When freezing temperatures threaten the pitches at Forest Green Rovers FC, speed is everything. Protecting the stadium and training ground with frost covers can be a race against the weather, but thanks to Kress battery-powered blowers, the club's grounds team has found a faster and more efficient way to get the job done.
Head Groundsman Nick Johnstone and his team have discovered an unexpected use for the Kress blowers, using them to lift and separate frost sheets with air so they can be rolled out quickly when time is of the essence.
"When we come into the winter months and have to deploy frost sheets, the Kress blowers have actually halved the time it takes us to get the covers rolled out," said Nick. "It means we can react much quicker when we've only got a short window to get the pitches protected."
The time-saving benefit became particularly apparent during a busy fixture schedule when Forest Green Rovers faced a Tuesday evening match followed by another game just a few days later, with temperatures forecast to fall to as low as minus six degrees overnight.
"We knew we needed to get the pitches covered straight after the game," he explained. "That was probably the first time we realised just how much time the equipment was saving us.
"We had one person going ahead using the blower to lift and separate the frost sheets while the rest of us rolled them out behind. It just made the whole process so much quicker and meant we could get home at a reasonable hour before coming back in early the next morning."
The quicker deployment doesn't just benefit the grounds team - it also helps protect the playing surface.
"When temperatures are below zero, you want to leave the covers on for as long as you possibly can," said Nick. "Knowing we can put them on and take them off so quickly gives us real peace of mind because it means we can protect the pitches for longer from those harsh conditions."
Both the Kress backpack blower and handheld blower have become invaluable during the winter months, but Nick says their versatility extends well beyond frost protection.
"We've used both the backpack blower and the handheld blower and they're both equally as good," he said. "They've genuinely made us more productive. We use them all year round and even for jobs they probably weren't originally intended for."
The blowers form part of Forest Green Rovers' wider range of Kress battery-powered equipment, which also includes mowers, strimmers and hedge trimmers used across the stadium and Eco Park training facilities.
For Nick, the performance of the equipment has been every bit as impressive as its sustainability credentials.
"The Kress equipment is really easy to use, and you don't compromise on power," he said. "We've actually found it's saved us time across a number of different tasks compared to battery equipment we've used in the past. It's made us more productive and more efficient in our day-to-day work."
Nick also praised the battery technology, particularly during busy periods when the team is working across the wider site.
"The battery performance and charging speed are massive for us," he said. "There are days when we're doing a lot of landscaping work and the team don't have to keep making trips back for batteries. The CyberSystem charging unit keeps everything charged, tidy and ready to go, so it's incredibly easy to manage."
Having experienced the equipment in all conditions, Nick has no hesitation in recommending Kress to others in the industry.
"If there are others out there wondering what equipment to go for, I'd absolutely recommend Kress," he said. "It's reliable, easy to use and you don't compromise at all on power or performance. Some of the equipment we've used, not just compared to other battery equipment but also combustion equipment, is the best I've ever used."
For more information, please visit https://www.kress.com/en-gb/
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