GGM Group complete Manchester 10K

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GGM Group complete Manchester 10K: The GGM Group have demonstrated that they always go the extra mile – by taking on the Manchester 10k in the name of their company charity last weekend.

While for most of us, Bank Holidays weekends are for relaxation, a team from the firm took on the challenge as part of the GGM Group’s wider commitment to The North West Air Ambulance.

GGM Group complete Manchester 10K

GGM Group complete Manchester 10K

The five-strong team from GGM Group took to the streets of Manchester in the AJ BELL Great Manchester run, with fund-raising over 70% of their £10000 target.

The GGM Group selected North West Air Ambulance as their group charity for 2024, and employees are taking part in many different activities to raise vital funds for this worthy cause. The charity exists to bring the hospital to patients with a vision to fly the most advanced medical crew and equipment to people when and where most needed. It is entirely funded by charitable donations. The charity is currently attempting to raise £12 million to co-incide with their 25th birthday year.

Rebekah Bullen Calderbank from the charity said:

“The Great Manchester Run is a fantastic event for us, and this year was our biggest yet with over 100 runners! We are so grateful for all the support from GGM and for taking part in the event. It was great to see them on the day, at our stand in the charity village. They have raised an incredible amount so far which will help us continue saving lives across the North West”.

The GGM Group consists of two businesses across two depots in Haycock and Colne. GGM Group is a specialist supplier of tractors and high-quality professional land-based equipment for commercial and domestic use. Servicing the North West and Yorkshire, it supplies a range of products from leading franchises including Kubota, Baroness and Amazone. PSD Groundscare is the national distributor of specialist landscaping equipment, including Canycom, Eliet, Koppl and SABO.

Chris Gibson, Managing Director of The GGM Group completed the challenge. He said:

“The Manchester 10k was a great event and I am very proud of all of the team. I personally hadn’t run in over 40 years and a year ago decided that the 10k would be my target. I was really pleased to  cross the finish line in 1 hour 16 minutes, with the support of a great team.

“It was great that a number of our team and families took the time to come into Manchester to support the runners.

“It’s a key part of our ethos at GGM Group to give something back to the community and we are delighted to be working with the North West Air Ambulance this year. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to all our suppliers,  customers, families and friends who’ve generously donated in support of our efforts

You can support this worthy cause by donating at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/the-ggm-group.

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ICL Announces Allan Wainwright as New Sales Manager

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ICL Announces Allan Wainwright as New Sales Manager: ICL is pleased to announce the appointment of Allan Wainwright as Sales Manager for the UK and Ireland Landscape & Industrial sectors. Allan joins ICL from Hozelock, where he effectively managed the UK&I Sales for the Commercial division, showcasing his capacity for building relationships and enhancing sales within the lawn, landscape, and industrial sectors.

Before joining Hozelock, Allan’s career included a significant period at Vitax, which equipped him with valuable market insights and customer engagement strategies.

ICL Announces Allan Wainwright as New Sales Manager

ICL Announces Allan Wainwright as New Sales Manager

Upon accepting his new role, Allan said, “I’m thrilled to join ICL and contribute to our sectors’ growth. It’s a great chance to use my skills where they matter most, and I’m eager to help take our team to the next level.”

Lewis Blois, Business Development Manager for ICL’s Landscape & Industrial division, noted “Bringing Allan into our team reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthen our market position by incorporating experienced professionals. His background and approach to account management and sales are well-suited to our objectives.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-growingsolutions.uk and icl-growingsolutions.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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Acuspray keeps large lawns in tip-top condition

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Acuspray keeps large lawns in tip-top condition: For professional arable farmer Michael Godfrey, investing in accurate, reliable and efficient spraying equipment that delivers excellent results is always important – regardless of whether he’s running his agricultural business, Godfrey Farms, or simply spraying the extensive lawns which surround the family home.

Michael, based near Bluntisham in Cambridgeshire, is very much “hands-on” in running the family farming business, so time – or lack of it – is his biggest challenge when it comes to maintaining the significant area of manicured lawn that makes up the bulk of his garden.

Acuspray keeps large lawns in tip-top condition

Acuspray keeps large lawns in tip-top condition

Michael says” Although I’d never describe myself as a professional groundsman, I am a keen gardener and with several hundred square meters of fine lawn to maintain, a traditional knapsack sprayer simply doesn’t offer the capacity or accuracy level I require.

“In the 1990’s I worked closely with Techneat Engineering to help them manufacture the Autocast V2, a broadcasting system for oilseed rape and cover crops that I originally designed, so I’m well aware of their reputation for manufacturing high quality machinery. When Techneat Technical Manager James English approached me to trial the companies’ Acuspray pedestrian sprayer, I was more than happy to work with them again.

“The machine is lightweight, quick to set up and easy to use featuring a unique wheel driven pump that produces an accurate, repeatable application rate for applying a wide range of liquid fertilisers, moss treatments and other turfcare products. Key design features include a 1m spray width boom and a 25L tank capacity, enough to cover 625m2 of lawn.

“Overall build quality on the Acuspray is excellent with non-drip nozzle valves and nozzle filters fitted as standard. Additional options include bout markers, a boom cover and a spray control lever. The machine is virtually noise-free, meaning I can use it early in the morning or in the evening without disturbing anyone in the house and the productivity, ease of use and accuracy of the Acuspray is far superior to a knapsack sprayer.

