The SAS
Institute, based at Medmenham, near Marlow in Buckinghamshire, is the latest
organisation to purchase a Ventrac 4500 compact tractor and attachments.
The
leading global analytics company purchased the equipment from Aylesbury-based
groundscare dealer, RT Machinery Ltd.
The
110-acre Medmenham estate is an amalgamation of two previous sites; Whittington
House, a former mansion which is now used as the company’s meeting and
conference centre and an old MOD premises, which was purchased and demolished
to make way for the modern offices. It consists of formal gardens and lawns, a
unique arboretum, a cricket pitch for staff use as well as the local village
team, a 3-hole pitch-and-putt course, 5-a-side football pitch, wildflower
meadow, river frontage to the Thames and staff allotments.
Landscaping
Manager George Reeder is the man tasked with the job of managing the estate. He
heads a team of 5 and joined SAS as a gardener in 2005. He studied at Sparsholt
College in Hampshire before joining Countrywide Grounds Maintenance as part of
the team maintaining the green spaces of various hotels in the south of
England.
“Our
mid-mounted rotary mower was nearing the end of its working life,” he said,
“and we were in the market for a replacement machine. We were considering an
out-front flail, but then attended an RT Machinery open day and saw the Ventrac
with its Contour deck. It looked to be a very innovative machine so we
organised a demonstration on site. It worked exceptionally well, producing
great stripes and has now replaced our cylinder mower as well. Rye stalks,
which are problematic for a cylinder machine, are no longer an issue as it
deals with them admirably. This versatility has enabled us to replace two
machines with one.
“As well
as the Contour deck we have also purchased a Finishing deck and ToughCut deck
and there’s scope to purchase additional implements in the future. One of its
prime benefits is that we can now access and maintain areas on banks where
previously we could not get machines on. Its compact nature means we can get
under branches and we have saved considerable man-hours on strimming due to its
out-front design and manoeuvrability.
“The
Finishing deck, which mulches effectively and is rear discharge, works great in
all conditions, be it long grass or in the wet. Height adjustment is simple and
it does not scalp easily. It has a relatively small engine, minimal hydraulics
and is good on fuel. The flip up decks are easy to clean and maintain and it
provides a comfortable working platform for the operator. The ToughCut deck is
equally impressive, especially in little maintained areas where it can cut
through saplings and long brush with ease. All in all, a great addition to our
fleet here at Medmenham.”
Founded in
1976 by current CEO James Goodnight and three other faculty members from North
Carolina State University, SAS is the leader in analytics software and services
with global headquarters in Cary, North Carolina. Its solutions help businesses
to access, manage, analyse and interpret data to aid decision-making. The
company is one of the world's largest privately held software businesses and
its customers include most of the Fortune 500 companies.
