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Mansfield Sand gets the game on

Mansfield Sand gets the game on: Paul Loader, Site Co-ordinator for Worcestershire FA, believes that MM40 from Mansfield Sand has helped to prevent several games from being cancelled due to bad weather.

An ambitious site move recently signalled Worcestershire FA’s commitment to providing a space for football to develop in the county. The new state of the art site, situated at Claines Lane, Worcester, now plays host to several local football teams including Worcester City FC.

Mansfield Sand gets the game on

Mansfield Sand gets the game on

With the new facility up and running, the games quickly came thick and fast, and the turf naturally received a lot of wear and tear. There was, however, a key ingredient missing from the pitch according to Paul.

“This pitch is clay based so when it is wet it takes a long time to dry out. Also, the pitch doesn’t have any drainage and therefore an application of sand was recommended by a company I work quite closely with.

“It was something we had never properly used before, so we decided to go ahead with it.”

It was at this point that Paul turned to Mansfield Sand.

Mansfield Sand is a company with history and pedigree – in fact, its origins can be traced as far back to 1840. It has been a long-standing pioneer in the development and production of premium sand-based products and boasts the most up-to-date and advanced equipment currently in the industry.

From winter sports pitches, golf courses, bowling greens and all amenity turf areas – Mansfield Sand has a solution for all.

Paul applied 90 tonnes of MM40 which is sourced directly from the Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield where the company produces its renowned Mansil range of Silica Sands. MM40 is a medium sand which is predominantly used in the construction and maintenance of a wide range of sports surfaces.

Mansfield Sand gets the game on

Mansfield Sand gets the game on

This product was applied in May last year, and Paul has seen the benefits.

“The sand has made a huge difference,” he said. “Since applying it I have been able to get the majority of games on, even throughout the winter and that is what it is all about. Without the sand I would have lost possibly 8 or 9 games based on previous years.

“I have noticed that the ground is a lot firmer, and more stable and flatter with a lot less bobbles. Ultimately, we are always looking at how we can make the site better and this sand has certainly signalled a big improvement.”

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow

John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow: John Deere will hold an open day at its Apprentice Training Centre this May in a bid to recruit the next generation of technicians to work across its agriculture, turf and parts business.

The company’s revered and respected apprenticeship programme has been running for more than 30 years, helping more than 1,200 apprentices qualify through on-the-job practical learning alongside classroom studies.

John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow

John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow

The John Deere Training Centre at Upper Saxondale, near Nottingham, opened last year, providing state-of-the-art facilities where apprentices complete their two or three-year course while simultaneously working within the John Deere dealership network.

“It’s a really exciting time to be part of the agricultural and turfcare industries,” says Allan Cochran, John Deere Branch Training Manager.

“It’s a highly technical and innovative sector, which means our apprentices get to work with some of the most advanced pieces of kit in the world.

“It’s not just servicing and fixing tractors. If you want to earn while you learn and be part of a huge, global brand with a reputation for ground-breaking innovations, then a John Deere apprenticeship could be the perfect start to your career.”

John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow

John Deere to open doors to the talent of tomorrow

John Deere and the scheme’s training provider, ProVQ, will provide a tour of the training centre on Wednesday 3 May and Thursday 4 May, offering those interested in becoming apprentices the chance to meet the instructors, see the facilities, learn about the John Deere brand, and hear how their careers can grow with the world’s largest manufacturer of agricultural and groundscare equipment.

Sessions will last up to two hours and will outline what John Deere can offer a prospective apprentice, the journey through the Ag Tech, Turf Tech or Parts Tech programmes, plus the John Deere career path once certified.

“This is a unique opportunity to view the learning facilities on offer and talk to those who know all about the programmes,” says Mr Cochran.

The three John Deere apprenticeship programmes include Ag Tech – focusing on agricultural machinery, Turf Tech – focusing on professional turf equipment, and Parts Tech – focusing on parts service and support.

The events are free to attend but you must pre-book a session as places are limited.

To book visit: jdapprenticeships.eventbrite.co.uk

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MM60 stands firm for the Rhinos

MM60 stands firm for the Rhinos: MM60 grass seed has helped Ryan Golding, Head Groundsperson at Leeds Rhinos, to achieve a consistently good surface all year-round despite it being the busiest ever on record.

Ryan has been working at Headingley Stadium for nearly twenty years and has been the Head Groundsperson for nine of those. As one of the most highly used surfaces in professional sport, it is safe to say that he and his three members of staff have their work cut out: “This job is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is a 365-day operation,” he said.

MM60 stands firm for the Rhinos

MM60 stands firm for the Rhinos

The pitch at Headingley Stadium had over 100 usages last year which was particularly high due to several Rugby World Cup fixtures taking place. With such heavy and consistent use, a grass seed with a good wear tolerance is essential, and that is why Ryan did his research before choosing MM60.

