Tag Archive for: Winner

First GroundsFest Prize Winner Announced

First GroundsFest Prize Winner Announced: Nathan Lewis from Lewis Garden Machinery is the proud winner of a range of battery-powered Pellenc equipment – a GroundsFest registration prize that added an extra layer of excitement to the spectacular event.

The inaugural GroundsFest proved to be a huge success, captivating visitors with the largest display of outdoor machinery demonstrations in the UK, free educational sessions, live music performances, and the opportunity to engage in hands-on practical training.

First GroundsFest Prize Winner Announced

First GroundsFest Prize Winner Announced

Amidst the countless opportunities at GroundsFest, every participant who registered and attended the event had a chance to win some exceptional prizes. The first prize was a battery-powered Rasion Basic lawnmower and a Selion telescopic polesaw from Pellenc.

Weighing less than 25 kg, the Rasion redefines working conditions for green space professionals. Its ultra-manoeuvrability, easy transport, and unmatched power ensures impeccable cut quality for various mowing tasks. With a reach of up to 14.76 ft, work can be carried out with the Selion polesaw without a carrying harness because of their lightness.

They are ideal for use in noise sensitive areas and powerful enough for forestry work.

The Pellenc prizes were won by Nathan Lewis from Lewis Garden Machinery, a well-established and reputable family business specialising in garden and landscape maintenance since 1987. The company, known for its bespoke maintenance schedules, has built a large portfolio of domestic and commercial clients through continued investment in equipment and improved work practices.

In recent years, Lewis Garden Services has made significant investments in battery equipment, particularly suitable for noise-sensitive areas such as offices, nursing homes, and hospitals. The addition of the Pellenc Rasion and Selion to the company’s machinery fleet aligns seamlessly with their commitment to providing an efficient, sustainable, and affordable service.

Ecstatic about the prize, Nathan admitted that winning was the perfect way to conclude his first memorable GroundsFest experience, emphasising the outdoor demonstrations, the wide variety of exhibitors, and the lively performance by the Queen tribute band as particular highlights.

Anticipation now builds for the announcement of the second registration prize winner, which will be announced soon.

For more information, please visit www.groundsfest.com

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Winner of Best Kept Green in Shropshire Announced

Winner of Best Kept Green in Shropshire Announced: Trench Bowling Club has been announced as the winner of the 2023 Best Kept Green in Shropshire, sponsored by Dennis and SISIS.

It’s been a good year for Telford based Trench Bowling Club. Not only has 2023 seen the club celebrate its centenary year but they have also been awarded the Best Kept Green in Shropshire. Trench finished top to pip Whixall, Edgmond and Tilstock by just two points.

Winner of Best Kept Green in Shropshire Announced

Winner of Best Kept Green in Shropshire Announced

As well as being the secretary and the bar coordinator, David Evans is the man largely responsible for maintaining the green. He’s been part of the club for nearly 60 years and after retiring in 2013, he decided to take full-time responsibility of the green.

“I’ve learnt greenkeeping as I’ve gone along,” said David. “It must be in the genes because my father was a keen gardener and always took a great deal of pride in his lawns. Also, over the years I have been involved in bowls, cricket, and golf. I always took an interest in what the greenkeepers or groundsmen, were working on. The Dennis and SISIS bowls education days we have recently attended have also been very informative. These are a big help to people in my position to not only show what equipment is on the market but also to gather advice on maintenance tips.”

Trench Bowling Club came second in the competition in 2022 and David revealed why he believes they landed the trophy this year.

“I’ve managed to significantly reduce the thatch since we bought a new Dennis FT510 mower at the start of the year. I think this was the missing link because it has really helped me to improve the surface of the green. The verticutting cassette has thinned the grass out and eliminated the thatch and we’ve had lots of compliments from members and visiting teams about the playability of the green. Over the last couple of years, we have installed new gutters, which has vastly improved the overall presentation of the green and the green surrounds. I’d like to think that this also went some way towards winning this award, as the construction of the new ‘boxes’ and the installation was all carried out ‘in house’ by our members.”

With David spending most of his time at Trench Bowling Club, and his wife and daughter sharing the responsibility of the treasurer role, it is very much a family affair. However, the modest David was quick to acknowledge the hard work and dedication from everyone else who works at the club.

