‘Bored’ Groundsman’s Grand Design

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‘Bored’ Groundsman’s Grand Design: A “bored” lower league football groundsman went to great lengths to create the perfect pitch – covered in geometric shapes.

Fed-up with ‘drawing’ the same outline on the Brechin City turf, Neil Wood, 54, decided to design something more creative with his lawnmower.

The patient Glebe Park groundsman spent six hours mowing the intricate pattern into the grass.

But despite the huge compliment, Neil, from the Angus town, remains humble about his design at the 4083 capacity stadium – home to the League Two side.

He said: “I usually cut the pitch in squares but we got bored of doing that so I wanted to do something different.

“The players were all taken back by it but they are happy with it. It’s nice to hear that the club think the design is the best in the world.

“It could be possible but I’ll just let them decide that.”

Neil carefully etched out the swirls by starting from the outside and works his way into the middle of the pitch.

He said: “I start from the outside and work my way in but I don’t change the height level of the lawnmower.

“I use the lines on the pitch as a rough guide which is probably why I manage to get it more precise.

“It’s just about changing your direction rather than the height level. Maintaining the pitch is ok in the summer but it’s hard in the winter.”

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Centre Court Steam Cleaned

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Centre Court Steam Cleaned: The famous Centre Court at Wimbledon has been steam cleaned to kill off any nasty pests lurking beneath the surface, head groundsman Neil Stubley said. 

The All England Club first trialled steam sterilising in 2017 and is now rolling it out around the courts.

The technique involves covering the grass with polytunnels, drilling holes into the soil and blasting in steam, as the club adapts its practices in response to climate change and environmental concerns.

“We’re very conscious about pesticide usage now,” said Stubley.

“We’ve started looking at alternatives to managing weeds, pests and diseases. We’re looking at steam sterilising as part of our annual maintenance of the courts.

“As soon as you take that steam away, it’s just cold water. There’s no residual effect.”

The technique has been used for around a century, particularly in the Dutch glasshouse growing industry.

“We put loads of holes in the court beforehand and then we start pumping the steam in. As soon as we hit 70 degrees Celsius, we know that it’s killed anything like spores or pests that may live in the soil.

“It gives us a complete clean surface. Then we shave the top off and then we reseed it and grow it back in for the following year.”

He said each court might need the treatment every five to 20 years.

Besides Centre Court, the Courts 12 and 18 show courts have also been done, with Court One, the second-biggest, in line to be done after this year’s tournament.

Managing the 18 competition courts and 20 practice courts is a year-round operation.

Each court is reseeded with a brand new surface after each championships.

The grass was changed in the early 2000s from a creeping grass to a more tufted perennial rye grass, meaning the courts are harder.

The firmness of each court is measured 25 times a day which informs how much water is sprayed on during the night. The drier the court, the more it is irrigated.

More than 20,000 measurements are done across the two-week Championships.

“Each year is a challenge because you’ve got a living surface. As much as you try and manage it, it will be invariably dictated by the environment.

“This year, it’s a fairly nice, even temperature. It’s low 20s, a bit of fair-weather cloud, nice blue skies, a slight breeze. It’s perfect for the player, the spectator and the grass.

“If you get a wet, damp day, the moisture in the air will naturally find its way into the plant and that becomes a little bit greasy. The beauty of grass is that you have to adapt to the environment.”

Stubley said there were 70 or 80 different plants around the grounds and some people come to see the horticulture as much as the tennis.

The flowers are rarely stolen but sometimes spectators sit on them.

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Machinery Dealer UK’s Youngest

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Machinery Dealer UK’s Youngest: Luke Mortimer, the owner of Ace Machines Limited in Milton Keynes, is the youngest member of the Cub Cadet dealer network in the UK.

Aged just 21, Luke has bought the dealership, formerly known as RGC Engineers.

Machinery Dealer UK's Youngest

He is no newcomer to the world of garden machinery and started his journey, aged 17, when he established his own business, ‘Mort’s Garden Machinery’. The company ran successfully for two years until Luke became aware of a long-established business owner looking to retire.

Luke approached the owner of RGC Engineers and agreed terms. The deal went through in December of last year and now Luke owns the company, with four members of staff by his side.   The dealership, now renamed Ace Machines, is part of Cub Cadet’s 200-plus UK dealer network.

“When I became self-employed at 17, I could take the gamble and jump into the unknown as I still lived at home. An increasing number of young people are now starting their own businesses instead of heading towards standard employment – it’s more aspirational,” said Luke. “As I’m so young, people immediately judge me on my age and think my knowledge isn’t what it should be, yet once they get talking to me, they soon realise how wrong first impressions are. I don’t think of it as an insult, it’s just that the industry is dominated by older people, it’s a barrier I’m having to break through.”

