Bionema appoints Stephen Pearce

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Bionema appoints Stephen Pearce: Bionema Ltd, a leading UK-based biopesticide technology developer, that specialises in chemical-free, biological crop protection for safe and sustainable agriculture, has announced the appointment of Stephen Pearce as Non-Executive Chair. 

Steve has more than 25 years of global experience in the Pharma, Biotech and Life Science industries and has served in senior positions in both public and private equity-owned companies – where  the development and implementation of successful transformational strategies are fundamental to companies’ sustainable growth.

Bionema appoints Stephen Pearce

Bionema appoints Stephen Pearce

He spent the last 12 years in the Life Science industry as Chief Procurement Officer for Arysta LifeScience – one of the world’s largest agrochemical companies. He was also part of a team that integrated several companies as part of a mergers and acquisitions strategy and was a key member of the alliance development team.

During his career, Steve has held senior global leadership and strategy development roles in technical sales, marketing, strategic sourcing and procurement, and alliance development. He spent several years in the US as Director of Biotechnology Research Business Development – a role dedicated to fundraising, developing and commercialising intellectual property, building commercial alliances with academic institutions and a state and federal lobbyist.

Prior to joining Arysta, Steve was based in Switzerland as the Global Head of Clinical Trial Outsourcing for a major Pharma company leading international teams across general medicines and oncology.

Commenting on his new role at Bionema, Steve says: “Bionema is a business that possesses and continues to develop a rich and cutting-edge pipeline of technologies and solutions that offers significant opportunity. The Bionema team are well placed, in terms of intellectual property and technology, to address the significant and growing need to provide innovative and sustainable technologies. With ever increasing regulation, growing consumer concerns over how food is produced and food safety there has never been a more important and opportune time to bring new, innovative and effective chemical-free solutions to the market in support of, and in response to, growing value chain demands. I look forward to working with the Bionema board of directors, management team and shareholders as we take the business forward.”

Dr Minshad Ansari, Founder and CEO of Bionema, says: “Steve brings a broad and unique skill set in the areas of alliance and business development, mergers and acquisitions, technical marketing, procurement, strategic sourcing and manufacturing, and operations outsourcing. We welcome Steve as our new chair to the Bionema Board and will benefit from his valuable expertise and perspectives as we continue to transform the company, execute on our strategic priorities, and seek ways to enhance shareholder value. We are committed to engaging with all shareholders as we continue to pursue value-enhancing opportunities for Bionema”

Bionema creates chemical-free pest management solutions for the agriculture, horticulture, turf amenity, landscape, and forestry sectors.  With over 30 years’ experience in research, development, and commercialisation of biopesticides, its natural products use microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, and nematodes) to protect crops from insect damage, reducing the use of synthetic pesticides and enhancing crop yields.

For more information visit www.bionema.com

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Primo Maxx offers opportunity to save

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Primo Maxx offers opportunity to save: Greenkeepers and turf advisors can now find out the potential time and cost savings for individual courses using Primo Maxx II to reduce mowing requirements on fairways.

The Primo Maxx Cost Calculator uses a club’s current costs and routine of fairway cutting, to give an instant answer for its potential savings from a reduced frequency of mowing.

Primo Maxx offers opportunity to save

Primo Maxx offers opportunity to save

An independent survey of management on a range of golf courses revealed the average time taken to mow fairways was 11 man hours for each cut. For courses cutting fairways three times per week, the use of Primo Maxx II to eliminate one cut per week through the season could see potential machinery cost savings of over £3000 per year, along with more than £5000 value of labour input – which could be better utilsed for more valuable roles.

The calculator allows users to input their own costs for labour – for operating and machinery maintenance – the cost of fuel, repairs and mower depreciation.

Syngenta Technical Manager, Glenn Kirby, highlighted fairways are the largest areas of playing surface on the golf course, and for many take the greatest amount of labour to cut and manage.

“The calculator enables club’s to look more closely at techniques to reduce labour or lift turf quality. This allows labour to be redirected to other areas as well as reducing maintenance costs and extending the life of machinery.

“We have seen from the results of the STRI Lockdown Trial that there is real potential for lower intensity turf management, whilst retaining turf quality and playability,” Glenn reported.

“Primo Maxx II is integral to reducing workloads and managing costs.” The STRI trials showed an average 35% reduction in turf growth from the treatment programmes.

Glenn pointed out that using the calculator can demonstrate Primo Maxx II use to reduce mowing will also lower the wear and tear on machines and potentially extend their working life. “These are hidden costs that are rarely looked at, but can make a significant difference to the financial challenges golf clubs face.

“At a time when budgets are under pressure, it’s an important exercise to look at the impact of Primo Maxx II, to see how if it can it can help reduce long-term running costs for the club, and help reallocate of labour to higher priority areas whilst maintaining quality.

Combined with the depreciation from an average seven-year operating life of fairways mowers, the reduction in mowing by a typical 25% to 33% per week through the growing season offered substantial savings.