“As a family we put a lot of time in, but we’ve got a great committee that runs the club and there are so many other brilliant people that help out. I certainly can’t take all the credit. This award is for everyone at Trench.”

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

For more news, reviews, and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @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.

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Green-tech announces George Barton is a winner

Green-tech announces George Barton is a winner: Green-tech is celebrating after their key account manager has been named as a winner of the Pro Landscaper ‘30 under 30’ – The Next Generation Initiative.

29-year-old George Barton has been selected as a winner in the industry awards that look to discover 30 of the most impressive young people within the arboriculture, garden design, horticultural, and landscaping sectors.

Green-tech announces George Barton is a winner

Green-tech announces George Barton is a winner

30 Under 30: The Next Generation, is an initiative run by Pro Landscaper to help promote the breadth of career opportunities available and to attract young people to the industry.

George started at Green-tech in 2018 in the warehouse where he learnt about the business from the ground-up. Demonstrating a hunger to progress and a keen interest in sales, George moved into the sales department where he flourished, and his career has gone from strength to strength. He has secured several promotions and is today one of only five key Account managers at Green-tech. He is also an ambassador for BALI GoLandscape and visits schools and colleges to inspire the next generation into the industry.

Commenting on his success George said, “I am absolutely delighted to be a winner of the Pro Landscaper’s 30 Under 30. I have worked my way up in Green-tech to the position I am in today and I’m so proud that my achievements have been recognised outside of my organisation. This is a fantastic industry to work in and these awards reflect the high standards that we work to.”

Green-tech’s Managing Director Kris Nellist adds, “George is the eighth person from Green-tech to have achieved this high accolade since the 30 under 30: The Next Generation was first launched in 2014.  I am genuinely proud of this and of our company ethos that supports and nurtures our young people to reach their full potential.  George works hard and is well respected by his peers and customers alike.  He has a bright future ahead and I wish him every success.”

The official awards ceremony will be held at FutureScape 2023 on Tuesday 21st November at 12pm.

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MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester

MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester: Worcester College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, is benefiting from using a range of MM grass seed.

Founded in 1714, Worcester College is steeped in history and continues to educate and house around 600 students. The College’s 26 acres of stunning grounds feature plenty of lawns alongside a lake, an orchard, and sports fields. Students at Worcester are the only ones in the University to benefit from on-site sports pitches and excel at football, cricket, and hockey.

MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester

MM grass seed is a winner for Worcester

Simon Bagnall, Head of Gardens and Grounds, has been working at the College for 19 years, and has been using the MM brand of grass seed throughout his whole tenure.

“I have been using it for as long as I can remember because of the quality of the seed – it is reliable, it performs and it has never let us down,” he said.

MM is one of the most respected brands in the UK amenity industry, with over 40 years of experience and knowledge. The extensive product portfolio is second to none with performance proven mixtures that are used at many leading venues in the UK and Europe.

There are two mixtures within the MM portfolio that Simon and his team rely on, as he explains.

“We use MM50 and MM21 across all our sports fields and utility lawns. We normally oversow with the mixtures during our renovation period and then will apply them through the year if we need to do any repairs.

“Another benefit of using these MM seed mixtures is the speed with which they germinate. We have quite a short window between renovations and when the students come back so to be able to get some grass growing quickly is a huge bonus for us.”

MM50 is one of the UK’s biggest selling grass mixtures. The hard-wearing ryegrass mix is very fine leaved, has high shoot density, is tolerant to close mowing down to 4-5mm and produces a great colour all year round. It also has quick recovery from damage and play.

MM21 produces a dense, fine and attractive sward and is a great mix for lawns and landscaping with low ryegrass.

Josh Hall, Deputy Head of Gardens and Grounds, further explained how the team uses the MM mixtures.

“We use MM21 on the main lawn because it is shaded by mature trees and there is a lack of light. The rye and fescue in the mixture work well together to give us good coverage in what could otherwise be a problematic area. The MM21 is normally applied in March or April so that it is growing nicely over the spring and summer.

“The MM50 is basically used everywhere else, especially on our sports pitches, and it is our go-to product. Our pitches take a real hammering with the number of games we have and to have some grass at the end of a season is important to us. We get that with MM50 – it is very hard-wearing. In fact, you don’t expect something to be so fine to do such a hardwearing job, but it does. It also produces a fantastic colour.”

