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Kubota proves a partnership that’s built to last at The Glasgow Academy

June 2, 2026/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

Kubota proves a partnership that’s built to last at The Glasgow Academy Since Robert Cheape joined The Glasgow Academy in 1985, the school and accompanying sports grounds have expanded significantly! His tenure as Head Groundsman has been underpinned by a long-standing partnership with dealers Hamilton Ross Group, and much of the success he has attributed […]

Green-Tech supports CLECO with woodland creation scheme

June 2, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Green-Tech supports CLECO with woodland creation scheme Green-tech has supplied planting protection products for a 34-hectare woodland creation scheme in Cheshire, which was delivered by CLECO on behalf of a Local Authority. The project involves establishing 37,124 native trees across a diverse mix of broadleaf and coniferous species, creating a resilient new woodland landscape designed […]

Kubota proves a partnership that’s built to last at The Glasgow Academy

June 2, 2026/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

Green-Tech supports CLECO with woodland creation scheme

June 2, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Kubota proves a partnership that’s built to last at The Glasgow Academy

June 2, 2026/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

Kubota proves a partnership that’s built to last at The Glasgow Academy

Since Robert Cheape joined The Glasgow Academy in 1985, the school and accompanying sports grounds have expanded significantly! His tenure as Head Groundsman has been underpinned by a long-standing partnership with dealers Hamilton Ross Group, and much of the success he has attributed to the reliability and versatility delivered by Kubota tractors in use at the grounds for over 30 years.

Kubota proves a partnership that’s built to last at The Glasgow Academy

Founded in 1845, The Glasgow Academy is the oldest continuously fully independent school in Glasgow, now providing a private coeducational day school for 1700 pupils. The school is renowned for its sporting prowess – with rugby and hockey played by both the students and Glasgow Accies Sports club in the winter months, then switching to primarily cricket, tennis and athletics during the summer. Working alongside Robert on the maintenance of the natural turf and artificial surfaces is a busy team of six, with three of the staff having over 120 years of service between them.

“With sport played daily, we rely heavily on having the right, reliable equipment to produce pitches that can withstand the pressure of constant wear” Robert says. For more than three decades, powering that maintenance operation has been Kubota. “In the shed we have a Kubota B1550 from the early 1990’s which still runs and is used for lighter jobs around the sites, a B2650 and, more recently, we added an L2622 to the fleet.”

“While we can see the improvements and things like the controls and operator-friendliness has moved on they’re still, fundamentally, well-built, comfortable, reliable workhorses. For that reason, I’ll never use anything else” he adds.

The L2622 delivered in August 2025 brings increased power and productivity, featuring a 61hp stage-V diesel engine and the highest rear lift capacity in its class. “With time of the essence, we found we were relying on larger, more power-hungry implements and the L2622 has proven the perfect partner for implements such as our Verti-Drain – which we’re increasingly relying on with the more regular periods of prolonged and heavy rainfall.”

“We also run a Kubota RTV-X1110 which is another reliable runaround, towing smaller equipment and getting people and tools around the sites quickly and safely.”

Reliability for Robert extends beyond the machines themselves, with Kubota he also has the added peace of mind of first-class dealer support from the team at Hamilton Ross Group. “I’ve dealt with Paul Denholm since 1990 and the school’s relationship with Hamilton’s began even before that! We just know that if we need anything, from a simple advice call or a service visit, that they’ll be there to look after us. That sort of service goes a long way.”

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Green-Tech supports CLECO with woodland creation scheme

June 2, 2026/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Green-Tech supports CLECO with woodland creation scheme

Green-tech has supplied planting protection products for a 34-hectare woodland creation scheme in Cheshire, which was delivered by CLECO on behalf of a Local Authority. The project involves establishing 37,124 native trees across a diverse mix of broadleaf and coniferous species, creating a resilient new woodland landscape designed to deliver long-term environmental and ecological benefits.

Green-Tech supports CLECO with woodland creation scheme

CLECO is a family-run environmental contractor specialising in woodland creation, ecological restoration, and long-term landscape establishment.

A key feature of this project is the inclusion of 42 rare genetic clones of the endangered Black Poplar, bred by Chester Zoo. These were established within parkland-style planting using tree crates as part of an agroforestry wood pasture system designed to support future livestock grazing. This represents a significant contribution to the reintroduction of an endangered native species within the Cheshire landscape.

The scheme is driven by core objectives focused on carbon capture, climate resilience, and biodiversity enhancement. A diverse mix of flowering and fruiting species has been incorporated, particularly within the shrub layer, to maximise ecological value and support long-term habitat creation.

GREEN-TECH INVOLVEMENT AND PRODUCTS SUPPLIED

Green-tech supplied a range of tree protection and establishment products to support successful woodland establishment across the 34-hectare site.

Tubex Standard Shelters were installed across the majority of planting areas to provide protection against browsing wildlife and wind exposure, while helping to create a stable microclimate that supports the early establishment of young trees.

Shrub Guards were specified for the mixed native shrub layer, where biodiversity-led planting required additional protection for smaller whips and shrubs. These areas were designed to enhance ecological value through flowering and fruiting species, and the guards supported consistent establishment in more sensitive zones.

900mm hardwood stakes were used to provide durable structural support across the site, ensuring stability for newly planted trees in a range of ground conditions, including exposed locations.

Together, these products supported reliable establishment across both standard woodland planting and more complex ecological areas, including the Black Poplar parkland plots and agroforestry zones.

Working closely with CLECO, Green-tech provided a flexible and responsive supply service throughout the programme, ensuring materials were delivered in line with phased planting schedules and evolving site requirements.

IMPACT AND OUTCOME

The project represents a significant achievement for CLECO, demonstrating its capability as a direct delivery partner on large-scale Local Authority schemes, managing all aspects of logistics, financial oversight, planting operations and the transition into a five-year maintenance programme.

Supply chain collaboration played a key role in the success of this project. Green-tech worked closely with CLECO to provide the flexibility, trust, and responsiveness needed to coordinate large, time-sensitive material orders for a project of this scale. The relationship served as a seamless extension of their project team, helping them to navigate challenges efficiently.

Green-tech ensured consistent material quality throughout and will support long-term accountability by working with CLECO over the 5-year maintenance period, strengthening ownership of both the establishment and long-term site success.

A key strength of the scheme was the end-to-end delivery approach, from early planning and tender stage through to planting and establishment works. This reinforced CLECO’s position as a credible, delivery-led alternative to larger national contractors, with clear on-site accountability.

The woodland creation and Black Poplar restoration will deliver long-term benefits for carbon sequestration, climate resilience, and biodiversity enhancement, creating a lasting environmental legacy across the Cheshire landscape

Ross Butterworth, Managing Director, CLECO, comments, “Green-tech provided a flexible and responsive service throughout the project. Working closely with our sales advisor, Tom Davison, made a real difference; the communication was second to none, and the friendly, easy-to-work-with manner made the whole process straightforward. Once we outlined what we needed, Green-tech took ownership and made it happen. It genuinely felt like having an extra member of the team. The quality of materials supplied was consistently high and supported smooth delivery on site.”

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)

Kubota proves a partnership that’s built to last at The Glasgow Academy

Green-Tech supports CLECO with woodland creation scheme

Kubota proves a partnership that’s built to last at The Glasgow Academy

Green-Tech supports CLECO with woodland creation scheme

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Kubota proves a partnership that’s built to last at The Glasgow Academy

Kubota proves a partnership that’s built to last at The Glasgow Academy

Green-Tech supports CLECO with woodland creation scheme

Green-Tech supports CLECO with woodland creation scheme

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