Tag Archive for: Change

Change, change and more change

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Change, change and more change: For virtually all businesses this is a time of major change and challenge and not least in the world of amenity management. Steeply rising input prices, continual change to the restrictions imposed because of COVID, major economic pressure on both users and providers – the list goes on. Yet despite this, the need to keep our amenity and sports surfaces fit for purpose, healthy and sustainable as never been more important.

In terms of weed, pest and disease management, significant policy change is afoot. With our withdrawal from the EU, new regulations are emerging regarding the approval and use of plant protection products. In addition a new UK National Action Plan is to be issued setting out the requirements going forward. We already know that this will have a major focus on integrated management approaches and greater enforcement and standards. Then there has been the implementation of the Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations 2020 (OCR). This has already legally required all suppliers of plant protection products (PPPs) to register their locations and stock carried. From June 2022, such a legal responsibility will also apply to all users of PPPs backed up by increased inspection and enforcement.

Change, change and more change

Change, change and more change

Early in 2022, the Amenity Forum is holding a series of Updating Events across the UK to address such policy issues and their implications along with presentations on all other topical matters and issues impacting upon amenity management. It is vital that all involved in such activity keep fully updated and these events provide an excellent way of doing so. The programmes will also include presentations and demonstrations from host organisations as well as chance to network with fellow professionals.

Professor John Moverley, Chairman of the Amenity Forum, said ‘’Our free Updating Events are always popular but in 2022 take on even greater significance with all the changes impacting upon the sector’’

Whilst free events, pre-registration is needed by contacting Kate at admin@amenityforum.net . As some locations have restricted places, early registration is recommended. Full programme information is available from Kate at the same email. The locations and dates are as follows:

ENGLAND

Knaresborough, Yorkshire                           9th February
Manchester City FC                                         24th February
Leicester City FC                                               25th February
London                                                                 9th March
Throws Farm, Essex                                        17th March         

NORTHERN IRELAND

Belfast                                                                  23rd March                                         

SCOTLAND

Edinburgh                                                           4th March                                            

WALES

Cardiff                                                                  16th February

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Turf Tank One makes revolutionary change

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Turf Tank One makes revolutionary change: Bromsgrove School has taken a revolutionary step forward in line marking with their new Turf Tank One.

The co-educational day and boarding school was founded in 1553, with the vast one hundred acre site woven into the centre of Bromsgrove. Among it is the Sports Centre, where there are facilities for rugby, football, cricket, hockey, tennis and a vast array of others.

Turf Tank One makes revolutionary change

Turf Tank One makes revolutionary change

At the beginning of the school term in September, Head Groundsperson Richard Hare and his team have to prepare 15 rugby pitches across three different sites, with three groups of staff taking a week to initially mark out and prepare them.

Introducing the Turf Tank to this process is a game-changer for the Bromsgrove grounds team, and for Richard, they are now working with what he thinks is the future of line marking.

“When I first saw the Turf Tank One at the demo, I was absolutely amazed, and having used it, it’s revolutionary,” Richard begins.

“It just makes the job a hundred times easier, all the lines are dead straight, and there’s no mess, that’s the other big thing, it’s clean, and it is good to use, it’s easy, and for us, it’s been really, really good.

“We’ve marked in five pitches and the training grids which would have taken two members of staff at least three or four days, and we’ve done that in less than a day and to a high standard as well. Every pitch is a different size; there are no two pitches that are the same because of the different age groups playing sport and the way we have to fit the pitches in around the site.

“This makes it into a one-person job who can set it all up, keep an eye on it and do other things as well. And that’s not trying to make people redundant or anything like that, because as everybody will tell you, there’s always lots of things that people can be doing. And because staff can be working on other jobs, it will help us to raise our standards around the site.”

Bromsgrove’s transition into robotic line marking has been seamless with the help of Turf Tank’s Regional Manager for the North, Matt Murray. A comprehensive demo and installation have been key to all staff members being comfortable with the robot and ensuring they get the most from the customisable pitch, grid, logo and number options.

“Matt has been absolutely fantastic from day one,” Richard explains. “We set up a training day, and this is the second full day he’s been here, and he’s on the end of the phone all the time if we need any questions answered.

“When he first visited, he went through all the templates with us and set them up, and it’s superb. It’s the way that we can change as well because, like most schools, we’ll have to change from rugby after Christmas into football, so we have to go through all the pitches again, and change them all to football or training grids or whatever we need at the time. So, it’s unbelievable the changes it’s going to make for us.”

For more information on the Turf Tank One or to have a demonstration contact alex@turftank.co.uk (southern UK) or matt@turftank.co.uk (northern UK).

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Change in approach to managing amenity spaces

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Change in approach to managing amenity spaces: Withdrawal from the European community, and the consequences of a pandemic, are already substantially impacting on all who manage amenity and sports spaces.

The pandemic has highlighted just how important these areas are to all and especially in the urban and sporting environment. BREXIT has heralded new requirements in trading, changes in resource sourcing and more. For those charged with maintaining areas, those involved operationally and indeed anyone with an interest in amenity, these are times when it can be difficult to keep up with policy announcements and new innovations and approaches.

