Sherriff Amenity is proud to announce the launch of a new website at www.sherriffamenity.com. The new site not only incorporates a new clean design which is easy to navigate but also includes more product information than ever before.

As part of the website, a Customer Order Portal has become integral to the new design, which was officially launched at BTME in January. A more extensive news section with video content complete the new look.

The Customer Order Portal is compatible with a wide range of devices including mobiles and tablets, and is accessible through a link on the new Sherriff Amenity website, ensuring that groundsmen and greenkeepers, who are existing Sherriff Amenity customers and have registered their details, can place orders as and when they need them – all in real time.

Kevin Whitby, Sherriff Amenity’s marketing manager, said: “We are delighted with the new website. We had very positive comments from our soft launch at BTME in January where we showed customers what they could expect to see when we did launch it.

There is something of value and interest for every groundsman or greenkeeper visiting our site from in depth product information to material data safety sheets and our popular BASIS technical updates.”

For further information, or if you would like to register for the Customer Order Portal please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriffamenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity

As one of the UK’s leading artificial pitch maintenance providers, Replay Maintenance recognises the importance of specialist maintenance to aid safe and enjoyable play as well as prolonging the longevity of the surface. Here, Nick Harris, Business Development Manager from Replay, who has over ten years’ experience of synthetic surface maintenance, talks about the development of maintenance of artificial sports surfaces from being a contentious issue to an accepted normality.

Once thought of as all-weather and maintenance free, it is now clear that to maximise the durability and longevity of a surface maintenance is key. And as for all-weather, which many people refer to, think ‘more-weather’. A quick look back to this past winter is evidence enough to show that come wind, rain or shine the pitch will be fine, but add a drop in temperature and a bit of snow then they can become a complete no-go.

Artificial Turf Pitches (ATP’s) have clearly evolved through their generations, with the much vaunted, non-filled 4G carpets a very real possibility. Each generation of surface has brought its own specific maintenance requirements, which the solutions for has generally evolved retrospectively rather than been at the forefront of the carpet manufacturers R&D departments.

Before these surfaces become available for use in the mainstream they have to go through rigorous laboratory tests. One of which utilises the Lisport machine (the Lisport is a machine which has become the industry standard for artificial wear simulation of synthetic surfaces), but of course the real test is in everyday usage. The accepted Industry standard is that for every ten hours of pitch use, then you need to allocate one hour of maintenance, although this figure can vary greatly with the size of surface, extended hours of play and actual footfall.
In the early years, maintenance was wrongly considered unnecessary until a problem became apparent; which often resulted in an expensive but necessary reactive fix. All surfaces require a pro-active approach to maintenance and now with modern techniques and processes; the look, feel and life of an artificial surface are greatly enhanced.

With 3G surfaces, the need for regular pro-active maintenance is clear for all to see. With rubber infill particles bouncing around off each other, often through the fence or into the shoes of players, with 15mm of unsupported carpet fibres above the infill wilting under the footfall of several hundred 5-a-side players (some wearing their flat soled all-purpose trainers against the better advice of the manufacturer and facility) the surface can start to look pretty weary very quickly. The visible and physical benefits of maintaining a 3G pitch is therefore very apparent. The rubber infill is loosened and cleaned, evenly redistributed and the carpet fibres lifted upright again to help ensure the perfect playing surface.

Historically, maintenance had to be sold by maintenance companies and not by the people that had the most influence, namely consultants, manufacturers, contractors and installers. Fortunately, over the last few years the importance of good, best-practice maintenance has been widely accepted and indoctrinated into the provision of ATP’s. On a national level, those that influence and often fund the build of such facilities such as Sport England, The FA and RFU have recognised that maintenance is key in protecting their investment and insist that this is included in all tender and procurement documents.

When a maintenance provider comes along, make sure that you get a unique, tailored maintenance regime suited to your needs which will benefit your facility, rather than a ‘one size fits all’ package which only benefits the contractor and not you, the customer. To make a simple analogy, just like cars, who regardless of make and model all require petrol, oil, windscreen wash and correctly inflated tyres and don’t forget the annual service and MOT. But be aware, just like the quality, experience and cost of mechanics can vary, so can your ATP maintenance provider.

Always ensure you choose a maintenance contractor that comes accredited, recommended and approved. That they can recognise your needs and diagnose your specific problem and don’t try and sell you anything more than you really need.

Replay Maintenance is proud to be a founding member of the IOG customer driven website and supplier of bespoke tailored synthetic sports surface maintenance training for the benefit of synthetic sports facilities and the individuals responsible for them across the UK.

