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Armed forces background ‘a perfect fit’ for career in groundscare

February 29, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Louise Parratt

Armed forces background ‘a perfect fit’ for career groundscare: A former serviceman who started a new career as a technician working on machinery for groundscare professionals says the sector offers huge opportunities for those looking to resettle after life in the armed forces. Andy Irvine is one of a number of individuals who have started […]

Kinsey Premiere Services mark out their journey

February 28, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Lesley Spence

Kinsey Premiere Services mark out their journey: Based in Wiltshire, Kinsey Premiere Services Ltd is a family-run grounds maintenance company serving educational facilities, commercial properties, and private residencies in Wiltshire and beyond. Gary Kinsey established the family business in 2010 and expanded to grounds maintenance just two years later in 2012. The company provides line-marking […]

Armed forces background ‘a perfect fit’ for career in groundscare

February 29, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Louise Parratt

Kinsey Premiere Services mark out their journey

February 28, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Lesley Spence

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Armed forces background ‘a perfect fit’ for career in groundscare

February 29, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Louise Parratt

Armed forces background ‘a perfect fit’ for career groundscare: A former serviceman who started a new career as a technician working on machinery for groundscare professionals says the sector offers huge opportunities for those looking to resettle after life in the armed forces.

Andy Irvine is one of a number of individuals who have started new jobs at John Deere dealerships across the UK and Ireland following many years in service.

Armed forces background ‘a perfect fit’ for career groundscare

Based at Turner Groundscare Machinery near Chester since last April, Andy stepped into a field service technician role, supporting customers at world-renowned football clubs, golf courses and rugby stadiums across north-west England.

He has recently been promoted to workshop manager and says there is job satisfaction and progression on offer for anyone leaving the forces with the appropriate skills.

Andy served 14 years in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), running workshops of up to 25 people on home soil and during overseas deployments.

He worked on a wide variety of machines ranging from chainsaws to quad bikes and diggers to main battle tanks.

“I’ve always been interested in engineering,” Andy said. “When I left school, I worked in a local garage I got a really good grounding of engineering standards.

“My foreman at the time said something to me that I’ve taken with me throughout my career; anything you touch has to be at a certain standard when it goes out the door, and if it’s not, then it’s your reputation that’s on the line.”

Andy said that the only way he would leave the army is for his dream job, which was to work for John Deere.

“The John Deere brand is the best of the best in the sector,” Andy said. “I couldn’t think of anything more I’d rather turn spanners on.”

Andy was keen to get started in a new career so he interviewed for a position at his local Turner Grondscare Machinery dealership. He was still contracted to the army for six months, but general manager Gareth Baker agreed to hold the post for him.

As a technician, Andy worked on a wide variety of machines, including the latest innovations from John Deere such as the 225 E-Cut which is the company’s first fully-electric walk-behind greens mower for golf courses. He serviced and repaired a equipment from Gator utility vehicles to compact tractors.

Being on the road daily meant he could be working at Liverpool FC’s AXA Training Centre in the morning and supporting the team at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in the afternoon.

Andy notes similarities in working as a technician and being in the army. He says every day is different, and when he was called to a job he never knew exactly what to expect.

“When you get the call, you only know you’re going out to a repair, where the location is and what the machine is, but everything else has to be dealt with when you arrive,” Andy said.

“The pressure is on you. Whether it’s soldiers or greenkeepers, people look to you to relay your intelligence and your thought process into what the fault could be and explain to them why a part has failed and how the issue is resolved.”

He describes the differences between army life and civvy street as “positive”, with some of the main benefits being routine working hours and a better work-life balance for him and his family.

“I’m finally able to plan my year in advance,” Andy said. “I now know that I can spend my evenings and weekends with my family and can even book holidays knowing I can actually go on them.”

Andy hopes to encourage those thinking of leaving the service to make the change and start a new career with John Deere.

“If you have the right mindset and you’re positive and proactive, you’ll be completely fine transitioning from military life to civilian life,” Andy said. It’s a step forwards towards not just a better job, but a better lifestyle.

“You’ll get an element of control back in your life. Since leaving, I can put my hand on my heart saying that I’m in a better place, workwise and mentally, than I was working for the army.”

John Deere launched its Military Hiring Programme in 2023 in a bid to attract people such as Andy to the agriculture and professional groundscare sectors. He thinks it will be a great springboard for those wanting to resettle into the sector.

Interested service and ex-service members can learn more about the programme and fill out a contact card by visiting www.deere.com/JDMHP.

After making contact, they will be put in touch with an individual from the John Deere network who has resettled following a career in the armed forces to discuss all potential options.

Gareth Baker added: “Andy’s been a breath of fresh air. His work rate and organisational skills are exceptional, which is exactly what you need for a role like this.

“We were prepared to wait for him to complete his transition from the army for six months, primarily because of his management experience.

“He’s now the workshop manager and has built a team underneath him, including a technician who has recently joined our team from the Navy.

“The calibre of people that have come into the sector from the armed forces really stands out.”

