GroundsFest gains momentum

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GroundsFest gains momentum: Following the successful launch of GroundsFest just over five weeks ago, an influx of exhibitors have already committed to the event.

Taking place at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire on 20 – 21 September, and dubbed as the event the industry has been waiting for, GroundsFest will bring together all grounds management sectors to build communities, nurture collaboration, and facilitate relationships that last.

GroundsFest gains momentum

GroundsFest gains momentum

The legacy of GroundsFest is also taking shape with profits going towards encouraging new people into the industry through funding apprenticeship programmes and also mental health first aid training specifically for grounds staff, greenkeepers and landscapers.

The trade’s top brands, suppliers, manufacturers, service providers and distributors will showcase and demonstrate their latest products at the event, which also features live working stations and a free education programme with an accredited training provider.

Commenting on Campey Turf Care Systems’ decision to exhibit at GroundsFest, Chairman Richard Campey said:

“The idea of a groundscare event in the UK which combines indoor and outdoor stand space, is particularly appealing to Campey Turf Care. There is no better way to prove how good your products are than to show them in action. This is what our customers ask for and we are delighted to be able to fill that request.”

Guy Overton, Director of Overton UK, is also upbeat about the event format.

“GroundsFest is a refreshing and exciting concept which will enable us to demonstrate our wide product portfolio in an outdoor setting. It is a great venue, at the right time of year, and we are really looking forward to it.”

Simon Christensen, Head of Marketing for Turf Tank, is looking forward to demonstrating the company’s innovative technology.

“We are excited to join GroundsFest 2023! As an outdoor show, we believe this to be the perfect environment for grounds managers to interact with machinery and see it live. We’re looking forward to meeting everyone in September and showing the Turf Tank robot in action!”

Charles Neale, GroundsFest’s Sales Director, is delighted with how the event is progressing.

“The support we have received for the event has been overwhelming – particularly so early in the show cycle. We are receiving new exhibitor enquiries daily and a large percentage of the floorplan has already been allocated.

“We have researched the market, talking to both exhibitors and visitors, listening, and learning, and feel confident that GroundsFest will deliver the best possible experience across its two days.”

For more information, visit www.groundsfest.com

You can also follow GroundsFest on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @GroundsFest for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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Carrier and Verti-Drain® combo keeps Warrenpoint GC

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Carrier and Verti-Drain® combo keeps Warrenpoint GC: For the first time in four years, the players at Warrenpoint Golf Club are going into the winter on main greens, thanks to an extensive aeration programme introduced by Head Greenkeeper Matt Purcell.

It’s also no coincidence that this year, Matt purchased a Redexim Carrier and Verti-Drain® 1513 allowing the team to effectively aerate all 18 greens in as little as a day – keeping them bone dry and proving themselves as fit for year-round play.

Carrier and Verti-Drain® combo keeps Warrenpoint GC

Carrier and Verti-Drain® combo keeps Warrenpoint GC

Warrenpoint is ranked as one of the top parkland courses in Northern Ireland, situated in the heart of County Down and surrounded by the Mourne Mountains on one side and Carlingford Lough on the other. Matt heads-up a maintenance team of five and, on joining the club in late 2021, took some soil samples on the greens which highlighted the need for some ‘TLC’. “Like a lot of golf clubs in Ireland, we were previously relying on contractors to come in and aerate, but my experience from working in clubs in England means I appreciate the multiple benefits that can be brought about with regular aeration every five to six weeks.”

“After speaking to the board, we invited Ian Lauder from Redexim and local dealer Cyril Johnston in with the Redexim Carrier and Verti-Drain®, which I had trialled at a previous club. I was no-less impressed seeing it the second time around! The great thing is that the implement can be used with the Carrier or swapped onto a tractor giving you complete flexibility, and a power unit that can then conduct other operations on the greens and tees” Matt explains.

Since the combination was purchased and delivered in March this year, Matt and the team have aerated all greens once a month, along with the tees twice and specific problem areas on some of the fairways. “This set-up is just brilliant. It is faster and wider than other comparable models meaning we can complete most of our greens in four or five passes, and all 18 greens in a day. The tyres are much better as well being slick, which means we can go anywhere with it and not have to plot a specific route around the course.”

