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LOTS OF LADS ARE fascinated in their school days by big tough machines like tractors . But unlike many , Rod Green ’ s love for machinery has grown into a successful business - Wetherbybased Green ’ s Contractors Ltd . His interest has created an agricultural contracting operation , offering everything from landscaping and groundworks to hedge cutting , ditch maintenance , excavations , lane and track repair and pond and lake construction .
Rod ’ s family had early connections with farming
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in Burton upon Trent which eventually led to him studying agriculture at Askham Bryan College for three years . He gained practical experience at a farm in Tadcaster , worked for a Ripon contractor and was later employed spraying and harvesting at a major carrot producer near Preston .
He said : “ I have always wanted to be around machinery , that ’ s my love really . And I had worked on farms that had a good bit of kit . I was concerned about the hours and the pay at the time so I went on to do a 180-degree backhoe loader course through JCB training at Ashbourne , Derby . It was the best thing I ever did .
“ I didn ’ t use the certificate for a good year or two but then I saw an advert in the Wetherby News
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for a 180-degree backhoe loader operator for HACS Construction . I remember going for an interview with Mark Smith which turned into a full day ’ s work and being paid with fish and chips , then ending up with a full-time job . I was there for three years and learned an awful lot . I came on leaps and bounds .”
Rod left to work on 20-ton plus machines for Ross Plant Hire near York , gaining 12 years of further experience on various sites all over Yorkshire . He was still doing farming work such as relief tractor driving at the weekends , before finally deciding to take the plunge and start his own business just over nine months ago . He now holds the Construction Plant Competence Scheme ( CPCS ) card and operates all kinds of
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machines from dump trucks to excavators and dozers .
Rod has since picked up plenty of work such as a project for York Archaeological Trust , work on the local football club car park , large shed excavations for farmers , hedge cutting and flailing works and also tractor and operator hire for a major vegetable producer . He has been working on large and small excavations such as ponds , road and track repairs , farm building demolition and grain store excavation and most recently did a job in Tadcaster filling in a water-filled area in a farmer ’ s field .
Rod is now taking bookings for this year ’ s hedgecutting season .
07766 666716 www . greenscontractors . co . uk
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