Howardson Group Grows Scottish Reach with Expansion of Thomas Sherriff Partnership

Howardson Group Grows Scottish Reach with Expansion of Thomas Sherriff Partnership

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Howardson Group Grows Scottish Reach with Expansion of Thomas Sherriff Partnership

Howardson Group Limited has extended its reach across Scotland with the expansion of its partnership with leading groundcare dealer Thomas Sherriff & Co Limited.

Howardson Group Grows Scottish Reach with Expansion of Thomas Sherriff Partnership

Howardson Group Grows Scottish Reach with Expansion of Thomas Sherriff Partnership

Having already stocked Dennis mowers and SISIS equipment for over 20 years, Thomas Sherriff’s enhanced partnership with Howardson Group will allow it to offer products from the two renowned brands to customers in Midlothian, East Lothian, West Lothian, and the Scottish Borders. As a result, the East Lothian-based dealer will now be able to offer Dennis and SISIS products across its full territory, from North Yorkshire to the Forth Bridge.

Thomas Sherriff’s portfolio spans the full Dennis range, allowing the company to meet all manner of groundcare needs across landscaping and sport, and includes the new ES-34SL lightweight battery mower from the Dennis E-Series. The company also supplies the full range of SISIS maintenance equipment, allowing end-to-end groundcare requirements to be met through one dealer.

The move forms part of Howardson Group’s strategic growth plan, which aims to bring the company closer to its customers through the improved availability of local sales, servicing, and after-sales support across the UK.

Like Howardson Group, Thomas Sherriff is a historic company founded on the principles of British innovation. The company can trace its roots all the way back to 1816, when the company’s namesake and founder, Thomas Sherriff, began making agricultural machinery. Today, the company has evolved into the preeminent dealer of agricultural and groundcare machinery in the region, operating across six sites in North East England and South East Scotland.

Ewen Wilson, Area Sales Manager for Howardson Group, said: “The East of Scotland is a key region for us as a business, so we’re thrilled to be enhancing our support for our customers there through Thomas Sherriff.

“The partnership between our two companies goes back over 20 years, and Thomas Sherriff really is a household name in the area, so their team was very much the natural choice for the job. With Thomas Sherriff, I’m confident that the next few decades will be just as successful as the last, with our partnership growing even further.”

Harry Pattinson, Turf Development Manager at Thomas Sherriff, said: “We are pleased to announce our recent appointment as a Dennis and SISIS dealer from our Haddington outlet, meaning we now have full Dennis and SISIS coverage for our whole area of responsibility.

“Both Dennis and SISIS brands are synonymous with quality, and they’re a favourite among customers for their versatility and longevity. Combined with the support of the excellent people behind them at Howardson Group, bringing Dennis and SISIS to the Lothians and the Scottish Borders really was a no brainer. This represents an important step in strengthening our capabilities, aligning and enhancing the products and services we provide to our customers.”

Find out more about Howardson Group.

Find out more about Thomas Sherriff.

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Origin Green-tech strengthens health and safety expertise

Origin Green-tech strengthens health and safety expertise

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Origin Green-tech strengthens health and safety expertise

Origin Green-tech is celebrating the achievement of Goods-In Manager Josh Hebden, who has successfully completed the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.

Origin Green-tech strengthens health and safety expertise

Origin Green-tech strengthens health and safety expertise

The internationally recognised qualification provides a strong foundation in health and safety management and helps Origin Green-tech implement best practices to ensure the safety of all its colleagues. The qualification required a significant commitment from Josh, involving around 80 hours of classroom learning, 120 hours of self-study, plus extensive revision and assessment.

The assessment was split into two parts, including a 24-hour open-book examination and a practical workplace risk assessment. Josh completed his exam late into the evening before getting up at 5am the following morning to proofread his answers ahead of the 9am submission deadline.

Josh comments, “My interest in health and safety has grown since Origin took over, particularly through my role where I oversee a busy environment which involves vehicles, forklift trucks, delivery drivers and pedestrians.”

After completing the IOSH Managing Safely course in 2025, Josh wanted to build on his knowledge and included the NEBOSH qualification as a development goal in his annual review. With the support and encouragement of the Origin Health & Safety team, he was able to take that next step.

Josh added: “I don’t think I’ve ever done anything as difficult or challenging! Passing the qualification has given me a real sense of achievement, but more importantly it has completely changed the way I think about health and safety.

It’s taught me to look beyond the obvious, properly understand why things go wrong and take a more considered approach to managing risk. Most importantly, it has reinforced my belief that health and safety is all about people. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels involved, valued and comfortable speaking up.”

The knowledge Josh has gained will support him in identifying hazards, assessing risk and putting practical controls in place within the Goods In environment, while also contributing to Origin Green-tech’s wider approach to health and safety.

Josh’s achievement reflects Origin Green-tech’s commitment to supporting colleagues in developing their skills and knowledge, while building a proactive health and safety culture across the business.

Origin Green-tech congratulates Josh on this significant achievement and the dedication he has shown in completing the qualification alongside his day-to-day role. His line manager Martin Rourke adds, “Completing the NEBOSH qualification is a fantastic achievement and a real reflection of Josh’s commitment to health and safety. What he has learned will be hugely valuable in his role as Goods-In Manager and will help us continue to strengthen our approach to safety across the business.”