“There’ve been no maintenance issues since I acquired the Acuspray, it has a high level of build quality, it’s quiet, simple to operate and for a large garden like mine where frequent lawn treatments are required, it’s the perfect pedestrian sprayer” concludes Michael.

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Bernhard and Company announces exclusive Norwegian distributor

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Bernhard and Company announces exclusive Norwegian distributor: Bernhard and Company has announced a renewed partnership with Norwegian distributor, Tveit Park. The brand-new deal will see Tveit Park become Bernhard’s exclusive distribution partner in Norway.

Bernhard and Company and Tveit Park have enjoyed a long partnership, having worked together for more than nine years. Under new ownership in 2024, Tveit Park will be the exclusive distribution partner for Bernhard and Company in Norway, and the only place to buy the company’s industry leading products and solutions.

Bernhard and Company announces exclusive Norwegian distributor

Bernhard and Company announces exclusive Norwegian distributor

“At Bernhard and Company, we continue to reinvest in relationships that we know work,” said Steven Nixon, Managing Director for Bernhard and Company. “We are delighted to be extending our agreement with Tveit Park as our exclusive distributor in Norway, and are confident that Frode Tjelta and his growing team are the perfect people to help take our business forward in the region.”

Managing Director for Tveit Park, Frode Tjelta, added: “We are proud to be the sole distributor for Bernhard and Company products and solutions in Norway. Having worked with Bernhard and Company for many years, we understand their products and know that their production quality and attention makes them stand out as an industry leader. It’s important for us to align ourselves with brands that drive the turf industry forward, so we’re excited to be working as their exclusive distributor.”

To kick off the new agreement, the Tveit Park team visited the UK for product and service training at Bernhard and Company’s Haverhill factory facility. In addition, the team has been busy visiting customers all over Norway with Bernhard and Company’s European Territory Manager, Paul Wilcox.

Bernhard and Company products available through Tveit Park in Norway include the renowned Express Dual and Anglemaster ranges of grinding machines, in addition to small machines and accessories.

Bernhard and Company grinding machines are used by more than 65 per cent of the world’s top 100 golf courses to ensure perfect, tournament-ready playing conditions year-round, while the company’s turf management solutions and educational support are utilised at major sporting events around the globe.

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Kubota tractors the workhorses for Warwick Castle

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Kubota tractors the workhorses for Warwick Castle: A trio of Kubota tractors have proven themselves to be capable workhorses for the entire facilities operation at Warwick Castle.

With 64 acres of vast and varied historical landscape to maintain, Grounds and Gardens Manager Tony Cameron explains how – alongside some more obscure uses – the L2622, L4240 and B2261 are responsible for towing the mowers that cut 95% of the turfed areas, with the assistance of their F3890 out-front mower also from Kubota!

Kubota tractors the workhorses for Warwick Castle

Kubota tractors the workhorses for Warwick Castle

Built by William the Conqueror during 1068, Warwick Castle has played a crucial role in shaping British history. More than 950-years on, the ancient walls surround an array of lawns and gardens, a ‘Horrible Histories’ maze and a glamping site not to mention a new 60-bed hotel and grounds, opening in July 2024, and providing the platform for year-round events. With so much to maintain, the key for Grounds and Gardens Manager Tony when it comes to machinery, is reliability which he says he’s enjoyed with the Kubota fleet he’s built up over his 12-year tenure.

“We’ve had other tractors and ride-on mowers in the past which always seemed to have one problem or another. Together with having all-important kit out of action, we also found frustrating delays in getting these issues fixed” Tony says. “The first Kubota we purchased was the L4240 six or seven years ago which, to date, remains faithful and versatile – it’s basically bulletproof. Whether we’re towing implements or trailers, this is our go-to for a range of maintenance tasks around the site.”

Since then, Tony has purchased the larger 62hp L2622 equipped with forks, and the smaller B2261 compact tractor from Richard Lucas at Hunts Engineering – the latter delivered in August 2023.  “The L2622 is big and powerful, making light work of towing our large-area mower to cut big spaces quickly. Any deliveries we get, the L2622 is there to unload and move materials around the site. It get’s a lot of use… even coming in to lift the trebuchet recently when the winch failed!”

“The B2261 is another great bit of kit that can get to all the areas the larger tractors can’t, towing smaller mowers and will be loaned to the jousting team to operate the grading equipment used to level the arena.”

Complementing the fleet of tractors and providing the solution for embankment mowing and cutting in wet conditions, is an F3890 from Kubota’s F-Series. With a 60” rotary deck, rear discharge and auto-assist 4wd as standard, it brings Kubota finesse and reliability to even the most demanding of mowing operations. “This is used on all the formal areas where it’s more challenging to manoeuvre a tractor, as well as around the many obstacles within the glamping site. We use this wherever we can, our moat ditch and the riverbank are another couple of examples, and it leaves a fantastic finish whether it’s wet or dry.”

Tony concludes, “With Kubota we know we’re going to get user-friendly and well-built bits of equipment, powered by good engines and that ultimately do a good job. The support we’ve received from Hunts Engineering has also been first-class, with outstanding responsiveness from Richard and the team whenever we’ve had a question or query. It ticks every box for us.”

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