Tag Archive for: employee

Toro U.K. employee celebrates 35-Year anniversary

/in , /by

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.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Greentech moves to Employee Ownership

/in , /by

Greentech moves to Employee Ownership: Leading sports surface specialists, Greentech Sportsturf Ltd has set up an Employee Ownership Trust to hold 100% of the leading sports and recreational surfaces firm and put it into the hands of the people who work for it – making them the direct beneficiaries of the company’s future success.

Started in 1998 by Kevin Brunton, Hugh Murray, and the late Tom Brannan (who sadly passed away in 2015) the company has grown successfully over the years and has worked on world-renowned fields of play such as Gleneagles, St Andrew’s Links, Hampden Park and Murrayfield Stadium. With Hugh Murray now retired the Directors wanted to look at an ownership succession option which secured the long-term future of the business, its employees and would work well for both clients and founders too. The co-founders were keen to avoid the potential pitfalls of traditional trade sale or merger options, keenly aware of the risks these options can present to employees and the business as a whole.  They saw many advantages to employee ownership and believe that it is the ‘win-win’ proposition for everyone – founders, employees and clients.

Greentech moves to Employee Ownership

Greentech moves to Employee Ownership

“The establishment of employee ownership through the EOT at Greentech Sportsturf will provide continued job security for all staff,” said Kevin Brunton. “It will also enable the employees to have collective control of their future, directly benefit from the ongoing success of the business and to continue to deliver market-leading projects in the design, construction, renovation and maintenance of sports surfaces.”

Employee ownership is growing significantly in popularity, with more and more companies seeing the benefits that can be delivered through this ownership model. Studies have demonstrated that employee owned firms are also more resilient and are proven to weather economic cycles better than most. This may prove to be important as firms the world-over deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Eric Carroll, Financial Controller at Greentech Sportsturf, commented: “I’m delighted that Kevin and Hugh have chosen this option for ownership of the business and I think this is great news for all the staff at Greentech Sportsturf. Everyone one of us now has a stake in the business and can share in the success and profits that are made going forward.”

Kevin Brunton believes that employee ownership is good news for clients too and will help to secure the long-term future of the company. “Employee ownership means clients need not be concerned with Greentech Sportsturf being acquired and the potential associated disruption that can lead to. They can feel secure in the knowledge we will continue to deliver the highest quality sports surfaces projects with our talented team of people and the best technologies for the job in hand.” Said Kevin. “It also gives the co-founders the opportunity to consider retirement and eventual exit from the business in a planned manner, mentoring the successor team whilst withdrawing slowly and ensuring continued growth and success. It really is a win-win all round.”

Greentech Sportsturf is a Scotland-based, leading sports turf contractor, specialising in the design, construction and renovation of all sports surfaces. The company has a diverse client base comprising world renowned fields of play including St Andrews and Gleneagles Golf Courses, Scotland’s national football and rugby stadiums, as well as smaller and regional sports facilities. Located on the outskirts of Stirling at Throsk, the company operates throughout the UK.

For further information contact Eric Carroll on mailto:eric@greentechsportsturf.co.uk

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

JCB shutdown with employee pledge

/in , /by

JCB shutdown with employee pledge: JCB is suspending UK production until at least the end of April as a result of the coronavirus crisis and will continue to pay employees unable to work, the company announced today.

The firm’s nine manufacturing plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham closed on March 18th as disruption resulting from the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic caused an unprecedented reduction in global demand. At that stage, only shop floor employees were affected by the move and were paid in full during this period, while office staff continued to work a 39-hour week from home.

JCB shutdown with employee pledge

JCB shutdown with employee pledge

The news of today’s extended shutdown will mean that the vast majority of JCB’s 6,500 workforce will now be asked to stop working until at least the end of April. During this period, all affected JCB employees will be paid 80% of their basic pay. Senior JCB Directors will not be taking a salary from the company until further notice.

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “These are certainly unprecedented times and none of us expected to find ourselves in this situation. In announcing that all those JCB colleagues asked not to work will receive 80% of their pay, we hope to remove any financial concerns that many people will undoubtedly have had.”

JCB also intends to make an application to the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help offset the cost of its support of employees during this challenging period. The scheme is designed to support employers in continuing to pay part of employees’ salaries, for employees who would otherwise have been laid off. The Government scheme pays 80% of an employee’s salary up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. In devising its scheme, JCB has set no cap and will pay 80% of each affected employee’s pay.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Tributes to JCB employee

/in , , /by

Tributes to JCB employee: Tributes have been paid to a former JCB employee who joined the company as a teaboy and rose through the ranks to become a director.

Bill Hirst MBE – who was the third person recruited by JCB in 1947 – passed away last night (Sunday, January 5th) at the age of 86.

Tributes to JCB employee

Today JCB Chairman Lord Bamford led the tributes to the man who joined JCB as the company was in its infancy. Lord Bamford said: “Bill and his generation helped my father to build a company which became a real force in the world of construction equipment.  Bill was very proud to have worked for JCB and will be remembered by many, many people from the early days of the company. I’d like to offer my condolences to Bill’s wife Jean and all her family at this very sad time.”

Bill, the fourth of eight children, joined JCB as a 14-year-old tea boy when he left St Joseph’s School in Uttoxeter, where he had been Head Boy.

He was recruited on a salary of £1 a week when the company was based at stables at Crakemarsh, three miles down the road from JCB’s World Headquarters at Rocester.

And it was Bill who was instrumental in the relocation to Rocester in 1950 to the site of a former cheese factory. Bill knew JCB Founder Joseph Cyril Bamford was searching for a new location for a factory and suggested the Rocester site – because it was closer to home and meant he could spend an extra 10 minutes in bed each morning.

Tributes to JCB employee

Bill started his National Service in 1951 as was posted as a Royal Military Policeman to Kenya, returning to JCB two years later.  He married his wife Jean in 1955 and the couple had four children.

On his return to JCB, Bill completed 10 years as welding foreman, five in research and then joined the service and spares department at Rocester as service engineer, later becoming Warranty and Final Inspection Manager. He was awarded the MBE for services to export in the New Year’s Honours List of 1975 and became Technical Services Director in 1981. Bill Retired in 1991. He was a staunch supporter of the Royal British Legion and served as President of the Uttoxeter branch in retirement.

Speaking on JCB’s 65th anniversary in 2010, Bill said: “I am proud to have been part of JCB – it’s been my life.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.