Tom Arnold

Chair

Tom is the Son of an Essex farmer and holds both a BSc (Hons) Agriculture from Nottingham University and a Diploma in Management from University of East London.

Tom spent 21 years working in the agrochemical industry, 5 years of which were based in Lyon, France. His last job was with Bayer was as Head of Professional Products, Europe. This included all Bayer professional products for the amenity market.

Tom started TopGrass in 2005. The company now employs 31 people based in Warwickshire and Essex. He currently lives in Banbury and is married to Shirley with three grown up children and an old, bad tempered Jack Russell called Sprout. Both Shirley and daughter Katie also work for TopGrass.

“Being part of the UKLCA Committee is brilliant for networking with other lawn care business owners and it enables you to be at the forefront of what is happening in the lawn care industry”.

Jim Hewlett

Vice-Chair

Jim Hewlett has been successfully running his Green-Industry businesses since 1987, following a gardening apprenticeship on a local country estate when he left school.

Founder and Managing Director of Hewlett Turf & Landscapes Ltd founded in 1987, The Lawn Store Garden Products Ltd founded in 2015 and Lawntech Ltd founded in 2006.

Lawntech is a leading independent lawn care company, based in Salisbury Wiltshire, employing over 20 people, covering several counties in the South of England.

Jim has been involved with the UKLCA right from the start its inception as the UK Lawn Care Network in 2006.]

“I think it is fair to say that lawn care is in my blood, having done this for so long.  I first realised there was a huge appetite from home owners to keep their lawn in good condition when we were growing and supplying our own cultivated turf during the 90’s and 00’s.  People would be delighted to buy our turf in pristine condition to create an instant gorgeous new lawn, but within 12 months it would soon deteriorate because it was not cared for correctly in a garden environment.  We simply adapted the care we were giving our turf in the field directly to the homeowner”.

Jon Boon

Committee Member & Treasurer

Prior to starting Lawnrite Jon was a Finance Manager for Toyota Financial Services within a Toyota Branch where he managed the finance and insurance sales within the branch. Before that Jon was Greenkeeper/Deputy Head for 5 years, he then worked within grounds maintenance team for private schools on their sports pitches and grounds.

"Before joining the committee, I felt that the industry was a lonely place and found that the only place I could get information was from suppliers. Now I have a close friendship/network with many owners that we regularly share ideas and best practice."

John Draper

Committee Member

John Draper started his lawn care business Greener Gardens Nottingham fifteen years ago.  His green industry experience stems from 1990, starting work in sales on a commercial nursery then Scotts Professional business group and latterly Regional Manager Scotts Consumer Business.  John is an original committee member of the UKLCA formed in 2016.

Over the past ten years John has also developed a cloud-based lawn care software system “Call Data Manager”

“I am looking forward to working with Committee working on our plans to represent the UK Lawn Care Association in this growing market and exploring new ways of supporting our members of all lawn care experience and size over the coming months within the challenges of COVID-19."

Ian Kenyon

Committee Member

Ian studied agriculture and agronomy and has a passion for all things soil science related. Prior to launching his lawn care business he held various senior roles in sales, marketing and business development. He is focussed on customer service. He has a background in print publishing in the leisure computing market and launched the UK’s first internet magazine.

The UKLCA is committed to shared learning, raising industry standards and providing support to the independent lawn care industry. For me, being part of this network has provided invaluable guidance and support with many aspects associated with the challenges of providing a first class service and great results.

Jack Chapman

Committee Member

BSc (Hons) Sport Management from Loughborough University

Diploma in Turf Surface Management – an IOG Awards nominee for Sports Turf Student of the Year 2018

Jack Chapman started his journey into professional lawn care almost by accident with a garden maintenance hobby business from the age of 15. A passion for both business and turf care ran throughout several years split between study and the development of Kingsbury Lawn Care, which then joined the UKLCA in 2015 to seriously prompt the shift into professional lawn care. Jack is a cricket groundsman at heart gaining many of his early practical turf care and renovation skills through taking on the management of his own cricket clubs surface, hosting Warwickshire age group fixtures with great success.

