Tag Archive for: excellence

Husqvarna supports chainsaw excellence during Championships

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Husqvarna supports chainsaw excellence during Championships: Husqvarna is proud to share that the brand’s dedicated team competed at this year’s World Logging Championships (WLC) in Slovenia, with 54 Husqvarna representatives from 16 countries taking part in the major international event.

Representing Great Britain and utilising Husqvarna’s elite tools were esteemed arborists Richard Elliott and Mark Edwards and U24’s representative Ben Jones. The trio competed against the world’s best logging athletes and showcased speed, teamwork and technical precision across six classic disciplines. An 11th place finish in the overall team category is to be greatly respected, given the standard of the competition.

Husqvarna supports chainsaw excellence during Championships

Husqvarna supports chainsaw excellence during Championships

During the event, the team participated across five individual disciplines as well as a team relay race, using specially modified Husqvarna 572XP chainsaws. Participants test their skills in activities such as limbing, mast felling and precision bucking.

Husqvarna is not only a main sponsor of the World Logging Championships 2026, but the event also highlights Husqvarna’s commitment to innovation, precision and trust when it comes to chainsaws.

The Great Britain team was selected by a series of qualifying events, held throughout the UK during 2025.

“Competing at the World Logging Championships is an incredible experience,” said Richard Elliott, member of the Husqvarna UK team. “You’re up against the best loggers in the world, so every discipline pushes your skills, focus and precision to the limit. In a discipline like ours, it’s crucial to rely on top-tier equipment, so utilising the high-performance tools from Husqvarna gave us the confidence and precision needed to perform at our best.”

Through activities such as ongoing support of global and regional championships, and innovative training initiatives alongside leading education providers, Husqvarna plays an active role in developing professional logging talent and promoting chainsaw excellence on the global stage.

Please find further information available on the Husqvarna website HERE and assets linked HERE

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Campey Celebrates 40 Years of Excellence at Open Day

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Campey Celebrates 40 Years of Excellence at Open Day: Campey Turf Care Systems is proud to celebrate 40 years of innovation in 2026, marking the milestone with a special Open Day on Thursday 9th July.

Since its inception in 1986, Campey has evolved from a small family business into an internationally respected leading provider of professional turf care equipment and expertise, trusted by sports venues, contractors, and grounds professionals in the UK and around the world.

Campey Celebrates 40 Years of Excellence at Open Day

Campey Celebrates 40 Years of Excellence at Open Day

Established by Richard Campey, the company’s foundation is built on offering practical, inventive solutions tailored to the real needs of turf professionals. This commitment to innovation remains at the core of Campey’s approach as it continues to design equipment that meets the evolving demands of modern sports surfaces.

Reflecting on the company’s journey, Richard commented, “When we launched in 1986, I started off in the northwest of England carrying out contracting work, over time customers started asking me if they could buy the machines.  The initial machine that I brought to market was the Greenline Coremaster, Colin Gregory sold 2 to me but I only wanted 1 and that’s how we started off in sales.

Four decades on, our drive for innovation and partnership with the industry is as strong as ever. The Open Day will be a fantastic occasion to share this milestone with everyone who has contributed along the way, and our way of saying thank you with the people who have helped make it possible.”

The 40th Anniversary Open Day will highlight both the company’s heritage and its continued commitment to developing machinery and practices that support the future of sports turf management.

Visitors can register to attend the event online at: www.campey40.com

SAVE THE DATE

Event Details: Thursday, 9th July 2026 Location: Campey Bosley, The Crossroads, Buxton Road, Bosley, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 0PS, UK

To register your attendance and find out more, visit our website dedicated to the 40th Anniversary www.campey40.com

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Reesink celebrates excellence with dealer awards

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Reesink celebrates excellence with dealer awards: Reesink UK has once again recognised its outstanding dealer network with the 2024 Aftermarket Dealer Awards, celebrating exceptional standards in customer support, service, skills, and parts.

