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Etesia goal achieved

May 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Etesia goal achieved: It was a brand of mower he always wanted and now, Lee Norris, owner of Four Seasons Gardening, is the proud owner of four brand new Etesia pedestrian mowers. Eight years ago, Lee Norris took the decision to start his own business and was equipped only with a lawnmower and an old […]

John Deere’s new apprentice training centre

May 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

John Deere’s new apprentice training centre: John Deere and training provider ProVQ have announced plans to open a brand new Apprentice Training Centre this autumn, at a farm site in Upper Saxondale near Bingham in Nottinghamshire. This will mark the 30th anniversary of the company’s first Ag Tech apprentice intake, who were enrolled at original […]

Etesia goal achieved

May 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

John Deere’s new apprentice training centre

May 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

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Etesia goal achieved

May 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Etesia goal achieved: It was a brand of mower he always wanted and now, Lee Norris, owner of Four Seasons Gardening, is the proud owner of four brand new Etesia pedestrian mowers.

Eight years ago, Lee Norris took the decision to start his own business and was equipped only with a lawnmower and an old Ford Fiesta. Fast forward to 2021, and his company now has five members of staff and boasts a glowing reputation throughout South Wales.

Etesia goal achieved

Lee pinpoints the success of the company to the advice and criticism he received from his mentor.

“When I was 18 years old, I started working with a landscaping company and I had never pushed a mower in my life,” he said. “I went everywhere with the owner and he taught me everything I needed to know. He was an absolute perfectionist, and his work was so precise and neat. If, for example, I left just one leaf on a driveway then he would quickly let me know about it! I often wondered why he gave me a hard time but now I know – he was showing me that it is the little things that go an incredibly long way.”

Lee and his team now tend to many private and commercial projects and it is these high standards which has ensured that the company has never lost a contract. These standards demanded by Lee, not only apply to work ethic, but also to the equipment – and there is one brand that he has always had in his sights.

“I first heard of Etesia many years ago when I was first starting out in the industry,” he said. “Someone in the local area had one and he used to rave about how good it was and how it could cut and collect in the wet. I saw him using it and from that day I was adamant that one day I was going to get one.

“As the years progressed, and my company grew nothing had changed – I was forever telling the guys that soon we will have a fleet of Etesia mowers to use.”

Etesia UK also came from relatively humble beginnings. Although a revolutionary and market-leading brand in France, Etesia entered the UK market in 1995 with only one walk- behind and one ride-on machine. Over the years Etesia UK has grown rapidly and now offers a wide range of products that include a variety of walk-behind, ride-on mowers and the highly regarded Attila range of brush cutters.

With an extensive range of products in the Etesia portfolio, Lee was keen to ensure he made the correct decision.

“I knew that I wanted some Etesia mowers, but I just didn’t know which models I needed,” he said. “I messaged the Etesia Facebook page and following that I received a call from Stephen Muir (Etesia UK Business Development Manager) and he gave me all the advice I needed. He asked me about what I do, what the mowers would be used for, where they would be used, and we talked through all the different models. We eventually decided on the PRO 46 PHTS3’s.

Etesia’s renowned PRO 46 pedestrian models are robust, reliable, ergonomic, and easy to use. Lee opted for the single speed self-propelled option, but a push variant (PHE3) is also available. The design of these models has been proven over many years and has an unbeatable record of quality and performance unrivalled in its class. They provide outstanding collection performance, even if the grass is long and wet – something that Etesia has prided itself on over the past 30 years.

Further features include:

Capable of mowing and also of mulching
Individual height of cut adjusters
Collection: grass is only cut once before being sent to the grass box
Internal aerodynamics of the housing and the wide channel eliminates any risk of blockage.
Superb rear wheel traction to offer perfect grip on slopes
Integrated deflector for rear discharge
22mm handlebar design
The latest Honda GCV170 engine

Lee purchased four PRO 46 PHTS3’s and believes they have certainly lived up to his expectations.

“I can’t praise these machines enough,” he said. “There is one particular site we look after, and it has just over 10,000 sq. ft of grass and it is always thick, wet and lush. With our previous mowers we had to always go over it initially, then push it all back and go over them again. However, the first time we put the new Etesia mowers over it, they literally went straight through all the grass and the clippings went directly into the box – all in one go. We no longer have the hassle of stopping and starting or cleaning the decks out. These Etesia mowers are saving us so much time.

