Tag Archive for: Year

MJ Abbott’s Successful Year

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MJ Abbott’s Successful Year: As one of the UK’s leading specialist contractors to the sports turf industry MJ Abbott Limited, established in 1965, has developed its expertise in a wide range of products and services and now operates throughout the UK and Europe.

Over the years the service portfolio has grown to incorporate sports facility construction and renovation, golf course construction, reconstruction and remodelling, irrigation, water management, land drainage, water and wastewater engineering, landscaping, civil engineering, and a number of other specialist services.

MJ Abbott's Successful Year

Throughout the last 12-months, the company has completed projects from hybrid pitch construction at Premier League football clubs through to sports pitch construction at schools and colleges. The varied nature of these projects has highlighted MJ Abbott’s ability to provide the best solution possible to meet customer requirements and budgets when working on construction, drainage irrigation or landscaping.

This has led to a number of diverse projects being successfully finished including the construction, installation of drainage and cultivation of four pitches ready for seeding at Zeals Football Club and Alderbury Football Club. Dauntseys School, Wiltshire, also had a football pitch constructed, complete with primary drainage and sand topdressing into re-used topsoil as well as a cricket square renovation.

Both Foxhills Golf Club and Torquay Golf Club had short game areas constructed, consisting of earthworks, green and bunker construction, drainage, irrigation, cultivating and seeding. A specialist irrigation project took place at Abridge Golf Club with a Perott irrigation system being installed. This involved new mainlines pipework and the installation of a controller into the pump station for the irrigation to greens, approaches, tees and partial fairways.

These projects have been joined by hybrid pitch constructions using two different systems. Brighton and Hove Albion FC had their fibrelastic pitch removed at the AMEX Stadium and had the levels graded before a new sand and rootzone layer was added and a SISGRASS hybrid system installed.

The Premier League club also installed SISGRASS on two and a half pitches at their training ground, with the construction including the addition of new undersoil heating on the goalkeeping area and work on pitch surrounds.

The increasingly popular hybrid system was also installed at Bearwood Park, the new training base of Championship team, Reading FC, along with a fibre sand pitch, fibre sand goalkeeping area and six topsoil based pitches. This work generally included cut and fill earthwork and trimming, gravel drainage layers, lower sand and upper rootzone levels plus the addition of full drainage and irrigation systems and the installation of camera ducting to each pitch.

Rugby has also been an important sport for MJ Abbott this year with a pitch construction project to facilitate a HERO hybrid mat system at Gloucester Rugby’s Kingsholm Stadium, which was laid by County Turf. This involved removing vegetation, cutting and filling existing pitch levels, installing new primary and secondary drainage and adding a new rootzone layer.

MJ Abbott's Successful Year

A renovation project at Paris Saint-Germain’s training ground had the MJ Abbott team making their now regular trip to the French capital whilst projects at Newcastle United FC and Chelsea FC continued MJ Abbott’s continued relationship with both clubs.

All of these projects are only a selection of examples that MJ Abbott completed in 2018. With many more on schedule for the coming year.

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Scarify In Autumn For Benefits Next Year

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Scarify In Autumn For Benefits Next Year: Scarification is a vital part of lawn maintenance that involves the removal of thatch or moss from the lawn, helping with air flow and keeping it health. If you do not scarify, debris will build up and lead to other problems. For example, thatchy and mossy lawns will not be very wear or drought tolerant. 

It is important to scarify at the right time of year, otherwise you will either risk having an unsightly lawn just when you want to be enjoying it, or you will open it up to more problems and damage. A light de-thatching or scarifying is recommended in spring, just as the weather is heating up, and there is an increase in the growth and recovery of the grass.

Scarify In Autumn For Benefits Next Year

In the autumn, however, is when a more intense, heavier scarification can take place. At this time of year there are a number of jobs to do around the garden to ensure that you leave in the best possible state over winter, and this is one of them. Whilst intense scarification sounds like very hard work, there are machines available to take the strain out of your lawn maintenance. The XC1 B40 from Cub Cadet, for example, steps up to the challenge with a powerful 35 H OHV Cub Cadet engine and a 1.7 litre fuel tank. The 34 verticutter blades, each with a width of 163mm, scratch out the dead grass and moss with ease, allowing in light and rain all the way down to the roots.

The machine also has the added benefit being able to aerate the lawn if necessary. To do this, simply use the higher position with a gentle touch of the blades and springs on the surface of the soil. When scarifying use a deeper blade and spring setting to allow for a more aggressive action on the lawn surface. A central height adjuster knob enables infinite working depth adjustment.

