Tag Archive for: Manager

New irrigation manager for Panks

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New irrigation manager for Panks: Panks has appointed Cevan Edwards as Irrigation Manager to lead the company’s Irrigation department as it continues to grow and develop.

Cevan brings a wealth of technical and practical industry experience to the Irrigation Manager role, with a background in irrigation equipment manufacturing and service, with particular expertise in the sports and leisure sector.

New irrigation manager for Panks

New irrigation manager for Panks

Panks provides irrigation services for agriculture, commercial horticulture, nurseries and garden centres, equestrian facilities, many sports and leisure providers, landscapers and home owners.

Managing Director Chris Pank explains how Cevan’s appointment to this new role helps secure the company’s next steps in the market: “It’s been 12 years since Panks entered the irrigation market in a meaningful way, and we’ve seen a lot of success. With Cevan’s extensive engineering skills and experience in the irrigation industry, he is well placed to take our expansion to the next level in the sports industry, supported by Tom Selby in the commercial horticulture market and Mike Ward on installations.”

Cevan Edwards says: “Panks has a great reputation for providing high quality solutions with technical support that’s second to none. This is a really exciting time to join as we build on the success of the irrigation department. I’m looking forward to developing sports turf further as well as getting to grips with all other aspects of the irrigation market.”

Norwich-based Panks operates primarily across East Anglia. Its irrigation services are an important part of its wider operations as water engineers, covering all aspects of moving, pumping and using fluids, across many sectors, with a core focus on delivering efficiency savings.

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Technical Salesperson/Area Manager

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TurfCare – We are hiring in Scotland.

Technical Salesperson/Area Manager

Technical Salesperson/Area Manager

Are you looking for a career change?

Have you got what it takes to be part of Team TurfCare?

We are actively recruiting for a Technical Salesperson/Area Manager to be based in Scotland.

Our team is ambitious, motivated, close-knit and we offer a world class range of carefully selected, technically innovative products with customer service and support to match.

We need you, to manage our existing customer base and continue to grow and develop the business in this area. It is an exciting and challenging role where hard work, and the right attitude are rewarded. Technical ability, interpersonal skills, organisational skills, drive, motivation, and industry experience are all key attributes for the successful candidate.

If you are interested, and feel that you have what it takes, please contact us in confidence by sending your CV with a cover letter telling us why you want to be part of Team TurfCare to Jim Holden jholden@turfcare.eu

Positions also available in other areas.

www.turfcare.eu

TurfCare Cares.

Stoke manager praises ‘real big asset’

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Stoke manager praises ‘real big asset’: There must have been a temptation for the ground staff to come out after Stoke City had finished their draw with Birmingham on Saturday then head straight back in again.

Read the full article from Stoke Sentinel here

Stoke manager praises 'real big asset'

Stoke manager praises ‘real big asset’

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New area sales manager for Agrovista Amenity

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New area sales manager for Agrovista Amenity: Tom Weaver has been announced as the new Central Area Sales Manager for Agrovista Amenity.

Tom initially started his career as a greenkeeper and quickly worked his way up to the position of course manager. He credits his greenkeeping experience for helping to shape his career path and claims that he was proud to once have been ‘on the tools.’

New area sales manager for Agrovista Amenity

New area sales manager for Agrovista Amenity

At the age of 28 he became a sales advisor for Pitchcare, where he began advising greenkeepers and turf managers on various products – many of which he had previously used. Tom made an impact, and it wasn’t long before he was overseeing the internal sales team.

It was a period in his career that he will always remember fondly.

“For me, the biggest achievement was the team ethos that we have created,” he said.

“We’ve been on a journey together and the department is now such a well-oiled machine.

We’ve got staff ranging in age from 21 to 65, who are all pushing in the same direction – it’s great to see and even better to be a part of.”

Based in Allscott, Telford, Tom will still be leading the internal turf team but in addition he will also be focussing on the external side of the business.

“It is not a case of reinventing the wheel because the external team is the best in the business,” said Tom. “I’m there to offer support and to ensure that I’m always available on the other end of the phone if they need advice or solutions.

“I’m sure there be will lots of twists and turns in the road ahead, but that is part of the job and I fully intend on successfully overcoming any challenges. In terms of my direct line of management I could not ask for much more – my relationship with Dan Hughes (Head of Commercial) and John Marland (Head of Amenity) is very strong and it’s always nice to have their support.

“2022 has the potential to be hugely successful and I truly believe we can do great things here.”

Commenting on Tom’s appointment, Dan Hughes said: “Tom joins an exceptionally talented and experienced Area Management team of James Watson (South) and Ramsay MacGregor (North). Despite still being relatively young, Tom brings a wealth of agronomy skill and proven management experience to the role. At heart Tom is an industry person, sports enthusiast and a conscientious team player who will strengthen our business and engagement with customers.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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New Technical Manager at AGS

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New Technical Manager at AGS: Advance Grass Solutions is very pleased to announce the appointment of Phil Logan to the role of UK Technical Manager.

