Green-tech Strengthens Irish Presence

Green-tech Strengthens Irish Presence: Green-tech, the UK’s leading supplier of landscaping and tree planting materials, is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Gavin Saunders as Business Development Manager for Ireland. Gavin joined the business on 1st July, 2025 and has been working closely with customers and partners across the island.

Gavin brings a wealth of sales, e-commerce and horticultural experience from across the UK and Ireland, spanning growing media, landscaping, and the wider garden and retail sectors. He has run independent enterprises, developed new products for the trade and retail markets, and supported business growth. With extensive experience in both retail and amenity horticulture, and a strong track record of working across technical, creative and operational teams, Gavin is well placed to support Green-tech’s growth plans in Ireland. He will focus on managing existing accounts, identifying new opportunities, and strengthening Green-tech’s presence across the region.

Green-tech Strengthens Irish Presence

Green-tech Strengthens Irish Presence

“Green-tech’s presence in Ireland has grown significantly over the last three years and Gavin’s appointment signals our intent to build on that solid foundation,” says Richard Gill, Sales Director at Green-tech. “Gavin has the right blend of sector knowledge, customer focus and energy to help us unlock further opportunities and provide even more value to our Irish customers. I am delighted to welcome him to the team.”

Green-tech has seen sustained growth in Ireland in recent years, with increasing demand from landscape contractors, landscape architects, local authorities, and environmental consultants for its wide-ranging portfolio of high-quality landscaping products. This includes urban and rural tree planting systems, grass seed and erosion control solutions. The company is exploring other product offerings in the market based on feedback from their Irish customer base.

Green-tech operates a dedicated distribution depot in Londonderry, enabling fast and reliable delivery of core products across Ireland. The depot is a key part of the company’s long-term strategy to invest in infrastructure that ensures logistical efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and greater responsiveness to local customer needs.

Gavin’s appointment marks a new chapter in the development of Green-tech’s Irish operations, bringing in fresh expertise and focus at a time when investment in blue-green infrastructure, biodiversity and climate resilience is at the top of the agenda.

Speaking about his new role, Gavin Saunders comments, “I’m excited to be joining Green-tech as it continues to grow and develop its business in Ireland. I’m very much looking forward to supporting customers, delivering a great service nationwide, and contributing to the future growth of Green-tech across Ireland.”

Gavin’s appointment further reinforces Green-tech’s commitment to supporting customers, delivering innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions for landscape and environmental projects of all sizes.

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GMA NextGen Launches Network For Young Professionals

GMA NextGen Launches Network For Young Professionals: The Grounds Management Association’s (GMA) NextGen group has launched its very own NextGen Network, a free online community designed to connect and support the next generation of grounds professionals.

Hosted on WhatsApp, the NextGen Network is an extension of the GMA NextGen group, a dynamic group of young professionals whose mission is to inspire and encourage younger talent into the grounds management industry.

GMA NextGen Launches Network For Young Professionals

GMA NextGen Launches Network For Young Professionals

With around 1,500 professionals expected to retire from the industry each year, GMA NextGen is committed to ensuring a vibrant future for grounds management by attracting and engaging the next wave of professionals.

The new NextGen Network will build on their mission by offering a space where people in the industry can exchange ideas and take part in two-way conversations with peers and established figures across the industry, all at their fingertips.

Liddy Ford, GMA NextGen member and groundsperson at Wembley Stadium, said: “The NextGen Network is a great opportunity to engage with other young members of the grounds industry. Whether you’d like to share your experiences of the grounds sector, build connections with likeminded individuals, or gain some top-dressing tips, this network provides the framework for you.”

The network is open to anyone aged 18 and over and will act as a go-to hub for those looking to build connections in the sector. For safeguarding reasons, under-18s will not be able to access the WhatsApp community. However, they can still be part of the wider NextGen Network by receiving the quarterly newsletter.

