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New battery kit contributes to eco aspirations

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New battery kit contributes to eco aspirations: Step by step, Inverallan Landscapes in Stirling is changing the way it does business. By integrating battery-operated equipment and reducing its carbon footprint, it hopes to offer customers a completely ‘clean’ service.

Having recently purchased a series of new zero emission grass mowers and leaf blowers, Managing Director John Maxwell is striving to make the business fossil fuel free.

New battery kit contributes to eco aspirations

New battery kit contributes to eco aspirations

“We want to be the first landscape contractors that operate battery-only, so during the past three years have been upgrading our tools and equipment to the equivalent battery models, as well as installing solar panels at our business unit.

“This year will also be investing in an electric vehicle, which will reduce our carbon footprint even further,” he said.

“Our industry is conscious of its consumption of fossil fuels, so is moving towards greener energy. But not only is the battery kit more environmentally friendly, it’s also better for operator safety, as noise is reduced and there’s no emissions.”

Among Inverallan Landscapes’ customers is a local housing association with 1000 properties, which from April, will all be serviced using the new battery tools.

Other customers include private housing estates, business parks and green spaces, all benefitting from reduced noise and air pollution, and improved service efficiency due to the reduced downtime of the equipment.

John added: “Most recently, we purchased two Pellenc Raison Easy Mowers, which we were able to trial to ensure the team was happy with performance before we committed.

“Everyone gave really positive feedback, they cut long grass with no problem and are lightweight and easy to use, which is important when you are visiting multiple sites in a day. All our new Pellenc battery tools were purchased through Agrovista Amenity in Stirling.”

The Pellenc product range includes chainsaws, pole saws, hedge cutters, grass strimmers and mowers, all powered without the need for petrol.

Amenity Specialist for Agrovista, Allan Wright, said: “It’s great to see that Inverallan Landscapes is revolutionising its approach to service provision through the introduction of battery-operated equipment.

“With Pellenc tools, there’s no compromise on performance, and users benefit from long-term cost savings, reduced noise and operator vibration.

“All Pellenc tools come with a three-year commercial warranty and batteries benefit from the new improved four-year commercial warranty. I believe the future is in the use of battery equipment and the new technological developments from Pellenc are certainly leading the way.”

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The IOG set to rebrand

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The IOG set to rebrand: Following independent research entitled ‘Groundsmanship: Sports Vital Profession’ which highlighted the urgent need for change, the IOG today announces its intention to re-brand. After a thorough selection process, the proposed new brand name and identity, unanimously backed by the Board of the IOG, will be the ‘Grounds Management Association’.

The IOG is calling on members to get behind the name change to modernise and widen the appeal and status of the profession to a more diverse demographic. The new, fresh identity befits the modern day approach to the management of sports turf in the 21st Century.

The IOG set to rebrand

The IOG set to rebrand

An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) has been called, taking place on 2nd April at Edgbaston County Cricket Ground, where members have the opportunity to vote in person for the rebrand. Alternatively, members can also vote by post.

The new name is part of a wider re-brand, including updated branding and the new tagline – making sport possible. The rebrand is designed to provide clarity on the role of the industry, and support the IOG’s current ‘Grounds for Sport’ campaign, which seeks to highlight how vital grounds management is to sport nationwide.

The rebrand comes following the organisation’s 2019 report ‘Groundsmanship – Sport’s Vital Profession’. The independent research found that 40% of the industry’s workforce is over 50, one in five grounds managers will be leaving their jobs within the next five years and only 1% of the current workforce is female. Furthermore, more than two thirds of community grounds volunteers are aged over 60 and almost all are over 50.

Further research, which looked at perceptions of the IOG, found that one in five thought the word ‘groundsmanship’ was a barrier to attracting new talent.

Following these findings, focus groups made up of current members, non-members, stakeholders, Board Directors and staff, led to the selection of Grounds Management Association.

Geoff Webb, CEO at the IOG, said:

“The future success of the industry depends on us attracting more people from all backgrounds to the profession, which is why we’re proposing a more modern brand and name.

“Our extensive research into perceptions of our brand and the profession more widely has shown us that it’s vital we respond to the industry’s needs and take the organisation in a new, forward-looking and exciting direction.

“We believe under the banner of the Grounds Management Association, we’ll be better placed to promote the industry to the wider public, attract a new generation of grounds staff to the profession, and encourage more investment into the sector.