Experience of greenkeepers who regularly use Primo Maxx II on fairways repeatedly shows that the clean cut and tight sward helps with ball lie and playability,” he advised.

“The Primo Maxx Calculator is a really useful tool to assess potential savings and to communicate with the Club for budgets and investment.”

The Primo Maxx Calculator is free to use among the Greencast Tools for more efficient turf management.

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Campey applies a touch of magic

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Campey applies a touch of magic: A renovation from Campey Turf Care Systems has brought a touch of magic to Sutton Upon Derwent Tennis Club’s two grass courts!

The courts have played a prominent role in the club’s history and have been a feature since French Airmen originally founded it in the 1940s. When the club was re-established in 1970, the courts were kept and they are now the only two grass surfaces in the York Tennis League, which is one of the biggest in the United Kingdom.

Campey applies a touch of magic

Campey applies a touch of magic

While the condition of the courts has always been at a usable standard club member and volunteer groundsman, George Hobson, saw the potential in them and took it upon himself to raise the quality. George had no experience of turf maintenance when he started two seasons ago, but along with his work as a magician that has seen him perform at numerous events including for the Aston Martin Racing Team at Le Mans, he has made significant progress with the courts.

“I had no previous experience in groundsmanship, but I seem to be obsessing over grass now,” George began. “I’ve been playing on these courts since I started playing tennis, which is 15-years ago and I knew they could be a lot better, and I wanted to see what I could do.

“I first met Ben Taylor from Campey at Wimbledon’s Grass Court Seminar in August last year, and they had the machinery on the courts there which looked amazing. After meeting Ben, I asked him if he knew of anyone who had a KoroÒ in our area because it would be interesting to see what price they’d charge to help us out. Campey very kindly came back and said they would do a renovation demo day on the tennis courts, so that’s how it started.

“The tennis courts at the club have never really had a renovation so the thatch was like a sponge. The quality of the courts wasn’t there because of that, but the KoroÒ did the job we needed to take the thatch away.

“The courts are fantastic now, and they’ve held up well to the use they’ve had, which is now over two hundred hours. We usually have one hundred members at the club and from those that have played on them we’ve had loads of positive responses. As this was our first-ever complete renovation of the courts, it was a steep learning curve for me. I selected a new grass seed that was a 100% ryegrass as our tennis season runs from the end of April to early September. There’s a lot of wear on the courts, so I hoped this would allow them to stay at their prime for longer. The use of the Vredo seeder and Uni-ScratchÔ prepared the seedbed perfectly to allow for very high germination rates. There’s always going to be a few things that I may have missed from our first renovation, one thing being that the baselines over the years have had different types of loam applied, this led to them panning which doesn’t allow good root growth. There’s always something new I’m learning and discovering which is really helping to expand my knowledge further.

“Doing the renovation and the results of it has attracted a few more members in which is good. The grass courts are in a really prominent position in the village so there’s a lot of traffic going past them and seeing them in such good condition has attracted some of those new members.”

For more information on the KOROÒ FIELDTOPMAKERÒ or how your surface can be improved using Campey machinery contact your local Campey Product Specialist or email info@campeyturfcare.com.

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New approach for Minchinhampton GC

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New approach for Minchinhampton GC: Minchinhampton Golf Club’s championship Avening and Cherington courses near the village of Avening in Gloucestershire and The Old Course on National Trust-owned Minchinhampton Common are renowned for their year-round immaculate presentation.

Testament to this is that within just seven years of The Cherington Course opening, the R&A chose it as the south-west venue for its Open Championship Regional Qualifying tournament from 2002 to 2007. The Avening Course has since been chosen to host the same event between 2018 and 2023 (now extended to 2024, since this year’s Open Championship at Royal St Georges was postponed to next year).

New approach for Minchinhampton GC

New approach for Minchinhampton GC

Just one of the 12-strong greenkeeping team led by courses manager Adam Matthews, including workshop manager Will Harris, was furloughed during the coronavirus lockdown, for health reasons. The club decided to keep all the other greens staff working on staggered shifts through the day and into the evening, as much to watch over and protect the courses as to continue maintaining all 54 holes to the highest standard.

This process has also seen the introduction of the club’s first John Deere course maintenance equipment fleet of 10 machines bought from dealer Tallis Amos Group (TAG) at Bibury, near Cirencester, on a five-year John Deere Financial lease deal. The new fleet includes three 2750 E-Cut hybrid electric triplex greens and tees mowers, a 6080A PrecisionCut fairway mower for the approaches and a 7400A TerrainCut rotary mower for the surrounds and roughs, plus three electric TE Gator and two diesel HPX Gator utility vehicles.

“We anticipated that the club would need to reopen at very short notice and so it proved,” says general manager Simon Pope. “On returning we wanted to present the courses to the members in as good a condition as we possibly could, so we aimed to keep the same maintenance schedule all the way through the lockdown and be ready to go from day one.

