SCAG listen to their dealers

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SCAG listen to their dealers: STM Co now have the SFC 30 and its smaller brother the SFC 21 added to the impressive SCAG mower range. The SCAG Finish Mower is a credit to their principle of listening to the dealers.

Interest had been regularly expressed in having a small pedestrian mower to finish off after a large area cut with their other trusted SCAG machines – or just to have a regular-use walk-behind that they knew they could trust to do the job, withstand heavy use and last several seasons. The dealers knew this was the sort of product SCAG would make well by maintaining the quality of design and build that is synonymous with the name.

SCAG listen to their dealers

SCAG listen to their dealers

First off was the SFC 30; a tough machine to sit between a 36” cut mower and a commercial 14”. SCAG made a superb job of the unit, supplying it with several standard features: easy height adjustment, good range of handle angle, internally routed operating cables for snag protection and three cutting options of bag, side discharge or mulch. Swivelling front casters are an additional feature on the best-selling “S” version, as they greatly enhance manoueverability.

Engine options are 5 and 7hp Kohler Command units for the range.

Sales for the 30 have been good, and SCAG have decided to extend the range and introduce the smaller cut pressed SFC 21. No casters available on this model, but the three cut options of bag, mulch or side discharge remain, plus the two engine types.

The machines are available through the STM dealership network. To find your nearest dealer ring 01789 488450, email info@st-mach.com or look at our website www.st-mach.com

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Green-tech receives independent endorsement

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Green-tech receives independent endorsement: For the 12th consecutive year Green-tech has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 status.

ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are two of ISO’s most well-known quality standards, implemented by over a million organisations throughout the world.

Every year Green-tech is assessed in order to retain its accreditation status. After initial certification companies have a surveillance audit in years 1 and 2. Year 3 is a more rigorous and in-depth recertification audit. This audit is similar in detail and intensity to the pre-certification audit.

This year was a recertification audit for Green-tech. This audit looks more deeply into the holistic and global implications of the implementation strategy. It reviews the whole of Green-tech’s processes and systems from beginning to end, as well as investigating their continued commitment to continual improvement.

Green-tech’s Estimating & Compliance Manager Alice Birch comments, “This year the ISO Assessor reviewed our warehousing and distribution facilities and reviewed the Green-tech processes from start to finish. Our soil production area was chosen, and every aspect of the process was checked. Our reporting processes were put under the microscope, along with HR and compliance.  Our environmental and quality manuals and objectives were reviewed to ensure these were measurable and finally how we track risk management in the business was audited. It was a rigorous process but as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards are deeply embedded within our organisation and we have robust and structured systems in place we were able to easily demonstrate consistency and continuous improvement in our processes and service.”

ISO 9001 is a Quality Management System (QMS) which gives organisations a systematic approach for meeting customer objectives and providing consistent quality. ISO 14001 is an Environmental Management System (EMS) for measuring and improving environmental impact. It requires Green-tech to demonstrate that they have a sufficient environmental policy plan in place to manage their environmental impact.

The British Assessment Bureau is a leading Certification Body, that carries out the independent assessment to confirm and document that Green-tech runs its business in accordance with these rigorous standards.

Green-tech’s Business Development Director Mark Wood comments,

“We put a lot of effort into continuously maintaining and improving our quality and environmental impact standards. The audit is detailed and robust, so I’m delighted to have independent endorsement of Green-tech’s compliance.”

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Carnoustie Golf Links Plants 1000th Tree

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Carnoustie Golf Links Plants 1000th Tree: On Thursday 25th May 2023, Pat Sawers (Lord Lieutenant of Angus), Brian Boyd, Provost of Angus and Councillor David Cheape planted the 1000th sapling into the ground on The Carnoustie Buddon Course. In attendance was Michael Wells (Chief Executive of Carnoustie Golf Links), Craig Boath (Head of Sustainability at Carnoustie Golf Links), Simon Inger and Steven Reid (Seagreen) and local children from Carlogie and Burnside schools.

In 2018 Carnoustie Golf Links began working with Seagreen, a joint venture project between SSE Renewables and TotalEnergies, on a development that will provide Scotland, and the wider UK, with critical green infrastructure and will become Scotland’s largest and the world’s deepest offshore wind farm, helping to meet Scotland’s net-zero targets and tackle climate change. Part of this project required Carnoustie to fell or transplant 200 trees from the route along the new cables. In agreement with Angus Council, Carnoustie Golf Links were required to re-plant one tree for every tree that was felled. The Links then went one step further, not only committing to replacing all trees felled, but to plant a total of 1000 new trees across the courses.

