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This week’s RHS Hampton Court Flower has showcased some breath-taking gardens to inspire horticulturalists and novice planters alike and we were delighted to be part of it. Each year at RHS Hampton Court, the Celebrity Theatre features engaging demonstrations and discussions with the nation’s favourite TV gardeners and surrounding this year’s stage were 3 front gardens, created for visitors to enjoy.

Long Rake Spar were delighted to be invited to support the ‘Mend Our Mountains’ garden in association with Everest. The garden is part of the British Mountaineering Council’s campaign to repair the UK’s mountain paths, bridleways and bridges to help ensure the future of outdoor activities.

The garden has been designed by David Domoney and nominated by Julie Bradbury who are both speaking in the Theatre during the show. We worked alongside David Domoney and the team to donate the towering monoliths that give the garden its height and supply Ice Blue Chippings and Blue Slate 40mm for the surface covering.

The effect is a hard, rugged landscape which is reminiscent of the rocky mountainsides that the BMC is working to protect. Pockets of planting emerge in and amongst the striking monoliths, highlighting the significance of the alpine flora of the British hills and their ability to thrive in such challenging environments. The mountain theme continues with a sea of authentic Welsh Slate chippings which contrasts with the softness of the surrounding trees and paved pathway, these elements combine to evoke the wild beauty and majestic peaks of the UK mountain ranges.

The RHS Hampton Court Flower Show is open from the 3rd -8th July 2018, take a look here for more information about tickets.

Following its successful launch in 2017, RHS Chatsworth is returning this June with an eye-catching array of landscapes and displays. Amongst the striking collection of show gardens is the CCLA: A Family Garden which has been designed by Amanda Waring and Laura Arison and built by G K Wilson Landscape Services.

Long Rake Spar has been approached by Amanda to supply decorative aggregate to match the Bradstone paving used throughout the garden as well as Multi-Purpose Compost for planting beds.

The CCLA garden has been designed to bring together aspects of family life with elements of the outdoors. Built across varied levels, the visitor can explore structural and informal planting and discover areas where they can sit relax and connect with their surroundings. At the heart of the garden is the pavilion, which brings the family together and incorporates seating and a children’s play area.

RHS Chatsworth Flower Show begins on Wednesday 6th June and ends Sunday 10th June. For more information about the CCLA: A Family Garden or about the show please click here.

On the 19th April Long Rake Spar were pleased to be part of SureSet’s Approved Installer Event at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre.

Alongside fellow sponsors Dural, Long Rake Spar were proud to support the Annual Awards which were presented by SureSet to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of their Approved Installers.

There were four awards given on the day which were judged on a set criteria including customer feedback. The awards were presented by John Fletcher and the winners were …

Approved Installer of the Year – Gibson Gardens
Gibson Gardens specialise in all areas of garden design and maintenance in London and Surrey and have been SureSet Approved Installers since 2014.

Award for Outstanding Customer Service – Perma Stone Paving Ltd
Perma Stone Paving are a family run business who have been installing resin bound permeable paving for over 10 years in domestic and commercial projects.

Project of the Year – David Crowder Landscapers
This was awarded to David Crowder Landscapes for a project in Gerrards Cross. David Crowder Landscapes have been an Approved Installer since 2015 and deliver a high quality and reliable service to customers.

Spotlight Award – Lockwood Landscapes
Lockwood Landscapes received this award due to the highly commendable projects that they’ve carried out whilst delivering consistently high levels of customer service. Lockwood Landscapers specialise in hard and soft landscaping and have been a SureSet Approved Installer since 2015.

The remainder of the event featured presentations from industry experts. A live demonstration from SureSet installation team highlighted the use of the Hover Trowel which provides an unparalleled level of finish to surfaces. The afternoon also included a very informative presentation about the properties of various sub-bases, an essential component of a long-lasting system. This presentation was given by Tony McCormack from pavingexpert.com and prompted discussions about best practice and how to maintain a high standard in the industry overall.

Long Rake Spar are pleased to announce the launch of their new Natural Selection Brochure for 2018. In time for the start of the landscaping season, the brochure has been designed to help stockists, landscapers and end users select the best decorative aggregates for their needs.

Originally launched in 2008, the Natural Selection has become an industry recognised collection of leading decorative aggregate products. The Selection includes a unique range of products that have been carefully chosen to add aesthetic appeal and durability to domestic and commercial projects. The new brochure demonstrates the company’s continuous commitment to product development, with products being constantly renewed to reflect current colour and design trends, whilst providing smart solutions for outdoor spaces.

