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FTH hire group continues to invest in Kubota

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FTH hire group continues to invest in Kubota: One of the largest plant and tool hire companies operating in the South-East and London has placed an order for 24 new Kubota mini-excavators from main dealer Lister Wilder as part of an ongoing commitment to ensure its customers have access to the latest market-leading equipment solutions. This is part of a total planned investment in 188 Kubota machines in 2023.

FTH Hire Group, which has its head office in Farnborough, has purchased a combination of 1, 3 and 8  tonne models. Rob Watson, Marketing Manager at FTH Hire Group, commented: “We have a fantastic range of new excavators for hire and pride ourselves on supplying the latest and best equipment available for our customers. Meeting their needs is vitally important and that is why we have a large fleet of Kubota machines, which are powerful and reliable to tackle the toughest tasks.

FTH hire group continues to invest in Kubota

FTH hire group continues to invest in Kubota

“Running a fleet of 670 excavators across our 10 depots in the UK means we couldn’t operate a successful business if the downtime on our machines wasn’t kept to a minimum. That’s why 80% of our diggers are manufactured by Kubota and backed-up by first class service and after-care from Lister Wilder.”

Investing in growth is a key element of the continued success story of FTH Hire Group, which has recently made a multi-million pound investment that includes opening-up depots in Chelmsford, Scotland and Southampton during the past 12 months.

Rob concluded: “The wider geographical spread of our depots enables us to enhance our business operations, and further improve our ability to meet the needs of our customers – bringing us closer geographically to many more”.

For more information on Kubota and its extensive range of solutions for the construction industry, visit www.kubota-eu.com.

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Reform Metrac H75 is in demand

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Reform Metrac H75 is in demand: The Blackburn based Stuart Taylor dealership has recently taken delivery of three Reform Metrac H75 bank mowers from UK Agent Simon Richard Ltd.

Tommy Taylor said, “ two of the Reforms are for Stoke City council for maintenance of banked grassed areas and a wide range of open spaces. The authority say they are impressed with both performance and operator safety”

Reform Metrac H75 is in demand

Reform Metrac H75 is in demand

Simon Richard added “ the 75hp Reform Metrac H75 has proven itself to be a year round workhorse for a wide range of groundcare tasks. Steering modes include front, rear, Crab and four wheel steer”

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Kubota’s investment outlined in press event

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Kubota’s investment outlined in press event: Media spanning sports turf, landscaping, amenity and equine were recently given a rare insight into the ‘behind the scenes’ workings of one of the most recognisable brands in groundcare, as Kubota UK opened their doors for an update event.

The overarching theme of the two days was Kubota’s ongoing investment into the industry – with press updated on recent acquisitions and new initiatives in the areas of warranty and recruitment, while also having the opportunity to get ‘hands-on’ with some of the latest products from across their mower and compact tractor portfolios.

Kubota’s investment outlined in press event

Kubota’s investment outlined in press event

The sun was shining as Kubota UK Managing Director David Hart and General Manager for Tractor Business Unit (TBU) Henry Bredin welcomed members of the press to their Thame headquarters in early June. After learning about some of the corporate history and more recent global developments, such as the new £0.5bn Kubota Institute of Technology opened in Osaka Japan, attendees were treated to a tour of the facility where many questions on the challenges of worldwide manufacture, logistics and alternative power sources were answered.

Handing the baton to Phil Catley, Kubota UK Groundcare Product Manager and Field Service Manager Tom Lockwood, day two continued on a similar theme as the area of investment in aftersales was addressed. With the vision of creating an industry-leading dealer, technical and commercial support infrastructure, Tom discussed initiatives including the Kubota Service Excellence Awards and Kubota University programme, both of which are designed to develop and deliver training and advice to dealers thus ensuring the very best ongoing customer experience.

Also covered was the Kubota Apprenticeship programme, offered in partnership with Coleg Cambria Llysfasi, and designed to address the skills shortage in the industry. The four-year practical-based training scheme enrolled a record 13 students in 2023, setting the apprentices up for a career in engineering and progressing them into positions within Kubota dealerships across the UK.

Proceedings concluded with a ‘ride and drive’ experience where press had the opportunity to demonstrate a number of machines from across the range, including the recently-launched FC3 and FC4 mowers, and the LXe – Kubota’s first electric compact tractor, in the UK currently for extensive testing.

Commenting on the event, Kubota UK Marketing Manager Rob Edwards said, “We, like all manufacturers, are aware of the issues facing the industry and that doesn’t just stop at having the right products to fit today’s market. It was brilliant to be able to demonstrate to the press the programmes we’re delivering to support our dealers and our customers, and show how proud we are to be re-investing in the needs of the next generation. We extend a massive thank you once again, to all of those who took the time to attend.”

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Instructors and Assessors shine in inaugural awards

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Instructors and Assessors shine in inaugural awards: The hard-work and dedication of Lantra’s Instructor and Assessor network were recently celebrated at the inaugural Instructor Excellence Awards at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

Over 40 Instructors were in attendance for the ceremony, which also saw Lantra hosting a networking session whilst delegates enjoyed a celebratory hog roast lunch.

Instructors and Assessors shine in inaugural awards

Instructors and Assessors shine in inaugural awards

Lantra staff presented winners with industry excellence awards for categories in 4×4, tractors, lift trucks, pesticides, pest control, health and safety, ground-based chainsaw, tree inspection, aerial arboriculture, plant and machinery and also landscape tools.

