Tag Archive for: Strategic

Lantra and BIGGA forge new strategic partnership

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Lantra and BIGGA forge new strategic partnership: The British and International Golf Greenkeeping Association (BIGGA), Lantra and Land-Based Assessment Ltd (LBAL) have commenced a strategic partnership designed to boost skills development across the greenkeeping sector through high quality apprenticeships and robust assessment. The collaboration prioritises clear progression routes via the BIGGA Formal Education Pathway and sector wide Apprenticeship awareness.

The partnership commits to shared evidence and continuous improvement for greenkeeping apprenticeships, with Lantra working closely with BIGGA to support the apprenticeship routes at Level 2, Level 3, and Level 5.

Lantra and BIGGA forge new strategic partnership

Lantra and BIGGA forge new strategic partnership

Lantra will be at BIGGA’s annual flagship event, BTME in January 2026, joining GTC Approved Training Providers at a collaborative exhibition in the GTC Education Hub. Furthermore, to mark the strategic partnership, BIGGA have been announced as a sponsor of the Land-Based and Environment Learner of the Year Awards, which is set to take place later this month at the National Conference Centre, in Solihull.

Commenting on the partnership, Jo-Anne Bryan, Head of Apprenticeships and Standards at Lantra said: “We are really pleased to be partnering with BIGGA on championing apprenticeships within golf greenkeeping.

Apprenticeships are a fantastic opportunity for new entrants starting out as a Golf Greenkeeper, to then progress to an Advanced Sports Turf Technician, at Level 3, and for those wanting to excel to a Golf Course Manager at Level 5. These apprenticeships provide a great career pathway within the industry.

Rob Phillips, Learning and Development Manager – Technical, at BIGGA also commented “This partnership marks an important step forward in uniting our efforts to deliver exceptional education and career development for greenkeepers. By aligning the BIGGA Formal Education Pathway, industry recognized apprenticeship standards, and Lantra’s ongoing commitment to robust assessment, we are creating a clear and credible route for progression that strengthens the future of the profession.”

Together, BIGGA, Lantra, and LBAL will deliver a coordinated programme of promotion and on the ground engagement to strengthen apprenticeship outcomes and professional standards in greenkeeping.

BTME 2026 will take place from 20 to 22 January at the Harrogate Convention Centre, when exhibitors can look forward to an optimised event experience supported by FFAIR’s award-winning technology.

For more information about BIGGA and its various activities including how to become a member, visit www.bigga.org.uk

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MSC Regional Expansion and New Strategic Partner

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MSC Regional Expansion and New Strategic Partner: John Deere and DeLaval announce the Milk Sustainability Center expansion to dairy farmers in more countries and welcome dsm-firmenich as the next strategic partner.

Designed to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of dairy farming operations, the Milk Sustainability Center offers a unique solution by integrating data on crop, animal and feeding performance into one unified platform.

MSC Regional Expansion and New Strategic Partner

MSC Regional Expansion and New Strategic Partner

Developed through a joint effort initiated in September 2023, the Milk Sustainability Center empowers farmers to optimize their operations, reduce environmental impact and become more profitable.

Dairy farmers can use the Milk Sustainability Center to monitor nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) across their farm, herd, and fields. It provides insights to help farmers manage nutrient utilization effectively and reduce the need for manual data input. Today, dairy farmers can already choose to create automized data flow to MSC from 30 herd-, milking- and feeding software. Farmers can also invite their consultants, dealers, veterinarians and other partners to access the platform.

Regional Expansion

The Milk Sustainability Center is designed to serve dairy farmers, independent of their farm machinery brands, feeding technology, milking equipment brands, or herd management software. It is now fully available in 13 countries across North America and Europe (full list of countries see below). Farmers can easily subscribe free of charge at

www.milksustainabilitycenter.com.

The highly innovative digital ecosystem addresses evolving sustainability standards and the growing demands for sustainable practices in dairy farming.