For further information, please contact Replay Maintenance on 01636 640 506 or visit the company’s website www.replaymaintenance.co.uk

Musselburgh Racecourse, winner of the Dual Purpose category in the 2012 Racecourse Groundstaff awards, has signed a 3-year supplier agreement with Sherriff Amenity. The deal sees the supply of a wide range of fertilisers, herbicides and grass seed from the company’s range.

Musselburgh hosts a number of prestigious fixtures which attracts over 7000 race-goers at some events. Its location is only six miles east of Edinburgh city centre with the low rainfall and free draining soils meaning that events can take place when many other tracks can’t.

Run as a not-for-profit organisation, everything that the facility earns is invested back into racecourse to ensure that they continue to provide the best facilities for all of their customers. Mark Bemrose has been Head Groundsman at Musselburgh for eight years and along with his team of four full time staff work hard to produce a consistently high standard.

According to Mark, it was a combination of the technical expertise from Sherriff Amenity’s Regional Manager Kenny Archibald, the ability to be able to budget for the long-term and the best products on the market that clinched the long-term deal.

“I have been using Sherriff Amenity’s products for years – since I was at Nottingham Racecourse, which was my previous job,” commented Mark. “When I came here, I was keen to carry on our relationship because we had such good results.

“The benefits we get from Sherriff Amenity are just too good to miss out on. One reason for signing the agreement was that it’s great for budgeting. The prices will stay fixed for that period so we know exactly what we will be spending.”

Mark uses a wide combination of products from different manufacturers on the course with Sherriff Amenity’s own products also among them. He says that he was able to visit the OGT factory in Ireland where SeaVolution is produced to get a better understanding of the product.

“We did have a problem with nematodes and after a consultation with Kenny, he recommended their SeaVolution Plus product, and since we’ve been using it; it has been working exceptionally well for us in encouraging a strong root development.

“I can rely on Sherriff Amenity to help keep the consistency of quality extremely high. I know that if I have any problem I can talk to someone locally, which is vitally important. I can’t fault them and would have no hesitation in recommending them to other racecourses,” said Mark.

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriff-amenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity.

Souters Sports, one of the UK’s leading natural sportsturf contractors have recently completed the regeneration of the Rhys Jones sports pitches in Croxteth, Liverpool.

The Rhys Jones sports pitches are in memory of Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones, who was tragically murdered on his way back from football practice in August 2007 near his Croxteth home. The project is extremely close to the communities’ heart, with a trust being created to raise money for the project within the community, it rose over £250,000 in donations and the city council also provided in excess of £250,000 to finalise the project.

The project required a complete regeneration of the existing open playing field to include two artificial sports pitches. Playrite Conqueror 3G carpet surface was chosen, which also included floodlights and 3m high fencing, car parking and a community centre building with a range of different rooms to accommodate for different functions and events.

The works consisted of the installation of 168m of piped drainage system to accommodate both artificial sports pitches and the car park. All surface water was retained on site and discharged back into the ground water table via a soakaway. As well as 900 tonnes of type one stone to form a dynamic base, changing rooms, meeting room, reception and management office, male and female toilets and an accessible WC, hard and soft landscaping (including featured pavers band to entrance), five bicycle bays, multi-use function room external refuge storage and an external canopy zone.

It was important for Souters Sports to hold regular meetings with the trust members and the local community members due to the sensitivity of the project.

Robert Heath, contracts director at Souters Sports said: “The Centre was always designed with children in mind and the trust is proud that they are providing free coaching and assistance. Souters Sports are proud to have constructed the new facilities in memory of Rhys and look forward to the centre being used for many years to come.”
The facility is now being run by the trust and is already servicing some of the community’s needs with groups utilising the facilities for meetings and events. The centre has already become an ideal spot for children’s football and dance parties.

Mark Mac Coughlin Centre Manager said, “The pitches are up to 60% usage and everyone is commenting on how good the surface is. We are very thankful to the good work done by Souters Sports.”

For further information, please contact Souters Sports Limited on 01236 453030 or visit www.souterssports.co.uk. Souters Sports are also on Twitter @SoutersSports

The Emerson Country Club in Sejong City, South Korea has recently upgraded its turf maintenance machinery with the delivery of a SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid 1500 tractor mounted aerator by local SISIS dealer Arcwin Co, which has led to six further sales of the machine in the region.

The course is considered one of the region’s best, so Head Greenkeeper Chang Gue-Oh chose what he considered to be the best aeration machine on the market and after-sales service available to care for the course.

