Tag Archive for: Service

Superior service seals the deal

Superior service seals the deal: The combination of an Arborist 130 and SAFE-Trak 19-28 from GreenMech are proving the perfect pair for Heartwood Tree Care, providing Owner Gavin Coles the versatility he needs on his fleet to undertake both small domestic work and larger-scale commercial projects.

Gavin made the switch to GreenMech earlier this year following reliability and support issues with another manufacturer, both of which are now a thing of the past with his GreenMech pair delivering quality performance, backed-up with first class dealer support.

Superior service seals the deal

Superior service seals the deal

Gavin and his team of two undertake tree-works for customers and a number of large estates across Kent and the South East. “Each job poses different challenges, but the main one is normally access – whether we’ve got to work on small, tight driveways or get equipment across uneven or soft ground” explains Gavin, who established Heartwood Tree Care 17 years ago. “Because of this, we like having road-tow and tracked chipper options available to us, but after reliability problems and some lacklustre customer support I lost all confidence in our previous brand.”

“I hadn’t used GreenMech chippers before but got in touch with our local dealer GA Groundcare Ltd who invited me along to their depot, where I was instantly impressed by the quality and design of the machines. You can tell they’ve really thought about how we operate, and this was also clear in the demonstration I had so I went ahead and purchased the two units to run side-by-side.”

The GreenMech Arborist 130 is powered by a 23hp petrol engine and features a generous in-feed hopper and no-stress feed system to process bushy brash or timber of up to 6” with ease. Gavin adds, “The large infeed is brilliant at pulling in awkward shapes and as a road-tow unit, is super portable for jobs in residential areas or those further away where you don’t want to take a trailer.” Complementing his Arborist 130 is a GA Groundcare refurbished 19-28 SAFE-Trak, featuring a 7.5” chipping capacity and GreenMech’s patented SAFE-Trak system which, with impressive ground clearance of 550mm, allows for safe traversing of uneven ground of embankments of up to 35o.

“This SAFE-Trak is proving to be a ‘go anywhere’ machine, which saves us so much time and labour by being able to take the chipper exactly where we want to use it. The flywheel drive belt tensioning system and engine bay layout is also better and more accessible on these two GreenMech chippers compared to previous models I’ve used.”

Together with the impressive performance, Gavin has also been delighted with the service received throughout the purchasing process from GreenMech and Ashley Stevens at GA Groundcare. “From the first phone call it was evident Ashley really knew his stuff, there were no questions he couldn’t answer!” He concludes, “In this profession, issues are always bound to crop up but ultimately it’s about how quickly these can be resolved and with GreenMech I know I’m in safe hands.”

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Trencher Hire service just the job

Trencher Hire service just the job: A Toro TRX-16 pedestrian trencher – supplied with operator – dug-out 400 metres of trenching in challenging land conditions in just one and a half days to the delight of customer Steve Stringfellow.

Steve, who lives in a remote farmhouse in Lincolnshire, wanted to lay a new water line from his house to the main water main, as the old existing iron water pipe ran across the farmer’s field and during ploughing often got damaged.

Trencher Hire service just the job

Trencher Hire service just the job

He commented: “We expected some problems with the property being built in 1850. The ground is fairly heavy clay agricultural land, with lots of trees and other obstacles within it. My initial reaction was to get a JCB for the job, but realised that this would have caused a great deal of disruption. I also calculated that around 84 tons of sand would have been needed to backfill the trenches, which would have proved costly both in terms of buying the sand and the labour needed to do the work.

“One of my colleagues, who had used Trencher Hire UK in the past, recommended them. When I contacted the Operations Manager Steve Kingdom, he ran through a few options open to me and I selected a Toro TRX-16 with operator.

“Not only was the trencher cheaper to hire than a JCB but, with its narrow-gauge cutter, could access areas a digger couldn’t. In addition, the narrow neat channels created by the Toro meant that probably only 30 tons of sand would be needed to backfill afterwards – saving both material and labour costs compared to a digger.