“I originally went round to see a few venues which I knew used MM60 and the people who used it all gave good feedback,” he said. “After speaking to Matt Gresty (MM Sales and Marketing Manager) I quickly realised that it is a great company to deal with. It was refreshing that they really wanted to work with us and take the time to find out everything about our pitch and our goals. I know it sounds cliché, but Matt is always on the other end of the phone if I need them – even at weekends.

“We now use MM60 for everything including overseeding, renovating, for when we recover heavy wear areas or for hand seeding.”

MM60 grass seed is renowned for producing an excellent playing surface in a stadium environment. It is a 100% Ryegrass formula which is perfect for renovation and divot repair, has a high disease resistance, fantastic aesthetic qualities and offers extremely fast germination – which is boosted by the inclusion of Headstart® GOLD.  it is a natural revolutionary grass seed treatment that ensures rapid germination and is perfect for enhancing performance on grass seed coatings for sports fields, golf courses, lawns and amenity turf.

MM60 stands firm for the Rhinos

MM60 stands firm for the Rhinos

“Disease tolerance is one of MM60’s best features, as is the speed of root mass and density, which is highly important because we are a fibresand pitch,” continued Ryan. “With having rugby on it, these guys are a lot heavier than footballers, and they are moving forward and back all the time, so we need to have a consistently firm, stable surface. MM60 gives us that.

“Recently, we had a winter concert on January 7 and then had to recover around 2,000 sq.m of grass from scratch before a game on January 29. We would not have been able to do that without MM60.”

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s website www.mm-seeds.co.uk.

You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed.

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Aspen return to The Arb Show

Aspen return to The Arb Show: Highlighting the benefits of ethanol-free alkylate fuel for machinery, people and the planet, Aspen will be back at The Arb Show on stand A08, as it returns to Westonbirt Arboretum this May.

Celebrating 35 years as pioneers of alkylate fuel during 2023, Aspen are delighted to be extending their ‘Experience the Difference’ trial – giving businesses the opportunity to use the 2 and 4-stroke fuel risk-free and discover the improvements for themselves… or get their money-back!

Aspen return to The Arb Show

Aspen return to The Arb Show

Being free from ethanol, benzene and most other hazardous hydrocarbons found in traditional pump petrol, Aspen Fuel powers a cleaner, greener workstyle for many leading landscape, arboriculture and ground care professionals. The cleaner burn achieved with Aspen not only makes for a more pleasant operator environment, but engine performance is maintained without many of the costly reliability issues associated with component failure – particularly when equipment is left for extended periods in storage.

Concerns around the cost or logistics can often delay the decision to make the switch to Aspen which triggered the ‘Experience the Difference’ offer, meaning business owners can trial the fuel without incurring any additional cost. “We typically find that most companies overestimate their total annual fuel consumption” explains Business Development Manager Axel Hildebrand. “Through this initiative, people discover the simple accounting and all the sustainability benefits of protecting equipment, operators and the surrounding environment that makes Aspen an option too good to ignore.”

One of those who knows how advantageous Aspen can be is Tony Gascoyne who has been using Aspen Alkylate fuel in his business, The Arborist Limited, since 2016. Tony, along with the Aspen team, will be on stand A08 across the two days to answer any visitor questions and discuss his own first-hand experience of using Aspen in his day-to-day tree management operation.

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EVO expansion under the spotlight

EVO expansion under the spotlight: After a four-year absence, May sees the return of The Arb Show, with GreenMech back and kickstarting their 30th anniversary celebrations with a showcase of their revolutionary EVO series.

The 2019 event was the launch platform for the EVO 165 range which, from introduction, set the benchmark for its category. EVO models are now available in both 6” and 8” capacities and in road-tow and tracked formats, many of which will be on display at Westonbirt Arboretum on stand C09-C10.

EVO expansion under the spotlight

EVO expansion under the spotlight

Launched in 6” diesel format, the EVO boasts more aggressive torque, more powerful bite and improved throughput. A petrol EVO 165P model quickly followed before the ‘big brother’ arrived in the form of the powerful 8” EVO 205D. GreenMech’s long and illustrious reputation for providing the ultimate tracked offering continues with the EVO Series, with fixed track, SAFE-Trak and SURE-Trak options now available.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to witness the performance first hand on GreenMech’s dedicated demonstration area, located on stand D06.

In addition to showcasing a selection of machines from the EVO Series, The Arb Show will be the first UK outing for the ECO 135 – a new concept 5” capacity entry-level woodchipper, ideally suited to the more price-conscious arborist, landscaper and rental markets.

The entire GreenMech range comes with a 3-year, no-quibble guarantee and the support of their nationwide dealer network. The team will also be on hand across the two days to answer any questions and explain the variety of flexible finance options available via GreenMech Finance.

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