As well as individual industry awards up for grabs, there were also categories for outstanding contribution, best newcomer and longest serving Instructor. Trophies and winner prizes were kindly sponsored by Lantra partners EGO Power Plus and Cooper Pegler.

One of the highlights of the event saw Edward Willmott – a Lantra Instructor of 53 years – sharing an insightful and moving speech about his time teaching cattle hoof trimming whilst accepting his longest serving award.

Stephen Roberts, Head of Instructor Network at Lantra, said: “We were delighted to celebrate the fantastic achievements of our committed Instructor and Assessor network at the recent inaugural event ceremony.

The talented and often unsung individuals inspire and motivate Learners and the next generation daily, imparting key skills and knowledge whilst delivering crucial courses in the environment and land-based industries. A huge congratulations to all the brilliant and well-deserved nominees and winners!”

Sam Jones of SCJ Training, winner of the excellence in ground-based chainsaws and outstanding contribution awards, commented: “I’m so grateful to the Lantra Provider Network for voting for me in the recent Lantra Instructor Awards. It was even better that I actually won a couple of awards! I have been teaching chainsaws as well as other Lantra courses for many years and it is so fantastic to be recognised for my contribution to developing the skills of others.

“I am passionate about training and developing people” Jones continued. “To be awarded the Outstanding Contribution Award was a real surprise to me yet a welcome one as again, my hard work behind the scenes has been recognised.”

Off Road Consultancy’s Leanne Putt also said about the event: “We had a fantastic day and it was a great opportunity to network with other Instructors and Providers. It was a real surprise and an honour to have received an award. It’s nice to receive the recognition of the hard work that we all put in.

“I’m so grateful to be involved with Lantra as it’s such a friendly and supportive environment. I look forward to seeing everyone again next year for great food, great atmosphere and a thoroughly enjoyable day.”

Freelance Instructor Roger Madge added: “I am still on a high following the Instructor Awards on Friday. It was such a great surprise to have received an award and I am absolutely chuffed!

It was a fantastic day and so good to get together with Instructors, Providers and the staff at Lantra.”

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Tiny by name, massive in impact

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Tiny by name, massive in impact: The purchase of a TinyLineMarker® Pro X is the latest in a long list of investments for Penwortham Priory Academy, as more of the grounds and estates management is taken in-house. Keith Bolton, Strategic Estates Development Manager, says that the TLM Pro X from Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS) will reduce expenditure, improve consistency, and encourage interest from more community clubs as the academy looks to increase engagement with the local area.

TinyLineMarker robots are marketed and distributed exclusively in the UK by Origin Amenity Solutions which brings together four leading industry names – Headland Amenity, Rigby Taylor, TurfKeeper.com and Symbio.

Tiny by name, massive in impact

Tiny by name, massive in impact

Following years of maintenance by both the local authority and private contractors, Keith and the Estates Team made the call to get more hands-on with the ground’s maintenance – boosted by a successful application through the ‘Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund’. “With this grant we purchased a tractor, slitter, Quadraplay and mower meaning we’ve been largely self-sufficient for nearly a year now” he explains.

“In that time, we have welcomed three local community clubs and two neighbouring schools to our facilities which helps to generate much-needed revenue to drive further investment.” Keith continues, “With regards to line marking, we’d previously had people in to do that for us with varied levels of success and could see that having our own equipment would not only reduce cost and improve consistency, but it would also mean we could mark-out as often as we want and better accommodate the needs of those using our surfaces.”

Keith and the team compared two makes of robot marker, before deciding that the specification, price and more intuitive and user-friendly software made the TLM Pro X the perfect fit. The versatile Pro X is TinyMobileRobot’s most reliable and robust robot to date. A new hardware configuration and a wealth of new software features including custom logo and low paint alerts, makes the Pro X capable of delivering the most demanding field paint jobs with both accuracy and speed.

The TLM Pro X was delivered in early April 2023, with comprehensive training delivered by Origin Amenity’s Technical Sales Manager David Weir and Technical Area Manager Glen Howard. “I’ve worked with David increasingly over the years, providing us with fantastic guidance and advice and supplying consumables including seed and fertiliser from across the OAS portfolio. The training on the Pro X from Glen was comprehensive enough for us to start using it straight away. Weather and growth dependant, it will be used every two weeks throughout the year – redefining our winter sports pitches through the cooler season, then switching to creating a seven-lane 400m running track and other athletics facilities over the summer.”

“We’re already seeing the benefits. We’ve managed to reconfigure the site to mark an additional pitch which is another asset we can now offer to the community. We’ve also been able to save the settings on the software for even more efficiency next time and have begun exploring the possibility of using movable goals and adjusting the configuration to help us manage wear across the site during the more challenging months.”

Keith continues, “The labour that this machine will save us will be immense, freeing up all important staff-time to carry out other tasks.” He adds, “The possibilities that the TLM gives us to enhance our own site, or pop it in the back of a van and offer the service to other nearby schools, is endless helping to generate further income and investment and boost everybody’s enjoyment of the surfaces we are proud to offer.”

Free demonstrations are being offered across the UK.  To book or enquire visit https://tinymobilerobots.com/tinymobilerobots-uk/

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