Allett Awarded Queen’s Award

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Allett Awarded Queen’s Award: Today, Allett Limited welcomed the Lord-Lieutenant, Mr Ian Dudson, the Queen’s representative in Staffordshire to meet the staff and present a commemorative vase and ‘Grant of Appointment’ deed for the Queen’s award for Enterprise.

In April 2019 Allett, the Staffordshire based specialist cylinder mower manufacturer won the coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2019 in recognition of its growth in exports and contribution to the British economy.

Allett Awarded Queen's Award

Allett Awarded Queen’s Award

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of:

  • Innovation
  • International trade
  • Sustainable development
  • Promoting opportunity through social mobility

Allett won this award after the company had demonstrated exceptional and year-on-year growth in export sales over a five year period  and had made a minimum of £100,000 in export sales in the first year of entry.

The Russia World Cup was an important factor in Allett’s overseas sales success however the Company has also seen a huge rise in sales to other countries such as America where sales into the top baseball and football clubs has been a strong and growing market.

Export Manager Dave Allett played a major role in partnership with Allett’s Russian distributors, Moscow based Unisaw, before the world’s biggest football tournament to supply host stadiums, training grounds and contractors with a range of Allett machinery.

Dave Allett and James Till (Allett Director) were invited to attend a Royal Reception at Buckingham Palace last summer.

“We’re very honoured to receive the Queen’s Award,” says Austin Jarrett, Allett’s Managing Director, “This prestigious award recognises our achievements and team efforts in bringing innovative developments in our mowing systems to meet challenges in overseas markets with large potential. Because of increased export sales the business no longer subject to the seasonality of sales cycles in the UK. Our mowers and turf maintenance systems are used throughout the world where they maintain sports surfaces and lawns to the highest standards. The groundsmen in the UK are acknowledged to be the best in the world and these customers demand the highest standards from their equipment suppliers,” says Jarrett. “This relentless demand from our UK customers over the years have driven our engineering team to improve and develop our mowing systems which subsequently help to produce near-perfect sports surfaces and garden lawns. Allett have benefitted from this and we are confident that we can deliver higher standards to the stadiums and lawns using our systems in the rest of the world. Every one of our machines proudly bears a Union Flag decal, and this really helps us in our export markets where the UK is revered for their lawns.

We will be hosting Pitch Maintenance training seminars in China this year,” adds Jarrett, “to help set standards and expectations for the playing surfaces in this huge country which is growing rapidly as a footballing nation. Allett is more than just a machine. We’re strengthening our technical support and embarking on a plan of new product development to concentrate on a wider range of grass and sports turf maintenance products.”

As part of the Award ceremony at Regal House, Allett’s manufacturing facility, Allett held a celebration on the 14th February 2020 to celebrate their success. The Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire was on hand to present the Directors with a ‘Grant of Appointment’ (an official certificate) and a commemorative crystal trophy. After an informative factory tour, the Lord-Lieutenant took the opportunity to talk with Allett employees over lunch. It was a special day for every member of Allett Mowers staff  who are extremely proud to have achieved the award and play their part in producing the machines used in some of the world’s most prestigious sporting venues.

Lord Lieutenant said;

“It was a privilege and delight to present a Queen’s Award for Enterprise today to Allett lawnmowers. Another Staffordshire manufacturing company leading the world in product design, performance, quality and reliability which has driven outstanding continuous growth in overseas sales over the last six years to achieve this well deserved prestigious recognition.

Great to be able to meet the entire workforce to offer congratulations and continued success.”

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Först for hire places

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Först for hire places: Först exhibited again at this year’s Executive Hire Show with real presence in the shape of their ST6P woodchipper.

The ideal hire machine for arborists and contractors, The ST6P was well received at the show which overall was very good for Först, generating an excellent turnout. When introduced, the ST6P signalled a new era with a tough and hardy woodchipper that is below the 750kg weight boundary.

Först for hire places

Först for hire places

The first Först to host a petrol engine, the ST6P rivals any diesel competitor for chipping ability and fuel consumption. What’s more, the machine complies with emission regulations, being Stage 5 ready thanks to its petrol engine, so there’s no worry about the law which will affect all diesel machines over 24 horsepower.

It was nice to catch up with existing customers at the Executive Hire Show, says the company, and the exhibition brought many new prospects to their stand. In all, there was a good, positive atmosphere with genuine interest amongst visitors in what Först woodchippers can bring to their hire businesses.

For more information visit www.forst-woodchippers.com or call +44 1264 721790

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Otterbine service resumed

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Otterbine service resumed: Otterbine has been chosen again by Northamptonshire County Golf Club to maintain its irrigation reservoir.

Otterbine has been impressing the Open Regional Qualifying club in the Midlands with its ability to keep 3.5 million gallons of water clean, clear and heathy for 15 years, so when the club’s high volume 5hp surface spray aerator reached the end of its life, it was soon replaced like-for-like.

Otterbine service resumed

Otterbine service resumed

Rob Hay, course manager, says: “The reservoir was built 18 years ago after a couple of particularly hot summers to take us off the mains for irrigation. The reservoir doesn’t have a particularly large surface area, but it is very, very deep, and the greenkeeping team at the time soon noticed the water quality was fast degrading and a build-up of algae was forming.

“Otterbine was recommended by the club’s irrigation contractor, Stuart Sanders of SJS Irrigation, and from the moment it was installed it has delivered on its promise to manage the reservoir’s severe aquatic environment. Its power and longevity are exemplary. The contractor advised never turning the aerator off, so it wasn’t, and it has performed consistently for 15 non-stop years!”

