Tag Archive for: Invests

Witham Hall invest in Rotobrush

Witham Hall invests in a Rotobrush: Home to full sized Astroturf, grass cricket wicket, a nine-hole golf course and an all-weather wicket, there was no better match than the GKB Rotobrush for Witham Hall Preparatory School.

Alex Exton, Groundsman at Witham Hall Preparatory School explains that the GKB Rotobrush perfectly fits their needs. “It is a compact and efficient machine that it is perfect for what I wanted it for.” He continues, “This machine was affordable to which was a big appeal. It’s rare you can get such an impressive machine for such a great price.”

Witham Hall invests in a Rotobrush

Witham Hall invests in a Rotobrush

As your synthetic sport pitches get used, dirt becomes apparent. From moss and algae to general wear and tear, this ultimately can affect the technical characteristics and authentic appearance of the turf. The GKB Rotobrush restores this by tackling persistent contamination. Alex explains, “We use our GKB Rotorbrush to clean our Astro. Due to the size of our grounds it can take a while however this machine is the best of the best!”

The GKB Rotobrush enables you to brush deeper and more effectively where needed. Thanks to the rotating brush disc that is provided with extra rigid bristles, your artificial pitch maintenance can be taken to the next level. When the functioning of normal brushing and cleaning stops, the GKB Rotobrush continues. Alex Exton said “The GKB Rotobrush gets so close to the edges of the Astroturf, especially where the carpet meets the fence kickboard and also on the artificial for the cricket.”

For more on GKB Machines and their reliable and robust range of machinery for natural, hybrid and synthetic turf, please visit www.gkbmachines.com or contact Tom Shinkins on 07495 883617.

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Power provider invests in JCB diggers

Power provider invests in JCB diggers: Electricity North West – providers of power to five million people – has invested in two brand new JCB electric mini excavators.

The company has bought the two 19C-1E fully electric models to help maintain a staggering 44,000 kilometres of underground cables.  Five times quieter than its diesel counterpart, the JCB machines are deal for use by the company’s engineers, who work 24-hours a day to maintain the network.

Power provider invests in JCB diggers

And Electricity North West is building on its eco credentials by charging the two machines using electricity generated from renewable sources at its depots across the region.

The investment is all part of a multi-million pound initiative by Electricity North West to drive down its own carbon emissions. Following a successful trial, the two machines are already hard at work across the region installing underground power cables.

Electricity North West’s Engineering and Technical Director Steve Cox “They are excellent machines. Our team finds them more powerful than diesel diggers and another major positive is the reduced noise levels. Power cuts can happen at any time of the day and night and sometimes we’re required to dig up roads and footpaths to repair faults. Using the new electric diggers, which have reduced noise levels, means we can work into the night without impacting our customers.”

JCB Chief Innovation Officer Tim Burnhope said: “I’m delighted to see Electricity North West lead the way by purchasing two of the electric machines. It reaffirms Electricity North West’s commitment to being at the forefront of transitioning to a zero carbon future.”

Electricity North West has made a commitment to phase out diesel mini diggers to reduce its carbon footprint as part of its ‘Leading the North West to Zero Carbon’ plan launched in March. The plan sets out how Electricity North West is investing £63.5 million over the next four years to drive down its own carbon emissions and help businesses and customers to do the same.
Steve Cox added: “The ‘Leading the North West to Zero Carbon’ plan demonstrates our commitment to be one of the businesses driving the region’s transition to a carbon neutral future. We’re looking closely at our own operations and how we can decarbonise them.  Collectively, small changes can make big impacts and this shows what can be done now to reduce carbon without having a negative impact on customer service, performance or cost.”

As well as lower emissions, the 19C-1E model is more cost effective with JCB research revealing that over the first five years, charging costs will be 50 per cent cheaper compared to using red diesel. Fully charged, the 19C-1E can put in a typical full day’s shift for a mini excavator.

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Council Invests In Third Toro Machine

Council Invests In Third Toro Machine: East Devon District Council has recently invested in a third Toro Groundsmaster 360 after its previous two models purchased in 2015, have proved to be a huge success with the Council’s groundscare department.

Dan Haydon, from the groundscare department, says that there were a lot of boxes for these machines to tick with reliability at the fore and the Groundsmaster 360 has ticked them all.

Council Invests In Third Toro Machine

“We have so many different kinds of grounds to maintain, from communal gardens and children’s play areas to sports pitches and cemeteries,” says Dan. “Having a robust, reliable machine that can adapt is vital and the Groundsmaster 360 does just that.

“Our machines need to be in use every day for eight and a half hours from spring until November; it’s a big task. With the two GM360s we’ve been using for four years, we’ve never had a problem, so it wasn’t a hard decision to purchase another one.”

The Council had been using triple cylinder mowers before purchasing the new GM360 rotary mowers. Due to government cuts, the frequency of cutting areas had to be reduced and its previous mowers weren’t able to keep the grass short for long enough, which is why the department opted to trial the GM360 zero-turn mower

The quad-steer all-wheel drive steering of the GM360 provides maximum productivity even in undulating terrain. Able to climb hills without slipping and make 180 degree turns without tearing turf, Dan couldn’t be happier with the machine.

