John Deere acquires battery company

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John Deere acquires battery company: Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire majority ownership in Kreisel Electric, Inc. (“Kreisel”), a battery technology provider based in Rainbach im Mühlkreis, Austria.

Kreisel develops high-density, high-durability electric battery modules and packs. Additionally, Kreisel has developed a charging infrastructure platform (CHIMERO) that utilises this patented battery technology.

John Deere acquires battery company

John Deere acquires battery company

Since 2014, Kreisel has been a leading innovator focused on the development of immersion-cooled electric battery modules and packs for high-performance and off-highway applications. The company has a differentiated battery technology and battery-buffered charging infrastructure offering and currently serves a global customer base across multiple end markets, including commercial vehicles, off-highway vehicles, marine, e-motorsports, and other high-performance applications.

John Deere sees demand growing for batteries as a sole or hybrid-propulsion system for vehicles. Products in Deere’s portfolio such as turf equipment, compact utility tractors, small tractors, compact construction, and road-building equipment could rely solely on batteries as a primary power source. Deere intends to continue to invest in and develop technologies to innovate, deliver value to customers, and work towards a future with zero emissions propulsion systems.

The majority investment in Kreisel Electric will allow Deere to vertically integrate vehicle and powertrain designs around high-density battery packs while leveraging Kreisel’s charging technology to build out infrastructure required for customer adoption.

“Kreisel’s battery technology can be applied across the broad portfolio of Deere products, and Kreisel’s in-market experience will benefit Deere as it ramps up its battery-electric vehicle portfolio. Deere will provide the expertise, global footprint, and funding to enable Kreisel to continue its fast growth in core markets,” said Pierre Guyot, Senior Vice President, John Deere Power Systems. “This is an opportunity to invest in a company with unique technology that’s designed for the demanding conditions where Deere customers work.”

“Furthermore, building an electrified portfolio is key to John Deere’s sustainability goal of pursuing new technologies that reduce the environmental impact of new products and work toward zero emissions propulsion systems on equipment, while increasing our customers’ efficiency and productivity,” Guyot said.

Kreisel Electric will retain its employees, brand name, and trademark, and continue to operate from its current location in Austria to serve its growing customer base. The company was founded by the brothers Johann, Markus and Philipp Kreisel and has approximately 160 full-time employees.

“The Kreisel team looks forward to expanding our base business, leveraging the Deere channel to accelerate adoption of battery-electric vehicles and charging stations, and working with Deere’s vehicle design teams on product advancements,” said Markus Kreisel, who serves as Managing Director, along with his two brothers, at Kreisel Electric.

The transaction requires final regulatory approval in Austria, with closing expected to take place in approximately 60 days. Financial details are not being disclosed.

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Bayer raise awareness of mental health at BTME

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Bayer raise awareness of mental health at BTME: Bayer is celebrating a successful 12-month collaboration with mental health charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) at BTME this year, with a representative from the charity on the Bayer stand for the event’s duration.

Timothy Peeling, Bayer product manager, says that with suicide being the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, Bayer is committed to raising the awareness of mental health in the typically male dominated turf and amenity sectors.

Bayer raise awareness of mental health at BTME

Bayer raise awareness of mental health at BTME

“Taking the time to listen and understand what people are going through is incredibly important. By listening you could be helping far more than you’ll ever know.

“Attendees at BTME will be able to talk to CALM in confidence, as well as find positive practical solutions to deal with mental wellbeing, which resonate with practically minded people,” he explains.

“I encourage anyone who needs someone to talk to pop by the stand, or alternatively use their online service.” Find out more about CALM here: https://www.thecalmzone.net/.

As well as raising the profile of mental health, the Turf Solutions team will be on hand to talk about all things Harmonix® Tri-Nema.

Colin Mumford, Bayer technical manager, says chafer grub and leatherjacket populations have been on the rise over recent years, with limited solutions to control them.

He explains how Harmonix® Tri-Nema is different to any other nematode solution on the market.

“Harmonix® Tri-Nema offers three different modes of activity in one solution, by utilising a unique blend of three entomopathogenic nematodes, providing a more effective distribution through the soil profile, leading to more consistent results,” he says.

