Pitchmark Win Queen’s Award

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Pitchmark Win Queen’s Award: Bristol based line marking machinery and equipment manufacturer, Pitchmark, has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2019.  

Pitchmark was founded in 2010 by ex-groundsman of over twenty years, Mark Rodman, and his wife Sue, with the vision of making line marking easier and with a better result for groundsmen everywhere. They were joined by their sons Tim and Darren and a family friend, Jon Griffiths. The five directors have grown the business rapidly to now employ fourteen people in the local area and sell products in over thirty countries around the world.  They began as an export-only company, reaching as far as Brazil, Iceland, Australia and Qatar. Even today overseas sales account for 70% of the turnover. Pitchmark’s products are used at all levels of sport, from local amateur clubs to top international stadia like Wembley Stadium and competitions such as the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 and EURO 2016 France.

Pitchmark Win Queen’s Award

“We as a company are very proud to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise,’ says Mark Rodman. “It is the pinnacle of our achievements and puts the focus on what a small business can achieve in worldwide markets. It also recognises the contribution of our team of people at Pitchmark and the efforts of our key partners in each overseas territory. We work closely with our distributors, with a focus on education and support alongside our market-leading products.”

Pitchmark manufacture and supply a complete range of line marking paints, machinery and equipment for all kinds of sports and surfaces. Line marking is often a strenuous task and the company has shown a winning formula in making the job easier through innovation and solving customer pain points. An advanced GPS line marking is a strong example of the company’s approach. Pitchmark has demonstrated an exceptional growth record and remains focused on ambitious but realistic targets in the UK, Europe and overseas. The company is exploring opportunities for expanding the product range and providing services as well as products.

Pitchmark Win Queen’s Award

“Promoting British-made products around the globe is something we’re very proud of,” says Mark. “We’re big fans of putting the UK on the map wherever possible and joined Made in Britain so we can promote and advertise this recognisable logo on our British made products. Now we thank everyone who has been involved in our journey to achieving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.”

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Queen’s Award For Allett

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Queen’s Award For Allett: Allett, the Staffordshire based specialist cylinder mower manufacturer, has won the coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2019 in recognition of its growth in exports and contribution to the British economy.

A wholly British-owned company, Allett has designed and manufactured mowers for the sports and premium lawns market for over fifty years. The award marks a major period of development for the company, with ranges of new products launched to meet the needs of strong emerging markets. Allett’s main export success has been achieved with their professional products for sports stadiums and training grounds, achieving increased sales with the USA, Russia, Germany, France, the Czech Republic and Spain leading their top ten markets in the past three years.

Queen’s Award For Allett

“We’re very honoured to receive the Queen’s Award,” says Austin Jarrett, Allett’s Managing Director, “it recognises our achievements and team efforts in bringing innovative developments in our mowing systems to meet challenges in overseas markets with large potential. We’re no longer confined to the seasonality of domestic sales cycles in the UK. Our mowers and turf maintenance systems are used throughout the world where they are maintaining sports surfaces and lawns to the highest standards.”

Allett was the major supplier to the host stadiums and contractors in Russia for the 2018 World Cup football tournament. The company concentrates on assisting a World Cup country for a period of three years to help attain the striking light green-dark green stripes in time for the main tournament. Markets with large potential such as the USA offer access to developments for sports such as American football and baseball as well as soccer. South America, where previously they have not had the financial resources, is now a developing market, says the company. Allett has placed its first mowing systems in China where there are great World Cup ambitions.

“The groundsmen in the UK are recognised as being the best in the world and they demand the highest standards from their equipment suppliers,” says Austin. “This demand drives our engineering team to improve and develop our mowing systems which consequently produce world class sports surfaces and garden lawns. We have benefitted from this and we are confident that we can deliver improved standards to the stadiums and lawns using our systems in the rest of the world. This is because of the help we get from our great customers in the UK. Every one of our machines proudly wears a Union Flag decal, and this really helps us in our export markets where the UK is revered for their lawns.