“Whatever the weather or type of terrain – it performs across the board. We’ve seen a real improvement, and so have our other teams. We currently have eight teams across Devon, three of which have Toro machines, but now everyone is noticing the difference with Toro and there is definite potential in the future for Toro to pushed out across all the teams.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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HTS Group Invests In Toro

HTS Group Invests In Toro: At SALTEX 2017, Toro’s LT-F3000 triple flail mower stood out from the crowd to Harlow Council-founded facilities management company, HTS Group Limited. In fact the company, which deals with grass cutting and landscape maintenance for the postcode, was so impressed it promptly invested in two machines.

As Andrew Bradley, landscapes manager at HTS Group, explains: “The LT-F3000 not only stood out with its signature Toro red, but for looking professional and robust. After making some enquiries, it was clear that it would tick all of our boxes, too.

HTS Group Invests In Toro

“Post-show, I got in touch with our local Reesink Turfcare representative, Danny Lake, who took me on a tour around the Spellbrook Toro Factory in Bishop Stortford. Seeing machines hand built before my eyes convinced me that for quality and robustness, Toro was the way to go.”

Two LT-F3000 flail mowers join HTS Group’s fleet of 19 grounds machines and replace a 12-year-old cylinder mower to maintain medium-sized open spaces across the Essex district too small for a tractor-drawn mower and too large for a rotary.

Another box ticked for Andrew is that the LT-F3000 is road legal. He says: “With most sites six miles away, and their proximity to busy roads making parking a nightmare, being able to drive our machines to jobs is a must. A bonus with Toro’s triple flail is that it has a good road speed of 15.5mph.”

And the machines are proving their worth in action too, meaning Andrew’s show instincts were well-founded: “The wet spring has made grass grow like mad, but the flail mowers are chewing through it effortlessly. This would have been too much for our cylinder mower,” he says.

“The Toros, however, make light work of the grass and even leave a beautiful striped finish to really top it all off,” Andrew concludes.

To find out more about Reesink’s groundscare range, tailored to the needs of the UK groundsman, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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Las Brisas Invests In The Future

Las Brisas Invests In The Future: Real Club de Golf Las Brisas, based in Marbella in Spain is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018, as well as its first full golf course maintenance equipment fleet deal with John Deere and local dealer Agronimer.

Arranged through David Fernandez, the head of Agronimer’s golf division, the new fleet has been acquired in a five-year John Deere Financial agreement worth one million euros, and is supported by full PowerGard maintenance cover. Machinery includes tees, fairway, greens and rough mowers, both compact and larger utility tractors, Gator utility vehicles, sprayers and bunker rakes. The latest E-Cut hybrid electric models now make up 100 per cent of the club’s ride-on greens and fairway mower fleet.

Las Brisas Invests In The Future

Originally created by Robert Trent Jones Sr and more recently redesigned by Kyle Phillips, the 18-hole course is currently ranked #6 in Spain and #37 in continental Europe’s top 100 courses for 2018. It is notable for its raised greens, numerous bunkers and water hazards, as well as the botanical garden style landscaping that features many rare species of plants and trees from all over the world.

Las Brisas general manager Paul Muñoz and course manager Rafael González-Carrascosa head up a team of 24 greenkeeping and workshop staff. They have overseen an ambitious five-year multi-million euro project to redesign and renovate the course, which was necessary because the original design had begun to show its age.

“We felt that a complete remodelling of the golf course was required, but we needed to get the members to agree the necessary investment,” says Paul Muñoz. “A first phase was approved to renovate some aspects of the front nine back in 2012, and it was then that the project gained credibility and members felt that further investment was necessary.

“The final phase of works on the back nine holes was completed in 2015 but then had to be redone after severe flooding in 2016 caused widespread damage, and the course had to be closed for three months. However, once the membership saw what could be achieved they very quickly moved to have the whole course upgraded, and the final three holes were finished last summer.

“Everything has been addressed, from improving the grasses, bunkers, tees and greens to the drainage and irrigation system, as well as relocating several holes to create a better flow of play – even down to redesigning and rerouting the cart paths to make the initial visitor experience more pleasant.

“As a disciple of Robert Trent Jones Sr, Kyle Phillips fully understands his design philosophy, so he was the natural choice of architect for the new design, which is now cleaner, more open and natural. He has maintained the essence of the old course, but brought it more up to date, so it’s a better experience for the golfer. When you play the course now it feels like it’s been here for years, and you realise what a great job he’s done.”

Rafael González-Carrascosa adds: “This new agreement with John Deere and Agronimer includes not only the purchase of all the equipment necessary to keep our course in perfect condition, but also continuous training programmes for the operators and mechanics, customised parts management and tournament support when required.

“One of the key factors in choosing John Deere was that we only had to deal with one supplier, one brand and one dealer offering the right finance deal, so it made things easier all round. The John Deere range is comprehensive and offers good quality engineering as well as reliable dealer service and support.

“We’re very happy with the hybrid electric mowers, particularly the 8000E fairway machines, which were chosen for their quality of cut and light weight. The Gators and tractors are really good machines too, so we’re confident we’ve made an excellent choice. Most importantly, the members are really happy with the improvements we’ve made and the way the course now plays.”

For more information, visit: www.JohnDeere.co.uk

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