Tag Archive for: SISIS

Dennis & SISIS partner with Staffordshire FA

/in , /by

Dennis & SISIS partner with Staffordshire FA: Dennis and SISIS and the Staffordshire Football Association have announced a new partnership which is set to benefit grassroots pitches throughout the county.

For nearly 100 years Dennis and SISIS have been providing world class turf maintenance equipment; from Premier League to grassroots sports clubs, there are solutions available to suit all surfaces and budgets.

Dennis & SISIS partner with Staffordshire FA

Dennis & SISIS partner with Staffordshire FA

The two British manufacturers have been long-term supporters of grassroots sports; frequently offering training and education to eager-to-learn volunteers. The new partnership with the Staffordshire FA is set to benefit grassroots football and will be a key component in the Football Association’s goal of improving a total of 20,000 grass pitches across England over the next decade.

“We have just over 1,100 pitches in total across the county,” said Staffordshire FA Partnerships and Communications Officer, Gareth Thomas. “This consists of local authority pitches, educational sites, privately owned pitches, and that is everything from 11-a-side down to mini soccer. We’ve got approximately 500 clubs which equates to about 2000 teams, and we want all of those teams playing on the best surfaces they can.”

Toby Clarke, of Dennis and SISIS, praised the work of Staffordshire FA and revealed the companies delight at being a part of the programme.

“The Staffordshire FA is a very pro-active organisation and Gareth and his team, which consists of Andy Jackson (Stoke FC Grounds Manager), Kevin Duffill (GMA Regional Pitch Advisor) and Kevin Staples (Staffordshire FA Head of Delivery), work extremely hard for grassroots football.

“We are looking forward to supporting Gareth, Andy, Kevin and Kevin, out in the field to help provide the clubs with the right machines for the right jobs.”

The FA’s grass pitch improvement strategy has been a huge success with over 6,000 pitches already benefiting throughout the UK. The strategy enables grassroots football clubs, who manage and maintain their own pitches, to gain significant funding to support them in improving their pitches on an annual basis.

Gareth continued: “I have been challenged, as part of my role, to try and generate partnerships which can help our grass pitch programme be as impactful as it can be.

“For us, having such a recognised partner as Dennis and SISIS on-board, adds a huge amount of value to what we are trying to achieve. We want clubs to have the right equipment for the job and we know that Dennis and SISIS supply that equipment – they have a fantastic track record for doing that in this county.

“We look forward to having the support of Dennis and SISIS – not just for the equipment but also from the educational support they provide as well.”

A video about the partnership can be viewed by visiting https://youtu.be/fPFpyX3h9Ck

Further information about the range of maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery.

You can also view the latest Dennis and SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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.

SISIS Flexibrush gets results at Greetham

/in , /by

SISIS Flexibrush gets results at Greetham: After the withdrawal of certain chemicals, Adi Porter, Course Manager at Greetham Valley Golf Club, has found the SISIS Flexibrush to be an ideal solution for dispersing worm casts.

Adi has been working at the East Midlands club for nearly thirty years and throughout that time he has seen it become one of the finest golf, hotel, leisure and conference venues in the area.

SISIS Flexibrush gets results at Greetham

SISIS Flexibrush gets results at Greetham

“We made a conscious effort to really push the standards,” said Adi. “It enabled us to significantly improve the presentation and we went from strength to strength. We soon found our membership at full capacity and had to put a waiting list in place – which was unheard of for clubs in this area.”

Under his remit, Adi is responsible for the maintenance of two 18-hole courses and a 9-hole course, a driving range, and a bowling green. Standards to Adi are everything, and he leaves no stone unturned when it comes to presenting ‘picture perfect’ facilities. It is for this reason, that he admits to being frustrated by an all-too-common issue.

“Worms are becoming more and more of a problem on every sports surface because we lost the chemical control a few years ago,” he said. “Here at Greetham, the worm population has undoubtedly increased and the worm casts can be a nuisance. If they are not kept on top of then they just get smeared into the grass with the golf that is played and foot traffic, trolleys and buggies.”