With Worcester being an Oxford University college, it has a certain reputation to uphold. The demand is high and that in turn can put pressure on Simon and his team. With this in mind, Simon sees the value in working with key suppliers like MM.

“We get a brilliant service and Matt Gresty (MM Sales and Marketing Manager) is always available to speak to if I need advice. He sees us regularly, helps us out a lot and I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“I will always recommend the MM range of grass seed and I would encourage people to come and have a look at our lawns and pitches so they can see the results for themselves.”

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.

To find out more about Worcester College visit their website: www.worc.ox.ac.uk

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Winner of DLF BTME competition

Winner of DLF BTME competition: Rhys Butler, Links Manager at Royal St. Davids Golf Club in Wales has been announced as the winner of the DLF Sustainability Seed competition held at BTME 2023. Regional Technical Manager Stuart Yarwood MG recently visited Rhys to present the prize of a Greenstester – the perfect tool for monitoring speed, trueness and greens performance.

The winner was randomly selected from those that entered across the three-day event, with Rhys the recipient of a Greenstester – a simple monitoring tool supported by the R&A. When used on a regular basis, the Greenstester can provide a bank of meaningful data relating to putting performance, yielding information on firmness and speed that can be tracked and monitored over time.

Winner of DLF BTME competition

Winner of DLF BTME competition

On receipt of his prize Rhys commented, “BTME this year was a really informative and enjoyable experience and to win this competition is just the icing on the cake. On top of the Greenstester which will be used by my team to track greens performance, it was great to catch up with Stuart and talk all things links turf on his visit.”

Together with testing visitors on some of the new cultivars and changes to mixture formulations across the Johnsons Sports Seed and MM Seed ranges, the questionnaire was also designed to find out the most pressing topics currently experienced in the industry, which will be used to shape future research and education programmes available from DLF.

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Bernhard announces distributor award winner

Bernhard announces distributor award winner: Industry-leader in turf sharpening equipment and management solutions, Bernhard and Company, has announced Grasvardsmaskiner AB of Sweden (GVM), as the winner of its coveted European Distributor of the Year award for 2020.

Inaugurated in 2013, the annual Bernhard and Company Distributor of the Year awards recognise the successes of company distributors in all regions around the world. GVM, this year, claimed its third award after previously being recognised for its efforts throughout Europe in both 2015, for its Malmo branch, and 2017 for its Gothenburg branch. This time, it is the turn of the company’s Stockholm branch.

Bernhard announces distributor award winner

Bernhard announces distributor award winner

The Swedish distributor continues to proactively promote Bernhard and Company’s cutting-edge grinding philosophy, and demonstrates the values of close support and education, that fall perfectly in-line with the brand principles set out by Bernhard and Company.

The Stockholm branch, led by Sales Manager, Anders Axhamre, has led the way, in part, by achieving the highest number of sales in Europe of the premium Express Dual 5500 and Anglemaster 4500 machines since their launch.

Paul Wilcox, European Territory Manager at Bernhard and Company, commented: “For many years, GVM has been one of our most successful European distributors, and it has been a great pleasure to work with, and support its extensive team, throughout the branch network.

“They have had an outstanding year, not only with strong sales performances for our latest sharpening equipment, but also with the excellent manner in which they have promoted our brand philosophy.

“We very much look forward to continuing our successful partnership in years to come,” he added.

Bernhard and Company grinding machines are used by 80 of the world’s top 100 golf courses to ensure perfect, tournament-ready playing conditions year-round, while the company’s turf management solutions and educational support are utilised at major sporting events around the globe.

KNOW BERNHARD AND COMPANY?

A specialist in sports turf technology, Bernhard and Company is committed to providing leading turf care solutions to golf course and pitch care specialists worldwide. The Company offers innovative and market leading blade sharpening systems as well as sports surface air movement and moisture control solutions.

With over 150 years of being at the sharp end of the industry the Bernhard and Company product portfolio is focused on providing its global customer base with championship turf, world-class playability and unbeatable quality of cut. Bernhard and Company’s turf health solutions are used at top 100 courses and famous sporting venues around the world – there has to be a reason why. For more information, visit www.bernhard.co.uk.

