Steve Bullman

One of the country’s leading treework, grounds and estate contractors has praised the role of Aspen Fuel in powering their environmentally-friendly maintenance operation. Based on the outskirts of Cardiff, TR33 is utilising Aspen alkylate petrol in all of their 2-stroke equipment, playing its part in a wider ‘green’ strategy and helping the firm to win a number of commercial groundcare tenders. Undertaking all elements of tree surgery, grounds and estate management, TR33 are proud to work for a number of local governments, housing associations, retail and park managers within a 90-minute radius of their base in Michaelston Y Fedw. Neil Davies has been one of TR33’s Managers for the last four years and oversees a team of over 50 operatives. “Whether you call it humility, respect or admiration for nature or being ‘green’ or environmentally aware, TR33’s ethos right from the outset 20 years ago is to work in harmony with our surroundings” says Neil. “Our use of Aspen Fuel pre-dates me, but the reasons we continue to use it for all of our two-stroke equipment remains the same –this being the benefits it brings to the environment and the health of our operators.” Free from ethanol and many of the hazardous hydrocarbons found in traditional unleaded petrol, Aspen alkylate petrol burns cleaner. Its use, compared with pump fuel, reduces ground-level ozone – which can negatively affect plant growth and reduce carbon uptake - by up to 40%. Together with keeping engine components healthier for longer, using Aspen also all but eliminates the smell and knock-on health implications of prolonged exposure to the haze omitted from petrol-powered equipment. “Ultimately we’re nothing without our staff so putting their welfare front and centre is incredibly important to us.” He continues, “The Aspen 2 is delivered in barrels supplied by Forest Park & Garden to our yard and arrives pre-mixed which avoids us having to police how the 2-stroke oil and petrol is being mixed, further improving health and safety and giving us fantastic consistency for our chainsaws, hedge cutters, leaf blowers and other 2-stroke equipment.” When it comes to commercial tenders, Neil explains that it’s important for TR33 to demonstrate that they are practicing what they preach. “Explaining that we use Aspen Fuel is another way for us to demonstrate our environmental credentials. This has undoubtedly played its part in securing some of our big commercial contracts over the years.” He adds, “People will be aware there is a cost implication for using an alternative fuel such as Aspen, but for us that is more than offset by the knowledge that our team can go about their business in a way which is not detrimental to their health. It’s something appreciated by the operators, our customers and, increasingly, by the market as a whole.”

An excavator, woodchipper and sawmill are allowing one Suffolk farmer to manage his woodland and produce timber for his own fencing and outbuildings. After retiring from his Suffolk-based contracting business, Brockhill Contracts, Mick Murfitt decided to buy a 170-acre farm as a new personal project. With around 65-acres of the farm being woodland, Mick taught himself the art of felling, logging, sawmilling and wood chipping - and now produces material from the trees to construct facilities for his family’s onsite horse yard. It is a fully self-sufficient process - and no wood is used for commercial purposes. The woodland consists of non-native coniferous trees, which had been left in its natural state. He’s now working with the Forestry Commission and Woodland Trust to replace the pines with native species to benefit the local environment. Already more than 400 trees have been planted – and there’s plans to introduce even more. So far Mick’s produced timber to build fencing, stables and field shelters for the horses – and there’s already a new menage in the pipeline, along with other shelters, outbuildings, and even a solar-powered fan log drying barn, so Mick doesn’t have to wait as long to process the logs. Each stage is carried on the farm, so from woodland to construction, Mick’s material never leaves the site. At nearly 70 years of age and solely carrying out the woodland operations, Mick needs high performing machinery that’s practical, comfortable, economical. The first machine Mick bought was a Norwood Lumbermax HD38 sawmill which allows him to produce perfect rails and beams for his fencing and buildings – and being hydraulic means it’s easy to operate. Following this, a Pronar M15 woodchipper was then added to his arsenal to process the increasing amount of material and shred woodland brash. Mick then realised he needed a more compact excavator to pick up logs and put them on the trailer ahead of being milled or chipped. He chose the SANY SY50U for its ability to operate in the confined space – a particularly important feature when operating in the condense woodland. Mick said: “The excavator, sawmill and woodchipper are now fundamental in my operations. I had never milled or processed wood before I met Global Machinery Solutions’ Andy Dudley - and without his advice and onsite demonstrations, I would never have been able to accomplish what I’ve done on the farm. His knowledge is exceptional, and I can’t thank him enough. “Being able to manage the woodland, process logs and construct fencing, field shelters and outbuildings – all self-sufficiently – is so rewarding. The machines have also saved me so much money from having to buy materials.” Andy said: “Mick is a delight to work with and it’s fantastic to see how he manages his woodland and is enhancing his land by constructing fencing and field shelters from the byproduct - rather than chopping it for firewood.” Contact Global Machinery Services to discuss your forestry machinery needs.

