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Ransomes Jacobsen at Newcastle United

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Ransomes Jacobsen at Newcastle United: Since 2002 the pitches at Newcastle United’s Darsley Park training ground have been cut with Ransomes and Jacobsen mowers.

Currently, three LF570s and five Mastiffs are used to cut the 13 pitches that are maintained by head groundsman, Mick Curran, and his staff with two of the original Mastiffs from 2002 still in use.

Ransomes Jacobsen at Newcastle United

Through the years Newcastle’s ride-on fleet has graduated through the LF range, and it is the new features and excellent service from Ransomes Jacobsen dealer, Rickerby, that has kept Mick cutting with orange and green for almost three decades.

“I started off with the LF’s in 2002, and they’ve got better as the years have gone on,” Mick said. “On the newer model you can set the reel speed and forward speed, so if I think the lads are cutting too fast, I can peg them back, and that’s a big point. It helps with the consistency of cutting across the site, and the cut we get from the mowers is first-class.

“Reliability, quality of cut and being able to get spare parts easily has kept me using them for 17-years along with the service and back-up we’ve received from Rickerby which has been excellent.

“It’s very important for us if we get a break down in the summer when we’re cutting 24/7 that we can get a part or have it fixed as soon as possible. Nine times out of ten they’ll be out the same day sorting the problem, and that really is important for us.”

While the LF570’s are in action for the summer, once winter rolls around the Mastiffs take over. Like most training grounds, Mick is under pressure to keep the pitches cut and ready for use, and the warmer wet weather in September and October 2019 has highlighted the importance of having reliable pedestrian machines.

“The little club I started at had Mastiffs, so I’ve been brought up on them. It’s in wet conditions like we’ve had over September and October this year that the Mastiff’s really work well for us. The quality of cut is second to none, the finish has always been good, the blade setting and height of cut is dead easy to set, and the maintenance of them is easy as well.

“We need the reliability from the mowers because if you get behind it can be really difficult to catch up. We’ve had horrendous weather in these last two weeks, and the grass is still ticking away where you need to cut it twice a week. So, when you get that sort of weather this time of year, and you can’t cut for two or three days you start falling behind.

“In the winter, we put the LF’s away, they get cleaned down and serviced, and we get the Mastiff’s out. We use them in the winter when the grass isn’t growing as much, and you’re looking to avoid stressing the turf and using the pedestrian machines rather than the ride-ons is perfect for that.”

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Ransomes Sponsor Suffolk FA For Seventh Season

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Ransomes Sponsor Suffolk FA For Seventh Season: The Ipswich-based turf maintenance company are to once again sponsor the Groundsman of the Year competition and also the Suffolk FA Awards Ceremony.

The Groundsman of the Year competition is held annually in the county and is open to clubs at Step 7 and below.

Ransomes Sponsor Suffolk FA For Seventh Season

The Suffolk FA Awards Ceremony is also held annually and as well as the Groundsman of the Year winners, presentations will be made to county winners of The FA and McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards plus there will also be Long Service Awards.

The Awards Ceremony is taking place next month at Portman Road before Ipswich Town’s SkyBet League One fixture with Rotherham United.

Ransomes Jacobsen Sales Director, William Carr, is proud the company continues to recognise the invaluable contribution of Grassroots groundsmen and other volunteers.

“Local football wouldn’t function without pitches, and often Suffolk’s groundsmen work far above the level required of them,” he said.

“We’re very lucky to have some fantastic volunteer groundsmen in the county and the Groundsman of the Year competition is a brilliant way of recognising the work they do and awarding them for their dedication.”

Suffolk FA Chief Executive Richard Neal said: “Ransomes Jacobsen’s continued support for the Groundman of the Year Award demonstrates the essential role this largely volunteer workforce plays in providing a quality playing experience.

“I’m delighted such a significant local company is again joining us in celebrating the expertise and dedication of Suffolk grounds staff.”

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Revised Highway 3 From Ransomes Jacobsen

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Revised Highway 3 From Ransomes Jacobsen: Ransomes Jacobsen will be showcasing the revised model of the Highway 3 triple cylinder mower on stand H090 at SALTEX 2019. 

The lightweight mower is popular in the commercial market and is well known for its high work rate, slope stability and manoeuvrability. To increase the mower’s already impressive output, drive train improvements have been made to boost the overall efficiency and compliment the Euro Stage V compliance.