Kingsbury Lawn Care is currently made up of a team of three, with further growth anticipated in the near future. Jack lives near Tamworth, buying his first home with partner Rachael in 2019.

"Being a part of the UKLCA Committee has seen me working closely with successful business owners, sharing and developing ideas collectively on a higher level. We enjoy  learning from each other and enjoying each others company. This goes hand in hand with enjoying helping member businesses with their challenges and promoting the industry. "

Time in lawn care: 6 years

Will Dunger

Committee Member

Will comes from a farming family and fulfilled his goal of running his own business in 2018 when he started Will’s Norfolk Lawns. His passion for maintaining lawns comes from his love of all sports, admiring grass surfaces at the likes of Wimbledon and Lords cricket ground on a yearly basis. Wills business is currently made up of two full time and two part time members of staff. He lives in central Norfolk with his fiancée and can be found playing football and cricket in his spare time (although there is never enough of that!).

“Since joining the UK Lawn Care Association my business has excelled in all aspects. The networking with other business owners has been invaluable and well as staying up to date with the best equipment and products available.”

Steve Betteridge

Committee Member

Steve grew up Monmouthshire and now resides not to far away in New Inn, South Wales, married to Liz for 31 years with two teenage sons Llewie aged 21 and Oliver 19  

Prior to starting Stripes Lawn Care, between 1994 and 2005 Steve was a Senior Account Manager in the telecoms sector, but really wanted to be his own boss and run his own business. So in 2005 decided to leave his job and go back to college to study sports turf management, prior to setting up Stripes Lawn Care in 2006.

Steve has been a member of UKLCA for many years and a committee member for the last 12months.

"Before joining the UKLCA although it has been said before, it can feel a lonely place at times, both UKLCA and its committee is a fantastic opportunity to meet, discuss, share industry knowledge and experiences and over the years the UKLCA has grown immeasurably and gone from strength to strength under the guidance of its committee." 

Mark Walsh

Committee Member

Mark is a former front line Police Officer who start his lawn care business, The Lawnologist,  in early 2022, whilst still in the Police. 

The intention for Mark when starting The Lawnologist was to grow into a business that offered tailored lawn care programs rather than a one size fits all approach built upon the same disciplines he grew to learn in the Police Service. 

A large focus for Mark was on business efficiency as well as social media and modern digital marketing methods and this has seen his business to break records in revenue not normally expected in new start ups. 

The Lawnologist  is a small but rapidly growing team of Mark and a part time staff member with big goals and sights set high. 

Mark especially enjoys helping new other start ups by offering insight into some the methods he has used to gain traction in his business. 

In his spare moments (of which there isn't much) Mark likes to spend his with his family, cooking, and socialising. 

"The networking opportunities within the UKLCA have been priceless for me and my business. The is a constant trickle of sharing best practice and educational tips, either practical or business related. I have made some very good friends and now have peers all over the country as a result that I can call upon for advice or to sound out an idea. The conferences and festivals have been excellent for networking and you actually feel part of a larger team, despite being a small independent."

Richard Salmon

Honorary President

Richard started his career studying Agriculture at Writtle University College in the 1980’s.  He then qualified as an agronomist (BASIS), advising farmers as well as green keepers / groundsman on growing crops and grass.  He became UK Sales Manager for a large agrochemical company and started his own Lawn Care business in 2000, and soon afterwards set up the UK Lawn Care Network in 2004 (now the UK Lawn Care Association). He found that there were many other likeminded independent businesses starting, that had so much in common with each other, and ideas to share and learn from.

Richard is now Honorary President of UK Lawn Care Association in recognition for his work as founder of the UK Lawn Care Network.

"I’ve made some great friends and learned so much as a result of being part of the network of lawn care companies.  With our collective voice, we are creating the awareness of professional lawn care to the wider community."

Time in lawn care: 21 years ( +14 years in Agriculture/Amenity)