Tag Archive for: Brothers

Record deal for Keys brothers in Northern Ireland

Record deal for Keys brothers in Northern Ireland: The Kingfisher Country Estate in Northern Ireland has signed a five-year deal for a comprehensive 25-machine Toro fleet in what is Keys Brothers’ biggest agreement since becoming a Toro dealer.

Set on 220 acres of parkland just 20 minutes from Belfast, the only David Feherty and David Jones designed golf course in Ireland offers 18 holes over 7,000 yards of Championship USGA specification greens, tees and challenging fairways and is looked after by Head Greenkeeper Michael Loughran and his team of 12 staff.

Record deal for Keys brothers in Northern Ireland

Record deal for Keys brothers in Northern Ireland

“We’ve had lease deals with Toro before but usually for six or seven key pieces of machinery; this is the first time we’ve gone all-in on a full fleet,” says Michael.

So why now? “A couple of reasons,” Michael explains. “The Estate has recently been given the go ahead on a significant upgrade to the resort and it was important the course kept up with site improvements. There will be major developments on bunkers, a lot of tree work, and consistently maintaining the quality of the course is a big job as it’s fully playable all year round.”

The second reason comes down to the introduction of Keys Brothers as the country’s Toro dealer. “This was our first time working with Keys Brothers since the change in dealership and the support has been outstanding. It was evident early in the process that nothing would beat it especially as I fired over questions and issues and got solutions every time. This indication of the level of service and support we’d get was reassuring and sealed the deal especially as we were going with a full maintenance package too.”

Also contributing to the decision was having access to Toro distributor Reesink Turfcare’s National Accounts Manager David Timms: “David came to the venue a couple of times and his input was really valuable; we felt we had direct access to and the full support of Reesink and Toro.”

The deal includes pedestrian and riding mowers for all areas, five Workman utility vehicles, the ProPass topdresser, two ProForce blowers, the new TransPro for transporting the club’s existing ProCore 648 aerator, plus the installation of Toro’s myTurf Pro to optimise operation of the fleet. But are there any standout machines for Michael and the team?

“On the advice of Keys Brothers, we switched out the Reelmaster 5610-D for the Reelmaster 3575-D for the fairways. It was a simple tweak but suits the site much better. The topography of the site doesn’t have great elevation and we didn’t need all that power; in fact, what we needed is a lighter footprint and a mower that uses less fuel. The 3575 delivers us both of those things.”

The club chose four Greensmaster 1021 pedestrian mowers praised by Michael for being easy to demonstrate and use which is especially helpful when increasing staffing on projects: “It takes just half a green to master these machines” he says.

Andy Keys, Company Director at Keys Brothers, says: “While we believe this to be one of the biggest golf deals in Northern Ireland in 2024, the issues and requirements for Michael and the team were like many: they knew there were machinery tweaks they could make to address specific issues and be more efficient. This is applicable whether you’re buying one machine or a fleet.

“To bring the customer on board with maintenance too is testament to the team we’ve built which has doubled in size since last year such is the level of business we’re doing.”

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Reesink gives Keys Brothers the keys to Toro

Reesink gives Keys Brothers the keys to Toro: Keys Brothers Horticulture Ltd in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland, been appointed as the only authorised dealer for Toro fine turf and groundscare machinery in Ulster.

It’s been a record-breaking start for the dealer with eight new members of staff recruited to accommodate the increase in business and further plans for expansion.

Reesink gives Keys Brothers the keys to Toro

Reesink gives Keys Brothers the keys to Toro

Although the appointment is relatively new, the history between Keys Brothers and Reesink Turfcare is enduring. They’ve been in partnership since 2018 when the company was chosen as a service centre for Reesink, delivering customers exceptional support and after-sales services.

Andy Keys, director at Keys Brothers Horticulture Ltd, says: “Working as a service centre for Reesink was a successful endeavour, so it made sense for that relationship to evolve into us becoming a dealer. We’re 12 months into the relationship and delighted to report a record-breaking start with sales numbers exceeding all expectations.”

Keys Brothers Horticulture Ltd has over 25 years of experience in horticultural equipment servicing and repairs, stocking a wide range of new and used machinery as well as an extensive range of spare parts for all its brands.

Reesink and Toro have proven to be an ideal fit for the business’ customer base of golf courses, councils, education authorities and sports centres in Hillsborough, Lisburn and across Northern Ireland.

Andy says: “We focus on delivering high performance, superior quality machines and exceptional after-sale service. The combination of Toro being a leading brand when it comes to quality machines and performance, the backup and service Reesink provides, and the face-to-face contact, social media content and industry training we offer, have all contributed to our success.”

David Timms, national accounts manager for Reesink Turfcare, says its notable how the business has focused its attention on its new customer base for great results already: “Since the appointment Keys Brothers’ has focused on winning back business and nurturing relationships, and has in turn amassed a sizeable order bank. Simply putting themselves back in front of customers on a regular basis is proving its worth.

“Their workshops have grown in strength with the additional workload, and they’ve recently recruited additional technicians to the team. If they continue in the manner, then we will have a terrific outlet for the Toro golf and commercial brands for the future.”

To find out more about the complete collection of turfcare and transport options from Reesink Turfcare, visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk, email info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or call 01480 226800.

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