Obituary: Bill Hawthorn

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Obituary: Bill Hawthorn: It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the death of William Douglas Hawthorn, otherwise known as Bill Hawthorn, who died peacefully at home on Friday 3rd November 2023 at the age of 89, surrounded by his loving family.

Bill will be remembered for many achievements in his life. His ‘can do’ approach and eternal optimism, together with his ongoing desire to help and support those around him, made him an unstoppable character. He was a generous, kind, loving and forgiving man who possessed an unyielding faith. In his profession, he was a brilliant pump engineer who dedicated most of his professional life to the water industry as it expanded over more than six decades.

Obituary: Bill Hawthorn

Obituary: Bill Hawthorn

In a professional capacity, Bill will be widely recognised for his contribution and support to the golf industry, to which he dedicated 53 years of his life. He is considered one of the early pioneers of the golf irrigation industry by starting up, along with his co-founder Robin Sitwell, one of the most successful irrigation contracting and manufacturing companies in Europe, if not the world. Watermation, registered in 1970, continued for over 30 years and installed irrigation systems across Europe and as far away as Asia, the USA, Barbados and New Zealand. Watermation is famous for manufacturing its own impact rotors and ‘ahead of its time’ two-wire technology in the form of TW2 and decoders, some of which continue to operate today, 30 years after they were installed. Bill leaves a legacy of innovation and forward thinking, and many in our industry today are indebted to Bill for setting them on a path to success during the period of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s when golf and the development of the game expanded rapidly around the world. Bill may never have fully appreciated the impact he had on the industry and the individuals who have worked, and continue to work, in it.

Bill leaves behind his wife Eileen, two daughters, a daughter-in-law, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, plus two sons-in-law who still work in the industry he inspired to become the success it is today.

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Kubota announces new aftersales dealer managers

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Kubota announces new aftersales dealer managers: Kubota (UK) Ltd is pleased to announce that Krissi Holt and Neil Scott have been appointed as aftersales dealer managers for Kubota agricultural, groundcare and construction equipment.

These new roles follow internal promotion and expansion at Kubota, and represent additional investment in aftersales, creating further dealer support for parts supply, service knowledge and warranty within Kubota’s ongoing dealer development programme. The aftersales dealer manager role is one that adds value to the customer service experience by improving the relationship between dealer and customer.

Kubota announces new aftersales dealer managers

Kubota announces new aftersales dealer managers

Supporting the dealer network across the East and South East of England, Krissi Holt joins the business with 10 years of industry experience. Krissi’s last six years were with Lister Wilder as a service manager before progressing to a pre-delivery inspection centre as a key account manager.

“Having worked in a dealership I have a thorough understanding of the challenges that dealers face,” said Krissi. “And that past experience certainly helps in my role as an aftersales dealer manager, to support their businesses.”

“Being able to work directly for a manufacturer is the career progression I sought, and with Kubota, my new role opens up many more possibilities beyond working solely within the groundcare sector,” said Krissi.

The second new appointment is Neil Scott, who is Kubota’s aftersales dealer manager for agricultural, groundcare and construction equipment covering the Midlands, North West of England and Wales.

Neil brings with him 11 years of industry experience, having worked for two Cheshire-based dealerships – the latter as parts manager for Cheshire Farm Machinery.

“I was always interested in tractors and machinery, even at school,” recalled Neil. “And after I completed higher education at Reaseheath College, I saw opportunities to progress through the trade working with high-profile dealerships. When my Kubota aftersales dealer manager was promoted, I saw an opening to further develop my career by joining a manufacturer.”

Commenting on the new aftersales dealer manager roles, Kubota’s agricultural and groundcare sales manager Tim Yates said: “This is a great opportunity to further develop the support available for our dealers, as we continue to reach many more customers across the industries in which we operate.”

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Bernhard and Company embarks on global trade show tour

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Bernhard and Company embarks on global trade show tour: Industry-leader in turf sharpening equipment and management solutions, Bernhard and Company, has embarked on an exciting run of global turf trade shows throughout the autumn and winter in the UK, USA, Asia, and Australia.

Bernhard and Company will be showcasing its full range of turf care solutions including reel grinders, bedknife grinders, and smaller machinery, in addition to its distribution products (in applicable regions), SubAir, Soil Scout, and TurfBreeze. Visitors will also be able to view product and service videos and learn more about Bernhard and Company’s revered aftersales service. Bernhard will be in a bespoke booth at each show to enhance the experience of its visitors to ensure they get the most out of their visit.

Bernhard and Company embarks on global trade show tour

Bernhard and Company embarks on global trade show tour

Bernhard and Company has a rich history of attendance at trade shows and conferences around the globe, having first exhibited at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show as early as 1995.

