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June 29, 2007
'Green Day' Sponsorship Demonstrates Jacobsenýs Commitment to Eco-Efficient Products
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Brian Melka, Jacobsen's director of product management demonstrating the Eclipse 122F. |
The crowd of golf course superintendents – and even a few pro golfers – intently watched as Brian Melka, Jacobsen's director of product management, started the new Eclipse 122 F and effortlessly walked the mower across the green at Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord, Mass.
More than 100,000 people attended the Bank of America Championship at the club, part of the PGA Champions Tour. But those gathered for this demonstration, part of a special "Green Day" event, were focused on one thing – the environment.
"The Eclipse offers lower fuel consumption, lower emissions and, as you can hear, is much quieter than the majority of mowers currently available," explained Melka.
"I like the combination of gas and electric," said on-looker Peter Burton about this newest Jacobsen product, which offers users a choice of using either batteries or fuel to power the mower. "It's important for us to be on the forefront of environmental thinking."
Long-time Customer: First with Eclipse
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Jacobsen's Eclipse 122F. |
Burton is the superintendent for Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. Recently ranked as the fifth best liberal arts college in the U.S. (by U.S. News and World Report), Middlebury has made a conscious decision to become 100 percent "carbon" free by 2016.
Toward that end, Burton is purchasing an Eclipse for the campus golf course. This makes him Jacobsen's very first Eclipse 122 F customer.
"I'm a big supporter of Jacobsen equipment. We already own eight mowers," continued Burton. "Jacobsen products are reliable, the service and representatives are terrific (Mary Moffet, owner of S.V. Moffet Company, supplies Jacobsen equipment to Burton and clients in five northeastern states), and the equipment is easy to maintain and to teach others how to maintain."
Melka also demonstrated the E-Walk, the industry's only all-electric, high performance super-quiet walking greens mower.
At one point he pulled off the battery pack, flipped over the machine, and showed how you can completely service the underside of the machine right at the side of the putting green with no risk of fluid leaks.
"There are no spills, no contamination, they run for 90 to 120 minutes and batteries are easy to replace." The crowd was impressed, especially by the no-noise factor.
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Jacobsen's E-Walk, an all-electric, high performance super-quiet walking greens mower. |
Planning into the Future
According to Melka, "While our battery and gas generator-powered equipment may initially be more expensive to purchase, it's much more economical to operate over the course of its life. The payback is often less than a year. Most importantly there's the benefit of having a top quality mower that's environmentally friendly."
Paul Miller, superintendent of Nashawtuc Country Club, applauds Jacobsen's efforts. His course, set amidst the farms and open fields of historic Concord, just unveiled an environmental center for maintenance chemical storage. Miller's effort was recognized by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program.
"We only have one environment and we have a responsibility to leave it better than when we found it," noted Miller. "Technology is on our side, but it's still up to us to allow our grandchildren to enjoy what we have here today." Jacobsen couldn't agree more.
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