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Kawasaki build quality a key factor

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Kawasaki build quality a key factor: Kawasaki’s engine build quality has been cited as one of the contributing factors to Lawn Care Legend John Ryan’s self-employed business success. Along with its power, durability, reliability and performance.

John has been a lawn care contractor at his company, John’s Lawn Mowing Services in Bangor Northern Ireland for 23 years, he’s also the founder of one of the fastest growing social media groups in the lawn care industry, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to claim that what he doesn’t know about lawn care isn’t worth knowing.

Kawasaki build quality a key factor

Kawasaki build quality a key factor

Working as a solo operator delivering high quality, reliable and affordable grass cutting, John has learned along the way the value of having the right machinery for the job. He says: “It’s easy to think you need the job first then the machine, but the truth is you need to reverse that thinking. I’ve been there with the wrong machinery and all it delivered was headache after headache, lots of stopping and starting and unnecessary wear and tear on the machine.

“I started taking my influence from successful businesses around me and Kawasaki came up time and again for its reliability and productivity. I learnt that when you have a small team, having efficient machinery is like having another couple of people. It’s the best investment you’ll make for your business and if you compromise on quality, you compromise on profitability and success.”

In his fleet John has three mowers powered by Kawasaki engines. His Ferris 36-inch Soft Ride Stand-on SRS and Ariens Zenith 60 Zero-Turn mower both feature a powerful, heavy-duty Kawasaki FX engine, while Kawasaki’s FJ180V KAI – a durable, commercial-quality single cylinder engine – powers his Weibang pedestrian mower.

So, what makes machines powered by Kawasaki such a safe bet? Lots of reasons, but significantly the quality of their engineering, raw materials and components. The FJ180V KAI and FX Series engines all feature metal engine covers, for example, to protect them throughout a life of heavy commercial use and repeated transport from job to job. Both also use dual-stage, high particle capture air filters, for a cleaner air intake, vital for combustion efficiency and engine performance. Cast iron is chosen to line the engine cylinders – a material highly resistant to the wear, temperature and pressure inside the engine cylinder. Added to that, everyone who assembles a Kawasaki engine also rigorously inspects it, and every finished engine, not just a sample, is test-run before being sold – a major contributory factor to Kawasaki’s reliability, durability and consistency.

John says about these choices: “Kawasaki is a name that speaks for itself and my machines have never let me down. As we all know if you’re not cutting, you’re not earning, so downtime has always been a deciding factor in my machinery choices. With these machines, downtime is absolutely minimal and I can get a lot done in a lot less time.”

It’s not just the machinery to which John attributes to his success, it’s the support of a good dealer too. He says: “Dealers are the backbone of the industry and a decent one will pull out all the stops to help you. As a commercial contractor and it being just me, that’s been something I’ve relied on in my career and it’s played a big part in the success of the business. Not having that support can result in a knock-on effect to your schedule and can set you back, delaying other jobs.”

Alongside build quality, power, performance and reliability, John says the ergonomics and aesthetics of the machine is important too: “The Kawasaki name speaks for itself. When you turn up to a job with machines powered by Kawasaki, it instils confidence in customers and represents the sign of a professional outfit.”

And all these factors have certainly proved effective for John; if 23 years industry experience, a thriving contract business, and 5000 Lawn Care Legends Social Media followers are anything to go by!

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FLexGrass a new INFINICUT® partner

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FLexGrass a new INFINICUT® partner: INFINICUT® are pleased to announce a new distribution partnership with one of the world’s leading hybrid pitch suppliers, FLexGrass.

With vast international experience in countries including Italy, Switzerland, North Africa, the Balkans as well as Mexico, Argentina and beyond, FLexGrass will be adding the INFINICUT® range of professional cylinder and rotary mowers to their ‘one-stop shop’ installation and maintenance package.

FLexGrass a new INFINICUT® partner

FLexGrass a new INFINICUT® partner

FLexGrass have been working with some of the biggest names in sport for over 10 years. Its owners Fabio and Lorenzo Travaini, in collaboration with SIS Pitches, pride themselves on providing a complete surface package – from project management and installation, through to maintenance and follow-up service and support. With a number of exciting pitch projects in the pipeline for 2021 and beyond, Turf Managers will now have the opportunity to specify mowers from the renowned INFINICUT® collection to keep the health and playability of new installations in first-rate condition.

