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Reesink Round Up

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Reesink Round Up: It’s about this time of year Reesink Turfcare would be at BTME. The stand in the Purple Zone would be up, the coffee machine would be on and Reesink representatives would be ready to meet customers and greet new contacts, telling them what they can expect this year from Toro’s fine turf machinery and irrigation products, Otterbine lake and pond aeration and TYM tractors.

While that’s obviously not the situation, Reesink still has news to share and updates to bring, new innovations and technology to talk about and new names and faces to introduce. Here Reesink’s managing director, David Cole, talks about the challenges and achievements in 2020 and what’s coming up.

Reesink Round Up

Reesink Round Up

“2020 was an extremely challenging year for us all,” David says. “Few, if any, industry sectors escaped unscathed from the impact of a sweeping pandemic. So, it’s worth taking a moment to recognise the resilience of our customers, our dealers and even ourselves for surviving the year. For Reesink, we have had to become a different business from this time last year.

“COVID-19 forced us to make some changes. We saw some of our well-known customer-facing colleagues take early retirement as a result of the changing workplace, whilst some also left to seek out new challenges. So, we took the opportunity to restructure the business, and refocus on the fundamentals. We welcomed, and congratulate here, Alastair Rowell in his appointment as UK sales manager and Trevor Chard as national account manager for Toro fine turf and grounds. In addition, we welcomed new people to the Turfcare sales team, regional business manager David Timms for the southwest and midlands and salesman Daniel Tomberry for the midlands.

“Customers in certain areas of the country have a new Reesink contact, not because their old contact left but because we’ve made those structural changes to the areas our representatives work in and because our sales reps now cover both Toro fine turf and grounds machines. Post-COVID, it made sense to now have one contact for all Toro customers in one area, a single source of expertise.

“We focused on our parts, servicing and support division. We knew how important this would be to so many throughout lockdown. During that time machine sales slowed, and clubs kept hold of existing machines due an upgrade for longer. Toro has the benefit of longevity and durability on its side, but still replacement parts have never been more in demand. We’re pleased to say we and our dealerships were able to continue fulfilling performance parts orders throughout that time and we hope it helped.

“Despite the challenges, concerns and distractions, 2020 had some highlights. We launched our online national network Ree.Own, providing access to the best used Toro machinery available in the UK. The opportunity to browse, compare prices and match budgets on a range of machines that are guaranteed to have less than 3000 hours use on the clock, have been used for less than seven years and been through a multipoint check by trained technicians, will have been helpful for many customers with budgets under pressure and the volume of choice will only grow overtime.

“The launch of the Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 all-electric riding greensmower was another highlight. A machine that has brought the next big technological advancement to the market. Electric power is here, and here to stay, and the 3370 delivers the charge capacity and day to day performance to make this important technology a practical solution at last. Already customers are enjoying the noise-free, clean cutting this machine affords and we’re seeing that momentum continue in 2021.

“We are transitioning to Tier V engines in many Toro machines, an important and regulatory change for emissions control that has impacted the whole industry. And we welcomed Franklin pumps and SRC two-wire irrigation controllers to our product portfolio to provide an even more comprehensive range of irrigation solutions to our customers. Plus, during 2020 we saw a significant pick-up in interest in Toro’s GeoLink precision spray system, which impacts chemical waste and over-spraying.

“BTME has always been a highlight in the Reesink calendar. We really enjoy the opportunity it presents to catch up with everyone around the important educational activity and while the update on your laptop, mobile or magazine instead isn’t the same, we hope it reminds you we’re here and would love to hear from you!”

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Year round use for Valdor Flex

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Year round use for Valdor Flex: The residual herbicide, Valdor Flex®, has received a label update, extending usage periods and application areas, providing contractors with an opportunity to adopt a flexible approach to weed control.

Lewis Blois, Bayer’s amenity specialist, says this updated authorisation will allow contractors to adapt their approach depending on weather conditions and weed growth, so they can manage weeds in public spaces effectively and efficiently.

Year round use for Valdor Flex

Year round use for Valdor Flex

“Valdor Flex® can now be used on amenity vegetation (around), permitting applications to be made around the base of trees, shrubs and other plants in amenity areas, allowing this herbicide to be used in a wider range of situations,” he adds.

In addition, this product could previously only be used from February to June, however the application window extension allows Valdor Flex® to be used year-round.

