Tag Archive for: Celebrates

GMA Celebrates its 90th Anniversary

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GMA Celebrates its 90th Anniversary: On 10 January 1934, eleven original founders joined W H Bowles BEM, head groundsman of Eton College, at the London Stone Pub on Cannon Street in the City of London to form the National Association of Groundsmen.

The purpose of the association was to improve the status of groundsmen and the standard of groundsmanship across the UK and, since then, the association has worked hard, and adapted, to suit the needs of the ever-changing grounds management industry.

GMA Celebrates its 90th Anniversary

GMA Celebrates its 90th Anniversary

Since its formation, the National Association of Groundsmen developed with the changing needs of the sector. In 1938, the organisation hosted its first Annual Exhibition, now known as SALTEX, at the Hurlingham Club which has continued to grow despite an eight-year hiatus during the Second World War and a two-year break during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first National Association of Groundsmen qualifications were launched for the industry in 1953 and have developed along with changing practices and technological advances into the comprehensive suite of GMA training courses and qualifications, reconised by the Department for Education’s prestigious matrix Standard, on offer today.

The organisation itself developed, becoming the Institute of Groundsmanship in 1969 and changing again in 2020 to become the Grounds Management Association.

Along with the creation of its renowned trade show, SALTEX, and development of top-class education to advance the industry’s skills, the organisation has worked hard over its 90-year history to support and raise the profile of the sector. This has included launching the Industry Awards in 2008, creating the GMA’s Young Board of Directors in 2011, and hosting the first Schools into Stadia event in 2015 to introduce young people to careers in the sector.

For nine decades the GMA remains the leading not-for-profit membership organisation representing grounds managers, grounds personnel, grounds maintenance managers, greenkeepers and all others involved in the management of sports pitches, landscape, and amenity facilities in the UK.

With the association reaching such a significant milestone, the GMA will be undertaking a number of celebratory activities throughout the year, including:

  • Introducing a commemorative brand to celebrate the association’s formation.
  • Launching a new website – a new engaging and user-friendly platform that will optimise users’ and GMA members’ digital experience.
  • Launching refined membership packages to simplify and improve the GMA’s offerings to individuals, organisations, and businesses working across the grounds management sector.
  • Delivering a new GMA Ambassador programme, that aims to better represent all corners of the sector to help raise profile of the industry.

Commenting on the GMA’s 90th anniversary, Geoff Webb said:

“The National Association of Groundsmen was formed by key individuals working in the industry to raise the profile of the sector and improve the standard of its work across the nation.

“Over 90 years, the association has adapted and evolved with the changing world and now, the UK grounds management sector is seen as the world-leader when it comes to sports turf management. This achievement has been made possible through 90 years of support for the sector, including 77 SALTEX exhibitions, industry-leading educational resources, advice and support for sports clubs across all levels through the PAS programme, and more.

“With support from key sporting National Governing Bodies, the Grounds Management Association as it is now called, has grown into a key part of the nation’s enjoyment of sport and our ethos of ‘making sport possible’ has never been more relevant than it is today.

“We thank everyone who plays a part in this hard-working and essential industry, from volunteers and professionals to businesses, and will be marking this year with a number of developments that will benefit the sector, including a new membership offering and website coming later this year, as well as a series of activities throughout the year.”

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Toro U.K. employee celebrates 35-Year anniversary

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Toro U.K. employee celebrates 35-Year anniversary: Toro U.K. Limited honored their long-term employee, Territory Sales Manager Alistair Tod, who recently celebrated his 35th anniversary with the company. Toro U.K. Ltd held a surprise celebration at the Douglas Hayter Visitors’ Centre – newly refurbished to hold sales meetings and on-site training.

Alistair started his career in 1988 as a Technical Service Assistant and 8 months later was promoted to be a Territory Sales Manager. To put it in perspective, the year Alistair began his employment at Hayter was the same year that Margaret Thatcher became the longest-serving female Prime Minister of the 20th century in the U.K.

Toro U.K. employee celebrates 35-Year anniversary

Toro U.K. employee celebrates 35-Year anniversary

“Alistair is synonymous with the Hayter brand and has a wealth of knowledge. He is so well liked and respected by dealers and we were proud to celebrate his milestone,” said Craig Hoare, Sales & Marketing Manager, Toro U.K. Limited.

Reminiscing on his time with the business, Alistair recalls that his first day in the office was “a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere, and the sales and service departments worked closely together. Everybody was so helpful which made it reassuring that I had joined a great company.”

