Tag Archive for: Award

Ashbury win golf facility award

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Ashbury win golf facility award: Yamaha Motor Europe (YME) has recognised The Ashbury Golf Resort, as their 2024 Golf Facility of the Year at a short ceremony, which took place recently at their golf and leisure complex, in Fowley Cross near Okehampton in Devon.

The Ashbury Golf Resort is the 9th largest golf complex in the world and owns and operates over 430 premium Yamaha golf cars, which are used across their four 18-hole courses, an 18-hole par-3 course and a 9-hole Academy course.

Ashbury win golf facility award

Ashbury win golf facility award

The Golf Facility of the Year award recognises the provision of an impressive and remarkable golf experience for members and guests, while being regarded as a first-class golf operation. It highlights the connection between Yamaha and its partners and recognises the excellent golfing facilities and the year-round maintenance which goes into making The Ashbury Resort such a leading golfing destination.

Roland-Jan Schippers from YME’s European head office in the Netherlands presented Steve Harris, Operations Director at the resort, with a crystal trophy, a signed certificated from Yamaha’s head office in Japan, champagne and a WaveRunner Safari experience.

The WaveRunner Safari is a marine outdoor adventure, utilising Yamaha Personal Water Craft, which will allow the golf team to spend a day exploring the Cornish coast, in recognition of their excellent efforts.

Commenting on the award, Operations Director Steve Harris said,

“We were delighted when we were recognised with this award; it was a complete surprise and reflects our close working relationship with Yamaha. With the size of our golf car fleet, we have to ensure that they are well presented and functioning as they should, so access to an excellent after sales team and all the various parts required is vital to us. In that respect, we are completely self-sufficient and use an online computer system which links directly to Yamaha’s UK headquarters in Woking for ordering Genuine Parts and Accessories. Our relationship with Yamaha works on every level and we share similar brand values such as integrity and dedication to satisfying the needs of our customers. We are delighted with this recognition.

Roland-Jan Schippers concluded saying,

“The Ashbury Golf Resort is a superb example of the dedication that is required to produce a great golfing experience at a large-scale destination. The partnership between ourselves and Ashbury is very strong and we are delighted that they appreciate the benefits that our golf cars bring to their operations.

“The build quality inherent in Yamaha golf cars is evidenced by the fact that some of Ashbury’s vehicles are over 25-years old and still going strong! This clearly demonstrates that a well-maintained fleet can bring significant benefits, not just to Ashbury, but to any golf operation. The all-round quality of build and components used, results in the lowest cost of ownership of any manufacturer, something the team at Ashbury clearly appreciate.

“The Ashbury Golf Resort provides a superior customer experience; the same ethos that we at Yamaha have at the core of our operations. We appreciate their loyalty, their commitment to the Yamaha brand and our excellent business partnership. They are deserved winners of this award.”

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Bionema wins King’s Award for Enterprise

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Bionema wins King’s Award for Enterprise: Bionema Group Ltd, a spin-out company from Swansea University, has achieved a significant milestone. They have been honoured with the prestigious Innovation category award in the King’s Awards for Enterprise, the pinnacle of recognition for UK businesses.

The accolade celebrates Bionema’s groundbreaking NemaTrident®, a revolutionary eco-friendly biological solution for crop pest management. As a leader in biocontrol technology, Bionema is committed to reducing the reliance on pesticides and synthetic fertilisers in food production.

Bionema wins King's Award for Enterprise

Bionema wins King’s Award for Enterprise

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed last year to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s by recognising outstanding UK businesses.

The Award programme, now in its 58th year, is the most prestigious business award in the country, with thriving businesses able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.

Bionema Group Ltd started trading in 2013 and works in biotechnology, creating pest management solutions for horticulture, forestry, and other industries.

Amidst the challenges of increasing pesticide resistance and severe environmental and human safety concerns, Bionema Group Ltd has emerged as a beacon of innovation. Their solution, NemaTrident®, competes with chemical pesticides by using microscopic nematode organisms to kill selected insects. This innovative approach is a game-changer in an industry where farmers rely heavily on chemical pesticides.

