A family day out

Held in the grounds of the magnificent Winchendon Manor in Buckinghamshire , the Open Day presented by RT Machinery Ltd this year gave visitors chances to experience not just this excellent Tudor property, but the wide range of RTM hospitality - and machinery.

RT Machinery handles a comprehensive range of amenity groundcare machinery and associated products and is run by Richard Taylor. When dealing with the company, you very soon realise you meet others in the family, too. His sister Liz works with him in the office, Sister Becky handles the accounts, and Richard's father Robin is an active member of the company on a day-to-day basis.

Visitors to the Open Day met even more of the family, as Richard's daughter Robyn greeted arrivals, and there was Mum and niece Tazeem with boyfriend Steve there, too.

RT Machinery Ltd- strong on family values, and strong on customer values, too.

Richard has had a long history in the industry, as has Technical director Steve Palmer and father Robin - in all a period spanning nearly sixty years in the agriculture and horticulture industry. This combined team knows what service and reliability means - not just in machinery, but in a supplier terms, too.

The machinery range that the company handles goes from simple seed spreaders through all forms of grasscutting systems up to tractors and utility vehicles. There isn't a grasscutting method that they don't have: hover, ornamental cylinder, professional cylinder, cutter collectors, brushcutters, rotary mowers [pedestrian up to ride-on rotary], gang mowers [an RTM speciality] and the latest robot-controlled units.

But it doesn't stop there, as landscaping & seeding equipment, aerators, sweepers, blowers, aerators, turf lifters, utility vehicles and small tractors are represented too.

It was supported on the day by the manufacturers, who, when interviewed, explained that they were happy to return the favour to a good dealer.

"It's always a great opportunity to showcase our products," said Richard. "It was excellent also that we had the STRI , Dennis & Sherriff Amenity here hosting our Fine Turf seminar." This was introduced by Jim Hewitt, RTM's area sales manager, who then handed over to to the speakers. The seminar proved to be very popular, and it was a full house in the marquee.

Whilst all this was going on, the pig was roasting on the spit, and, after the seminar the guests were treated to lunch, the jazz band, refreshments and, later, the chance to try out machinery or watch demonstrations of the wide range exhibited on the day. Winchendon Manor had allowed the demonstrations and trials to take place in the fields, and, provided you watched where you trod, it was the ideal venue for the heavy duty grasscutting and utility vehicle machinery to show their worth.

An excellent day provided by RTM, who cover an area taking in the Northern Home counties from as far up as Northampton down to Central London. In addition to the new machinery, RTM have a hire fleet and full workshop repair and servicing facility.

All-round service from a company with the right ideas and the right approach.