Fairways Group gives the green light to new Mercedes-Benz Sprinters

Glasgow-based Fairways Group has been bowled over by the reliable and economical performance of its Mercedes-Benz vans.

So when the company needed new vehicles to help maintain bowling greens for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, it turned once again to local Mercedes-Benz dealer Western Commercial.

The company’s Fairways Sportsgrounds division is now running two Sprinter 313 CDI vans, as well as a smaller Citan 108 CDI, alongside the 16 Sprinters already in service with grass machinery sales arm Fairways GM.

The new arrivals are powered by fuel-efficient 129hp engines – as well as being cleaner and more powerful, the 313CDI is 15 per cent more economical than the equivalent model from the previous Sprinter range, an improvement that equates to an extra 4.5 miles per gallon.

They are already playing a key role in the preparation of the lawns at the Kelvingrove Bowling Centre, which will host the competition for Commonwealth Games Gold Medals next summer.

Fairways Sportsgrounds Contracts Director Dave Gibson says: “Our previous Sprinters have served us extremely well so we had no hesitation in choosing more Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

“We were keen to maintain a consistent corporate image, by having the same smart, professional-looking vans across our divisions. But we also wanted vehicles which would be reliable and safe for our operatives, as well as offering low operating costs and coming with the safety net of high quality support from a local dealer. The Sprinter ticks all of those boxes.”

Fairways Sportsgrounds won the tender in 2011 to reconstruct and then maintain five lawn bowling greens in the shadow of Glasgow’s iconic Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. Commissioned by Glasgow City Council, work on the site has included constructing international-standard greens and new ditch channels, installing an irrigation system and creating a network of pathways. Fairways has also provided a specialist greenkeeper, Craig Collins, who is permanently stationed at the site.

Mr Gibson continues: “We regularly attend many sports venues, although the Kelvingrove Bowling Centre is certainly the one which is under the most scrutiny right now.

“We also travel to sites across Scotland, and into England as far south as Leeds, so our teams need to be mobile and to have all their maintenance equipment, tools and spares to hand. Our operatives are delighted with their comfortable, reliable, safe and economical Sprinters.”

For more information, visit fairwaysgroup.co.uk.