“The trencher operator Paul was brilliant and cracked on with the job straight away, but was also honest and upfront highlighting patches of ground where he could not get the Toro through and had to find another path.

“The new 32mm water pipe has been re-routed, but did have to pass over the old one and Paul was able to dig down without damaging it.

Most of the trenching was dug-out to a depth of 650mm and 100mm wide, but in some places adjustments were needed to be made because of large rocks and other obstacles. This meant that in some areas he only dug down to a depth of 500mm, or even as low as 400mm.

“I could not fault the service from Trencher Hire – it was ‘spot-on’. They arrived on time, did the job that they agreed to do and with no excess costs.

To find out how Trencher Hire UK call help, contact us on: 0121 751 9319, or email: team@trencherhire.com or visit our website: www.trencherhire.com

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Weedingtech launch Foamstream rental service

Weedingtech launch Foamstream rental service: Weedingtech, developers of the world-leading herbicide-free weed control product Foamstream, have announced the launch of a brand-new rental service – available to customers throughout the UK.

The introduction of the new hire programme provides a fantastic opportunity for people to quickly and easily discover the environmentally-friendly Foamstream solution for complete weed and moss control, eliminating the sometimes lengthy and complex capital procurement process.

Weedingtech launch Foamstream rental service

Weedingtech launch Foamstream rental service

Since its launch in 2011, Foamstream has redefined non-herbicidal vegetation control. Its patented low-pressure process combines hot water and a biodegradable foam, made from natural plant oils and sugars, which acts as an ‘insulation blanket’ to retain the heat and keep the water in the ‘kill zone’ for longer. In addition to eradicating the plant, Foamstream also sterilises surrounding seeds and spores that haven’t yet germinated, providing a long-lasting solution that is safe to use around people, animals and sensitive environments including water courses.

A recent study into the overall efficiency of Foamstream, conducted by the University of Athens, concluded that its performance was comparable to that of Glyphosate, and it appeared to surpass the results of a number of other non-chemical methods which only provided a moderate level of weed control. Effective and easy to apply, Foamstream is delivered through one of Weedingtech’s industry-leading machines. The range is mountable on an array of vehicles and UTV’s and encapsulates different power options to deliver the perfect combination to meet the requirements of clients in all areas of grounds and green space management.

The new rental package includes 100L of the organically-certified foam, the latest high-specification machinery and full technical training for a set weekly rate. In addition, an information of things (IOT) tracker is included as standard, to provide accurate measurement of output and ongoing remote support. Discounts are available for long-term hire of more than six months, with an additional option to purchase the equipment if desired, where 80% of the rental value is returned.

Not only does this new service provide a cost-effective option to those looking for a ‘greener’ solution to weed control, the Foamstream machines can deliver additional value when used for other outdoor cleaning tasks such as gum removal, power washing and sanitisation. For more information, or to request a rental quote, visit www.weedingtech.com

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Turf Tank expands UK Service Team

Turf Tank expands UK Service Team: Danish robotics company, Turf Tank is expanding their UK customer service team with the appointment of Liam Pindred as UK Sales and Service Support Specialist.

With demand for the Turf Tank One robotic line-marker increasing in the UK, the company wants to continue their investment in the sales and support team. The appointment of Liam adds a very experienced industry professional to the group.

Turf Tank expands UK Service Team

Turf Tank expands UK Service Team

After completing an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering, Liam joined Reesink Turf Care as a Service Engineer and progressed to Service Technician before a three-year spell as Service Manager for East Anglia.

Liam’s technical and industry knowledge will be invaluable to Turf Tank as they continue to grow and expand their service offering in the UK market. For Liam, it is an opportunity to join a young a company where he can be a part of the process for growth and use his experience to shape the service department.

“Turf Tank is a growing company with big plans, and that is what drew me towards this job,” Liam explains. “Their team is extremely enthusiastic with ambitious ideas for the UK. They want to grow in the market and have a plan in place to achieve it. It is exciting for me to be a part of that at this stage where we can work to shape the service and support that Turf Tank offers customers going forward.