Featuring a wide 35cm working width, the machine has folding handles for easy storage or transport and an optional collection bag for collecting the debris can be purchased if desired, although due to the volume that is raked out of the lawn, most people will find it more effective to go over with their mower to collect the debris.

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SALTEX Drives Year Round Leads

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SALTEX Drives Year Round Leads: Since SALTEX 2017 took place last November at the NEC, Birmingham, a number of exhibitors are still generating business as a direct result of the show – re-affirming that the exhibition is the must-attend event for any company involved in the grounds care industry.

Fivesquared, a brand of Earlsmere, is a leading vibration management provider to the grounds care industry. After exhibiting at SALTEX 2017, the company reported a 15 per cent increase in stand enquiries compared to the previous year with a number of significant leads coming from professional sports clubs, schools, universities and colleges.

SALTEX Drives Year Round Leads

The company now boasts a number of prestigious clients such as English Heritage, Southampton FC, Manchester United FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Manchester City FC, Wimbledon (The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club) and Merchant Taylors School – all of which were a direct result of exhibiting at SALTEX.

“Predominantly I would say that the majority of our overall business comes from exhibiting at the show,” says director Jeremy Hoyle.

“We have been exhibiting at SALTEX for about eight years now and since it moved to the NEC we have found a location that we are really happy with. In my opinion you can’t just exhibit at a show like SALTEX the once and not return. You need to establish a presence year-on-year because that is when you see an upward increase in business.

“It is not just after the show that you see the results – business continues to come in throughout the year. In fact, we are still getting enquiries from people who visited our stand – literally on a weekly basis.”

SCH Supplies, specialists in attachments and accessories for garden tractors and ride on lawnmowers, reported that SALTEX 2017 significantly helped increase its European dealership network.

“SALTEX is very important to us because we don’t employ any outside sales representation,” says managing director Andrew Rodwell. “The event is our only vehicle for engaging with potential customers face to face, while showcasing our products, which is enormously important.

“We already have numerous dealers in the UK but as a direct result of the 2017 show we appointed several new dealers from Europe, which is a trend that we’d like to continue.

“SALTEX is usually the only show that we have a presence at. It provides a focal point for the company and allows us to consider the direction the industry is taking which in turn informs the decisions we make regarding development of new machinery.”

Market-leading machinery manufacturer, Kubota UK, used last year’s SALTEX as the ideal platform to showcase its latest range of innovative and high-performance compact tractors and ride-on mowers.

“SALTEX is a great platform to showcase new solutions to groundsmen, greenkeepers, estate managers and turf professionals,” says Adrian Langmead, business development manager for Kubota UK’s Groundcare Division. “We had a fantastic time meeting with everyone to discuss our current and latest product ranges.”

The results of the SALTEX 2017 exhibitor survey is further testament to the success of the show with over 95 per cent of SALTEX exhibitors’ generating new sales leads while 83 per cent took direct orders on the show floor.

No doubt these statistics are a reflection of the growing trend in new exhibitors to this year’s show. Honda Engines and Honda UK, Case IH UK and ISEKI UK are just some of the newcomers in 2018.

David Withers, managing director at ISEKI UK, is certainly looking forward to exhibiting at SALTEX for the first time.

“As we continue to grow our ISEKI business in the UK we are always looking for relevant opportunities to meet with existing and potential customers to understand their needs and share the latest technologies that our product range has to offer. As such SALTEX offers us a great opportunity to meet a wide and diverse group of customers in one place. We look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones at the NEC later this year.”

Commenting on the growing trend of new exhibitors Charles Neale, event sales manager, says: “The show continues to grow and we are receiving new enquiries every week alongside existing exhibitors investing in bigger stands. Demand at this period in the sales cycle has never been higher.”

To view show highlights and key interviews please visit www.youtube.com/MyIOG

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

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Kioti Tractor’s 4 Year Warranty

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Kioti Tractor’s 4 Year Warranty: As an exciting and progressive development Kioti UK Ltd have announced that all Kioti tractors supplied by Kioti Uk and retailed since the 1st of January 2018 now have a manufacturer’s 4 year warranty cover.

The first 2 years cover the whole tractor for parts and labour. Years  3 and 4 relate to the engine and Transmission only. Once again the cover includes parts and labour. Terms and conditions including regularly dealer servicing obviously apply.

