Ipswich, United Kingdom - December 4, 2008 - Over 40 City & Guilds NPTC assessors recently visited Ransomes Jacobsen, the Ipswich-based turf maintenance equipment manufacturer, for a one-day seminar looking at the latest developments in mowing technology. They were guests of the company’s independent training division, Cutting Edge Training. Ransomes Jacobsen is a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company.
They were welcomed by Jason King, Customer Support and Training Manager, who provided an overview of Ransomes Jacobsen, their position within the Textron group and an outline of the Cutting Edge Training division.
The guests were then split into four groups and 45 minute tutorials were given to provide insights into the technological advances of the latest Ransomes Jacobsen equipment. These included the Ransomes Spider, a unique remote controlled dedicated slope mower; the Ransomes HR 3300T, the latest out-front rotary mower designed and manufactured at Ipswich; and the Jacobsen Eclipse 122, a petrol/electric hybrid pedestrian greens mower. These tutorials were interspersed with lunch and a tour of the factory to see the manufacturing processes that produce the Ipswich-built equipment.
After a light-hearted quiz and refreshments the proceedings ended with the City & Guilds NPTC delegation reviewing their standard setting procedures, before departing for all parts of the UK.
Dorothy Connolly, Training Officer for City & Guilds NPTC said, “The manner in which Jason King and his team prepared for this seminar was absolutely superb. They made it relevant, pertinent and thorough with each of the presenters, many of them City & Guilds NPTC assessors themselves, imparting their knowledge with a combination of authority and humour.
“The programme clearly enhanced our knowledge of current developments and practices within the industry, and will lead to more professional assessments over a wider range of equipment. The most memorable feature was probably the Spider remote controlled mower with each assessor taking the controls and guiding it over a route on the golf course adjacent to the training centre. City & Guilds NPTC has yet to receive an invoice for the cones that were savaged during this operation!”
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a $12.6 billion multi-industry company operating in 28 countries with approximately 42,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, defence and intelligence, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, Ransomes, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.