SALTEX Exhibition

SALTEX proves good for business

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SALTEX proves good for business: Findings from the SALTEX 2019 post-show exhibitor survey have confirmed that the 2019 event was extremely valuable for a high percentage of groundscare exhibitors – New sales leads acquired by 96% of exhibitors.

In fact it was deemed so successful that more than half of exhibitors reserved their space for the 2020 event before the end of the 2019 show and organisers have since reported a record number of repeat business, stand upgrades and an influx of debut exhibitors – with more than 200 companies committing to SALTEX 2020.

SALTEX Proves good for business, busy stands at the SALTEX Exhibition

SALTEX Proves good for business.

The survey findings confirm that 96 per cent of survey respondents generated new sales leads and 82 per cent have already taken orders as a direct result of exhibiting at the show. The record-breaking 9,104 attendance was rated as excellent by 85 per cent of exhibitors and, crucially, the quality of visitors scored 91 per cent.

Derek Smith, amenity sales and marketing manager for DLF Johnsons Sports Seed, was particularly impressed with the number of international visitors: “We’ve had a fantastic show again this year. It was the busiest we’ve experienced for many years. It was great to see the diversity of visitors – particularly from outside the UK, which was great for us.”

SALTEX is the official annual meeting place for the groundscare community. More than 500 groundscare brands were showcased at SALTEX 2019 and 83 per cent of survey respondents claimed the launches proved to be hugely successful.

According to Reesink Turfcare managing director David Cole SALTEX was the ideal platform to introduce new products to the international groundscare market. “We used SALTEX to launch new products and had a great reaction this year. The progressive development of the show at the NEC and enhanced access to the potential customers is improving year on year,” he said.

Craig Hoare, sales and marketing manager for Hayter and Toro, says that SALTEX presents an unmissable opportunity to showcase the company’s product range to a relevant audience.

“SALTEX offers a great opportunity to connect with our customers and dealers. There is such a broad spectrum of visitors – from independent landscapers through to large sports clubs and amenity operators. SALTEX just keeps getting better and better.”

Long-term SALTEX exhibitors’ views confirm that SALTEX is the leading event in groundscare.

SALTEX Proves good for business, busy stands at the SALTEX Exhibition

SALTEX Proves good for business

“We’ve exhibited at SALTEX for many years and believe that the show is the number one in the marketplace for us,” said Roger Moore, sales and marketing manager at Dennis and SISIS. “SALTEX 2019 was a huge success for us. The show was incredible regarding the number of visitors coming through the doors and the new and existing customers visiting our stand.”

The survey also revealed a fascinating insight into SALTEX’s extensive range of exhibitors, which included 22 companies from outside of the UK, covering a broad range of groundscare categories:

  • Machinery and hand tools – 54 per cent
  • Sports surfaces and facilities – 29 per cent
  • Landscaping – 26 per cent
  • Seeds, turf and aggregates – 25 per cent
  • Arboriculture and horticulture – 17 per cent
  • Commercial vehicles – 13 per cent
  • Security, health and safety – 10 per cent
  • Play, street and furniture – 5 per cent
  • Synthetic turf – 4 per cent

In addition, it was also encouraging to see that 89 per cent of exhibitors felt that the UK’s decision to leave the EU will not affect their business.

This year, the exhibition will be celebrating its 75th anniversary and 93 per cent of survey respondents confirmed that they will be returning to exhibit at SALTEX 2020.

SALTEX 2020 will take place at the NEC, Birmingham on 4 and 5 November.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com  

 

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Forst machines outside of the factory

Först in the North

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Först in the North: Först, one of the UK’s leading and largest woodchipper manufacturers, has established a real presence in the North of England with their depot in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

The Shaw Lane Industrial Estate base provides a much-needed facility, selling and hiring directly to the end-user. First launched in 2013, Först has become a favourite with arborists across the UK, with several thousand machines out there working. Först woodchippers are made here in the UK at their manufacturing plant in Andover, Hampshire.

Forst machines outside of the factory

Först, one of the UK’s leading and largest woodchipper manufacturers, has established a real presence in the North of England with their depot in Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

“We put a depot in Doncaster in order to get closer to our customers in the North.” Says Douglas Ghinn, Först Sales and Marketing Director. “From this depot we now sell new and used woodchippers, hire chippers and carry out servicing on all makes and models. It’s our aim to provide customer service and care that is second to none.”

This is supported with a mobile workshop based at the depot to carry out onsite repairs and servicing in a fully-fledged workshop at the location. Först North has 10,000 sq ft of workshop and storage space and up to 40 machines in stock. There is a dedicated team of specialists, supported by years of experience in selling and working with woodchippers and a company with deep roots in the arb industry. The depot is designed to meet the needs of arborists, utilities companies, local authorities and hire companies in the area.   Whatever the budget, say Först, they will have a chipper to suit from new machines or fully refurbished and part exchange machines, which are ideal for those starting out in the industry with a smaller budget. Being close to customers in the North means they have immediate access to all the facilities including the bespoke hire service and Europe’s largest selection of used woodchippers.