Beth Gibbs, GMA NextGen member and groundsperson at Wellington School, said: “The NextGen Network is all about connecting you with fellow grounds people and keeping you up to date with any news in the industry. This network will be good for you to meet new people and keep up date to what happening in the industry.”

The NextGen Network complements other GMA NextGen initiatives, such as Schools into Stadia, which aim to showcase the diverse and rewarding career opportunities within grounds management.

Entry into the NextGen Network is completely free, with sign-up available via the NextGen newsletter here.

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Deer Park Golf Club invests in Eco 400 Sprayer

Deer Park Golf Club invests in Eco 400 Sprayer: Deer Park Golf Club in Livingston has upgraded its course maintenance equipment with the addition of a Cleveland Gambetti Eco 400 tractor-mounted sprayer, supplied by Fairways GM at Kinross.

The Eco 400, part of the British-made Eco range, is designed specifically for golf and amenity use and replaces the club’s previous Gambetti sprayer, which had served for 12 years. Head greenkeeper Mark Campbell continued with the 400-litre tank but opted for the extended booms, blotter, and triple nozzle setup.

Deer Park Golf Club invests in Eco 400 Sprayer

Deer Park Golf Club invests in Eco 400 Sprayer

“We spend on average 20 hours a month spraying, so the extended booms will pay for themselves with the time they help us save,” said Mark Campbell.

The new configuration has virtually tripled the coverage capacity while offering greater control and precision. With 50% less pipework, stainless-steel spray lines, and balanced manual controls, the sprayer delivers accurate application and faster clean-down times.

Mark and his colleague, Martin McKenzie, both hold spraying certificates at Deer Park, ensuring precise and efficient use of the new system.

“Spraying is less stressful now and much faster,” added Mark Campbell. “We can spray confidently, knowing everything works perfectly without clogging. The improvements in consistency were noticeable straight away, and the time saved allows us to focus on other tasks.”

The new sprayer is being used across the entire course, from weekly treatments on greens to summer fairway applications and targeted work on roughs, including growth retardant sprays and pre-competition enhancements.

Hayden Laing, Area Sales Manager at Fairways GM, provided sales and technical support to the West Lothian course during the upgrade process.

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Djuke celebrates 1000th Hydrowick Installation

Djuke celebrates 1000th Hydrowick Installation: Specialist sports turf contractors Djuke are celebrating a major milestone after completing their 1000th Hydrowick golf green installation. The significant achievement was reached during recent works at Burford Golf Club and comes less than nine years after the 100th install at Beaconsfield Golf Club who – close to a decade on – are reporting that the innovative drainage system is working better than ever!

Built in 1936, Burford Golf Club is a private members’ course, featuring traditional clay push-up greens typical of the era – and designed to hold water! “In my first ten years here, we were forever pushing water off the greens and nearly always ended up playing on temporary greens every winter” explains Head Greenkeeper Richard Hitchman.

Djuke celebrates 1000th Hydrowick Installation

Djuke celebrates 1000th Hydrowick Installation

That all changed when the club discovered Hydrowick, and called in the team at Djuke to trial the system on a couple of problematic greens. “The thing we noticed straight away was the minimal levels of disruption compared to other drainage systems available. The day after it went in, we could have had the greens back in play.”

“When we got the rainfall, the results then spoke for themselves. Areas that were once the wettest on the course became the driest, so then it was just a case of how quickly we could get Hydrowick installed on all the other greens!”

A programme of multiple installations per year then commenced, with the final four completed in August 2025 – also proudly marking the 1000th green install for Djuke in the UK. “It’s no exaggeration to say Hydrowick has transformed our greens” Richard emphasises. “Now that they’re not laying wet or under stagnant water, they’re happier, healthier and not showing any signs of anaerobic stress. We’ve all but eliminated the use of temporary greens completely over the last two years, despite seeing 1.1m of rainfall last winter.”