Alexander Berges, Production System Manager at John Deere says, “We’re already working on future additions like benchmarking and recommendations functionality. This will further help farmers being more profitable while improving their sustainability.”

dsm-firmenich New Strategic Partner

dsm-firmenich joins the Milk Sustainability Center as a Strategic Partner. It’s software Sustell™ is the industry leading lifecycle assessment (LCA) solution that helps the agricultural industry measure and improve sustainability performance. This partnership will allow primary data to flow from MSC to the Sustell™ software, if the farmer agrees. This will further enhance MSC functionality with extra Sustell™ data sources and certified carbon footprint calculations, supporting the customers to drive profitable environmental improvements.

Dr. David Nickell, Vice President of Sustainability and Business Solutions at dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health, commented: “The partnership between the Milk Sustainability Center and dsm-firmenich makes environmental impact assessment scalable and easier to implement. This will enable value chain partners to regularly track sustainability performance and to understand where and how to make profitable improvements with credible and transparent data and insights.”

Lars Bergmann, Executive Vice President of Digital Service at DeLaval, explains: “We aim to unify the industry to support dairy farmers improving their sustainability footprint. Partnerships like this will provide farmers with integrated tools that simplify automatic data flow, and enhance herd and field performance, which will support long-term sustainability goals.

Processors and consumer goods companies will benefit from a more transparent supply chain, strengthened by verifiable sustainability credentials.”

The Milk Sustainability Center welcomes partners in addition to Dinamica Generale and dsm-firmenich to join its mission to provide farmers with the comprehensive data and insights needed for a holistic view of the efficiency and sustainability in their dairy operations. For more information, potential partners are welcome to contact us at:

inquiries@milksustainabilitycenter.com

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BIGGA and GroundsFest Announce Strategic Industry Partnership

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BIGGA and GroundsFest Announce Strategic Industry Partnership: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), organisers of BTME, and GroundsFest are proud to announce a new collaboration aimed at strengthening both events while bringing together professionals from across the grounds care, landscaping, and golf sectors.

The partnership will see BIGGA and GroundsFest working closely on joint initiatives throughout the year, including attending and supporting each other’s events, hosting tailored educational content, and working together on joint marketing campaigns.At the heart of the collaboration is a shared desire to encourage crossover between both event communities – helping professionals discover the value that each show offers. It’s a fantastic opportunity for community-building and cross-sector engagement. From greenkeepers and grounds managers to landscapers and contractors, the partnership aims to unite the wider industry.

BIGGA and GroundsFest Announce Strategic Industry Partnership

BIGGA and GroundsFest Announce Strategic Industry Partnership

The complementary nature of the two events makes them natural partners: BTME is a long-established, much-loved winter event held in January in the scenic surroundings of Harrogate, while GroundsFest offers a vibrant, hands-on summer experience where visitors can see live equipment demonstrations in action.

Quote from Jim Croxton, CEO, BIGGA:

“We at BIGGA are hugely proud of our flagship event, BTME, and the positive impact it has, particularly on the golf greenkeeping industry on an annual basis and at a perfect time of the year to give turf managers a much needed boost, be that to their morale, their industry knowledge or their skill set. However it is our ambition to engage with our members and the wider industry far more than just once a year. GroundsFest provides us with a brilliant opportunity to do so at a different time of year and in a very different environment. We are looking forward to engaging with many greenkeepers at Stoneleigh Park this September and to working closely with GroundsFest on a number of initiatives to move our industry forward.”

Speaking on the collaboration, Christopher Bassett, GroundsFest’s Event Director, said:

“The two shows complement one another brilliantly – both in format and timing. BTME is a long-standing and special event, while GroundsFest delivers a dynamic, summer-based event where people can get hands-on with the latest kit. We’re proud to be working with BIGGA, a fantastic association, and we believe this collaboration will bring real value to the industry. We very much see this as a long- term partnership – action-driven and focused on delivering real benefits to the sectors we serve.”

Outside of the two events, BIGGA and GroundsFest are also exploring further educational opportunities. BIGGA is widely recognised for its exceptional training and professional development programmes, and with the recent launch of the GroundsFest Academy, there is clear potential to co-develop training content that supports professionals across the entire industry – from golf greenkeeping to wider grounds and landscape management.

As both events continue to grow, this partnership sets the tone for a more collaborative future for everyone working in grounds care, landscaping, and golf. More updates will be shared soon.