ABOUT OUR OPPORTUNITY We currently have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, energetic Professional Product Specialist with a passion for STIHL products, to join our expanding Commercial Solutions team. This role involves promoting and selling our range of professional products. The role requires a self-starter who enjoys engaging with our customers in various settings, from outdoor events to presenting in a board room. Key responsibilities include demonstrating product features, providing expert advice, and building strong customer relationships. You will have a keen interest in battery technology, robotics and the development of our products of the future. This position offers the opportunity to combine a love for machinery and the outdoors with a rewarding sales career. Operating across the South, this role works closely with the Sales team and the dealer network. RESPONSIBILITIES Demonstrate STIHL products to dealers, prospects, large end-users and local authorities. Liaise directly with relevant teams regarding customer requirements and requests. Participate in trade and regional shows to promote STIHL product solutions. Develop detailed knowledge of battery product range/understand the training requirements. Support sales growth in parts and accessories with professional large end users. Support sales in the commercial market for STIHL Connected. Maintain records using our sales management system. SKILLS & EXPERIENCE Experience of STIHL products and working in the garden machinery or power tool industry would be advantageous Confident presenter, with the ability to communicate effectively Effective time management and planning Self-motivated and target oriented MS Office skills and competent in the use of business systems Driving licence and willingness to travel extensively with nights away WHAT’S ON OFFER AT STIHL Competitive salary plus excellent benefits package including performance bonus Everything you need to do well in the job; fully equipped company van, IT, software, mobile phone, STIHL branded clothing and PPE, training and support from L&D and the wider STIHL team 22 days holiday per year plus Christmas shutdown Excellent pension scheme Private medical and dental schemes Gymflex and cycle to work schemes Product discounts Excellent working environment CONTACT For more information or to apply, please send a CV and covering letter to [email protected]

An FSI D60 tracked stump grinder has become the latest addition to the busy team at Proarb Professional Arboriculture – tackling commercial stump clearance tasks of all sizes and on all terrains. Complementing a smaller grinder already on their fleet, Managing Director John Paul Williams explains that in the few short months following its delivery, the FSI D60 is already proving itself to be a robust and reliable workhorse. Proarb Professional Arboriculture was established in 2003 and has gone on to set the benchmark for domestic and commercial vegetation management across North Wales and the North West. The team of 40 work on a number of large-scale commercial contracts, including in the area of utility arboriculture, which is what drove the demand for an upgrade on the existing stump clearance solution. “I had seen lots of positive feedback and comments on social media about FSI and, while it wasn’t a brand we’d used before, it impressed us from the first demonstration” explains John Paul. Boasting a 60hp Hatz diesel engine, the FSI D60 delivers impressive power and productivity combined with class-leading manoeuvrability and traction. Efficiency is further improved with the full-feature remote control system which provides the best possible view of the work area and facilitates the clearance of stumps in hard-to-reach areas in full safety. “The track base and remote control is incredibly important for us because of the variety of terrain we have to work on. With the FSI D60 we enjoy the versatility of being able to navigate fields and other rural areas as well as having the ability to work in small, confined spaces with limited access as narrow as 800mm. We can also tackle stumps of all shapes and sizes with the machines impressive 2.2m sweep.” He continues, “It ticked a lot of boxes. Not only did it fit our requirements in terms of specification, but it was also clear the machine was very well-built, good attention to detail right down to the high quality of paint finish.” “In addition, our experience with dealer’s GGM – particularly their Arb Product Manager Phil Edmondson – has been excellent” he adds. “In our line of work, downtime costs money, so good back-up support is incredibly important to us. We feel confident in the service we’ve had from both GGM and the team at FSI that we are in safe hands.”

GreenMech’s ongoing commitment to product enhancement has seen an exciting upgrade on two popular petrol models. From 20th January 2025, production of the EVO 165P Sub-750 and Arborist 150P will feature a new Briggs and Stratton Vanguard EFI 40HP engine, delivering even greater power, productivity and efficiency. Originally launched to meet the requirements of modern arborists and landscapers looking for powerful bite, torque and throughput in a sub-750kg package, the EVO165P Sub-750 has gone on to cement its position as one of the most capable woodchippers in the 6” category. The key features of the series including wide infeed chute, twin horizontal rollers, all steel bonnet and heavy-duty flywheel are now combined with a higher horsepower engine, taking proven performance to new heights. The Arborist 150P is already the top selling chipper in Europe in its class, but by installing a high-output 40hp petrol engine, GreenMech can now offer close to similar performance to the diesel-engined Arborist 150D, but at a lower cost. Together with delivering close to 8% more processing power for brash and woody waste, the newly upgraded models also feature a yellow idle/run button to quickly and easily increase or decrease throttle power to operating speed. The simplicity of button operation and electronic throttle now aligns with GreenMech’s diesel offerings, facilitating the chippers to go from idle to full power with one touch. They also feature a second hour meter, mounted directly to the engine, and an upgraded ignition barrel. As standard, all models in the EVO and Arborist ranges feature GreenMech’s unique disc blade chipping system. In operation, only 30% of the blade’s circumference comes into contact with the waste material, reducing the blades vulnerability to contaminant damage and enabling the blade to be turned to a new sharp section when edges get worn. This equates to 600% more blade life and significantly more hours of chipping before the need to re-sharpen. The new EVO 165P Sub-750 and Arborist 150P are also backed-up by GreenMech’s no-quibble, three-year parts and labour warranty. For more information visit www.greenmech.co.uk