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Italian style for new turf maintenance machinery

Italian style for new turf maintenance machinery

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Italian style for new turf maintenance machinery

A new range of high-performance Italian turf scarifiers and maintenance equipment is now available in the UK, from Techneat Engineering. The purpose designed and robustly manufactured Manotvani machines are hugely popular and highly respected across Europe.

Italian style for new turf maintenance machinery

Italian style for new turf maintenance machinery

The heavy-duty Mantovani scarifiers include pedestrian operated and self-propelled machines from 38cm to 60cm, designed for lawns and precision quality sports turf surfaces, along with a trailed 95cm machine with a mounted power source for larger areas, such as parks, gardens and sports fields.

The innovative self-propelled SC60-D, for example, features multiple renovation systems that can be configured for the required degree of scarification intensity on specific surfaces. Machines are supplied with swing-blades as standard, with the option for a fixed blade cassette  – typically for aggressive verticutting – or a combi cassette with swing blade and spring tines for scarifying, de-thatching and moss raking in one.  Powered by a reliable 4.1kw (6.5hp) Honda engine, the variable speed drive can operate at up to 4.5 km/hr.

Other models in the pedestrian range include the SC45 and SC38 popular for lawn and smaller sports turf maintenance. Featuring the same scarification options to suit specific surfaces, the machines incorporate independent wheels mounted on swing-arm axles, to remain parallel to the surface and maintain more consistent results.

The largest trailed SC95 scarifier is ideal for turf managers who don’t have access to a  tractor with a PTO function, but are now seeking to routinely aerate and renovate surfaces on a wider scale to promote turf health and sward density. Towed behind a tractor mower, for example, a 13hp mounted engine provides high capacity, cost effective scarification.

Commenting on the launch of the Mantovani range at GroundsFest 2026, Techneat amenity specialist, Richard Wheatcroft, highlighted: “Turf surface aeration and renovation has become increasingly important, to help recovery from cover loss during more frequent and intense heat and drought damage.

“Robust and reliable scarifiers are key to rapid and successful seedling establishment in the short windows when conditions are suitable, as well as part of an effective Integrated Turf Management (ITM) programme.

“The quality of the Mantovani engineering and innovative design features for their effective operation in practice, make the machines highly popular. Now they are available in the UK and backed with the renowned full spares and after sales support package from Techneat.”

In addition to the Mantovani scarifiers, the new equipment range also includes a mounted professional leaf and litter vacuum. Designed for rapid collection of material across a large area, the LVS-30 fits direct to the side or tailgate of an ATV or pick-up truck and  shoots collected materials direct into the vehicle load bed.  Ideal for parkland, car parks, large gardens, industrial areas and estates, it incorporates a powerful 9hp Honda engine, dual-belt direct drive and a lightweight 5m long, 180mm diameter pickup tube mounted on a swivel arm.

To find out more and to try out the Mantovani equipment range, visit the Techneat stand OSA70 at GroundsFest 2026, or get in touch via the website: https://www.techneat.co.uk/ground-care to book a demonstration trial.

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Rotadairon Stone Burier Joins the Campey Portfolio

Rotadairon Stone Burier Joins the Campey Portfolio

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Rotadairon Stone Burier Joins the Campey Portfolio

Campey Turf Care Systems has strengthened its soil-preparation offering with the addition of the Rotadairon Stone Burier, a versatile machine engineered to create a high-quality seedbed in a single pass.

Rotadairon Stone Burier Joins the Campey Portfolio

Rotadairon Stone Burier Joins the Campey Portfolio

Developed for the construction and renovation of green spaces, the Rotadairon combines the work of several implements in one operation. Its rotor cultivates and mixes the soil, while stones, vegetation and surface debris are directed beneath the cultivated layer. Selection-grid fingers retain coarser material as finer soil passes through, and the levelling blade and rear roller leave a clean, consolidated surface ready for seeding or turf establishment.

By integrating cultivation, burying, levelling, mixing and rolling, the machine can reduce the number of passes, tractor movements and separate attachments required to prepare a site. The result is a streamlined workflow for contractors and turf professionals working to tight programmes, particularly where a consistent finish is needed across natural sports pitches, golf developments, training grounds, landscaped areas and new amenity spaces.

The addition of the Stone Burier and the wider Rotadairon range gives Campey customers a comprehensive choice of specialist machines for soil preparation, renovation and ground care. From transforming rough or previously disturbed ground into a level, consolidated seedbed to supporting a broader range of site requirements, Rotadairon products complement Campey’s established machinery portfolio and reinforce its focus on efficient, high-quality solutions for natural and hybrid turf.

For product availability, model selection, demonstrations and technical advice, contact Campey Turf Care Systems at www.campeyturfcare.com

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Henton & Chatell celebrates 95th anniversary at GroundsFest

Henton & Chatell celebrates 95th anniversary at GroundsFest

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Henton & Chatell celebrates 95th anniversary at GroundsFest

Leading garden machinery distributor Henton & Chattell will return to GroundsFest 2026 in a landmark year for the business, as it celebrates 95 years since it was founded.

