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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AriensCo EMEAA – Leadership team complete

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AriensCo EMEAA – Leadership team complete: Just over a year ago, Jochen Schneider took over responsibility for the European, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Pacific region as Executive Vice President (EVP) EMEAA for the multi-brand company AriensCo.

Since then, intensive work has been done on the vision and organisational structure of the European AriensCo. With effect from 1 October 2022, the management team around Jochen Schneider is now complete.

AriensCo EMEAA - Leadership team complete

AriensCo EMEAA – Leadership team complete

“With immediate effect, we are setting out together with AriensCo to be the best partner for our dealers and customers in the core segments of high grass mowing, lawn care and snow clearance in EMEAA as well. I am particularly pleased that we have been able to fill many of the newly created management positions with existing employees from the production sites in Germany and England,” said Jochen Schneider as part oft he presentation of his management team.

Maria Lange takes up her new position as Vice President RapidCare EMEAA. She is responsible for technical support, order processing, logistics of spare parts and new equipment across all AriensCo product brands. Already well established in the US, Maria Lange intends to firmly install the RapidCare service brand in EMEAA as well. In order to be able to fully concentrate on this comprehensive task, she will hand over her management tasks at the Bühlertann location to EVP Jochen Schneider in the future.

Darren Spencer remains Managing Director at the UK site and also takes over responsibility for production at the sites in Germany and England as the Vice President of Plants with immediate effect. Darren Spencer has been part of the company for 32 years and has held various management positions at Great Haseley.

Stephen Kuester has been leading the engineering and product development teams in the UK for the past two years and will continue to lead this area as Vice President for Engineering and R&D for the entire EMEAA region with immediate effect. The engineer and product designer brings over 25 years of experience from various industrial sectors in leading positions.

The responsibilities of Georg-Otto Fuchs, Vice President Product Management & Marketing EMEAA, include the product and brand strategy for the entire region across all product brands as well as the AriensCo Academy. Previously Head of Marketing, Service and Product Management at AS-Motor he has been working successfully for the company for six years. In his new role he will work closely with sales and Brad Stiles, the Vice President Sales EMEAA. Brad Stiles has been active in this function since May 2022.

Finance, Human Resources and Information Technology

Mark Scavillo was appointed Senior Vice President Finance EMEAA in July this year. He is now also responsible for overseeing the Human Resources and IT functions within the business.
Tamara Hauenstein, who has been Head of Human Resources at the production site in Bühlertann for six years, now becomes Vice President Human Resources with immediate effect. The HR executive is a trained coach and trainer. Taking into account the AriensCo core values, Tamara Hauenstein will be responsible for the implementation of the HR strategy and measures derived from it for the EMEAA region in the future.

Wolfgang Fiedler, previously Head of Operations and IT at AS-Motor, is now responsible for the entire IT environment in the EMEAA region as Vice President Information Technology (IT). One of his tasks will be to unify the different systems at the various locations. His eleven years of experience at AS-Motor and previously at other companies in this field are an excellent basis to master this difficult task. The position of plant manager in Bühlertann is open and currently being advertised.

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SALTEX visitors up

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SALTEX visitors up: Pre-pandemic confidence has returned to SALTEX as nearly 15 percent more visitors attended the 2022 show.

Over 8,300 attendees from across the UK and over 50 countries streamed through the doors over the two-day event at Birimingham NEC, signaling a return to pre-pandemic levels.

SALTEX visitors up

SALTEX visitors up

These latest figures confirm the confidence of visitors and exhibitors in SALTEX as the industry’s must-attend event for all those involved in the groundscare and turfcare industries.

Geoff Webb, CEO of The Grounds Management Association (GMA), the event organisers says:

“SALTEX has long been the flagship show for the industry and, in its 76th year, showed that, after the challenges of the pandemic, confidence from both visitors and exhibitors has returned.

“With nearly 15 percent more visitors than the 2021 show, SALTEX delivered on offering visitors the widest array of equipment and products to explore, with over 400 brands on display, and offered exhibitors the largest audience to showcase their products to.

“As a not-for-profit, everything we earn gets ploughed back into the industry through investment in resources and initiatives that benefit the groundscare sector, so, with the 2022 show being such a hit, we look forward to beginning work on ensuring we build on this success and make the 2023 show even better for the sector.

“We look forward to welcoming everyone back at SALTEX from 01-02 November 2023.”

In recognition of current economic challenges, the GMA introduced a special show rate for 2022 exhibitors, meaning that exhibiting at the 2023 show will cost the same despite increases in interest rates and inflation. The response from exhibitors has seen the 2023 floorplan filling up quickly, a sign of the confidence in SALTEX and the quality of exhibition the GMA seeks to deliver.

The independently audited post-show survey is already underway which will shed insight into the effectiveness of the event for generating new leads and sales for exhibitors and the role SALTEX is perceived to play in overall business strategy for both its visitors and exhibitors. The results of these surveys will be published in due course.

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