A fleet of natural and artificial maintenance equipment from GKB Machines is being championed by specialist sportsground contractors Bancroft Amenities.
Built up over a number of years, a Quick-Brush, Rotobrush and Deep-Clean are out daily servicing the requirements of synthetic pitches, while a Sandfiller, Combiseeder and pair of V-Strong scarifiers are preparing for a busy renovation season on a range of fine and sports turf surfaces.
In addition to delivering all aspects of renovation and maintenance for sports facilities in and around the northwest, Bancroft Amenities also offer a comprehensive hire fleet – with GKB playing a key role in both sides of the business. “Our relationship with GKB Machines is a longstanding one, starting initially with the brushes and cleaning systems for artificial turf pitches” explains Director Stuart Thompson.
“We have one operative permanently on synthetic maintenance and our GKB fleet allows us to offer everything from a quick, routine brush to a deeper clean and decompaction of the infill.”
“The main thing about GKB is the build quality and back up support we receive from their UK Operations Manager Tom Shinkins. The kit is put through its paces with us, and even more so when it goes out to customers on hire so it’s critical for us that equipment is robust enough to cope with demand. With GKB, we have no concerns.”
This confidence in build quality quickly saw the addition of machines for natural turf to the fleet, including a Sandfiller and GKB Combiseeder. “The Sandfiller is unique on the market and does an incredible job of removing thatch and backfiling with sand in a single pass. As a specialist tool, we conduct this operation for golf clubs who just can’t believe the speed and cleanliness of the process and the dramatic improvements it brings to the growing environment.
“The Combiseeder is one of our most popular hire machines - user friendly and versatile, delivering reliable results on both golf courses and football pitches.”
The most recent delivery was a second GKB V-Strong, to come to the rescue of the original unit which is in high demand! “This scarifier does a bit of everything – an important piece of equipment for all of our renovation work and another popular machine on hire.
“With the weather now picking up, we’re booking the V-Strong in for spring projects on fine turf, before coming into play with winter sports renovations.”
Stuart adds, “Tom also understands the inconvenience of downtime and is quick to respond to any queries we have to ensure our schedule stays on track. The customer service is as good as the machinery itself, with GKB it’s the complete package.”
