Tag Archive for: UK

GKB to celebrate 10 Years in the UK at SALTEX

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GKB to celebrate 10 Years in the UK at SALTEX: GKB Machines are pleased to be returning to SALTEX in what is a special year for the company as they celebrate 10 years of their UK operation. Stand A080 promises to encapsulate the very best of innovation, growth and partnerships from the last decade – including the new Deep Clean for synthetic surface maintenance which will be making its global debut.

While GKB Machines was founded in 1946, the dedicated UK division was only established in 2015, which makes the growth and the success of GKB in the UK grounds management industry even more impressive! Under the stewardship of Tom Shinkins, GKB has gone from strength to strength, with equipment from their natural and artificial portfolio finding homes with professionals at all levels – from grassroots facilities to elite venues around the country.

GKB to celebrate 10 Years in the UK at SALTEX

GKB to celebrate 10 Years in the UK at SALTEX

At SALTEX, one of the latest additions to that range will be on show in the form of the new Deep Clean. A core part of the GKB synthetic maintenance range for many years, the Deep Clean has been enhanced and redeveloped in collaboration with SMG. The next generation machine will be available in 1.2m, 1.5m and 1.8m working widths and will offer improved cleaning and maintenance performance on all types of synthetic surface.

Developed with grassroots facilities in mind and showcasing the very best in GKB engineering, visitors can also expect to see the GKB Combitool. Providing the perfect partnership of versatility and efficiency, the Combitool features four attachment slots which can be quickly and easily tailored to the needs of any facility. Suitable for natural and hybrid surfaces, operators can rake, roll, slit and brush in a single pass making it ideal for community clubs and smaller venues looking for professional results at an accessible price.

See the range first hand and celebrate a decade of turf maintenance excellence with the GKB Team with a stop by stand A080 when SALTEX returns to The NEC this November.

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Alastair Black appointed by Reesink UK

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Alastair Black appointed by Reesink UK: Reesink UK is pleased to announce the appointment of Alastair Black as its new Technical Support and Training Manager, taking over from Lee Rowbotham who has become the company’s new Geolink and Digital Specialist.

Alastair officially stepped into the role on June 30, bringing with him more than eight years’ experience of working at Reesink, as well as a track record of technical excellence and strong relationships across the dealer network.

Alastair Black appointed by Reesink UK

Alastair Black appointed by Reesink UK

Since joining the company in January 2017 as Technical Support for the North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Alastair has been instrumental in delivering first-class assistance to dealers and customers.

His work has included close collaboration with Reesink’s direct branch business in Scotland and one of the company’s largest accounts, St Andrews Links, the Home of Golf. Alastair has also supported multiple British Open Championships, including the 2025 tournament at Royal Portrush.

Commenting on his experience, Alastair said: “I’ve been fortunate to work with some incredible people, clubs and events over the years. The stakes are high in those environments, but that’s what drives you to perform at your best. You quickly learn that whether a customer buys one machine or 100, they deserve the same level of care, attention and respect.”

In his new position, Alastair will be responsible for overseeing technical training across Reesink UK’s network, ensuring both internal teams and dealer partners are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to deliver the highest levels of customer service.

He will continue to provide guidance on complex technical cases and to support his previous region until a successor is chosen, ensuring a smooth transition for customers and partners.

“What excites me most is developing the training side of the business,” he shares. “There’s such a shortage of skilled technicians in our industry, and building a dedicated training hub will give us the chance to support our dealers and customers in a way that really strengthens the whole sector.”

The appointment comes at a crucial time for Reesink as the company continues to expand its offering and invest in its support infrastructure.

Alastair Rowell, Managing Director at Reesink UK, commented: “Alastair’s deep understanding of our business, his technical expertise and his strong relationships with our customers make him the ideal fit for this role. He has consistently demonstrated his commitment to our values, and we’re confident he will continue to elevate our technical support and training offering.”

With this appointment, Reesink confirms its commitment to investing in people who bring knowledge and dedication to the brand, helping customers get the most from their Toro machinery and Reesink’s wider portfolio.

