NW Pitch Maintenance make their mark

/in , /by

NW Pitch Maintenance make their mark: With 54 pitches to mark including Salford City Football Club’s training ground and stadium, owner of NW Pitch Maintenance, Andy O’Sullivan, brought the Turf Tank robotic line marker https://turftank.com/row/ on board to improve the efficiency of his line marking operation.

Andy, who was initially sceptical about robotic line markers, arranged a demonstration of the machine at one of his most challenging grassroots pitches with Matt Murray, Northern Area Manager for Turf Tank. After seeing the accuracy of the lines despite the difficult undulations, he knew it would be an asset.

NW Pitch Maintenance make their mark

NW Pitch Maintenance make their mark

“When Matt from Turf Tank came out to me, I took him to one of the worst pitches I have to look, after in terms of we can’t always get on it because it’s always a bit rutted,” Andy explains. “It was raining heavily, but the lines were really, really straight, and that convinced me to buy it because I thought if it can do that on there, then I’ve got a chance with this thing.

“The difference with the Turf Tank right now is really apparent because no one is playing football.  Previously we would have had to keep the lines otherwise we’d lose them and need to set them up again which is another three-hour job on every pitch.  With the Turf Tank we have set the pitches up, and we won’t have to go back and overmark them until the pitches are required again.

“Now we turn up, put the base station up and off we go because the pitches are already set-up on the tablet and it’s only 20 minutes to mark. The time we save being able to do that justifies the robot alone. And I’d say the lines are undoubtedly better because when you’ve got a grassroots pitch with undulations, even when you string a pitch with an undulation, you’re going to follow that yourself naturally and the string doesn’t stay on the ground, it rises above that dip. Whereas the Turf Tank will follow that dip down because it’s low to the ground as well.

“I can send my son Liam off to another site, and he can be cutting, and I can take the Turf Tank with me and the tractor to cut as well. I cut one pitch at the training ground and set the Turf Tank off on the other one. I’m then cutting while that’s doing its work, we finish at similar times, and I set it off on the pitch I’ve cut and by the time I’ve packed my trailer up it’s ready to go. It’s like having another staff member with me, and in total, I’d say it’s saving us 20 to 25 hours a week on line-marking time.

“From the off the robot has been great for us and Matt’s training when he installed the machine and back-up service since has been brilliant. He went with Liam and me to a site and talked us through it and made sure we both knew what we were doing and whenever I’ve had questions, he’s sorted me out on the phone or FaceTime, so he’s been excellent the whole time.”

Since having the Turf Tank, Andy has been able to diversify his line marking offering and is scheduled to line a lacrosse pitch for the first time and plans to mark running tracks in the summer. Templates for a large number of sports are pre-loaded into the tablet to make marking them quick and easy, with the operator simply having to plot them and push go.

For more information about the Turf Tank One visit www.turftank.com or contact matt@turftank.co.uk (northern UK) or alex@turftank.co.uk (southern UK).

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Agrovista Amenity appoints Katy Richards

/in , /by

Agrovista Amenity appoints Katy Richards: “I have already found my path – digital marketing is all I’ve ever wanted to do,” said Katy.

Born and raised in rural Shropshire, Katy wanted to experience ‘city life’ and it is for this reason that she opted to attend university in the heart of vibrant Birmingham. Her three-year degree course was Digital Marketing, and she was so keen to get started that she began working in a marketing role before she had even graduated.

Agrovista Amenity appoints Katy Richards

Agrovista Amenity appoints Katy Richards

“My degree course very much focused on the creative side of digital marketing and so working for a marketing agency also enabled me to learn the practical side,” she said.

Even after graduating, Katy continued to work for the marketing agency and was quickly promoted from an assistant to an executive – most notably after excelling in search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. However, after four years of experiencing ‘city life’ her heart still belonged in Shropshire.