The Redexim Carrier is powered by a 31hp engine and hydrostatic transmission which lends itself to high output and ease of operation. It can work with a variety of implements such as seeders, verti-cutters and in this instance the Verti-Drain® 1513 – a lightweight 1.3m model, working with 15o of heave and to a maximum depth of 6” making it ideal for use on sensitive turf areas.

Matt adds, “Time is of the essence with everything we do on the course. Not only do we need to be aerating when the conditions suit, but when we do the operation, we want to be round as quickly as possible so that the members can play golf. With this combination, we can now do both – delivering huge improvements to playability and course condition that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the players and the club.”

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Cold weather tips for machinery maintenance

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Cold weather tips for machinery maintenance: With driest summer in 40 years and a ‘triple dip El Nina’ expected to bring continued dry, cold weather into the winter months, the best thing turfcare professionals can do is be prepared when it comes to machinery maintenance – and for that Toro Parts and Reesink Turfcare have got customers covered.

Weather scientists have confirmed the rare meteorological ‘El Nina’ could stretch Britain’s drought emergency into next summer, and a dry winter after a dry summer means maintenance this winter will be focused on taking care of machinery working on dry, hard, unrelenting ground.

Cold weather tips for machinery maintenance

Cold weather tips for machinery maintenance

Aerating, mowing and scarifying is tough enough during winter let alone when the ground is overly dry, which means machines will be given a particularly tough work out. Bent and damaged tines and blades will be an issue, so the best advice is to have replacement stock of these in the workshop to avoid delays to schedules and unnecessary downtime.

But which parts to choose? Michael Hampton, parts manager at Reesink Turfcare, says: “Customers should consider the same rigorous criteria for choosing parts as they do when choosing a machine. Things like performance, quality of cut, longevity and return on investment, all stand up for parts too.

“Using parts that aren’t Toro Genuine Parts, especially in a Toro mower, can seriously damage the machine, and even risk damaging the cutting units. Choosing cheaper, less efficient alternatives is a false economy and will likely cost you more in the long run.”

Whether it’s wet or dry, cutting time is reduced in the winter months, which makes it the perfect time to take an in-depth look at the cutting unit. Keeping on top of general maintenance of filters and belts ensures machines operate to full capacity when the grass begins to grow come spring and blades need to be kept sharp throughout the season.

With a blade for all seasons, choosing Toro guarantees not only a perfect fit but one carefully crafted to suit specific turf needs. For example, the ‘Atomic’ blades are best in the winter months, perfect for mulching up leaves or for use with a recycling deck to mulch the grass.

Again, it helps to have these sorts of things in stock but if space is an issue Reesink has customers covered with its comprehensive stock of parts, from the great value MVP kits, to blades, tines and filters. Toro line items are available for delivery at 24 hours’ notice anywhere in the UK, or by transatlantic air freight service.

This represents the kind of reassurance Reesink wants to give turfcare professionals: minimum downtime, maximum productivity and more customer service – all at no extra cost.

Speaking of reassurance, there’s also Reesink’s ReeAssure scheme which offers maintenance service plans to remove the unknowns and make planning easy when it comes to machinery servicing. With the ability to mix and match three different service plans across machines, keeping your machinery fleet in optimum condition has never been easier.

To stock up on Toro parts or for winter machinery maintenance advice, customers can get in touch with their local Toro Genuine Parts dealer or service centre or contact Reesink via reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Kubota announces further expansion

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Kubota announces further expansion: Kubota (UK) Ltd is pleased to announce that Vincent Tractors & Plant has further widened its geographical area, reaching north east from its existing Devon and Cornwall locations with a new depot in Wellington, Somerset.

This progressive extension of the Vincent’s sales area and customer base sees the dealership expand into parts of Somerset, and north and east Devon with a fourth depot to support agricultural and groundcare customers throughout the South West of England.

