France awards medal to Masatoshi Kimata

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France awards medal to Masatoshi Kimata: Kubota recently announced that its Chairman and Representative Director, Masatoshi Kimata, has been awarded the prestigious National Order of Merit Medal by the Republic of France, an award which is usually reserved for French citizens.

The Kubota Group established in France in 1974 , at the same time that Kubota Europe S.A.S. was founded to export its tractors to European countries. More recently, in 2014, in an attempt to make a full-scale entry into the European upland farming market, Kubota established a manufacturing plant for upland farming tractors in France. Today, about 1,000 employees are working at five local subsidiaries, which are responsible for research and development, production, sales, and after-sales services.

France awards medal to Masatoshi Kimata

France awards medal to Masatoshi Kimata

So, in recognition of Kubota’s long-standing services to economic development and the creation of jobs in the country, and on behalf of the company, its Chairman, Masatoshi Kimata, has been honored by the Republic of France.

The National Order of Merit was founded in 1963 and is usually awarded to people who have made remarkable contributions to France in the areas of cultural and economic activities, and this year Kubota had the honour of receiving this prestigious award.

During the award ceremony, which took place on June 30th at the French Embassy in Tokyo (Japan), Mr. Kimata dedicated a few words of gratitude: “It is a wonderful honour to be awarded this decoration, which would not have come about without the dedicated efforts of everyone concerned. Ever since 1974, when Kubota first made inroads there, France has hosted our core operations in Europe, allowing us to increase our presence in the region by distributing tractors, construction machineries, and industrial engines. For us, France is, and shall remain a vital location for the Kubota Group.”

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SGL TurfPod makes grass monitoring accessible

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SGL TurfPod makes grass monitoring accessible: Data driven decisions usually result in a higher grass quality and more efficient use of resources. Yet, many clubs do not have the budget to make big investments in monitoring equipment.

Over the past years SGL have been working towards a solution to make monitoring technology accessible to everyone. They now launch an all-in-one tool that is affordable and user friendly to lower leagues, and at the same time offers advanced possibilities to the highest levels of sport: the SGL TurfPod.

SGL TurfPod makes grass monitoring accessible

SGL TurfPod makes grass monitoring accessible

The TurfPod is a small device containing six sensors that track the essential growing conditions above ground and in the soil. When pinned into the soil, the TurfPod operates automatically and shows the microclimate data in real time on the Portal. This information can be used to, among other things, make decisions on fertilization, irrigation and supplemental lighting.

The TurfPod is developed in line with SGL founder Nico van Vuuren’s strong belief that data is a basic necessity for every groundsman and greenkeeper: “Every playing surface is different, every climate is different, and every budget is different. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to managing grass. Every turf manager, in all levels of sport, should be able to respond to the ever changing conditions and make well informed decisions during their daily work and the challenges they face. The only way to do that is with data, so our goal is to make that possible.”

Flexibility has been the key in reaching accessibility. SGL let go of substantial one time investments and supply the TurfPod as a flexible lease, starting at €49 a month, hardware and software included. Customers can upgrade the software whenever they please, with a wide range of TurfModules, such as data analyses and visualisations. Van Vuuren: “We understand that groundsmen and greenkeepers need flexibility. Therefore we enable them to configure their Portal with the information that is relevant to them. This modular approach enables, for example, very detailed reporting on a stadium pitch, but only the essential information for the training pitches. Or the possibility to add a Disease Forecast to their Portal during high pressure months and turn it off for the rest of the year.”

The TurfPod is a completely customizable monitoring tool, fit to every budget, sport and situation. When there’s no one-size-fits-all approach, SGL proves to be a tailor.

More information on: www.sglsystem.com/turfpod

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Radley College extends Toro relationship

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Radley College extends Toro relationship: World-class sporting facilities are one of the cornerstones of prestigious boys’ school, Radley College in Oxfordshire, so it goes without saying that maintaining impeccable grounds is a must.

After 10 years of successfully using Toro, Radley College has once again renewed its arrangement with Reesink Turfcare to supply Toro fine-turf and groundscare mowers to keep the school’s 228 acres in pristine condition.

