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Kress Gives Farleigh School More Time Where It Matters

September 30, 2026/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

Kress Gives Farleigh School More Time Where It Matters Managing 76 acres of school grounds, 16 football and rugby pitches, 14 cricket squares, athletics facilities, tennis courts and woodland is no small task. For Grounds Manager Shaun Crowley and his team at Farleigh School in Hampshire, finding smarter ways to maintain the site without compromising […]

Agrovista scales up robotic infrastructure to meet growing demand

September 29, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Agrovista scales up robotic infrastructure to meet growing demand Agrovista Amenity has significantly expanded its robotics division following a sustained increase in demand for autonomous turfcare solutions, reinforcing its commitment to providing market-leading support, installation and aftersales service. Having spent more than a year successfully distributing line marking machines and mowers, the company has made […]

Kress Gives Farleigh School More Time Where It Matters

September 30, 2026/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

Agrovista scales up robotic infrastructure to meet growing demand

September 29, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

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Kress Gives Farleigh School More Time Where It Matters

September 30, 2026/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

Kress Gives Farleigh School More Time Where It Matters

Managing 76 acres of school grounds, 16 football and rugby pitches, 14 cricket squares, athletics facilities, tennis courts and woodland is no small task. For Grounds Manager Shaun Crowley and his team at Farleigh School in Hampshire, finding smarter ways to maintain the site without compromising standards has become essential.

Kress Gives Farleigh School More Time Where It Matters

The answer came in the form of Kress robotic mowers and battery-powered equipment, enabling the team to work more efficiently while maintaining the high-quality presentation expected at one of the country’s leading independent schools.

Having worked at Farleigh School for 15 years and spent the last six as Grounds Manager, Shaun oversees a small team responsible for keeping the extensive sports facilities in first-class condition throughout the year.

With staffing pressures increasing, Shaun began exploring robotic mowing technology to free up valuable time for his team.

“We were a staff member down and needed to maximise the best way of cutting the grass,” explained Shaun. “We couldn’t afford to have someone sitting on a mower all day, so we started looking at robotics.”

After researching several options, Kress stood out.

“What really sold Kress to me was the charging time and the runtime. A quick charge gives you hours of cutting, so they spend more time working than sitting on charge. They’re also incredibly flexible and can work day or night in virtually all weather conditions.”

Following an initial demonstration from local Kress dealer ATH Machinery, Shaun introduced his first Kress KR236 robotic mower before quickly expanding the fleet to three machines.

Today, the robotic mowers maintain around 78,000 square metres of grass, saving approximately ten and a half hours of mowing every week.

Those time savings have transformed the way the grounds team operates.

“The robots aren’t replacing anyone,” said Shaun. “They’re giving us more time to do all the other jobs that often get pushed aside. Instead of spending hours cutting an outfield several times a week, we can concentrate on all the other tasks that make a difference.”

The lightweight nature of the robots also provides significant advantages throughout the year.

“If you miss a cut with a conventional mower because the ground is wet, suddenly you’re trying to catch up. The Kress robots keep on top of the grass all the time. They’re lightweight enough to work when larger machinery might not be suitable, and because they’re cutting little and often, the quality of finish is consistently high.”

Alongside robotics, Shaun has invested heavily in the Kress commercial battery-powered range, including hedge trimmers, blowers, brushcutters, pruning equipment and walk-behind mowers.

“The battery equipment has been a no-brainer for us,” he said. “The runtime is fantastic and the fast charging means we’re never waiting around. On some of the batteries you’re talking about an eight-minute charge before you’re back working again.”

Beyond productivity, the battery equipment has improved the working environment for the team.

“Not having petrol fumes, less vibration and lower noise levels makes a huge difference, especially around a busy school. We’ve also got solar panels generating electricity, so charging the batteries simply made sense. It fits perfectly with where we’re heading.”

Equally important has been the support provided by local dealer ATH Machinery.

“You can have the best product in the world, but without good backup it’s pretty ineffective,” Shaun explained. “Tim Lane and the team at ATH Machinery have been brilliant. If I have a question, they’re always there to help, and that gives you confidence when you’re investing in new technology.”

For Shaun, the move to Kress has been about far more than simply changing machinery.

“It’s helped us work more effectively, maintain high standards and make better use of our time. I genuinely think robotics are the way forward for schools. They’re another member of the team, helping us keep on top of everything while allowing us to focus on the jobs that really need people.”

For more information, please visit https://www.kress.com/en-gb/

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Agrovista scales up robotic infrastructure to meet growing demand

September 29, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Agrovista scales up robotic infrastructure to meet growing demand

Agrovista Amenity has significantly expanded its robotics division following a sustained increase in demand for autonomous turfcare solutions, reinforcing its commitment to providing market-leading support, installation and aftersales service.

Agrovista scales up robotic infrastructure to meet growing demand

Having spent more than a year successfully distributing line marking machines and mowers, the company has made a major investment in its robotics infrastructure to support continued growth and ensure customers receive best-in-class technical expertise.

As part of this expansion, Agrovista has come to an agreement to succeed XDC’s robotic operation. The move sees experienced robotic specialist Liam Pindred join the Agrovista team, alongside autonomous solutions and drone technology specialist Brian Turner.

Together with Dave Mitchell, who joined the business in 2025, the trio forms a dedicated robotics division focused on demonstrations, installations and aftersales support across the UK.

The investment reflects the rapid growth of robotic technology within the amenity sector, with more customers embracing autonomous solutions to improve productivity, consistency and efficiency.

“We’ve seen exceptional growth in demand for robotic technology over the past year, and it was clear we needed to invest further in the infrastructure behind the technologies,” said Dan Hughes, Head of Commercial (Amenity) at Agrovista UK.

“By expanding our dedicated robotics team with some of the industry’s most experienced specialists, we’re ensuring customers receive the highest levels of support from initial demonstration through to installation and long-term aftersales care. This investment is about building the expertise and service infrastructure needed to support the continued evolution of robotics in the amenity sector.”

Alongside strengthening its technical support team, Agrovista continues to benefit from ongoing developments across its robotic product portfolio.

The RM21 robotic mower has received a series of specification enhancements, while the RLM01 robotic line marker continues to evolve through battery improvements, software upgrades and enhanced logo-marking capabilities, delivering greater efficiency and performance for customers.

To complement its robotic line marking systems, Agrovista has also developed its own specialist line marking paints and nozzle range. Dave Mitchell, Line Marking Business Development Manager comments that ‘the MaxLine range has been formulated for optimal presentation and value at all levels, the Titanium paint has been launched as a premium RTU (ready to use) which we have made to optimise spray lines through robotic line marking technology.”

The expansion positions Agrovista to support the growing adoption of robotics across sports turf, golf, local authority and wider amenity markets, ensuring customers have access not only to the latest autonomous technologies but also to the technical expertise required to maximise their investment.

With dedicated specialists, enhanced infrastructure and continually evolving technology, Agrovista is strengthening its position as one of the UK’s leading providers of robotic solutions for the amenity industry.

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit https://amenity.agrovista.co.uk/

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

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Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

Kress Gives Farleigh School More Time Where It Matters

Agrovista scales up robotic infrastructure to meet growing demand

Kress Gives Farleigh School More Time Where It Matters

Agrovista scales up robotic infrastructure to meet growing demand

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Kress Gives Farleigh School More Time Where It Matters

Kress Gives Farleigh School More Time Where It Matters

Agrovista scales up robotic infrastructure to meet growing demand

Agrovista scales up robotic infrastructure to meet growing demand

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