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Toro Invests in Landscape Contractor Business

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Toro Invests in Landscape Contractor Business: Following the launch of Toro’s Revolution Series Z Master and Grandstand  commercial mowers which feature the company’s proprietary Hypercell battery technology, Toro U.K. Limited is pleased to announce leadership changes to focus on growing its position in the Landscape Contractor Business.

Ben Kirkby, who joined the company in August 2021 as a Territory Manager for Northern England and Scotland to focus on the Toro and Hayter residential ranges, will be increasing his responsibilities to support growth of the Toro Landscape Contractor Business. He will also help support the Siteworks ranges of Forestry and Construction equipment.

Toro Invests in Landscape Contractor Business

Toro Invests in Landscape Contractor Business

Matt Coleman, UK Sales Manager for the Toro Landscape Contractor and Sitework ranges, will continue to oversee the portfolio and dealer network, and will utilise Ben to support demand from dealers and end users.

“I have spent the last 2 ½ years establishing and growing our professional dealer network and building awareness with customers so it will be great to have Ben helping support this important segment,” said Coleman, Sales Manager, Landscaper Contractor & Siteworks equipment – Toro U.K. Limited. “I look forward to utilising Ben’s sales and demo experience, from his time selling commercial machinery and building his knowledge of the Toro Landscape Contractor range.”

Ben who has recently taken delivery of a new Ford Ranger Wildtrak and will soon take delivery of a trailer, will be fully setup to support the Toro Dealer network in Northern England & Scotland and their customers.

“I am really excited to be taking on this new challenge,” said Kirkby. “It has been great to build relationships with the Toro dealers in my area and I look forward to supporting their needs with the Toro Landscape Contractor and Siteworks ranges, especially with the new industry-leading Revolution Series battery products.”

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Join Perennial in creating a culture of mental wellbeing

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Join Perennial in creating a culture of mental wellbeing: Since last year, over 55 individuals from 33 companies have successfully qualified as Mental Health First Aiders as part of Perennial’s pilot programme, offering an invaluable first point of contact for those in their workplace that may be struggling.

Trained to have an understanding of mental health and the factors that can affect wellbeing, as well as the practical skills to spot the signs and symptoms, these MHFAiders® are there to step in, reassure and support their colleagues.

Join Perennial in creating a culture of mental wellbeing

Join Perennial in creating a culture of mental wellbeing

However, according to Clare Downs, Head of Preventative Services there is still the opportunity for more employers to step forward and join Perennial in tackling the issues and widening the conversation around mental health.

“We are absolutely delighted that so many different horticultural employees, from grounds maintenance to managers to HR personnel, have become trained MHFAiders® and champions of the importance of health and wellbeing within the workplace and beyond. But we also know from our research and experience that mental health issues remain one of the biggest contributors to ill health within the industry.+ We welcome organisations to join us in continuing to raise awareness, support more staff to be trained and influence the wider horticulture community to help create a culture of positive mental wellbeing for all.”

As one recently trained MHFAider® says, “We are at work a lot of hours each week and probably spend more time with our colleagues than our family and friends. I want all my colleagues to feel they have a safe and open environment to speak to a person, who can listen and not judge – and hopefully help them understand and find the support they need.  Since doing the course, I think it should be mandatory along with physical first aiders within a business.”

If you are an employer with over 30 employees who proactively wants to increase their team’s mental health and wellbeing, please contact Helen Waddington to find out more about this pilot programme at hwaddington@perennial.org.uk.

Free limited places are now available for training courses being held during May, July, October and November 2023.

Perennial’s pilot programme is delivered in partnership with Mental Health First Aid England.

+ Perennial’s Health & Wellbeing Survey (2021) found that mental wellbeing was among the biggest perceived challenges for people working in horticulture.

  • 85% of people’s mental wellbeing was poor or below average
  • 26% of people listed depression, anxiety, and stress as critical issues
  • 22% said they did not recognise when they were unable to cope or how to deal with these circumstance

For the full findings visit perennial.org.uk/survey

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New course in the best possible hands

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New course in the best possible hands: Ingestre Park Golf Club has relied heavily upon distributor Reesink Hydro-Scapes’s range of products as it created 12 new and upgraded six existing holes at its course in Staffordshire, with Toro providing the irrigation and Otterbine the lake aerating fountains for the project.

440 Toro Flex sprinklers were used for the greens, approaches and fairways and 159 T5 sprinklers on the tees, all of which are controlled by the Toro Lynx central control system with Lynx Smart modules. Five Otterbine Concept 3 lake aerating fountains keep the water of three lakes clean and clear and make a striking attraction.

New course in the best possible hands

New course in the best possible hands

International Design Group and MJ Abbott Ltd designed the course with Phil Helmn, as the golf course advisor, responsible for ensuring the project was carried out meeting the time frame of the planners. Here Phil explains the process: “When Ingestre Park Golf Club learned the proposed path of a new high-speed train was going to go through the course eight years ago, it took this as an opportunity to thrive. Excellent choices were made in selecting the right partners and the right tender plans.

“The bid included Toro irrigation in a one, not three, row formation with a couple of landing zones. The Lynx central control system really came into its own in the growing in phase. The ground must always be kept damp with water being applied every two hours for two minutes.

“If there were weather changes Lynx alerted us and application tweaks could be made – even from a sunlounger in Cyprus at one point! The level of detail and intuitive control Lynx provides is what’s needed when it comes to the application of water especially at this delicate stage and for safeguarding this commodity.”

Speaking of safeguarding water, Otterbine plays a role in this too, says Phil: “We were conscious of being set up to be as self-reliant as possible and know that everything has been done to harvest water. The site is very wet, and we needed a robust drainage system. Now we have a system that collects water into three lakes, all of which are interconnected, with Concept 3 aeration units installed from Otterbine to keep the water good for irrigating. We’ve also got a borehole to top up when needed and all this allows us to stay off the main water supply as much as possible.”