“We are extremely excited to start this collaboration with INFINICUT®” comments FLexGrass CEO Fabio Travaini. “Our customers are interested in achieving excellence and we have therefore always made it our mission to create or find the very best products to give our customers just that. With INFINICUT® we are now in the position to offer them not only the best, but the most technologically advanced, mowing equipment available in our market today.”

INFINICUT® Sales Manager Vinny Tarbox added, “It’s been a very exciting few months for the team as we continue to construct our global distribution channels. Fabio, Lorenzo and the team at FLexGrass have worked incredibly hard to establish themselves as a leading provider of hybrid surfaces, all backed up with the very best products and support. We look forward to working closely alongside them to bring the INFINICUT® range to even more venues around the world.”

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A spotlight on Tom Hobbis

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A spotlight on Tom Hobbis: Tom Hobbis, former greenkeeper, father-to-be and Amenity Specialist for Agrovista Amenity reveals exactly why he feels blessed – every single day.

As the end of his school life was approaching, Tom didn’t really know what his future held. However, a chance work experience placement at his local golf course made him fall in love with working in the great outdoors.

A spotlight on Tom Hobbis

A spotlight on Tom Hobbis

“I was offered a full-time role after my work placement at the golf course and found that working outdoors with early starts and early finishes was something that appealed to me – it just suited me down to a tee.”

After greenkeeping for thirteen years he moved into machinery sales, where he was working with some of the most prominent brands in turf care. Of course, he didn’t have any experience in sales at the time, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him.

“I’m a firm believer in the saying, if you don’t ask you don’t get,” said Tom. “I thought it was something I’d like to do so I just asked the company outright if I could have a job. They gave me one and in turn it gave me the experience I needed to be able to apply for the job with Agrovista.”

Tom was in this role for fifteen months before he saw the opportunity at Agrovista Amenity. He admits that it piqued his interest immediately, but this time, it wasn’t as straight forward as just calling someone up and asking for the job.

“Agrovista is a huge company and it seemed to tick every box for me,” continued Tom. “I knew a couple of people that were working there, and they explained how good a company it was to work for – in terms of support, training and development. It was quite a long application and interview process but fortunately I was offered the role and I’ve never looked back.”

Tom has now been an Amenity Specialist for just under two years, focussing his efforts on a variety of sites around Scotland. Tom clocks up the miles as his daily travels take him to some spectacular places on his home soil, including East Lothian, Perth and Aberdeenshire – to name but a few.

The best part of his day? A wee chinwag of course.

“It’s always a 5am start and it will be a case of catching up with customers; going over a quotation or looking at the results of some products that have been put down; talking about the plan moving forward – or just having a chinwag. I love a good chinwag! The conversation always varies depending on the site and each has their own objectives and goals. The whole aspect of the job is completely different, and it certainly keeps me on my toes.”

Tom makes an average of five visits a day to customers and even though two years might seem a long time, he claims that he still has some work to put in when it comes to getting to know all of his customers.

“I cover pretty much the whole of Scotland and it is still a learning curve,” he said. “I’m still in that period of getting to know my customer base on a personal level. Every customer is just as important as the next, whether they spend £2 or £20,000 – it’s essential that we offer the same level of service at all times.”

With customer service in mind, Tom believes that the bar has been raised even higher in this respect since Agrovista acquired Maxwell Amenity earlier this year.

“It’s been an exciting time to be part of this company. The portfolio of products that we can now put forward is second to none. I feel it has put Agrovista Amenity in a position where it is at the very top of the marketplace. It’s just a case of driving forward in the right direction – and that is exactly what we are doing as a company.

“Agrovista is supportive in so many ways, it is unbelievable, and someone is always at the end of the phone as well. I’m also currently working towards my BASIS and FACTS qualifications so there is a lot to look forward to.”

Life is good for Tom right now; not only is he in a job he loves but he and his partner are looking forward to welcoming a baby into their family (in just five days, in fact, at the time of writing).

“I’m a big family man and I love spending quality time with my partner and the kids. We’ve got another little girl on the way which we are over the moon about.

“Career wise – I couldn’t be happier, and the position that I am in now makes me feel immensely proud. To be able to go out walking on a golf course, a football stadium, a race course or the beautiful grounds of a private school and to be able to talk to people with the same shared interests – well it’s not a bad gig is it?

“I feel very blessed, every single day, that I can do this job.”

For more information about Agrovista Amenity, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Always the right tine for a Verti-Drain

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Always the right tine for a Verti-Drain: Shortly after taking over as Head Greenkeeper at Charleton Golf Club, Brian Heggie quickly drafted in another new member of the team – a Redexim Verti-Drain® 7416 from local dealers Henderson Grass Machinery.