The brochure showcases over 20 new products for 2018, alongside Long Rake Spar’s exclusive Platinum products which continue to provide a highly decorative finish for landscapers. Featuring high resolution wet and dry product photos, inspiring lifestyle images and helpful information icons; the brochure can be used in-store or on-site to guide product choice.

The new brochure is part of a programme of retail support products that Long Rake Spar is introducing for UK stockists. Based upon customer feedback and changes in consumer buying behaviour the company is offering specially developed Point of Sale support to help stockists increase sales.

The new Natural Selection Brochure is available to view via the link below

https://bit.ly/2GLDOEX

Copies can also be requested via the Sales Office on 01629 636210. For more information about the support that Long Rake Spar offers to stockists, please contact your regional Account Manager.

Earlier this year Long Rake Spar conducted a customer survey within the Builders Merchant Sector to ascertain the company’s customer service levels and performance as one of the UK’s largest independent decorative aggregate supplies. This invaluable feedback was supplied by their existing customer base who were then entered into a prize draw with the chance to win one of five, £100 high street vouchers.

Sales Director Richard Maughan stated “It’s crucial that we maintain an understanding of what our customers require, to listen and respond to their suggestions on how we can improve and in doing so shape our products and strategy to aid the sales of our products in store. This closer understanding also serves to strengthen and build on our existing strong relations, whilst helping us to grow sales for our many customers.”

The survey received a strong response with some positive feedback, from which five lucky merchants were chosen at random to receive the £100 vouchers. These were Elliot’s at Totton, Peppard Building Supplies, Browns Builders Merchants, Crowthorne Fencing and Salisbury and Wood.

Long Rake Spar have been the approved aggregate supplier to the FORTIS buying group since its foundation. Brad Fedder, from Crowthorne Fencing at Ascot, who are part of the Lawsons Group and members of FORTIS stated, “We are very happy with the service that we receive from Long Rake, our local representative Chris Bourne provides excellent support and the in-house team are always positive and happy to help.”

Customers highlighted some key areas of development, including requests for tailored in-store marketing support. In order to meet demand, Long Rake is unveiling new external display stands for the beginning of 2018. These will be available in two sizes and will enable customers to maximise the sales space by showcasing a wide range of products in a fully merchandised stand. The new external display stands will be part of an enhanced marketing package that will be available to help customers boost sales of decorative aggregates in store.

To find out more about how Long Rake Spar is developing its customer service or to take part in future surveys, please contact our marketing team on 01629 636210 or email admin@longrakespar.co.uk

Merchant Winner: Peppard Building Supplies

Merchant Winner: Elliot’s

Merchant Winner: Brown’s Builders Merchants

Merchant Winner: Crowthorne Fencing

Merchant Winner: Salisbury and Wood

At the spring budget, Chancellor Philip Hammond allocated £270 million to help the UK stay at the forefront of ‘disruptive technologies’ such as driverless cars. But how disruptive will self-driving cars be to Britain’s transport infrastructure?

Previous funding has led to the creation of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) who are responsible for testing driverless cars through schemes like UKAutodrive: an ambitious three year project trialling vehicles in Milton Keynes and Coventry. The primary focus of CCAV is testing the effects of autonomous cars, but a recent inquiry by the House of Lords has highlighted critical flaws in the UK’s road network that may mean delays ahead.

The House of Lords’ Science and Technology committee inquiry into Autonomous Vehicles asked industry experts how the changes would affect infrastructure and feedback raised crucial issues regarding the current standard of UK roads.

The Road Safety Marketing Association (RSMA) voiced its concern about the poor state of road markings across the country, declaring that over half of the 7000kms of roads it had surveyed had inadequate road markings and ‘where assistive or autonomous technology relies in part on road markings and signs, any failure of maintenance presents a real safety hazard’.

This poses a major roadblock for self-driving cars which rely heavily on crisp white lines and lane demarcation to read their surroundings and obey traffic laws, not a problem in cities like Milton Keynes, but country roads present more of a dilemma. With predictions hinting that a quarter of England’s population will live in ‘rural areas’ by 2025 it seems that car manufacturers still have a way to go before they can target out of town commuters and those living down country lanes.

Driverless cars rely on Lidar sensors to detect the edges of roads and identify lane markings by bouncing pulses of light off the car’s surroundings and use video cameras to read road signs, signals and colouring. On major roads such as motorways Lidar sensors allow the car to stay in lane and navigate accordingly but if the markings fail, current sensors struggle to stay on track. When vehicles are unable to distinguish road markings they are unable to change lanes or manoeuvrer properly.

Several companies such as Dutch mapping giant TomTom are working to solve the problem by introducing 3D maps, allowing cars to visualise their surroundings within centimetres but the problem persists as no full maps exist for the time being. So, without strong 3D maps the emphasis falls back to improving the standard of road markings.