“We will be hosting Pitch Maintenance training seminars in China this year,” adds Austin, “to help set standards and expectations for the playing surfaces in this huge country which is growing rapidly as a footballing nation. Allett is more than just a machine. We’re strengthening our technical support and embarking on a plan of new product development to concentrate on a wider range of grass and sports turf maintenance products.”

Allett recently launched and continue to develop products powered by Lithium-ion battery, with the advantages of zero emissions at the point-of-use, low vibration for the operator and almost no noise. To accommodate the growth of the business Allett recently moved their Hixon, Staffordshire base to a new, larger factory.  The company has an After-Sales team in place to support overseas national distributors and, as export sales grow, consider it is important to maintain the ‘brand value’ which has been a keystone to home market success. Allett say the recognition of achievement the Queen’s Award for Enterprise brings is a proud moment in its history, and one the company can bear as a premium standard into the export markets of the future.

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CWC Launch New Website

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CWC Launch New Website: In light of increasing public scrutiny over glyphosate, Complete Weed Control (CWC) is pleased to announce the launch a new online glyphosate resource: www.glyphosateinfo.co.uk.

The website is but one facet of CWC’s ongoing campaign to address the misinformation and fear mongering that is pervading the industry.  The layout is that of a ‘FAQ’ (Frequently Asked Questions) library containing useful information such as which qualifications are required to use glyphosate professionally; what PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is necessary and how soon after application people and animals can use the treated area.

CWC Launch New Website

Designed with a gamut of stakeholders in mind including members of the public, local authorities and industry operatives, there is also a wealth of information available through the “Resources” section: from links to related articles from the European Food Safety Authority, to operative-oriented advice on tender specification, complaint handling and application advice.

The concept was brought about following CWC’s successful “Glyphosate Roadshows” – staged in numerous venues throughout the UK – having been attended by over 150 local authority delegates from across the country.

Speaking at the seminar, Complete Weed Control’s managing director, Ian Graham, said: “There has been a considerable and sustained volume of frankly unsubstantiated bad press and much negativity surrounding this product – so we felt it was essential that we explore the reality and present the data that exists from numerous agencies around the world that have all declared this product to be safe.”

Indeed, this data is now readily available through the website and its primary function is to act as a uniform point of reference for common questions posed by members of the public to spray operatives.  All Complete Weed Control employees will now be equipped with a wallet-sized card that displays both a text URL and QR code that leads the enquirer to the FAQ.

To help tackle the growing public concern for glyphosate use in amenity space, Complete Weed Control is offering a similar service with bespoke rebranding for local authorities whom will be able to disseminate their own cards throughout their constituency. Any local authorities interested in this service should contact Complete Weed Control.

To view the new glyphosate website please visit www.glyphosateinfo.co.uk

For more information, please contact Complete Weed Control’s National office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeweedcontrol.co.uk. You can also follow CWC on Twitter @CWCLimited for more news, reviews and insightful views.

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Council Invests In Third Toro Machine

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Council Invests In Third Toro Machine: East Devon District Council has recently invested in a third Toro Groundsmaster 360 after its previous two models purchased in 2015, have proved to be a huge success with the Council’s groundscare department.

Dan Haydon, from the groundscare department, says that there were a lot of boxes for these machines to tick with reliability at the fore and the Groundsmaster 360 has ticked them all.

Council Invests In Third Toro Machine

“We have so many different kinds of grounds to maintain, from communal gardens and children’s play areas to sports pitches and cemeteries,” says Dan. “Having a robust, reliable machine that can adapt is vital and the Groundsmaster 360 does just that.

“Our machines need to be in use every day for eight and a half hours from spring until November; it’s a big task. With the two GM360s we’ve been using for four years, we’ve never had a problem, so it wasn’t a hard decision to purchase another one.”