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Kinsey Premiere Services mark out their journey

February 28, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Lesley Spence

Kinsey Premiere Services mark out their journey: Based in Wiltshire, Kinsey Premiere Services Ltd is a family-run grounds maintenance company serving educational facilities, commercial properties, and private residencies in Wiltshire and beyond.

Gary Kinsey established the family business in 2010 and expanded to grounds maintenance just two years later in 2012.

Kinsey Premiere Services mark out their journey

The company provides line-marking services to schools, councils, and amateur football and rugby clubs. They initially relied on a Transfer Wheel marker but quickly upgraded to a Fleet Beam Rider for precise line marking. However, they found that the time-consuming nature of initial markings prompted the exploration of alternative solutions. Operations Manager, Elliot Kinsey explains, “I was impressed by Origin Amenity Solutions Simon Hughes’ demonstration of the TinyMobileRobot line marker and was drawn to the device due to its manageable size, lightweight construction, and remarkable versatility. Its ability to seamlessly adapt to various marking tasks, from precise line markings to intricate designs, made it an attractive and invaluable addition to our equipment arsenal.”

TinyMobileRobots is marketed and distributed exclusively in the UK by Origin Amenity Solutions who have one of largest dedicated line marking teams in the UK.

Kinsey Premiere Services currently has a TinyLineMarker (TLM) Sport and a TinyLineMarker (TLM) Pro in their fleet. Elliot continues, “Primarily, we purchased the robots to mark sports pitches quickly and efficiently to free up our employees and allow them to focus on other grounds maintenance obligations.

The TinyLineMarker’s exceptional efficiency in paint utilisation significantly reduced our overall paint consumption which also led to substantial cost savings. This, coupled with the robot’s ability to automate the marking process, dramatically minimised our labour costs and streamlined our operations, saving us valuable time and resources. The robots proved to be a game-changer for our business; enhancing our efficiency, reducing expenses, and enabling us to deliver exceptional line-marking services for our clients.”

Packed with a range of innovative features, the GPS-guided robots are designed to make line-marking projects as reliable, streamlined, and effortless as possible. Their low weight enables them to be lifted easily by one person and the small size means they can fit into a regular-sized car and be transported from one location to another easily.

The TLM Sport is ideal for sports teams, clubs, and schools. It is robust, with front and side bumper strips and integral ultrasonic, intelligent sensors to avoid obstacles and protect from damage. Powered by a brushless electric motor, with low energy consumption and zero emissions, the TLM Sport is an eco-friendly choice, especially when used with IMPACT ready-to-use paint. Over and above this, the TLM Pro offers advanced robotic technologies for precision line marking and is ideal for councils, contractors, and larger universities. With its powerful performance, robust design, and large, high-traction wheels, the TLM Pro can tackle any size pitch, or multiple pitches, with ease.

“The intuitive user interface is effortless to use and easy to manage”, adds Elliot, “the ease of use, accuracy, and full autonomy, coupled with an extensive library of over 200 sports markings, make them an indispensable tool for our clients. The robots’ ability to create custom logos, shapes, words, and numbers further expands their versatility and caters to the diverse needs of our clientele.”

“With over a decade of experience, we pride ourselves on providing exceptional, personalised service; utilising the latest compliant equipment to transform wild outdoor areas into beautiful and manageable spaces. Health, safety, environmental compliance, and client satisfaction are always our top priorities. Our clients’ needs differ so having two different robots to cater to these works well for us. The TLM Sport is well placed to manage our amateur sports clubs and schools whilst the TLM Pro is more suited to the larger-scale council projects. We often combine the versatility of our robots to expedite line marking, especially on large fields like American Football pitches, Rugby fields, and athletic tracks. This synergy proves invaluable when time is of the essence—and allows us to playfully showcase our robotic prowess!”

The Origin Amenity Solutions team provides onsite training, maintenance, and general advice. Elliot has found the “technical support package very helpful; we’ve received excellent support whenever we’ve needed it, ensuring we deliver our clients’ requirements on time and within budget.”

Origin Amenity Solutions has recently launched a new and improved model – the TLM Pro X, which boasts even more improvements, including general upgrades to the hardware and software, enhanced electronics, and the addition of buttons to activate the pump and nozzle, enabling users to manually prime, clean and test. Elliot concludes, “As and when necessary, we will look to expand our TinyMobileRobot fleet accordingly.

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)

Armed forces background ‘a perfect fit’ for career in groundscare

Kinsey Premiere Services mark out their journey

Armed forces background ‘a perfect fit’ for career in groundscare

Kinsey Premiere Services mark out their journey

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Armed forces background ‘a perfect fit’ for career in groundscare

Armed forces background ‘a perfect fit’ for career groundscare: A former serviceman who started a new career as a technician working on machinery for groundscare professionals says the sector offers huge opportunities for those looking to resettle after life in the armed forces.

Kinsey Premiere Services mark out their journey

Kinsey Premiere Services mark out their journey: Based in Wiltshire, Kinsey Premiere Services Ltd is a family-run grounds maintenance company serving educational facilities, commercial properties, and private residencies in Wiltshire and beyond.

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