Revised Highway 3 From Ransomes Jacobsen

The new drivetrain is central to the increased work rate and Ransomes Jacobsen director of international product development, Richard Comely is looking forward to exhibiting the machine at the Birmingham NEC.

He said: “SALTEX is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase new products, network with customers and keep our fingers on the pulse of the sectors we sell into. Triplex cylinder mowers are still one of the most flexible and productive vehicles to cut grass with, and we will be showing a revised, Euro Stage V, Ransomes Highway 3 with a more efficient drivetrain at the exhibition.

“The Highway 3 is typically used on large areas for extended periods of time, so productivity is an important aspect of the mower. It was a case of improving something that was already performing very well, but the new drivetrain has made a difference and we’re very pleased with the outcome.”

Other machines on stand H090 will include the TR320 triplex mower, HR300 out-front mower, Cushman utility vehicle and the HM600 wide-area mulching flail mower. The latter utilises flail units which have been developed in a close collaboration between Ransomes and Müthing, an industry leader in innovative and trusted flail technology.

Revised Highway 3 From Ransomes Jacobsen

Ransomes Product Manager Lee Kristensen commented: “The partnership developed a highly productive and reliable mower that is capable of working in a wide range of conditions. The result has been a flail that matches the power output of the HM600 tractor, allowing users to cut down dense grass leaving an evenly spread after-cut finish every time.”

The HM600’s cutting capabilities come from the ‘M’ type carbide flails and ‘shark fin’ shredding bar. The floating cutting heads follow the contours of the ground while the unique action of the units cuts the grass multiple times as it travels around the flail head and mulches the grass while it breaks down before evenly spreading the clippings. Heavy duty rollers complete the fine turf finish. A temperature controlled reversing fan ensures the air intake screen is clear for optimum engine cooling and continuous function.

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Ransomes Jacobsen’s New Apprentices

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Ransomes Jacobsen’s New Apprentices: Ransomes Jacobsen, has added 12 new engineering trainees to their successful apprenticeship scheme.

The programme is now into its seventh year with 27 local apprentices working through the craft, welding and technical areas of the manufacturing process. The machines the apprentices help build are shipped all over the world and are used at major sporting venues from Ipswich to Dubai.

Ransomes Jacobsen's New Apprentices

Passing on the knowledge of their current employees to a new generation is the core of the scheme. Nationwide, it is well known that there is a skills shortage in engineering due to a reduction in large scale manufacturing businesses, with only a small number remaining that use the same core skills as Ransomes.

Simon Rainger, operations director at Ransomes Jacobsen, views the scheme as a long-term commitment to manufacturing in Ipswich and wants it to continue benefitting young people in the area.

He said: “We’ve been manufacturing in Ipswich for 187 years and we’ve always employed local people, and we want to continue that with younger generations. We need to develop future experts by learning from our current staff, and that gives young people the chance to learn a valuable skill and build a career within Ransomes where they are highly valued team members.

“The apprentices are very well received in their work areas, and their rate of learning is a direct result of the one on one time they spend with trained staff. They are regarded as essential staff members, and there is no differentiation because they’re apprentices.

“To date, the scheme has been very successful, and we’re looking to attract a wider range of people with our 2020 apprenticeships. We currently have a particular focus on showing females the career opportunities available within a skilled factory setting because we want this opportunity to be for everyone.”

People who are interested in finding out more about the 2020 apprenticeship scheme can contact Jo Barber on 01473 276271 or e-mail jbarber@textron.com.

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Social Sensation Visits Ransomes

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Social Sensation Visits Ransomes: After seeing Jimmy Broadhouse’s ‘Wembley pitch finish’ tweet, Ransomes Jacobsen invited ‘jimmythemower’ to their Ipswich factory to see how his famous Parkway 225 stripes were made.

A little over two weeks ago Jimmy shot to social media fame when he posted a picture of a council pitch he cut in Bilbrook with the message, ‘it might only be a council field next to the tip, but to the kids round here playing football it’s Wembley. So I always cut it like it is.’

Social Sensation Visits Ransomes

Jimmy’s now famous stripes were cut with a Parkway 225, and he’s used Ransomes mowers since starting his business, Ditton Services, with a MK 4 Motor Triple that he fully restored for commercial use with his late dad, who was a retired engineer.

