Bernhard and Company Mourns Passing of Stephen Bernhard

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Bernhard and Company Mourns Passing of Stephen Bernhard: Bernhard and Company is deeply saddened to announce that its founder, Stephen Bernhard, passed away peacefully at the weekend at the age of 79.

Stephen was a visionary leader whose influence shaped not only Bernhard and Company, but the global turf and agronomy industries. His passions for innovation, education, and excellence have inspired generations of turf professionals and remain embedded in the culture and values of the company today.

Bernhard and Company Mourns Passing of Stephen Bernhard

Bernhard and Company Mourns Passing of Stephen Bernhard

Stephen founded Bernhard and Company in the early 1980’s and over several decades, guided the business from its roots in precision engineering and horticulture to become a world-renowned leader in turf technology. His philosophy, that success comes from continuous learning, collaboration, and a genuine care for the craft, continues to define how the company operates and serves its customers across the world.

Driven by his belief in lifelong education, Stephen established the Bernhard Academy in 2019, designed to provide outstanding opportunities for professional growth and knowledge sharing within the turf industry. His commitment to nurturing talent and supporting others has touched an immeasurable amount of lives and careers, and his legacy will continue to inspire the next generations of turf professionals for years to come.

Throughout his distinguished career, Stephen contributed enormously to the advancement of the industry. For more than 25 years, he was actively involved with the BIGGA Delegation, providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for British turf professionals to visit the USA’s GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, in the process mentoring and supporting countless individuals. His achievements were recognised with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade 2008 – an honour he was immensely proud of. Most recently, at this year’s BTME, Stephen was also awarded BIGGA’s Outstanding Contribution Award, recognising his lifelong dedication to supporting the industry that he so much loved.

Steven Nixon, Managing Director of Bernhard and Company, said: “Stephen’s passing is an immense loss to the global turf industry and to all of us at Bernhard and Company. His influence is felt in every part of our business – in the way we innovate, the way we work, and the way we support each other and our customers. Over his many years of involvement with the BIGGA Delegation and beyond, he touched so many lives with his generosity, wisdom, and passion. His legacy will continue for years to come, inspiring us to uphold the values he lived by every day.”

Stephen will be remembered as a pioneer, mentor, a friend, and a man whose vision and compassion transformed an industry and built a company that continues to thrive on the foundations he laid.

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Price Turfcare and Ventrac at SALTEX 25

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Price Turfcare and Ventrac at SALTEX 25: Price Turfcare, Ventrac distributor for the UK and Ireland, will be exhibiting the versatility of the Ventrac 4520 tractors and the ever growing range of attachments for all seasons.

Specifically, this year, some winter attachments will be showcased on our static stand, E042. The Ventrac SB350 brine application unit holds 132 litres of liquid which can be precisely applied with the 1.2m to 2.1m boom. Steps and other tight spaces can be accessed by using the standard spray wand with 2.4m hose. This is adequate capacity for brine application on pavements, walkways and other transitional areas. Brine has the advantage over rock salt in that it has a more immediate effect when dispensed, requires less salt overall and creates a liquid barrier on hard surfaces preventing snow and ice from sticking. In addition, Price Turfcare will have a live demo area, F001.

Price Turfcare and Ventrac at SALTEX 25

Price Turfcare and Ventrac at SALTEX 25

Here we will demonstrate the 30deg climbing ability of the 4520 and the ease and speed with which attachments can be mounted onto the tractor.

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Three deals in for Toro at Little Aston

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Three deals in for Toro at Little Aston: Little Aston Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield, one of the highest ranked parkland courses in England, has signed its third five-year agreement with Toro and Reesink Turfcare taking their partnership to 15 years.

Iain Burns, Club Manager, says the enduring relationship is down to trust in the brand:

“We’re delighted to continue our excellent relationship with Toro as we believe they are the best in the business when it comes to the provision of cutting machinery. This marks the beginning of a third five-year term which consolidates our trust and satisfaction in the Toro brand and performance.”

Three deals in for Toro at Little Aston

Three deals in for Toro at Little Aston

In a deal worth roughly half a million pounds, it guarantees the club longevity, reliability, and durability for its turfcare equipment according to Course Manager David Gibbons: “In our opinion, Toro machinery offers the best overall performance for the type of maintenance required at Little Aston Golf Club. With no onsite mechanic, we need hard wearing machinery with a good finish for the level of presentation you’d expect for a top 100 England golf course.

“Our team is familiar with it – how to use and look after it, and it is robust and well made, meaning that after five years the machinery is still in good working order and holding a good price.”