The Council had been using triple cylinder mowers before purchasing the new GM360 rotary mowers. Due to government cuts, the frequency of cutting areas had to be reduced and its previous mowers weren’t able to keep the grass short for long enough, which is why the department opted to trial the GM360 zero-turn mower

The quad-steer all-wheel drive steering of the GM360 provides maximum productivity even in undulating terrain. Able to climb hills without slipping and make 180 degree turns without tearing turf, Dan couldn’t be happier with the machine.

“Whatever the weather or type of terrain – it performs across the board. We’ve seen a real improvement, and so have our other teams. We currently have eight teams across Devon, three of which have Toro machines, but now everyone is noticing the difference with Toro and there is definite potential in the future for Toro to pushed out across all the teams.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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PRO 34R A Hit At Beaumont

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PRO 34R A Hit At Beaumont: The new Dennis PRO 34R rotary mower is significantly improving the vast array of pitches at De Montfort University at Beaumont Park, says head groundsman Cameron Flitten.

Beaumont Park in Leicester has recently benefitted from a multi-million pound investment and has been transformed into an outstanding venue which boasts first-class sports facilities.

PRO 34R A Hit At Beaumont

In 2015 De Montfort University agreed a 25-year lease on the council-owned Beaumont Park and has been home to the university’s men’s and women’s football teams for past three years. The facilities are also widely used by the local community.

Cameron, who has been the head groundsman throughout this time, revealed that his interest in the Dennis PRO 34R was first ignited when he received a glimpse of the prototype model.

“One day their Area Manager was dropping some equipment off to me and on the back of the trailer there was a machine that I had never seen before. I asked him what it was and it was then that he told me it was the Dennis PRO 34R prototype.

“I had previously used Dennis Mowers in my former job at Loughborough University and I knew that they were reliable and renowned for giving a first-class presentation, so after asking a few questions, I was adamant that I wanted one.

“At the time it was winter and an incredibly wet winter at that. I was struggling to get on the pitches at certain times and ideally, I like to keep weight off the natural pitches so I was looking for an option where I didn’t have to take the tractor on. The PRO 34R seemed to be just what I needed.”

PRO 34R A Hit At Beaumont

The prototype which Cameron saw that day was launched at SALTEX 2017 with the sole purpose of gathering feedback from potential end users. Over the course of the next twelve months, the mower was refined and developed based on the input from the groundsmen who would eventually be using it. With no stone left unturned, the all new PRO 34R was unveiled at SALTEX 2018.

The Dennis PRO 34R is a 34” (860mm) rotary mower which has been designed to help groundsmen achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance and desired playing surface. It is ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ while a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently.

The angle of the cutting deck and twin blades can be easily adjusted using a single ‘click adjuster’ ensuring the mower is suitable for changing conditions and meeting groundsmen’s requirements.

Unique features of the Dennis PRO 34R Rotary Mower include:

  • 5 forward and 1 reverse selection for speed of operation
  • 90 litre capacity grass box
  • Fully adjustable angle of deck for changing conditions
  • 2 section cast aluminium rear roller
  • Easy to use height of cut gauge
  • Single point height of cut adjustment for ease of operation
  • Optional front wheel or smooth/weile roller options
  • Front brush for standing grasses upright
  • Adjustable handlebars for operator comfort

“At this time of year, you are not really cutting; instead you are using it more as a vacuum cleaner,” said Cameron. “Ideally you just want to remove any loose fragments of grass, debris and soil which sits on the top of the pitches after use because the more organic matter you remove, the less disease you get. In this respect, the PRO 34R is superb and it has certainly helped to keep the pitches cleaner, which will also no doubt make my job easier when it comes to the renovations in spring.

“It also gives us brilliant presentation which is thanks to the roller on the back. I like the fact that it has the brush on the front, so it stands the grass up, the blades go over and then it hoovers it all up.

“The PRO 34R really is a fantastic piece of kit and it is doing a brilliant job. All the staff love using it – especially my assistant groundsman because I can never get it back off him.”

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 & Instagram @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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