Likewise, video camera technology which allows cars to read traffic signals and instructions rely on strong colouring and clear anti-skid surfaces to recognise various environmental changes. So with Howard Robinson, Chief Executive of the Road Surface Treatment Association arguing that “there is a £12 billion black hole of essential road repair and maintenance to be carried out” before we can consider introducing driverless cars, how can we ensure that the improvements that should be made are consistent, sustainable and enduring?

Choosing the right material is a good place to start. Selecting high quality aggregates for either white lining or lane demarcation within anti-skid surfaces from a sustainable supply will help to ensure that the UK’s road markings will last, reducing the need for future government investment.

White Dolomite fine grade powders, sands and granules for white lining need to adhere to strict standards to guarantee long-lasting brightness, allowing Lidar sensors to pick up demarcations more easily and reduce risk to passengers.

The same also applies to anti-skid surface coatings used on defined areas of traffic management such as bus and cycles lanes. It’s essential that driverless cars are able to recognise these regions and anticipate pedestrian and vehicular traffic changes associated with them. Colour coated aggregates for demarcation are currently used in congested urban areas but traffic management schemes using superior pigmented materials will need to be unveiled across British roads to guide driverless cars safely.

Specialist dried aggregate supplier Grantex Surfacing work closely with the RSMA and have been developing a selection of high specification coloured aggregates for traffic management under their new range SightGRIP. Special Products Manager Dan Travis commented “the changes of this new era of technology need to be closely monitored to ensure all elements of the supply chain can equally react in a timely fashion to any growth in demand. As one of the UK’s main importers of white dolomite we are ideally positioned to react quickly to an increase in requirement. Furthermore, the addition of SightGRIP anti-skid coloured aggregates within our range makes us perfectly placed to offer a comprehensive network of products that help to make the transition into the introduction of driverless vehicles more seamless for the industry and safer for consumers.”

With over 150 years in the aggregate industry, Long Rake Spar has recently introduced SightGRIP to their product selection in the Grantex channel. At its core SightGRIP is a collection of industry registered colours which can be replicated on high friction minerals such as Calcined Bauxite for major highways or onto a range of high performance Granites which prolong the visual life of the coloured epoxy coating. The bright, UV Stable colours of SightGRIP aggregates mean that they are more easily seen by video camera technology and will help autonomous cars navigate British highways.

It seems that driverless cars are on their way whether UK’s roads are ready for them or not. The shortfall in adequate white lines and lane demarcations will raise some serious obstacles on their route but however the government decides to tackle the issue it’s critical that superior materials are chosen – not only to ensure the longevity of repairs but crucially to guarantee safety of passengers.

Grantex Surfacing are leading suppliers of dried aggregate granules, sands and powders suitable for use within resin bound and bonded flooring. Known for their innovation in product development, Grantex’s parent company, Long Rake Spar, celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. To commemorate the occasion, they have introduced numerous new product lines, including three products suitable for use within resin systems.

The Winter Quartz is available in a 2-5mm while the Autumn Quartz and Silver Blue Granite are both available in 1-3 and 2-5mm. The three products have been added to Long Rake’s ‘Grantex’ range, to complement the current extensive range of products.

These three very different new products offer resin contractors greater scope in meeting their customers’ requirements.

For more information on these or any of the specially dried products from our Grantex range, please call our sales office on 01629 630130 or email grantex@longrakespar.co.uk.

The end of 2016 was a period of significant success for Long Rake Spar with the announcement that they had been selected as the preferred decorative aggregate supplier for the industry’s five major buying groups, NBG, Fortis, IBC, H&B and CBA.

Sales Director, Richard Maughan commented, “Securing partnerships with the leading buying groups allows us to continue our support of the independent merchant sector who are central to our strategy. These agreements are built on the important relationships and trust that we have developed with our customers who recognise that we supply a comprehensive range of high quality products which is underpinned by our good service offering.”

Long Rake Spar’s commitment to their customers saw them expand their operations with a new 23 acre, quayside site in Rye, East Sussex. The site took its first large shipment of aggregate in April and is now a fully functioning depot, increasing the efficiency of deliveries to merchants, especially in to the South East and Southern markets. The strategic position of Rye along with their other operations around the United Kingdom, ensures that Long Rake is able to provide a sustainable supply chain solution to their customers.

As the UK’s largest distributor of both imported and nationally sourced decorative aggregates, Long Rake Spar are able to offer the buying group members an unrivalled product selection, including 16 new products being launched for the 2017 season. All products are supported by a wide portfolio of marketing tools to assist in the selection process for both the merchants and their end user customers.