Before the factory tour and a chance to stripe the turf on Ipswich Town Football Club’s Portman Road pitch, Jimmy cut the Ransomes factory football pitch with the Parkway 3 Meteor before finding out the machine would be his for a year.

“I’m blown away by being invited down to Ransomes,” he said. “What an honour it is to be here and test drive a brand-new machine. I’ve been using Parkway’s since I can remember and they always provide me with an excellent finish on all the pitches that I cut, and to go down to Ransomes, have a tour of the factory, ride on a mower and then be presented with the keys and for them to say we can make one to spec is just unbelievable, it’s the stuff of dreams.

“I sat on this new one, and I’m blown away. I thought the one I was using was the best that you could get, but every improvement on this is there for a reason, it’s a fantastic machine. The adjustable steering wheel and armrest console are great, the flexibility and comfort of the seating position are excellent, and then there’s the fantastic cutting finish that we can see behind us on the pitch.

Social Sensation Visits Ransomes

“I’ve had a fantastic day coming down to Ipswich, having a look round the factory and then to the football club. I walked across the pitch and had a look at the renovations for the coming season and stood in the middle of it and got to see what a fantastic job these guys do, I’m really, really chuffed to bits.”

Jimmy’s tweet has over 44k likes and has been seen more than 3m times on social media as well as his BBC Midlands video, which was trending number one on the BBC News website.

His tweet has struck a chord with groundsmen and the general public with an overwhelming number of positive comments and feedback coming Jimmy’s way. Ransomes’ sales manager, John Quinton, is one of the millions that have seen the tweet and was delighted to show Jimmy around the factory and hand over the keys to his new mower.

“We wanted to surprise Jimmy by loaning him a new machine for a year because he’s made a real difference to those he’s cutting pitches for and this is our way of recognising that. We’ll be in touch with him throughout the year to get his feedback on the mower and get his opinion on how it performs in the field. In peak times he’s cutting up to seven days a week for six to 12 hours, so he’ll really get to know the machine.

Social Sensation Visits Ransomes

“He has a genuine enthusiasm for his job and the Ransomes mowers he uses, and I’m really pleased we’ve had the opportunity to bring him to the factory because he’s had a great time.”

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Ransomes’ Nigel Church Retires

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Ransomes’ Nigel Church Retires: One of the UK’s most respected and valued members in the turf industry, Nigel Church, is retiring at the end of June after almost 50 years in the sector. We had the pleasure of working closely with Nigel for decades and his knowledge, technical ability, eloquence and downright likeability shone through in everything he did.

Nigel joined Ransomes Sims & Jeffries as an apprentice back in the 1970s along with other industry notables such as Bob Buckingham, Bob Bevan, Paul Watson, Richard Bishop, Richard Walne, Graham Dale, Jeff Anguige and Barry Beckitt.

Nigel Church Retires From Ransomes

Readers of a similar age will recognise many of these names demonstrating that this generation of apprentices were the base for the new Toro European distribution – all built on the Ransomes skills they had been taught by John Wilson, Ken Buckledee & Guy Catchpole. In its day, Ransomes was considered the ‘university’ for the UK turf industry.

Nigel fulfilled many roles within the Ransomes business and the industry in general. In his time, he has been a demonstrator, technical rep and area rep; had responsibility for export sales, national accounts, regional sales management and training.

Included in his impressive CV is an eight-year sojourn, when he left Ransomes to work for one of their dealers, Kingston House Mowers in a sales role. He was back at the company in 1998, when it was purchased by Textron, became Ransomes Jacobsen and played a significant part in providing continuity as the two businesses merged together.

Later in his career he joined the new Cutting Edge Training division at Ransomes Jacobsen with a remit to pass on his extensive knowledge and experience to the next generation of sales and technical professionals within the dealer network. This was another area where Nigel excelled and the quality of training delivered by him and his colleagues was arguably the most concise, detailed and effective across the entire industry.

In the past few years he has continued to expand this role travelling to all points of the globe delivering training in his enthusiastic, effervescent manner and has recently returned from his final visit to the Far East. Many of us will never forget the long days and short nights at exhibitions and shows, where we enjoyed the camaraderie of a close-knit team in which Churchy was often the pivotal point … with a beer or gin and tonic in hand.

