Tag Archive for: receives

Bionema Receives the King’s Award

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Bionema Receives the King’s Award: Bionema Group Ltd., a pioneering UK biocontrol technology company, has been awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise – Innovation 2024, recognising its world-leading innovations in sustainable crop protection and soil regeneration.

The prestigious award was formally presented by Mrs. Louise Fleet CStJ, JP, His Majesty The King’s Lord-Lieutenant for West Glamorgan, acting as the personal representative of His Majesty King Charles III, during a grand ceremony held on 15 May 2025 at The Guildhall, Swansea.

Bionema Receives the King’s Aaward

Bionema Receives the King’s Aaward

“This once-in-a-lifetime honour highlights the global impact of Bionema’s nature-based innovations,” said Dr. Minshad Ansari, Founder and CEO of Bionema. “We are proud to lead a movement away from harmful chemicals and toward a more regenerative, sustainable future in farming.

Why Bionema Was Selected

  • Innovative Technology: Patented NemaTrident®, a tri-component nematode-based bioinsecticide system with a biocompatible wetting agent—acquired by Syngenta in 2021.
  • Environmental Impact: Zero residue, safe for non-target species, and free from pesticide resistance, supporting biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.
  • Commercial Growth: 1,882% export growth, 105% increase in total sales, and 62% of turnover driven by innovation.
  • Customer Success Model: Integrated technical training and support to ensure optimal field performance.
  • ESG Leadership: Proven alignment with sustainability goals and environmental stewardship.

Royal Recognition at Windsor Castle

In July 2024, Dr. Ansari was invited to Windsor Castle, where he met His Majesty The King and shared insights into Bionema’s microbial innovations. This rare honour underscored the national significance of Bionema’s leadership in advancing nature-based crop protection.

Award Celebration – The Guildhall, Swansea | 15 May 2025

The formal award ceremony gathered over 70 distinguished guests, including:

Mrs. Louise Fleet CStJ, JP – HM Lord-Lieutenant of West Glamorgan.

Mrs. Diana Stroia, High Sheriff of West Glamorgan, and Mr. Dave Matthews.

Cllr. Paxton Hood-Williams, Lord Mayor of Swansea, and Lady Mayoress Patricia Hood-Williams.

Cllr. Wayne Carpenter, Mayor of Neath Port Talbot, and Mayoress Carol Carpenter.

Prof. David Smith, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Swansea University.

Representatives from Swansea University, Innovate UK, UK Agri-Tech Centres, and regional leaders in science, government, and business

Keynote speakers:

Prof. Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, Chairman of Bionema

Dr. Minshad Ansari, Founder and CEO

Stephen Ford, Chief Technology Officer

“This is a proud day for UK science and sustainability,” added Stephen Ford, Bionema’s CTO.

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Spellbrook Manufacturer Receives Royal Warrant

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Spellbrook Manufacturer Receives Royal Warrant: Hayter, a name synonymous with British lawnmower excellence for over 75 years, has been awarded the Royal Warrant by appointment to His Majesty the King, as manufactures of horticultural machinery – one of the most prestigious awards in the country.

This honour, held until 2030, reaffirms Hayter’s unwavering commitment to quality and innovation, from its historic petrol mowers to the cutting-edge battery-powered Harrier® range.

Spellbrook Manufacturer Receives Royal Warrant

Spellbrook Manufacturer Receives Royal Warrant

Craig Hoare, Hayter’s Sales & Marketing Manager, had this to say about the Royal Warrant:

“We feel honoured to be given this Royal Warrant on behalf of His Majesty the King. As a British business that has manufactured products from the same factory site in Spellbrook since 1946, our dedication to British engineered products, consumers and professionals has never wavered. We will continue to innovate within the grounds care industry, pushing standards well into the future.”

Hayter’s story began in 1946, when the company’s founder, Douglas Hayter, conceptualised the iconic Hayter rotary lawnmower after seeing a 100-year-old horse-drawn rotary mower in the London Science Museum.

Returning home to Spellbrook, Hayter made his first rotary mower with a collection of spare pieces, a dustbin lid and a two-stroke engine – the rest is history.