Henton & Chatell celebrates 95th anniversary at GroundsFest

Henton & Chatell celebrates 95th anniversary at GroundsFest

The company will unveil one of the biggest collections of new Cobra machinery in the brand’s history, with major launches spanning professional sports turf, robotic lawncare and domestic lawnmowers.

Taking centre stage will be the new Cobra Fortis Rotary 34, developed to complement the already successful Fortis Stadium 34 professional cylinder mower range. The new rotary model further strengthens Cobra’s growing presence within professional sports turf, offering grounds teams an additional high-performance mowing solution for stadiums, cricket clubs and other premium turf environments.

GroundsFest visitors will also get a first look at a new Cobra out-front mower, the latest generation of Cobra Mowbot robotic lawnmowers, and a number of other new additions to the Cobra range.

The new Mowbot range will include the Mowbot 800RTK X and Mowbot 1500RTK X, both featuring RTK satellite positioning, VSLAM visual navigation and intelligent obstacle detection to deliver accurate, wire-free mowing without the need for a traditional boundary cable. Multi-zone management and app-based control also allow users to easily manage different areas of the lawn.

Visitors will also be given an exclusive preview of the forthcoming Cobra Mowbot Edge, ahead of its planned launch in 2027. Designed to deliver a cleaner finish right up to the lawn edge, the Mowbot Edge features Precision Offset Drive technology, with a motorised lateral cutting adjustment system that moves the cutting disc beyond the wheel line. By allowing the mower to cut to within just 1cm of the lawn edge, the system is designed to deliver an exceptionally clean finish around borders and boundaries, significantly reducing – and in many cases eliminating – the need for follow-up trimming with a grass trimmer.

The Mowbot Edge will also introduce 180° Ultra-Vision Avoidance: Dual-Camera System. Featuring a new Side Camera alongside advanced AI vision, the system enables the mower to identify more than 300 different obstacles and expand its field of vision beyond the direction of travel. This allows it to effectively “see” around corners and respond in real time to pets, children, garden furniture, ornaments and other objects as it moves around the lawn.

Combined, the Mowbot 800RTK X, Mowbot 1500RTK X and preview of the 2027 Mowbot Edge demonstrate Cobra’s continued investment in next-generation robotic lawncare and make the 2026 showcase one of the most significant product showcases ever staged by the brand.

A major focus of the stand will also be the continued evolution of the Cobra Fortis range, including the Fortis Stadium 34 professional cylinder mower. Developed specifically for the sports turf market, the professional cylinder mower has been engineered to deliver the precision, consistency and finish demanded by stadiums, golf courses, cricket clubs and bowling greens.

Together, the Fortis Stadium 34 cylinder mower and new Fortis Rotary 34 underline Cobra’s growing commitment to the professional sports turf sector, combining robust engineering and exceptional cutting performance with the backing of Henton & Chattell’s established dealer support network.

The brand will also showcase its zero-turn and stand-on mowers. The new range includes the ZTR42L and ZTR50L zero-turn mowers alongside the ZTS32L and ZTS36L stand-on models. Designed for large estates, local authorities and landscapers maintaining larger areas, the machines feature heavy-duty cutting decks, premium engines and enhanced manoeuvrability to maximise productivity across demanding sites.

Henton & Chattell will also be showcasing a selection of models from the Billy Goat range. Built for demanding commercial applications, the range includes powerful leaf and litter vacuums, debris loaders, blowers, aerators, overseeders, scarifiers and turf renovation equipment. Designed to help contractors, grounds teams and landscaping professionals work more efficiently, Billy Goat machinery combines high performance, durability and user-friendly operation.

GroundsFest comes during a particularly significant year for Henton & Chattell, as the family business celebrates its 95th anniversary. Over nearly a century, the company has built a long-standing reputation for supplying quality garden machinery and supporting dealers across the UK, with Cobra becoming one of the country’s fastest-growing garden machinery brands.

Peter Chaloner, Managing Director of Henton & Chattell, said: “GroundsFest has become one of the standout events in the industry, bringing together dealers, contractors and grounds professionals from across the UK, so we’re delighted to be returning during such a significant year for our business.

“While celebrating our 95th anniversary gives us the opportunity to reflect on our heritage, it’s equally important to look ahead. Cobra has evolved dramatically in recent years and we’re continuing to invest heavily in new product development across domestic and professional markets. This year’s GroundsFest showcase reflects that ambition. From professional sports turf machinery and the latest robotic lawncare technology to new ride-on and lawnmower launches, we’re looking forward to showing visitors just how far the Cobra range has developed and where we’re taking the brand next.”

Representatives from the Henton & Chattell team will be available throughout GroundsFest to discuss the latest product launches, demonstrate the new machinery and talk to dealers, contractors and end users about the continued expansion of the Cobra range.

For more information on Cobra visit www.cobragarden.co.uk or to become a Cobra dealer, please contact Andy Marvin on 07771 581 296 or call our sales team 0115 986 6646.

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