The relationship with Reesink also plays a significant part in the decision and just gets better with time, says David. “While Toro is globally recognised as the leading mower manufacturer, Reesink brings an enormous amount to the table too.

“Financially the club needs to be happy with the price and overall deal. We look for solid warranties, discounts on parts, good support from a machinery point of view and investment in the team with training and greenkeeper education.

“Then we come back to that word trust. We trust Reesink will keep us up to date with alternative or new machinery, we trust we’ll get help with demonstrations as we consider new technology, and we trust they will advise us about any new machines that can do the job better.”

On that note, while the club will “happily replace like for like if it’s the best option, we still always ask if there are any new machines available that can do the job better,” says David.

“For example, we have been building bunkers, and found that the Toro Reelmaster 3100 with the SideWinder technology is the best mower for maintaining bunker banks. It really helps with the undulations and has a patented front unit sliding control for safety when near the edges.”

That’s another advantage with the machinery delivery being spread over the years, “we have time to evaluate the current machine before the next term and adjust accordingly to changing priorities and projects underway,” concludes David.

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Baroness to showcase cutting edge solutions at SALTEX

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Baroness to showcase cutting edge solutions at SALTEX:  Baroness is pleased to be returning to SALTEX once again alongside Kubota, showcasing a range of cutting edge maintenance solutions on stand E060.

Visitors can expect to see highlights from the LM range, including the LM551B fairway mower, LM351 triple surrounds mower and the LM56GC pedestrian mower on show alongside a range of implements from the professional Baroness maintenance range such as the AgriMetal Turbine Blower TB-270.

Baroness to showcase cutting edge solutions at SALTEX

Baroness to showcase cutting edge solutions at SALTEX

Renowned for precision, durability and industry-leading cut quality, the LM mower range embodies Baroness’s core values of engineering excellence, ease of operation and exceptional results. From the versatile LM551B with its outstanding contour-following capabilities, to the highly manoeuvrable LM351, turf managers can be assured a consistent cut from blades and cylinders which stay on cut up to three times longer than the competition.

The LM56GC from the Baroness pedestrian range will also be on display. Built to provide the highest quality finish on fine turf areas such as golf greens, tennis courts and cricket wickets, the LM56GC is completely gear driven – making the mower easier to maintain and more durable in operation compared to other machines that utilise belt or chain drive systems. It is also supported with an impressive five year warranty.

Besides an impressive mower line-up, Baroness will also be bringing the TB-270 Turbine Blower from AgriMetal to The NEC this November. This powerful, high-performance blower delivers maximum efficiency for leaf and debris clearance, giving grounds teams the solution to clear large areas with speed and accuracy thanks to precision airflow control.

Joining forces with Kubota makes stand E060 a platform for the very best of Japanese excellence in engineering, innovation and reliability. The two technical teams will be on hand to offer the very best support and advice to find you the perfect solution to your turf management requirements when SALTEX returns on the 12th and 13th November 2025.

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BAGMA to highlight new industry EV training at SALTEX

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BAGMA to highlight new industry EV training at SALTEX: The British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association (BAGMA) are pleased to be returning to SALTEX this November, showcasing their brand-new EV training course alongside a whole host of other member benefits.

Visitors to stand A030 can discover all the latest services and savings, as well as join fellow industry members for a special networking event as BAGMA brings a one-off Connect event to The NEC!

BAGMA to highlight new industry EV training at SALTEX

BAGMA to highlight new industry EV training at SALTEX

Recognising the ongoing shift towards electric vehicles and battery-powered equipment in the groundcare industry, BAGMA have teamed up with lecturers and industry partners to develop a new, practical one-day training course that’s set to become the benchmark for those operating Off-Highway Electric Vehicles (OHEV) & Electric Outdoor Power Equipment (EOPE).

The programme is designed to help technicians, sales staff, delivery drivers, engineers and workshop personnel gain a working knowledge of the hazards of high-voltage electric systems, best practice for handling and storage of battery packs and an awareness of all relevant legislation and compliance requirements. The course concludes with a short assessment and a certificate of completion which is an increasingly valuable asset as electrification continues to take the industry by storm.

Alongside training, stand A030 will also be the place to discover the exclusive offers and savings available from BAGMA’s range of approved Service Providers. Following a year of difficult trading conditions for many, make sure you’re making the most of your membership by speaking to a member of the BAGMA team about member discounts on finance, utility contracts, lease vehicles and more.

Members are also invited to join BAGMA for a very special BAGMA Connect networking event at SALTEX 2025. Join your peers, industry partners and a selection of BAGMA Service Providers for a drink in The Clubhouse from 3pm on Wednesday 12th November.

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