For more information visit www.forst-woodchippers.com or call +44 1264 721790

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Ben Hastie, Head Groundsman at Cheltenham Racecourse has reported fantastic results after embarking on a long-term strategy of scarifying and overseeding with Limagrain UK’s MM60 grass seed.

MM60 the top tip at Cheltenham

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MM60 the top tip at Cheltenham : Ben Hastie, Head Groundsman at Cheltenham Racecourse has reported fantastic results after embarking on a long-term strategy of scarifying and overseeding with Limagrain UK’s MM60 grass seed. 

MM60 the top tip at Cheltenham :
Ben started in the industry as a greenkeeper but from a young age his passion was always horse racing. It was for this reason that while working at a golf club, he volunteered his services to Warwick and Stratford racecourses.

Ben Hastie, Head Groundsman at Cheltenham Racecourse has reported fantastic results after embarking on a long-term strategy of scarifying and overseeding with Limagrain UK’s MM60 grass seed.

Ben Hastie, Head Groundsman at Cheltenham Racecourse has reported fantastic results after embarking on a long-term strategy of scarifying and overseeding with Limagrain UK’s MM60 grass seed.

His persistence paid off and in 2006 he was rewarded with a full-time job at Cheltenham Racecourse. Thirteen years later and Ben is the Head Groundsman overseeing eleven full-time members of staff.

Throughout this time, Limagrain’s MM60 has always been the seed of choice for the course. In fact, MM60 has been relied on at Cheltenham for over 25 years and Ben recalls a rigorous seed trial early in his tenure when MM60 proved exactly why it has been the number one choice for so long.

“I remember when I first started in 2006, we did a trial on the highest part of the track,” said Ben. “In this trial we tried to work out the best seed for us because the climate at Cheltenham can be a little bit different to everywhere else – the highest point of the track gets very windy and it can get incredibly cold.

“We trialled 8-10 different mixtures in which we did lots of various tests in numerous conditions. We found that the MM60 was by far the best for what we needed, and we haven’t looked back since then.”

Limagrain’s leading MM60 winter sport mixture is a 100% ryegrass formula which is perfect in Ben’s quest to achieve consistency throughout the whole course. A strict regime of scarifying and overseeding during renovations has been key according to Ben.

“The one thing I want from the racecourse is consistency and my ultimate goal is to see a blend of ryegrass all the way through the course without any fescues or bents. Obviously, annual meadow-grasses are particularly hard to control but we now have a racecourse that has approximately 95% of pure ryegrass. This has been largely thanks to scarifying and overseeding at the right times.

“Doing this consistently over the years has resulted in the ryegrass holding up more than it ever has, it is helping with disease, helping to keep moisture in there where it is needed, helping the recovery rate and it is also providing a better coverage which makes the course look so much better.”

Photo of Cheltenham Racecourse from above.

Ben and his team start this process immediately after the last race meeting in May and they carry out the same programme across all three racecourses – the Old Course, the New Course and the Cross-Country Steeplechase Course. After the rails and hurdles have been removed, the turf will be cut from its racing height of 4.5 inches down to 2 inches. It is at this point that the scarifying begins, and this can take approximately a month.

When it comes to overseeding, Ben admits that it is a question of judgement and can depend on the climate and identifying the areas which need it most. As you would expect, the take-offs and landings experience the most amount of damage and these areas are constantly repaired throughout the race season.

“We have a team of 40 ‘treaders’ on a race day,” said Ben. “They will apply a mixture of soil and MM60 seed which will be put down with a trowel. This ensures that every single horse hoof print is filled in, levelled and that the germination process starts early.”

Germination is something that the MM60 excels in thanks to the inclusion of Headstart GOLD® – a revolutionary grass seed coating that ensures rapid germination and catalyses incredible growth speeds. The seed also has a high disease resistance and fantastic aesthetic qualities – all of which have impressed Ben.

“You know with MM60 that you are going to get great growth and the colour is brilliant. Because we are predominantly a winter sport, we need germination at low temperatures and I know that the MM60 will still be growing even if soil temperatures are 5 or 6 degrees when we are racing in December or January.

“It is a great product and the health of the turf it produces is better than anything I have seen before.”

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm

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Rushmere Golf Club’s secretary manager Bob Tawell, centre left, shakes hands with Reesink’s Julian Copping and is joined by greenkeepers Michael Buck, left, and David Driver.

TORO for the trio at Rushmere

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TORO for the trio at Rushmere: When you’re part of a small team having a fleet of machinery you can rely on makes all the difference as Rushmere Golf Club can attest to as it signs its third five-year lease deal agreement with Toro and Reesink Turfcare.

TORO for the trio at Rushmere:

With just three greenkeepers at the historic 6200-yard, 18-hole course in Ipswich, Suffolk it is absolutely essential that the machinery brand head greenkeeper Pat Swinn invests in is the most efficient and reliable there is.