Alastair Black, Technical Support and Training Manager at Reesink UK, explains how the relationship between Reesink and its dealers is central to everything it does and how the awards are essential in recognising that: “Dealers are often the first and most regular point of contact for customers, so their service reflects directly on us as a distributor.

Reesink celebrates excellence with dealer awards

Reesink celebrates excellence with dealer awards

“The Aftermarket Dealer Awards highlight the importance of that role and recognise the hard work, commitment and customer-first mentality that keeps our standards high across the UK.”

The awards cover five categories: Excellence in Service, Parts and Skills, alongside overall Aftermarket Dealer of Excellence and Improved Performance recognitions.

This year, Reesink Scotland took home the Gold Award for both Aftermarket Dealer of Excellence and Excellence in Skills. Mike Turnbull, Branch Manager at Reesink Scotland, commented: “These two awards reflect all the changes and hard work done by the whole service team in Scotland over the last year.

“Since taking over as branch manager we have set out to implement several changes to elevate the standards of the aftersales service for customers at our Livingston branch, which has resulted in helping reduce downtime and running costs on their Toro equipment and improving the overall customer experience.”

The Excellence in Parts Gold Award went to the Ted Hopkins dealership, and Robert Skipp, Aftersales Manager at Ted Hopkins Ltd said: “This is a fantastic recognition of the whole team’s dedication to delivering the highest standard of service and support. It reflects our proactive approach to ensuring customers receive the parts they need, when they need them, and our commitment to supporting the wider industry with the reliability and expertise of the Toro brand.”

Reesink East Anglia confirmed its outstanding support capabilities by securing the Excellence in Service Gold Award, while the Keys Brothers from Northern Ireland were named the 2024 Improved Performance winner. Andy Keys, Company Director at Keys Brothers, said:

“We’re delighted to have won the Improved Performance Award – it honours the hard work and commitment from everyone at Keys Brothers, as well as our focus on building strong relationships with customers, always striving to provide the best service and support, and continuing to contribute positively to the wider industry.”

Keys Brothers also secured the Silver Award for Excellence in Parts, while Cheshire Turf Machinery won the Silver Awards for Aftermarket Dealer of Excellence and Excellence in Service. Finally, the Silver Award for Excellence in Skills went to Reesink South East.

Another way Reesink helps raise the level of excellence and expertise in the industry is through its wide offering of training programmes. Special recognition goes to Darrell Richards from Reesink Southeast and Norann Chambers from Ted Hopkins, who recently completed the prestigious Master Service Technician Award (MST).

By completing Reesink’s MST programme – developed in collaboration with Toro’s factory experts – both technicians have proven their expertise in the latest hybrid and electric technology, as well as their ability to stay at the forefront of new product developments, warranty processes and best practice service techniques.

Their success ensures that their dealerships can continue to offer customers the highest level of service, keeping fleets running efficiently and helping turf professionals get the very best from their Toro machinery.

For more information on Reesink’s aftermarket support or becoming a Master Service Technician, call 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence

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GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence: A GKB Combitool has proven the solution to improving surface quality, and reducing reliance on hired equipment, at Norfolk’s Langley School.

Senior Groundsman Phil Cook leads a team of four in maintaining 19 hectares of school grounds – made that much easier with the versatility of the 4-in-1 implement which has taken presentation of the sports pitches to new heights.

GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence

GKB Combitool delivers year round excellence

When Phil joined the co-educational day and boarding school 18 months ago, most of the maintenance machinery was hired in. Notification followed shortly after that prices were due to increase so a change of tact was needed. “It made sense to look at what we were using most often, and as a versatile all-rounder, we knew something like the GKB Combitool would make a big difference across multiple areas of the site” Phil explains.

Working closely with Stuart Paterson at Ernest Doe & Sons, the school built a package of machines – including the GKB Combitool – for delivery in October 2024.