Radley College extends Toro relationship

Radley College extends Toro relationship

“Flexibility is key” cites head of grounds, Adam King, who has worked at Radley College for 20 years: “This is the second time we have renewed a five-year deal with Toro and this time we’ve opted for a slightly different range of machines. Rather than having a smaller number of larger mowers we have gone for a wider range of smaller machines. This gives us ultimate flexibility and enables us to work smarter.”

Adam’s 19-strong grounds teams are responsible for maintaining the school’s grounds and gardens, 30 hectares of which are pure sport pitches including rugby pitches, cricket-squares, football pitches, astroturf hockey pitches and tennis courts. Radley College also has a lake and a nine-hole golf course.

Adam continues: “We have 750 boys playing sport five days a week. Whether it’s rugby in winter or cricket in summer, there are seasonal demands on the facilities. Pitches not only need to be playable but immaculate, so in being able to equip the grounds team with the finest machines and deploy them according to the school calendar, we have the ultimate flexibility. We can work sharper and have more options.

“Working with Toro is a no brainer. Clearly we have a duty to look at all manufacturers but we continue to return to Toro based on the fact the mowers are reliable, comfortable and easy for the grounds team to use, and they produce an exceptional cut.”

Thanks to the latest renewal agreement the school now has a nine-strong fleet of Toro mowers which includes two Greensmaster 3150-Q, a Reelmaster 3100-D, a Greensmaster TriFlex 3400, two Reelmaster 3550-D and two compact and lightweight Reelmaster 3555-D mowers.

“Down time is not an option,” Adam continues. “We seldom have issues, but our lease agreement has back-up care built into it. If we have a problem I know I’ll have a mechanic on site the very next day. We’ve never had a machine down for more than 24-36 hours and that’s very important to us.

“It’s all about the machines” Adam concludes. “The finishing, the quality – it’s exemplary.  And with the reliability and performance of our grounds machines taken care of it’s only mother nature we have to worry about!”

Reesink Turfcare is the exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland for Toro groundscare machinery. For further information on the range call 01480 226800, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk, or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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SISIS Autoslit victorious at Victoria Park

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SISIS Autoslit victorious at Victoria Park: A SISIS Autoslit is currently playing its part in helping to prepare ‘world class’ greens at Victoria Park.

Victoria Park is the home of English Bowls and hosts the annual Bowls England National Championships held in August. The five greens at Victoria Park are also used for County competitions, National events and for International matches and competitions.

SISIS Autoslit victorious at Victoria Park

SISIS Autoslit victorious at Victoria Park

The widely respected greens are thanks to an expert greenkeeping regime led by head greenkeeper Mike Finch of idverde – one of the UK & Europe’s leading provider of grounds maintenance.

“The greens at Victoria Park have always been of a very high standard, but we are now working towards making them world-class,” said Mike. “With this in mind, I was asked what new equipment I needed which could help me make them world-class. The first thing I said was that I needed a pedestrian slitter.

“I chose the SISIS Autoslit purely through the research I have been doing on different golf courses and other fine turf surfaces – I felt that it would be the best product for this particular site.”

The SISIS Autoslit is a purpose-built pedestrian deep slitter which is suitable for use on fine or outfield turf helping to reduce compaction and assist the percolation of surface water. The deep clean slitting action cuts through the turf and the root zone leaving a thin slit on the surface and minimal surface disturbance.

These slits encourage strong, healthy root growth of the grass plants, improving tolerance to drought conditions and promoting more rapid recovery after damage in play. Easy to use, the SISIS Autoslit incorporates a rear smoothing roller and uses a cantilever system to lift the machine out of operation.

“It is very easy to use and I’m very impressed with what it can do,” said Mike. “We’ll use it monthly from December through to the end of March before the surface starts to dry again.

“It is like a knife with a serrated edge, and it basically slices into the turf, but it doesn’t do any damage because there is a rear roller on it as well. You get a nice linear, aeration cut through your greens.

“Not only does it help to keep the surface going, allowing the moisture to drain, but it is also good for root extension,” he continued. “In the colder months when the roots aren’t active, the SISIS Autoslit allows oxygen to reach those roots, and all the time you are doing this it will benefit the green when it comes to spring. What you find is that when the weather starts to warm, the roots will start pushing down into all the nice linear folds you have been creating with the Autoslit.