Nigel has forgotten more than many people in this industry will ever know and he will be sorely missed as he rides off into the sunset (probably on a Ransomes Highway 3). It has been an absolute pleasure to work with a man of this calibre – kind, knowledgeable, dedicated, humorous, affable –  and who is instantly recognised across the industry. Just try walking with him across the halls at SALTEX, BTME, GIS and any other international event and see how long it takes to get from A to B!

The global turf industry’s sincere best wishes go out to you Nigel, to Sylvia, your family and grandchildren, for a very long and happy retirement. It is well deserved.

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City of Espoo Opt For Ransomes

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City of Espoo Opt For Ransomes: Espoo, the second largest city in Finland after Helsinki, has chosen Ransomes to maintain its extensive parkland areas as well as school and nursery green spaces. Local dealer J Trading supplied the new range of machinery.

The city chose the Ransomes MP653 XC and Jacobsen HR600 to maintain the 173-acres of land in Tapiola, a suburb of Espoo. The Ransomes MP653 XC is the world’s first and only wide area rotary mower with a 4.27m cutting width, increasing productivity by up to 25% (up to 2.5 acres/hr more) over traditional 3.4m mowers.

City of Espoo Opt For Ransomes

Merja Myyry, Head of Green Areas for the City of Espoo said:

“There are many green spaces in Espoo, and Tapiola in particular. It has become increasingly important to invest in machinery that can help us become more productive whilst still leaving a clean finish. Our new machines are perfect for the job.

“There are many trees in and around our parks, so being able to lift each cutting unit independently to navigate obstacles is ideal. We can adjust the machine with a click of a button to either have a wide or narrow cutting width. We have been very impressed with the durability and productivity of the new machines, and the operators find them easy to use and very comfortable.”

City of Espoo Opt For Ransomes

Espoo is exceptionally green for a city spanning 312km2. Forests occupy nearly 60 per cent, or 46,210 acres, of its land mass and are enlivened with bare cliffs and marshes. The City of Espoo employs 70 permanent employees in its green spaces department, with 10 of these in charge of maintaining the land in Tapiola during the summer months.

Commenting on the relationship with their local dealer, Merja said:

“The City of Espoo has had a strong relationship with our dealer J Trading since the mid-1980’s. We are confident that we are being supplied with the best machinery at the best price and have peace of mind that the back-up support is available whenever we need it.”

To find out your local Ransomes Jacobsen dealer, visit: www.ransomesjacobsen.com

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Elvaston Castle Choose Ransomes

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Elvaston Castle Choose Ransomes: Elvaston Castle in Derbyshire has chosen the Ransomes Highway 3™ for the Grade 2 listed surrounding gardens. The machine was delivered by local dealer Sharrocks.

Elvaston Castle Country Park is a 200-acre site maintained by Derbyshire County Council, by a team of six gardeners.

Elvaston Castle Choose Ransomes

Commenting on the new purchase, Landscape Chargehand Anna Morrison, said:

“After trialling a few different machines, myself and the team decided to opt for the Ransomes Highway 3. It’s a good size, it’s versatile and can get into those tight spaces.

“We use the machine to maintain the formal lawns around the castle, and it’s great because it can deal with different heights of cut very well which means it copes well in a variety of conditions, especially when it’s wet.

“I have been here for seven years now, and we have a very experienced team of gardeners; Paul Dimmock has been here for 29 years and Geoff Doncaster has been here for 43 years! This level of experience is priceless, so I listened very carefully to the feedback from the team when choosing which machine to purchase. We all thought the Highway 3 was the best for the job, so I felt very confident when it was finally time to place the order.

“The back-up support from Sharrocks has been brilliant. One of the most important aspects of buying new machinery is the service you receive from your local dealer. We couldn’t be happier with every aspect of the process, from the demonstration to the installation and training; everything has been first class.”

Derbyshire County Council purchased the estate in which the castle lies in 1968 and opening it in 1970 as one of the first country parks in England. Today, both the buildings and gardens are registered (grade 2 and Grade 2*) as being of special architectural and historical interest.

To find out more about Ransomes, visit: www.ransomes.com

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Amber Valley Continue Ransomes Relationship

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Amber Valley Continue Ransomes Relationship: Amber Valley Borough Council, located in Derbyshire, has been a Ransomes customer for more than eighteen years. The council has continued its long relationship with the Suffolk-based mower manufacturer, with its latest purchase of two Ransomes MP493 rotary mowers from local dealer Sharrocks.

