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EDITOR'S BLOG

RENOVATIONS ON TOUR
Equipment in action
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

Last week I attended a pitch renovation tour demo day, that gave the opportunity for turf professionals to experience the range of machinery now available to help maintain and renovate natural turf pitches.

Hopefully, at last, there is some good news to report with the weather recently improving and the rain beginning to ease. This changing front will no doubt help plenty of turf professionals get on with their much-needed pitch preparations and renovations.

On the subject of renovations, last week I attended one of Campey Turfcare’s Pitch Renovation tour demo days at Kidderminster Carolinas Rugby Club. This was one of several that have been delivered around the UK in recent weeks.

The demo day organised by Campeys gave the opportunity for practicing grounds operatives to come and see the plethora of machinery now available to help maintain and renovate natural turf pitches.

On show were over twenty different pieces of machinery and equipment that have been developed for the maintenance and renovation of sports pitches.

Also on hand were a few supporting companies who were there to talk about their products and services. For example presentations included Richard Brown from Germinal seeds on seed selection; Iain Courage from Fleet Linemarkers LTD on line-marking and paint products; whilst Gary Cunningham from Mansfield sands was on hand to talk about sports turf topdressings.

However, the day was centred around the vast range of machinery we now have at our disposal to help renovate pitches to a high standard.
Attending the day were around forty turf professionals / contractors who were keen to see the machinery in operation. Lee Morgado, director of Campeys was on hand to welcome everybody and talk through all the demonstrations.

Lee has been with the company since he joined as a mechanic in 2006 and over the years has worked his way up to his current role.

I asked Lee how the tour had been going, especially considered the poor weather we have being having recently. Lee told me, “Apart from a couple of rain showers, we have been able to get on with the renovation tour and we’ve seen good attendance numbers at each venue.”

Lee continued, “As with any Campey demo day, the logistics involved in transporting and undertaking the work at each of these tour days is mind blowing. It takes several hours to load and unload all the machinery, then we must set it up to undertake the renovation works which, depending on what we are doing, would take a couple of days to complete. We then need to coordinate the transport of material on and off site.”

At each venue Campeys undertook the complete renovation of one of the club’s pitches. The work would involve fraise mowing off the vegetation, spiking, raking / cultivating, topdressing, fertilising and overseeding the pitch.

L-R: Lee Morgado, Mark Hall and Ryan Dawes

These works gave the chance for people attending to see all the major operations take placed while at the event.

I caught up with some of the attendees on the day, including Mark Hall, estates manager at Harper Adams University who specially came to see the machinery, He told me he is keen to invest in some to help renovate the pitches at the University.

Currently they have contractors who come in, but Mark is keen at looking at perhaps the opportunity to do the work himself, meaning he can be more in control, Also, he is mindful that in recent years the winters have become milder and wetter and he needs to better manage his pitches to make them more free draining.

I believe that there never been a better time for clubs to invest in new equipment, with the many grants and loans now available from various sports governing bodies and the National Lottery funds.

The range of machinery we have available for the maintenance and renovation of sports pitches is exceptional. Campeys have, over the last 38 years, brought into the UK a plethora of game-changing and revolutionary pieces of kit that have transformed the quality of natural grass pitches and made the job of groundsmanship ever more professional.

NEWS

PRO DEALERSHIP PURCHASED OUT OF ADMINISTRATION
Continued employment of 15 secured

In our first WEB ONLY story the dealership is due to reopen both branches today, Monday, April 29th 2024.

ALDERNEY OVERCOMES
Dollar Spot issues

In our next WEB ONLY story Alderney Golf Club has in recent years, faced a persistent threat to its greens in the form of Dollar Spot.

SABO RETURNS TO UK & EIRE
New partnership announced

Following a change of ownership of the German range of machinery, new collection mowers are to be launched by a new distributor with immediate effect.

PSD Groundscare have announced a new partnership with German manufacturer SABO who are re-entering the UK and Irish market.

SABO produce battery and petrol walk behind collection mowers for both residential and commercial markets and have traditionally enjoyed a high market share in the specialised dealer channel.

PSD say they will be focussing on the sale of the walk-behind mowers, which for many years were branded in the green and yellow of John Deere. However, in October 2020 Deere decided to exit the WBM market and sold SABO to private equity company Mutares SE & Co - who subsequently, in September 2023, agreed to sell the company to a management buyout led by managing director Lars Daniel, finally returning SABO Holding GmbH, to private ownership. The range of new collection mowers take the original design but are now produced in a distinctive red colour.

SABO say they chose to partner with PSD due to their track record of taking specialist landscaping equipment to market - in addition to PSD’s comprehensive list of carefully chosen specialist dealers.

The new range of SABO collection mowers is to be launched in the UK with immediate effect.