For more information visit the Turf Solutions team in the green zone on stand 338 at BTME, alternatively visit www.environmentalscience.bayer.co.uk, call 00800 1214 9451, or email turfsolutions@bayer.com.

Understanding glyphosate

Register now for our ‘Understanding glyphosate’ seminar at BTME. On the 25 January at 2pm our technical manager Colin Mumford will provide all of the latest updates on glyphosate, regulations surrounding the active, as well as advice on best practice when using it.

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Karlswood Stables invests in John Deere

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Karlswood Stables invests in John Deere: Based in County Meath in Ireland, the newly built state of the art Karlswood Stables has been a major project for owner and Olympic show jumping medallist Cian O’Connor.

These grand equine facilities extend to 20 stables for his own horses, and another 24 are under construction for others. On top of that the complex boosts its own indoor arena and outdoor grass ring, sand ring, gallops, hacking trails and spa facilities for horses.

Karlswood Stables invests in John Deere

Karlswood Stables invests in John Deere

With the grounds extending to a total area of 68 acres, the Karlswood team required a reliable range of machinery and equipment to maintain the grounds and keep the grass well-trimmed. Being familiar with the benefits of the John Deere brand, Karlswood farm manager Derry McIntyre contacted Noel Bennett of local professional turf dealer Dublin Grass Machinery with a shopping list of the equipment required.

The machinery now supplied includes a new John Deere 4066R compact tractor, 1600T wide area rotary mower, X950R commercial rear-discharge, rear-collect diesel lawn tractor and an electric TE Gator utility vehicle.

Derry explains the purchasing decision by highlighting brand reliability and ease of use. “As this is a brand new complex, we have a lot of lawn and grass areas that have to be kept meticulously presented to maintain the high standards synonymous with Karlswood,” he says. “The self-propelled X950R and 1600T rotary mowers are superb tools to cut the grass around our all-weather arena and lawns.”

Powered by a 66hp diesel engine, the John Deere 4066R compact tractor features a ComfortGard cab and an eHydro three-range automatic transmission with simple to use TwinTouch forward and reverse pedals, plus four-wheel drive as standard.

Derry and his team have already been putting the tractor to good use, and praise its ease of use and versatility. “The 4066R carries out a number of tasks all over the site,” he says.

“For example, we spend around one and a half hours a day raking the arena, and there is a front-mounted mower attachment to provide extra grass cutting help around the hacks and the outside of the farm. We also have a scarifier for maintaining the grass areas, so the tractor has a real multitude of uses.”

As many John Deere Gator operators know, this popular utility vehicle is an extremely useful vehicle to have on any sportsground, farm or woodland. At Karlswood Stables the electric TE Gator is no exception, and has also proved extremely handy.

“The Gator is a fantastic tool to transport various pieces of equipment such as grass strimmers, hedge trimmers and other hand tools to various parts of the farm,” says Derry. “This vehicle makes it easier for us to travel around the site, and with the load bed space on the back to carry materials as well as tools, it is another reliable workhorse here at Karlswood Stables.”

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Golf club rises from the ashes

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Golf club rises from the ashes: Boringdon Park Golf Club in Plymouth has struck a £500,000 deal with Toro that sees the resilient club looking forward to the future after an unfortunate fire destroyed the club’s entire fleet of machinery.

Here Justin Austin, course manager, explains what happened: “The fire was devastating. It was, fortunately, brought under control before it could damage the two courses, but it destroyed the entire shed and everything in it. Happening as it did at the beginning of the year, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy replacing the stock as every manufacturer was experiencing delays to the supply and distribution chain due to COVID.”

Golf club rises from the ashes

Golf club rises from the ashes

However, a bleak situation was made better by the support that came from Devon Garden Machinery. Immediately after the fire, Justin contacted the Toro dealer and despite there still being restrictions in place and delivery delays, the machinery dealer and Toro distributor Reesink Turfcare were able to not only help Justin work out a fleet replacement list of machinery but supported him with loan machinery to bridge the gap, meaning Justin and his team of five could keep the courses going.

Steve Dommett, from Devon Garden Machinery (DGM), explains: “We believe that fast, efficient communication played a major factor in us securing this order. Restrictions in place at the time made it difficult to meet face-to-face, so phone and email was key, with many of these phone calls and emails taking place out of hours due to the urgency of the whole situation. The club was fortunately well insured and this gave them the opportunity to specify what they wanted. As Justin’s preference was Toro, he got his wish.

“Once the orders were placed, we then had to contend with the delays in delivery that every manufacturer has suffered from. Between Reesink and ourselves we were able to loan Justin some equipment to keep him going. Justin has been amazing throughout, he’s coped remarkably with the situation, even though he didn’t even have a shovel left after the fire! And he’s been extremely understanding with regards to the staggered deliveries.”

Justin says: “DGM is a great company that always goes that extra mile. They pick the phone up whatever the time. We were always updated and kept up to speed during the entire process and that gave us peace of mind knowing we could rely on DGM and Reesink as a distributor. I’m in the process of talking to them about putting in place a five-year rolling replacement plan.”

The club had previously owned a mixed bag of kit from different brands; however, Justin had always been a self-proclaimed Toro fan and this was an opportunity to replace the club’s machinery according to his vision. He opted for five Greensmaster 3250-D riding greensmowers, two Greensmaster 1000 walk-behind cylinder mowers, four Reelmaster 3100-D cylinder mowers, a Reelmaster 5610-D fairway mower, a Reelmaster 6700-D fairway groomer, a Groundsmaster 4500-D rotary mower, a Groundsmaster 4700-D rotary mower and a Sand Pro 3040 infield groomer, along with various pieces of aeration equipment, top dressers, golf buggies, trailers and sprayers.

With the machinery all delivered and normality resumed at Boringdon Park, Justin is happy to report on great results, singling out the Groundsmaster 4700-D, Greensmaster 3250-D and Reelmaster 3100-D as his favourite machines. And with the new fleet working to his high standards, Justin has many plans in store for the club, he says: “The new maintenance facility has just been built and we’ve been discussing the layout and assistance with the fit out and making efforts towards sustainability – we’ve had solar panels fitted to the driving range in time to link up to the electric buggy fleet and machines.”

The past year has certainly been stressful for the club, from the sudden blaze and consequent machinery and equipment loss, to COVID, staff leaving the industry, and the simultaneous running of its sister club Trethorne Golf Club in Launceston, Cornwall. But now that the team has found its footing again and with Toro and Reesink lending a hand, things can only look up.

To talk to someone about Toro technology and how the Toro range would suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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STIHL’s plans for new HQ

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STIHL’s plans for new HQ: STIHL GB has unveiled plans to build a new 11,500m2 purpose-designed headquarters and state-of-the-art warehouse facility near to its current premises in Camberley, Surrey.

Due for completion in December 2022, the site will be home to nearly 100 employees and will boast dedicated dealer training facilities, an on-site restaurant, flexible collaborative workspaces and a technical workshop.

STIHL's plans for new HQ

STIHL’s plans for new HQ

The new 9,000m2 warehouse space will utilise state-of-the-art picking and storage systems to maximise productivity, efficiency and the use of space. All logistics will now be consolidated onto one site, meaning a speedier and more efficient delivery service to the 700 strong STIHL dealer network.

Kay Green, Managing Director of STIHL GB, commented: “STIHL has enjoyed a sustained period of growth in recent years, and as a consequence we have outgrown our existing warehouse and office facilities. Our new purpose-built headquarters represents a significant capital investment and is a commitment to the future for our dealers and end user customers. We’re looking forward to seeing work get underway on the construction of our new premises early in the New Year”.

The new HQ, which secured planning permission last year, boasts first class environmental credentials including BREEAM Certification, the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for building projects.

It is proposed that two-thirds of the total roof area (1600m2) will be covered with photovoltaic solar panels to provide power to the new facility. In addition, there will be provision for 26 EV charging points in anticipation of the continued move towards the use of electric vehicles.

The new headquarters will also be connected to Blackwater railway station by a dedicated cycle path and will feature landscaped gardens with native shrubs and trees and a wildflower meadow which forms part of an integrated flood risk mitigation zone on the former Thames Water Utilities site.

The company aims to relocate to the new facility from its current premises in Stanhope Road in January 2023.

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