In looking for a non-chemical solution, Adi, who has been a long-term user of SISIS machinery, decided to investigate the SISIS Flexibrush.

The Flexibrush is a tractor mounted brush which is equally effective to disperse top dressing and remove excess material on natural turf and on synthetic surfaces. The versatile Flexibrush can also be used for dew dispersal and striping for improved presentation. It has a 5.35 metre working width, its brush sections float to follow ground contours and the outer sections fold for transport and storage.

A demonstration was arranged at the start of 2020 and Adi has not looked back since.

“It is a fantastic, quick and cost-effective way of removing or dispersing worm casts,” said Adi. “What really sold it to me is the size of it – some of the other brushes on the market for outfields and fairways are a lot narrower and I don’t think there is one wider than the Flexibrush.

“It is very productive, and we can easily do 36 holes in a day. I also like the fact that it folds up quicky – you can easily move it about the course, through trees and from fairway to fairway.

“Another main reason for purchasing it was so that we can use it for presentation,” he continued. “We will use it for brushing before mowing to stand the grass up because it provides a better cut. Also, in the autumn and winter months when we are not actually cutting the grass, we can still present a fairway nicely by striping with the Flexibrush.

“It’s been a great purchase for us and as always we get a great service and back-up from SISIS,” Adi concluded.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter or Instagram @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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.

SISIS Litamina saves manpower

/in , , /by

SISIS Litamina saves manpower: Leaf collection was once a three-man job but is now a one-man job according to Mark Jaques, deputy head greenkeeper at Gillingham Golf Club – thanks to the SISIS Litamina 1200.

Gillingham Golf Club has been situated in Medway, Kent for well over a century. Originally constructed and owned by the army, the course was upgraded in the 1990s and presents a challenge for golfers of all levels. It is a short parkland course boasting some of the fastest greens in the area and is lined with a substantial number of trees – which can cause a problem.

SISIS Litamina saves manpower

SISIS Litamina saves manpower

“Due to the sheer number of trees, we have to constantly keep on top of the fallen leaves – hence the reason we bought the Litamina 1200,” said Mark.

Mark has been at the club for three years and admits that this year has, unsurprisingly, been the most challenging.

“It has been a tough year. We lost a couple of greenkeepers due to the financial restraints of the pandemic and we are now currently down to three members of staff. On top of that, because no golf has been played, the members came back expecting the course to be in the best condition ever. With reduced manpower we had to work hard and make sure it was perfect. Every member of staff, every single piece of equipment and every single product needed to be at its absolute best.

“I would say that the Litamina has been absolutely vital – transformed the way we work in fact.”

Before the SISIS Litamina, Mark and the team used a tractor mounted leaf blower, in which they would blow the fallen leaves from one end of the course to another.

“It was a three-man operation and if the wind were to blow in a different direction, then we would find ourselves constantly blowing leaves around the whole course,” he said. “It was so time consuming and with three members of staff there was no way we could continue doing this.”

Mark claims that he knew the Litamina was the machine he needed straight away because he used one in a previous greenkeeping role. A demonstration was quickly arranged, and he purchased it on the spot.

The SISIS Litamina 1200 is a compact sweeper for efficient collection for unwanted debris or leaves from fine turf and outfield turf, and from sand filled or rubber crumb synthetic surfaces. Ideally suited to follow ground contours it collects a wide range of debris including leaves, pine needles, grass, thatch, cores, litter and its effective sweeping brushes help to keep surfaces free of contamination.

SISIS Litamina saves manpower

SISIS Litamina saves manpower

“Thanks to the Litamina, leaf collecting is now a one-man job – it sweeps and picks them up in one pass. We then move them into the woods where they become compost and will be used for soil one day,” he said. “The Litamina will be out daily at the moment because the leaves are constantly falling; so, one day a member of staff will clear half of the course and the next day he will clear the remaining half – and then so on. Those leaves won’t be seen again.