“We had a gas exchange problem on our greens and our previous machinery did nothing to help with the problem,” explained Chang. “We visited a recent demonstration day by Arcwin Co and were astounded by the SISIS Aer-Aid. It was so quick in its operation yet left minimal surface disturbance and since our purchase we’ve not only completed our aeration tasks quicker, but also saved resources which can be better spent on other areas of the course.”

The Aer-Aid system injects air directly into the root zone speeding up the aeration process, moving air uniformly throughout the root zone for complete aeration and not just where the tines have penetrated the surface. The cam trigger mechanism ensures that the air is always at the bottom of the tine penetration enabling treatment to be targeted precisely by the operator.

“Over the past twelve months; we have seen a significant increase in the number of demonstrations and sales of the Aer-Aid, not just overseas but also in the UK,” said Ewen Wilson, Dennis and SISIS Export Manager.

“Greenkeepers, course managers as well as groundsmen and contractors like that the machines can be used all year round due to the large selection of tines which help to break up compaction allowing water, air and nutrients to penetrate the root zone. Constant use helps to produce a sports surface that is less affected by weather changing weather conditions.”

“The wide range of tines available combined with the low maintenance and quickness of operation are all great advantages of the SISIS Aer-Aid,” said Chang.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com
For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow SISIS on Twitter @SISISMachinery and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest SISIS videos by visiting www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery.

Oldham Athletic Football Club has signed a three year supply agreement with Sherriff Amenity for all line marking and paint requirements. The agreement sees the Bowcom GMX line marker and Bowgrass Supreme Plus paint used for line marking duties at the Boundary Park Stadium and three training pitches.

Chris Bailey, Head Groundsman for the League One club said that the decision to swap from a previous supplier and go with Sherriff Amenity was for the potential cost savings it would give him in line marking paint and also quality of finish. “Since becoming Head Groundsman, I’ve always looked at ways to provide an improved and higher standard of presentation and finish.

“Through this agreement, we are looking to improve the standard of pitch square-ness and line straightness. Lee Williams, the Amenity Specialist at Sherriff Amenity is extremely knowledgeable and knows the issue’s that a groundsman faces having been a groundsman himself.”

Chris has been working with Lee and Sherriff Amenity for the past twelve months, with the company also supplying a range of products to the club including fertilisers. “We purchase a lot of products from Sherriff Amenity and I know that I can rely on Lee for a quality service and any advice that I need.”

The combination of the revolutionary Bowcom GMX and Bowgrass Supreme Plus paint offers Chris and his groundstaff the ultimate in precision line marking application. The GMX incorporates a number of comprehensive, flexible spray options including fully adjustable line width, central or off-set spraying, protected, quick release spray head assembly, optional twin jet nozzle and optional side marking arm along with a removable 25lt paint tank which offers the operator total flexibility when changing, cleaning or filling.

Benefitting from a reduced viscosity and improved flow properties, Supreme Plus line marking paint remains the preferred choice for high profile sporting venues both in the UK and internationally for producing an exceptionally bright, durable weather resistant line.

One feature Chris particularly likes is the ease of keeping the machine clean. "Keeping it clean is easy. All we have to do is run water through it after use. It really couldn’t be any easier and is clean in no time.

“The Supreme Plus paint quality means that I don’t have to re-mark pitches. I would certainly recommend both the GMX and Supreme paint – not just because of the cost savings but also the level of service we’ve received,” said Chris.

Bowcom products are available exclusively throughout the United Kingdom from Sherriff Amenity. For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriff-amenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity.

Sherriff Amenity, one of the leading turf care and sports equipment suppliers, is pleased to announce the launch of a new professional spreader – the Trojan DSi.

The Trojan range is renowned by grounds care professionals to be designed and built with quality, durability and cost effectiveness in mind. Each spreader is manufactured to the highest standards, ensuring each product meets the company’s high quality control standards.

The Trojan DSi is a highly accurate drop spreader which is lightweight yet durable with a plastic construction which is easy to manoeuvre. With an adjustable flow rate, 25kg capacity hopper with 500mm width, the spreader is also ideal for use all-year-round. During the colder months, the corrosion resistant hopper is ideal for winter maintenance and salt spreading.

The complete range of Trojan spreaders is sold exclusively through Sherriff Amenity.

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 0115 939 0202 or email info@sherriff-amenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity.

The tennis courts at Old Albanian Tennis Club in St Alban’s have received a new lease of life following a Replay Rejuvenation® and will now be fit for play for a number of years.

