Electric BTME from Reesink

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Electric BTME from Reesink: Reesink UK will bring its electric stars to BTME. From Toro, the ground-breaking first all-electric riding greensmower, the industry-leading electric utility vehicle and the new lithium-ion battery version of a classic pedestrian mower, as well as multiple electric carrier options from STAR EV, will all be on stand 420.

There’s no question electric is the future of the industry and Toro has consistently led the way with the development required to get this technology to market. See the Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370, the break-through everyone was waiting for, bringing no emissions, less noise and easier maintenance without any compromise on the quality of cut expected from a Toro riding greensmower.

Electric BTME from Reesink

Electric BTME from Reesink

The new electric Toro Greensmaster eFlex 1021 is the lithium-ion battery-powered version of the popular flex-head walk-behind Flex1021 greensmower. All the innovation of the original with patented proven Flex technology and popular telescoping handle, but powered by clean, green energy. It will be on stand alongside the Toro Workman GTXe utility vehicle, another machine with advanced lithium-ion battery technology and was hugely influential in Toro’s journey towards battery power.

Continuing the electric theme with its extensive range of battery-powered golf buggies is STAR EV. The first time the brand has been represented at the show with its latest plug-in electric utility vehicle for the UK market, the Capella Work Machine and Capella 48-2-HCX, both are purposefully designed to help move people and equipment around quietly, safely and efficiently.

Toro irrigation will be well represented by Lynx Central Control system, famed for its easy, precise remote control access, and an extensive range of Toro sprinklers. Continuing the water theme are Concept 3 and Fractional lake and pond aerators from Otterbine and a two-wire Grower irrigation controller from SRC for simple wall-mounted control.

And there’ll also be the first chance to see one of the newly redesigned and reimagined tractors from TYM. Part of TYM’s major brand overhaul, the 37hp T395 has a new look, a Stage V compliant diesel engine and a raft of improvements for a more productive performance. It will be joined by the AgriMetal Blower attachment, which is the perfect attachment for winter debris maintenance work.

Stand 420 will be home to Toro electric machinery, Toro irrigation, Otterbine, SRC, STAR EV, TYM tractors and AgriMetal attachments – making it a must-have visit on your trip to Harrogate.

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Greentech moves to Employee Ownership

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Greentech moves to Employee Ownership: Leading sports surface specialists, Greentech Sportsturf Ltd has set up an Employee Ownership Trust to hold 100% of the leading sports and recreational surfaces firm and put it into the hands of the people who work for it – making them the direct beneficiaries of the company’s future success.

Started in 1998 by Kevin Brunton, Hugh Murray, and the late Tom Brannan (who sadly passed away in 2015) the company has grown successfully over the years and has worked on world-renowned fields of play such as Gleneagles, St Andrew’s Links, Hampden Park and Murrayfield Stadium. With Hugh Murray now retired the Directors wanted to look at an ownership succession option which secured the long-term future of the business, its employees and would work well for both clients and founders too. The co-founders were keen to avoid the potential pitfalls of traditional trade sale or merger options, keenly aware of the risks these options can present to employees and the business as a whole.  They saw many advantages to employee ownership and believe that it is the ‘win-win’ proposition for everyone – founders, employees and clients.

Greentech moves to Employee Ownership

Greentech moves to Employee Ownership

“The establishment of employee ownership through the EOT at Greentech Sportsturf will provide continued job security for all staff,” said Kevin Brunton. “It will also enable the employees to have collective control of their future, directly benefit from the ongoing success of the business and to continue to deliver market-leading projects in the design, construction, renovation and maintenance of sports surfaces.”

Employee ownership is growing significantly in popularity, with more and more companies seeing the benefits that can be delivered through this ownership model. Studies have demonstrated that employee owned firms are also more resilient and are proven to weather economic cycles better than most. This may prove to be important as firms the world-over deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Eric Carroll, Financial Controller at Greentech Sportsturf, commented: “I’m delighted that Kevin and Hugh have chosen this option for ownership of the business and I think this is great news for all the staff at Greentech Sportsturf. Everyone one of us now has a stake in the business and can share in the success and profits that are made going forward.”

