Tag Archive for: Prestigious

GroundsFest Wins Prestigious Industry Impact Award

/in , , /by

GroundsFest Wins Prestigious Industry Impact Award: GroundsFest has been recognised for its exceptional contribution to the groundscare and landscaping industry, having won the Industry Impact Award at the EN Indy Awards.

The Industry Impact Award celebrates an exhibition or trade show that has demonstrably changed, influenced, or significantly contributed to the growth and advancement of the industry it serves – and in just three years, GroundsFest has done exactly that.

GroundsFest Wins Prestigious Industry Impact Award

GroundsFest Wins Prestigious Industry Impact Award

Since its launch, GroundsFest has grown into the UK’s largest industry event, uniting professionals and volunteers from every corner of the groundscare and landscaping sectors. From live machinery demonstrations and hands-on experiences to its unique combination of business, education, and entertainment, the event has created something truly special for the industry.

The judges praised GroundsFest for its genuine connection to its audience and the positive change it continues to deliver. Feedback included:

“The event really has its ‘roots’ in its target audience and is making a significant impact on the industry.”

“Support for their audience extends beyond the focus of business needs. The GroundsFest Academy is a great initiative, which shows a forward-thinking strategy of impacting the next generation.”

“This event clearly demonstrates support for its community. Measurable impact delivered and fantastic feedback received.”

Judges were particularly impressed by the fact that profits from the show are reinvested back into the industry.

That commitment is brought to life through the GroundsFest Academy, an educational initiative designed to give back to the industry by providing free training and development opportunities for professionals and volunteers alike. The Academy offers hands-on workshops, expert-led seminars, and interactive demonstrations.

“It’s great to see we’re making a difference,” said Christopher Bassett, Event Director of GroundsFest. “When we launched the show, we wanted to create something that genuinely supported the industry – not just for today, but for the future. GroundsFest, and the Academy, are about helping to put the industry on the map, providing opportunities for learning, and inspiring the next generation of professionals to come through.”

This latest recognition cements GroundsFest’s reputation as an event that not only celebrates the industry but actively helps it grow. With a firm focus on community, education, and long-term progress, GroundsFest continues to make a lasting impact.

For more information, please visit www.groundsfestacademy.com

You can also follow GroundsFest on X, Facebook and Instagram @GroundsFestAcademy for much more news, reviews and insightful views

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Green-tech wins prestigious best new product award

/in , /by

Green-tech wins prestigious best new product award: Green-tech, a leading supplier of landscaping and forestry products, is delighted to announce that it has won the Best New Product 2024 Award at GLAS Ireland, held on 18 July in Dublin.

This prestigious award recognises the innovative credentials of the TreeParker® urban tree planting system, showcased at the event.

Green-tech wins prestigious best new product award

Green-tech wins prestigious best new product award

The TreeParker® system is designed to ensure the success of urban tree planting projects by protecting against soil compaction, providing stability for highways’ applications, and managing drainage in urban tree pits. Recently, the system was successfully installed as part of the pedestrianisation of Mardyke Street in Athlone, demonstrating its practical benefits and efficiency.

Richard Gill, Sales Director at Green-tech, expressed his excitement about the award: “We are incredibly proud to receive the Best New Product Award at GLAS Ireland 2024. This accolade is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team behind the development of the TreeParker® system. Our goal is to provide innovative solutions that support urban greening initiatives, and this award reinforces our commitment to excellence.”

Landscape contractors across Ireland and the UK have praised the TreeParker® system for its ease of installation, simplicity, and outstanding results. Many have returned to use the system for additional projects, validating its reliability and effectiveness.

Visitors to GLAS Ireland 2024 had the opportunity to meet the Green-tech team at stand F3, where they could learn how the TreeParker® system can be tailored to meet the specific needs of their urban tree planting projects. Green-tech’s in-house specification team works closely with landscape architects on large-scale projects, offering bespoke solutions that ensure successful outcomes.

For more information about the TreeParker® system and Green-tech’s range of services, please visit www.green-tech.co.uk.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Lindum Turf up for prestigious industry award

/in , /by

Lindum Turf up for prestigious industry award: A north Yorkshire turf grower has been nominated for an award at the world’s most prestigious gardening show for the second year in succession.

Lindum Turf, based at Thorganby near York, was named as the winner of the Sustainable Garden Product of the Year category at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year, for its plastic-free wildflower turf.

