Tag Archive for: Invest

TMS invest in six Iseki mowers

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TMS invest in six Iseki mowers: Iseki mowers’ exceptional cut-and-collect features has made them the go to choice for Team Maintenance Services Ltd over the last 15 years, with the company getting their fleet replaced for the third time, as they continue enhancing their green waste recycling.

The Cornwall-based company covers the whole of Cornwall http://tmscornwall.co.uk/ and provides comprehensive grounds maintenance to retail parks, local authorities, industrial estates and schools, making the high-quality cut and reliable collection of the Iseki SXG327 crucial.

TMS invest in six Iseki mowers

TMS invest in six Iseki mowers

The latest six new mowers were again supplied by Devon Garden Machinery, a local Machinery dealer with forty years’ experience and a long-standing relationship with TMS, providing a consistent on-going supply of Iseki mowers with an excellent back-up and replacement parts service.

In use across various sites, John Julyan, Managing Director of TMS, clarifies the role the Iseki machines play in their environmental efforts.

“As a company, we want to reduce our carbon footprint, and the perfect way for us to do that is by recycling our green waste,” John explains.

“At many of our sites, removing grass clippings is important both aesthetically and practically. Schools don’t want students walking grass into buildings, and businesses don’t want their staff doing it either, so for us, being able to provide that service using the SXG327s is really important.

“The mowers leave the grass with a really clean finish and very little debris, and that consistent performance has kept us using Iseki machines over the last 15 years.”

Renowned for its exceptional cut-and-collect abilities, the SXG327 has several attributes that allow the machine to cut and collect with no blockages and leave a superior finish every time.

The rear axle is mounted high under the seat out of the way with chain drive to each of the rear wheels, this allows the grass to flow straight through from the deck to the collector with no obstructions to avoid unwanted blockages. For maximum airflow from the decks to the collector, the air vents on top of the mower deck can be opened or closed to allow as much grass and debris as possible to be picked up and passed through to the collector. This is especially useful when collecting heavier, wetter grass. In the summer, these can be closed to avoid excess dust and debris being kicked up when cutting dry areas.

One SRA550F joins the five new SXG327s in the TMS fleet, which is a perfectly balanced brushcutter capable of cutting anything it can drive over. With that combination, the company’s 20 staff are able to tackle a majority of the landscapes they face.

TMS pride themselves on their professionalism and reliability, and those values have seen the family run company grow since it began in 1998. For the past 15 years, Iseki machinery has been a part of that journey, John believes the reliability of the mowers has played a part in their own development.

“With this selection of machines, we know we can deliver every day,” he said. “Besides the performance of the machines, the other factor is the excellent quality of build. We rarely have to change the parts of the Iseki’s, and when we do, Devon Garden Machinery are always very responsive and send the parts directly to us.”

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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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Exhibitors continue to invest in SALTEX

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Exhibitors continue to invest in SALTEX: The Grounds Management Association (GMA) reveals that almost 90% of SALTEX 2022 stand space has been sold.

Early indications for SALTEX 2022, which takes place on 2 and 3 November at the NEC, Birmingham, are extremely positive after show organisers reported a hugely successful loyalty period.

Exhibitors continue to invest in SALTEX

Exhibitors continue to invest in SALTEX

Over 100 exhibitors have re-booked for SALTEX 2022 and many more continue to confirm their presence during the current discounted early-bird period which ends on 18 February.

In 2021, 93% of exhibitors generated new sales leads with many taking direct orders on the show floor. The 2022 floorplan already boasts a strong showing of renowned exhibitors.

Furthermore, an incredible 15% of 2021 exhibitors have also purchased extra stand space for SALTEX 2022 which is testament to the success of the 2021 event.

Cramer, who exhibited at SALTEX 2021, has over doubled the size of its stand for SALTEX 2022. Cramer, supported and distributed by Handy, used SALTEX 2021 as a launch platform to promote its 82V range of commercial ground care equipment.

“SALTEX 2021 went way beyond our expectations,” said Handy’s Sales and Marketing Director, Mark Moseley. “What really opened our eyes was the quality of visitor and the heightened interest in the Cramer products. On our stand we had a lot of large dealers which is what we were looking for; we had big contractors, who are the kind of people we need to be talking to; and we spoke to many councils that want to convert from petrol to battery powered products.

“It was one of the busiest shows we have ever experienced,” continued Mark. “In fact, we took a certain number of catalogues that we thought would last us for two days, and they were all gone within the first two hours of the show opening. We’re still following up on all the leads we received at SALTEX, and we have carried out so many demonstrations. We have already brought on-board a lot of new customers and dealers because of SALTEX.