A former greenkeeper with a First-Class BSc (Hons) Degree in Turfgrass Science, Phil brings a wealth of agronomic and practical skills to support the growing AGS in field team and lead the technical department into the next phase of development.

New Technical Manager at AGS

New Technical Manager at AGS

Sam Honeyborne, MD at AGS said ‘’Phil’s appointment is an exciting one for our business. It’s very unusual to find a candidate with both a high level of technical ability coupled with senior management commercial experience. He has coordinated many turf grass research trials during his time at the STRI which will enhance and develop our current, exclusive range of products. We very much look forward to working with Phil.’’

Formerly, Phil worked at Barenbrug as Sales Manager for Ireland and Northern England.

Phil Logan said ‘’I’m very excited to be joining AGS. Their growth in recent years has not gone unnoticed and I see this as a great opportunity to influence and support future success. They have built a reputation on sustainable agronomic principles, that align with my own ethos, with a very sound product portfolio.’’

Advance Grass Solutions is a leading provider of agronomy services, products and customer

support throughout the UK, with loyal customers from lawncare and small bowling clubs to Ryder Cup venues and Premier League football clubs.

AGS supplies a UK exclusive range of high-quality products including: Growth Products, Sustane Natural Fertilizers, Polyon controlled release technology, in addition to well-known UK based suppliers such as Barenbrug and Aquatrols. Their staff hold industry recognised qualifications such as BASIS and FACTS alongside honours degrees in turfgrass, soil science and ecology disciplines.

Phil Logan BSc (Hons) / phillogan@advancegrass.com / Tel : 07774 416429

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New divisional sales manager for Vitax Amenity

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New divisional sales manager for Vitax Amenity: Vitax Amenity has appointed a new divisional sales manager as it continues to drive forward plans to expand its presence in turf management and groundcare markets, both in the UK and internationally.

Greg O’Leary joins the team from Roechling Engineering Plastics where he has spent the past 10 years as sales manager responsible for leading the sports and leisure division.

New divisional sales manager for Vitax Amenity

New divisional sales manager for Vitax Amenity

Prior to joining Roechling, Greg has held several national sales manager and sales manager roles, including over 15 years’ experience working in global markets.

Managing a team of six, Greg will be responsible for working with existing UK clients whilst maintaining and growing Vitax Amenity’s international customer-base.

Carl Welsh, Vitax’s managing director and group CEO, says: “Greg has a thorough understanding of the markets we work within, the challenges the industry is experiencing post-Brexit and good ideas about where and how we can continue to grow our portfolio.

“It is an exciting time to join Vitax Amenity and Greg’s strong sales background speaks for itself. We are thrilled to have such an experienced manager join the team.”

Greg will work across all Vitax Amenity’s divisions including Supaturf and Thomas Elliot Fertilisers.

“After working in the same industry for most of my career, I have been looking for a new challenge and I am looking forward to working for a well-established company with its excellent reputation within the industry,” says Greg O’Leary, divisional sales manager at Vitax Amenity.

“Vitax are continually innovating and are well-known for producing a comprehensive range of products with a strong emphasis on quality and cost-effectiveness. I am delighted to be joining such a strong team and looking forward to the new challenges my role brings.”

In his spare time, Greg is a keen golfer and an avid supporter of Make a Wish Foundation, helping to raise funds for children with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions, as well as speaking on behalf of the charity at events.

To find out more about Vitax Amenity, visit: www.vitaxamenity.co.uk

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Course manager receives industry award

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Course manager receives industry award: Royal Cinque Ports course manager James Bledge continued a fantastic month for links venues in Kent after being awarded top prize at the BIGGA Excellence in Communications Awards sponsored by BIGGA Partners Campey Turf Care Systems.

James was presented with a £750 cash prize and an all-expenses paid trip to Florida, when restrictions allow, on the Campey Turf Care Systems stand at Festival of Turf, which took place on 21 and 22 July 2021 at the Warwickshire Event Centre.

Course manager receives industry award

Course manager receives industry award

Located just a few short miles along the coast from this year’s Open Championship venue, Royal St George’s, the team at Royal Cinque Ports has developed a culture of education and strong communication, led by course manager James, 41.

BIGGA is the members’ association for golf greenkeepers in the United Kingdom and the BIGGA Excellence in Communications Awards recognise those BIGGA members who have undertaken outstanding work to further the cause of greenkeepers by promoting their activities through various channels, including the creation of thought-provoking articles for Greenkeeper International, the monthly journal of BIGGA.

James produced a feature that was selected for inclusion in the October 2020 edition of Greenkeeper International. The article touched upon the daily maintenance of the golf course and whether asking golfers to contribute to a course’s upkeep through activities such as raking bunkers detracts from the activities of the greenkeeping team.

Each month BIGGA encourages its members to submit articles for inclusion in Greenkeeper International, with a monthly prize of a £100 education voucher up for grabs, to be redeemed at BIGGA’s annual education programme Continue to Learn, held each January in Harrogate. James was kind enough to donate his voucher to another BIGGA member who would otherwise have been unable to attend.