“We have been able to gain a great deal of insight and expertise from the industry by exhibiting and being present at trade shows around the world,” said Steven Nixon, Managing Director for Bernhard and Company. “Each of these shows is a great opportunity for us to get in front of customers, prospective customers, and industry friends – it’s really valuable time for us.”

Bernhard and Company began its trade show swing last week in Japan, at the Japan Turf show at the Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Centre. Bernhard and Company exhibited on the Kyoeisha booth, with Express Dual, Anglemaster, and Dual Master machines on display. Both Kyoeisha and Bernhard and Company ran seminars on each day of the event.

As proud members and partners of BIGGA, the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association, the Bernhard and Company team will be back in the UK for BTME, BIGGA’s turf exhibition hosted at the Harrogate Convention Centre between January 23-25, 2024. BTME features an unmissable mix of exhibition, education, conferences, and brilliant networking opportunities, and Bernhard will be located in Hall 5, stand number 534. As the distribution partner for the UK and Ireland, Bernhard and Company will also be exhibiting the latest Soil Scout technology at BTME.

Additionally, representatives of the Bernhard Academy will be positioned on stand 534 at BTME. The Bernhard Academy is the turf industry’s foremost education provider and has recently unveiled its all-new programme of educational courses that are now available for booking at its three Academy sites around the UK, via the new Bernhard Academy website. The Bernhard Academy team will be on hand to answer questions about the workshops and educational opportunities.

Prior to the start of BTME, the Bernhard Academy team will be delivering a three-day course as part of BTME’s Continue to Learn programme. The ‘Grinding Perfection and Cutting Unit Setup’ workshops were among the first courses to sell-out immediately after launch.

The GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in the USA will take place in Arizona at the Phoenix Convention Centre from January 29-February 1, 2024. It is the premier networking and learning environment for golf course and facility management professionals from North America and around the world. Bernhard and Company will be located at stand 5109.

Each year, Bernhard and Company selects 10 BIGGA members (announced at BTME) to accompany them to the GCSAA conference in the USA, to experience the show, take part in numerous educational experiences, and visit local golf facilities.

Slightly later in the year, Bernhard and Company will visit the Australian ASTMA (Australian Sports Turf Managers Association) show between June 17-20 in Brisbane. The Bernhard and Company booth will be located at stand number 47, and in addition to its market-leading products, Bernhard will also be exhibiting SubAir and TurfBreeze products, as the distribution partner in the region.

KNOW BERNHARD AND COMPANY?

A specialist in sports turf technology, Bernhard and Company is committed to providing leading turf care solutions to golf course and pitch care specialists worldwide. The Company offers innovative and market leading blade sharpening systems as well as sports surface air movement and moisture control solutions.

With over 150 years of being at the sharp end of the industry the Bernhard and Company product portfolio is focused on providing its global customer base with championship turf, world-class playability, and unbeatable quality of cut. Bernhard and Company’s turf health solutions are used at top 100 courses and famous sporting venues around the world – there must be a reason why. For more information, visit www.bernhard.co.uk.

Find Bernhard and Company on their official social media channels:

  • Twitter – @BernhardCompany
  • Facebook – Bernhard Company
  • Instagram – @BernhardCompany
  • LinkedIn – Bernhard Company

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Hat trick for Toro at Middlesbrough

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Hat trick for Toro at Middlesbrough: Four pitches at Middlesbrough Football Club’s training ground at Rockliffe Park are seeing the results from improved accuracy, full coverage and the powerful control from a new Toro irrigation system.

According to Jack Cunningham, senior grounds supervisor, the growing-in process was the best it’s ever been, management and players, including the first team, have nothing but good feedback and the problems caused by having a windy site have become a thing of the past.

Hat trick for Toro at Middlesbrough

Hat trick for Toro at Middlesbrough

The club invested in the Toro Lynx LAC control system, 54 Infinity sprinklers and 74 B Series sprinklers with Turf Cups in phase one of a project which will, in time, see another two pitches follow suit.

Here, Jack discusses the highlights of the new system: “There’s a lot to like about this combination,” he says. “We’ve never had this level of consistency. The LAC system and being able to control the water application with pinpoint accuracy from a desktop or mobile device is a game-changer.”

Then there’s the B Series sprinklers with their trajectory settings, about which Jack says: “We have a windy site and the B Series trajectory settings means that’s now not a problem. They’re easily altered to counteract the wind and achieve consistent coverage.

“We also love how using the back nozzle doesn’t affect the front nozzle and how we can use the same set of parts for the perimeter and in-field sprinklers. It makes life really easy.”

