BTME week has finally arrived and I, along with hundreds of other industry personal, will be travelling to Harrogate to support this year’s show.

I particularly enjoy this event for several reasons. First and foremost, I find BTME a great way to catch up with the latest industry developments and products coming to market. Also invaluable is the opportunity it affords for meeting up with so many friends and colleagues, securing new leads and contacts as well as gathering information to allow us to promote our diverse, wonderful industry in forthcoming editions of TurfPro.

For me Harrogate is without doubt one of the best venues for conferences. There is so much going on throughout the three days including education seminars, over 300 exhibitors to see and once the day is over, we then enter into the twilight zone where industry companies put on hospitality events for their customers. This, along with the fact that there so many restaurants and bars in town, allows further networking opportunities late into the night.

I personally think both this show and SALTEX are must attends for anyone working in the sports turf and amenity industry. They give you the chance to meet so many fellow turf professionals and see at first hand the very diverse nature of our industry. At the same time they allow you to take stock of your own career path and maybe look for potential new career opportunities.

Our Industry is one of the most revered in the world. We have for many years seen the development of some outstanding greenkeepers and groundsmen who have worked their way up the career ladder to take charge of some of the best facilities in the world. Neil Stubley, Wimbledon, Roy Rigby, Lee Jackson at Man City, Karl McDermott, Lords, Gary Barwell, Warwickshire CCC, John Ledwidge Leicester City FC, Paul Burgess Real Madrid, Jonathan Calderwood, Paris St Germain to name a few.

Without doubt their success has been built upon a drive and ambition to produce the best playing surface they can using the best products, resources and machinery available. In most cases it’s quite often their collaboration with manufacturers that leads to these new innovative products and services being brought to market.

My advice while attending these shows is to make best use of your time and seek out any relevant opportunities to improve your own career prospects. Take time to visit and speak to any educationists, colleges and training organisations such as Lantra, BASIS reg, IOG, to see what’s on offer. Take note of what new products and machinery is also on offer. And finally take the time to make new acquaintances and contacts to help you become a better groundsman or greenkeeper.

You are never too old to learn, I myself will be looking at attending a Lantra Integrated Pest Management Course at Harper Adams University this year. 

There is still time to book on many of the education seminars taking place at this week’s BTME.

Also, do not be afraid to ask any of the large machinery manufacturers and other exhibitors at the show, about potential career opportunities. Be proactive and glean as much information and advice you can.

As for me I cannot wait to get amongst the exhibitors and catch up on the latest products and services on offer. In recent years we have seen a lot of innovation in software management packages plus the potential use of drones to map and monitor your facilities.

Many of the large mower manufacturers are now investing in cordless technologies, with many bringing to market a number of battery powered products. Both Dennis and Allett now have battery powered mower products in use at a number of high-profile stadiums. The likes of STIHL, Husqvarna. EGO, Pellenc also now offer a very diverse range of battery powered products for our use.

It seems the weather is taking a turn for the worst and becoming much colder with forecasts of some wintery snow showers this week. For those travelling to the show, I hope you have a safe journey and I look forward to perhaps meeting you at BTME.

British based business SIS Pitches have capped a successful growth period by supplying pitches for venues used at third major football tournament in less than six months

The company has now installed surfaces at venues being used in this year’s AFC Asian Cup.

Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium

The company provided pitches at six of the 12 World Cup stadia in Russia last July, including the final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow before landing a full-service contract for venues being used at the Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in December.

Now, SIS Pitches has secured work at seven of the eight venues being used at the AFC Asian Cup which is also taking place in the United Arab Emirates.

Their work spanned more than 56,000 square metres grass in total across all seven stadium venues.

The seven stadium grounds SIS Pitches delivered services at for the tournament are:

Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi - The pitch was re-turfed and installed by SIS Pitches last year using their hybrid pitch system SISGrass. As well as the final on 1st February, the stadium will host seven tournament matches and 16 pre-match training sessions in 27 days.

Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi - Full pitch rebuild in 2013 and has since been maintained by SIS Pitches. The surface will host six tournament matches and 12 pre-match training sessions in the space of 18 days, including one of the semi-finals.

Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain - Full pitch build in 2013 and has been maintained by SIS Pitches. The company installed SISGrass at the stadium in 2018 in time for the Club World Cup. The pitch will host eight matches and 16 pre-match training sessions in 23 days, including one of the semi-final fixtures.

Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai - The company installed a new pitch using SISGrass last year after the stadium was built. It will take on six matches and 12 pre-match training sessions in 18 days.

Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi – After the stadium was upgraded last year for the AFC Asian Cup, the company rebuilt the pitch with a new rootzone, installed new grass from its turf farm and installed a new irrigation system. It will host five matches and 10 pre-match training sessions in 16 days.

Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Dubai – Full pitch rebuild by SIS Pitches in 2015 and has been maintained ever since. It will take on five matches and 10 pre-match training sessions in 15 days.

Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain - The company installed a new irrigation system at the stadium and carried out an extensive maintenance programme to ensure the pitch was ready in time for the beginning of the tournament. It will play host to six matches and 10 pre-match training sessions in 15 days.

In addition, the pitch experts are also maintaining 15 training pitches for the 24-team tournament.

All grass for the pitch rebuilds came from the SIS Pitches turf farm in the UAE, designed and purpose-built for the re-turf of the Zayed Sports City Stadium, which will in its legacy mode be turned into two training pitches.

The total area of grass being maintained by SIS Pitches at the training grounds spans 134,550 square metres.

A team of 89 staff are working across all sites for the tournament including groundsmen, drivers, mechanics, electricians, irrigation plumbers and supervisors.

The company has offices around the world, including the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

David Ball, Managing Director at SIS Pitches, who is based in the company’s Dubai office, said: “We are passionate about sport across all aspects of our business and thrilled at the phenomenal period of growth we have experienced, especially in the last six months.

“We are very proud to have provided our services at venues being used at the World Cup, Club World Cup and now the Asian Cup, three of the most prestigious football competitions in the world, and believe this is an endorsement of the high-quality customer service we provide.

“For the Asian Cup, we are supplying high-quality pitches at seven of the eight venues being used in the tournament and also across 15 training pitches; that’s more than 180,000 square metres of grass.

“Our team of experts have worked exceptionally hard to ensure all pitches were ready for the beginning of the tournament, and I’m confident all surfaces will be in excellent condition when it concludes next month."

John Ledwidge has praised the consistent support he receives from ICL - particularly during what is an incredibly exciting and somewhat busy period for the Leicester City Football Club Grounds Manager.

John says he first became familiar with ICL products when he started his groundsmanship journey as a volunteer at Coventry City FC. It was in his next role at Aston Villa FC under the guidance of Jonathan Calderwood that he had more of an active role in applying the products. At the age of 24, he returned to Coventry City as the head groundsman of the Ricoh Arena before joining Leicester City four years later.

John Ledwidge

However, even though ICL may well be a brand that he has relied on at every club he has been at during his career, he is the first to admit that sentiment can afford to play no part in his decision to use the products.

“It all stems back to when I was at Coventry City and I first started seeing the products being used on the pitch. But my association with those products from an early age hasn’t influenced our decision making and it isn’t just because we’re comfortable - it is purely because of the results we get from the products. Ultimately, we want to be the best we can be and ICL products have worked for us and have consistently given us great results. It is that product quality and the support we receive from ICL which makes them a key supplier.”

John adheres to an ICL structured iTurf nutritional programme for both the stadium and the training ground. It is a proven programme which John claims helps deliver not only the nutrition that the plant needs but also offers those aesthetic qualities which is expected of the Premier League as well as the standards that are expected from the players, the staff and the owners (King Power).

Recently, King Power bought the Belgian second-flight football club Oud-Heverlee Leuven (OHL), and they signalled their ambitions by significantly investing in all areas of the club. John was tasked with improving the stadium pitch and the training ground, and was keen to implement his ICL programme which has worked so well at Leicester City.

“The day after the owners purchased the club I was flown over and given four days to put together a strategic plan for the development of the pitches, development of the grounds department and to basically replicate what we do here.

“We now have a full-time team in place that manage the stadium and the training ground and through that we have translated our use of ICL products and the framework that we use here. I like to think we have created a nice structure in a way of working with the products and it’s given us the results that we’ve wanted at this standard for a long time. Using this framework of ICL products, we’ve managed to do that successfully in Belgium and the pitch has gained a lot of credit.

“Based on what I’ve seen travelling round various clubs in Belgium and listening to feedback from the players and coaches I would suggest that football groundsmanship there is nothing like the top end of professionalism that you would expect here in the UK. With that in mind I see this project as an opportunity to try and change the culture over in Belgium. The Belgium FA are saying that what we are doing is incredible and they are looking at it from a whole view across Belgian football. So, we are hoping to not just make strides in the sense of creating great pitches for OHL but we are also trying to spread that a bit further across the country for the benefit of the industry.”