“I hadn’t had any previous experience of GKB, but when I saw the brochure and the build quality of the unit, it was an easy decision. In practice, it has more than lived up to expectations. It’s incredibly solid, reliable and easy to use enabling us to brush, rake, roll and spike our 10 winter sports pitches year-round and, in springtime, our cricket outfields on a weekly basis.” He adds, “Because of the size of the site, we sometimes used to struggle with moving clippings. Now, we can follow the mower with a single pass of the GKB Combitool, rake the clippings up and leave an immaculately presented surface in its wake.”

The delivery also couldn’t have been better planned for Phil and the team, with the Combitool landing just in time for Langley’s annual rugby festival which attracts teams from across the UK. “With so many spectators and matches in a condensed period, presentation really matters. Running the Combitool between games was a real eye-opener. It lifted the grass, left a brilliant finish and helped us retain superb surfaces for the duration of the event.”

The quality and value delivered by the GKB Combitool has certainly left a strong impression, leading Phil to look at other areas of their maintenance programme. “The Combitool has become our go-to implement, and is raising standards so much, we’d like to see about adding more GKB Machines to our armoury to bring other areas up to a similar level – ensuring the facilities continue to meet the high expectations of our students, visiting clubs and national tournaments alike.”

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Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC

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Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC: Blackpool FC has seen major improvements to both its stadium and training ground facilities following the installation of a new Hunter irrigation system, supplied by KAR UK and installed by Arden Lea Irrigation.

Head Groundsman Paul Flynn, who has been with the club for nearly five years, explained how the Hunter products have transformed operations, saving time, improving turf quality, and supporting player performance.

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC

Hunter Irrigation Delivers Turf Excellence for Blackpool FC

Before the installation, Paul and his team relied on standpipes and travelling sprinklers – a process that was time-consuming and inefficient.

“We were wasting 20 to 25 hours a week just watering pitches by hand,” Paul said. “I told the club they’d get that time back within a year if we invested in irrigation – and that’s exactly what has happened.”

The first phase began at the training ground, with irrigation now fully operational across the main pitches and the sports science area. At the stadium, work is ongoing, with Hunter I80-ON sprinklers already replacing older, underperforming units.

Blackpool’s system includes the Hunter ACC2 Controller with Centralus, the Hunter GT-885, and the Hunter I80-ON sprinklers.

The ACC2 Controller with Centralus allows Paul and his deputy to manage irrigation directly from their phones or via a roaming remote, giving them ultimate flexibility.

“We can press a button and water exactly where we want, whenever we want,” Paul explained. “It makes growing, training preparation, and recovery so simple. We’ve now got around 62 heads across the site, so we can literally water every blade of grass.”

The Hunter I80-ON heads, installed at Bloomfield Road Stadium, have already improved coverage and performance compared to the old system. The GT-885 sprinklers at the training ground provide strength, durability, and easy access for maintenance – crucial for a high-use facility.

The improvements in irrigation have gone beyond aesthetics, directly impacting player welfare and training quality.

“Before, some areas were rock hard, which contributed to calf and hamstring injuries,” said Paul. “Now we can keep surfaces consistent, which makes a huge difference for performance and safety.”

Managers have also benefitted, with the ability to prepare pitches to replicate match conditions.

“The current manager says the best thing is that the training pitches now resemble the stadium pitch,” Paul added. “It means we can mirror match situations and even put the sprinklers on during sessions to improve ball speed – something we could never do before.”

Paul credited both KAR UK and Arden Lea Irrigation for their expertise and support throughout the project.

“My relationship with Wes and Lee at KAR UK goes back years, and I know I can always rely on them,” he said. “Arden Lea are also brilliant – I just pick up the phone and they’re here the next day. Between the two of them, the whole process has been faultless.”

The old irrigation kit has even been donated to Blackpool Cricket Club, strengthening community ties and ensuring wider benefit from the project.

With the training ground fully upgraded and stadium improvements ongoing, Paul believes Hunter irrigation will continue to play a vital role in Blackpool FC’s future.

“The health of the pitches has never been better,” he said. “It’s more efficient, saves us time, and helps the players perform. Honestly, I can’t fault the system at all.”

For more information, please visit www.karuk.com

You can also follow KAR UK on X and Instagram @KARUK_LTD for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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