“As an extra benefit, we usually close each of the championship courses in turn during August and September for annual intensive maintenance programmes, but the good work that was achieved during lockdown means we won’t need to do that now, which our members are delighted about. I have to commend Adam and the whole team for their admirable effort and positive attitude, they have been absolutely brilliant under the circumstances.”

The courses reopened for play on May 13, which coincidentally is Marking Day on Minchinhampton Common. On this day each year around 500 cattle are released on the common for a summer of traditional grazing, and it is part of the greens staff’s responsibility to clean up after them on The Old Course when necessary!

“There was certainly a huge pent-up demand from the members to get back playing – I reckon 1300 people played at least one day within 10 days of re-opening,” adds Simon. “We already had a very strong membership base, with a waiting list last summer, but the lockdown period saw new membership applications shoot up. We have also now expanded the membership offer, so golfers can play 54 holes across the two sites if they wish. This gives members a lot of variety, especially as we are able to run dedicated two-ball and four-ball courses.”

Now 35, Adam Matthews has worked at Minchinhampton Golf Club since he was 16, and became courses manager in January. This coincided with the club coming to the end of its existing five-year fleet deal, and therefore provided a good opportunity for Simon and Adam to review every aspect of the club’s management, including the machinery. After competitive tender quotes from existing and other main suppliers, the pair were impressed by the presentations made by TAG and John Deere.

“TAG’s area sales manager Alex Jones in particular led from the front and it was really his persistence and sound advice that persuaded us to seriously consider using more John Deere equipment than we have done previously,” says Adam. “They put forward a very constructive and consistent proposal, and we had a range of machines in twice on demonstration so the team could really test them properly in our conditions.

“We certainly took our time, it was by no means a sudden decision, and we wanted to be very thorough and fair. It was not just about buying new machinery either, other key factors came into play such as after-sales care, trust in the equipment both in the workshop and out on the course, as well as the finance.

“Ultimately, the high level of customer service was what made us believe that the overall John Deere and dealer package was the way for us to go. All our questions were answered quickly, the selection of machines was tailored precisely to our needs and since the deal’s been completed, Alex Jones and TAG have continued to provide excellent back-up. We realised that this aspect is so important, particularly when you change to a new supplier.”

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La Finca Resort set to re-open

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La Finca Resort set to re-open: Luxury Spanish destination, La Finca Resort, is ready to reopen its doors to visitors at the end of this month following a six million Euro renovation project which has seen the golf courses and gastronomic offerings undergo major redevelopments.

The staggering investment has seen the resort enhance its reputation as the go-to destination in Costa Blanca and includes the introduction of three brand-new restaurants and a winery which are all set to open for the first time on July 30.

La Finca Resort set to re-open

La Finca Resort set to re-open

Commenting on the investment, General Manager, Brendan Dwyer, said: “We are very pleased to introduce the latest stage of our ambitious development project which continues to elevate La Finca Resort to the very highest level.

“We’re proud to be a true hub of golf and gastronomy and our latest enhancements help to amplify this further. It is exciting to be able to welcome our guests back this month so that they can experience everything the resort has to offer.”

The venue’s three prestigious golf courses, La Finca, Villamartín and Las Ramblas, have also undergone an extensive enhancement project, including renovation of all the bunkers on La Finca and Villamartín, and the green complexes on all three courses, as well as a restoration of the 16th hole of La Finca.

Complementing this, 40 rooms at the resort’s hotel have been renovated to ‘club level’, which includes a contemporary and sophisticated design, while an array of gastronomic offerings have been introduced to give visitors a true culinary experience.

A new, exclusive hotel bar and terrace, The Hub, will offer guests a leisurely environment in which to relax and dine throughout the day, while the revamped Citrus restaurant will serve the very best in Mediterranean cuisine.

Adding to the dining options, a new Mexican and Italian Fusion restaurant, Frijolino, is set to open in August, followed a few weeks later by the new La Finca Bodega Winery. Ideal for group or individual wine tastings with offerings from the local, national, and international markets, the Bodega will give clients an authentic world-wide wine experience.

Completing the gastronomic investment, La Finca Resort will open its signature paella and brasserie restaurant later this year, providing diners with a true taste of Spain in a luxurious and contemporary setting as part of the new, world class resort.

Another new addition to the resort, the La Finca Sports complex combines sport, nutrition, and well-being. A large training and rehabilitation centre where physical therapy and personal well-being will be practiced, the complex is aimed at both amateur and professional athletes alike. Alongside the new gym complex, a renovation of the tennis and paddle areas will also help to make La Finca Sports Spain´s leading sports resort.

The resort’s reopening comes coincides with La Finca Resort being nominated as Spain´s Leading Sports Resort at the World Travel Awards 2020 and Spain´s Best Golf Hotel at the World Golf Travel Awards 2020 – a duo of accolades which the venue won in 2019.

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