Hayter’s association with royal recognition dates back to 1960, when the company was first awarded the prestigious Royal Warrant by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Since then, Hayter has continuously maintained this honour, a testament to the enduring quality, innovation, and craftsmanship of its professional and residential battery and petrol mowers.

Now, in 2025, Hayter proudly holds the Royal Warrant under His Majesty King Charles III, marking a new chapter in this long-standing tradition. This distinction reaffirms Hayter’s unwavering commitment to excellence and ensures the company’s place in the Royal Household until 2030.

All in all, this means Hayter will have held the warrant concurrently for 70 years – no small feat for a business of any size.

Hayter is once again setting new industry standards with their innovative battery range of mowers, with their latest Harrier® 56 60V mower using a dual battery system that enables two batteries to share the workload simultaneously, lowering battery temperature and mitigating charge loss.

Craig also commented:

“We’ve not once stopped pushing our mowers to new heights, iterating on loved designs to meet the growing needs of landscaping and gardening professionals across the country. There is no greater honour than supplying the finest mowers to the Royal Estate, and we cannot wait for His Majesty’s gardeners to experience the fantastic improvements we have made.”

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GKB Deep Tine Aerator receives glowing review

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GKB Deep Tine Aerator receives glowing review: Ask Nigel Willis of N&E Grounds Maintenance what he thinks of their Deep Tine Aerator (DTA) from GKB Machines and he may well tell you it’s the best machine he’s ever purchased!

It’s certainly been put through its paces since its delivery in May 2024 as the company ramps up aeration work on a variety of fine turf and winter sports surfaces. In those few months, the DTA 210 has cemented its status as one of the strongest, quickest and most reliable maintenance machines on his fleet.

GKB Deep Tine Aerator receives glowing review

GKB Deep Tine Aerator receives glowing review

Located on the outskirts of Belfast, N&E Grounds Maintenance have been conducting the full range of nutritional and mechanical maintenance services for customers spanning both natural and artificial turf for the last 22 years. It was on his annual trip to SALTEX in 2023 that the DTA first caught Nigel’s eye. “My aerator at the time was giving me a lot of bother so I was on the look out for alternatives. I was immediately impressed with the robustness of the GKB DTA and Tom Shinkins put me in touch with their dealer for Northern Ireland, Laird Grass Machinery.”

“I didn’t even feel the need to have a demonstration of it, I just asked them to order me one and the rest is history!” he exclaims.

The GKB Deep Tine Aerator does exactly as the name suggests, tackling compaction down to depths of 400mm (16”). Available in working widths from 1.2m up to 2.6m, there’s a model in the range to suit all types of natural turf surface.

“We opted for the 2.1m model which suits the variety of facilities we visit, and it’s already been well utilised on football and rugby pitches as well as work on several golf courses.” Nigel continues, “It does a fantastic job and is much faster and smoother than our previous machine. It’s easy to hook up to the tractor, simple to use and the daily checks are quick with very few grease points. The hydraulic depth control is another feature I really like giving us easy and accurate control over the job at hand.”

“As we move through the winter months, the DTA will be out near enough every other day as demand for aeration work continues to increase to cope with the increased rainfall.” He adds, “I’ve been so impressed with the machine I felt compelled at SALTEX 2024 to go back to the GKB stand just to tell Tom and the team that it’s honestly been one of the best purchases I’ve ever made!”

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Polaris winner receives his General 1000

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Polaris winner receives his General 1000: Polaris is pleased to announce the winner of the 2024 Great British Farm Off Competition, Nick Hopkins. After months of hard work and dedication of sharing his daily farming life online, Nick has been awarded a Polaris General 1000 for an entire year.

At the start of 2024, Polaris launched an exciting new competition: the Polaris Great British Farm Off. The initiative aimed to celebrate the resilience and hard work of British farmers, while highlighting how Polaris vehicles can support farming life.

Polaris winner receives his General 1000

Polaris winner receives his General 1000

Farmers were invited to share their day-to-day activities from January to July, opening the doors to show the hard work and commitment involved in running a farm. Those who shared engaging and consistent content were considered for the Great British Farm Off title and the chance to win a Polaris Off Road Vehicle for an entire year. From lambing season to harvest, the entries highlighted the dedication of the British farming community.

