Myerscough College sign five-year preferred supplier agreement

Myerscough College sign five-year preferred supplier agreement

By Peter Driver

Myerscough College, the Further and Higher Education centre of excellence for land-based professions, has signed a five-year preferred supplier agreement with Ransomes Jacobsen Ltd, the Ipswich-based turf maintenance equipment manufacturer.

The agreement has already resulted in the delivery of over £160,000 worth of equipment to the College for use by students in the Sportsturf faculty. The equipment includes walk-behind mowers, ride-on greens, tees and fairway machines; electric and diesel-powered turf utility vehicles, an aerator and a turf cutter.

Ransomes Jacobsen will be sponsoring two student awards, one FE and one HE, providing branded clothing, as well as participating in student development by supplying workshop manuals, operator training materials and undertaking tutorials both at the college and at their training facilities in Ipswich.

Wayne Roberts, Team Leader at the Sportstuf faculty said, "This is an exciting partnership for the College and will not only benefit the students but also the industry as a whole in the northwest. The equipment is not just a student resource; it provides an invaluable resource for research purposes and for turf professionals in the area.

"Ransomes Jacobsen has without doubt the widest range of professional grounds care equipment available from a single manufacturer. They produce state-of-the-art, high quality machinery and we are delighted that we have secured this partnership agreement with them."

David Withers, Managing Director of Ransomes Jacobsen added, "Raising the profile of the grounds care industry and the standards of the professionals within it is of paramount importance to everyone in the sector. We must get rid of the idea that turf professionals 'just cut grass'.

Today's students are tomorrows turf managers and they will need many skills in order to reach the top of their chosen profession. Helping with pro-active, educational training is one of our goals and this agreement with Myerscough is an important milestone for the company, allowing us to make a significant contribution to a leading education provider."

Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) is a $10 billion multi-industry company with 44,000 employees in 40 countries. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, 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, Ransomes, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO and Greenlee, among others. More information is available at www.textron.com.