Kioti Tractor's 4 Year Warranty

Patrick Desmond the Kioti UK General manager said that the extended warranty cover package is a testament to the strength and reliability that customers can expect from the Kioti Tractor product. The sales of Kioti tractors have gone from strength to strength over the last few years and this step should further increase the attractiveness of the Kioti Tractor product to Professional end users.

The Kioti Tractor range starts at the sub compact CS2610 and currently finishes at the 113 HP PX 1153. All models are supplied to  a comprehensive basic specification with the focus on operator comfort.  Ergonomically positioned controls ensure easy operation and efficiency.

The engines on all Kioti tractors especially the 50 hp plus models, give class leading environmental performance.

Kioti Uk also offer the Kioti Mechron diesel Utilty vehicels and the Commercial Cut and collect WD1260  ride on mower.

Please contact either Kioti Uk direct on  www.kioti-uk.com or telephone 01480 401512 or your local Kioti dealer for further details.

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Record Breaking Year For Kingsbarns

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Record Breaking Year For Kingsbarns: – In a season that saw Kingsbarns Golf Links host two European Tour events and its first Major, the course based in Fife has confirmed it welcomed more guests to the Scottish east coast in 2017 than ever before. The results have rounded off a memorable year for the celebrated links which also won the Best Customer Service accolade at this year’s Scottish Golf Tourism awards.

The annual results show a healthy upward curve in rounds played at Kingsbarns in 2017, and follow on from an equally impressive increase recorded last year. The year-on-year figures indicate a continual positive trend at Kingsbarns which its chief executive believes is underpinned by a commitment to consistent and continual improvement.

Record Breaking Year For Kingsbarns

“The 2017 season has been outstanding for a number of reasons, not least hosting the Ricoh Women’s British Open,” noted Alan Hogg. “Welcoming the world’s best players to Scotland was a privilege that all the team at Kingsbarns enjoyed. It is, however, an approach we adopt day in, day out with our guests. The standard of service doesn’t alter. The fact we recorded more rounds this year than any other is testament to this consistent approach.”

The Ricoh Women’s British Open was held at Kingsbarns in August with the 2017 line-up boasting players from 27 different nations, including all 25 of the world’s top golfers in the Rolex Rankings. The course received praise throughout the week, most notably from Michelle Wie, who opened the tournament with a new woman’s course record of 64.

“The fact it is a course record is a huge honour for me, especially at a place like Kingsbarns, which is definitely one of the most scenic courses I’ve ever played,” she said following her historic round. “You get lost in the views out there and it almost feels like playing back home in Hawaii.”

While the players enjoyed views from the elevated tees at Kingsbarns, including new teeing areas at the 3rd and 16th holes, the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) recorded a remarkable set of performance figures during the tournament, culminating in some of the most unswerving championship statistics ever collated.

“The green speeds at Kingsbarns were some of the most consistent we have had during tournament testing,” said Richard Windows, STRI agronomy services manager. “It was a great example of the implementation of good agronomic practices executed by a team of expert greenkeepers.”

The STRI confirmed the women’s major was contested over an exceptional course. Windows continued: “Achieving the targets was particularly pleasing because of the challenging weather conditions experienced throughout the championship with heavy rain falling on most afternoons and evenings. The results were outstanding.”

The regular greenkeeping team at Kingsbarns, led by Innes Knight and augmented during the tournament by over 20 volunteer greenkeeping professionals from Scottish, English and international golf courses, worked tirelessly during the tournament to ensure the course was presented to a world-class standard. It is a policy the team adopts throughout the year regardless of whether the tee-sheet is packed with the best players in the world or not.

“Our policy is to present Kingsbarns to the highest possible standard throughout the year,” explained Knight. “It could be a mid-week match for local golfers, a four-ball of international tourists or the closing Sunday of a Major. It does not matter. All members of staff at Kingsbarns are committed to delivering a truly unique golf experience for all our guests.”

Art Dunkley, director of Kingsbarns Golf Links, agreed. “We continually seek to improve how we present Kingsbarns and welcome our visiting golfers from the UK and from around the world. Hosting the Ricoh Women’s British Open showcased our ability to meet the high standards expected of a Major venue.”

Kingsbarns is looking forward to an exciting 2018 with another busy tee sheet based on early golf bookings, the Open Championship taking place at nearby Carnoustie Golf Links and the 18th staging of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. In addition and as a follow on to this year’s Women’s British Open, an exciting new ladies-only golf day designed for the enjoyment of amateur golfers is scheduled for Saturday 14 April 2018.

For more information, visit: www.strigroup.com

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