This is particularly impressive considering the quantity of water it’s dealing with and the fact that the club has a standard usage cycle of 80,000 litres of water a night. Continuing the good work is another high volume 5hp Otterbine aerator from distributor Reesink Turfcare.

Rob continues: “We kept with what we knew and what we could rely on. Seeing the ripples of water from the new aerator reach all the way to the edge of the reservoir was a good feeling as it meant it was doing what it should, and normal service had resumed.”

The reason for Otterbine’s longevity comes down to being manufactured from highly durable, corrosion-resistant oil-cooled 18 gauge/316 grade stainless steel. Its aerator float has been manufactured from rugged closed cell, foam-filled polyethylene which means it manages effluent or high nutrient water with ease, and its efficiency can be attributed to the precision pitched stainless steel impeller that’s virtually indestructible.

Peter Newton from Reesink says Otterbine is the perfect choice for customers looking for a degree of water self-sufficiency: “Otterbine’s high volume range is outstanding at keeping large bodies of water healthy and usable and we’re seeing excellent results from golf clubs who want to come off the mains and recycle or reuse water.

“Holding good quality water on site for irrigation is something Northamptonshire County Golf Club has been doing for years with no issues, in fact it’s brought huge benefits in terms of cost savings and the club’s sustainability.”

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Reesink’s new tractor specialist

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Reesink’s new tractor specialist: Reesink UK has recruited Jim Maynard as a tractor specialist, a position created due to the company’s growing prominence in the sector.

Jim has worked with customers, machinery manufacturers, dealers and distributors in his extensive career. He spent 16 years specialising in John Deere machinery and has strong experience in customer services and a sound technical ability, the company says.

Reesink's new tractor specialist

Reesink’s new tractor specialist

Steven Haynes, sales manager at Reesink, comments: “Jim has worked in the industry for many years repairing land-based equipment and we’re confident his technical knowledge and customer relations experience will translate well to his new position at Reesink.”

For Jim, this role was just the opportunity he was looking for, he says: “I’ve always wanted to work for Reesink and with so much of my career focussed on tractors – selling them and dealing with the maintenance and servicing of them too – when news of the job reached me, I felt it would really suit me. It will be great to be specialising in tractors, it’s an area I am really comfortable in and have a wealth of experience and knowledge to hopefully benefit Reesink customers.”  Jim will be delivering technical support to Reesink’s dealer network and golf, sports, grounds and farming customers across the country with Steven and the now five-strong team, as well as upholding the company’s reputation for providing award-winning aftermarket support to customers.

Steven concludes: “The trajectory of Reesink’s debut into distributing tractors in the UK just seven years ago has surpassed expectation and that’s why we’re expanding the team. Having Jim on board ensures we can continue that into the next decade.”

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Jacobsen begins a new era

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Jacobsen begins a new era: Jacobsen has started a new era of end-user focused products with the launch of the AR530 rough mower.

The AR range has been redesigned from the ground up with the focus on re-establishing Jacobsen’s commitment to engineering best in class mowers with their famous quality of cut.

Jacobsen begins a new era

Jacobsen begins a new era

To achieve this, customers and dealers participated in one of the largest ever research programmes commissioned at Jacobsen to establish the everyday challenges greenkeepers and groundsmen face. The results focused on features, quality and durability. These were crucial elements in the design process for Jacobsen Product Manager, Lee Frie.

Lee explained: “We had a machine that did well in the market, and we learnt a lot in seven years, so this was really a ground-up redesign of a good machine that we wanted to make better.

“We wanted to improve the experience of cutting with the AR and the results you get from it, and I think operators are going to find quite a bit different about this machine. We’ve improved the cut quality as well as the after cut appearance with grass clipping dispersal. We’ve also improved the traction system, so it does a fantastic job of climbing and side hill performance.

“The ergonomics are greatly improved, and it’s much easier for operators to get on and off because you don’t have to climb over the units. All of the controls are at the user’s finger tips, so it’s very easy to operate, and I think they are going to see a vast improvement.”

Nothing has been taken for granted during the redesign, and that includes the quality of cut. The new AR models are available with five or seven floating 58cm articulated contour rotary decks, with the AR530 providing a cutting width of 2.3m and the AR730 – which is due to launch in September 2020 – 3.15m.

The new TrueDeckÔ design uses smaller decks to follow tight undulations and provides the best power per width of cut ratio on the market. This eliminates clumping and produces a better after cut appearance while height of cut adjustments can be made quickly and easily.

To harness the cut quality, the traction system has been enhanced to a best in class standard using SureTrac IIÔ 4WD. This parallel-cross diversion hydraulically powered traction system, with momentary 4WD differential lock, provides superior traction when climbing difficult contours and slide slopes by transferring power from the wheel that slips to the one that grips. Using this system allows the AR to glide over hilly terrain with acute undulations while giving an even cut by utilising the weight transfer system.

The sound level of the machine has been lowered to make it quieter for the operator and to reduce passer-by noise. Vibration has also been looked at in detail. Overall operator exposure to vibration is a health and safety requirement but that aside it is often a subtle thing, and it can make users feel tired during their working day, but with the reduced vibration levels, using the AR minimises operator fatigue.

The seat position and  InCommand II control system have all been adjusted for maximum comfort and productivity while the new step design has been installed to make getting on and off the machine significantly easier.

All of these features have been combined into a Stage V compliant unit that has been assembled with a commitment to high-quality engineering and a promise of outstanding performance and service.

For a demonstration of the new AR530, contact your local Jacobsen dealer or visit https://www.jacobsenbuilt.com/.

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