Kevin Brunton believes that employee ownership is good news for clients too and will help to secure the long-term future of the company. “Employee ownership means clients need not be concerned with Greentech Sportsturf being acquired and the potential associated disruption that can lead to. They can feel secure in the knowledge we will continue to deliver the highest quality sports surfaces projects with our talented team of people and the best technologies for the job in hand.” Said Kevin. “It also gives the co-founders the opportunity to consider retirement and eventual exit from the business in a planned manner, mentoring the successor team whilst withdrawing slowly and ensuring continued growth and success. It really is a win-win all round.”

Greentech Sportsturf is a Scotland-based, leading sports turf contractor, specialising in the design, construction and renovation of all sports surfaces. The company has a diverse client base comprising world renowned fields of play including St Andrews and Gleneagles Golf Courses, Scotland’s national football and rugby stadiums, as well as smaller and regional sports facilities. Located on the outskirts of Stirling at Throsk, the company operates throughout the UK.

For further information contact Eric Carroll on mailto:eric@greentechsportsturf.co.uk

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Toyota Mirai joins JCB fleet

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Toyota Mirai joins JCB fleet: Digger giant JCB has taken delivery of the latest Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car – just as it develops its own hydrogen engine technology.

The vehicle is among the first batch of Toyota’s second-generation hydrogen-fuelled cars to arrive in the UK since its launch earlier this year.

Toyota Mirai joins JCB fleet

Toyota Mirai joins JCB fleet

JCB’s purchase of the Toyota Mirai comes as the company invests £100 million in the development of super-efficient hydrogen engines to power its equipment. The wraps have already come off two prototype hydrogen powered machines: a backhoe loader and a Loadall telescopic handler, which were displayed COP26 in Glasgow.

It is the second hydrogen fuelled Toyota Mirai bought by JCB following the purchase of a first-generation model in 2015. The new Mirai was handed over to JCB Chairman Lord Bamford by President and Managing Director of Toyota (GB), Agustin Martin.

Lord Bamford said: “We applaud Toyota for its consistency in exploring the potential of hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels in cars. Indeed, just in the past few months, Mr Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation, has been testing a Toyota car powered by a hydrogen combustion engine, the same technology that JCB is pioneering for its own machinery. Having a hydrogen fuel cell car in our fleet makes perfect sense as we pursue hydrogen as a fuel of the future.”

Agustin Martin said: “Since 1992, Toyota has produced more than five million cars at its Burnaston plant and our Midlands neighbours at JCB have an even longer history of providing employment, investment and innovation in the region.  JCB’s research and development into hydrogen engines marks a significant and forward-thinking shift in the construction and agriculture worlds.  It’s exciting to see another industry taking the steps towards decarbonising society through the application of hydrogen technology.”

JCB has manufactured engines since 2004, producing them at plants in Derbyshire and Delhi, India.  It is on course to celebrate production of its 750,000th engine this year.

Toyota’s all-new Mirai is its second-generation fuel cell electric vehicle. It offers enhanced driving performance, better fuel efficiency, a 30 per cent greater driving range and a price tag almost 25 per cent lower than its predecessor.

The increased efficiency of Mirai’s fuel cell system, coupled with a 1kg increase in hydrogen capacity, gives the car a range of approximately 400 miles – an increase of 100 miles over the first generation model.

Fuelled by hydrogen, Mirai can be refilled in a matter of a few minutes. It emits only pure water and, through the use of a new electrostatic filter, removes almost 100 per cent of particulate matter from the air, up to 2.5 microns in diameter, as it drives.

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FGM Claymore to distribute Echo and Shindaiwa

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FGM Claymore to distribute Echo and Shindaiwa: FGM Claymore have announced that it will now be the distributor of the popular Echo and Shindaiwa brands commencing on the 1st January 2022 for the UK market.

