The Royal Automobile Club Estate Manager Eric Olson and Head Gardener Andy Pearson are two men aiming to make the Club in Surrey as environmentally friendly and efficient as possible, with the purchase of a range of Pellenc battery-powered tools.


The Pellenc Airion blower in use at The Royal Automobile Club in Surrey

Andy, who has been at the Club for 15 years, and his team of three gardeners, who are seen as an extended arm of the 20 strong greenkeeping team, look after all the footpaths, watering of plants, hedge cutting, planting as well as both hard and soft landscaping on the estate. He was looking at purchasing environmentally-friendly equipment that could be used around the clock whilst also improving productivity and cutting operating costs.

"Eric came to me and said I've found the solution," said Andy. "We researched the Pellenc equipment and attended a demonstration day, organised by Surrey Power at Merrist Wood College. We were so impressed that we decided to purchase an Airion blower, Helion hedge cutter and Cultivion power hoe with two batteries."

The purchase of the equipment means that Andy and his team can work around the clubhouse whilst keeping noise to a minimum. 

"We start work at 5:00am and as we work in close proximity to the main clubhouse, we have to be quiet. It's not just about being environmentally friendly but also being quiet to ensure members staying are not disturbed. The batteries are also a lot lighter than our petrol equipment and we are now working with less fumes too - it all adds up to less fatigue for the operatives."