The versatile range of tine options available means that the Verti-Drain® has had a busy year since its delivery in March 2020, conducting monthly aeration across the course’s greens, tees and approaches.

Always the right tine for a Verti-Drain

Always the right tine for a Verti-Drain

A quick scan of the shed upon joining the club in September 2019 highlighted to Brian the absence of any aeration equipment – something he was keen to rectify. “I’ve used the Redexim Verti-Drain® in a number of my previous positions and you know that whichever model you choose, it’s going to be reliable and do exactly what it says on the tin” says Brian, who heads up a team of four. This time Brian opted for the 7416 model, offering a 1.6m working width and penetrating the ground to a maximum depth of 350mm (14”).

“What keeps me coming back to the Verti-Drain® is the flexibility of being able to use different tines throughout the year – ensuring that we are achieving optimal results, no matter the ground conditions. This year we’ve been aerating the greens, tees and approaches once a month with either 8mm pencil tines, 14mm solid tines or 14mm hollow tines. We will continue with the monthly programme over the winter, using pencil tines to keep the surface open while keeping disruption to a minimum.”

While, from experience, Brian knows what he likes when it comes to machinery, he has the additional reassurance of support from his local dealer Hendersons, especially Scott McNeil. “Having been a greenkeeper himself, he’s great to have at the end of the phone to answer any questions we may have.” Brian concludes, “The Verti-Drain® never disappoints and now that we have one in the shed here at Charleton we can up the amount and type of aeration we conduct which will only bring benefit to the health and condition of our playing surfaces.”

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CleanShield – a peace of mind

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CleanShield – a peace of mind: Amega Science’s CleanShield – an alcohol-free, multi-surface cleaner, offers peace of mind at a time when it is most needed according to Martin Ford, UK Sales Manager for Agrigem.

It is widely documented that the most common way that microorganisms, particularly bacteria, are spread and cause infection is on hard surfaces and carried on people’s hands. Preventing infection and managing the spread of germs from hands and surfaces is therefore important in all environments.

CleanShield – a peace of mind

CleanShield – a peace of mind

CleanShield is designed to bring broad spectrum pathogen protection and biological cleanliness to large areas in an instant. This high-performance sanitising solution has been independently proven to be effective against a wide variety of germs including Norovirus, Ebola, MERS, Swine-Flu, Covid-19 and many more.

Martin from Agrigem claims that he has seen an increasing demand for CleanShield, particularly over recent months. He also had no hesitation in using the product at his local football club (Rastrick Junior FC in Yorkshire) where he is also manager and chairman.

“Since the pandemic we have obviously had to put many safety measures in place. When we were able to restart after the initial lockdown, we were told by the FA that we needed to disinfect all of our equipment after every session – our goal posts, the footballs, the bibs, the cones – pretty much everything.

“At our club, there are over 350 players and 70 coaches – so it was essential that we carried out the necessary measures. When CleanShield was released we knew it was going to be a reputable product and it was going to do exactly what it claimed to do.”

CleanShield is alcohol free which has many advantages over alcohol-based products: it kills spores or non-enveloped viruses unlike alcohol-based products; alcohol hand gels and surface wipes can dry the skin causing hands to crack and bleed – but with no alcohol content, CleanShield will not irritate the skin at all and is proven to be effective for up to 45 minutes on hands and 3 days on surfaces after its application.

Furthermore, it can be mopped, sprayed or wiped onto floors, walls, surfaces and equipment providing easy instant protection to any environment where the transfer of germs is a concern. It is ready to use immediately with no preparation or mixing – something which Martin is particularly impressed with.

“CleanShield can be used straight out of the bottle which is great,” he said. “This makes it easy for the coaches at the end of each of the sessions just to spray everything down. It also goes an exceptionally long way which a huge benefit because it is so cost effective.

“In this day and age, you need to take the necessary precautions and keep everyone safe. You need something that will work effectively and not give you any problems further down the line – CleanShield gives you peace of mind because it does exactly what it claims to do.

“I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this to anyone, and I have already. My wife is the Operations & Welfare Manager for Leeds United Sports College and even she has bought some CleanShield. This proves how good the product is, because if I can sell it to my wife – then I can sell it to anybody!”

Please contact Agrigem:

Web – Agrigem.co.uk

Phone – 01522 246491.

Twitter – @AgrigemLtd

Facebook – Agrigem-Ltd

Linked IN – Agrigem-Ltd

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