Campey awarded for efforts
Campey awarded for efforts
By Laurence Gale MSc
It is always a worry when hosting local shows and demonstrations as to how many people will turn up and what the weather will be like. Well, Richard Campey can look back and be satisfied that both the weather and the turn out for his third show were good. The show attracted over 250 visitors during the two days. The whole idea of these days is to improve the awareness of new innovative products that are being introduced into the sportsturf industry.
With 16 manufacturers exhibiting, the show had something for everyone. There was a wide mix of visitors representing the industry, from local authorities, golf, bowls, football and private companies. Carl Pass from Premier Pitches and Tony Owen Head Groundsman at Oldham FC were just a few of the faces I had a chance to speak to.
The site provided two demonstration areas, one for fine turf and the other for winter surface maintenance/renovations.
Dennis mowers demonstrated their cassette mower systems in operation, this highlighted how convenient these systems can be, whilst offering a wide range of attachments for one mower. The Dennis FT Mower comes in three sizes 17", 20" and 24" working widths with either a 5 or 9 bladed cylinder option. As for the cassettes there is a choice of nine different cassettes that include scarifiers, verticutters, sorrel rollers and slitters. These cassette systems have become very popular for cricket and bowling green facilities in recent years.
Simon Gumberill was on hand to showcase the new Turfworks International turf care system, which has proved very popular. The build, quality and precision adjustment controls being a key point to its success. The concept behind Turfworks was to produce a simple interchangeable cassette system that was able to perform a range of tasks and that could fit on all popular greens triple machines.
The system boasts a range of seven attachments which include brushes, scarifiers, verticutters, aerators and vibro rollers, all of which can be fitted into a dedicated chassis that fits all the leading makes and models. There was a lot of interest in the vibro rollers, which are unique in that they are able to transform a high frequency vibration rate through both sets of 60mm rollers, thus giving a precise ironing effect.
However, it was the demonstrations of the Koro Field Top Maker that impressed the gathered crowds. Richard Campey can be thanked for introducing these machines to the UK market some ten years ago.
Other machinery being demonstrated included the Imants aerators/cultivators, Trimax and Votex mowers and Dakota Spreaders.
The new Charterhouse Verti-Art artificial pitch maintenance cleaners and brushes were another range that caught my eye. They included the Verti Top, a mechanical sweeper and debris remover, the Verti-Broom, Verti Groom and Verti-Brush to brush sweep and re level infill materials.
With the advent of the new 3G artificial pitches I am sure there will a lot of interest in these sort of machines. There is, of course, no such thing as a maintenance free artificial carpet, all need regular brushing and cleaning with some emphasis on redistribution of the infill materials.
However, careful consideration must be taken when using any of these machines, it is always best to consult the carpet manufacturer or the supplier to ensure you are using the most appropriate equipment.
Hunter Grinders brought their Series 5 Jupiter ATI to the show, demonstrating the benefits of maintaining and sharpening cylinder blades and bottom blades. As golf courses choose to go down the route of setting up their own mechanical repair and servicing workshops, a dedicated mechanic is employed to oversee all repairs and servicing requirements. This often leads to the club investing in a blade sharpener/grinder. Reduced downtime, prolonged mower blade life expectancy and, above all, sharper mower blades that produce a quality cut are clear long term benefits.
Bathgate Leisure displayed a range of aggregates suitable for the sports turf industry. Other companies exhibiting included AFT Trenchers, Lastec, New Holland, Saxon Vredo and MX Loaders.
People attending the show enjoyed the experience of seeing the latest products while at the same time having the chance to meet up with fellow professionals. The opportunity to see demonstrations of machines at first hand is always important.
Richard Campey must be congratulated on his commitment and contributions to the sports turf industry. I am sure that these types of self-run company days provide another mechanism not only for generating sales but improving education in the industry. With the recent decision of some manufacturers not to attend Saltex or Harrogate, the need for smaller local shows will be on the increase in coming years.
Of all the attractions, the one that attracts the most interest is lunch. The quality of food provided by Richard was exceptional, especially the homemade trifle which was delicious.
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| Turfworks International | Bathgate Leisure Footpath range |
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| Dennis Mowers | Wonderful spread |
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| Hunter Grinders | Charterhouse Verti -Groom |