“Our experience of SALTEX 2021 has given us the confidence to go bigger at SALTEX 2022 and to take advantage of the quality of clientele.”

Toro UK is exhibiting with a bigger stand at SALTEX 2022 and Matthew Colman, Sales Manager, revealed exactly why.

“SALTEX 2021 was a great success for us at Toro UK Ltd. Finally, we had the chance to showcase new and innovative products within our landscape contracting equipment.

“It is with huge excitement that we’re going even bigger at this year’s SALTEX. During the pandemic Toro invested more on development than ever before. Our stand at SALTEX 2022 will be displaying everything we’ve been working on over the last few years for the first time in the UK.”

Comments such as these can only be a reflection on the growing number of exhibitors in the 2022 show. After a year’s absence STIHL UK, Barrus and Vale Engineering have also confirmed that they are returning to SALTEX 2022.

Geoff Webb, GMA CEO, commented on the positive start, saying: “SALTEX continues to grow, and the sales team are receiving new enquiries every week alongside existing exhibitors investing in bigger and additional stands.

“We are also delighted to be welcoming back previous exhibitors who were unable to join us in 2021. There is extremely high demand at this period in the sales cycle taking us back to pre-pandemic levels.”

For more information visit www.gmasaltex.co.uk

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @GMA_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/GMASALTEX

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JCB invest in Ventrac

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JCB invest in Ventrac: JCB Golf & Country Club, the flagship sales and marketing tool of the JCB brand, situated in rolling parkland adjacent to the company’s World Headquarters in Staffordshire, has purchased a package of Ventrac equipment from local dealer, Sharrocks.

Included in the package is a Ventrac 4500 all-terrain compact tractor with dual-wheels, a Tough Cut rotary deck, a Power Broom and a Stump Grinder.

JCB invest in Ventrac

JCB invest in Ventrac

The 7,400-yard course, which opened in 2018, was designed by architect Robin Hiseman of European Golf Design, and is situated in 280 acres on the estate of the former Woodseat Hall and surrounding farmland. It can be played by JCB management, staff and their guests, together with private and corporate members including dealers, suppliers and major customers. Integral to the design brief is the expectation that it will become a regular venue for a professional tour golf.

Callum Wark is the Course Manager and is responsible for a team of 31 full-time staff including three apprentices, two irrigation technicians, two mechanics and four gardeners. He’s been at the course since its inception having been employed here since the start of the course build back in 2016.

“It’s the best decision I’ve made in my career, so far,” he said. “I previously worked at Loch Lomond and it was great grounding, but when I was offered the opportunity to work on a new build, something very rare these days, especially so in the UK, I jumped at the chance. I worked as Head Greenkeeper under Euan Grant and when he left, I applied for the job of Course Manager and was successful.

“We have large estate to manage here and the CEO demands that it is of the highest quality possible. Not just the golf course, but all the areas surrounding the clubhouse, our luxury lodges and the academy. JCB is renowned across the globe and our facilities here must reflect the esteem intrinsic in the brand. That’s our goal and, in a nutshell, that’s my job.

“Therefore, we need robust and reliable equipment, to ensure that we maintain the property to these exacting standards. And, that’s why we’ve purchased the Ventrac package. This course has been designed to accommodate championship golf and has been constructed with dramatic fescue mounds and banking for spectator viewing. We needed a machine that could tackle these slopes; we tried other machines, but none came close to what the Ventrac could do. The initial demonstration was excellent and we knew very quickly that it was the machine for us.

“We have 10 km of tarmac-ed cart paths and these need to be swept clean on a regular basis. We also have extensive carparking and other hard landscaped surfaces, so the inclusion of the Power Brush in the package was an obvious choice. We have numerous tees on each hole, but the championship tees are rarely used and this can lead to a moss issue. This can be controlled by setting the broom bristles to just touch the sward and removal is quick and simple. Being a woodland estate, the Tough Cut deck and Stump Grinder come into their own when we clear any woodland margins.

“Versatility is the key word when describing the Ventrac; one power unit for many accessories. I need to make a business case for the additional purchase of the Cart Path Edger. The cart paths are all edged with kerbs and a strip of fine fescue either side. I usually send four guys out to edge those areas, whereas one guy on a Ventrac could do that in just one day.”

Tim McCutcheon is the Head Mechanic and has been described as a greenkeeper with a passion for mechanics. He began his career at Lichfield Golf Club, before enrolling on the Ohio State Program, where he spent 18 months working at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, OK, recognised as one of the top 100 courses in the world and host to 15 Championships since 1945.