It is safe to say that John is extremely passionate about the industry he works in. From facilitating educational days for school children to working alongside the Young IOG board of directors in encouraging young people into the industry - John is a proud and pro-active groundsman. He is always looking for that next opportunity to make a difference and very recently he was presented with exactly that.

Last year, Leicester City Football Club revealed plans for a brand new, state-of-the-art training facility, as part of its long-term commitment to strengthening Leicestershire’s status as a home for the development of world-class sport. Not only will the training complex help to nurture footballing talent but it will also play host to a very unique sports turf academy.

“It’s going to be quite a dynamic site in the sense that it will cater for a lot of different areas of the industry as a whole. The purpose of the sports turf academy was really to capitalise on that amazing venue and hopefully train the next generation of groundsmen. It’s going to be something that has never been done before and the unique part of this academy is that we can give students access to the reality of what they will work on a day to day basis. Whether it’s a one-day course for volunteers or an intensive three year course for someone that wants to go into management - there will be something for everyone and the students can receive a qualification and then move into a work place. There will be a variety of pitches to work on, there will be a golf course for aspiring greenkeepers; there is the option for those interested in horticulture and also for those keen on learning mechanics – which in my opinion there is big shortfall of in the industry.

“Our aim for the sports turf academy is to provide that elite setting for the highest possible standard of training for the industry.

“It is such a huge project and we’ll be looking to engage with our key suppliers, such as ICL, for growth and development, of not only the department and the club but also for the industry as a whole.”

John admits that his key suppliers are integral to the Club’s long-term plans and he believes that loyalty is an essential ingredient in these relationships.

“When times have been tough, ICL has always been there - they haven’t just jumped in when they’ve seen the pound signs, which does unfortunately happen in this industry. To us, that loyalty is incredibly important.

“It’s also the confidence in the back-up and the technical support that you get. Ultimately, we know the products that we like, but for me it’s the advice and education that ICL can offer to my members of staff. We want them to know exactly why they might be using a fertilizer or a bio-stimulant and that’s the good thing about having ICL on-board, because guys like Nick Martin (ICL technical area sales manager) are always quick to help them understand.

“Every month we have educational seminars where we invite our key suppliers to talk to our members of staff and I sit in there too, because we may have a talk on fertilizer and for me at the top of the tree it doesn’t mean that I know everything and actually sometimes my knowledge will slip because I’m so focused on the strategic plans. I feel that it’s vital that we have that outside knowledge from suppliers and Nick is more knowledgeable than me on the ICL products.

"Therefore, it’s important that he can come in and translate that knowledge to them.

“In my opinion, ICL has gone hand in hand with the evolution of the industry. The company is forward thinking; they have looked at developments and identified exactly how they can help us achieve the results that we are all after.”

The Land Trust has announced that it has secured funding of £291,000 from the Denise Coates Foundation that should ultimately rise to £747,123.

The grant will enable the Land Trust to carry out a major project at the Trust’s site at Hassall Green, a two hectare green space which the Land Trust took ownership of in 2014.

The planned five year programme will see extensive improvements made to the site with four key objectives:

• Make the site safe for regular use by the general public
• Restore and improve habitats
• Increase biodiversity
• Engage the community

Euan Hall, chief executive of the Land Trust, said, “We are delighted to receive this funding from the Denise Coates Foundation. It is a significant sum of money that will make a real difference to the charitable objectives that we are able to deliver at Hassall Green.

“The current site budget only allows for a relatively basic level of maintenance to be performed and the additional funding will enable the Trust to undertake a transformative programme over the short and long term. This will significantly improve the site and its habitats; making it more aesthetically pleasing, enhancing its biodiversity and creating a real focal point for the local community.”

The grant will also enable the Land Trust to expand its successful Green Angels training and education programme which delivers training courses on subjects including habitat creation and management, environmental education and hard landscaping. The project focuses on encouraging social cohesion and improving the future prospects of the local community. Initially trialled on a former Land Trust site in Liverpool, Green Angels has helped nearly half of its participants back into employment, while many others have gone onto further education.

Denise Coates CBE, Denise Coates Foundation Trustee commented, “The trustees are delighted that the Foundation could be a part of this project which will see the development of an old industrial site into an area of natural beauty, freely available for the local community to enjoy.”