“Ultimately, it helps you to keep the surface firm and dry but slightly moist lower down where the moisture is needed. It is a great piece of equipment.”

For further information or a no-obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter or Instagram @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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Championship treble for dealer support

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Championship treble for dealer support: Scottish John Deere dealers Thomas Sherriff & Co and Double A will complete a unique treble this summer as they provide vital tournament support for the abrdn Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in July, the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open at Dumbarnie Links and the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie Golf Links, both in August.

This is The Renaissance Club’s third consecutive Scottish Open, with the course running an extensive John Deere equipment fleet including the new satellite guided GPS PrecisionSprayer and 2550E PrecisionCut hybrid electric greens mowers.

Championship treble for dealer support

Championship treble for dealer support

Sherriff Haddington turf sales manager Dougie Archibald arranged for the supply of additional 8000AE PrecisionCut hybrid electric fairway mowers, Gator utility vehicles and other support equipment to deputy head superintendent Jamie Aitken, who headed up the course maintenance team for the abrdn Scottish Open.

The dealership’s senior technician John Blair also spent two days before the tournament setting up the mower fleet to ensure all the machines achieved a consistently high quality finish.

Head superintendent Paul Seago says: “We are indebted to John Deere, local dealer Thomas Sherriff & Co and their respective staff for once again providing the tournament support fleet for the 2021 abrdn Scottish Open, without which we could not produce our course to the exacting standards required for hosting such a prestigious event.

“As an end user, particularly during these globally challenging times, it is reassuring to know that customer support remains a high priority at John Deere. As The Renaissance Club motto says, ‘Rare Indeed’.”

Dumbarnie Links is a new venue for the Women’s Scottish Open, and this will be the first major golf tournament hosted by Scotland’s newest golf course, which only opened for play officially at the end of May last year. The course also operates a number of E-Cut hybrid electric mowers as part of its equally extensive John Deere fleet, supplied by Double A from its main Cupar outlet in Fife.

The dealership was involved with the Dumbarnie Links project from the very beginning, and since the initial supply of John Deere equipment on loan Double A group sales manager Ross Kelly and golf key accounts manager John Bateson have been phasing in a full range of course maintenance equipment over the past three years.

“It’s simply not possible to achieve what we want to achieve without the extra machines and technical support we get from Double A and John Deere,” says Dumbarnie Links course manager Grahame Taylor. This will include additional hybrid greens, fairways and surrounds mowers plus HPX Gator utility vehicles, with John Bateson also cutting aprons throughout the tournament using a new 2750E PrecisionCut machine.

“Our team of 20 greenkeepers expands to 30 for the Open, and we need to carry out all the necessary tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible. The expanded fleet enables us to increase the mowing frequency, particularly during the tournament when there’s only a short time-frame to get the work done before the start of play. We’ll therefore have lights fitted to all the mowers, as we’ll be starting in the dark at 4.15am each day.”

Carnoustie Golf Links, known as ‘Golf’s Greatest Test’ and a flagship for innovation and sustainable golf course management, entered into a new partnership agreement with John Deere and Rain Bird in 2020. It is also taking advantage of the latest developments in precision technology, with a comprehensive equipment fleet that includes three of the first new GPS PrecisionSprayers to be sold in Europe.

The AIG Women’s Open returns after 10 years to Carnoustie for the 45th playing of the championship in 2021, with the famous Angus course becoming the fifth links venue in history to host the event multiple times.

Carnoustie Golf Links courses manager Kevin Stott says: “Reliable manufacturer and dealer support such as that provided by John Deere and Double A is very important. Hosting a major tournament such as the AIG Women’s Open requires the extra kit and manpower to help our team put that extra polish on the fairways and greens, and make maximum use of the available daylight hours.

“It comes down to the frequency and quality of cut that we need to apply across all three courses. Our primary focus is on giving golfers the very best conditions possible for them to play their best golf.

“This year, as we welcome some of the very best golfers in the world for the AIG Women’s Open, we are ensuring that Carnoustie will provide the great test that is expected from this iconic golf course and that we produce world class surfaces that will challenge every part of their game, resulting in the best all round golfer winning.”

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