“Crucially, we cannot do this without our members’ support. We urge every single member to get online and vote yes to this change to create the conditions to help us meet the challenges and expectations we face to elevate the standing, status and value of the vital role of sports turf management today. Whether a volunteer or paid professional, come to Edgbaston on 2nd April to help us take the first step on this exciting new journey.”

The Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) will be held on April 2 at Edgbaston County Cricket Ground at 12pm. All members are welcome to attend, but only eligible voting members can take part in the vote. If members are unable to attend, they can vote by post (prior to the EGM). Details of how to vote will be available on the IOG website: www.iog.org

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Council cutback challenges

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Council cutback challenges: Council workers are maintaining enough grassland in Argyll and Bute to cover the entire area of Monaco – but sometimes struggling to be available to cut it.

A report has revealed that two million square metres of open grassland space is maintained by the authority’s staff – equivalent to the size of 257 Hampden Park football pitches.

It also says that parts of the area have not had their grass cut to specifications as determined by the council, with competing demands including burials and bin collections.

The budget available for grass cutting has also been reduced by more than 15% since the 2013/14 financial year.

A report on the issue will be discussed at a meeting of the council’s environment, development and infrastructure committee on Thursday.

The document, written by Kirsty Flanagan, the council’s executive director with responsibility for roads and infrastructure, said: “Over the course of last year there were a number of service delivery issues in Cowal, and to a lesser extent across the wider council area, where grassland maintenance had not been carried out to the pre-determined specification.

“This was due in part to a limited level of resilience within the team, an ageing demographic in the workforce, and a number of sickness absences, some of which were medium to long term.

“With the exception of Cowal, the rest of the council area was generally delivered to the specification, although the same limited level of resilience exists across all the council area.

“The current specification has been formed over time, and originated from historic grass cutting schedules that were in place prior to Argyll and Bute being established as a local authority in 1996.

“In recent times those historic schedules have been amended through a succession of budget reductions.”

The report states that all sports fields in the area are scheduled to be cut 21 times a year, with other facilities, such as amenity areas and cemeteries, subject to different specifications by area. These vary from 12 in Bute to 17 for Lorn and Lomond.

She continued: “Reducing the number of cuts any further is not considered to be achievable in terms of delivering meaningful savings.

“Fewer cuts mean the grass is longer when it is cut, so the time to complete the tasks increase and the strain on equipment is greater.

“This would lead to more equipment down-time and greater maintenance and/or replacement costs.

“The current service standards are achievable within the existing budget, staffing and machinery framework. However, resources are so closely matched to those standards that there is limited, if any, resilience to respond to issues which inevitably arise.

“Decisions are having to be made on a regular basis to prioritise what work can be carried out with the available resource.

“It is not unusual for our operational supervisors and managers to be faced with competing demands, including digging graves/burying the dead, collecting bins, making safe potentially dangerous defects and grass cutting.

“Inevitably, but unfortunately, grass cutting often has to be left.

“Last year, in one of the administrative areas, there was an unusual increase in burials over a period which meant that very little grass was cut.

“Although the provision of a grass cutting service is a non-statutory function, the effective maintenance of public open spaces supports the economic development and growth of the area both in terms of attracting tourists as well as new residents.

“Providing and suitably maintaining sporting facilities also supports another strategic priority – allowing people to live active, healthier and independent lives.”

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ISEKI continues to support RFU

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ISEKI continues to support RFU: ISEKI UK & Ireland has supported the RFU’s Rugby Groundsmen Connected scheme for six years by providing discounted maintenance equipment and attending educational events throughout the year, this is set to continue into 2020 and beyond.

Rugby Groundsmen Connected (RGC) is an easy access, two-way communication network between the RFU and rugby union groundsmen. It is the main communication channel for the RFU to provide information and advice to groundsmen and also has special offers and exclusive benefits for members.  Rugby Groundsmen Connected and its partners are dedicated to supporting anybody that has any involvement in the turf maintenance of rugby pitches; complete novice to Premiership groundsmen.

ISEKI continues to support RFU

ISEKI continues to support RFU

Working with trusted industry suppliers, RGC has devised a rugby club pitch maintenance equipment package.  The package is designed to meet the needs of rugby union clubs that aim to deliver a high quality pitch maintenance programme.

