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The Show Goes On with Kubota Fleet at The NEC

December 19, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

The Show Goes On with Kubota Fleet at The NEC: A fleet of 30 G261 units from Kubota’s G-Series are helping to keep waste and facilities services on track at one of the country’s leading exhibition centres. The delivery from Hunts Engineering to The NEC Birmingham in March 2025 was well received by Darren Hawkins, […]

Bernhard and Company Partners with Laguna Golf Phuket

December 19, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Bernhard and Company Partners with Laguna Golf Phuket: Bernhard and Company, the leader in fine turf maintenance solutions, has completed a major machinery installation at Laguna Golf Phuket, one of Asia’s most prestigious golf destinations and the recent Asian Tour host venue. This installation, carried out in collaboration with Bernhard’s regional distributor, Sports Turf Solutions, […]

The Show Goes On with Kubota Fleet at The NEC

December 19, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Bernhard and Company Partners with Laguna Golf Phuket

December 19, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

The Show Goes On with Kubota Fleet at The NEC

December 19, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

The Show Goes On with Kubota Fleet at The NEC: A fleet of 30 G261 units from Kubota’s G-Series are helping to keep waste and facilities services on track at one of the country’s leading exhibition centres. The delivery from Hunts Engineering to The NEC Birmingham in March 2025 was well received by Darren Hawkins, Head of Soft Services, and a large team of OCS Group operatives who are now benefitting from Kubota comfort, convenience and reliability across the NEC, Vox Conference Centre and BP Pulse Arena.

OCS Group have been responsible for cleaning, waste, cloakrooms, portering and the wider estates at the NEC Group’s venues since 2012. Encompassing five venues in total, the need arose to replace the vehicles which are pivotal to the maintenance operation at three of the campus’s busiest sites. “We narrowed our search down to two brands before speaking to Richard Lucas from Hunts Engineering who brought us a Kubota G261 on demonstration” explains Darren. “We really put the machine through its paces, determined to find the limits of its capability and quite quickly discovered it could deliver everything our previous machines could with the added benefit of fantastic support from Richard and the team.”

The Show Goes On with Kubota Fleet at The NEC

With a couple of additional bespoke features – such as the fitting of amber safety beacons – to ensure the G261’s were fully fit for purpose, the first delivery of 20 units was made in March 2025, later joined by an additional 10 in July. “Their main task is to tow 1280 litre bins to various points, collecting litter and other waste during event build ups and breakdowns. As the old saying goes ‘the show must go on’ whether we’ve got machines to collect the litter or not so reliability is critical for us. So far, the Kubota’s haven’t missed a beat.”

The reliability of the fleet of G261’s reaffirms the sentiments of the NEC Estates Team, who have benefitted from the trusty power and performance of a Kubota M5-092 for the last 18 months. “It was the positive feedback from the Estates Department that really spurred me on to look at smaller machines in the Kubota range” Darren adds.

Depending on the event calendar, it’s not unusual for 20 or more of the G261’s to be out working on any given day. “The team have all received training on their operation which has made the transition relatively seamless, and hopefully means we’ll be able to better protect our investment.” Moving forwards, a combination of in-house monitoring and routine maintenance and servicing by Hunts will ensure the venue can continue to depend on the performance of the G261’s for years to come.

Steve Cartmell, NEC Group FM Contract Support Manager added, ““The teams’ choice of working with Hunts to provide Kubota machinery has ensured that the services OCS provide across our site can continue with improved reliability, fuel efficiency and user safety features, making the operation from event to event seamless.”

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Bernhard and Company Partners with Laguna Golf Phuket

December 19, 2025/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Bernhard and Company Partners with Laguna Golf Phuket: Bernhard and Company, the leader in fine turf maintenance solutions, has completed a major machinery installation at Laguna Golf Phuket, one of Asia’s most prestigious golf destinations and the recent Asian Tour host venue.

This installation, carried out in collaboration with Bernhard’s regional distributor, Sports Turf Solutions, represents a significant advancement in Laguna Golf Phuket’s long-term strategy to enhance course conditioning to world-class standards.

Bernhard and Company Partners with Laguna Golf Phuket

Laguna Golf Phuket has invested in Bernhard’s industry-leading Express Dual and Anglemaster grinding systems as part of a renewed agronomy vision under the direction of Jhomer Darlito Q. Patalot Jr, Director of Agronomy. This initiative aims to improve the performance, reliability, and longevity of the equipment fleet while also aligning with the broader sustainability commitments of Laguna Golf Phuket.

Jhomer Lito Patalot Jr. and his team are responsible for maintaining Laguna Golf Phuket, which involves approximately 15 cutting units. As part of the installation, Bernhard and Company provided hands-on training to 12 members of the greenkeeping and mechanics team. This training was led by Mirai Takahashi Business Development Manager for Japan. “Laguna Golf Phuket was seeking a long-term solution to extend the life of their cutting blades and equipment while improving the overall health and performance of the turf,” stated Wilson. “With our Express Dual 4100 and Anglemaster 4100 now installed, along with a dedicated team trained to maximise the benefits of this technology, Laguna Golf Phuket is well-positioned to provide exceptional playing conditions consistently.”

The installation process included training for mechanics Jakree Srikanha, Prasit Pintu, Seksan Suwan, and Sanya Samkamlue, ensuring the on-site team can maintain precision sharpening standards year-round.

Laguna Golf Phuket, renowned for hosting prestigious regional and international golf events, has announced its decision to invest in Bernhard machinery. This move aligns with their goal of being at the forefront of golf tourism in Asia and ensuring tournament-ready course conditions.

Paul Wilson, the Managing Director of Laguna Phuket, stated: “The new Bernhard machinery reinforces our commitment to providing world-class playing surfaces and maintaining consistent quality throughout the year. Additionally, the advanced technologies enhance the efficiency and capability of our greenkeeping team, leading to improved turf health, reliability, and overall course presentation. The equipment also supports our sustainability goals by promoting energy and resource efficiency, while extending the lifespan of our machines.”

Wilson further emphasised that “Bernhard and Company’s proven reliability, technical expertise, exceptional customer service, and established global track record of working with Top 100 venues make them the ideal long-term partner for maintaining elite playing conditions.”

As one of Asia’s most recognised golf destinations, hosting high-profile tournaments and attracting golfers worldwide, Laguna Golf Phuket’s investment is a strong endorsement of Bernhard’s esteemed reputation in top-level course management.

To find out more about Bernhard and Company’s range of Express Dual reel grinding machines, head to: https://bernhard.co.uk/reel-grinders/

To find out more about Bernhard and Company’s range of Anglemaster bedknife grinding machines, head to: https://bernhard.co.uk/bedknife-grinders/

To learn more about Laguna Phuket, visit: https://www.lagunagolfphuket.com/

To learn more about Sports Turf Solutions, head to: https://sportsturfsolutions.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.

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

The Show Goes On with Kubota Fleet at The NEC

Bernhard and Company Partners with Laguna Golf Phuket

The Show Goes On with Kubota Fleet at The NEC

Bernhard and Company Partners with Laguna Golf Phuket

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

The Show Goes On with Kubota Fleet at The NEC

Bernhard and Company Partners with Laguna Golf Phuket

Bernhard and Company Partners with Laguna Golf Phuket: Bernhard and Company, the leader in fine turf maintenance solutions, has completed a major machinery installation at Laguna Golf Phuket, one of Asia’s most prestigious golf destinations and the recent Asian Tour host venue.

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