Lindum Turf up for prestigious industry award

Lindum Turf up for prestigious industry award

The turf, which can produce an instant wildflower meadow effect, is grown on a fully biodegradable growing medium, unlike many others that use a single-use plastic mesh that damages the environment.

This year, the company has been shortlisted in the same category for its latest innovation – Species Rich Turf – a mixture of hardy grasses and wildflowers that can directly replace a monoculture grass lawn.

As with wildflower turf, Species Rich is also entirely plastic free, ensuring that laying it does not damage the environment in any way.

Lindum Turf managing director, Stephen Fell, said to be nominated two years in succession was a great honour.

Chelsea Flower Show is the pinnacle achievement for both garden designers and suppliers into the industry, meaning winning at the prestigious event is a huge source of pride.

Mr Fell said: “Being nominated at Chelsea last year, and then winning, was a tremendous achievement and testament to the hard work and innovation the team at Lindum Turf dedicate to creating new and sustainable products.

“Our wildflower turf is not only plastic free, meaning no single use plastics are buried in the soil to degrade into microplastics, it also provides a rich diversity of flora that attracts vital pollinators.

“Our Species Rich Turf builds on this idea, but with the addition of some hardy grass varieties to make it robust enough to replace a normal family lawn.

“The turf can withstand being walked on and played on, but adds a large diversity of plants to a garden making it much more ecologically beneficial than a monocrop lawn. It’s a great way to maximise the environmental benefits of your garden without compromising on utility.”

Lindum Turf will have to wait for the show, which takes place from May 21-25 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, to find out if they have won.

Some turf producers grow turf with a plastic-reinforced mesh incorporated, which helps to keep it together when being lifted, but the mesh is buried in the soil once the turf is laid leaving it to break down into microplastics which pollute the soil and even nearby watercourses.

Last year, Stephen Fell challenged the industry to remove single use plastics in turf as it is environmentally damaging.

The Chelsea Flower Show has already banned plastic bags, floral foam, and plastic artificial turf across its shows and is aiming for the complete removal of single use plastics by 2025.

It holds the Sustainable Garden Product of the Year category to encourage and highlight innovation in this area and reward companies doing the best work.

Mr Fell described single use plastics as the antithesis of environmentally friendly garden.

He said: “People want to create wildflower meadows because of the beautiful colours and because they provide the type of biodiversity we need to help restore nature.

“This aim is entirely inconsistent with burying harmful plastics in the ground so it is high time the industry fully addressed this issue.”

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Greenkeeper receives prestigious award

/in , /by

Greenkeeper receives prestigious award: Golf greenkeepers from across the globe joined together at the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association’s (BIGGA) annual education programme and trade show to celebrate the career of a former head greenkeeper who spent 30 years building a network of turf professionals across Europe.

Dean Cleaver began his career at The Leicestershire Golf Club and later became head greenkeeper at Rugby Golf Club and then Stratford-upon-Avon Golf Club. He first joined the committee of a greenkeepers’ association aged just 17 and in 1996 became BIGGA’s youngest-ever chairperson, aged just 38.

Greenkeeper receives prestigious award

Greenkeeper receives prestigious award

In 1996 he led the formation of the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations and has acted as executive officer ever since, building a network of organisations to promote greenkeeping and enhance the support available to turf professionals, whether a country has thousands of golf courses or just one. Today FEGGA unites 23 associations around the world, including the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and the Turfgrass Managers Association of South Africa.

Dean will step down from his post when he retires later in 2024.

At the BIGGA Celebration sponsored by Jacobsen, hosted on the opening evening of the BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME), Dean was presented with the Outstanding Contribution award sponsored by Jacobsen, in recognition of a half century of commitment to supporting his fellow greenkeepers.

BIGGA Chief Executive Jim Croxton said: “During a 50-year career, Dean Cleaver has shown an unwavering commitment to uniting greenkeepers, no matter their golf club’s location or standing in the game. Possessing a work ethic instilled in him at The Leicestershire by his mentor, Paddy McCarron, Dean spent decades supporting the activities of first the British Golf Greenkeepers Association and then BIGGA when it was formed in 1987.

“His commitment to a Europe-wide project led to the formation of FEGGA in 1996 and that has provided a network that links established associations such as ours with those in countries where golf is still an emerging sport.

