Tag Archive for: Enhanced

Holcim Pro Range aims for enhanced playability

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Holcim Pro Range aims for enhanced playability: Holcim UK has launched a Pro Range of sports sands and rootzones developed to keep football pitches in peak condition throughout the year.

With many pitches struggling to open during the wetter winter months, the Pro Range of sands has been developed to help improve drainage, durability and ultimately aid player performance.

Holcim Pro Range aims for enhanced playability

Holcim Pro Range aims for enhanced playability

The Pro Range, which includes world renowned specialist sands Levenseat and Garside from quarries at Fauldhouse, Scotland and Leighton Buzzard in England, are laboratory-tested sands that can be matched to different applications and ground conditions.

For football and rugby grounds staff, Holcim has developed a range of sands for both natural and synthetic pitches.

Levenseat ProPitch is a specialist washed silica sand for natural pitches that can be used for medium fine moist top dressing, rootzone sand or where pitch amelioration is required.

Both the ProPitch 20 & ProPitch 25 have a high performing percolation rate which will improve any area where drainage is an issue – in turn improving durability, playability and player safety.

The range also includes Levenseat ProPitch Rootzone for improved grass root growth and an enhanced version, Levenseat ProPitch™ 20 Rootzone. Both versions use silica sand to enhance drainage.

Four different versions of the Garside ProPitch sand are available, including ProPitch Medium for amelioration and top dressing on natural pitches and ProPitch Elite, a highly permeable infill sand for artificial pitches requiring increased penetrability.

In addition, ProPitch 2EW is a specific sports infill sand that can be used on both natural and artificial pitches and is ideal for sports pitches because of its inherent drainage characteristics and consistent hard-wearing capabilities.

Top dressing sand is also a key part of the range. ProPitch Top Dress is crucial for maintaining a pitch’s permeability, especially in wet conditions, providing a more stable playing surface.

Holcim UK, recently rebranded from Aggregate Industries, can supply the Pro Range using its nationwide logistics network that promises contractors and grounds staff rapid delivery of the sand products needed for their facility or event.

Mark Hickingbottom, General Manager for Garside Sands at Holcim UK says the Pro Range is not just for elite sports: “The Pro Range is aimed at those professional grounds staff who want to give their members, players and users the ultimate performance-ready surface, either natural or synthetic, that combines both playability and durability.

“In recent years, often due to changing rainfall patterns resulting from climate change, sports facilities of all kinds have been forced to close temporarily, postpone fixtures and deny their use to members, which has had an enormous impact on club finances and the health and well-being of players and participants.”

Duncan McCool, Sales Manager for Levenseat Sands at Holcim UK adds: “The Pro Range with its market-leading percolation rate, improved aeration and stable surface, aims to help keep facilities open by providing outstanding surfaces that can withstand the changing seasons and be performance-ready throughout the year.”

To learn more about Holcim’s Pro Range of specialist sports sands, visit www.holcim.co.uk/products/aggregates/sands/sports-sands.

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ALS Contracts enjoy enhanced efficiency

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ALS Contracts enjoy enhanced efficiency: As part of a modernisation of their machinery fleet, ALS Contracts have invested in three Redexim machines which are delivering newfound efficiency and user friendliness to the task of aeration and secondary drainage.

Delivered by Charlies Ag & Turf Ltd over the course of 2024, two Redexim Verti-Core’s and a new Vibra-Sandmaster are set to boost productivity and profitability for the sports turf contractors according to Operations Manager Anthony Shingler.

ALS Contracts enjoy enhanced efficiency

ALS Contracts enjoy enhanced efficiency

Established over 35 years ago, ALS Contracts offer the full range of maintenance services for all types of sports turf. While the work schedule may rotate between fine turf renovations in the spring and autumn, and work on winter sports pitches in the summer months, one of the consistent requirements is the demand for effective, regular aeration. “Hollow coring has long been ‘core’ to our offering” explains Anthony, who has been with the company for the last twenty-five years. “With demand high, we recognised the time was right to look for something that would increase efficiency, boost productivity and reduce costly downtime.”