TORO for the trio at Rushmere: Rushmere Golf Club’s secretary manager Bob Tawell, centre left, shakes hands with Reesink’s Julian Copping and is joined by greenkeepers Michael Buck, left, and David Driver.

Rushmere Golf Club’s secretary manager Bob Tawell, centre left, shakes hands with Reesink’s Julian Copping and is joined by greenkeepers Michael Buck, left, and David Driver. Photography

He says: “Efficiency and reliability in a machinery partner are often cited as the primary reasons for choice and use, but the importance of those two factors takes on a whole new meaning when you have a small team. For us those two things can equal the productivity of an extra person.”

For Pat who has been at the club for 20 years and his greenkeepers – Michael Buck and David Driver, who have both been at the club for over a decade – there is simply nothing comparable to Toro in this respect, hence why the club is taking its relationship with the brand and its sole UK distributor Reesink Turfcare to 15 years.

Pat says: “Who we choose each time is a joint decision and every time it is unanimous. We stick with what suits us and the course. We stick with what delivers and aids us in our job, allowing us to be the most productive we can. We’re active in our decision-making process and each renewal is competitive and each time Toro outperforms all others.”

The machines that form the club’s third five-year lease deal are two Greensmaster TriFlex Hybrid 3420 mowers, Groundsmaster 4500-D and two Workman GTX E utility vehicles, among many, which are like-for-like replacements. The Groundsmaster 3500-D Sidewinder however is a new addition to the club and quite the star of the show for Pat and the team.

Pat explains: “We’re in the third stage of renovating all our bunkers and the sidewinder was brought in specifically for creating the perfect finish around the edges. It’s delivering not only on that, but also for how easy it is to use. Adjusting the position of the units is so simple from the seat, it’s really impressive.”

A heathland course set on common land, Pat comments on how even maintenance is more of a challenge at Rushmere: “Course maintenance is constant. As a course on common land we have a lot of walking traffic and dogs coming across the course throughout the day. That can cause a significant amount of damage and requires vigilance to make sure the course presents for our members at all times.

“Toro is instrumental in helping us achieve that. The machines are very rarely on downtime, if parts are ever needed, they arrive promptly thanks to distributor Reesink’s excellent service and the backup from rep Julian Copping is always there whenever we need it.”

It’s quite often thought that bigger is better and quantity over quality, we think the team at Rushmere is single-handedly proving that is not the case. Small but mighty is the name of the game here, made even more effective by the support of Toro.

 

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Best overall SME UK 2019 for AGS

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Best overall SME UK 2019: 2019 has been a multi award winning year for Advance Grass Solutions Ltd (AGS). In only their second full year of trading AGS have won 5 prestigious National Business Awards including:-

Best overall SME UK 2019: 2019 has been a multi award winning year for Advance Grass Solutions Ltd (AGS). In only their second full year of trading AGS have won 5 prestigious National Business Awards including:-

Best Business Awards 2019 – Winner of “UK Best New Business”

UKBA 19 – Winner of “Best New Business UK”

Growing Business Awards 2019 – Winner “Growing Business” of the year UK

SME National Business Awards – Gold Winner “Best New Business”

SME National Business Awards – Overall Gold Winner

In addition to these awards the company also became the youngest UK company to achieve ISO 9001 accreditation providing a TQM system that enables AGS to provide a consistent level of service to their customers. “We are determined to become a more environmentally friendly company in the future” says Sam Honeyborne MD “ISO 14001 is the next step to reduce our environmental foot print and we shall endeavour to achieve this in 2020.”

AGS team celebrating at the SME awards, holding one person holds award, 10 other people have their hands in the air.

Commenting on Advance Grass Solutions Ltd, the winner as the Best New Business and overall winner Best SME UK  the chairman of the judges said:

 “Advance Grass Solutions has come up with a sound formula for the perfect playing surface that incorporates consultancy, agronomy programmes, scientific and technical analysis, product selection and solid turf management principles. Through its all-in-one package and policy of using environmentally-friendly products, AGS has grown a quick reputation for creating sustainable, top-quality playing surfaces for major sporting venues including Premiership Football Stadia, Top 100 Golf Clubs and Independent Schools”.

“The AGS management have shown exceptional entrepreneurial skills setting credible foundations around a solid business model which augurs well for the future. Congratulations to AGS for coming up with market leading solutions and achieving strong growth in terms of turnover and new business.”

Jamie Bennett, Chairman and CEO said: “We are extremely proud to have won these national business awards and being recognised for excellence in our in our particular field is extremely satisfying. These awards are a credit to the whole AGS team whose dedication is directly related to our success. I would also like to thank our loyal customers who have shown faith in our products and support which has made these awards a reality.”

The Best Business Awards are one of the UK’s highest profile awards and winning this accolade speaks volumes about the quality of your organisation. Due to its high profile, the Awards attract a wide range of entries from across all sectors from large international PLCs and public sector organisations to dynamic and innovative SMEs. The winners all have one thing in common – they are truly excellent at what they do and Advance Grass Solutions Ltd (AGS) have proved this by winning a Best Business Award.

 

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