“The manpower it has saved us has been golden,” continued Mark. “It really does free up so much time and enables us to get on with other important maintenance tasks and as a small team that is invaluable.

“I like the brush on it too and you can see how it lifts the grasses up – we actually use it as an opportunity to go behind with a mower. This, for me, is an added benefit as it helps with presentation. I would say that the course is the tidiest it has ever been and it hasn’t gone un-noticed by the members – a lot of them comment on how easy it is to find balls now!

“It is also extremely easy to assemble on to the back of our tractor and because it is manufactured by SISIS you know it is going to be reliable. The Litamina offers a certain peace of mind – at the end of the day, the leaves don’t stop falling and we need to be on top of that to keep the members happy.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

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.

Dennis and SISIS join AGIF

/in , /by

Dennis and SISIS join AGIF: Dennis Mowers and SISIS Equipment, leading British manufacturers of innovative professional sports grounds maintenance equipment, have become a member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation (AGIF).

Divisions of the Howardson Group, Dennis and SISIS have more than 90 years of experience helping people create their desired end result and have invested heavily in the future with new products, new facilities, latest machine tools, people skills and design technology.

Dennis and SISIS join AGIF

Dennis and SISIS join AGIF

Synonymous with reliable, high-quality equipment and after sales service, Dennis and SISIS offer a wide range of cylinder mowers, scarifiers, aerators, slitters, sweepers and brushes that enable groundsmen, greenkeepers and gardeners to create their perfect surface.

“Our machines are used at high profile international stadia around the world, many top football, cricket, golf and bowling clubs as well as local authorities, schools, colleges and universities,” said Toby Clarke, the company’s International Business Director.

“Our reputation is built not only on the quality of our products but also on the high level of customer and technical support provided by our experienced field and office-based teams and our professional dealership network. We are committed to exceeding expectations by the loyalty customers place in our brand, products and people.

“I’ve been working here for 26 years and all I’ve seen is growth. To see the company develop in this way and to be a part of it now at a more management and strategic level is fantastic,” added Clarke.

Dennis and SISIS have been long-time supporters of industry associations and are corporate members of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), STRI (formerly the Sports Turf Research Institute), the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations (FEGGA), the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) and Sports and Play Construction Association (SAPCA).

Clarke said: “We’re delighted to expand our reach by becoming a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation. From tee-to-green, Dennis and SISIS provide a full range of equipment for all golf course maintenance requirements. Superintendents, owners, technicians and other golf management professionals can look forward to seeing a great line-up of products at forthcoming events around the region, including November’s AGIF Expo in Bangkok.”

Eric Lynge, the AGIF’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Dennis and SISIS have long been respected and trusted names in the turf maintenance industry in the United Kingdom and Europe. We look forward to working with Toby and his colleagues and helping them to enhance their businesses in Asia.”

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.

Inspirational Dennis & SISIS Seminar

/in , , /by

Inspirational Dennis & SISIS Seminar: The aptly named Storm Dennis certainly didn’t prevent the annual Dennis and SISIS groundcare seminar from going ahead, and by all accounts it once again inspired, educated and offered real solutions. 

Hosted at the Durham County Cricket Club’s Emirates Riverside Stadium on 18th February, over 150 volunteers and professionals representing schools, sports clubs, local authorities and contractors from all over the UK experienced a truly memorable day.

Inspirational Dennis & SISIS Seminar

Inspirational Dennis & SISIS Seminar

Marcus North, Durham Director of Cricket and former Australian batsman, kick-started the event much to the delight of the attendees. The left-handed batsman, who played 21 Tests for his country and played for five counties in England, proceeded to offer a unique insight into all the various pitches he has played on throughout the world. Not only did his talk offer a glimpse into an international cricket player’s perspective but it also offered an interesting insight into a club’s relationship with the groundstaff.

