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”.

John Draper

Committee Member

John Draper has been involved in the lawn care industry since 2003, bringing over 20 years of experience and expertise to the field. His career spanning over 35 years in the green industry includes time in the Professional and Consumer sectors, where he gained invaluable insight into lawn care.

John is a founder member of the UK Lawn Care Association (UKLCA) and has served on the committee since its inception. He has contributed to the development of the association in key leadership roles, including terms as Vice Chairman and Chairman.

As the owner of Greener Gardens, a leading independent lawn care business operating in the Nottingham area, John and his team focus on delivering exceptional lawn care services, helping customers "create a lawn you can love and a space to make memories."

With decades of collective experience and a commitment to environmentally conscious lawn care, John's contributions to both his customers and the UKLCA community continue to set a high standard for independent lawn care.

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)