Alistair’s career has spanned many product developments from the Hayter Jubilee range, the growth of the Commercial range, including Prostripe and zero-turn mowers, and the more recent transition to battery power.

For anyone thinking of joining the industry, Alistair’s advice would be to “jump on board because you will be surprised where it can take you. The industry is so diversified, the opportunities are endless.”

Alistair continues to look after the South-East region, with new and established Dealers who join us in congratulating Alistair on this milestone.

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Cobra celebrates 10th anniversary

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Cobra celebrates 10th anniversary: 10 years ago this spring, a new brand entered the garden machinery market and fast became established as one of the leading players, rapidly becoming the go-to brand of choice for many gardeners across the UK.

The brand was launched by Nottingham-based, Henton & Chattell, one of the largest distributors of garden machinery in the UK with more than 1,500 dealerships across the country. Founded in 1931, the Henton & Chattell team used its unique market insight garnered from more than 80 years of being in the industry and knowing customer demands, to launch its own brand: Cobra.

Cobra celebrates 10th anniversary

Cobra celebrates 10th anniversary

Now, to celebrate the brand’s 10th birthday, Cobra is launching perhaps its biggest innovation yet with the introduction of its new ride-on lawn mowers this spring. This significant investment for Cobra really marks the next chapter for the brand. The ride-on mower range features eight models, aimed at helping those with larger lawns to mow with ease and comfort, at an affordable price.

Wanting to bring variety and an extensive range from day to always give customers the ideal solution no matter what size garden they had or task they were tackling, Cobra launched with a bang and an impressive 46 models from day one.

The Cobra range started with the electric GTRM range, which is still a key seller to this day. Followed shortly by the 2-stroke powered brushcutters, hedge trimmers and chainsaws. Instead of big seasonal launches, Cobra instead chose to take a continual approach to new product development and R&D and new products are regularly introduced to the range across all product categories and the range now consists of a staggering 160 products. Staying true to its lawncare specialism roots, 46% of these are lawnmowers – making Cobra the largest powered lawnmower brand in the UK.

Electric handheld machinery was one of the first category expansions in 2014, with hedgetrimmers, leaf blowers and grass strimmers being launched.

A momentous key product development for Cobra was the launch of its battery mower range in 2015, with the MX4140V leading the way, which was followed soon after by the battery handhold range of 24-volt products in 2016 and 40-volt in 2017. The interchangeable battery technology enables gardeners and customers loyal to the Cobra brand, to have battery-powered hedge trimmers, blowers, chainsaws and mowers, all powered by one battery – alleviating the need for petrol power or electric cables.

Over time, the range has continued to expand and now, alongside Cobra’s extensive offering of wider lawncare products such as robotic mowers, scarifiers and aerators, the range also features pressure washers, generators, shredders, cultivators, chippers, multitools and brushcutters.

Notable highlights in the Cobra journey include its limited-edition pink lawnmower that was launched in partnership with Breast Cancer Now in 2019 and has raised more than £20,000 for the charity. Alongside that, Cobra products have received wide recognition and accolades with multiple awards, “best buy” features and endorsements.

Discussing the brand’s growth and success, managing director of Cobra, Peter Chaloner commented: “We are so thrilled with the success of Cobra over the past 10 years, the response and demand from customers has been incredible. We’re really excited about the next chapter with the new ride-on tractors and have lots more product development in the pipeline for the future too.”

“We’ve seen across our nationwide dealer network of Cobra stockists that the demand is very positive and we’re committed to bringing even more products to our dealers.  We are 100% focused on supporting our dealers.”

For further information about Cobra, please visit www.cobragarden.co.uk.

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Modry Las celebrates pivotal year

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Modry Las celebrates pivotal year: Celebrating a remarkable chain of events with the golfing community in Poland, the team at Modry Las Golf Resort has described 2022 as “momentous”. With successes on and off the course, The PGA National Poland enjoyed a remarkable season receiving a trio of international accolades that have cemented its reputation as a world-class venue providing incredible value.

The optimistic tone was set during the first half of 2022 when Poland’s only signature-designed golf resort unveiled a luxurious spa complex along with new accommodation options. The investment paid off a couple of months later when Golf Monthly magazine published its compendium of Europe’s lesser-known destinations that offer quality golf and excellent value. Not surprisingly, Modry Las was in the mix.

