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Keith Gallacher Wins Sprayer Operator Award

January 24, 2019/in Awards, Press Release/by Katherine Hesketh

Keith Gallacher Wins Sprayer Operator Award: The prestigious title of Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year (ASOY) has been won by Keith Gallacher, Head of Complete Weed Control South West and East Scotland. ASOY recognises and rewards top sprayer operators across the amenity industry. It aims to improve standards, by identifying the best practice of individuals […]

Toro Praised By Royal Cromer GC

January 24, 2019/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

Toro Praised By Royal Cromer GC: Royal Cromer Golf Club in North Norfolk is a classic example of how combining Toro irrigation and machinery can bring great benefits to a course. As one of the first club’s in the UK to fully upgrade to a Toro Lynx control system in 2012, Royal Cromer is now halfway […]

Keith Gallacher Wins Sprayer Operator Award

January 24, 2019/in Awards, Press Release/by Katherine Hesketh

Toro Praised By Royal Cromer GC

January 24, 2019/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

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Keith Gallacher Wins Sprayer Operator Award

January 24, 2019/in Awards, Press Release/by Katherine Hesketh

Keith Gallacher Wins Sprayer Operator Award: The prestigious title of Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year (ASOY) has been won by Keith Gallacher, Head of Complete Weed Control South West and East Scotland.

ASOY recognises and rewards top sprayer operators across the amenity industry. It aims to improve standards, by identifying the best practice of individuals to enhance results – and share their experiences across the industry.

Presented for the second time at BTME Harrogate this week (22 January 2019), the ASOY Awards are organised by the Amenity Forum, and sponsored by ICL and Syngenta, in association with BASIS.

As well as the overall top operator, Keith was the winner of the Landscape and Industrial using vehicle mounted equipment category.

Two other category winners were also recognised by the Awards. Ryan Shepherd of Hortech won Landscape and Industrial sprayer using a knapsack, while Andy Baker won the category for Sports turf using a boom sprayer or knapsack.

Keith has a wealth of industry experience and is an expert in all spraying methods. His clients range from local authorities, housing associations, golf courses to large facility companies and businesses within the construction industry. He predominantly undertakes highway spraying, but also has business operational responsibilities associated with running the Complete Weed Control South West and East Scotland franchise.

Keith commented “I take pride in best practice – it’s the culture that is bred within CWC and is encouraged from Head Office. We are a team of like-minded individuals that strive to be the best. For me, Professor John Moverley is an inspiration. I believe that our industry as a whole needs to get behind him and the work of the Amenity Forum.”

Commenting on Keith’s success, from a record entry in the fourth annual ASOY Awards, Professor John Moverley, Chairman of the Amenity Forum, said: ‘‘What is done to maintain amenity areas impacts upon every UK citizen every day and is important to ensure healthy and safe environments fit for purpose. This work depends upon the input of highly professional operators fully trained and qualified. A key element in the task is the use of authorised and safe chemical spraying.

The Amenity Forum Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards seek to highlight the very best practice and identify those individuals who go above and beyond in their work.

I congratulate all those who were shortlisted, the category winners and especially our overall winner this year – an excellent ambassador for the sector. Thanks also to our sponsors who make all this possible.”

ICL Landscape and Industrial Manager, Mark Pyrah, added: “As an organisation we recognise that high levels of professionalism and commitment to best practice are essential in order to ensure that products remain available.

Sprayer operators like Keith, and the other entrants of ASOY, who are not only able to spray accurately, but also demonstrate a professional stewardship of the products, are helping to raise standards across the amenity sector.”

Glenn Kirby, Syngenta Turf UK Technical Manager, highlighted that the Awards demonstrate the amenity industry’s positive approach to safe and sustainable spray application.

“Keith has shown he has outstanding skills and works to very high standards to achieve the best possible results. He has proved a successful winner by showing that best practice can deliver efficient, cost effective and, above all, safe amenity spraying.

“Syngenta recognises that the skills of the sprayer operator are paramount in achieving the full potential from all applications and assuring future sustainable use,” he added.

Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO commented: “The safe and appropriate application of plant protection products is essential to maintaining the environment in which we live, and it’s clear that Keith is a true advocate of these principles.

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Toro Praised By Royal Cromer GC

January 24, 2019/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Izzy Cutler

Toro Praised By Royal Cromer GC: Royal Cromer Golf Club in North Norfolk is a classic example of how combining Toro irrigation and machinery can bring great benefits to a course.

As one of the first club’s in the UK to fully upgrade to a Toro Lynx control system in 2012, Royal Cromer is now halfway through its first five-year agreement plan with Toro machinery, and here course manager Mark Heveran tells us how the club has continued improving since using both.

“We’ve been using Lynx for around six years now and it’s just phenomenal,” Mark says. “We have around four times the amount of sprinkler heads than we did previously, but we’re using less water. The efficiency is just spot on, which is exactly what we need. We’re in one of the driest parts of the country and our water comes from a borehole with a limited supply, so every drop counts.”

This is good news indeed for Mark who told us the club’s members unusually part-funded the installation through individual loans, such was their support for it. “Lynx was an easy recommendation to make to our members, and we have not been let down. So, when the time came three years ago to commit to a machinery brand, Toro was the logical choice.”

For the club, striving to create the perfect playing surface is a real priority, and Toro’s top of the line technology plays a large part in achieving that goal. Mark confirms: “Here at the club we have 650 members, plus a large number of visitors each year, and the main thing that keeps them coming back is the quality of the course. Since being with Toro, the course has continued to improve which has definitely kept everyone happy. With the irrigation system we noticed an improvement in the overall quality of the turf and with the equipment we have now, the course has become much more refined and every detail is attended to.”

“When we’ve used other brands, after three years or so you could feel the machines starting to get tired, but with Toro they’re much more durable, solid and reliable in comparison, and the technology is always top notch,” says Mark.

With the installation of Toro Lynx only the start of a long-term development plan for Mark to create one of the best cliff-top links courses in England, the club is continuing this progression by now looking to expand the irrigation system to cover new teeing complexes and walkways, and Mark is already considering the next stage in terms of the fleet.

“In the coming years I’m hoping to renew the full package deal we have,” he says. “We’ve had absolutely no issues with the service, and the back-up from distributor Reesink Turfcare has been fantastic. So, when looking for the latest and best in machinery and irrigation innovation, Toro is forefront of our minds.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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

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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)

Keith Gallacher Wins Sprayer Operator Award

Toro Praised By Royal Cromer GC

Keith Gallacher Wins Sprayer Operator Award

Toro Praised By Royal Cromer GC

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Keith Gallacher Wins Sprayer Operator Award

Toro Praised By Royal Cromer GC

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