The solution was two Verti-Core III 2100’s from Redexim. “We took delivery of these six months ago and the whole team have been incredibly impressed. At 2.1m, they’re slightly wider than our previous machines and work quicker, yet the action is smooth and gentle resulting in less wear on the tines. Since they arrived, we’ve used them for all of our autumn work on golf fairways and haven’t had to put a spanner on them – they’ve not missed a beat.”

The Redexim Verti-Core III offers a high work rate to bring quick compaction relief and thatch management to golf and sports turf, with minimal surface disruption. With a range of tine options, the robust build quality is matched by equally well-designed operator controls for ease of depth adjustment.

“The team are no strangers to the Vibra-Sandmaster, having used the predecessor model on jobs around the country for the last 16 years” Anthony explains. “We were, however, really pleased to discover that while the principle of the machine remained, it has all been thoroughly modernised not only enhancing output but making it more user friendly for the operator.”

He continues, “Having the right machinery with excellent back-up support has been critical to ALS’s success over the years, and in Charlies Ag & Turf Ltd we have a dealer who will always go out of their way to keep kit rolling in whatever way possible. By making the right investment in equipment, we can reduce the amount of downtime we experience which is not only better for the team on the job and our customers but ultimately improves how profitable we can be.”

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Enhanced wildflower mixtures offer benefits

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Enhanced wildflower mixtures offer benefits: As part of its ongoing commitment to promote the ecological benefit of man-made environments, amenity grass and wildflower seed specialist Germinal has updated its range of wild flora mixtures to make them more beneficial to pollinators.

Enhanced wildflower mixtures offer benefits

Enhanced wildflower mixtures offer benefits

“Research carried out by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) into how best to support pollinating insects such as bees, butterflies and hoverflies has shown that planting a mixture of native and non-native flowers can extend the flowering season and therefore boost pollinator populations by providing a more abundant and longer-lasting source of nectar and pollen,” explains Richard Brown, Amenity Sales Manager at Germinal

“For that reason, we have updated our 2021 wildflower range by introducing a wider variety of species from beyond the UK which, in addition to creating a more abundant and sustainable source of food for pollinators and other beneficial invertebrates in urban and semi-urban environments, will also produce a more aesthetically appealing array of flowers with a wider palette of longer-lasting colours.”

By adding non-native species to its General Landscaping (Urban Meadows) Wild Flora range – which contains 100% wildflower mixtures and ready-to-sow wildflower and complementary grass seed blends – Germinal is now able to offer pollinator enhanced, ‘near-native’ mixtures for use across a range of different soil types and purposes.

Mr Brown adds: “Protecting the diversity and sustainability of the UK’s wild flora heritage is an important aspect of every landscaper’s remit, not only to maintain and promote healthy ecological systems, but also to enhance the environmental aesthetics of man-made green spaces.

“However, what the public perceives to be a natural meadow habitat (a vibrant sea of different colouring flowers) is often at odds with what a true meadow actually contains – a much narrower palette of colours. As a result, these less visually stunning, but 100% native meadows often end up underwhelming their custodians, and frequently get tidied up into a more manicured green space. As such, they don’t last as long as more vibrant urban meadows which are more likely to be proactively maintained and retained for much longer.

“By incorporating non-native species into our general landscaping wildflower mixtures for use in urban or suburban settings such as new housing estates and business or retail park developments, we are therefore empowering landscape architects to not only do their ‘bit’ to reduce the decline in pollinator numbers, but also to produce the wide range of colours expected by the public.”

