Fineturf,
founded in 1995 by Simon Hutton, specialise in the construction, installation
and maintenance of sports turf surfaces.
The
company started life providing deep tine aeration and top-dressing services to
local golf courses, football and cricket clubs and went on to turf production
in 1997.
Since
then, Fineturf has expanded and the company under Simon’s stewardship, has
become established in the fine turf sector along with a good reputation.
Clients
include football and rugby clubs, golf courses, bowling clubs, tennis clubs,
racecourses and cricket grounds. Services offered include sports pitch and golf
course construction,
maintenance,
drainage and irrigation along with bulk earthworks and contract spraying.
Other
companies in the group include Tillers Turf, a leading grower of golf,
landscape and wildflower turf, throughout the UK and Europe and Fineturf
Machinery, who specialise in the sale of new and used groundcare machinery and
is a Toro dealer in Lincolnshire and North Nottinghamshire.
Simon
Hutton, ever aware of current trends and developments in the sector Fineturf
operate in, is keen to stay abreast. One such matter of concern was to ensure
that, especially with the growing volume of plant and machinery requiring
cleaning, compliance with legislative requirements relating to washpads was
met.
Simon believed that an efficient and effective recycling system was the
answer. Having carried out some research on the subject and seen a system in
operation locally at Sleaford golf club, Simon visited the ClearWater stand at
BTME last year and was most impressed with the latest washpad water recycling
system, its unique benefits and competitive price.
Simon
was particularly interested to learn that a “self-install” option was available
but explained that the site was not so straightforward. Not seen as an issue,
ClearWater offered a free site inspection and this was carried out soon after
the show. It was immediately clear that a ClearWater system could be easily
installed and in the preferred location adjacent to the maintenance workshop.
ClearWater provided a detailed plan and quotation and the order was placed.
The
system was delivered and, with Jim Coleman acting as project manager, Simon
Thorpe and the groundwork team carried out the installation following the
detailed installation instructions provided by ClearWater. “It really was easy
to do” said Simon.
To make
the installation as unobtrusive as possible, the below ground system tank was
installed behind the workshop and, with the washpad screened from view by
specially designed splash-backs, very little is evident as our pictures show.
The
ClearWater system is certainly well utilised and washes not only machines used
on their own golf course, but also customers machines being serviced,
Fineturf’s work vehicles and their own course construction and maintenance
machines. Michael Baxter, Head Mechanic uses and looks after the system which
includes dosing the system with micro-organisms. He is most impressed with
ClearWater’s performance and said; “It’s certainly made life easy. It is so
close to the workshop and there’s more than enough water pressure!” One
machine, in for maintenance when ClearWater’s post-installation visit was made,
was a GKB Combinator (a multifunctional fraise mowing machine), recently back
from a job at a Premiership football club. Michael enthused; “This was caked in
2 – 3inches of mud and ClearWater blasts it of; better than a jet wash!”
Compliments indeed.
Asked
about the maintenance regime, his comment was: “It’s a doddle”. He ensures that
the grass trap is emptied regularly and the pad kept clear and clean. Once a
week he doses the system with the ClearWater micro-organisms. These
micro-organisms (specially formulated and supplied by ClearWater) ensure that
any oils, grease, fuel, etc. is treated and the water cleaned for recycling.
A Water
Technology List (WTL) officially approved ClearWater system not only provides
effective wash-off but ensures futureproof legal compliance by preventing
groundwater pollution. It also saves thousands of gallons of precious (and
increasingly expensive!) water by recycling. An added bonus is that the cost of
the project (system and installation) can be offset against taxable profits
under the ECA scheme, enabling further cost savings.
Be it
golf, sports facilities, public schools, heritage properties, service and
machinery dealers, ClearWater offers cost effective and compliant wash-off.
ClearWater Commercial, with its dedicated rinse package, offers the same
effective wash-off with a superior finish and is ideal for hi-end vehicles and
motor homes.