Carnoustie Golf Links Plants 1000th Tree

Carnoustie Golf Links Plants 1000th Tree

Craig Boath, Head of Sustainability at Carnoustie Golf Links said: “We are dedicated to contributing to the natural environment of our courses. With an abundance of wildlife calling the Links ‘home’, we want to make sure that we both protect what we already have and enhance the eco-system for the future. Although there were a few delays on the way, the Seagreen Project felt a very natural opportunity to combine with and deliver our own planting project.”

The new trees at the Links will offset approx. 1,610 tonnes of carbon over their lifetime of roughly 40 years, helping the Links on their way to achieving their ambition of becoming a Carbon Net-Zero organisation.

Michael Wells, Chief Executive of Carnoustie Golf Links said: “Carnoustie Golf Links is dedicated to doing the right thing for our local community and the natural habitats that surround us. We took a big step this year in appointing the brand-new role of Head of Sustainability, a position focused on ensuring that we are doing all that we can to protect and enhance our environment. This tree planting project is one that the whole team have got behind, with many of our staff helping in the planting efforts and leaving a small but significant legacy on the Links.”

Seagreen’s Onshore Project Manager, Steven Reid said: “We have formed a good partnership with Carnoustie Golf Links as we have tried to minimise the impact and disturbance felt during the construction works of Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm, Seagreen. We’re pleased to have helped contribute to the number of trees being planted across the course at Carnoustie and to the overall ecology of the Golf Links as part of our project works.”

Carnoustie once again aims to lead the way, this time in the sustainability aspect of the business. The new Head of Sustainability role is a first for Carnoustie, and a rare position within the sport of golf.

Pat Sawers, Lord Lieutenant of Angus and past Chairman of CGLMC Ltd said: “As a current Season Ticket Holder at Carnoustie Golf Links, it’s wonderful to know that the team at the Links are taking the sustainability and ecology of the golf courses seriously. If we want our courses to flourish well into the future, we know that they need to be looked after, and should work harmoniously within the eco-system. It is a great honour to be involved in planting the 1000th tree in this admirable project.”

Brian Boyd, Provost of Angus said “I am extremely honoured to have the opportunity to plant the 1000th tree here at Carnoustie. The Links are very well placed to make a significant impact on the local natural environment and it’s excellent to see the great work that’s going on down here. I know that this is not the end of the tireless environmental work that is happening across the organisation and I look forward to seeing more projects like this coming to fruition in the future.”

Councillor David Cheape said: I am very proud to see a project like this taking place in my home town. As Convenor of Carnoustie Golf Links Community Benefits Programme, I often get to see much of the good work that goes on here at Carnoustie, and this is another project that I’m delighted to be part of. The golf courses at Carnoustie are excellent natural habitats and I hope that these new trees will benefit not only the wildlife on the courses, but also enhance the vistas for all of the local people who walk the courses.

In a bid to contribute further to the area of sustainability within the golf industry, Carnoustie are currently working with Bob Taylor and Sophie Olejnik, Ecological Consultants from The R&A with the purpose of delivering an exciting new 5-year project which has the aim of demonstrating the biodiversity value of golf courses. The R&A Sustainable Championship Agronomy Team have selected a series of exemplar Championship venues for this project to be undertaken, one of which is Carnoustie Golf Links. Although the study was to be contained only over The Carnoustie Championship Course, the scope has been widened to cover the whole estate. Carnoustie hopes to help by providing further evidence to illustrate that golf is good for the maintenance of natural habitats and biodiversity. The project will consist of a series of surveys including wildlife audits and habitat condition assessments. The information gathered will be used to inform the management of habitats to further enhance the golf course, and to develop a monitoring plan to be delivered over four years focussing on different groups of population across mammals, plants, invertebrates, herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) and birds. It is hoped that the project will be able to truly quantify the ecological value of golf.

Carnoustie Golf Links is not new to contributing to the nature on the courses, over the years, the Links have carried out a wealth of environmental projects with some highlights including Operation Pollinator – where wildflower seeds were sown throughout the courses (on areas out with play) and kidney vetch planting – to help encourage more Small Blue Butterflies to the area. Both projects were carried out with help from the local primary schools. Sea Pea planting has also taken place in conjunction with Dundee Botanic Gardens. Furthermore, managed turf areas have been cut down to increase habitat corridors and the acquisition of an Eco Green Composter has helped recycle turf, soil, and sand to create a great growing medium for future works on the Links.

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Van Vuuren Turf Harvesters Join Campey Range

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Van Vuuren Turf Harvesters Join Campey Range: Campey Turf Care Systems has added the Dutch-made Van Vuuren Turf Harvesters to their industry-leading staple of machines.