Ideally, artificial turf pitches (ATP’s) should be maintained from day one, but unfortunately this does not always happen, which was the case at OA Tennis Club, where the courts were almost in a state of disrepair.

Following a full site survey, Replay Maintenance were confident that by implementing the correct maintenance programme, even the most heavily affected areas of moss and algae on the surface could be restored to an ‘as new’ condition.

At ten years old, the tennis courts were suffering the consequences of age, with contaminated material affecting both the aesthetics and the playing properties of the courts. Dark patches of moss and algae were evident right across the courts, highlighting the contamination that was present within the surface infill, while areas of standing water were commonplace after heavy spells of rain, demonstrating the inability to adequately drain. The surface had also become slippery under foot.

The club, by their own admission, fully expected that the site survey would conclude that resurfacing would be the only solution, and were relieved to discover that this was not the case, as Sue Barnes, membership Secretary describes:

“Our courts were ten years old, and were heavily contaminated with moss and algae. Replay Maintenance came in and carried out their Replay Rejuvenation® which brought our courts back to an ‘as new’ condition, and at the fraction of the cost of replacing the surface.”

The Replay Rejuvenation® process restores sand-filled synthetic surfaces to an ‘as new’ performance and appearance, whilst often doubling the playing life of a pitch or tennis court for a fraction of the cost of replacing the carpet. And, unlike replacing the artificial surface, the Replay Rejuvenation® can be completed in days – saving facilities time and minimising loss of revenue.

Replay Rejuvenation® is also just as effective on long-pile surfaces – extracting the infill to any chosen depth.

“I am absolutely amazed at the transformation of our surface. From the initial site inspection, the service we have received has been fantastic,” said Sue.

For further information, please contact Replay Maintenance on 01636 640 506 or visit the company’s website www.replaymaintenance.co.uk. You can also follow Replay Maintenance on Twitter @ReplayMaintain

Alan Abel, a Complete Weed Control franchisee for over 30 years, gives his thoughts for 2014.

The whole year kicks off again with the annual pilgrimage to BTME and Harrogate. It’s so hard to believe 12 months have passed so quickly.

At least those months have on the whole been kind to turf managers. As Christmas and New Year celebrations happen, the weather has taken a turn for the worse and again sports facilities across the country are saturated with winter rains.

With so much top class rugby and football action to fit in during the depths of winter, it again falls to the groundsmen to toil against the elements to keep sporting events a possibility.

Temperatures are high, and many grasses have been struggling to know if they are going to shut down or not, due to the odd very cold night followed by maybe a few into double figures.

Harrogate-20130122-00427This has led to anaemic looking swards that have needed a pep-up to keep them strong against disease, especially fusarium that has been particularly strong in the run up to the New Year.

Iprodione has been used extensively during the past month to try and keep the menace at bay.

Groundsmen have also been using fertilizers and iron to try and keep grasses looking healthy and giving nutrients to help them through the particularly wet and mild prevailing conditions.

On pre-Christmas visits to clients, it was notable how many had sprayed against leatherjackets and had been amazed by the populations there were in fine turf. During the 2013 late summer there were clouds of daddy long legs that flew up when one walked through grass areas. Some of these laid thousands of eggs and these leatherjackets are doing untold damage underground and under our noses that only manifests when it’s too late.

Therefore, an Insurance Ppolicy application of CYREN @ 1.5 litres per hectare with a wetter and water buffer is an economical and cost effective way of protecting precious swards.

It should also be noted that a second application also brought many grubs to the surface, as the problem seems to have changed cycle and appears to be an all year round threat.

Moss is rearing its ugly head again in all types of swards. We are quite impotent when it comes to its treatment.

There are products on the market, but we all remember dichlorophen with affection!
It’s no longer available and we have products such as JEWEL (carfentrazone / mecoprop) from Everris that will control mosses and weeds as a double action. It’s better to wait till good growing conditions before application.

MOGETON (quinoclamine) from Certis is available to use on golf greens with application only through a watering can at high water volumes. It is effective and where silvermoss is the problem, then this product must be the choice.

Iron products at high rates are available and should be used in conjunction with light scarification where possible, two weeks following applications, to give the iron a chance to work. This particularly appertains to golf fairways.

With the wet weather, worms become a nuisance, and every worm cast is a potential seed bed for a weed to set. (We can talk selective weed control later in the season!)

Therefore using carbendazim @ 4 litres per hectare and combining this with Cyren (as discussed), gives a double control of worms and leatherjackets.

