Steve Bullman

Arbtalk is proudly partnering with LANDSCAPE – The Industry Trade Show for another great show in 2023! After 12 years of curating successful exhibitions, LANDSCAPE prevails as the essential industry-leading event that welcomes hundreds of companies exhibiting new products and solutions. LANDSCAPE ensures their wide range of exhibitors represent every corner of the industry. Exhibitors include suppliers of machinery, compost, soils, tools as well as living trees, plants and turf. LANDSCAPE isn’t just about exhibits. It’s a knowledge-sharing platform where experts and thought-leaders gather to share their insights. The show has secured over 100 incredible speakers who are keen to impart their expertise. LANDSCAPE hosts free CPD seminar sessions, How To sessions as well as intimate interviews held at the central bar and networking drinks to attend. Each seminar session is carefully selected as the programme aims to educate, inspire and connect professionals while providing an informal setting to share ideas. Learn about groundbreaking projects and discover how you can contribute to shaping a more sustainable future through your own work. With sustainability at the forefront, LANDSCAPE aims to motivate the landscaping world to move towards a more environmentally-friendly industry. LANDSCAPE’S ecological stance ensures just that as this year they are supporting real turf only. The show won’t be taking bookings from any exhibitors that represent artificial plants, flowers or turf. Their goal is to support natural materials only and encourage others to do the same. While you’re there you can connect with peers and learn about developments from professionals working at the top of their game! This essential trade event means you can meet tree care professionals and others in the wider landscaping space, guaranteed to increase your network. The show takes place at the NEC, Birmingham this year. Join thousands of landscaping professionals on the 27th & 28th of September 2023. Entry guarantees you access to the exhibition hall and all of the seminars. For more information or to register to attend the show, visit www.landscapeshow.co.uk. See you there!

Stand OSA 30, Stoneleigh Park (20-21 September) STIHL will be showcasing its full AP System range of professional battery tools at the first GroundsFest 2023 exhibition, highlighting how cordless tools can meet the varying needs of landscapers and groundscare teams. Visitors to the STIHL stand will be able to see the new PS 3000, STIHL’s first portable 230V power supply, providing users with a quiet, low maintenance and emission-free alternative to petrol-powered generators. Weighing only 19.8kg and boasting a 3.6kW power output, the new PS 3000 offers a high power-to-weight ratio and is one of the most powerful portable power supply units in its weight class. Other new tools available for professional users to get their hands on at the exhibition will be the BGA 300 backpack blower, HSA 100 cordless hedge trimmer, and the updated MSA 220 C-B chainsaw. The BGA 300, STIHL’s first cordless backpack blower for professional users, offers high performance and a significantly less disruptive sound thanks to its innovative STIHL Noise Reduction System (NRS). Thanks to the STIHL NRS, the BGA 300 produces fewer high pitch frequencies often associated with cordless blowers, meaning operation is much more pleasant and less intrusive for bystanders. In addition, The HSA 100 boasts a 60cm double-sided, double-edged cutting blade, which offers improved cutting performance due to the large cutter spacing of the blades, whereas the updated MSA 220 C-B is a robust and powerful cordless chainsaw, ideal for felling small trees, pruning and cutting to length. STIHL will also be showcasing a range of petrol-powered tools on its demo plot, allowing professional users to see a direct comparison between battery and petrol performance. For more information, please visit https://groundsfest.com/

After choosing Aspen Fuel to power their business just six months after opening in 2017, Cain Markings now claim to be firm believers of the product and the benefits it brings to the operator, their machinery and the surrounding environment. Fuelling a range of 2 and 4-stroke equipment for sports maintenance and line marking, Owner Sam Cain explains how efficiency and reliability have improved saving the team time and reducing costly repair bills! Young GMA Board Member Sam Cain founded Cain Markings alongside his parents six years ago, the three-strong team providing a range of contract services to commercial customers in Hertfordshire and across the South East. “We were undergoing training on some new equipment with High Five Training who asked us whether we’d considered using Aspen Fuel” explains Sam. “The first thing I thought was the advantage of Aspen 2 being pre-mixed which eliminates the risk of getting the ratios wrong but the more I read, the more benefits I discovered, and it quickly became a no-brainer. We’ve never looked back.” Being virtually free from sulphur, benzene and other solvents means Aspen Alkylate Fuel burns cleaner, reducing harmful emissions - important for many businesses, but a necessity for Sam who delivers a large number of contracts in schools and other enclosed environments. “The reduction in pollution and smell is a major plus and makes for a much more pleasant environment for the operator and those in and around the worksite.” “We’re using Aspen in all of our petrol equipment including blowers, strimmers, hedge cutters and some of our ride-on artificial turf equipment.” He continues, “The majority of our work is conducted between the spring and autumn which sometimes means our kit will spend periods of the year in storage. Because Aspen is ethanol-free, we find that we can get equipment out after being dormant for months and it will still start first-time.” “That extends more generally to the overall health of our machines. We definitely see fewer engine-related issues and, when we do, as soon as we tell the mechanic we use Aspen they all-but eliminate it being a fuel problem.” Sam purchases the Alkylate Fuel from Hertfordshire Garden Machinery, adding convenience and control to their supply. “We easily keep track of how much we’re using which helps us with budgeting etc.” He concludes, “We tell other contractors about the benefits and as soon as people try it, then see exactly what we mean… Even down to the can and automatic stopping nozzle which reduces spillages – it’s great!”