Lee Marshallsay, grounds manager at Charterhouse in Surrey, has reported successful results after using a range of MM grass seed from Limagrain UK.

Lee has been grounds manager at the prestigious Charterhouse for the last two and a half years. He oversees a team of fourteen members of staff who meticulously tend to the school’s grounds and sports fields. Currently there are 3 hockey pitches, 12 tennis courts, 18 artificial cricket nets, 7 cricket squares, 15 grass football pitches, 1 rugby pitch, 1 lacrosse pitch AND a 9-hole golf course.

Lee Marshallsay

Ever the perfectionist, Lee says he insists on working only with the best products and equipment which is most suitable for his site. Therefore, when it came to looking for a grass seed for his cricket squares it was not a decision he took lightly.

“Last summer we were looking at re-building our cricket square and it was an opportunity to look at other grasses, other mixtures and what other suppliers had. I was looking around and the MM50 kept coming to mind - a lot of groundsmen seemed to be using it and seemed to be really happy with it. I trialled a number of other mixtures and I have to make a decision on what seed I believe works best on our site. For me that was MM50.”

Lee has reported that he's really happy with MM50. “It provides fast establishment, strong rooting, a strong plant, and the playability is good," he said. "We’ve now got rooting down at 4/5 inches which is really promising.

“My main cricket square was renovated back in August and then we went onto use it on our other squares too. Again, the uptake was fantastic. In cricket loam it can be quite difficult to grow grass but MM50 has been great so I’m really pleased I made that decision.”

With prolonged heat and drought conditions challenging turf managers last year, Lee was no exception, and with this is mind he says he was looking for a seed that could potentially help after a particularly difficult summer. As a result Lee invited Richard Sheppard (Limagrain amenity seed specialist) to the school and together they identified a potential solution.

“Last summer, coming away from a really dry spell, Limagrain created two tailor made mixtures for us - one a complete rye mixture and the other a combination of both rye and fescue. This was to be used mainly on our golf fairways and also on some other areas that have less disturbance. It established really well and had great coverage in every area it was used.”

As well as reporting excellent results from the products, Lee was quick to praise the service and the support he receives.

“I can’t fault the service I receive at all. Richard comes in and we have a walk around the site to look at where we have used Limagrain products; we look at what we want to try and achieve and he goes away and thinks about what mixtures could work and improve the site. It’s great support and if I ever have any questions I can always call him.”

After being in the captain’s chair for thirty three years and having reached the grand age of 80, Andrew Rodwell, founder and managing director at British garden machinery manufacturer SCH (Supplies) Ltd has decided to step back from the day to day running of SCH and hand over the reins to Ian Holder & John Free, who have been with SCH for 14 years each.

The company is based in Holbrook, Suffolk, however the company’s fleet of delivery trucks span the entirety of the British mainland.

SCH began in 1986, when Andrew became frustrated at the lack of suitable lawn care attachments to fit his garden tractor. Not being one to back away from a challenge, Andrew set about designing and manufacturing the attachments he wanted and started selling them to friends who had encountered the same problem.

The very first SCH brochure was a simple, black and white four page leaflet, but from little acorns mighty oaks do grow, and the company now print in excess of 50,000 copies of their freely distributed 80 page brochure. The company now employs 25 local people, who design, manufacture and delivery an array of products from grass care systems to trailers, waterers, flail mowers and more.

All companies face challenges, and SCH is no different. SCH has survived two recessions and a devastating fire in 1995 which wiped out 95% of their stock and left the workforce struggling to cope. But Andrew has always been proud to say that no customers were let down, and normal service was resumed very quickly. Other challenges have included the influx of bulk shipments of flat packed machinery from the Far East. However, as Andrew says, SCH products will always appeal to those who want to take delivery of a British built, robust item which will last for many years, not just for a season or two.

The handful of original garden machinery dealers who were prepared to sell those new machines back in 1986 has now metamorphosed into a network of over 1,000 dealers throughout the UK.

Andrew hopes SCH’s loyal customers and dealers will show Ian and John the same support that they have showed him, and would like to thank everyone involved in the continued success of the company.

The STIHL Group has announced it is setting up an in-house production line for battery products at its headquarters in Germany.

Backpack batteries for professional applications will be produced at a highly automated high-tech manufacturing facility in Waiblingen-Hohenacker. 