I reckon part of the reason years seem to go quicker is that when you are involved in outdoor type industries, you are always thinking of a few months down the line. At this time we are all thinking about spring and what that may bring. Preparing for spring by getting sports fields, bowling greens, cricket tables etc. soil sampled, will stand you in good stead by seeing exactly what nourishment the ground requires. This means fore-warned is fore-armed and ready to get the sports surface up to top standard as soon as the weather allows.

At Complete Weed Control; we can help and provide application services with everything discussed in this article including facilitating soil samples. All our team are Amenity Assured and details can be found on our website. If the weather gets wintry and cold, Complete Ice Control can also spread salt and snow clear where necessary.

We wish you all a Happy New Year and enjoy BTME. Be sure to visit our Stand.

For more information, please contact Complete Weed Control’s National office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeweedcontrol.co.uk. You can also follow CWC on Twitter @CWCLimited for more news, reviews and insightful views.

Leading sports ground contractor, Souters Sports, has continued its policy of investing in state of the art equipment with the purchase of two MAN TGX 26.440 lorries. The two Lorries have been bought for their reliability and efficiency.

Winner of several coveted prizes in international long-haul transport, the MAN TGX is best in class. The TGX Efficient Line is designed consistently for consumption reduction and provides ultimate efficiency in long-haul transport being robust, economical and reliable.

Souters Sports Contracts Director, Robert Heath, said that they feel the MAN TGX is the perfect choice for them, “In the current market place we need reliability along with efficiency and service so we have opted to partner MAN with a repair and maintenance contract to reduce downtime and in-house costs.”

The MAN TGX uses up to three litres less fuel consumption over 100 km compared to a standard vehicle, reducing costs and protecting the environment. It is the ideal solution for economic and environmentally friendly long-haul transport as well as this it is a great advertising opportunity for Souters Sport as Robert explains: “Our lorries are always travelling the length and breadth of the country and with our new livery, you won’t be able to miss them.”

For further information, please contact Souters Sports Limited on 01236 453030 or visit www.souterssports.co.uk. Souters Sports are also on Twitter @SoutersSports

Sherriff Amenity, one of the UK’s leading turf care and sports equipment suppliers, has confirmed that it will once again be holding the BASIS Foundation Award in Amenity and Horticulture at BTME 2014.

Following the success of the 2013 award, which saw a 100% pass rate for the candidates, Sherriff Amenity felt it was important to continue to raise the knowledge of pesticides among professional users.

With support from Bayer and Everris, candidates from golf clubs and other landscape and amenity organisations will take part in a three-day course conducted by the STRI’s Head of Research Dr Ruth Mann with the final exam being sat in Harrogate during the exhibition.

“We see this as a practical way of promoting a professional understanding of pesticides,” said Sherriff Amenity’s Marketing Manager Kevin Whitby. “We feel that it is important to support education within the industry as well as also helping to support education at the show.”

The Foundation Award is one of many recognised qualifications that BASIS offers those working in turf and other land-based professions.

As well as supporting the education programme, a Bowdry surface water removal machine will be up for grabs for one lucky winner. Designed specifically to efficiently and effectively remove standing water from any surface ensures sporting fixtures can continue when under normal conditions, standing water would prevent play. The Bowdry collects up to 60 litres of water per minute and, due to its ergonomic design, is simple to operate, transport and store.


Staff from Sherriff Amenity will be out in force on stand B34 with their range of fertilisers, chemicals, grass seed, dressings, sprayers and golf course equipment. Also being officially launched at the show will be the company’s re-designed website and brand new ordering portal - all of which means that the stand will be a ‘must-visit’ for any greenkeeper, course manager or turf professional attending the show.

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or email info@sherriff-amenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity.

Dennis and SISIS return to BTME 2014 on stand A5 with a continuation of the successful product launches from IOG SALTEX earlier this year. The joint stand will feature a range of products that have been engineered to provide turf professionals with machines that really perform.

On the stand will be the new SISIS Rotorake 600HD pedestrian scarifier and redesigned SISIS TM1000 tractor mounted scarifier which now features five quick release interchangeable reels to aid the removal and control of thatch and help reduce standing surface water by improving water infiltration. Completing the SISIS line-up will be the Autoslit pedestrian deep slitter, which is ideal for use on fine or outfield turf.

From Dennis, there will be the Razor Ultra 560 mower which has been developed specifically for golf greens and tees, cricket pitches and bowling greens. The machine has a 560mm (22”) cutting width and incorporates many key features including an 11 bladed cutting cylinder, ultra short wheelbase for undulating surfaces, tungsten tipped groomer, compact handle design for extra manoeuvrability, click height adjusters and stub free transport wheels for easy transport from site to site.