“I’ve spent considerable time in Denmark for my training, where I was introduced to the company and how the business operates. I was also shown the robot and how to use it, gaining valuable experience seeing it from a new user’s perspective. With my engineering experience I can develop an in-depth understanding of the product to ensure we can build an excellent back-up service for the UK customers.

UK Regional Sales Manager for Turf Tank, Matt Murray is delighted to have Liam on-board. “For the people using it and for those that will be using it, the Turf Tank One is a time-saving tool that they come to rely on. Expanding the services side of the team at this stage means there won’t be a drop off in back-up for our existing customers as we expand. Instead, they’ll continue getting the excellent service they have been receiving and expect.” he said.

Liam’s addition to the team signals an exciting time for the company as it continues to develop their business infrastructure in the UK and Ireland to serve a wide range of customers from professional football clubs to grassroots sports clubs, plus educational establishments, local authorities, and contractors.

For more information on the Turf Tank One or to have a demonstration contact alex@turftank.co.uk (southern UK) or matt@turftank.co.uk (northern UK).

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Reesink’s Master Service Technician award

Reesink’s Master Service Technician award: David Creasy, first response technician for Reesink Turfcare’s Sheffield Park branch, has been awarded Master Service Technician status for completing one of the most stringent and comprehensive training courses in the industry.

Reesink UK’s Master Service Technician programme is specifically designed to provide the most thorough training for technicians, ensuring their skillset is updated and meets the demands of the industry’s continuous evolution. Advanced modules ranging from First Aid Safety Training to Advanced Sprayer Service are covered.

Reesink's Master Service Technician award

Reesink’s Master Service Technician award

So, what was it that appealed to David about undertaking the course? He says: “A huge proportion of our customers work for golf clubs that are in the top 100 courses in the UK and 89 of our contacts are Master Greenkeepers. Since 99 percent of my role is customer-facing, it was only ever going to be advantageous for me to have the highest level of training there is to give the best possible advice and service.”

David says when it comes to education and training in the industry, it has for many years favoured turf, with very little available to help support the use of machines and getting the best possible results from them.

He says: “I’ve been working in the industry since leaving college in 1998 and it’s always been important to me to be able to get additional qualifications, but I’ve found education and training for technicians and workshop mechanics and those in the maintenance and servicing side of the industry to be lagging behind the rest. When Reesink launched the Master Service Technician programme I just thought: “thank goodness for that” and applied! It’s really needed to help progression in the sector.

“So often these incredibly advanced and high technological machines just aren’t being used to their full capabilities. It’s given me great job satisfaction to know I can help make sure customers take full advantage of what the machines can do, keeping them in the best possible condition and making their job that much easier.”

The training fits in well around work requirements, explains David, who was on track to have completed the course over a year ago but COVID meant his final training modules had to be put on hold: “It’s an absolutely fantastic course, really thorough and well-rounded, taking everything to that next level. It’s well-arranged, with a mix of practical and theory work and a test at the end of every module.”

Lee Rowbotham, service manager at Reesink, says: “We designed this training to be flexible. It fits in around work requirements for participants and the fact that David confirms this to be the case proves the model is effective and bodes well for its longevity. It’s a huge achievement for David to become Reesink’s first Master Service Technician, he’s worked really hard and put in the extra work to achieve his goal.”

A lot of training and courses were put on hold in 2020 due to the pandemic, but Lee says there is renewed interest in uptake now with Reesink seeing training requests double each week: “There’s a lot of interest in training at the moment and it’s easy to understand why: the benefits it brings not just to the individual but for the customer too seem endless.”

Master Service Technician training is available to all those working in Reesink’s extensive dealer network. To find out more about this and the training course available from Reesink, one of the most comprehensive from a turfcare machinery and equipment distributor in the country, visit reesinkturfcare.co.uk/resources/training-courses

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