“The new year-round application period allows users to take a different approach and adapt their herbicide programme depending on the weather conditions and weed growth.

“For example, this may mean using Valdor Flex® as a residual control in August to prevent weed growth in the autumn, rather than a spring application of the product in conjunction with Roundup® earlier in the season,” says Lewis.

Valdor Flex® is also a great tool to help with resistance management, as it contains two active ingredients with different modes of action.

“This herbicide prevents the emergence of a broad spectrum of weeds for up to four months, reducing the frequency of traditional applications. It provides residual control of the hardest to manage weeds on a wide range of surfaces, allowing contractors to keep public spaces weed free,” he explains.

Valdor Flex® can be used as a pre or post emergence application “It can be applied alone on bare ground before weeds emerge or if weeds are already present, it can be mixed with Roundup® ProActive or ProVantage which provides the initial knockdown.”

To benefit from these extensions of use, contractors must be using the new product with the updated label.

“These changes to the use of Valdor Flex® will allow amenity contractors to take a flexible approach to weed control, by adapting their herbicide programme to suit weather conditions and weed growth, ensuring they keep weeds at bay in public spaces,” concludes Lewis.

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SALTEX Drives Year Round Leads

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SALTEX Drives Year Round Leads: Since SALTEX 2017 took place last November at the NEC, Birmingham, a number of exhibitors are still generating business as a direct result of the show – re-affirming that the exhibition is the must-attend event for any company involved in the grounds care industry.

Fivesquared, a brand of Earlsmere, is a leading vibration management provider to the grounds care industry. After exhibiting at SALTEX 2017, the company reported a 15 per cent increase in stand enquiries compared to the previous year with a number of significant leads coming from professional sports clubs, schools, universities and colleges.

SALTEX Drives Year Round Leads

The company now boasts a number of prestigious clients such as English Heritage, Southampton FC, Manchester United FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Manchester City FC, Wimbledon (The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club) and Merchant Taylors School – all of which were a direct result of exhibiting at SALTEX.

“Predominantly I would say that the majority of our overall business comes from exhibiting at the show,” says director Jeremy Hoyle.

“We have been exhibiting at SALTEX for about eight years now and since it moved to the NEC we have found a location that we are really happy with. In my opinion you can’t just exhibit at a show like SALTEX the once and not return. You need to establish a presence year-on-year because that is when you see an upward increase in business.

“It is not just after the show that you see the results – business continues to come in throughout the year. In fact, we are still getting enquiries from people who visited our stand – literally on a weekly basis.”

SCH Supplies, specialists in attachments and accessories for garden tractors and ride on lawnmowers, reported that SALTEX 2017 significantly helped increase its European dealership network.

“SALTEX is very important to us because we don’t employ any outside sales representation,” says managing director Andrew Rodwell. “The event is our only vehicle for engaging with potential customers face to face, while showcasing our products, which is enormously important.

“We already have numerous dealers in the UK but as a direct result of the 2017 show we appointed several new dealers from Europe, which is a trend that we’d like to continue.

“SALTEX is usually the only show that we have a presence at. It provides a focal point for the company and allows us to consider the direction the industry is taking which in turn informs the decisions we make regarding development of new machinery.”

Market-leading machinery manufacturer, Kubota UK, used last year’s SALTEX as the ideal platform to showcase its latest range of innovative and high-performance compact tractors and ride-on mowers.

“SALTEX is a great platform to showcase new solutions to groundsmen, greenkeepers, estate managers and turf professionals,” says Adrian Langmead, business development manager for Kubota UK’s Groundcare Division. “We had a fantastic time meeting with everyone to discuss our current and latest product ranges.”

The results of the SALTEX 2017 exhibitor survey is further testament to the success of the show with over 95 per cent of SALTEX exhibitors’ generating new sales leads while 83 per cent took direct orders on the show floor.

No doubt these statistics are a reflection of the growing trend in new exhibitors to this year’s show. Honda Engines and Honda UK, Case IH UK and ISEKI UK are just some of the newcomers in 2018.

David Withers, managing director at ISEKI UK, is certainly looking forward to exhibiting at SALTEX for the first time.

“As we continue to grow our ISEKI business in the UK we are always looking for relevant opportunities to meet with existing and potential customers to understand their needs and share the latest technologies that our product range has to offer. As such SALTEX offers us a great opportunity to meet a wide and diverse group of customers in one place. We look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones at the NEC later this year.”

