Supporting contractors Parkers Pitches in their ongoing expansion is a fleet of efficient, robust equipment from GKB Machines. Pushing firmly into larger drainage and construction projects across East Anglia has demanded machinery that can step-up, and stay reliable under pressure and that’s exactly what owner Will Parker says they’ve enjoyed with their V- Strong, Combinator and, most recently, their SP100 topdresser.

Will together with wife Lydia run Parkers Pitches, with a further team of three full-time operatives on the ground. In just a few short years, the contractors have built a strong reputation for cricket and football renovations, increasingly undertaking projects on other sports surfaces including drainage-led projects in golf. “As we began to expand, we found we were picking up more topdressing work and needed something faster and with more capacity” explains Will.

With a V-Strong and GKB Combinator already demonstrating fantastic build quality and versatility, Will was confident enough to purchase the Sandspreader without the need for a demonstration. They opted for an SP100, a broadcast disc-dresser with a 1.0m 3 hopper – the ideal size for mounting on their existing John Deere ProGator.

“It’s been absolutely bulletproof” he exclaims. “We’re putting thousands of tonnes through it every year and you wouldn’t know it. It runs perfectly every time, we’ve barely had to put a spanner on it… even the paint is still immaculate inside the hopper! This productivity and reliability is crucial for keeping our schedule on track in tight renovation windows.”

The performance of the SP100 has come as no surprise to the team, with similar qualities on show from their V- Strong scarifier and Combinator. “The V-Strong is exactly that – unbelievably strong! Cricket square can be really hard come the end of a season and where our previous machine would struggle on renovations, the V- Strong doesn’t blink – getting the job done in less than half the time.” “Our 1.6m Combinator also is getting used more and more and, again, it’s rarely missed a beat. On the odd occasion we’ve needed support, GKB’s Tom Shinkins and the team at Ernest Doe have gone above and beyond to get us back up and running and keeping us on track.” Will concludes, “As we continue to grow and move into new areas, we know we have the right equipment and right support with GKB to make it a success.”