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Foley the Go To Grinders for GTT UK

July 19, 2024/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

Foley the Go To Grinders for GTT UK: At GTT UK, consistency is crucial when it comes to grinding, and to get perfection every time the company uses Foley Company grinders. GTT UK owner Matt Thompsett had extensive experience as a mechanic in greenkeeping workshops before he started his professional turf and arboricultural machinery service […]

SIS Pitches announce Saudi Arabia ambitions

July 18, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

SIS Pitches announce Saudi Arabia ambitions: The team behind the World Record-breaking Kingdom Arena pitch, SIS Pitches, has shared its ambitious long-term plans to expand into Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. SIS Pitches, which produces premium hybrid, synthetic and natural pitches for an array of sports, including football, rugby, golf, tennis and cricket, made […]

Foley the Go To Grinders for GTT UK

July 19, 2024/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

SIS Pitches announce Saudi Arabia ambitions

July 18, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Foley the Go To Grinders for GTT UK

July 19, 2024/in Machinery, News, Press Release/by Admin

Foley the Go To Grinders for GTT UK: At GTT UK, consistency is crucial when it comes to grinding, and to get perfection every time the company uses Foley Company grinders.

GTT UK owner Matt Thompsett had extensive experience as a mechanic in greenkeeping workshops before he started his professional turf and arboricultural machinery service and repair business four years ago. Having begun with other grinders that he felt were time-consuming to set up, always involved some guesswork, and were never completely accurate, he researched the market and found Foley’s UK distributor, ProSport UK.

Foley the Go To Grinders for GTT UK

From there, he found his perfect solution, which was to combine the Foley 633 Accu-Pro Reel Grinder and 672 Bedknife Grinder. Matt explains: “For me, the main thing is the whole repeatability of the package and knowing that everything is going to be exactly the same. It doesn’t matter if you’re working on three or seven units they’re all going to match.

“With the 633 reel grinder, you can leave it, and it will work on its own while you’re doing something else. It is perfect for me because my commercial customers need their machines and they need them out working, so they want quick turn arounds, and they often want them back as quickly as you possibly can.

“And that’s the main thing I found with the Foley 633: you quickly get used to it, so it’s fast to set up. You just set it, tell the computer what you want it to do, and it does it. You know when it’s finished because the blue light on the top comes on, and that’s it; I know that’s a perfect grind, and you set it away again.”

Relief grinding has been an important aspect of getting Matt the perfect finish. Although he wasn’t initially familiar with the process, the 633’s automated system made it easy to do, and he has received positive customer feedback since introducing it.

“I’ve been doing a lot of research into the proper specifications of how cylinder mowers work, how they are supposed to be set up, and also what manufacturer’s state, and that’s where I’ve come across relief grinding,” Matt explains. “You’re taking the cylinder back to exactly how it came out of the factory, and they seem to stay on cut a lot longer, which is one of the main benefits of relief grinding.

“Customers have commented their units stay on cut longer, and the general sharpness is better. They’re also saying it’s not as tricky on the setup, which I think is more to do with the 633 and 672 grinding everything perfectly straight.”

For Matt, getting that perfectly straight grind on the 672 bedknife grinder comes from being able to set it at his own true zero. From there, it’s simply setting his angles, doing a scratch test and knowing that every blade will come out the same.

The ability to produce uniform, factory-precise grinds has not only accelerated turnaround times but also enhanced customer satisfaction through longer-lasting, sharper cuts. This commitment to excellence and continuous improvement underscores GTT UK’s dedication to providing top-tier service to clients, and Foley’s ability to provide the tools to do it.

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SIS Pitches announce Saudi Arabia ambitions

July 18, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

SIS Pitches announce Saudi Arabia ambitions: The team behind the World Record-breaking Kingdom Arena pitch, SIS Pitches, has shared its ambitious long-term plans to expand into Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

SIS Pitches, which produces premium hybrid, synthetic and natural pitches for an array of sports, including football, rugby, golf, tennis and cricket, made its first foray in the Middle East in 2011 in Dubai UAE.

SIS Pitches announce Saudi Arabia ambitions

Recognising a growing appetite for high-level professional sports, and the growing need for cutting edge surfaces, the sports surface specialist established a Saudi Arabia office in July last year. Within weeks, they undertook one of the world’s most ambitious sporting infrastructure projects to complete the Kingdom Arena – the world’s first fully indoor hybrid pitch, famously built in just 21 days – in partnership with Sela.

So far, SIS Pitches has invested more than 1.3M SAR ($370,000) into the region – with Saudi Arabia now firmly established as a country key to the business’s long-term plans.

The company has opened three maintenance depots across the country in Tabuk, Jeddah and Riyadh, all designed to cater to local professional teams, including Neom FC, Al Ahli-FC and Al-Hilal FC. Those will also enable SIS Pitches to undertake major maintenance and pitch care projects in the Kingdom, which have previously included the Italian and Spanish Super Cups at King Fahd Stadium and Al-Awwal Park.

Additionally, two new turf farms have opened in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, joining the already established UAE site, to grow high-resilience turf, guaranteeing efficient costs and turf health to support major projects in the region. This includes high-level pitches and surfaces for a range of sports – from rugby and football to equestrian sports and cricket – as well as commercial landscaping.

The current team, which is 40 people strong, is also expected to grow to 60 people in the next year.

David Ball, Managing Director at SIS Middle East, said: “Over the past five years, Saudi Arabia has clearly established itself as a key destination for some of the world’s biggest athletes. People’s love of sports here is apparent, and there’s been a real appetite for the high-standard facilities to rival those of major European teams.

“The opening of our Saudi Arabia office last year reflects our commitment to establish ourselves in the region, bringing our experience working with some of the most recognisable names in sports to the Kingdom’s professional teams and supporting them as they step onto the international stage. Being local also means we can offer a speedy, domestic solution throughout a full season of sport.

“This is a pivotal moment for sports in the region,” David added. “We’re looking forward to helping the Kingdom make history.”

SISGrass, which offers hybrid playing surfaces using a small percentage of polymer fibre stitched into a natural grass pitch, is part of the SIS Group, a fully international business with offices around the world, including UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Turkey and the Middle East. The product forms part of SIS’s wider portfolio of sports surface solutions, which includes the artificial variant SISGrass Synthetic, made with a choice of monofilament or fibrillated yarns – or a mixture of the two – plus thatch support yarn and surfaces developed specifically for athletics tracks.

For more information on SISTurf, visit: www.sispitches.com/services/synthetic-turf-manufacturing

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)

Foley the Go To Grinders for GTT UK

SIS Pitches announce Saudi Arabia ambitions

Foley the Go To Grinders for GTT UK

SIS Pitches announce Saudi Arabia ambitions

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Foley the Go To Grinders for GTT UK

Foley the Go To Grinders for GTT UK: At GTT UK, consistency is crucial when it comes to grinding, and to get perfection every time the company uses Foley Company grinders.

SIS Pitches announce Saudi Arabia ambitions

SIS Pitches announce Saudi Arabia ambitions: The team behind the World Record-breaking Kingdom Arena pitch, SIS Pitches, has shared its ambitious long-term plans to expand into Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

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