Commenting on the growing trend of new exhibitors Charles Neale, event sales manager, says: “The show continues to grow and we are receiving new enquiries every week alongside existing exhibitors investing in bigger stands. Demand at this period in the sales cycle has never been higher.”

To view show highlights and key interviews please visit www.youtube.com/MyIOG

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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3-day Round Trip To Dennis & SISIS Seminar Invaluable

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3-day round trip to Dennis & SISIS seminar proves invaluable: After embarking on a three-day round journey to attend a Dennis and SISIS bowling green maintenance seminar in Perth, Scotland, Mike Bailey – secretary and treasurer of the Lerwick Outdoor Bowling Club, feels that the club has benefitted in more ways than one.

Founded in 1925, Lerwick is the only outdoor bowling club in the Shetland Islands, and after extensive research, Mike is led to believe that it is the most northerly outdoor bowling green in the world. The green at Lerwick is owned by the council but the bowling club took over the maintenance due to cost-cutting, and while, according to Mike, “it may have looked good to passers-by it was an infrequently cut green and was becoming impossible to play bowls on.”

3-day Round Trip To Dennis & SISIS Seminar Invaluable

Determined to improve the green, Mike felt that, even though he had picked up some relevant experience of tending to a cricket pitch for 31 years, he still needed to further enhance his knowledge of maintaining a bowling green.

“I wanted to attend the Dennis and SISIS seminar which was held in conjunction with Bowls Scotland, as my knowledge of bowling green maintenance was limited and the club thought that discussions with the experts could only be a benefit to us all,” he said.

However, it wasn’t a straightforward journey as he explains. “To get to Perth for the mid-morning start, I had to get the car ferry from Lerwick at 5.00 pm the evening before the seminar and had a very rough overnight crossing to Aberdeen which I did not enjoy as I am prone to sea-sickness.  We arrived at 7.00 am and then I drove to Perth arriving in plenty of time for the event. Unfortunately, after the seminar, I could not get back to Aberdeen in time for that evening’s sailing so had to stop the night in a Perth hotel before a leisurely drive to Aberdeen the next day.”

Designed to help club greenkeepers and volunteers maintain their bowling greens, the popular seminars have been credited for improving the greens at numerous bowls clubs throughout the country. Combining insightful presentations and practical tips, a number of industry experts take to the stage to discuss a wide range of key topics, and Mike believes that the strenuous journey proved to be worthwhile. Not only did he pick up some essential tips but he also discovered ways on how to source funding – which proved extremely valuable.

“It was well organised, proved very helpful and I managed to seek advice from several experts about greenkeeping. It was also good to look at new, lighter machinery because the council equipment we were using was fairly old and heavy and the majority of our bowling club volunteers, who do the physical work, are pensioners.

“When I gave my report about the trip to our Committee, the idea about a new multi-purpose machine with easily changed cassettes really appealed to them and a fund raising programme was set up with a view to purchasing a Dennis FT510.

“Ironically, representatives from the Big Lottery Fund visited Shetland shortly after the seminar so I approached them about the possibility of obtaining funding for the machine without much expectation of a positive response. However, there was no negativity at all and I informed the council and our Committee that I was going to make an application.

“I was soon informed that we would be getting the full amount of money for the new mower and it arrived a couple of weeks after we had ordered it.”

The Dennis FT510 is highly regarded by many who tend to bowling greens and it is easy to see why. With a 51cm working width, the FT510 provides its user with comfort, flexibility and excellent performance. A true sense of control is obtained through the full variable speed on the rear roller and the drive means that power will not be lost when carrying out tougher jobs such as scarification.

Available with five-bladed and ten-bladed cutting cylinders the machine can be matched to any situation and the interchangeable cassettes can be speedily changed without the requirement of tools. The range of 11 different cassettes mean that one machine can be used for several key maintenance tasks including scarifying, verticutting or brushing. These features combined with the tool-free click system of adjusting the height of cut are all elements which Mike believes has made life easier for the volunteers at Lerwick Bowls Club.

“I had used a Dennis mower at my previous cricket club, so I knew that it would be a reliable, well-made machine.

“The power unit arrived with cutting, scarifier, and verticutter cassettes and has worked up to our high expectations. We hope to get the best results from our proposed autumn work. The speed with which the cassettes can be changed is a real bonus and the whole machine is so much lighter than the one we used previously.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

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