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John Deere expands Gator factory to meet demand

January 31, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

The first major expansion in 30 years at the John Deere Horicon Works factory in Horicon, Wisconsin, USA has resulted in a new 388,000ft2 facility for manufacturing the company’s popular Gator utility vehicles. The expansion has added about 80 new jobs – around 70 in the assembly area and 10 new salary positions – bringing […]

Ten Toros for Royal Cromer

January 30, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Having seen vast improvements in efficiency since the installation of a Toro Lynx control system four years ago, Royal Cromer Golf Club has now invested in ten Toro machines. Royal Cromer was one of the first courses in the UK to fully upgrade to a state-of-the-art Toro Lynx control system and course manager Mark Heveran’s […]

John Deere expands Gator factory to meet demand

January 31, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Ten Toros for Royal Cromer

January 30, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

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John Deere expands Gator factory to meet demand

January 31, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

“The expansion is a huge boon for the community, employees and the factory,” said Horicon Works factory manager Steve Johnson. “Now we’ll put each utility vehicle on our assembly line and it will not come off until it is built exactly the way the dealer wants it, ready for shipment worldwide – it places everything under our control. We’ll be able to serve our dealers and customers better, improve the overall quality of the vehicles, and make our operations more efficient.”

Previously there were two different factory operations working on Gator utility vehicles. The expansion now brings both the assembly and shipping operations to Horicon Works. Production began at the new facility in December and the move is scheduled for completion by March 2017.

“This investment shows our employees that all their work and effort to make this a great business from a safety, quality, and delivery standpoint is great for them as well. They’ve really helped us earn this opportunity to grow the business,” Steve Johnson said.

Horicon Works dates back to 1911 when Deere bought the factory from Van Brunt Manufacturing, a maker of horse-drawn grain drills and other farm machinery. Original buildings at the site, located in downtown Horicon, were built in 1865. Over the past century, Horicon Works has manufactured a broad range of farm and recreational equipment, including bicycles and snowmobiles – the tagline ‘Nothing runs like a Deere’ originated with the snowmobile line in the early 1970s.

In 1963 Horicon built the first 110 lawn & garden tractor, signalling the company’s first move into the turf market worldwide, and eventually settled into the current mix of products. Today, in addition to the extensive Gator utility vehicle range, Horicon makes premium lawn tractors including the X300, X500 Select and X700 Ultimate Series, and a wide range of attachments such as snow blowers, rotary mower decks and blades.

Ten Toros for Royal Cromer

January 30, 2017/in Press Release/by Admin

Having seen vast improvements in efficiency since the installation of a Toro Lynx control system four years ago, Royal Cromer Golf Club has now invested in ten Toro machines.

Royal Cromer was one of the first courses in the UK to fully upgrade to a state-of-the-art Toro Lynx control system and course manager Mark Heveran’s experience of it has been such a positive one he turned to Toro machinery when the need arose for some new equipment.

However, Mark says it was Toro’s impressive technological features that really clinched the deal. He says: “The advancement of technology in Toro’s on-board computer systems allows for greater variation in mowing. The speed of our Reelmaster 5510s’ reels can be adjusted according to moisture levels within the grass. This protects the cylinders, makes the mower more adaptable in drought conditions and results in a consistent finish.”

The club’s dedicated MultiPro 5800-D sprayer boasts an on-board computer, which Mark says is “undoubtedly the best piece of Toro equipment” he’s bought. With the on-board computer the operator has more control over the application rate and, from the moment you programme the machine, the same spray rate is maintained. This isn’t even altered by speeding up or slowing down the machine, providing you stay within the parameters of the nozzles.

“Our sprayer also has the optional shrouded boom, a cover that surrounds the spraying nozzles to deflect and protect the flow of spray from the wind which, being a windswept cliff top course on the North Norfolk coast, is a major design advantage for us. This addition gives us 75 percent more opportunities to spray, which is a tremendous improvement and makes our annual chemical and nutrient programme far more achievable.”

The club’s two Workman GTX utility vehicles have become firm favourites for Mark, thanks to their quiet operation and long battery life. “The GTX’s are great,” he says. “They’re really quiet so when the greenkeeping team are out and about in them, players aren’t disturbed by noise. And the longevity of the batteries in a day is superb; you rarely have to recharge them, but when you do it is a quick job as you don’t have to refill them individually, they automatically fill up in one go.”

The Toro equipment has been in use for a full season at Royal Cromer and Mark reports positive feedback: “The sidewinder Reelmaster 3100 comes out on top for its after-cut finish quality on the semi-rough, it really is top-end and the machine’s maneuverability around hazards is what we’re looking for. The lads in my team love the machines as they all have good suspension and provide a very comfortable operator experience. The reliability is superb and, as we’ve had no real problems with them, we will consider investing in Toro again in the future.”

Established in 1888, Royal Cromer boasts sweeping sea views and is in the top 100 courses in the country, with ambitions to rank higher. Mark concludes: “Royal Cromer is an old traditional club with a forward thinking attitude, and we are always striving to drive the course forward to be one of the best. We chose Toro because it is high-tech equipment, by using it we believe we can enhance member and visitor experience and gain a firm foothold in the top 100 courses in the UK, raising the club to be among the elite in the country.”

Half Sized Blog Element (Single Author Style)

Half Sized Blog Element (Multi Author Style)

John Deere expands Gator factory to meet demand

Ten Toros for Royal Cromer

John Deere expands Gator factory to meet demand

Ten Toros for Royal Cromer

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

John Deere expands Gator factory to meet demand

Ten Toros for Royal Cromer

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