Iain James from TGMS Ltd followed with a plethora of advice on the construction and maintenance of a cricket pitch. No stone was left unturned as Iain went through every stage of a construction process offering some valuable tips to those who carry out the work in-house but also presented the questions one should be asking of a contractor. Lots of notes were taken as Iain covered the six key stages of construction – planning, design, build, grow-in, preparation and play.

Seminar delegates were then pleased to hear from the Institute of Groundsmanship’s Ian Powell who provided a number of helpful tips in his presentation entitled ‘Principles of decision making for pre-season preparations’. Ian discussed the utmost important aspects of pre-season preparations including seeding, rolling, scarification and nutrition.

Rounding off the morning in style, delegates had a rare opportunity to listen to and question an incredible line-up of some of the industry’s finest groundsmen. Hosted by Vic Demain (Durham CCC), this new feature entitled Groundsmans Corner, saw a panel of experts including Keith Kent (Head Pitch Advisor for Rugby Groundsmen Connected), Jim Dawson (Head Groundsman at BT Murrayfield), Karl McDermott (Head Groundsman at MCC Lord’s), Sean Williams (Head Groundsman at Gloucestershire CCC) and Gordon Gill (Former Head Groundsman at Bath CC). An interesting range of topics were explored and, in particular, the use of social media in the industry sparked an informative debate.

A complimentary lunch signalled the halfway point, and attendees got the chance to network with one another and gain even more groundcare advice from event sponsors – Limagrain UK, Boughton Loam, Thomas Sherriff, Stuart Canvas, Fleet Line Markers, Cricket World, SIS Pitches, Poweroll, Facility and Sports Club Development and Headland Amenity.

Upon settling down after lunch, Barry Glynn hilariously reflected on his career in ‘Frustrations of a Groundsman: Part 2’ before the legendary Keith Kent proceeded with a presentation entitled ‘Winter Sports Pitches to Cricket Outfields – what do we need to do?’ Delegates were thrilled when Keith drew on his wealth of experience as a groundsman to explore the transformation of winter sports pitches into cricket outfields.

Inspirational Dennis & SISIS Seminar

Inspirational Dennis & SISIS Seminar

In his presentation, Keith described the groundcare industry as a brotherhood; a family in which everyone should be supporting their colleagues and the general consensus in the room at the end of the day was that this event was an exemplary demonstration of camaraderie – no matter what your title or position.

One delegate, Derek Traill of Cricket Scotland, said: “The key message coming out of today’s event is that it is all about communication and to strive to learn off one another – we learn from one another’s experiences, failures and successes and from these we can build on them and improve as one.”

For Ben Weatherall, a young Assistant Groundsman at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, the event was inspirational which will serve him well in his career path: “It was great to get the opportunity to listen to guys like Vic, Keith and Jim. Listening to their stories, their experiences and where they came from was hugely inspiring. In my up and coming career, events like this will help me get to where I want to be.”

One such groundsman who has found exactly where he wants to be is Karl McDermott and he was encouraged to see so many young people in attendance. “Sometimes you go to these kinds of events and it is mostly retired groundsmen that are helping out their local clubs – which is fantastic because they benefit a lot from the advice they receive. However, there has been a real good mix today and we need to look to the future and keep on trying to get the younger generation into this industry.

“Events like this Dennis and SISIS seminar will only help,” he continued. “This is a great chance to network and to chat to people and actually discover that no matter what level you are at, club or recreational to test match level – we all have the same problems.”

Robbie Thackray, Groundsman at the University of Leeds, certainly felt relieved to find out that he is not alone when it comes to certain issues: “I have found it extremely reassuring that everyone is in the same boat,” he said. “We all have the same struggles no matter where we work or what our job title is. Today has been brilliant and offered so many solutions.”

Further information about the range of maintenance products available can be found by visiting www.dennisuk.com / www.sisis.com.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest Dennis and SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery.

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.