Commenting on the Rugby Groundsmen Connected equipment package John Clifford, ISEKI Sales Manager explained; “We offer a discounted rate to RFU Groundsmen Connected members for the ISEKI TM3267 tractor, chosen specifically as the ideal machine for rugby clubs, small enough to store in a container, lightweight, simple to use and powerful to run the other turf maintenance equipment available on the package.  Our machinery has used been at the home of England Rugby; Twickenham Stadium for many years so you can rest assured the equipment is perfect for the demands turf maintenance requires to keep the pitches in perfect condition.”

The TM3267 manual transmission tractor features an ISEKI clean burn 3 cylinder 25hp diesel engine that provides plenty of power for all tasks required around your club. It has a high comfort operator platform and easily operated controls allowing the operator to concentrate on the task in hand.  Eight forward and eight reverse gears ensures selecting the right gear for the task is never a problem and with two auxiliary hydraulic outlets a full range of attachments can be used whether trailed or linkage mounted.  Alternatively, should a higher horsepower tractor be required ISEKI can offer other products at a similar discounted rate to suit the requirements of each rugby club.

As part of the many benefits of being a registered member of the Rugby Groundsmen Connected is the ability to attend regional Pitch Maintenance Evenings held throughout the year supported by the RFU and the industry suppliers.  Here members will receive presentations, demonstrations and advice from key personnel within the industry to help advise and assist them in their roles as groundsmen.

Anyone can register to join RFU Groundsmen Connected at no cost. Registration is by email to groundsmenconnected@rfu.com.

Once signed up members will receive regular communications with advice, information and the opportunity to ask questions.  Access to new and improved RFU Pitch Improvement Partnership maintenance contractors is also only available to clubs who have a groundsman registered with Rugby Groundsmen Connected.  Members can also apply for RFU/RFF funding for pitch improvement projects.

ISEKI look forward to supporting this scheme further into 2020 and beyond, building relationships with the hardworking groundsmen, supporting them in their dedication to the sport and the turf maintenance required to keep the clubs playing all year round.

For further information on the full ISEKI range of Mowers and Tractors please visit www.iseki.co.uk or call 01473 599266 to discuss your requirements.

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ISEKI UK to distribute Raymo

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ISEKI UK to distribute Raymo: ISEKI UK & Ireland are pleased to announce that they have been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Raymo products throughout the UK, Ireland and the Middle East.

Commenting on the appointment David Withers explained; “over the last few years there have been several manufacturers that have wanted us to distribute their products for them but in each instance we decided that it might distract from the core mission of growing the ISEKI customer base and delighting existing ISEKI customers. In the case of Raymo though, the product offering was so unique and so different to anything in the ISEKI range and so ‘absolutely of the moment’ that we have decided to enter into this distribution arrangement.”

ISEKI UK to distribute Raymo

ISEKI UK to distribute Raymo

ISEKI UK & Ireland have had great success with the large National grounds maintenance contractors and a large majority of them using ISEKI tractors and mowers today.   Following numerous discussions and feedback from their customers ISEKI noticed a gap in the market where contractors are being asked by their customer base for all-electric options for their grass cutting needs and that as of now there were no products available that could meet that need. One of the problems with electric mowers is that the weight of dragging an operator (and all the associated hardware) around really negatively impacts on the run time that you can get from the batteries, by taking the operator off of the machine and making it remote control the Raymo products can give unrivalled run times from its Lithium battery pack.

The Raymo mower offers a variety of advantages:

  • 104cm (41”) cutting width, rear discharge full floating deck
  • Small compact machine that is only 51cm (20”) high
  • No oil, fuel hydraulics just clean Battery power
  • Established remote control system
  • Easy change from Battery to hybrid as needed
  • Low noise level ~68dB
  • ZERO Operator vibration level
  • Safe to 35 degree slopes
  • 4 Wheel Drive and Zero Turn
  • Light footprint allows for mowing in really wet and soft conditions

The Raymo electric, zero-emission, remote controlled mower is a unique product that with the ability to swap power packs, offers you a versatile multi-use mower.  Whether you need to cut grass in noise sensitive areas, gain access under low objects such as solar panels or trees, or need to meet the needs of the customer with growing concerns of carbon emissions this mower will exceed your expectations whilst tackling lush dense grass growth with ease.  Visit www.raymoelectric.co.uk for more information.

For more information, visit: www.iseki.co.uk.

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