Find Bernhard and Company on their official social media channels:

  • Twitter – @BernhardCompany
  • Facebook – Bernhard Company
  • Instagram – @BernhardCompany
  • Linkedin – Bernhard Company

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Sprayer Operator winner announced

Sprayer Operator winner announced: The Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year Award (ASOY) recognises and rewards top sprayer operators across the amenity industry. It aims to further improve standards, by identifying the best practice of individuals to enhance results – and share their experiences across the industry.

Presented for the second time at BTME Harrogate, the ASOY Awards are organised by the Amenity Forum, and generously sponsored by ICL and Syngenta, and supported by BASIS.

Sprayer Operator winner announced

As well as being the overall top operator, Paul Gater was the winner of the Sports Turf Using Tractor Mounted & Hand Held Equipment Category.

The other category winner recognised by the Awards was Ian Millward of Millward Forestry who won the Landscape and Industrial Using Hand Held & Tractor Mounted Equipment Category.

Commenting on Paul’s success, from a record entry in the fifth annual ASOY Awards, Professor John Moverley OBE, Chairman of the Amenity Forum, said: ‘‘The Amenity Forum is the voluntary initiative for this important and essential sector. We promote best practice and these awards are a demonstration of the high professional standards in our sector and identify those individuals who go above and beyond in their work.

Our congratulations go all those who were shortlisted, the category winners and especially our overall winner this year – an excellent ambassador for the sector. Thanks also to our sponsors who make all this possible.”

ICL Business Development Manager, Mark Pyrah, added:

“ICL remains committed to supporting the Amenity Forum and both sponsoring and championing the ‘Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year’ award. We would like to acknowledge all those candidates that put themselves forward and for recognising the fact that accurate application remains key to good product performance.

ICL UK along with Syngenta UK looks forward to continuing to support the ‘Amenity Sprayer Operator Awards’ going forward and would encourage any individual responsible for spray application to consider putting themselves forward in 2020 and championing good practice in the art of application.”

Syngenta Technical Manager and application specialist, Glenn Kirby, highlighted the skills and experience of sprayer operators is paramount in achieving the best results possible from every application.

“All of the Awards entrants have demonstrated the essential techniques for safe and responsible spray application. Sharing their ideas and advice can help all operators to become more efficient and effective.” All entrants to the Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards will be entered into the chance to win a place at the new Syngenta Application Academy.
Stephen Jacob, BASIS CEO commented:

“The Awards highlight the exceptional skills, knowledge and experience of the operators and provide a demonstration of best practice for effective results and, above all, that pesticides are used in a safe and sustainable manner in amenity situations”

OVERALL WINNER
SPRAYER OPERATOR OF THE YEAR 2019

PAUL GATER, CALDY GOLF CLUB

CATEGORY WINNERS AND RUNNERS UP
SPRAYER OPERATOR OF THE YEAR 2019

LANDSCAPE AND INDUSTRIAL
USING HAND HELD & TRACTOR MOUNTED EQUIPMENT

Winner Ian Millward, Millward Forestry

Runner Up Daniel Lewis, Manchester City

SPORTS TURF
USING TRACTOR MOUNTED & HAND HELD EQUIPMENT

Winner Paul Gater, Caldy Golf Club

Runner Up Jason Garlick, JMG Amenity

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DLF announce SALTEX winner

DLF announce SALTEX winner: Paul Humphreys at Concord College, Shrewsbury and Taunton Schools’ Mark Jolliffe have been announced as the winners of the DLF/Johnsons Sports Seed ForthRoots Competition at SALTEX 2019.

Having successfully answered three questions on DLF’s 4Turf Tetraploid ryegrasses, they were rewarded with new innovative tools for effective on-the spot overseeding worth over £600.

DLF announce SALTEX winner

Pictured receiving their prizes from their respective DLF Regional Technical Managers, John Hughes and Ian Barnett, Paul takes home the ForthRoots MultiTool and Mark the ForthRoots Ryeseeder. Designed to fit perfectly into the scars and space left following matches or training, the interchangeable tine options on the RyeSeeder and MultiTool help to create the perfect seed bed for quick recovery.

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Allett’s Creative Lawn Stripe Winner

Allett’s Creative Lawn Stripe Winner: Allett Mowers have announced the winning entry in the Allett Creative Stripes competition 2019. This year’s winner, Erik Czako, is from Hungary.