Germinal also offers a range of 100% UK-native wildflower seed mixtures: based on the National Vegetation Classification (NVC) survey, these Regional Environmental (RE) mixtures are made up of species which are entirely indigenous to the UK and which enable landscapers to create ‘true meadow’ habitats. “For landscaping projects where the use of species which are entirely native to the UK is the critical driving factor, our Regional Environmental range is the ideal choice,” Mr Brown adds. “These carefully selected mixtures accurately replicate local, regional and national UK habitats, thereby enabling landscapers to safeguard native wildlife populations by preserving the heritage of the UK’s natural environment.”

In addition to its standard wildflower ranges, Germinal is also able to create bespoke mixtures to suit site-specific requirements. All of Germinal’s wildflower mixtures contain species which have been deemed ‘Perfect for Pollinators’ by the RHS.

For more information about Germinal’s wildflower mixtures go to www.germinalamenity.com.

Alternatively, for advice on the most suitable mixture(s) for a specific remit or advice about a special formulation, please contact Germinal on 01522 868714.

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STIHL Launch Enhanced Chainsaws

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STIHL Launch Enhanced Chainsaws: STIHL has launched two enhanced versions of the MS 151, increasing its range of high-quality chainsaws for professional use.

The new MS 151 C-E and MS 151 TC-E top handle chainsaws have both been designed with high performance in mind. Both models feature a new version of STIHL’s 2-MIX engine, which increases the power of the saw by up to 10% and provides a 15% increase in torque when compared to its predecessor, the MS 150 C-E. Additionally, fuel consumption and emissions have also been reduced.

STIHL Launch Enhanced Chainsaws

Design upgrades made to the 2-MIX engine include a new piston with stepped base, cylinder and muffler.  The chainsaws also feature ErgoStart technology that enables effortless, reliable starting of the power tools, meaning professionals can be up and running in no time.

The MS 151 C-E can be used for a range of applications, including firewood cutting, tree care and minor thinning, while the MS 151 TC-E top handle is designed for arborists performing deadwood removal and treetop reductions.

Despite the increase in performance, both chainsaws remain the same weight as the MS 150 C-E at just 2.60kg, ensuring professionals can benefit from the enhanced engine power, whilst keeping the overall system weight to a minimum. STIHL’s anti-vibration system also ensures the tool is comfortable to use over extended periods of time.

The MS 151 C-E and MS 151 TC-E are available now. For more information on STIHL’s range of chainsaws, please visit www.stihl.co.uk.

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Limmo Peninsula Enhanced By Wildflower

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Limmo Peninsula Enhanced By Wildflower: Hampshire-grown wildflowers have recently commuted to London, playing their part in the regeneration of Canning Town as part of London’s ambitious Crossrail project.

A beautiful wildflower meadow supplied by wildflower experts Wildflower Turf Ltd is now capping a maintenance and escape shaft for the Elizabeth line on the Limmo Peninsula.

Limmo Peninsula Enhanced By Wildflower

Overlooked by high-rise developments and next to the River Lee, the peninsula was Crossrail’s primary worksite for their eastbound tunnel boring machines, and the area adjoins Canning Town Tube and Docklands Light Railway station. Working with landscaping partner Turney Landscapes Ltd, Wildflower Turf Ltd was commissioned by CSJV – the Costain Skanska Joint Venture responsible for the turning the former construction site into the permanent Elizabeth line access shaft – to provide a biodiverse solution that will provide local workers and Canning Town residents alike with a temporary landscape that is both aesthetically pleasing and ecologically-friendly.

Turney Landscapes installed 2,600m² of Wildflower Turf Ltd’s Roof Turf in March and April of this year, across and down the sloping 8-metre-high exit shaft. Despite the challenging landscaping conditions, the turf is already flowering with the wildflower meadow providing a spectacular display of colour.

Steven Turney, Director at Turney Landscaping Ltd said, ““Working on such a large-scale and time-critical site as the Limmo Peninsula, it is crucial that our suppliers are able to adapt to many and varied requirements.” Turney continued, “The team at Wildflower Turf Ltd assisted us to ensure that this project was delivered on time and in budget, and the wildflower meadow is a dynamic addition to the local area.”

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