“What can I say about this machine apart from it’s brilliant,” he said. “From a greenkeeping perspective it’s so versatile, but from a mechanic’s point of view, it’s a dream. It’s robustly built, the belts are easily accessible and simple to change, as is the access to filters and grease points. The flip-up decks make cleaning and maintenance easy and the accessory mounting system is ingenious. One thing is outstanding, especially in my role, and that’s the quality of the manuals. They are extensive and in colour, which really helps when trying to identify parts. All-in-all, a great addition to our fleet.”

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Club continues to invest in technology from Toro

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Club continues to invest in technology from Toro: Royal Norwich continues to invest in the latest innovation from Toro. The club in Norfolk has taken advantage of the electric power revolution Toro spearheads with the delivery of an electric Workman GTX-e utility vehicle, alongside the latest pedestrian mower, Toro’s Greensmaster 1026 and is the first club in the country to order Toro’s new NozzAlert Flow Monitoring System with MultiPro 5800 sprayer.

It would have been hard to miss Toro’s meteoric rise in bringing electric and hybrid power to the turfcare market. Off the back of last years’ launch of the first all-electric riding greens mower, the Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370, it’s good to revisit the machine that in a way started it all; the Workman GTX-e utility vehicle, one of the brand’s first triumphs in the electric power arena.

Club continues to invest in technology from Toro

Club continues to invest in technology from Toro

The Workman GTX electric features a 48-volt brushless AC induction drive along with an easily accessible on-board charger, about which estate manager and director at Royal Norwich Peter Todd says: “Toro led the way with the inception of electric power and continues to do so; it’s hard to believe they are still the only brand with a lithium battery electric utility vehicle! By simply removing the lead acid diesel battery in the GTX-e Workman, Toro made this machine much lighter, it’s the equivalent I’d guess of removing a passenger! When running it over fine turf, that’s an important consideration. The battery is sealed for life, there’s less maintenance and performance is better.”

Royal Norwich is the first club in the country to benefit from even more precise spraying. The efficient flow of spray the new NozzAlert provides when installed on Toro’s Multi Pro sprayers is essential for reducing waste and ensuring application efficacy and ideal spraying conditions.

Peter says: “Royal Norwich has been a Toro customer for many years and the reason being is that it has constantly and consistently delivered the quality we need and the innovation we’re after to continually improve the course.”

“I saw the NozzAlert when it launched at the GIS show last year and talked through the new technology with the design engineers on stand. They explained how operators no longer have to judge spray flow based on visibility when using this new bit of kit; instead, NozzAlert delivers continuous monitoring of the entire spray boom and provides both visual and audible alerts if there are any flow disparities. To be told immediately when there’s a blocked nozzle rather than having to wait until your return trip down the fairway appealed then and there!

“Since using the NozzAlerts we’ve become aware of so many advantages that make the vital job of spraying that much easier. It eliminates the chance of spray misses for example and improves the quality of the application.”

The Greensmaster 1026 pedestrian mower is part of Toro’s redesigned classic Greensmaster 1000 series and is new from the tip of its handle to its driveline and chassis. All that remains the same are the patented DPA cutting units, but even that has a modular build to allow the driveline and chassis to be removable for eased servicing.

The reason for this choice was, says Peter for more efficient cutting of the rectangular tee boxes: “Previously we were using a ride-on for cutting the corners and it was a faff and taking too much time,” he says. “We already use the Flex 2120 on the greens and everyone finds it really easy to use and love the telescoping loop handle. The telescoping handle on both makes light work of adjusting for operator heights and handling more user friendly with the loop shape. It’s easy to see more engineering has been brought in with the redesign.”

This approach to having the latest and most innovative turfcare machinery technology is an attitude that spreads across the whole ethos at Royal Norwich as Pete explains: “We’ve always sought to use the most innovative methods. From our greenkeeping facilities which are mostly green – we used recycled materials to build it and PV solar panels to power it. The golf buggies have the latest GPS mapping so we can zone out areas and measure distance to the pin, which means we don’t need markers on the course, and we have Trackman in the practice range providing accuracy stats for players. We’re always on the look-out for the next big thing to make our jobs more efficient and effective and the game more enjoyable for our members.”

And it’s certainly an approach that’s working with membership up by 1,000 since relocating to the new site in 2019.

To talk to someone about Toro technology and how the Toro range would suit your course, call 01480 226800.

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