After coffee and a joint welcome from Jason King, the company’s Customer Support and Training Manager and the IOG’s Kevin Duffill, the members boarded a coach for a short drive to the Playford Road training centre of Ipswich Town Football Club.

Here they met Alan Ferguson, the Club’s head Groundsman, who discussed the pitch renovation taking place at the training centre and at the Portman Road stadium. After a tour of the facilities to look at the various equipment employed by the club, it was back onto the coach to visit Portman Road and see the renovation in progress.

A light lunch in the Ransomes Jacobsen training school was followed by a presentation of the company’s product range before the group split into two; both groups alternating between a guided tour of the Ransomes Jacobsen manufacturing plant and a visit the Scotts fertiliser company’s research and development centre at nearby Levington. Both groups then assembled back at the Ransomes Jacobsen training school for tea and the conclusion of an intense day.

Commenting on the event, Vic Purse, proprietor of Cambridge-based Purse Turf-Care said, “This was an absolutely fantastic day, correctly targeted at experienced professionals with more than a passing interest in renovation. Alan Ferguson’s knowledge, experience and communication were first class as was that of the people at both Scotts and Ransomes Jacobsen.

“Jason King and his team obviously put a lot of thought and hard work into making the day run smoothly, which it undoubtedly did, and the hospitality was superb all day. It was a very intense day, but also an altogether valuable experience. Absolutely superb.”

About Ransomes Jacobsen
Ransomes Jacobsen manufactures an extensive range of turf maintenance equipment and utility vehicles to meet the needs of today’s grounds care professionals. They provide dedicated support and service training and conduct thorough testing for quality and reliability. The company markets Jacobsen products in the U.S., Asia, Oceania and South America, and the Ransomes brand through independent distribution in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Ransomes Jacobsen, headquartered in Ipswich, England, is a Textron company. Additional information about the company, its products and commitment to customer support is available at www.ransomesjacobsen.com.

About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron in known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. For more information visit: www.textron.com.