The appliance of a
SCIENCE TEACHER
PHILIP Threadgold, Managing Director of Charterhouse Turf Machinery, started working life as a science schoolteacher in Banbury before joining Marshall Concessionaires, a machinery distributor for Jacobson, Bunton products and Ryan in the early 1980’s. Around that time the company started to import the Verti-Drain from Dutch manufacturer, Redexim. When Marshall’s found themselves in trouble, Philip and David Jenkins, seeing a good opportunity, took over the contract to sell the Verti- Drain in the UK. In 1982 Charterhouse was formed, based in its namesake town near Godalming in Surrey.
in 1990, the company moved to its current premises in Haslemere. Charterhouse continued to develop international distribution, firstly in Europe and then in North America. In 1995 the Managing Director of
Redexim retired. They were looking for someone with good sales expertise to fill the position whilst, at the same time, Charterhouse were looking to expand their manufacturing capabilities. It seemed the perfect solution to merge the two companies. This was followed by Redexim purchasing Charterhouse outright.
Philip and David decided that to grow a successful business they would have to mix import and export due to susceptible exchange rates. The feeling was that the two would cancel out problems with currency movements.
They set about the design and manufacture of new machinery to service a growing market. At the time, compact tractors were becoming increasingly popular so they looked at possible tractor mounted implements that could complement the already successful Verti- Drain. At that time only SISIS, with the Hydromain, and Ransomes Cushman provided competition. Charterhouse could see an opportunity in the market and embarked on designing and manufacturing niche, tractor mounted, products that would not put them in direct competition with the major mower manufacturers. These included slitters, top dressers and seeders. At the time they outsourced manufacturing. As the company grew through the eighties there was increasing pressure to acquire their own premises so that they could be in control of manufacturing and,
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Philip went to work for Redexim setting up new distribution in North America, Redexim Charterhouse Inc., and, for the next seven years, he lived in Pennsylvania only returning to the UK once everything was in place to become the new Managing Director of Charterhouse Turf Machinery.
The Redexim company now has products manufactured in various countries in Europe and sold all over the world. The company has formed a good
around for twenty-five years. Recently the company ran a competition to find the oldest machine still in use. The results were surprising so, at Harrogate, Charterhouse is having a celebratory meal for all those people who have machines older than twenty years. The company will present the owner of the oldest working Verti-Drain with a brand new equivalent model. Field analysis and customer feedback
relationship with Rink, a German manufacturer of top dressers. In 2001 Redexim purchased Pro-seed from Ken Knowles, adding additional seeders and a core collector to the range. Research and Development in Holland continues to design new and innovative products. The company have also developed close links to Universities, such as Royal Holloway, on the agronomic side. A product that is still in the range today is the Easy Spread self loading top dresser. This machine was developed in the early 80’s and is still a popular machine with customers. The Verti-Drain has also stood the test of time; it’s been
are utilised to improve existing machines and new additions to the range. The core collector that was purchased from Ken Knowles did not work very well when cores were wet and so the original brush/pickup collection has now been changed to accommodate a conveyor belt system, allowing core collection in all conditions. The new model, including a high tip collector, will be unveiled at BTME 2007. Again, responding to customer feedback, the machine also has a better gear system, improved operator comforts and improved collection. They will also be launching a new four tonne top dresser in 2007, which can be used for standard materials but also fitted with a special kit to drop infill into synthetic carpets. It will lift fibres as the infill is dropped in between. Working closely with Dr. Alan Gange at
Royal Holloway and his research student Dan McGregor, the company sponsored three years of research to find out exactly what happened after verti-draining. There were obvious benefits such as improved drainage, aeration and decompaction, but there was also a huge increase in the microbiological population. What was found though was that the bio-organisms only survived in large numbers for a limited time, climate and physical pressures reduced their
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