Van Vuuren has been the leading supplier of machinery for the turf industry since 1988, with their technological innovations offering turf growers optimal results under any circumstance.

Van Vuuren Turf Harvesters Join Campey Range

Van Vuuren Turf Harvesters Join Campey Range

Lee Morgado Sales Director of Campey is delighted to be adding the Van Vuuren equipment to the Campey line-up. “We’ve known the company a long time and have a good relationship with them. Together, we can provide the sales, service and back-up network to drive the whole range, in particular the The TurfTick® 2316 Universal Stacker and BigTick® 1040 turf harvester, forward in the UK and Ireland.”

The TurfTick® 2316 Universal Stacker and BigTick® 1040 turf harvester follow the traditional Campey attributes of being reliable, widely compatible, easy to maintain and user-friendly whilst excelling in their operation.

TurfTick® 2316 is the ultimate single-operator, Universal Stacker. Compact, proven, economical, and durable, it is ideal for turf growers with a harvesting capacity of approximately 900m2 per hour. Due to its compactness, the TurfTick® 2316 offers less downtime compared to other automated turf harvesters. This results in high production efficiency and low operating costs.

The high weight of the machine makes it possible to harvest a constant thickness of turf rolls, even under challenging conditions. In addition, several pallet sizes are stackable, with an optional injector for seven pallets.

The BigTick®1040 is durable, heavy in weight, and has a solid design. It is the best and most economical solution for harvesting high-quality large turf rolls. With the speed of operation offered by the BigTick®1040, a high production capacity of 2400 meters per hour is achieved.

A big turf roll has a maximum width of 40 inches (1m). Harvesting two 20-inch (0.5m) turf rolls is possible by installing the optional centre colter disk. This turf harvesting machine delivers consistent thickness and compact large turf rolls using top-quality blades to ensure first-class turf rolls.

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Agrovista Amenity looks to the future

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Agrovista Amenity looks to the future: Over 60 grounds professionals recently attended Agrovista Amenity’s The Future of Football Estate Management seminar, which was held at St George’s Park – the home of England’s national football teams.

Agrovista Amenity is committed to offering training and development and this insightful seminar focussed on the future of football estate management. Content included discussions on legislation, environmental pressures, fertiliser coating technology and nutrition, and ecology management.

Agrovista Amenity looks to the future

Agrovista Amenity looks to the future

The company joined forces with DLF, ICL, Campey Turf Care, and BASF to ensure the seminar programme featured a variety of expert speakers.

Andy Gray, Head of Grounds and Estates at St George’s Park, was delighted to host the seminar and stressed the importance of industry events: “Covid stopped events like this for a while, and it isn’t until they do stop that you realise how much you miss them,” he said.

“Throughout my career I have always found events such as these to be very beneficial – they are priceless in many ways.

“I’m very proud to show people what we have achieved in a small amount of time here. If one person takes just one thing away from what we do here at St George’s Park, then that is enough for me.”

Danny Stunt, Head of Grounds at Tonbridge School in Kent, was one of many delegates who benefitted from attending the seminar: “To visit St George’s Park was amazing and the event has given me something to aspire to. Not only that, but it has showed me how to get there. This has been the best place to come to help further my career.

“We are very invested in ecology and sustainability so to find out more about that was fantastic,” continued Danny. “I will be going away and introducing wildflowers to certain areas at the school, and I will be putting lots of things I have learnt today into practice.”

Joe Berry, Head Groundsman at Bristol City FC’s training ground, was particularly interested in finding out more about BASF’s Attraxor® plant growth regulator: “I am planning on using this product soon, so to see the presentation on that was very helpful. It has given me the confidence to go and use it during the grow-in period – which is what I was hoping to achieve by attending today.

“Events like this are very important to not only experience new products but also to speak to people in the industry and pick their brains about what they might be doing on their sites at different times of the year. The more we talk to one another the more we learn from one another.”

Pete Ashworth, Head Groundsman for Preston North End FC agreed: “It has been brilliant to come to this stunning venue to see old and new friends – it is great to share stories with one another and catch up. Sometimes you get stuck in a rut with products and other things, so it is good to get out and learn about new technologies. Going around the pitches at St George’s Park and seeing what Andy and the team do here has helped me to pick up a few new ideas.”

Reflecting on the seminar, Dan Hughes, Agrovista Amenity’s Head of Commercial, said: “It is really important for us to bring experts and expertise together. When you put professional turf managers together, they start sharing their problems and solutions; and at Agrovista, it is core to our ethos to facilitate that. I hope that today has inspired ideas to focus on, and the future challenges we will be presented with. I would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone that attended.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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