Modry Las celebrates pivotal year

Modry Las celebrates pivotal year

“One of the best is Modry Las Golf Resort in Choszczno in the north west of the country,” noted Golf Monthly’s contributing editor Fergus Bisset. “It’s a Gary Player design in an area of rolling terrain with lakes and thick woodland. It’s an excellent layout carved through the forests with lakes and wildflowers abounding. Modry Las offers exceptional value.”

In October, Golf World unveiled its list of the best golf resorts in Continental Europe which, according to the magazine, rewarded venues that “excel with accommodation” and have “the wow factor”. Highlighting the “delightful cottage” options, Golf World concluded Modry Las was one of the most tranquil break destinations in its rundown. “This Gary Player design has flair and imagination, and it’s in fabulous nick,” noted the review. “We loved the chalets nestled in the silence of the woodland that surrounds the course. If you want to get away from it all, this Polish bolthole is for you.”

The assessment followed the magazine’s spotlight on the Best Value Golf Resorts in Continental Europe published a year earlier. Taking third spot, Modry Las was identified as the kind of resort that would attract golfers “who appreciate a high-calibre modern course in fabulous condition.”

To round off the year, the chairman of Modry Las, Arthur Gromadzki, gratefully collected a seventh national title at the renowned World Golf Awards; the leading authority to recognise and reward excellence in golf tourism. Speaking in November, he noted the 2022 season had been “a momentous year for both Modry Las and Poland on the international stage”.

His remarks correspond to the historic win this summer by Adrain Meronk who became the first Polish golfer to triumph on the DP World Tour. He repeated the feat at the Australian Open in December and was also joined in the Polish winners’ circle by Mateusz Gradecki who recorded his maiden win on the Challenge Tour in 2022.

The significance of these achievements were not lost on Gromadzki. “In many ways, this season has been full of challenges both political and environmental, and yet it has been a watershed moment for Poland. Despite the hurdles, not only did the country record its first win on the DP World Tour, but we also received international recognition that Poland offers incredible value while delivering a world-class golfing experience.”

He continues: “In fact, during these uncertain times, I would argue Poland has become an increasingly important golfing destination for those golfers wanting to enjoy world-class golf despite a challenging economic headwind. After all, Poland provides an alternative to the more established and expensive European golf locations. So, in many ways, it’s been a pivotal year and the perfect preparation for 2023.”

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John Deere celebrates 30 years of training

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John Deere celebrates 30 years of training: John Deere is marking the 30th anniversary of its renowned apprenticeship programme with an open day to recruit the next generation of technicians to work across its agriculture, turf and parts business.

Well in excess of 1,000 apprentices have qualified since 1992, and the company is keen to showcase the exciting career path that lies ahead of those who complete the course.

John Deere celebrates 30 years of training

John Deere celebrates 30 years of training

On 6 October, John Deere and the scheme’s training provider, ProVQ, will open the doors of its new training centre in Upper Saxondale, Nottinghamshire, where candidates will be offered guided tours, practical demonstrations and driving experiences.

Classrooms and workshops will be staffed by instructors and apprentices, providing a unique opportunity to view the state-of-the-art learning facilities on offer and talk to those who know all about the programme.

John Deere’s apprenticeship programme sees technicians work within the company’s dealership network as a paid employee while completing either a two or three-year course comprising on-the-job practical learning and classroom studies.

Three courses make up the programme; Ag Tech – focusing on agricultural machinery, Turf Tech – focusing on professional turf equipment, and Parts Tech – focusing on parts service and support.

“It’s a hugely exciting time to be part of the agricultural and turfcare industries – they are evolving and becoming more technologically advanced than ever before,” John Deere Branch Training Manager Allan Cochran says.

“The job is so much more than just servicing and fixing things. The machines and parts our apprentices work on and with are some of the most advanced in the world, many capable of levels of automation or operating at capacities we could only dream of a few years ago.

“With exam results now known and young people planning their futures, we’re encouraging them to join us for our open day to find out how John Deere can ignite their careers.

“It’s not just for people who love tractors – if you want to earn while you learn and be part of a huge, global brand with a reputation for ground-breaking innovations, then a John Deere apprenticeship could be the perfect start to your career.”

The open day will be held on 6 October, with three sessions being run at 10am, 1pm, and 3pm. Refreshments will be provided throughout the day, and entry is free, although pre-booking is a requirement as places are limited.

Booking is live at https://JohnDeereApprentice.eventbrite.co.uk

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