“We are delighted with this appointment which will further strengthen our position in the UK market. We have a long history of importing and distributing 2-stroke hand-held product and our aim is to build the Echo and Shindaiwa brands to significant levels through a network of independent servicing dealers.” Explains Paul Butterly, Managing Director, FGM Claymore.

FGM Claymore to distribute Echo and Shindaiwa

FGM Claymore to distribute Echo and Shindaiwa

The company will be launching a new 40V range of consumer products including lawnmowers and hand-held products which will be available Spring 2022. As well as providing the range of X Series “best in class” products with emission compliant petrol products and its 56V battery, both for use in the professional market.

In addition, the company have announced that Neil Turner will be joining the team as its new Sales Director to focus on their existing dealer network and new appointments in the coming months.

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Sutton United invests in Reesink

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Sutton United invests in Reesink: Securing Football League status is an historic achievement and for Sutton United Football Club in south London, it led to a £550,000 pitchworks investment in the club’s home ground, including a new hybrid pitch and irrigation solution from Reesink Turfcare comprising a SRC Ranger control system and Toro sprinklers.

FA regulations stipulate that 3G artificial pitches are not fit for purpose in Division Two and above, which is why Sutton United made an urgent review of its existing 3G pitch and lined up leading sports pitch specialist, Agripower, to make preparations for a full install in the downtime between the 2019/20 and 2021/22 seasons.

Sutton United invests in Reesink

Sutton United invests in Reesink

Jerry Anderson, director at Agripower, comments: “We were given a conditional order in May 2021 as the club edged towards promotion and remained on stand-by with a view to removing the existing 3G pitch and replacing it with a hybrid alternative in the narrow window between seasons.

“Once the club had confirmation of its promotion to the Football League we started immediately, deploying a five strong-team working full-time between the end of May until early August. It was a quick turnaround!”

Agripower installed a hybrid pitch system which comprised of high-grade natural grass. Once the old system had been removed, the pitch was rebuilt with a hybrid carpet over a base rootzone, with the carpet infilled with a similar rootzone before seeding.

Supporting the hybrid pitch was a comprehensive Toro irrigation system, which comprised of a network of 350m of ring main pipework, 200m of lateral pipe, 16 value in head Infinity sprinklers and eight B series in-pitch sprinklers in the field.

Jerry continues: “We used the new SRC Ranger control system, which has scheduling capacity for up to 100 stations and web-control, along with Toro Infinity sprinklers on the outside of the pitch and Toro B-Series sprinklers on the infill.

“As well as a new pumphouse and pumps, a match pitch of this kind also requires a higher water flow rate which is why we installed wider diameter pipes and manual watering points for localised watering. It’s particularly useful for high-impact areas such as the goalmouth or when clubs like to slick-up the playing surface at half time.

“The Toro irrigation system is very good and we particularly like the fact that the Infinity sprinklers are top-serviceable, minimising disruption to the hybrid carpet. We have also been impressed with the on-site support from Toro distributor, Reesink Turfcare, who were on-hand throughout the entire project.”

The new pitch not only validates Sutton United FC’s place within the Football League, but it enables the team to maximise playing time. A grass pitch can generally withstand three to six hours of playing time, whilst its hybrid equivalent can deliver up to 18 hours of play.

Adrian Barry, vice chairman at Sutton United Football Club, comments: “The team at Agripower did a tremendous job replacing our previous 3G surface with a grass pitch in a tight time frame such that we were able to host Football League matches in August. Having an excellent irrigation system is, of course, pivotal to the continued provision of an excellent playing surface and feedback from all users has been terrific in this regard. We thank everyone involved for their support and hard work as Sutton United embarks on this exciting new journey in its history. “

To find out more about the SRC Ranger control system and Toro irrigation range of sprinklers, call Reesink Turfcare on 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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