Cleaning the artificial at St Johnston FC
can be very difficult to pass this overhead on to the customer, as we tend to be dealing with small clubs who sometimes do not appreciate the scale of these additional costs.
The vagaries of the Scottish climate are always an issue. At the end of 2010, we had heavy snowfall which lay for almost twelve weeks. As there is only a limited time which can be spent on machinery maintenance during these ‘down times’, it can be very difficult to keep staff motivated. It also puts a big financial demand on the company. This year, we have had a very wet period in June and July, which causes problems with our short, two month window of opportunity to get the sports pitches ready for the season. With the reduction in public spending,
Stump clearance at the Forest Pitch site
I foresee that specialised contractors may have the opportunity of operating public facilities and, provided these are contracted out in reasonable periods before re-tendering takes places, this could be the future for specialised sports contractors.
Staff and Recruitment
When we were awarded the contract for Perth & Kinross Council, staff were transferred over to ourselves under TUPE (The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006) and we also recruited our own staff of trained personnel for the fine turf work, as the existing staff did not have the training for golf course work. Our staff have all been trained in their particular profession. Our Head
Variety is the spice of life ...
C H Grounds Maintenance - rising to the challenge of the economic downturn through diversity
C H Grounds Maintenance Ltd, based in Chesham on the border of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, was formed in 1988, to service the basic day to day maintenance requirements of local sports clubs. Within one year a rapid expansion evolved, with a significant investment in plant, machinery and an increased labour force being made, as the diversity and volume of contracts undertaken increased. By the early 1990s, an extensive range of projects was being undertaken including sports turf and golf course construction, drainage, renovation and maintenance. The company was taken over by Philip
Matthews in 1997 who, as a major agricultural contractor in Buckinghamshire at that time, determined that his existing company, Philip Matthews Agricultural Contractors, and CH Grounds Maintenance Ltd would dovetail perfectly to form one organisation. Further expansion continued apace, with
an ever increasing investment in plant, machinery and staff, for which Philip’s
existing premises provided ample storage and office and welfare facilities.
The comprehensively fitted
workshop provided the means by which servicing and repairs could be undertaken in-house, reducing downtime to a minimum, whilst a mobile fitter provided a rapid response to any breakdowns on site. Being based ten miles from the M25, and in close proximity to the M40 and M4, provides the ideal location from which to readily transport plant and machinery to any area in the south of England, Wales and the Midlands. Naturally, the company will travel further afield to any part of the UK to fulfil certain contracts and, whilst transport costs are increasing relentlessly, these can be absorbed to some degree to secure orders. Diversity in the annual programme
undertaken, and clients’ requirements serviced, has remained a significant thread throughout the company’s activities and
Philip Matthews
success over three decades. The project range is considerable and includes spring and autumn renovation, drainage and construction works, civil engineering and regular maintenance programmes for clients such as Watford Borough Council and Hertfordshire University. Clients include local authorities, parish councils, utility companies, polo grounds, private sports clubs, golf courses and major landscaping companies. The company is an approved contractor for the FA, RFU and ECB. Diversity ensures that the company remains profitable for at least ten months of the year and breaks even for the remaining two months. In a severe winter, heavy snowfall is quite welcome, enabling plant to be utilised to
Greenkeeper, Glenn Campbell (who plays off a golf handicap of plus 3 and has represented Scotland in amateur golf tournaments over thirty times), runs the course with two assistants, who have worked on the course for the past eight years.
Outside of grass cutting, we have a team who carry out all other work such as selective spraying, hydrojecting, topdressing, linemarking, etc. The same team carry out the specialised work on football and rugby pitches, which includes spiking, fertilising, overseeding and selective weed control. The sportsground team were recruited
from the agricultural industry rather than the sports turf industry, because we felt that they had the basic skills required for the work, and also a much better
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