Now that the growing phase is over, Phil and the team continue to rely on the remote easy access accuracy of Toro’s Lynx, as Phil explains: “We irrigate at night or early in the morning and it’s so easy to control this should weather circumstances change from the time of pre-set. When you consider the warmer temperatures of the last few years and the prediction this will continue, to know our new course is in the best possible hands with the technology of Toro and Otterbine is particularly reassuring.”

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Turf Tank in top ten of Innovative Robotics

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Turf Tank in top ten of Innovative Robotics: This year’s list highlights the businesses at the forefront of their respective industries, paving the way for the innovations of tomorrow. These companies are setting the standard with some of the greatest accomplishments of the modern world.

In addition to the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, 540 organizations are recognized across 54 sectors and regions.

Turf Tank in top ten of Innovative Robotics

Turf Tank in top ten of Innovative Robotics

“It’s an honor for us to be recognized as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2023,” said Mikkel Jacobsen, CEO of Turf Tank. “Since Turf Tank launched in 2015, our robot has revolutionized the sports field-painting industry. We help turf managers around the world create professional fields, efficiently and cost effectively. Every day, we strive to push the boundaries of our technology. This recognition is a testament to our commitment to innovation and the dedication of our team around the world. We will continue to lead the charge in autonomous line marking technology. We are excited for the future.”

https://www.fastcompany.com/90849021/most-innovative-companies-robotics-2023

Turf Tank is the inventor of the world’s first autonomous, GPS-guided line-marking robot designed for painting athletic fields. To date, the company has more than 1,200 robots painting fields across the UK and the rest of the world with more than 1,600 globally, from schools and local authorities, to independent colleges and universities, Premier League, MLS teams, as well as NFL stadiums. The robot is controlled with a tablet, completely transforming the way turf managers paint their fields. One robot can paint a soccer field all by itself in less than 25 minutes, compared to traditional manual methods which require a team of two people up to two hours to paint the same field. With the time saved, the grounds crew is now free to focus on other important tasks around the fields which helps improve the overall quality of the facility.

Turf Tank continues to innovate with its next-generation line-marking software which enhances the robot’s usability and boosts the efficiency of the line marking process. The development of the new system was a result of years of communication with turf managers and aims to improve the overall user experience, enabling them to complete their tasks with greater speed and ease. By simply tapping a few buttons, the user can produce a professionally marked field that adheres to the regulations of different governing bodies. Additionally, the updated software provides turf managers with greater flexibility and complete control over every aspect of the line marking process, allowing them to customize the fields to suit the specific requirements of their organization, a feature never seen in the industry before.

Turf Tank in top ten of Innovative Robotics

Turf Tank in top ten of Innovative Robotics

The company achieved another significant breakthrough with the implementation of the text and logo functionality, which enables sports organizations to enhance their fields by incorporating robot-generated texts, messages, and logos. Previously, only large colleges and professional teams could afford this feature, but now, thanks to Turf Tank’s technology, even small sports clubs and local high schools can provide their fans with an exceptional sports experience. Players can now feel like they’re playing on professional fields, no matter the level of their play. The technology also allows organizations to promote local charities, raise awareness about community issues, and attract sponsorships

Fast Company’s editors and writers sought out the companies making the biggest strides around the globe. They also judged nominations received through their application process.

The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides a firsthand look at the inspiring and innovative efforts of companies across all sectors of the economy.

“What a strange and thrilling year it has been to honor this year’s Most Innovative Companies. This year’s list compiles some of the most cutting-edge groundbreakers who are changing our world every single day, from legacy organizations like McDonald’s to upstarts like MrBeast and institutions such as NASA. Everyone on this list does something completely, uniquely different, yet, they all have one thing in common: innovation,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan.

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TradeHelp – supporting all trades in 2023

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TradeHelp – supporting all trades in 2023: TradeHelp announces plans to further grow its 15,000 strong network, having extended the free benefits to now support trades of all types.

Originally launched in 2014, TradeHelp has fast become the leading network for tradespeople, primarily supporting SMEs in the heating and plumbing industry with free software and special offers negotiated via a Buying Group.

TradeHelp - supporting all trades in 2023

TradeHelp – supporting all trades in 2023

Now, following a period of exciting progression, with developments to the leading mobile app and the addition of new industry partnerships, the door has been opened for even more trades to benefit from the TradeHelp network.

The free app, along with free desktop log-in, has an abundance of tools enabling trades to manage their businesses from the office, at home or on the road.  With personalised quote and invoice templates, customer and appointment management, electronic forms and works records – to name just a few of the benefits and features – companies can provide professional documents and save time at the touch of a button.  And more importantly, at no extra cost to them.

TradeHelp has also negotiated discounts and special offers with partners including Toolstation (5% off and quarterly prize draws), Trade Direct Insurance (up to 20% off), Trade Marketing (10% off), Enterprise Van Hire (10% off), Atoa Instant Bank Pay (0.5% fees and £40 cashback) plus many more. All ideal for smaller businesses.

Martin Jones, Managing Director of TradeHelp, explained: “We are delighted to be able to support even more tradespeople across the UK, with additions to the software and support from multi-trade merchants and business service partners. With the current economic climate and cost of living increases, there is no better time for businesses to make additional savings. This is where we can help.

“From electricians to builders and locksmiths, TradeHelp offers something for everyone, with no cost or commitment.  Our members simply take advantage of what works for their business. It’s been a great success within the heating and plumbing sector so far and we look forward to continuing this with other trades into the future.”

To join the free TradeHelp Network, visit tradehelp.co.uk or download the free app from the App Store or Google Play.

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