“They are smooth and quiet, and they are absolutely solid – which I love,” continued Lee. “I also like the height adjusters being at the front and the back because it gives us the opportunity to do bank work; so, if we are on a slope then we can raise the back and drop the front, to level it out to ensure that we get a good cut.

“The customer service from Etesia has been great at all times and I’m just very happy with the purchase.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

You can also follow Etesia on Twitter @EtesiaUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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John Deere’s new apprentice training centre

May 13, 2021/in News, Press Release/by Steve Mitchell

John Deere’s new apprentice training centre: John Deere and training provider ProVQ have announced plans to open a brand new Apprentice Training Centre this autumn, at a farm site in Upper Saxondale near Bingham in Nottinghamshire. This will mark the 30^th anniversary of the company’s first Ag Tech apprentice intake, who were enrolled at original partner Brooksby Melton College in 1992.

Designed specifically and solely for John Deere dealer apprentices attending the company’s award winning Ag Tech, Turf Tech and Parts Tech training programmes, the first John Deere Apprentice Training Centre was established at Radcliffe-on-Trent five years ago. These premises have now been outgrown, due to the programmes’ success and increasing dealer demand.

John Deere’s new apprentice training centre

The Ag ,Turf and Parts Tech apprenticeships focus on developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for dealer personnel of the future. Each year group trains at the centre for up to eight weeks a year in four blocks of two weeks. Some of this time is also spent at John Deere’s Langar HQ when working with the largest equipment and the latest technologies.

John Deere appointed ProVQ Limited in summer 2015 as its new business partner to deliver the apprentice training programmes on behalf of its dealers in the UK & Ireland. Since that time the strength of the partnership has allowed the programmes to develop and grow to meet the needs and expectations of a modern John Deere dealership. The current full-time ProVQ staff will continue to be managed by James Haslam at the new Apprentice Training Centre from the autumn.

ProVQ started its apprentice training programmes in 2005, and went on to develop a full range of national services including apprentice recruitment, training, vocational assessment and qualifications. Today the company trains over 600 apprentices and many hundreds of adult learners on technical, parts and customer service programmes.

“We are really looking forward to establishing this new bespoke facility close to our UK headquarters at Langar,” said John Deere Limited training centre manager Allan Cochran. “Our joint investment in the expanded Apprentice Training Centre will be in the region of £1.5 million. This will allow us to continue our growth and ambition to attract more young talent to develop successful careers in land-based engineering through the John Deere agricultural, turf and forestry dealer network.

“As our dealership businesses continue to grow, there is increasing demand for qualified technicians equipped with the correct knowledge and skills to support that growth. We have therefore recognised the need to increase the capacity of our already successful and industry leading training programmes even further.

John Deere’s new apprentice training centre

“The new site will feature a purpose-built two-storey unit in addition to refurbished and extended farm buildings, effectively almost doubling our available square footage. The premises will include a bigger workshop space as well as larger classroom and cafeteria facilities.

“Most importantly, this will give us the capability to double our throughput of trained technicians to meet dealer demand. ProVQ will maintain its current staffing levels and continue to provide the full suite of apprentice technician training programmes at the new premises.”

ProVQ managing director Stuart Jones added: “Together with John Deere, we have already jointly developed a very high quality training environment in which apprentices can learn to master the technology that underpins the company’s comprehensive agricultural and amenity turf product ranges.

“We are now looking forward to seeing many more young people come through the doors of our new training centre at the start of what is undoubtedly a very exciting and rewarding career in engineering and parts support. The facilities we are developing will help them to achieve their full potential in a rapidly changing industry that offers a great opportunity to work with some of the most advanced technologies supporting food production, land management and environmental sustainability.”

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.

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Etesia goal achieved

John Deere’s new apprentice training centre

Etesia goal achieved

John Deere’s new apprentice training centre

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Etesia goal achieved

Etesia goal achieved: It was a brand of mower he always wanted and now, Lee Norris, owner of Four Seasons Gardening, is the proud owner of four brand new Etesia pedestrian mowers.

John Deere’s new apprentice training centre

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