“I discovered that it just isn’t for me,” she said. “I am very much a country girl and I needed more greenery back in my life. Therefore, I left the job in Birmingham and moved back to my family home in Shropshire.”

With an impressive marketing portfolio Katy started freelancing and worked on a variety of different projects for just over a year. She admitted to missing an office environment and the camaraderie of working in a team and it was at this point that she came across the job at Agrovista Amenity.

“The job obviously caught my eye because it was a digital marketing role, but it was the company culture which really appealed to me,” said Katy. “The amenity and agricultural aspects of Agrovista is all very much part of life when you live in a Shropshire village – it just felt a good fit for me.”

The office environment will have to wait a little longer after the country went back into lockdown on the day before her start date, but Katy is already settling into her new role.

“It is all very exciting and there is lots to do,” she said. “At the moment I am working on a variety of projects such as e-commerce, SEO, social media advertising and I’m also starting to learn HTML coding.

“I’m part of a great team here and my line manager, Siân Workman, has so many excellent plans in place – I’m looking forward to supporting her and playing an important role.

“We are all working from home at the moment,” Katy continued. “It is working really well, and the company has put some excellent procedures in place to ensure that we have excellent communication with one another.

“I find every aspect of this role fascinating and I’m very much looking forward to the road ahead.”

For more information about Agrovista Amenity, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Colliers advisors complete fertiliser assessment

/in , /by

Colliers advisors complete fertiliser assessment: All of our Collier Turf Care FACTS Qualified Advisors (FQA) have again successfully passed the fertiliser annual assessment examination.

Along with their BASIS qualification and membership of the BASIS Professional Register, this ensures that they are up to date and able to offer sound professional advice on both chemicals and fertilisers for the turf and amenity industry, and entitles them to remain on the register of FACTS Qualified Advisors. Those staff that are not currently BASIS registered or FACTS Qualified Advisors are undergoing our in-depth formal training scheme, and until qualified they are fully supported by the companies FQAs.

Colliers advisors complete fertiliser assessment

Colliers advisors complete fertiliser assessment

Andrew Harding, Managing Director of Collier Turf Care said “We are committed to ensuring that our staff are fully trained and competent in order that we can deliver the very best advice and service to our customers. As the leading technical turf care company, we fully endorse the principles of professional qualifications and raising the standards throughout the amenity industry”.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

STIHL cordless machinery the right fit

/in , /by

STIHL cordless machinery the right fit: RFT Services has switched its entire groundscare and arborist machinery fleet to STIHL cordless tools, a move that has not only enhanced the maintenance programme of the entire grounds team, but also offered significant environmental benefits.

RFT Services is part of the Flagship Group and provides facilities and grounds maintenance to over 31,000 homes and 800 communal garden areas across the East of England. To ensure the grounds maintenance programme runs efficiently as possible, it is vital that the team utilise the most reliable, robust and best performing equipment available to meet the needs of any application all year round, even in the toughest weather conditions.

The responsibility of overseeing the 27 strong groundscare and arborist team is led by ope

STIHL cordless machinery the right fit

STIHL cordless machinery the right fit

rations manager Glen Ray, who has been working at RFT Services for more than three years. With the team having used STIHL petrol machines for a number of years, and after a trial period with their local dealer GDC Ltd, Glen decided to switch to a machinery fleet made up entirely of STIHL cordless tools, and it wasn’t long until the maintenance team were realising the benefits battery technology has to offer.

Glen said: “Our business is built upon delivering great service to our customers and that means ensuring more than 800 communal areas are maintained to the highest standard. For us to achieve this, it’s imperative that we have to implement a rigorous maintenance programme to ensure gardens and parklands are in the best possible condition all year round for tenants to enjoy.

“Although petrol and diesel engine powered equipment is and will continue to be very popular, I was intrigued by the advancement in battery technology and the benefits this could bring to my maintenance team, especially from a noise-sensitive operation point of view.