"Entering into battery pack manufacturing is the logical continuation of the STIHL battery strategy," Dr. Bertram Kandziora, chairman of the executive board of STIHL, said. "In just 10 years, we have expanded our range of battery products from a hedge trimmer to three product lines featuring a wide selection of different tools."

The company launched its line of battery products for professional and high-end private use in 2009. In 2016, the company opened a competence centre for battery and electronics development at its headquarters in Waiblingen by expanding its development facility. Today, more than 300 employees work there.

"We have been able to fill many vacant positions in recent months, especially in the fields of batteries, electronics, connected products and IT. This is essential to further growth in this promising segment," Dr. Kandziora said. Increasingly powerful batteries have made the products popular among more than just private users. The quieter, emissions-free products offer many advantages, especially for municipal customers, say STIHL.

The battery production line was built with in-house expertise within the space of just 18 months. The first trial run at the new building in Waiblingen commenced in September 2018. The first batteries produced in-house are slated to hit the market in autumn 2019. Most batteries will be destined for European dealers.

Jensen have appointed a new for south west England.

Elmstar Machinery, based in Newton Abbot, will be responsible for sales, service, parts and hire of Jensen woodchippers throughout the entire county of Devon.

L-R: Jason Wignall, Elmstar Machinery director with Bill Johnston of Jensen

Elmstar has been trading for 10 years in 2019, celebrating its 10-year anniversary this January. With dedicated and well-stocked workshops, and coverage across all of Devon, Jensen believe Elmstar Machinery is an excellent addition to their network.

Jason Wignall, Elmstar Machinery co-owner, says he is extremely pleased with the new partnership and is excited to have the opportunity to work with the brand.

“We do sell a range of domestic and professional groundcare machinery, as well as chainsaws, but the adoption of a woodchipper brand opens up new and exciting potential for us in the arboriculture sector across Devon," said Jason.

“We are delighted to be able to add this established brand to our portfolio.”

This latest appointment follows two other new dealership appointments in the UK, with Field and Forest Machinery, Scotland and P. Tuckwells in East England both joining the Jensen dealer line up in November 2018, and another in Kent reported to be coming soon.

In only the second year of trading as part of the T H WHITE Machinery Imports division, led by business manager Bill Johnston, Jenson wood chippers are now available to buy, hire, service and obtain spare parts from 19 dealer locations across the whole of the UK.

Bill says he is excited with the continued expansion of the Jensen dealer network. “2018 was an excellent year for Jensen, with a growing network of dealers across the country, a series of successful events in the Arb Show, APF and SALTEX, and increasing awareness across the industry.

“2019 is already looking like another exciting year, with even more high calibre dealers set to join the Jensen line up, and we are delighted to welcome Elmstar Machinery into our Jensen family. We are confident they will provide exceptional customer service and support for all things Jensen for our Devon customers.”

Woods Equipment have confirmed their custom built spares and assembly plant in Charlerois, Belgium, is now offering the company’s full product range, with most products available either ex stock or within three weeks.

Simon Richard, the UK Agent for the Woods rotary cutter range, says, “Huge progress has been made since assembly began in January 2018 and this announcement confirms the Woods commitment to offering optimum service to UK and European agriculture and groundcare markets.

"Since taking on the Woods range in early 2017 we have been amazed by the number of extremely old but still fully functioning machines we have become aware of. Machines like Batwings at 18 years old and single Rotor machines at 20 years. We have even come across a triple Finishing Mower at 30 years of age. We are now asking owners to send us a picture of their machine at work, the serial number and their name and address. The owner of the oldest working machine will win a Woods 20 ton log splitter."

Email simon@simon-richard.co.uk for an application form which should be returned no later than the end of February 2019.

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SANDS OF TIME
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WHY DO WE DO THE RIGHT THING?
We must maintain industry standards

CHASING GRASS PERFECTION?
11 things you need to know . . .

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Q&A with BASIS ceo, Stephen Jacobs

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2018
Hosted at research trial grounds in Bingley

THE MECHANIC
Leicester City FC invest in new role

LORD'S 'GRASS-GUVNOR' TO RETIRE
Mick Hunt bows out after 49 years

HOLLOW CORING & DEEP SCARIFICATION
Is it really necessary?

THE VALUE OF PLANNING
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HAPPY NEW YEAR
Opportunities & challenges in 2019

View all of 2018's blogs here