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Topsoil industry to lose passionate educator

February 16, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Denise Ewbank

Topsoil industry to lose passionate educator: The UK’s topsoil industry is to lose to retirement someone who has spent the past 26 years raising the quality bar for manufactured topsoils and leading the industry in educating and informing customers across the construction, landscaping, and amenity markets. Andy Spetch is retiring at the end of April […]

Scots Turf Show Scotland’s inaugural event of 2023

February 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by CharmianRobson

Scots Turf Show Scotland’s inaugural event of 2023: The 1st of March 2023 marks the inaugural year of a major new turf care event in Scotland, with The Scots Turf Show opening its doors at Hamilton Park Racecourse. Devised by 17 of the industry’s most influential companies, The Scots Turf Show strives to give back […]

Topsoil industry to lose passionate educator

February 16, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Denise Ewbank

Scots Turf Show Scotland’s inaugural event of 2023

February 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by CharmianRobson

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Topsoil industry to lose passionate educator

February 16, 2023/in News, Press Release/by Denise Ewbank

Topsoil industry to lose passionate educator: The UK’s topsoil industry is to lose to retirement someone who has spent the past 26 years raising the quality bar for manufactured topsoils and leading the industry in educating and informing customers across the construction, landscaping, and amenity markets.

Andy Spetch is retiring at the end of April after a career with British Sugar spanning 36 years. He joined as an agricultural trainee in 1987 and worked as an agronomist for the company in the UK and Poland before starting up British Sugar’s TOPSOIL division in 1997.

Topsoil industry to lose passionate educator

Recognising that the rich arable soil brought into British Sugar’s UK factories on the sugar beet was a valuable resource, and in line with the company’s vision to make its operations environmentally and commercially sustainable, Andy set about designing quality topsoil products. Working closely with soil scientist Tim O’Hare, with whom he has continued to work to develop products and stringent testing and analysis protocols, Andy developed a range of products for the construction, landscaping, and sports amenity markets.

Key to TOPSOIL’s success has been Andy’s determination to provide customers with continual independent detailed product analysis, case studies and testimonials, and reports on scientific trials carried out on TOPSOIL products by respected organisations such as the Sports Turf Research Institute and Cranfield University. He has always believed passionately in informing and educating customers about soils and soil products so that they have the information they need to make informed choices. All data, analysis, trial reports, and case studies remain freely available for download from the company’s website.

Andy’s all-encompassing role at TOPSOIL is being re-structured in advance of his departure. Senior TOPSOIL Manager Natalie Gudgin, who joined British Sugar in 2009 and who has worked closely with Andy in managing the TOPSOIL sales team, will take on the strategic sales role. Overall responsibility for production, testing and analysis will rest with the topsoil production managers, and British Sugar’s marketing department will take on direct responsibility for promoting TOPSOIL and its products to its key markets.

“I would like to thank our customers for their support over the years; I know Natalie and the TOPSOIL team will continue to give them excellent service and advice going forwards. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the trade associations we have worked with from day one. In particular, BALI and the late John O’Conner of John O’Conner Grounds Maintenance who was such a tremendous help to me personally as I found my way around the landscape industry back in the late 1990’s, and Geoff Webb and Jason Booth of the GMA who have been a great support throughout TOPSOIL’s development and growth.”

Commenting on his future plans, Andy said:

“My time with British Sugar, and particularly heading up TOPSOIL, has been incredibly rewarding. Together with the great team at TOPSOIL, I hope I’ve managed to make a positive contribution to the use and acceptance of quality manufactured topsoils, which must be the future if we are to protect the earth’s soils.

“In retirement I’m looking forward to continuing as a volunteer pitch advisor for the RFU and to doing more bicycle touring. In July this year we will be riding from home to Switzerland, following the Rhine for over 700 miles. I want to use this ride to raise funds for research into Motor Neurone Disease to show my support for Doddie Weir, Rob Burrow, Ed Slater and others suffering with this awful and currently incurable disease.”

You can sponsor Andy at JustGiving by clicking here or visiting www.justgiving.com/page/andrew-spetch-1673869582965

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Scots Turf Show Scotland’s inaugural event of 2023

February 15, 2023/in News, Press Release/by CharmianRobson

Scots Turf Show Scotland’s inaugural event of 2023: The 1st of March 2023 marks the inaugural year of a major new turf care event in Scotland, with The Scots Turf Show opening its doors at Hamilton Park Racecourse.

Devised by 17 of the industry’s most influential companies, The Scots Turf Show strives to give back to the Scottish turf community by providing a local event.

Scots Turf Show Scotland’s inaugural event of 2023

It is thought that almost 50% of the grounds industry in Scotland, be they groundsmen or greenkeepers working in football, rugby, golf or at schools or councils, have never attended an industry event.

A primary reason for this is the time and cost of travelling to existing exhibitions in England. This had to change for Alan Thompson of AllGrass Turf Care, who had the original idea behind reviving a Scottish Turf event.

“Back in 2019, I went to Richard Heywood at Campey Turf Care with an idea to create an event in Scotland that gave back to the Scottish market,” Alan explained.

“There used to be Scots Turf, and we’ve not had it for roughly 15 years, and as a result, almost half of the Scottish turf industry has missed out on educational opportunities and seeing machinery that could help them in their day-to-day work.

“Clubs can’t afford to let their staff go to current events, which means two days away from Scotland, financially they can’t do it, and there are various other reasons.

“We held a trial event in 2019 with seven companies at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club and had 118 people turn out. The clubhouse was probably only big enough for 50, so it was great to see that there was something there.

“After a delay due to Covid. We got back to the vision of how big we could make this. We had to bring it back to earth a little because we’d love to have 40 companies there and make it a big grand event, but we want to grow at a steady rate that works for the visitors and companies involved.

“So, this is another step. There’s a market, and there is a demand. This year we have a fantastic venue at Hamilton Park Racecourse. There’s plenty of parking, an onsite hotel, various marquees and live demonstrations outside.

“As well as the 17 companies, we’ll have seminars in one day consisting of twenty-minute sessions, so people stay engaged. We have devised everything to benefit those attending, and we’re looking forward to their support so we can continue to provide this for them.”

A significant difference between this event and others already on the industry calendar is it is purely financed by the companies, which in 2023 includes Campey Turf Care, AllGrass, Dennis, SIS Pitches, John Deere and more.

This allows for every discipline of turf care to be covered in a focused one-day event that engages visitors and makes it financially viable for whole teams to attend.

Please RSVP by 20^th February to scotsturfshow@gmail.com to register your attendance.

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

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Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Topsoil industry to lose passionate educator

Scots Turf Show Scotland’s inaugural event of 2023

Topsoil industry to lose passionate educator

Scots Turf Show Scotland’s inaugural event of 2023

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Topsoil industry to lose passionate educator

Scots Turf Show Scotland’s inaugural event of 2023

Scots Turf Show Scotland’s inaugural event of 2023: The 1st of March 2023 marks the inaugural year of a major new turf care event in Scotland, with The Scots Turf Show opening its doors at Hamilton Park Racecourse.

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