“Previously, one of the difficulties we had as a team was that we only had certain time frames in which to carry out regular grounds maintenance tasks due to the noise level of petrol tools during operation. When operating landscaping and arborist machinery in residential areas, it’s important to conduct this work when it will cause minimum disruption. Add to this that petrol machines are generally more expensive to run and maintain, I was very intrigued by battery technology and how this could potentially enhance our maintenance operations.

“After speaking to GDC Ltd, the team trialled a number of cordless tools, including the STIHL FSA 130R Brush cutter, BGA 100 Blower, HLA 85 Long reach Hedge Trimmer, HTA 85 Pole Saw, HLA 65 Hedge trimmer AR 3000 Battery and fast charger overall and the general consensus was that they were very impressed with not only how quiet the tools were during operation, so much so that they didn’t need to wear ear protection, but also their performance, which was on par with petrol equivalents.

“In addition to performance, the battery tools also bring environmental benefits, which is a big plus. The team doesn’t need to store costly fuel on site and all we have to do is simply replace the battery if it runs out which is very rare, helping to keep machine downtime to a minimum.  We are a community driven business, so it’s great that the battery technology allows us to be more sustainable in our maintenance practices.

“Since then, we haven’t looked back when it comes to battery tools and have invested in a STIHL cordless machinery fleet that includes pole pruners, hedge trimmers, brushcutters, blowers, mower, and chainsaws to name a few.

“The quiet operation of the cordless tools, as well as being able to handle the toughest jobs, has enabled my team to carry out maintenance tasks at any point during the day, which has ensured we can implement a strict maintenance regime that meets the highest standards. Reliability is also a key consideration to avoid costly downtime, and the tools need to be comfortable and simple to operate so my team can carry out their work efficiently. That’s exactly why we chose STIHL equipment.

“As with grounds maintenance teams, we pride ourselves on the work we carry out and strive to do this to the highest standard. The use of battery technology and the reliability of the machinery from STIHL has helped push our maintenance programme onto the next level and we look forward to carrying on our proud tradition of providing tenants with communal areas they can enjoy and relax in.”

For more information on STIHL’s extensive range of professional battery powered tools, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Polaris welcomes new dealer

/in , /by

Polaris welcomes new dealer: Polaris has appointed Farm and Garden Machinery Ltd as an authorised Polaris dealer for Shropshire and West Midlands.

A family run business based in Bridgnorth, Farm and Garden Machinery stock a full range of Polaris utility vehicles, including the Polaris Ranger, Polaris Sportsman and Polaris Youth line-up, as well as genuine Polaris parts and accessories.

Polaris welcomes new dealer

Polaris welcomes new dealer

Set up in 2003 by Neil and Andrea Morris, Neil has over 20 years of experience servicing, repairing and selling UTVs and ATVs, and studied Agricultural Engineering at Walford Agricultural College as well as gaining valuable experience at an agricultural machinery dealer for a few years before setting up his own business with his wife Andrea. Andrea has an accountancy background and looks after the admin, marketing and accountancy side of the business.

“I grew up on a small farm in South Shropshire and I’ve always tinkered with engines and farm machinery from a young age,” said Neil Morris. “We have been looking to take on a franchise that provides reliable side by side vehicles and ATVs and Polaris is the perfect fit. The children’s range is a bonus and we’re excited to have that on offer for our customers.”

With over 18 years of experience, the team at Farm and Garden Machinery are available to repair and service customer vehicles and other machinery, and the small team of engineers can collect and repair machinery on site.

“We’re really pleased to be welcoming Farm and Garden Machinery as an official Polaris dealer,” said Richard Coleby, Polaris Britain National Sales Manager. “They are in the ideal location to serve our customers in Shropshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands, and they offer all the right experience to provide excellent sales and support.”

Visit the Farm and Garden Machinery Ltd website here.

For more information on the Polaris Off-Road Vehicles line-up, please visit www.polarisbritain.com

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.