Finally, the most popular Dennis machine - the FT interchangeable cassette mower will also be on display. The range gives operators maximum versatility with options to fit 11 different heads including scarifiers, verticutters, brushes, spikers and slitters as well as 5 or 10 blade cutter cassettes with 30 seconds changeover of cassettes. Models are available as 17" (43cm), 20" (51cm) and 24" (61cm) widths.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowers and SISIS @SISISMachinery. You can like the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK and www.facebook.com/SISISMachinery. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers and www.youtube.com/SISISMachinery

BTME in January 2014 marks the return of ‘The Stig Driving Challenge’ on the Complete Weed Control stand, where visitors can also see the range of weed and ice control services that the company offer.

Visitors to Stand C48 will be invited to set a ‘hot lap’ on the Top Gear track with everyone’s times going up on the Leaderboard. The CWC Stig will set the ‘to beat time’ each morning with prizes being offered for the fastest time set from each day.

Following the successful launch of the Weed-IT machine at IOG SALTEX earlier this year, which sees the machine being available to purchase in the UK for the first time, CWC will be looking to appoint suitable dealers in order to create a network that can provide regional back-up and support for both the Weed-IT machine and the chosen carrier vehicle.

Following the show, on-site demonstrations will be available as well as bespoke builds for task specific machinery.

“We feel that it is now time for the weed spraying industry in the UK to step up to the plate and face its collective responsibilities to protect the environment in which we operate,” says Ian Graham, CWC’s Managing Director. “Making the technology available to everyone removes the excuse for the blanket spraying of huge areas of hard surfaces. With the changes in the label for glyphosate, access to this state-of-the-art machinery has never been required more.”

Also on show will be the company’s baseguard product. baseguard allows water and nutrients through its porous structure to the roots below, negating the issues associated with compaction. Tree wells are often choked with leaves, cigarette ends and other debris, especially when fitted with iron grilles. baseguard, however, fills these voids and can be installed in conjunction with grilles when the tree is planted, or as a retrofit.

In recent months the baseguard system has been used for much larger applications than simply tree surrounds, with access roads to sports pitches at Premier League training grounds as well as footpaths and play areas at schools being just some of its uses.

For more information, please contact Complete Weed Control’s National office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeweedcontrol.co.uk. You can also follow CWC on Twitter @CWCLimited for more news, reviews and insightful views.

Dennis Return to the Golf Industry Show (GIS) which is taking place in the Orange County Convention Centre in Orlando on February 5-6 2014, at booth 1979, featuring the Dennis FT510 interchangeable cassette cylinder mower with innovation being the key message.

Dennis is renowned for their innovative, high quality British-built turfcare machinery which is used at sporting venues all over the world. Superintendents looking to impress with a high quality purchase will find their needs ideally met by the FT510, which features the industry-leading, and world’s first, interchangeable cassette system.

The uncomplicated interchangeable cassette system allows the operator to fit a range of attachments ensuring it is unrivalled as not only a mower but also a total turf maintenance machine which can be used on all areas of fine turf throughout the year.

A choice of up to 11 different cassettes including de-thatchers, verticutters, brushes, spikers and slitters as well as a five or nine bladed cutting cylinder make it more than just a fine turf mower. It offers total fine turf care in a single unit, with a 30 second changeover of cassettes. The FT510 is a firm favourite with busy superintendents looking to carry out more than one task, but with a single power source.

The FT range is available in 17" (43cm), 20" (51cm) and 24" (61cm) widths.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact the Dennis USA distributor CS Trading on (864) 843 5972or visit www.dennisuk.com.

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers.

Complete Weed Control franchisees from across the country joined head office staff at the annual CWC Franchisee Conference, this year held in Amsterdam – with the theme ‘Building on Success’.

Managing Director Ian Graham opened proceedings stating that the past twelve months has been a success – in terms of generating new business, reaching out to new customers with new services and customer service.

The business conference highlighted the latest product innovations and deepening head office support designed to enhance communication across the group, while providing franchisees effective solutions for managing and growing their own business.

“The event brings an extensive array of resources to one location, providing everything our franchisees need to support the profitable growth of their businesses,” commented Ian. “Personal relationships are at the core of our business, and the conference gives CWC a further opportunity to directly interact with our franchisees in an environment that helps us better understand their requirements, as well as the need of their customers.”