The transformative benefits now evident at Burford Golf Club, are something that’s been enjoyed at Beaconsfield Golf Club in Buckinghamshire since 2016. Course Manager at the time, Stuart Langhorn, became one of Hydrowick’s earliest adopters but continues to be blown away by the results.

“Since the installation of Hydrowick, we’ve become known as a true 12-month club, which has seen a huge surge in demand for membership” says Stuart. “The process was so straightforward and the price so competitive that we came to terms with the fact it might only serve us well for a few years, and we’d have still been happy. Nearly 10 years on, it’s just getting better and better – the greens are drier which means we can conduct cultural practices year-round to build further on the impressive drainage we’re now achieving across all 18 greens.”

Hydrowick Drainage is one of the most efficient and effective drainage systems on the market, utilising both a gravity and capillary action to quickly ‘wick’ surface moisture and disperse excess water. The rope and fibreglass construction provides a durable, long lasting solution for a range of turf areas including golf greens, tees, fairways, parks and residential and commercial landscaping.

“From Beaconsfield’s 100th to Burford’s 1000th, Hydrowick continues to prove itself as the go-to, low-disruption drainage solution for turf managers” comments Djuke Managing Director Cameron McMilan. “This milestone reflects the trust the clubs place in us and the system, and we’re delighted to be playing our part in supporting healthier, more resilient playing surfaces across the country.”

For more information on Djuke and Hydrowick Drainage, visit djuke.co.uk

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STIHL to showcase new machines at GroundsFest

STIHL to showcase new machines at GroundsFest: STIHL will exhibit a range of new products at this year’s GroundsFest, a leading trade show for the grounds management and landscaping industries, taking place from 9th – 10th September 2025 at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

Among the tools on display will be STIHL’s latest charging innovations and a range of its popular 2025 launches, plus several new battery-powered products such as the PKA 30 Battery Pump Head, the SGA 30 Battery Sprayer, and the WSA 40 Battery Water Container.

STIHL to showcase new machines at GroundsFest

STIHL to showcase new machines at GroundsFest

On stand OSA 30 STIHL will showcase the new CM 8 Charging Management System, which allows up to 8 chargers to be powered via a standard GB 230 V Socket. The CM 8 allows twice as many chargers to be charged on a single fuse, providing a simple solution with no electrical expertise required. Built-in overload protection ensures safe and reliable operation.

STIHL will also be showcasing its most popular 2025 launches, including many AP System battery-powered tools, such as its RMA 7 Lawn Mowers, the BRA 500 & 600 Backpack Blowers, and HSA 140 & 150 Hedge Trimmers.

Visitors can also get hands on with the GTA 40 Pruner and see demonstrations of the new MS 400.1 Chainsaw, which boasts the best power-to-weight ratio of any professional chainsaw in the 60cc class. In addition, complementing this launch, will be three new ranges of chainsaw PPE.

Covering all work cases, the FUNCTION range is ideal for occasional use, while the ADVANCE range is designed specifically for professional arborists and tree workers.

Debuting at GroundsFest is the battery-powered PKA 30 Pump Head, which can be added to the STIHL SG 31 manual sprayer or cut-off machine water tank, helping users to maintain constant pressure automatically. This energy-efficient tool removes the need for manual pumping, saving the user time and boosting productivity.

Also, supporting users in achieving an even liquid application as a full solution, is the SGA 30 battery-powered sprayer. As with the PKA 30, this new tool supports precise distribution of liquids, with a variable pressure adjustment.

Alongside the PKA 30 and SGA 30, visitors will also get to see the new WSA 40. This battery-powered water container has been designed to deliver a mobile water supply to a cut-off machine, such as the TS 410 or TSA 300. Providing automatic and constant pressure, the WSA 40 delivers up to seven tanks of water, with a 30-minute run-time using one AS battery.

Visitors to the STIHL stand OSA 30 will get the chance to see these new tools up close, observe live demonstrations, and speak with STIHL experts for advice and guidance on all STIHL machines.

For more information, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

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