If you need to reach Alastair, you can contact him at Reesink Turfcare HQ in St Neots by calling 01480 226800 or emailing info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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First club in UK invests in Toro robotic mowing

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First club in UK invests in Toro robotic mowing: Thonock Park in Lincolnshire is the first club in the UK to invest in Toro’s Turf Pro autonomous mowers.

Having made the decision to move to autonomous mowing at the beginning of the year, the club was introduced to Toro’s new Turf Pro mowers at the BTME launch and has subsequently purchased five from local Toro dealer, Russells Groundcare.

First club in UK invests in Toro robotic mowing

First club in UK invests in Toro robotic mowing

The five Turf Pro 500 mowers are being used to cut both fairways and rough of 18 of the club’s 36 holes. According to General Manager Benjamin Hatch: “Our robot mowers are now cutting the fairways and rough for 18 holes on the Thonock Park course, and we are exceptionally pleased with their quality of cut and the definition between fairway and rough grasses.”

Thonock Park and Russells have had two comprehensive training sessions post-install from Lee Rowbotham, GeoLink and Digital Specialist at Reesink UK.

Lee explains the process: “We were there at the point of delivery to install the chargers and base station. The mowers are blind out of the box, so training involves telling them everything they need to know, like where the charging station is, the route to the fairways, what the safe areas, and not safe areas are. And of course, for the team to understand the operation and the terminology involved.”

Once set up, Course Manager Rob Acheson was shown how to control all five mowers through the Smart App. Operation is something Lee likens to how irrigation sprinklers are controlled.

“They are controlled individually, one at a time, and can be set up in advance,” he says. “Just like you can set a sprinkler to come on at 5am, you can set the Turf Pros to start mowing at 10pm once everyone has gone home if you wish.”

This provides a big advantage in getting course maintenance ahead of play. All fairway mowing can be completed before the course opens, supported by “the almost non-existent noise levels” as confirmed by Benjamin.

Another added benefit of these mowers comes from how the club has been able to redefine the job requirements of the team and can guarantee all-year round value.

“Very importantly, these mowers have enabled us to reassign some of our skilled greenkeeping team to other tasks on the course that require more specialist work,” Benjamin says. “During the wetter months, we expect to keep using these mowers, when ordinarily we would struggle to use the much heavier diesel machines. All in all, it has been a very positive investment for us and one that we believe we will continue to benefit from year after year.”

Just as Reesink sees the value in providing dedicated support for this new technology with the new digital specialist role created for Lee, so too do Russells who have recruited two dedicated employees to demonstrate and install Russells’ autonomous mowing offerings to customers, including private properties, estates, schools, golf courses and other sporting venues.

Mark Willerton, Groundcare Sales Manager at Russells, says: “Russells see autonomous mowers as an important part of our future business, it’s something we’re investing heavily in with dedicated specialist staff and demonstration machines.

“Working alongside Thonock Park and Reesink to understand this next generation of mowing and how to maximise the potential and efficiency of the mowers has been a great learning experience. We look forward to continuing working with the team at Thonock Park to ensure they always have the best turfcare options available.”

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Toro U.K. announces new products ahead of GroundsFest

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Toro U.K. announces new products ahead of GroundsFest: Toro U.K. Limited ­­– owners of the Royal Warrant-holding lawnmower manufacturer Hayter® and global turf care leader Toro® – will unveil new products and initiatives at GroundsFest 2025. From battery-powered equipment to dealer-focused experiences, both brands are aiming to make a strong impression at the UK’s premier groundscare event.

As a prelude to their showcase at GroundsFest on September 9–10 – the UK’s largest industry event – they’ve released snippets of what to expect for tradespeople, groundscare professionals, influencers and dealers across the UK.

Toro U.K. announces new products ahead of GroundsFest

Toro U.K. announces new products ahead of GroundsFest

Hayter is nominated for an Innovation Award at GroundsFest this year for their new Harrier range, and both brands hope to showcase the best of what they have to offer.

The Dealer Hub

At the heart of Toro U.K.’s larger stand — which will showcase the complete Toro® and Hayter® portfolios — the new Dealer Hub highlights the brand’s ongoing investment in strengthening and supporting its nationwide dealer network.