One standout participant was Nick Hopkins, a Wales-based farmer/horse breeder whose engaging content kept everyone entertained. Blending personality and humour, Nick’s posts gave followers an authentic and light-hearted look at life on the farm, making him a clear favourite.

Speaking about his decision to enter the competition, Nick shared: “When we saw the competition, we thought we’d give this a go. There’s so much going on, and of course, running from January through to June, different things are happening seasonally on the farm. We thought it’d just be a bit of a laugh to do it. The kids got involved in taking photos, and we kind of staged quite a lot of stuff as we never really saw ourselves as content creators and certainly never thought we’d win it.”

To collect his prize, Nick visited long-time dealer and friend Jake Else at Derbyshire Quads, where he was presented with a Polaris General 1000.

Reflecting on Nick’s win, Jake said: “If there was ever a winner of a competition, he’s [Nick] one of the most worthy. We’ve known Nick for years, probably at least 15 years. He bought a spark plug from us initially, and he said the service he got from just buying that spark plug meant that if he was ever going to buy any machines in the future, he’d come back to us – and thankfully, he did. (…) Now he’s won the competition where he’s got the opportunity to have a General for a year, so I think he’s going to love that. Nick’s a great guy. It’s been an honour to support him with his products and machines over the years and a very worthy winner. Congratulations Nick. Well done.”

After a day of EASI training, Nick headed home to his smallholding in Capel Iwan, eager to put his new General 1000 to work. Over the next year, the General will complement the two Polaris RANGER 570s already supporting his American Quarter Horse breeding programme.

With its 30.5cm ground clearance, the General will help Nick tackle daily tasks with ease, from early morning livestock checks to managing chores across the farm’s varied terrain. Whether it’s moving hay, topping up water in the fields with the water bowser, or using its 272kg bed box capacity, the General will prove invaluable in keeping things running smoothly. Nick also plans to put the General’s impressive 680kg towing capacity to work with a grass-cutting mower and fertiliser spreader as needed.

As the year progresses, Nick will continue to keep his followers updated on how the General is making a real difference on the farm. From tackling day-to-day tasks to navigating Wales’ green lanes, it’s clear the General is set to become an essential part of Nick’s daily life.

Keep an eye on Polaris UK’s social media to see how Nick puts the General 1000 to work on his farm.

The Polaris Great British Farm Off will be returning in 2025, offering another lucky winner the chance to receive a Polaris vehicle of their choice for an entire year. More information will be available soon –  keep and eye on the Polaris UK social media channels for updates.

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JCB’S NSPCC appeal receives £15,095 boost

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JCB’S NSPCC appeal receives £15,095 boost: One of the world’s most accomplished male voice choirs hit the right note at a concert in aid of JCB’s NSPCC Appeal – helping to raise £15,095.

The internationally renowned Froncysyllte Male Voice Choir – known affectionately as ‘The Fron’ – performed to a sell-out audience in the theatre at JCB’s World HQ at Rocester.

JCB’S NSPCC appeal receives £15,095 boost

JCB’S NSPCC appeal receives £15,095 boost

The audience broke into spontaneous applause as it was announced that JCB and its employees were raising £2 million for the NSPCC to help with the charity’s work in Staffordshire – and that proceeds from the concert would go towards the fundraising. There were also cheers as JCB sponsored athlete and Olympian Adam Burgess, of Stone, Staffordshire, stepped on to the stage and showed off his Paris 2024 silver medal – ahead of helping to pull a giant Christmas cracker to reveal the total amount raised at the event.

He was joined in pulling the cracker by three talented young pianists who also entertained the audience with performances at the event. They were Thomas Pham, 15, a former pupil at the Co-op Academy Glebe in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, and Ukrainian sister and brother Sofiia Uvarova and Andrii Uvarov, who have settled in Uttoxeter under JCB’s Homes for Ukraine initiative.

JCB Group HR Director Max Jeffery attended with fellow JCB directors, employees, retired employees and members of the public. He said:  “It was an absolutely wonderful evening and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. The singing was outstanding and the fun the choir brought to the occasion was fantastic, particularly the audience participation, which took place during the singing of the Twelve Days of Christmas!”

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