“Dean’s legacy will be felt for decades to come and in this, the year of his retirement, BIGGA could not be prouder to present him with our most prestigious accolade, the Outstanding Contribution award sponsored by Jacobsen.”

Also scooping top prizes at the BIGGA Celebration and showcasing the broad range of clubs represented by members of the association, were two clubs at either end of the golfing spectrum.

The team at Dudley Golf Club received Greenkeeping Project of the Year sponsored by Origin Amenity Solutions. Leading a team of just three, Stewart Marshall has brought the Midlands golf club back from the brink by using innovative and often cost-free sustainable solutions. From being on the verge of closure prior to the pandemic, the team has transformed Dudley with little or no budget into a thriving venue, just in time for the club’s 130th anniversary.

Examples of development work include:

  • Asking for unwanted wooden planks from a local timber yard for the construction of bridges and reusing old materials to create flower beds and pathways
  • Engaging with local schools to enhance and promote the ecological offering of the site
  • Hosting fun social events in the clubhouse to raise money for equipment.

Stewart and his team have shown what can be achieved through innovative thinking and greenkeeping expertise, highlighting the key role greenkeepers play in the success of any golf club.

Also receiving a BIGGA Award was Walton Heath Golf Club. Following the successful hosting of US Open qualifying and the AIG Women’s Open, Michael Mann and his team were awarded with Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year sponsored by Bernhard & Company.

Following the news the club would be hosting the only UK-based women’s Major championship in 2023, a pest infestation and prolonged drought devastated turf quality at the historic Surrey venue, ultimately leading to the installation of a new irrigation system. Vandalism further damaged playing surfaces but the team worked extra hours – often working under floodlights – to repair the damage. Delays slowed progress but the greenkeepers stepped up and took on responsibility for reinstating turf on top of daily maintenance and other project work, eventually completing installation a full 12 months after the contractual end date.

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the team, both US Open Qualifying and the AIG Women’s Open were successfully staged, with the greenkeeping team receiving widespread plaudits for the immaculate presentation of the course despite all the challenges they had overcome.

Nominations for the BIGGA Awards were submitted throughout 2023, with a judging panel meeting to decide the finalists and overall winners.

The other finalists were:

Greenkeeping Project of the Year with Origin Amenity Solutions

  • Basingstoke Golf Club
  • Sandiway Golf Club

Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year with Bernhard & Company

  • Paisley Golf Club
  • Portlethen Golf Club

More information about the BIGGA Awards and the finalists can be found on the BTME website.

BTME continues until Thursday 24 January at the Harrogate Convention Centre in North Yorkshire.

Nominations will reopen for the 2024 awards following the conclusion of BTME.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Prestigious award win for Reesink Hydro-Scapes

/in , /by

Prestigious award win for Reesink Hydro-Scapes: Reesink Hydro-Scapes has hit the ground running by winning the National Support Network (NSN) Service Award for 2022 in recognition of its outstanding service, training and support for UK Toro irrigation customers.

Toro’s National Support Network (NSN) was founded in 1991 as the first dedicated customer support network in the irrigation industry. Its purpose is to give customers confidence and peace of mind through complete central control system operational assurance.

Prestigious award win for Reesink Hydro-Scapes

Prestigious award win for Reesink Hydro-Scapes

To achieve this prestigious award, distributors must exhibit a strong passion for customer service, excellent product knowledge, have advocated for their customers, held successful regional NSN training events, and attained a high percentage of both active NSN customers and extended year NSN customers.

Reesink Hydro-Scapes endeavours to provide customers with the best irrigation and water aeration solutions on the market. Robert Jackson, division manager at Reesink Hydro-Scapes explains what this recognition means to the division. He says: “To have achieved this award is a real honour and lets us know that we’re doing something right.

“Our strategy has always been to deliver the best customer service with all of our business partners, including Toro. Irrigation is a big investment for most customers, and there are a lot of elements to consider to put the correct systems in place. Here at Reesink we always strive to put the customer first, taking what they want out of a system and pairing it with our team’s expertise on our products, as well as the wider irrigation landscape. The goal is to make our customers’ lives as easy as possible from discovering Toro Irrigation solutions to enjoying the end product.

It’s of the utmost importance that they feel secure with not only the product we’re providing but with the team behind it too.”

To learn more about what the award-winning Reesink Hydro-Scapes has to offer call 01480 226800 or visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk for further information.

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.