PSD sales director Stuart Mercer said, “We’re extremely excited to add SABO to our portfolio and lead the reintroduction of this fantastic product line and we look forward to being able to offer the UK and Ireland the best range of collection mowers available. We have the infrastructure in place to be able to support customers with first-class after sales including spare parts and can’t wait to get going with the new range.”

Lars Daniel, SABO managing director, added, “We are delighted that we have been able to secure this partnership with PSD to distribute our range throughout the UK & Ireland. They have a first-class reputation and we look forward to a long and successful partnership."

NEW TECH WINS CONTRACT
For weed control

Stirling Council has brought in a company to spray all its roads and pavements and also deal with vast areas of identified invasive weeds.

At a time when councils across the UK are struggling with weed issues, Stirling Council has brought in Lanarkshire-based Complete Weed Control (CWC) to spray all its roads and pavements and also deal with “vast” areas of identified invasive weeds within the council area.

Keith Gallacher

The contract will run for three years, with the option to extend it for a further year.

CWC say they will use WEEDit computer-controlled spot-weeding machines on the Stirling contract. It has invested heavily in its fleet, which now stands at seven.

It is the only company in Scotland to employ WEEDit technology, which is designed for footpaths and hard surface urban areas. The machine’s sensors detect the presence of weeds and accurately apply exactly the right amount of herbicide.

The company says the process has become the most environmentally efficient method of weed control, with a typical herbicide reduction of up to 80%. According to CWC, many local authorities have been able not only to achieve their environmental objectives of reducing glyphosate use but have also seen improvements in their overall weed control programmes.

Keith Gallacher, director of Complete Weed Control operations in Scotland, said, “Relationships with local authorities are very important to us and we are particularly pleased to have secured a contract of this duration with Stirling, where our technological advantage will come into its own.

“These WEEDit machines are a real advance in weed control. They scan on a metre-wide track and only apply the amount of product which is needed, which means a huge reduction in product use in comparison to traditional spraying methods. It also means there is no possibility of off-target spray damage to verges or open-plan gardens.

“We already work as trusted partners with a number of local authorities and we expect this latest contract will further spread the word about the value of the services we can offer to councils which often face challenging budgetary restrictions.”

DEALER NETWORK EXPANDS
Manufacturer aiming to reach all of UK

Dealership says they pride themselves on their personal touch with sales and service, giving a seamless connection to the end user.

Boss ORV has announced the appointment of dealer J&R Agricultural Engineering Ltd. in Cornwall as the latest to join the Corvus team.

Phil Everett and Jonathan Philp

J&R Agricultural is a tractor and machinery sales and repair business incorporating ATV and UTV sales and service. The company is based in the Looe area in South East Cornwall and has over thirty years in the industry covering Cornwall and South Devon. They will sell and support the full Corvus Terrain range of diesel and electric UTVs.

“I would like to give a big welcome to Jonathan, Ann-Marie, Richard, and all the team at J&R Agricultural Engineering,” said Boss ORV MD Phil Everett. “Their joining in the Corvus dealer network perfectly fits our goal of providing Corvus coverage, sales, and service into the furthest reaches of the UK.”

J&R say they pride themselves on their personal touch with sales and service being predominantly covered by the same people, giving a seamless connection to the end user. This, they say, has proved to be a successful approach in securing future business and building a good relationship with customers.

“Phil Everett at BOSS ORV is also focused on personal service and customer care,” says J&R’s Jonathan Philp, “which appealed to us at J&R and we were delighted to be given the opportunity to offer the range of Corvus UTV’s to our customers."

INCREASED DEMAND TO BE MET BY NEW FACTORY
3,300sqm facility

Manufacturer says new factory triples European production lines and increases capacity to supply a growing and diverse customer base.

Club Car has opened a new 3,300sqm factory in Poland to, they say, meet increasing demand for its electric vehicles.

The state-of-the-art Club Car Manufacturing Facility located in Mielec, Poland triples European production lines and increases capacity for the manufacturer to supply a growing and diverse customer base.

Marco Natale, vice president EMEA, said: “The addition of this new factory in Poland strengthens our ability to respond to increasing global demand for compact utility and low-speed consumer vehicles.

“With this investment, Club Car will better serve customers in the European utility market, where many industry and manufacturing, leisure and tourism, and municipal organisations are modernising and electrifying their fleets.”

Club Car now operates two major factories in Poland, having acquired the Melex manufacturing plant - virtually next door - with the 2022 purchase of Garia, a Danish producer of low-speed vehicles which had bought Polish utility company Melex the year before.

“This increase in production capabilities is great news for our dealers and customers in Europe, who will have access to a wider range of zero-emission on- and off-road vehicles at a variety of price points,” Marco added.

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