A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about the importance of choosing the right machinery which stated how our sport turf industry has changed in the last forty years regarding the choice and range of machinery we now have available.

In recent weeks, I have seen at first hand the huge investments both Gleneagles and Wentworth have made in machinery purchases to ensure they are able to deliver the playing surfaces and environment that they are striving to produce at their respective sites.

It goes without saying, in recent years we have seen a dramatic rise in the amount of machinery and equipment we have at our disposal. We now have a plethora of machines to help us undertake and make easier the daily routines of maintaining our natural landscaped facilities, urban communities, schools and universities grounds and sporting facilities.

Recently I attended the official hand over of a large fleet of John Deere machinery supplied By Farols to Enville Golf Club. It was a culmination of two years’ work by the club’s course manager Andy Wood, backed by the forward thinking board. Andy was keen to point out the decision to invest in John Deere equipment was based on several commercial benefits the club will gain from their partnership.

Andy has had a long relationship with John Deere, having worked closely with them at his three previous clubs, Robin Hood, Cosby and the Belfry. It is all about relationships and the back up and servicing of the machinery we are investing in. Like all golf clubs they go through machinery cycles. And when these cycles come to an end, it is often time for the club to reflect and look at new opportunities. In Andy’s case, Toro, their previous main supplier, their deal was coming to an end. So The club took the opportunity last year to start the process of looking at what the three leading main suppliers (Ransomes, Toro and Deere ) could offer. A range of demos took place and after a long debate the club decided to go with John Deere. It was not necessarily about price, but more about the back-up, warranty and service John Deere offered along with the support given by Jacob Shellis from Farols.

In total the club have invested in twenty-eight John Deere machines that includes mowers, Gators, trailers and tractors.

This is coupled with the fact that Farols was able to supply additional required equipment such as Sisis Veemo MK2, Trilo BL400, Fleming 4 tonne trailer and the ever popular Ventrac 4500 with five attachments.

Andy, took on the role of course manager at Enville in June 2017 and since his appointment has worked tirelessly with his fifteen staff to improve the condition of the course by improving the playing surfaces, opening areas up for regenerating heather and improving the golfing experience at the club.

A more detailed account of his ambitions and work since his appointment will be featured in a forthcoming feature article in TurfPro.

As machinery and equipment becomes more technical it is vitally important that you look after it, use it correctly and ensure it gets serviced and repaired properly. I still see too many sheds and yards littered with damaged, broken and unused machinery.

For many sports clubs, this time of the year, particularly for bowls and cricket clubs whose playing season has come to an end, during the winter months would be a good time to get your mowers serviced and repaired.

As for mechanical equipment, preventive maintenance, moreover, the planned maintenance of equipment, will help to improve equipment life span and ensure it is more reliable, particularly when starting up.

You should regularly check, fuel and oil levels along with checking air filters, hoses and grease any moving parts. Tighten up any loose bolts and nuts before use.
A reputable garden machinery servicing company will look at a whole host of things. When they do a full service on a petrol rotary / cylinder mower.

In the main this this will be to:

• Remove all covers and guards, steam clean the machine to remove any grass build up and oil residues.
• Service the carburetor and clean it, flush the fuel tank to remove any stale fuel and contamination.
• Replace the pull starter cord and re-wind the return spring and lubricate all moving parts.
• Check the air gap on the ignition coil and fit a new spark plug/s, replace the air filter and change the engine oil.
• Sharpen and balance the blades, check all drive belt and cables and make any necessary adjustments to height adjuster mechanism and all control levers and cables.
• Tighten the engine mounting and handle bar bolts.
• Run and test all machine functions.
• Check engine running speed and tune carburetor.

There are many benefits of a properly operated preventive maintenance program, for example equipment downtime is decreased and the number of major repairs are reduced.

So, my advice is you buy / invest in good quality tools, equipment and machinery. And then spend time looking after it and getting it serviced at the end of the year.

By doing so you will get a better return on your investment and more importantly have peace of mind that your tools and machinery are fit for purpose.

Finally, one of the best ways to source new machinery and see what’s on offer is to attend one of our trade shows. You can read my colleague, Steve Gibbs' report from the recent huge U.S equipment show, GIE+EXPO today and this week, I myself will be attending SALTEX 2019 at the NEC.

This show aims to be bigger and better than ever before, with over 300 exhibitors showing off their products and services. Our very own TurfPro and Service Dealer magazines will have a stand at the show along with the many other leading lights of our industry.

Personally, I find the show very rewarding, having the opportunity to meet so many clients, customers and fellow professionals under one roof over two days.

I hope to see you there. If you’re able, it'll be well worth your while making the effort to come along – I truly believe there is so much to see and gain from attending our trade shows.

New statistics show that the pitch improvement strategy instigated by the Premier League, The Football Association, the Government’s Football Foundation, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) continues to have an impact on football and cricket participation in England.

The organisations’ joint Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme (GaNTIP), which is funded by the Football Foundation and ECB, and led by the IOG, seeks to raise the quality of natural turf pitches to enhance player experience and increase capacity and participation levels.

With over 2,890 pitches assessed by GaNTIP regional pitch advisors between April 2018 and March 2019, the results, in terms of football, show:

• Boosted pitch match capacity by 28% - from an average of 2.5 games per pitch to 3.2;
• Reduced postponements by 24%;
• Increased pitch quality levels – 83% of the 2,890 pitches assessed have improved; and
• Engaged with 1,082 volunteers, of whom 192 have received training to boost knowledge levels and improve their pitch maintenance techniques. Indeed, the programme has engaged with volunteer time valued at over £3 million (if their time/value were calculated), based on minimum wage and average number of hours contributed (most volunteers work six-10 hours a week).

This, in turn, has enabled more than four million players to enjoy the game - calculated using 9 versus 9 pitches over a 40-week season; 18 players plus officials x 2,890 pitches and two games per week/weekend.

In order to increase pitch capacity, GaNTIP’s work with grassroots football has also involved the development of The Football Foundation Groundskeeping Community - a platform to provide expert advice to grounds staff - the development of a digital pitch assessment tool and the implementation of online modules (via the IOG website), as well as ‘traditional’ attendance courses/modules to support Football Foundation funding criteria.

Interestingly, GaNTIP’s inspections reveal that 82% of the pitches tested had below standard levels of compaction. “A common issue throughout GaNTIP’s history,” says IOG director of technical & learning Jason Booth, who is responsible for GaNTIP.

In addition, in collaboration with the ECB to develop and initiate a structured approach for local grounds staff, GaNTIP has:

• Serviced 38 County Cricket Boards and 38 County Grounds Associations/support groups, working with nine ECB Regional Club and Facilities managers to develop and deliver plans locally;
• Revitalised the County Pitch Advisor programme by supporting more than 70 Advisors;
• Developed a ‘toolbox’ to enable County Pitch Advisors and County Cricket Boards deliver a consistent approach to support;
• Trained 233 delegates (via the IOG’s online and day attendance cricket courses); and
• Assisted and developed the ECB’s new junior format for pitch sizes.

GaNTIP is monitored and supported by Sport England and the programme is now in year three (April 2019-March 2020) of Phase 2 (Phase 1 was 2014-2017) with two key account managers - Tom Rowley for football and Ian Mather-Brewster for cricket.

Jason Booth points out that the programme continues to increase awareness of the importance of the sustainability of natural turf pitches and hopes to invigorate more education and learning over the next 12 months.

“The programme is successfully achieving its aims of improving grassroots pitch quality and the education of the people who maintain those pitches, enabling the national governing bodies (NGBs) of football and cricket to provide clear direction on their grass pitch strategies,” he says.

“GaNTIP is making great strides and the programme and its RPAs are regarded as an integral part of the strategies of the NGBs currently within the programme. But the implications and benefits of GaNTIP could – and should – impact all grass sports and it is reassuring that other NGBs are monitoring our progress and showing great interest in what has been achieved and what GaNTIP could contribute to their sports.”

He adds: “Importantly, GaNTIP is also providing the grassroots and volunteer community with access to unrivalled training and education, which is proving indispensable in terms of pitch care. The programme is working hard with the NGBs and stakeholders to align volunteer training with the likes of coaching, because playing surfaces are equally as critical to participation levels.”

Green Flag Awards has announced the winners of the 2019 People’s Choice vote.

With more than 1,800 sites to choose from - all of which meet the standards demanded by the international Green Flag Award programme - the public have chosen their ten favourites.

One of the winners, Hollycroft Park

Included in this year’s list of winners for the first time are Valentines Park, managed by Vision Redbridge, and Hollycroft Park, managed by Hinckley and Bosworth Council.

Paul Todd, Green Flag Award manager, said, “We know that parks matter to people and that receiving a Green Flag Award brings a real sense of achievement and pride to staff, volunteers and the community.

“The number of people that took the time to vote for their favourite park is testament to how much these spaces are valued and we congratulate this year’s top ten.”

Parks and Green Spaces Minister Viscount Younger said, “Britain’s parks and green spaces are peaceful havens for people of all ages - places to meet neighbours, find relaxation, to exercise and learn about nature and the environment.

“It is fantastic to see so many people support and cheer their favourite parks every year for the Green Flag People’s Choice Awards.

“These awards celebrate the dedication of all those in the community who work tirelessly to ensure the whole community can enjoy the best of what our parks have to offer. Thank you and congratulations to everyone behind this year's favourites.”

The ten winners of the 2019 People’s Choice Award are (in alphabetical order):

• Clifton Park - Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
• Elsecar Park and Local Reservoir Nature Reserve - Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
• Harlow Town Park - Harlow District Council
• Hollycroft Park - Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
• Strathaven Park - South Lanarkshire Council
• University of Essex Wivenhoe Park - University of Essex
• Valentines Park - Vision Redbridge
• Victoria Park (Tower Hamlets) - London Borough of Tower Hamlets
• Victoria Park (Widnes) - Halton Metropolitan Borough Council
• Warley Woods - Warley Woods Community Trust

Leader of Hinckley & Bosworth Council Councillor Stuart Bray said: “Fantastic news, thank you to everyone who has voted for Hollycroft Park. To be recognised as one of the top ten favourite parks in the country rightly recognises the amazing contribution of our staff, the Friends of Hollycroft Park and all our volunteers and the visitors who make this park such a great place to visit at the heart of our community."

Councillor Jas Athwal, Leader of Redbridge Council, said: “It’s fantastic news that Valentines Park has been voted in the top ten favourite parks in the country. We are so fortunate to have so many beautiful green spaces and play parks all around the borough and I’m really pleased that our commitment to and continued investment in providing the very best parks for our residents to enjoy has been recognised once again.

Europe’s largest provider of grounds maintenance and landscape construction services, id verde, has signed a contract with The Toro Company.

The contract establishes a three-year partnership with Toro as a preferred supplier to id Verde’s network of locations throughout the UK, France and the Netherlands.

Hervé Lançon, CEO, id verde group, left, with Andy Brown, corporate accounts manager at The Toro Company

Through this contract, all idVerde branches will have access to the full range of Toro products, including reel mowers, rotary mowers, flail mowers, and small-area and wide-area mowers, as well as landscape contractor equipment.

 
id verde say the decision to work with Toro complements their ongoing strategic expansion plans, aimed at adding to the company’s capabilities and geographical coverage.

“We were looking for a reliable partner with a strong presence, both at the local level and throughout Europe as we continue to expand,” said Pascal Amico, director of purchasing at id verde. “With Toro’s distributor network, we will have full coverage in terms of product, service and support. It’s exactly what we need to ensure consistency in quality and performance across all of our branches.”

Andy Brown, corporate accounts manager at The Toro Company added, “Both companies have a long history of being committed to quality, environmental responsibility, customer relationships, and putting safety first. We’re looking forward to supplying id verde with the products and support they need to build on that legacy moving forward.”

According to Anthony Nadalin, senior marketing manager at The Toro Company, id verde will also benefit from Toro’s current focus on developing new products for the landscape contractor market. “Toro is investing heavily in new products so we can offer a total solution for contractors of any size, whether it’s a small independent business or a large group like id verde,” Nadalin said.

Beyond access to Toro’s wide portfolio of product, the partnership also relies on the network of support that Toro offers in the UK, France and Holland through its dedicated and long-term distributors in each country. In the UK, that support will be the responsibility of Reesink Turfcare.

Buckinghamshire’s Waddesdon Manor is employing Husqvarna Automowers to maintain a complex grass maze situated in the middle of a wild grass area at the property.

Located in the Aylesbury Vale, Waddesdon Manor is a Grade I listed house and Garden which was built for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the 1870s. The stunning location is owned by the National Trust, and managed by the Rothschild Foundation and is one of the Trust’s most visited garden properties, with over 471,000 visitors in 2018.

This summer, the gardens team of Waddesdon Manor saw the opportunity to install a grass maze at the location and were keen to explore an automated solution in order to keep the walkway section of the maze maintained.

The use of automated technology was important to the team’s plans due to the location and the amount of time it would take to maintain the maze. Because of the distance between the maze and the team’s machinery sheds, this presented a problem. Furthermore, as the maze area was complex to cut, it would take a lot longer for the team to complete.

Authorised Husqvarna dealer, RT Machinery, provided advice on Automower and completed an initial assessment followed by an expert installation which required two robots to be installed in order to deal with the complexities of the maze.

This installation was challenging for the obvious reason of the maze’s layout but also because the machines needed to find their way home to their respective charging points. Typically, the mowers would have guide wires to guide them to their charging station, however blind alleys meant this couldn’t be done - further increasing the challenge.

Over a two-month period Waddeson Manor say the products have excelled. Gardens Manager, Mike Buffin, commented on the performance of the products in light of the challenging location: “We’ve been very impressed with the two Husqvarna robots and they have shown just how well they can handle complex areas by keeping our maze in great condition. The mowers have been out cutting whilst people are in the maze, something which we didn’t think would be possible initially. Children find them fascinating and we’ve seen people follow them as they go about their work.

“The robotic mowers have saved the grounds team a great deal of time, allowing us to focus on other tasks whilst the maze is taken care of. We have asked guests to come up with names for the two robots and people have been tracking them on Facebook, which is fantastic to see.”

Overton (UK) have announced that Russell Groundcare have become the Mean Green electric mowers dealer for the Yorkshire counties.

L-R: Mark Lowe (Russells), Mark Willerton (Russells), Lewis Calvert (Overton UK)

After a successful demonstration to the groundcare sales team, Mark Lowe and Mark Willerton, Russell Groundcare managers, decided to progress as they believe it is the direction that the groundcare market is moving.

Mark commented that now the mowers have been available in the UK for the last four years and manufactured in the US for 10 years, it gave them confidence to take on the machines. He said, "The mowers are well built and having a walk behind, stand-on and zero turn models in the range allows us to sell the mowers into different market segments.

"The low noise, HAVs and WBVs is a big step forward and with mowing time up to 7 hours, no fuel or servicing, low weight and a quality cut ,the Mean Green mowers have a lot to offer operators. Whilst the zero emissions and zero carcinogenic fumes have a lot to offer the environment."

Carrick Sports Construction has announced the acquisition of Peter A Easton Irrigation Ltd.

Peter A Easton Irrigation Ltd was formed in 2005 nd specialises in irrigation and construction solutions to a wide range of major golf, football, rugby and natural landscape projects. Carrick Sports say they will continue to deliver the highest standard of services to Peter A Easton Irrigation’s existing clients.

Peter Easton, will join Carrick Sports Construction as business development/irrigation manager and will support Carrick’s ongoing strategic growth across the UK.

Peter said, “I’m delighted to be joining Carrick Sports. The combined wealth of knowledge in Carrick Sports will help drive the business into becoming a leader in the construction and irrigation industry. I personally look forward the challenge.”

Carrick Sports’ managing director, Stewart Aird, said, “Peter brings with him 32 years of experience which will enhance the service we are able to provide our customers. We are delighted to welcome him to the team, a rapidly expanding part of the STRI Group.”

To support their continued expansion, MTD Specialty Turf Products have announced the appointment of Oliver Hall into their territory sales team.

Oliver joins as sales manager for the Midlands region, a role which will see him providing sales support to dealers and customers, across both the Cub Cadet Infinicut and TMSystem product ranges.

Oliver first’s step into the industry was as a school groundsman, a position he held for six years, before more recently becoming a sales manager with a line-marking supplier to the sports turf sector. He joins MTD with a wealth of industry experience and know-how and the company says he is well placed to offer technical advice, backed up by a number of accreditations including IOG, NPTC and LANTRA certifications.

“The opportunity to join MTD was one I just couldn’t turn down,” Oliver explains. “I have long admired the design and engineering prowess of the products, as well as their emphasis on environmentally-friendly technology. The battery-powered market is one that is moving forward pretty quickly and it was something I was keen to get involved in."

A number of key industry experts will be uniting to collaboratively tackle the biggest issues facing the groundscare environment at SALTEX 2019, which takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on October 30 and 31.

Learning LIVE, SALTEX’s all-encompassing and free-to-attend education programme will take place in four dedicated seminar theatres with presentations and panel debates running from 10am through to 3.30pm each day of the show.

Learning LIVE 2019 to tackle industry issues at SALTEX 2019

Featuring over 50 CPD accredited seminars involving more than 100 expert speakers, the programme has been developed by leading industry partners and influencers to provide support, insight and real solutions to key industry issues.

Learning LIVE will kickstart with ‘Creating Champions’ telling the story of grounds staff’s contribution to this summer’s biggest weekend of sporting success. A spectacular line-up, including Neil Stubley (AELTC, Wimbledon) and Karl McDermott (Lord’s), will explain how to deliver exceptional surfaces for the world’s most prestigious sports events.

Findings from the IOG’s recent research document Groundsmanship – Sports’ Vital Profession will be presented by the IOG’s CEO Geoff Webb and consultant research lead, Carol Doran. Meanwhile, football grounds personnel can enjoy a rare opportunity to sit in on the ‘Tottenham Hotspur FC Experience’ seminar. Head groundsman Gary Lee reveals how the state-of-the art 62,000-capacity stadium pitches were built.

From Premiership to grassroots groundsmanship, there’s something for everyone at Learning LIVE. Pitch advisors from the IOG-led Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme (GaNTIP) will be presenting case studies of successful pitch improvements, and also offering advice on how to secure funding.

In the ‘Class Acts’ seminar Ian Avery (Sutton Valence School) explores how independent schools can balance internal and external demands on their pitches. Ian will focus on costings, timings and benefits to the school, plus the problems, and solutions, of quick turnarounds on multi-sport pitches. Giles Roberts (St Peter’s School), Lee Marshallsay (Charterhouse) and Danny Beckley (Harrow School) will also be discussing best practices to help your pitches stand out in a competitive market.

Recent regulations relating to plant protection products (PPP) have had a significant impact on turf management, and Learning LIVE attendees can expect to find answers in a seminar entitled ‘Pesticide 2020 and Beyond’. With a number of widely used insecticides, fungicides and herbicides having been withdrawn in recent times, Dr Colin Mumford (Bayer) will be on hand to explain the current status of PPP, what PPP are being withdrawn or introduced, and how to get optimum results from them.

Cricket grounds personnel can find out about ongoing research carried out by First Class Counties and England’s Centre of Excellence, and an elite panel, featuring Andy McKay (Sussex CCC) Gary Barwell (Warwickshire CCC) and Will Relf (Loughborough University), will be explaining how hybrid pitches in cricket are learning lessons from football. Industry legend Chris Wood, the ECB’s international pitches consultant, is set to captivate the audience with his stories as he looks back through his career in ‘A Lifetime in Groundsmanship’.

Elsewhere, climatologist Jim Dale is presenting ‘Managing Climate Change’ to ensure turf professionals stay one step ahead; ICL’s Dr Andy Owen and PhD student at Royal Holloway University, Tamsin Williams, offer an insight into their four-year research project on the effects of seaweed products on turf grass plant parasitic nematodes; industry consultant Peter Corbett discusses ‘Life Without Propiconazole’; and Question Time with the Amenity Forum will no doubt spark a lively debate around the use of pesticides and their alternatives.

This is just a snapshot of sessions available at this year’s show. Go to www.iogsaltex.com where you will soon be able to check out the full programme, register your visit to SALTEX and book into your preferred sessions to avoid the queues.

Registration for Europe’s largest annual groundscare exhibition SALTEX 2019 is now open

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX

LEGACY OF THE SOLHEIM CUP
At Gleneagles

A DAY OUT WITH THE LADIES
Behind the scenes at the Solheim Cup

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY'S EDIBLE GARDEN SUCCESS
2006 - present

HAIL THE GRASS MASTERS!
Boorish media comments about pitch quality are wide of the mark

CONTRACTOR SEES MULTI-DISCIPLINE SUCCESS
360 Ground Care serving professional facilities

BUSY TIMES
Judging the Green Flag Awards

TAKING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
What does it all mean in managing turf surfaces?

UNDER PRESSURE
Dry weather conditions continue to keep turf managers focused on moisture management

EDDIE SEAWARD
Death of Wimbledon’s influential grounds manager

MAJOR NEW IRRIGATION PROJECT
At Top 100 classic Berkhamsted Golf Club

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE HATTERS
Investment paying off at Kenilworth Road

ELIZABETHAN RESTORATION
At Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
The vital impact of parks and green spaces on health and well-being

WORM CONTROL
Without carbendazim

THE TRUE COST OF PETROL
Battery-powered outdoor power tools are now turning the heads of professionals

SANDS OF TIME
Sand-based pitches are now the norm in professional sports

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?

INTEGRATED PESTICIDE MANAGEMENT
Considering available strategies

AMENITY FORUM CONFERENCE '19 REPORT
Event held at the Pirelli Stadium

WHAT'S NEW ON THE PARKS FRONT?
Plenty of developments in this vital sector

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2019
Latest developments on show

BUSY TIMES AHEAD
Show and event season

RECRUITMENT IS KEY
The challenge of finding new staff

EDGBASTON'S BASTION
Gary Barwell gives his insight to groundsmen

CHOOSING THE RIGHT MACHINERY
Turf professionals must be careful when buying new equipment

A GROUNDSMAN'S LOT
Under-appreciated and under-valued

CURRENT STATE OF BOWLS
Clubs facing many challenges

GEARING UP FOR THE RUGBY SEASON
Starts in less than 3 weeks

PREPARING FOR GOLF COURSE WORK
Renovations on tees and greens

PLANNING CRICKET RENOVATIONS
There are some basic aims when renovating a square

A FEAST OF SPORT
With turf professionals playing an integral role

THE CURRENT STATE OF GOLF
Courses must adapt to survive

TEEING OFF WITH JOHN DEERE
Partnership with Wentworth Club launched

WEATHER CONTINUES TO SURPRISE
During one of the busiest times of the year

BERNHARD LAUNCH TRAINING ACADEMY
Educating the next generation

THE NEXT GENERATION
We must inspire and recruit a new generation of turf professionals

OPTIMISATION OF WATER RESOURCES
Better understand the soil / water relationship

HARD WORK & DEDICATION
Ever changing playing surfaces

OBESITY MEASURES
Turf professionals have a vital role

TIMELY ADVICE
Rugby renovations

PLANNING AHEAD
Renovating grass surfaces

FROM WINTER TO SUMMER SPORTS
April is a busy period

THE VALUE OF TREES
Trees bring real benefits to our cities, health and well being

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Choice of fertiliser products will be influenced by many factors

A WONDERFUL INDUSTRY
But we need to be encouraging the next generation

THE VALUE OF PARKS
Facilities must not be taken for granted

A VERY BUSY MARCH
Plenty of work for turf professionals to be getting on with

SHARING KNOWLEDGE
At the Dennis & Sisis groundcare seminar

INSECT DECLINE
A cause for concern

HELP IS AT HAND
Seek advice from industry bodies

SPRING RENOVATIONS
February is a good time to start planning

BTME 2019 REPORT
Great start to the year

BTME WEEK IS HERE!
Harrogate time again

THE VALUE OF PLANNING
Benefits for pitch sustainability

HAPPY NEW YEAR
Opportunities & challenges in 2019

View all of 2018's blogs here

Taking place in Louisville, Kentucky from October 16-18, was the GIE+EXPO trade show, which like this week's SALTEX exhibition, is aimed at professional end-users of outdoor powered equipment.

It was my privilege to attend the show this year, which takes place annually at the Kentucky International Exposition Centre.

Run by the American trade association the OPEI, alongside Sellers Expositions, I last attended the show four years ago and in those intervening years it has, remarkably, grown even larger. I remember when I was there previously what struck me immediately was the sheer scale of the endeavour. We are just not used to shows of this size for the outdoor power equipment sector in our country.

What of course contributes significantly to the GIE+EXPO's ability to run on such a large scale is the venue - an equivalent to which, we don't really have at home. The Kentucky Exposition Centre, allows the show to enjoy the best of both worlds for a machinery exhibition, in that it has a huge indoor space for fancy, static stands - plus an enormous outdoor area for practical, hands-on demonstrations. To this end, most exhibiting companies will have two stands, both inside and out.

What's slightly different about this show, compared to our major professional trade shows run by the IOG and BIGGA, is that the make up of attendees at GIE+EXPO is more skewed towards professional contractors rather than sporting or amenity turf professionals. Contracting is such a bigger endeavour in the U.S that it's natural that many exhibitors gear their stands towards appealing to the needs of this sector.

And it seems that the organisers are providing just what this sector desires from their trade show, because the attendance is mightily impressive and growing every year - this year the OPEI were talking about a record 25,000 people visiting. Walking round the aisles inside and the huge demonstration area outside, the crowds were obvious - and the buzz the show was creating, palpable.

Also adding to the vibrant atmosphere on the opening Wednesday, the show-floor is classed as a reception day, with many exhibitors giving away food and beer on their stands to attendees - with STIHL taking things even further with a full oompah band on theirs! This all contributed to a most convivial atmosphere - which judging by the sight of some attendees stumbling for the buses which shipped everyone back to town at the end of the day, was taken advantage of to its fullest.

On day two of the show, I managed to catch up with the President of the OPEI Kris Kiser. We had a comprehensive talk about the current state of the outdoor power equipment market in the U.S and indeed what trends Kris saw for the future.

Kris Kiser with TurfPro head of editorial, Steve Gibbs

Kris said how this year in particular had a seen a "radical shift" towards battery powered machinery in the US market. He also spoke of how the robotic mowing sector is exploding right now. He said once the autonomous sector fully takes holds, expect to see a torrent of uptake of the technology across the States.

Also during the show, I heard from Todd Teske, CEO of Briggs & Stratton. The company have had some well documented problems this past year but Todd didn't particularly address these issues in any detail in his talk with the trade press.

Todd Teske

He did describe 2019 as a year of investment for the company and said that as a consequence of these investments they shall become a company easier to do business with in the future - acknowledging that hadn't necessarily been the case this past year. He asserted that he was confident looking forward though. He said, "We are planning for growth and we anticipate growth." He also made a point of describing Briggs & Stratton as now a company that is a "provider of power" - be that traditional petrol engines or indeed new battery and hybrid technology.

Around the show there were plenty of new products to see. One very interesting launch was on the Mean Green Mowers stand, where they had a grand unveiling of a new large area autonomous mower.

Joe Conrad unveils the Atom

Called the Atom, the innovation here was that the machine doesn't use a guide wire or GPS via a base station - rather it navigates courtesy of on board cameras and in-built A.I. Company owner, Joe Conrad, described it as "the future of autonomous mowing."

Whilst at the Mean Green Mower stand it was great to see some UK faces being represented at the show, with the chaps from Overton Ltd, Guy and Richard Overton, who are the UK distributors for the Mean Green range. Richard told me they'd had great year just gone with Mean Green at home, with more dealers coming on board and the products really starting to take off. He said there was space for more dealers in the UK and just recently they'd been having some very interesting conversations and demonstrations with several large UK groundscare contracting companies.

Guy and Richard Overton who distribute Mean Green in the UK

One new innovation to the show which wasn't included last time I was here, and one which if I'm being honest, I'd be surprised to see repeated at home, was an area entitled Mutt Madness. Clearly a passion project of the OPEI's Kris Kiser, who as part of his presidential role can be seen on U.S morning television, promoting the benefits of natural grass gardens as an ideal environment for family dogs. This area which was in its second year, allowed attendees to return home with a newly adopted rescue dog! Yep, an actual dog. Imagine going to SALTEX and instead of simply leaving with a carrier bag full of brochures and a promotional baseball cap, you went home with a new family pet?!

A puppy up for adoption at Mutt Madness

However different it sounds to us, in the context of GIE-EXPO it worked perfectly. It was a genuinely joyful experience. It was an attraction which gave attendees a fun break from trawling around the stands and it was undeniably performing a most worthwhile service - with a cheque for $10,000 presented to the Kentucky Humane Society. Also in the wider scheme of things, the promotion of the concept of well-maintained grassed areas for pets to flourish, is outside the box thinking at its best.

$10,000 was presented to The Kentucky Humane Society on behalf of the Mutt Madness event

I have to say that I was so incredibly impressed with my time at GIE+EXPO. I'm sure the U.S turf professionals in attendance would have returned to their places of business, having genuinely benefited from their time there. Plenty of new innovations were on show, with robotics in particular, making its presence felt across the showfloor and demonstration areas in a noticeably significant way.

Would a trip to the show in the future for some UK turf professionals be worth the inevitable expenses involved? Perhaps.

It would most certainly be an eye opener which would reveal the potential for what outdoor power equipment shows can be when they are operating on a scale such as this.