Change in approach to managing amenity spaces

Change in approach to managing amenity spaces

All this means that the timing of the 2021 Amenity Forum conference, to be held on October 21st, could not be better and its title ‘Facing the Future’ very apt indeed. The conference will focus on policy change and its impact. The event will commence with keynote senior speakers from Defra, the Chemicals Regulation Department of HSE (CRD) and the Environment Agency. Defra will address change resulting from the recent review of the UK National Action Plan relating to weed, pest and disease management. The CRD speaker will address changes in pesticide regulation and enforcement approaches. The Environment Agency will look at the ever tightening of regulation relating to water and its quality. Each area is crucially important and reason in itself for conference attendance.

These will be followed by some eminent speakers involved operationally who will look at what more integrated approaches might mean including a specific contractor and a distributor view. There will then be a focus on the vitally important area of education and training. Policy change will bring more requirements for both training and CPD and increased innovation in how this can be delivered. The conference programme will conclude with some individual perspectives on the future for amenity and sports space management. This will include a focus on parks, on the environmental impact of various management approaches and what is involved in creating and maintaining surfaces at an international sporting venue.

To complement all of this will be an exhibition area where supporters will be on hand to showcase and describe what they do and new developments. There will be the announcement of the category winners for the Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year and John Moverley will provide a presentation of his thoughts looking forward.

A day not to be missed and, given the support from organisations, very competitively priced at £95 per delegate. For further information, please contact Kate at admin@amenityforum.net

Some comments from participants at last year’s event were:

‘’I would just like to say a huge thank you for putting on a great conference, along with some excellent speakers in their various fields of expertise from across the sector. The whole conference was well organised, fast moving and held my attention throughout’’

‘’Congratulations on such a successful and well run event.  As usual the standard of presenters and presentations was incredibly high, although we’ve come to expect that. .  It was an incredibly worthwhile day, very enjoyable and I learnt new things’’

‘’Just to let you know that I thought the conference yesterday was really excellent – the content and speakers were very good and their topics were very relevant.  Very well managed making great use of the time, an event not to be missed’’

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Change in leadership for Reesink UK

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Change in leadership for Reesink UK: David Cole is leaving the role of Reesink UK’s managing director in April 2022.

David has passionately and successfully overseen the company’s turfcare, agriculture, used machinery and electric vehicles business since 2014, and had previously worked for the former Lely business between 1990-1999. The reasons for his departure are personal; he says: “There are no business reasons attached to this, only personal. The unexpected loss of my wife last year was a huge blow. And after seeing the business through some strange and challenging times and identifying clearer waters ahead, my desire now is to spend more time with and focus on my grandchildren.”

Change in leadership for Reesink UK

Change in leadership for Reesink UK

Leading the recruitment process alongside David is Roon Hylkema, divisional director of Reesink UK’s parent company, Royal Reesink. Roon comments: “Reesink UK is one of the UK’s leading turfcare distributors and has 38 years working with The Toro Company, as such the role of managing director presents an exciting opportunity for the right candidate.

“The company has history on its side, stability and longevity, but also exciting growth opportunities as we look to continue David’s good work diversifying our offering, introducing new brands and new product lines that compliment our core activities.”

Work will start shortly to identify David’s successor and to enable a handover period before next April.

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Hayter Ltd to change name to Toro U.K. Limited

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Hayter Ltd to change name to Toro U.K. Limited: Hayter Ltd, which is part of The Toro Company, will be changing its name to Toro U.K. Limited on 3rd August 2021.

The name change to Toro U.K. Limited will align the UK operation with the rest of Toro’s subsidiaries outside of the United States, and the strategic focus to grow the Toro® brand in the consumer, light construction, landscape contractor and arboricultural markets.

Hayter Ltd to change name to Toro U.K. Limited

Hayter Ltd to change name to Toro U.K. Limited

Toro U.K. Limited remains committed to the Hayter® brand, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary. The brand will continue to be a significant part of the Toro U.K. Limited portfolio with manufacturing and selling of the Hayter range of premium quality lawn care products continuing from its Spellbrook factory in the UK.

The Hayter brand will retain the Royal Warrant, with which it has been proudly associated since the 1960s and Toro U.K. Limited will continue to invest and develop new Hayter products, including the new 60v Hawk range, which comes to market this autumn.

The Toro Company, a leading worldwide provider of innovative solutions for the outdoor environment, acquired Hayter Ltd in 2005 and continues to invest in the UK manufacturing plant.

The new company name will not change the nature of business, nor will it have any effect on existing relations with customers, partners, suppliers, contracts or personnel.
Craig Hoare, Sales and Marketing Manager Toro U.K. Limited commented, “The change is in name only and everything else is business as usual. The new name will help us to layout our strategy for the Toro & Hayter brands in the UK market and grow with our existing retailers.”

The business is keen to invite anyone who has any questions about the change in name to contact their territory manager.

For more information please visit www.toro.com/en-gb and www.hayter.co.uk

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