The competition is run online on Allett’s social media channels and the final judge was last year’s winner, Keith Smith. There were entries from ten different countries with the top six coming from Hungary, Sweden, England, Wales and the USA, a clear reflection this is an international competition, and anyone can enter and win. The prize is an Allett Liberty 43 with all its cartridges and two cartridge stands. Winner Erik says:

Allett's Creative Lawn Stripe Winner

“I wanted to mix circles and squares in such a way as to show through both of them. It’s simple in one sense but hard to make it accurate because of the contact point. It takes three hours.” Erik works for a delivery food company and plays football league four. “When I was a child, I watched premier football match and I dreamt of playing on an amazing pitch like that. Because in Hungary pitches don’t have such quality, I decided to make a lawn like this one. Gardeners in Hungary told me it isn’t possible because of the climate. I got advice from English groundsmen and my dream came true. Nowadays I kick the ball on my pitch with my friends, it is a little bit smaller than a football pitch, but it isn’t a problem.”

Erik used an Allett Kensington 14” to create his winning design. Runner up was Swedish garden service company owner and former groundsman Niklaus Andersson who used an Allett Kensington 20K to create his design. In third place was England’s Andrew Wain, Head Gardener at Euridge Manor in Wiltshire, where they host weddings and corporate events, with the lawn seeing an average of 150 people on it every week. To find the winner of the competition the team at Allett voted on their top six first and the results were sent to Keith Smith, the 2018 winner.

Allett's Creative Lawn Stripe Winner

“I was absolutely delighted and honoured to be asked by Allett to judge this year’s competition,” says Keith, “then when I saw the amazingly high standard of entries, I realised what a difficult task this was going to be. I have been so impressed with the standard of entries. Not only the creativity, but the technical difficulties that need to be overcome.” All the entrants will be invited to an Allett Mowers factory tour at the end of the busy season and Allett eagerly look forward to seeing next year’s entries.

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Otterbine Reveal Contractor Award Winner

Otterbine Reveal Contractor Award Winner: Water Garden Ltd, a family business based in Portsmouth, have been crowned winners of the has won the prestigious 2018 Reesink Turfcare UK Otterbine Contractor of the Year award.

The company achieved the highest Otterbine sales figures for 2018 thanks to their knowledge of the product, belief in the brand and support from Otterbine and its UK distributor Reesink Turfcare.

Otterbine Reveal Contractor Award Winner

Andy Staves, managing director of Water Garden Ltd, explains: “We were delighted to hear we’d won the award as the whole team has been working really hard this last year. We pride ourselves on having an expert group of staff who have a deep technical understanding of all the products we deal with. Customers can trust we know what we’re talking about and having quality products to back that up is vital.

“We don’t deal with the cheap and cheerful, we want the best, which is why Otterbine is the principle supplier for our aerating fountains,” he says. “Anything else simply doesn’t come close to the quality they offer.”

Even with such a dedicated sales team, the company can only go so far without the right back up and support from the manufacturer, says Andy: “We have a really close relationship with Reesink and Otterbine, in particular Reg Varney, the international region manager, who’s really helpful. Any issues we’ve had, they’ve been tackled head on without hesitation, and resolved quickly, allowing us to give the best possible service to our customers. It’s imperative we get the support we need, when we need it, and that’s what Otterbine and Reesink provide.”

Water Garden Ltd has recently benefitted from Otterbine water management and product training courses, adding to the company’s extensive knowledge of the brand.

Reesink’s national sales representative for Otterbine, Pete Newton, comments: “Water Garden Ltd is incredibly deserving of this year’s award. It is a delight to work with them and particularly rewarding to work with a company who recognises the importance of quality products and who has expert knowledge in the industry. We hope our close partnership continues for many years to come.”

With such a successful year for the company, it’s hard to reflect upon just one stand out moment says Andy: “We’ve had so many great installations this year, particularly with the larger fountains. We have a lot of customers who want not only quality water aeration but also stunning visual centrepieces for their golf course, private estate or wedding venue. Everyone has been delighted with the results – we haven’t had a single complaint, and we intend to keep it that way.”

For more information, visit: reesinkturfcare.co.uk

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