Kubota announces further expansion

Kubota announces further expansion

“Vincent Tractors & Plant’s expansion continues to strengthen Kubota’s commitment to its customers and the markets in which our business operates,” says Henry Bredin, general manager of Kubota (UK)’s Tractor Business Unit. “This strategic expansion sees the Vincent family continue to develop its partnership with Kubota, as it actively supports a wider customer base in both agricultural and groundcare sectors.”

The additional depot complements existing locations in Holsworthy, north Devon, plus Smithaleigh near Plympton in south Devon, and the company’s headquarters in Fraddon, Cornwall. From Wellington, the company will provide sales, parts, service and support for the Kubota tractor and implement ranges, and Kubota groundcare equipment.

As Vincent Tractors & Plant’s newest Kubota centre, the Wellington depot officially opened its doors to customers on Thursday November 10th and includes extensive stores, showroom and workshop facilities, along with generous yard space that provides opportunities for growth as the business moves forward.

Easily accessed from J26 of the M5 and the north Devon link-road, the dealership is able to support customers in north Devon and Somerset, reaching north to Bridgwater, and east towards Axminster.

Serving agriculture, construction and grounds maintenance sectors across Cornwall for more than 50 years, the business that was started by Ken and Esme Vincent has recently welcomed third generation family members Alec and Nick Vincent into the fold. The brothers’ arrival, combined with ongoing business expansion – both geographically and with a diverse range of equipment – puts the dealership in a strong position to continue growing its customer base.

“We’re pleased to be a part of this exciting journey with Kubota, but just as importantly, we’re looking forward to welcoming new and existing agricultural and groundcare customers through the doors at Wellington,” says sales director Nick Vincent.

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Superior service seals the deal

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Superior service seals the deal: The combination of an Arborist 130 and SAFE-Trak 19-28 from GreenMech are proving the perfect pair for Heartwood Tree Care, providing Owner Gavin Coles the versatility he needs on his fleet to undertake both small domestic work and larger-scale commercial projects.

Gavin made the switch to GreenMech earlier this year following reliability and support issues with another manufacturer, both of which are now a thing of the past with his GreenMech pair delivering quality performance, backed-up with first class dealer support.

Superior service seals the deal

Superior service seals the deal

Gavin and his team of two undertake tree-works for customers and a number of large estates across Kent and the South East. “Each job poses different challenges, but the main one is normally access – whether we’ve got to work on small, tight driveways or get equipment across uneven or soft ground” explains Gavin, who established Heartwood Tree Care 17 years ago. “Because of this, we like having road-tow and tracked chipper options available to us, but after reliability problems and some lacklustre customer support I lost all confidence in our previous brand.”

“I hadn’t used GreenMech chippers before but got in touch with our local dealer GA Groundcare Ltd who invited me along to their depot, where I was instantly impressed by the quality and design of the machines. You can tell they’ve really thought about how we operate, and this was also clear in the demonstration I had so I went ahead and purchased the two units to run side-by-side.”

The GreenMech Arborist 130 is powered by a 23hp petrol engine and features a generous in-feed hopper and no-stress feed system to process bushy brash or timber of up to 6” with ease. Gavin adds, “The large infeed is brilliant at pulling in awkward shapes and as a road-tow unit, is super portable for jobs in residential areas or those further away where you don’t want to take a trailer.” Complementing his Arborist 130 is a GA Groundcare refurbished 19-28 SAFE-Trak, featuring a 7.5” chipping capacity and GreenMech’s patented SAFE-Trak system which, with impressive ground clearance of 550mm, allows for safe traversing of uneven ground of embankments of up to 35o.

“This SAFE-Trak is proving to be a ‘go anywhere’ machine, which saves us so much time and labour by being able to take the chipper exactly where we want to use it. The flywheel drive belt tensioning system and engine bay layout is also better and more accessible on these two GreenMech chippers compared to previous models I’ve used.”

Together with the impressive performance, Gavin has also been delighted with the service received throughout the purchasing process from GreenMech and Ashley Stevens at GA Groundcare. “From the first phone call it was evident Ashley really knew his stuff, there were no questions he couldn’t answer!” He concludes, “In this profession, issues are always bound to crop up but ultimately it’s about how quickly these can be resolved and with GreenMech I know I’m in safe hands.”

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