The event provided the ideal opportunity to promote the advances and innovative technology from the company, with presentations focusing on the company’s more integrated and enhanced communications, on CWC capalitzing on being the market leader for the removal of all problem weeds, the importance of using trusted contractors for the removal of Japanese Knotweed, Japanese Knotweed trials in Swansea by Dan Jones including the new blog which has now gone live at www.completeinvasivescontrol.co.uk before breaking for lunch.

After lunch Evert Langebeeke from Kramps De Wild, manufacturers of the Weed-IT technology, gave a brief history of the company before explaining the future developments. John Scullion and Josh Bowers from head office then completed the day by explaining to delegates how a new enquiry system and E-Marketing system would benefit franchisees whilst also streamlining operations.

"The event was well managed to ensure that we got the full benefit from valuable time spent with our franchisees and it was very enjoyable. Everything was geared toward ensuring that our franchisees are the most knowledgeable in the industry and that they have the skills and resources to run a successful business. We are very optimistic that we will build on the success from 2013 and that 2014 will be a very good year.”

Complete Weed Control will be exhibiting at BTME in Harrogate January 2014 on stand number C48.

For more information, please contact Complete Weed Control’s National office on 01325 324 277 or visit www.completeweedcontrol.co.uk. You can also follow CWC on Twitter @CWCLimited for more news, reviews and insightful views.

Etesia UK will be attending the Executive Hire show for the first time, on stand E10, taking place 12th-14th February 2014 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

Products to be showcased include a revolutionary electric barrow, electric ride-on mower, range of pedestrian mowers and range of lithium-ion battery powered tools from Pellenc including chainsaw, polesaw, hedge trimmer, blower, brushcutter and pruning shears.

Etesia are favoured by many professional landscapers as well as hire shops and this reflects on their reputation gained for producing machines that are highly reliable with low maintenance and boast one of the best dealer networks in Europe – all making Etesia the number one choice.

Pellenc has gained market recognition by offering a unique range of ‘zero emission’ battery-powered handheld tools, thanks to the development of Lithium-ion ultra-high performance batteries. Pellenc is the only professional tool manufacturer to offer a whole range of tools that operate with ultra-high capacity multi-purpose batteries.

New for 2014 from Pellenc, is the Pellenc Excelion 2000 cow-handle brushcutter. The Excelion brushcutter is unique as it combines a brush and a grass cutter in one and prevents almost 98% of the direct emissions of a petrol engine, guaranteeing a non-polluting and odourless operation with a quick start-up and up to 4.5hrs of continuous operation.

New for 2014 from Etesia is new revolutionary, 100% electric wheel barrow. The power comes from a 24V 1000W battery with two forward and two reverse speeds up to 6kp/h. With the electric wheel barrow featuring the same dashboard fitted on the Etesia M2E electric Bahia ride-on mower, the wheel barrow is controlled by an electronic management system which incorporates a dynamic brake for safe deceleration.

Also new for 2014 is a range of Duocut pedestrian mowers. The PKCTM 46cm and LKCGM 53cm models are available with mulching inserts ensuring that users can use one machine for a multitude of different tasks including cut and collect, cut and drop or mulch. All Etesia pedestrian mowers provide absolute efficiency, excellent ergonomics and top quality standards.

Also on show will be the hugely popular Attila range of pedestrian and ride-on brushcutters. The Attila ride-on brushcutters are reliable, efficient, comfortable and safe, whilst their output and performance make them the number one choice for professionals wanting to go and cut and maintain rough grass where other mowers won’t.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Etesia UK on Twitter @EtesiaUK and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/EtesiaUK. You can also view the latest Etesia videos by visiting www.youtube.com/EtesiaUK.

A recent example highlighting the benefits of a consistent maintenance regime is the artificial sports pitches at Cranleigh School – an independent boarding school in Surrey.

Instead of replacing the 18-year old surface when it began to display signs of a slowdown in its draining capabilities, the school was able to resolve the issue by bringing in specialists Replay Maintenance to carry out their Replay Rejuvenation® deep-cleaning process.

A regular client of Replay Maintenance for ten years, Cranleigh School has long reaped the benefits of a regular maintenance programme with the result that the artificial sports surfaces have remained in a good condition and outlasted their original projected life expectancy.

Even with regular care and attention, however, the effects of age and usage do catch up with any facility. It is the job of Replay Maintenance to help their clients achieve the maximum usage from their facility, and postpone the inevitable: namely, resurfacing.