Nematode-based products have been available since the 1980s, but they consistently fell short of meeting the needs of growers. NemaTrident®, however, is a game-changer. It’s a patented tri-component nematode-based, non-toxic solution for insect pest control. Its unique encapsulation technology, combined with a soil penetrating wetting agent, facilitates nematode dispersal deeper into the soil, increasing the contact rate with target pest larvae and resulting in greater efficacy. Extensive customer education and support programmes ensure its practical application, making it a superior choice for pest control.

Dr Minshad Ansari, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bionema, said:

“I’m proud Bionema has won the King’s Award for Enterprise, especially in the Innovation category. The discovery of natural microbes and developing and formulating advanced products free from pesticides are at the heart of the Bionema business philosophy”.

With greater interest in creating and maintaining a circular economy and due consideration of the UN Sustainability Development Goals, I founded Bionema in 2012 after working for eight years at Swansea University purely to design and develop new biology, emphasising using naturally occurring microbes.

The NemaTrident® IP-protected technology was acquired by Syngenta in 2021, which is the safer, cleaner, and more environmentally friendly solution. We have been fortunate to have received many industry awards and acknowledgements, all praising.

Still, I take immense gratification in receiving this ultimate business honour, especially in recognising our innovation. This will help enhance our platform and generate further interest in our disruptive technology.

This microbe is designed to reduce pesticides and fertilisers in our soil, air, and environment, as well as current societal issues, ultimately providing effective solutions for the benefit of future generations.”

Professor Helen Griffiths, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at Swansea University and Director of Swansea Innovations Limited, said,

“Huge congratulations to the Bionema team on this richly deserved accolade.  As a Swansea University Spin-Out business with over 30 years of experience, Bionema has worked tirelessly on developing research-derived biopesticide technologies, creating and launching a portfolio of commercially viable organic alternatives to damaging chemical pesticides”. 

Supporting enterprise and innovation within higher education is vital to ensuring that our world-leading research can progress from research in university laboratories to the development and launch of products and services that deliver outstanding impact. 

It’s been exciting to have been a part of the initial journey with the Bionema team, and we look forward to continuing to work with the business as they go from strength to strength.”

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The Pitchmark Group receives King’s Award

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The Pitchmark Group receives King’s Award: The Pitchmark Group has been honoured with the first ever King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

The Pitchmark Group is one of 252 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise. Announced today (Monday 6 May), The Pitchmark Group has been recognised for its excellence in International Trade. A total of 257 Awards are made with five companies being recognised with two Awards.

The Pitchmark Group receives King’s Award

The Pitchmark Group receives King’s Award

Employing 29 people, The Pitchmark Group, founded in 2010 and located in Emersons Green, South Gloucestershire, is a market leader in line marking solutions.  The Pitchmark Group’s clients range from grassroots local clubs to iconic international arenas such as Wembley Stadium, Premier League football teams and prestigious events including the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and The UEFA European Championships 2016 in France. The company has a client base that encompasses all aspects of sports.

Tim Rodman, Managing Director of The Pitchmark Group, has this to say about the award:

“We are incredibly proud to have received the King’s Award for International Trade, having previously received the Queen’s Award 5 years ago. The award is testament to the team and proves that the business continues to grow and prosper.”

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, were renamed last year to reflect His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s by recognising outstanding UK businesses. The Award programme, now in its 58th year, is the most prestigious business award in the country, with successful businesses able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.

Applications for King’s Awards for Enterprise 2025 open on His Majesty The King’s Coronation, 6th May 2024 For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise.

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Lindum Turf up for prestigious industry award

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Lindum Turf up for prestigious industry award: A north Yorkshire turf grower has been nominated for an award at the world’s most prestigious gardening show for the second year in succession.

Lindum Turf, based at Thorganby near York, was named as the winner of the Sustainable Garden Product of the Year category at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year, for its plastic-free wildflower turf.

Lindum Turf up for prestigious industry award

Lindum Turf up for prestigious industry award

The turf, which can produce an instant wildflower meadow effect, is grown on a fully biodegradable growing medium, unlike many others that use a single-use plastic mesh that damages the environment.

This year, the company has been shortlisted in the same category for its latest innovation – Species Rich Turf – a mixture of hardy grasses and wildflowers that can directly replace a monoculture grass lawn.

As with wildflower turf, Species Rich is also entirely plastic free, ensuring that laying it does not damage the environment in any way.

Lindum Turf managing director, Stephen Fell, said to be nominated two years in succession was a great honour.

Chelsea Flower Show is the pinnacle achievement for both garden designers and suppliers into the industry, meaning winning at the prestigious event is a huge source of pride.

Mr Fell said: “Being nominated at Chelsea last year, and then winning, was a tremendous achievement and testament to the hard work and innovation the team at Lindum Turf dedicate to creating new and sustainable products.

“Our wildflower turf is not only plastic free, meaning no single use plastics are buried in the soil to degrade into microplastics, it also provides a rich diversity of flora that attracts vital pollinators.

“Our Species Rich Turf builds on this idea, but with the addition of some hardy grass varieties to make it robust enough to replace a normal family lawn.

“The turf can withstand being walked on and played on, but adds a large diversity of plants to a garden making it much more ecologically beneficial than a monocrop lawn. It’s a great way to maximise the environmental benefits of your garden without compromising on utility.”

Lindum Turf will have to wait for the show, which takes place from May 21-25 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, to find out if they have won.

Some turf producers grow turf with a plastic-reinforced mesh incorporated, which helps to keep it together when being lifted, but the mesh is buried in the soil once the turf is laid leaving it to break down into microplastics which pollute the soil and even nearby watercourses.

Last year, Stephen Fell challenged the industry to remove single use plastics in turf as it is environmentally damaging.

The Chelsea Flower Show has already banned plastic bags, floral foam, and plastic artificial turf across its shows and is aiming for the complete removal of single use plastics by 2025.

It holds the Sustainable Garden Product of the Year category to encourage and highlight innovation in this area and reward companies doing the best work.

Mr Fell described single use plastics as the antithesis of environmentally friendly garden.

He said: “People want to create wildflower meadows because of the beautiful colours and because they provide the type of biodiversity we need to help restore nature.

“This aim is entirely inconsistent with burying harmful plastics in the ground so it is high time the industry fully addressed this issue.”

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Rolawn celebrates double customer service award win

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Rolawn celebrates double customer service award win: Rolawn, the UK’s leading turf grower and supplier of soft landscaping products, is thrilled to be a winner of not just one, but two awards from independent review platform, Feefo.

Having once again won the Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award for 2024, recognising businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience, Rolawn is also one of a select few businesses to receive Feefo’s inaugural 10 Years of Excellence Award.

Rolawn celebrates double customer service award win

Rolawn celebrates double customer service award win

This new award is an independent seal of excellence that recognises dedication to and consistency in customer service over a ten-year period.

Jonathan Hill, Rolawn’s Sales and Marketing Director, commented: “We’re very excited to receive both the 10 Years of Excellence Award and the Gold Trusted Service Award as a result of our customer reviews in 2023. In a customer-centric business like ours, it is reassuring to receive affirmation that our dedication to exceeding our customers’ expectations is reflected in their experience.”

Feefo established the Trusted Service Awards in 2014 to recognise brands that use the platform to collect verified reviews and receive exceptional feedback from their customers.

The awards are unique because they truly reflect a business’s dedication to providing outstanding customer service by analysing feedback from real customers.

Feefo introduced the 10 Years of Excellence Award to businesses which have won a Trusted Service Award ten years in a row. It shows their dedication and commitment to giving customers the best experience they can.

Working with over 6,500 brands, Feefo is the world’s largest provider of verified reviews, helping brands understand customers by analysing verified reviews and providing insight into trends, needs and habits.

Consumer confidence is now at its highest level since 2021 as living standards show signs of improvement, but consumers remain cautious with their spending. The businesses that stand out will be those who put excellence in their service and weave in a customer advocacy strategy. This award celebrates brands that are delivering standards that go above and beyond.

Congratulating Rolawn, Tony Wheble, CEO at Feefo, said: “With customers continuing to build resilience in a time of economic uncertainty, we’re delighted to showcase thousands of our clients who are continuing to go above and beyond for each and every customer.

“The Trusted Service Awards have always been about recognising companies that go way beyond the norm in customer service and in turn receive great feedback from delighted customers.

“Particular congratulations to Rolawn for winning the first-ever 10 Years of Excellence Award, by going above and beyond for their customers consistently over ten years. They should be proud of this achievement, and I look forward to seeing them continue to achieve next year and beyond.”

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