Robert Castledine has been the grounds maintenance team leader at Amber Valley Borough Council for eighteen years. He manages a team of 10 employees, with two teams of three staff allocated to mowing. Responsible for the north-side of the borough, the new Ransomes mowers maintain all verges, parks and cemeteries in the area.

Amber Valley Continue Ransomes Relationship

“We have a very varied topography in Amber Valley,” Castledine said. “There are hills, verges, conservations, enclosed spaces and housing estates. We needed a versatile machine to cope with our various requirements. The Ransomes MP493 gives us that.

“In the past, we have used the Ransomes Commander amongst other Ransomes triple mowers. They have always been reliable, well-built and the best value for money on the market. I’ve always been extremely happy with the machinery and the service from our local Ransomes dealer. We have been dealing with Sharrocks for around 18-months, as they’re new in the area, but are already very pleased with the service and product information they’ve given us.”

Sharrocks have been a successful Ransomes dealer for many years, and has recently extended its territory to Derbyshire, taking over from previous dealer, Platts Harris. With depots in Wrightington, Lancashire and Sandbach, Cheshire, Sharrocks has a comprehensive portfolio of groundcare solutions and was named the Ransomes UK and Ireland Proturf Dealer of the Year 2017.

Amber Valley Continue Ransomes Relationship

“The Ransomes MP493 is a very robust mower,” Castledine continued. “We put our machinery through a lot, so it needs to be able to withstand this; it was the only mower robust enough to do the job. Productivity and after-cut appearance are also important factors for us, and this mower definitely ticks those boxes.”

To find out more about Ransomes, visit: www.ransomes.com

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Ransomes Turf Solutions At SALTEX

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Ransomes Turf Solutions At SALTEX: Ransomes, the Ipswich-based manufacturer of commercial mowing equipment, will be showcasing its full range of turfcare equipment on stand H090 at the NEC in Birmingham during SALTEX (31st October-1st November 2018).

The equipment on display includes the newly launched Ransomes HM600 and Ransomes TR320, the successful Ransomes MP series and a selection of Cushman utility vehicles and Turfco, Smithco and Ryan products.

Ransomes Turf Solutions At SALTEX

The Ransomes HM600 was launched at SALTEX in 2017. Created on the foundations of the Ransomes MP wide area mower platform, the HM600 builds upon this, providing users with the ability to run three heavy duty flail mowers with mulching technology from Müthing. With all mowers engaged, the 3.2m width of cut delivers exceptional productivity.  The fingertip control of individual units makes trimming around obstacles easy and brings new levels of versatility to flail mowing. Units fold up securely to transport easily between work areas and access confined sites.

From a clean, fine, rolled finish across sports pitches to routine cuts, the HM600 leaves an even spread of mulched clippings. It also tackles the irregular cuts, bringing the lesser maintained areas back under control. The HM600 can visit one work site with the versatility to do it all, the productivity to do it fast and the flail technology for superior presentation.

The Ransomes TR320 was also launched at SALTEX in 2017. It is one of the lightest machines on the market in its category, ensuring minimal compaction to turf, keeping surfaces in pristine condition. A combination of narrow transport width (1.64m (64.5”)), a 1.83m (72”) width of cut, superior slope capabilities and manoeuvrability, allows operators to safely negotiate the tightest of spaces and most challenging terrain. Designed and manufactured at Ransomes Jacobsen’s European headquarters in Ipswich, the TR320 is primarily targeted at the sportsturf and landscaping market, providing a quality maintenance solution for sports pitches, estates, and light municipal applications.

The MP Series, first launched in 2014, includes the MP493, MP653 and MP653XC. These highly productive wide area rotary mowers are ideal for cutting overgrown areas and sports fields, whilst also giving you the ability to negotiate tight spaces.

Ransomes Turf Solutions At SALTEX

Also in the MP Series is the MP495 and MP655: two robust and productive wide area cylinder mowers that leave a pristine finish every time. These mowers are popular choices for maintaining large fields, football and cricket pitches and travelling on roads when required.

Ransomes is proud to be sponsoring the SALTEX College Cup for the third time; introduced by the IOG in 2016 as a national student-led sports-turf challenge that will take place on the first day of SALTEX 2018. It is an academic test of turf management knowledge for student competitors in teams of four who are enrolled at colleges throughout the UK on relevant courses of study.

As one of the groundcare industry’s major manufacturing companies, Ransomes invites you to come along to stand H090 to see its latest innovations.

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