From the 12 features that were selected for inclusion in the magazine throughout 2020, James’ piece, entitled “The Sands of Time: Should we dump the bunker rakes for good?” attracted praise from the competition judges for discussing a topic that stands in contrast to traditional thinking and sparked debate among readers.

The feature is available to read online here: https://www.bigga.org.uk/news-listing/should-we-dump-the-bunker-rakes-for-good.html

James said: “I was really shocked because I’ve never won anything like this before. I read every new entry that comes in, but I never thought my article was in the same calibre as those. How the article came about was I had a Sunday off, I got up and had a coffee and had a feeling that I wanted to write something. I turned the laptop on and wrote a few words and before I knew it I had enough words to submit for the magazine. It was never intended to enter a competition, it was just something I wanted to get off my mind. There are other guys and girls out there who have a lot to say and I would really encourage them to give it a shot.

“The prize is pretty exceptional and so my thanks go to Campey. We’re lucky in our industry that there are so many manufacturers and sponsors who put a lot of money into things like this. It’s phenomenal that we have all this support and we couldn’t do it without them.”

The BIGGA Excellence in Communications Awards continue throughout 2021 with BIGGA members encouraged to submit articles for inclusion in upcoming editions of Greenkeeper International. Head to the BIGGA website for more information.

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EcoBunker’s new business development manager

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EcoBunker’s new business development manager: Synthetic bunker edging specialist EcoBunker has made a significant expansion by appointing Hamish Crichton as its new business development manager. Crichton joined EcoBunker at the start of May, from soil surfectant and wetting agent provider Aquatrols.

“I come from a corporate background, but a few years ago I decided I wanted to follow my passion, and work in the golf business,” said Crichton. “Although I don’t have a background in golf, while at Aquatrols I took the Fertiliser Adviser Certification and Training Scheme (FACTS) qualification. It was quite a challenge to go back to school for the first time in years, but it did me a lot of good. I found that I love the science in soil and grass. It’s one of the first jobs where I’ve found myself reading books or watching videos at one in the morning and my wife has nudged me saying ‘Go to sleep’. The thing that astonished me was the number of times I read ‘The answer is not yet known’. It’s almost like a frontier science.”

EcoBunker's new business development manager

EcoBunker’s new business development manager

“I have a lot of sympathy for greenkeepers. On top of dealing with Mother Nature and the curve balls she throws at them, they have members to worry about! For me, I’m keen to expand my knowledge of the whole arena of golf. I got to know about the greenkeeping side of things, but I wanted to expand my knowledge of architecture and construction, and understand the world of the general manager. My previous experience in marketing and business development trained mehow to present a proposition to a general manager or a greens chairman, who are usually from a similar sort of background and that’s going to be a very important part of my role.

“I had a number of different opportunities, but I chose to join EcoBunker because I believe it is a company that has almost limitless potential. When Richard Allen first conceived synthetic revetting, it was to provide a new solution to the erosion of low edge parkland bunkers. He wanted to give golf courses the option of building aesthetically pleasing, more architecturally interesting bunker shapes without the worry of introducing an increased maintenance burden. As it turned out, the product quickly became popular on higher faced links pot bunkers and our challenge now is to change perceptions, demonstrating that the product translates extremely well to all golf course styles. It helps that we now have a wonderful portfolio from the tropics to the tundra, Major venues to municipals, featuring parkland, heathland and desert courses. EcoBunker allows greenkeeping staff to spend less time on their bunkers and get on with maintaining the surfaces that really matter.”

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New Infinicut Territory Sales Manager

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New Infinicut Territory Sales Manager: Stephen Shaw has been announced as the new Territory Sales Manager for the INFINICUT® and TMSystem™ product ranges.

A well-known industry face, Stephen returns to the UK after spending the last 10 years of his career in Qatar, to support the continued growth of the collections, in use at leading golf venues and sports stadia worldwide.

New Infinicut Territory Sales Manager

New Infinicut Territory Sales Manager

In Qatar, Stephen worked at a main Toro dealership and Doha Golf Club, before taking on the role of Machinery Division Manager at Nakheel Landscapes which is where, over the last three years, he worked alongside John Coleman of INFINICUT® to spec machinery for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. When travel restrictions came into force earlier in the year, Stephen returned to his roots in Northumberland and the opportunity arose to use his acquired knowledge to support to dealers and customers across the North of England, Scotland and Ireland – along with spearheading exports and the construction of a worldwide dealer network.

“Joining the INFINICUT® team is hugely exciting” comments Stephen. “It is a quality British-built product, driven by technology that demonstrates a real understanding of what is required by today’s turf care professionals. It quickly became evident to me, working together with John and the INFINICUT® product, that this range is very much the future of the mower industry. Their engineering prowess continues across the multi-functional TMSystem™ collection, which delivers versatility, durability and precision to a wide variety of turf maintenance activities.”

Although Stephen only joined in the middle of September, he has already utilised his many international connections to remotely establish dealers in India, Thailand and South Korea and he looks forward to supporting these, and others, with product and sales training as and when travel restrictions ease.

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