In the three short months Luke has owned his dealership, he has hired two members of staff to run his office and a further two to assist him in the workshop.

“Having a major brand like Cub Cadet is a significant benefit to the business,” he said. “They have been really good to me in my short time here. They haven’t been fazed by my age and have taken me and my business at face value, which is so encouraging. A trusting brand like them is what dealerships need, especially if they are just getting into the industry. I would say they have really helped with the success of my firm.”

Speaking on where he sees the gardening machinery industry heading, Luke added: “Over the next few years, I see the industry shifting towards robotics as millennials take more of an interest in gardening, opening up a new market.  Cub Cadet’s recent robotics training day has been invaluable. It was so in-depth and informative, and I now feel well equipped to sell this new technology to customers.”

Phil Noble, sales and technical manager for Cub Cadet, said: “It’s great to hear Luke’s story and to see how well he is getting on. It just goes to show that this industry has limitless opportunities available to all. Working with our dealers is one of the core principles for Cub Cadet, it’s a two-way partnership. If both parties work together effectively the benefits can be seen for each side. I look forward to continue working with Luke and his team.”

For more information please visit www.cubcadet.co.uk

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Capillary Concrete Hire Three

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Capillary Concrete Hire Three: Rapid sales growth across the US market has forced Capillary Concrete, the global leader in bunker and turf management, to boost its team of representatives serving American clients. Three new hires have significantly increased the company’s ability to support clients across the United States.

Greg Nichols is Capillary Concrete’s new Sales and Installation Manager for the Northeast of America, and also covers Florida. Nichols, originally from upstate New York, graduated from SUNY Canton and has been in the golf course construction industry working with architects, contractors and superintendents specializing in bunker maintenance products since 2007. He is based in Tequestra, Florida.

Capillary Concrete Hire Three

Mark Patterson, Sales and Installation Manager for the Southeast, lives in Alpharetta, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. He is a thirty year veteran of the golf industry, working as a superintendent and a director of golf and grounds at many different clubs. Patterson holds a BS degree in plant and soil sciences from Mississippi State University andhas built several high profile clubs in the southeast including Champions Retreat GC in Augusta where he was director of construction and superintendent.

With more than 24 years in the turf industry, Scott Grego’s love for golf began when he worked for his uncle on Dundee golf course in Michigan as a teen. This led him to his turfgrass management degree at Michigan State. His internship led him to Dominion Country Club in San Antonio and eventually he became superintendant of the golf course. After seven years, he transitioned into the sales industry selling chemicals, fertilizers and equipment, leading to his recent appointment at Capillary Concrete’s Sales and Installation Manager for the Central US.

“Our growth and future projections have provided us the opportunity to hire a leading sales staff to match our leading bunker liner and turfgrass management applications. We are excited to bring the team together to make another huge impact for us in the near future,” said operations manager Travis Chivers.

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Innovation Award Back For 2019

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Innovation Award Back For 2019: SALTEX exhibitors are now able to submit their entries for the 2019 Innovation Award – allowing show visitors the chance to witness a stellar line-up of brand new products and services that are pushing the boundaries in groundscare innovation at the NEC, Birmingham on October 30 and 31.

Since its launch at SALTEX 2017, the Innovation Award has helped to highlight some of the most ground-breaking, innovative products and services within the groundscare industry.

Innovation Award Back For 2019

All of the submitted entries are evaluated by an independent panel of judges before a final shortlist is devised. The finalists are then given an opportunity to impress judges and visitors in a seminar theatre on the first day of SALTEX as representatives from each company take to the stage to deliver product presentations.

Entering the award is an unmissable opportunity for exhibitors as every innovation will be featured on the SALTEX website and in the official show guide. Being shortlisted as a finalist offers even more exposure as they will be given dedicated time to showcase their product or service in front of industry giants, judges and influencers and can draw even more of a crowd to their stand.

The worthy winner will be presented with the coveted award at the exhibition and will receive a dedicated news article in post-show reports.

The winner of the SALTEX 2019 Innovation Award will join previous winners: Rigby Taylor’s Intelligent One autonomous robotic line marker and Fleet Line Markers’ MAQA line marking machine were joint winners of the first ever SALTEX Innovation Award and in 2018 Sherriff Amenity’s ground-breaking new app, PrecisionPro, picked up the top prize.

To enter the SALTEX 2019 Innovation Award, please visit www.iogsaltex.com/innovation-of-the-year-award/

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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