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Strategic realignment at AriensCo

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Strategic realignment at AriensCo: AriensCo announces a change of leadership in the EMEAA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia). This is a logical step in the current generational transition of the family business. The EMEAA region is crucial to drive global growth and strengthen international activities.

Jochen Schneider leaves AriensCo

Jochen Schneider (Executive Vice President AriensCo EMEAA) has left the company with immediate effect. AriensCo thanks him for his commitment and wishes him all the best for his future endeavours.

Strategic realignment at AriensCo

Strategic realignment at AriensCo

Jim Young (Chief Financial Officer at AriensCo) will assume interim responsibility for the region in close coordination with Nick Ariens (President AriensCo) and the Ariens family.

“Looking to the future, we are convinced that greater family involvement in the EMEAA region is crucial to realising our long-term vision,” says Nick Ariens.  “In addition to our home market, the EMEAA region is hugely important for our global development. We want to further strengthen our commitment in this region with the AS-Motor and Ariens brands.”

The innovations that AriensCo presented at demopark 2025 in Eisenach, Europe’s largest open-air exhibition for the green sector, emphasise the strength and future potential of both brands. “Together with our EMEAA team, we look forward to further developing the product portfolio, further expanding our sales channels and growing market share throughout Europe.”

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Green-tech and HC Wraxall Announce Strategic Partnership

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Green-tech and HC Wraxall Announce Strategic Partnership: Green-tech has announced a strategic partnership with HC Wraxall to strengthen its green roof substrate supply in the South of England. This collaboration will see Wraxalls manufacture, bag, and distribute the market-leading Green-tree Intensive substrates.

This collaboration represents the culmination of a longstanding relationship between the two companies, both renowned for their contributions to the UK green roof sector. It reinforces their commitment to raising standards and promoting sustainable practices.

Green-tech and HC Wraxall Announce Strategic Partnership

Green-tech and HC Wraxall Announce Strategic Partnership

Both parties recognised the potential for joining forces to grow their market share in substrate supplies. Wraxalls will manufacture and bag the Green-tree Intensive product in the south. In turn, Green-tech will offer substrate in the north, reducing lead times and transport-related carbon emissions. This arrangement provides both parties with a wider geographical area and the ability to maintain quality product supply.

Green-tech’s range of Green-tree soils and growing media is one of the most comprehensive in the industry. Products are manufactured using organic compost and overburdened sand from quarries, which would otherwise end up in landfills. Green-tree products are used in projects focused on environmental sustainability and maintaining green credentials.

Green-tree substrates have been specified on many green roof projects throughout the UK and are currently serviced from their facilities in North Yorkshire. By aligning with Wraxalls, Green-tech aims to streamline delivery and availability, making it easier to meet growing demand from urban and green infrastructure projects in the South of England and London.

Mark Wood, Business Development Director at Green-tech, commented, “Wraxalls has been a respected supplier and member of the UK green roof sector for many years, and this agreement marks a new chapter in our relationship. With the growth in the UK Green roof sector, expanding our supply capabilities in the south is sensible. Our two companies share common values and goals, and working with Nigel Wraxall and his team to finalise this agreement has been a pleasure. It’s exciting to see Green-tech’s strategy for growth in the market and our push further into Green Blue infrastructure taking shape.”

Nigel Wraxall, Managing Director of HC Wraxall, echoed these sentiments. “I’m delighted to be partnering with Green-tech. I’ve known the business and Mark personally for many years and have been impressed by their approach and ambition. I look forward to increasing our supply in an exciting and rapidly expanding market. Our collective expertise and infrastructure mean customers across the UK will have even better access to high-quality green roof substrates. As demand for sustainable building materials continues to rise, this agreement puts us in a strong position to meet the needs of the industry.”

Production is already underway, with stock available to service the southern market. This partnership solidifies Green-tech and Wraxalls as key players in delivering sustainable and innovative green roof solutions, reinforcing their commitment to advancing the green building movement in the UK.

This collaboration marks a new era in Green-tree substrate availability, providing clients with easier access to sustainable materials while maintaining the highest quality standards and environmental responsibility.

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