The company continues its ongoing commitment to customer service with the appointment of Graham Boyd as Joint Managing Director. The existing Company Managing Director, Trevor Broadhurst, commented: “Graham has held senior commercial positions within Hanson and Knauf Insulation and joins Long Rake at a very important point in our 150 year history and his knowledge of the construction industry will be invaluable. Given the scale of our business, it is crucial that we have a strong team and Graham’s drive and dedication to customer satisfaction will ensure that we will continue to offer a market leading proposition in a competitive market.”

At Long Rake Spar we like to do our bit for charity so ‘jumped’ at the chance to get involved with Christmas Jumper day, raising money for the worthwhile charity ‘Save the Children’.

Getting our slightly ridiculous and suitably Christmassy knits on seemed like the perfect way to raise money for children across the world who are living in poverty.

The whole office got involved, turning up in a spectacular selection of brightly coloured jumpers. We got the Christmas tunes on and were soon all in the festive spirit!

To make some extra cash for the Save the Children we played the ‘Wooly Wondrous Sweepstake’ provided in our Christmas Jumper pack and raised a total of £48.40 which we are delighted about! This follows on from the incredible success of our bake sale for #wearitpink day, in which we raised £135.54 for Breast Cancer Now.

We are all looking forward to supporting more good causes throughout 2017.

Long Rake Spar recently had the pleasure of attending the Grand Designs exhibition at the Birmingham NEC. The products and services on display were, as you’d expect, both novel and remarkable; from garden cabins to giant ornamental giraffes, there was truly something for whatever grand design you had in mind.

Our presence at the event, however, was not to indulge in a hot tub or to take a selfie with Kevin McCloud; there was work to be done!

One of Grantex’s valued customers, Addagrip have had a slot at the Grand Designs exhibition for several years now, promoting their resin bound and bonded systems. This year, the stand was bigger than ever before, and provided an excellent showcase for the services Addagrip offer.

As we supply the aggregates for Addagrip’s mixes, it was important we had a representative at the event to help field questions from the public. Also present were Resin Bonded Surfacing Ltd, one of Addagrip’s approved contractors and experts in laying resin systems.

Installing a driveway, courtyard or patio is a big decision not to be taken lightly. With so many options out there, and with an unfortunate amount of poorly laid jobs by unqualified contractors, the Grand Designs exhibition offered a fantastic opportunity for the public to find out all the information they required from professional, trusted companies with years of experience in laying resin surfaces. Having representatives from each of the three companies involved in laying Addagrip’s systems meant that the public could visualise every part of the process and ensure that they were getting the best advice and highest quality materials for their projects.

The interest in the stand was staggering; from the moment the doors opened, we barely had room to breathe due to the sheer mass of people seeking expert advice on how to go about installing an attractive rustic surface that was built to last.

There was therefore significant interest in Addagrip’s exclusive Terrabase Rustic system, which was created as a cost effective way of installing driveways or courtyards without the need for a tarmac or concrete base. This innovative and patented system has proven to be a rousing success, with approved contractors such as Resin Bonded Surfacing having installed countless Terrabase Rustic driveways, patios and courtyards nationwide over the past few years.

One of the most frequently asked questions during the exhibition was what advantages the Terrabase Rustic system holds over tarmac or concrete slabs, and of course how it matched up financially.

Aside from the aesthetic value and the fact that the system is completely porous (as made clear by the clever display on the stand), it is also incredibly easy to look after. The extent of the maintenance required is a semi-regular sweeping and power-washing to remove any seeds or other debris which may have fallen into the gaps, as the geofabric layer means that unlike with slab paving, weeds will never be an issue for this system. It will also never crack or come unstuck, meaning that once it’s down, it’s down for good. With all of these beneficial qualities, one would expect that to be reflected in the cost, but all potential customers left pleasantly surprised upon hearing the guide price.

It is fair to say that the overwhelming number of visitors to the stand was not unexpected. This year Grantex Surfacing have experienced record sales, with orders for our washed and dried aggregates not having let up since Easter and still showing very few signs of slowing down, even now with winter approaching. The growth of resin bound systems has been such that we are on the verge of opening a second dryer on site to cope with the demand that Addagrip and others have been creating, and considering the fact that no fewer than 3000 leaflets were distributed throughout the course of the Grand Designs exhibition, these trends look set to continue well into 2017.

For those who didn’t attend the exhibition this year, information on all the exhibitors can be found at www.granddesignslive.com

Alternatively, you can be sure to see us back at the NEC next year!

For further information on Addagrip’s Terrabase systems, visit their website here