Craig Hoare, Sales and Marketing Manager, had this to say about The Dealer Hub:

“GroundsFest is the ideal opportunity to reconnect with our dealers in person. This year, we’re putting our dealers front and centre,” Craig explains. “We’re offering early access to new-season materials and a dedicated space to talk about opportunities, challenges, and everything in between. The Dealer Hub is our way of saying: we’re here, and we’re listening.”

The Dealer Hub will offer visitors a range of exclusive benefits, including:

  • Advance access to new product details and upcoming campaigns.
  • Opportunities to engage directly with Toro and Hayter’s commercial and marketing specialists.
  • Complimentary refreshments in a welcoming, business-focused environment.

New product reveals

As well as the Dealer hub, both Hayter and Toro will be announcing new products, including long-requested attachments and new battery versions of professional groundscare equipment. Some of the announcements set to be shown at GroundsFest include:

  • Toro’s new eProStripe– a battery-powered evolution of the classic stripe mower
  • Toro’s professional clothing range– designed for durability and comfort on the job
  • Hayter’s Harrier roller brush attachment – engineered for enhanced lawn striping and debris clearance

The new announcements and Dealer Hub come at a time when Hayter and Toro are shifting focus to concentrate on the needs and wants of their community of groundscare professionals – a resource that both the horticultural heavyweights value deeply.

Matthew Coleman, UK Sales Manager, Professional Landscape Contractor & Site Works Equipment, had this to say about the products on show at this year’s event:

“We’re bringing over 80 products to GroundsFest this year – our biggest display yet,” says Matt. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for visitors to get hands-on with everything from our latest battery innovations to trusted favourites across the Toro and Hayter ranges.”

Free to attend, GroundsFest brings together live machinery demonstrations, an industry-focused exhibition, educational seminars, and on-site entertainment. Toro U.K. Limited welcomes dealer partners and professional users to their shared stand to explore the newest product innovations and learn more about the company’s continued commitment to supporting the turf care sector at every stage.

To register for GroundsFest, visit: www.groundsfest.com

To explore the full Toro and Hayter range, visit: www.toro.com/en-gb | www.hayter.co.uk

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DSV UK to Launch Two New Cultivars at GroundsFest

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DSV UK to Launch Two New Cultivars at GroundsFest: Visitors to stand 29 at GroundsFest 2025 can expect an exciting showcase from DSV UK, as the company prepares to launch two brand-new perennial ryegrass cultivars: Flanell and Eurogala.

These two high-performance varieties will be exclusively available in EuroGrass mixtures from 2026, and attendees will have the opportunity to view samples and learn about their standout characteristics during the show.

DSV UK to Launch Two New Cultivars at GroundsFest

DSV UK to Launch Two New Cultivars at GroundsFest

Flanell and Eurogala have already gained attention thanks to their impressive performance in the 2025 BSPB Turfgrass Seed Booklet, with Flanell ranking #2 in the prestigious S1 sports table – just behind Euromagic, another top DSV variety. Eurogala, meanwhile, sits just outside the top ten but stands out for its versatility across multiple turf categories, making it a promising all-rounder.

Sam Horner of DSV UK highlighted the significance of these rankings:

“We’ve been at the top of the table before, but to come straight in at number one and number two – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment. It speaks volumes about the quality of our breeding programme and the strength of the DSV portfolio.”

Strong genetic colour is one of the defining features of the new cultivars, with Flanell particularly noted for its dark summer greenness – a sought-after trait for stadiums and televised sports. As Sam explains, “We believe we can offer something genetically darker, delivering both performance and a more camera-friendly appearance.”

DSV will also spotlight its growing EuroGrass range, which continues to earn the trust of turf managers seeking proven performance and reliability. The EuroGrass mixtures have been carefully developed for a wide range of applications, including:

EG PRO Rye Fairway – resilient turf for golf fairways and roughs

PRO Summer Sport – ideal for cricket squares, tennis courts, and golf tees

PRO Pitch – top-tier solution for winter sports pitches with excellent wear tolerance

PRO Multi Sport – versatile and drought-tolerant for schools and shared-use pitches

And if that wasn’t enough, the ever-popular ‘Spin to Win’ machine will be back on the DSV stand – offering visitors the chance to win a variety of prizes throughout the show.

Please visit www.dsv-uk.co.uk/products/amenity for more information and follow on social media @EuroGrassUKSeed.

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