As expected a highlight of the Infinity sprinklers is that they’re top accessible: “Being able to take the top off, which is easy by the way, change the decoders, alter trajectories, all without having to dig the heads out and risk damage to the turf is very very good,” Jack explains. “On top of that, it’s possible to turn the sprinkler by hand and not damage the gearing.”

All in all, it’s a winning combination for the club as Jack confirms: “Getting the surfaces ready for day-to-day training now is easy and we’ve benefitted massively from essentially being able to personalise the irrigation to suit the site and its specific requirements.

“Using the moisture control I put the water where I want it, in the quantity I want it, which means it’s not just the grow-in which has been the best ever but the subsequent maintenance of the quality of the playing surfaces.”

Choosing Toro was an easy decision for Jack, fueled by the relationship, back-up and aftercare service he knew he’d get from distributor Reesink Hydro-Scapes, says Jack: “We trialled the sprinklers and they were the most effective, and that coupled with the technical support and how nothing was too much trouble meant I just had faith in them from the beginning.”

To see how Toro irrigation can benefit your course, call Reesink Hydro-Scapes on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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GMA appoints two new board members

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GMA appoints two new board members: Following the Annual General Meeting for GMA members, the GMA appointed two new members to its Board of Directors – Jim Buttar, Grounds and Technical Operations Lead at the Rugby Football Union, and Phil Fifield, Head Grounds Person at Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.

The Annual General Meeting took place on 22 November, where GMA members were invited to vote on several resolutions including two nominations for new appointments to the GMA’s Board, as well as one nomination for re-appointment.

GMA appoints two new board members

GMA appoints two new board members

The first Board position up for nomination was for Sector Director for Professional Sport, currently held by David Roberts of Training Unlimited, previously Senior Manager of Grounds at Liverpool Football Club. With David having reached the end of his 9-year tenure in the role, his position was open for new nominations where Jim Buttar was voted-in to fill the vacant position.

Jim has over 26 years’ extensive experience of hands-on management in the sports turf industry, which began as an apprentice at a private school in Cambridgeshire.

Through his journey in elite football, combining his passionate approach, leading by example and with his management ability, Jim has successfully delivered surfaces for several leagues and competitions across the world. Including the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA European Championship qualifiers and World Cup qualifiers, and recently the African Nations Cup.

His latest role is leading the grounds team at the RFU managing the Twickenham stadium pitch, producing high quality surfaces for international and domestic competitions. Alongside this he has the responsibility of advising on strategy for the Rugby Grounds Connected programme for volunteer grounds people.

The GMA’s Board also approved the addition of another Independent Director, Phil Fifield. Phil has worked in the grounds management sector since his first day as an apprentice at Portsmouth FC in 2005 to his present role as Head Groundsperson at Brighton and Hove Albion FC.

Throughout his time in the industry, Phil has worked in all four professional leagues as a Head Groundsman and has also worked in consultancy and advisory roles. His time in the industry has seen him visit 30 countries across 5 continents as a turf-care professional.

His passion and drive to push himself and grow in his professional role has taken Phil to positions where he has been able to provide services, offer staff training, support tournament delivery and pitch development programs for a number of iconic sporting institutions, including FIFA, UEFA, CAF and AFC for men’s, women’s and youth events.

With a belief that the key fundamentals for growth and development in the sports turf sector are education, sustainability and staff welfare, Phil hopes to lend his expertise and experience to the GMA in helping build on these three foundational pillars, helping to develop the grounds care industry, and those within it, for a better future.

Along with Jim and Phil’s additions to the Board, existing Board member, Kimyo Rickett was successfully re-elected in her position as Sector Director for Local Authorities.

Commenting on the changes to the Board, GMA CEO, Geoff Webb says:

“Our Board is essential in steering the direction of the GMA and ensuring activity aligns to our strategy, so it is vital that we have experienced and knowledgeable Directors on the Board.

“Jim and Phil fit that description perfectly – both will bring insights and perspectives to the Board that will ensure the GMA delivers what it is that our members, and the wider industry, want from us. I’m also delighted that Kimyo will be staying on as Sector Director for Local Authorities. Her experience gained from over 30 years spent working for various Local Authorities and sporting bodies will ensure that this important sector within the wider grounds management community remains central to future GMA activity.

“Finally, I want to say a huge thank you to David Roberts who leaves the Board having come to the end of this 9-year tenure as a Board member. David has supported the GMA in making significant progress during this time and we are all extremely grateful for his contribution.”

You can find out more about the GMA Board, and its members, at: https://www.thegma.org.uk/who-we-are/whos-who/meet-board

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