Glasgow, Scotland: Scottish turf contractors AllGrass Turf Care wanted to invest in the latest technology when starting their business. As such, they opted for multiple Campey Turf Care Systems machines.
This purchase included a new fifth generation Koro FIELDTOPMAKER fitted with a Terraplane rotor, Raycam Uni-Rake and Dakota spreader, to name a few.
The new 2.5m Koro FTM with Terraplane rotor provides total surface clean up and removes organic matter using carbide tipped blades and leaves a level surface to work on as part of a high-quality renovation.
Although the machinery decisions were made based on decades worth of experience, AllGrass Director John Rushforth also listened to the needs of groundsmen and sought advice from others in the industry, such as Premier Pitches owner Carl Pass and director Russell Latham.
For a new company, the importance of picking the correct machines for a first fleet is vital and it was the trust in Campey as well as Rushforth’s own experience and the advice from others in the industry that made it an easy decision.
“I’ve got a massive amount of confidence in Richard Heywood, Richard Campey and Campey as a company,” he said.
“Throughout my career, it’s always been Campey I’ve dealt with and I knew the Koro FTM was a good machine. The fifth generation Koro FTM 2.5 model is phenomenal. It’s a breath of fresh air when you take a machine on a park and it leaves it clean, regardless if the conditions are dry or damp.
“We came from using the old one but the new one is easier to set, it’s a better-balanced machine because it has the weights on one side, so it reacts better to the tractor. I’ve got a smile on my face every time I see it work because the pitch is always spotless and then I know we’re onto a winner.
“The machines have all been exactly what we wanted. We’ve not been disappointed in one bit of kit. We’re actually looking to purchase another Dakota spreader and probably a ShockWave.”
A strong part of AllGrass’ ethos is to expand on existing maintenance practices and offer effective alternatives to customers who operate on a smaller budget. A machine that fits this aim is the Raycam UniRake, which offers high-intensity grooming that can be calibrated in its severity.
“I’ve been especially impressed with the UniRake,” Rushforth said. “I think a lot of clubs will have one in the future. Not everyone can afford decent scarification or to take the pitches back to bare-bones, so we need to come up with different ways to renovate pitches.
“When we first started AllGrass we got a lot of support from Scottish groundsmen which we are very grateful for. I was fortunate to shadow a number of grounds teams on match days and I learnt more about how to maintain and renovate from ground staff because everything from training grounds to stadium builds are different. That’s why we have to constantly keep up with what’s on offer and make sure we’re using the best.”
The forward-thinking approach of AllGrass doesn’t stop there. The company is also conscious of the impact its work has on the environment and has taken steps to ensure that all the waste products from the pitches they work on is recycled rather being dumped at a landfill.
Campey Turf Care Systems is a Full Business Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.