“We had a Replay Rejuvenation® back in 2003 and were beginning to notice that over the past year, the surface drainage was becoming impaired,” said Denis Bloomfield, Cranleigh School’s Grounds Manager. “Although it had not become so bad to adversely affect play, we felt it was an indication of the carpet infill becoming contaminated and the problem was only going to get worse unless we acted.

“Replay carried out their Replay Rejuvenation® process on another one of our sand filled artificial surfaces a few years previously. When they carried out their site survey, which included checks on depth of pile and the level of infill, no apparent problems had been highlighted on this particular pitch, so it was decided that we would monitor the surface drainage situation with regard to arranging for the pitch to be cleaned at a later date.”

The sports facilities at the school enjoy high activity throughout the year, with students aged between 7-18 years old as well as being available for community use most evenings and weekends. Surfaces with this level of play require an effective, regular maintenance programme to keep them in peak condition, and with the help of Replay Maintenance, the up-keep of the school’s artificial pitches is proving to be more than a match for the many hockey & football matches and training sessions taking place.

The Replay Rejuvenation® process uses compressed air to remove the contaminated top layer of sand and restore the carpet pile to a vertical state. New, clean sand is then added. The process can, in most cases, double the life of a synthetic surface for less than a quarter of the cost of a new carpet installation. It is also as effective on long-pile surfaces, which are usually filled with a mixture of sand and rubber granules.

The process can extract the infill to any chosen depth, including removing all the infill right down to the carpet backing. With the correct maintenance programme put in place you could also secure an extra 5 years’ use from your facility.

“The specialist machinery that Replay have was well maintained and the staff were very experienced and skilled at what they were doing. The weather was dry which meant that they were able to efficiently remove the existing sand infill and then integrate fresh sand into the carpet to leave a top quality finish.

“The recent works that have been carried out have improved the overall condition and improved the drainage of the surface and I’d have no hesitation in recommending Replay Maintenance,” said Denis.

For further information, please contact Replay Maintenance on 01636 640 506 or visit the company’s website www.replaymaintenance.co.uk

Replay Maintenance is also on Twitter: @ReplayMaintain

Norwich City FC Head Groundsman Gary Kemp has recently doubled his fleet of Dennis G860 cassette cylinder mowers for use on the stadium pitch at Carrow Road and also the nearby Colney Training Centre to four.

Barclays Premier League side Norwich City’s Carrow Road Stadium had its Desso pitch installed for the first time back in 2004. It meant that Gary had to have a re-think about pitch mowing.

The club had to keep pace with pitch presentation that met the demands of visiting clubs, players, and most of all the television audience.

With 25 years’ service to the club under his belt, Gary always liked the Dennis interchangeable cassette system: “I’ve had two G860’s working on the Carrow Road stadium pitch for a number of years,” explained Gary. “The new state-of-the-art Colney Training Centre is a 26-acre site and £1.4 million investment. In simple terms, years of us making do have given way to getting top spec kit.

“The Dennis G860 mowers are part of that. At Colney; mowing had previously always been done by one man and a ride-on triple mower. Now it’s two men and two G860’s. It’s a daily job, always to 25mm, and two hours is the mean average per pitch for that man and machine ratio. We’ve been doing it this way since April on three new soil/sand rootzone pitches in the’ pro’s’ part of the training ground set-up.”

Things really changed recently; when in August work on the fourth pitch at the training ground was completed, switching it to a Desso construction with under-soil heating. The idea was to replicate Carrow Road conditions in every aspect. The mowers’ job is simply to get it and keep it playing and looking like the main stadium.

“I like the ‘no-wheel-marks’ benefit of the G860’s. They are lightweight at just 166kg and really come into their own as winter kicks in and conditions begin to get heavier.”

Gary has opted for the 8-blade cutting cylinder for each of his G860’s because of the volume of cutting needed. “Presentation is very important to us and using the G860 means we never have any worries. It’s solid, well-balanced, but light weight, and achieves excellent results. We also have the optional trailer seat, but walk-behind is preferred by the groundstaff, which speaks well for operational comfort.

“The feature I like the most is that it’s a three-in-one machine. There are plenty of choices available in terms of different cassettes – six and eight bladed cutting units, scarifier units, verti-cutter units, brush units, and a sorrel roller.”

Verticutting is a once a week job, and for the Carrow Road pitch, often as not, this a Monday straight after a weekend match – in Gary’s opinion the ideal time for such cutting and is a job that is necessary throughout the growing months. What about on the Desso surfaces? Gary says the G860 with Verti-cutter cassette fitted works just as well.

The four G860’s at Norwich City are supplied to the club by Ben Burgess Garden Equipment.

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK. You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers.