Join us for a special 100th episode of the Reel Turf Techs Podcast! Host Trent Manning, a Certified Turf Equipment Manager (CTEM), is interviewed by his good buddy Tony Bevolo, also a CTEM. They’ll discuss milestones, memories, and the amazing journey of turf equipment managers. Thank you, Reel Turf Techs community, for your incredible support! 🌱🎙️
Transcript
Trent Manning: 0:05
welcome to the reel turf techs podcast for the technician that wants to get reel follow along. As we talk to industry professionals and address hot topics that we all face along the way we’ll learn tips and tricks. I’m your host, Trent. Manning let’s have some
Tony Bevolo: 0:24
welcome to the real turf techs podcast episode 100 today. We’re talking to the one and only the man Trent Manning, C TEM from Ansley golf club in Atlanta, Georgia. Ansley Golf Club is a 27 hole private facility. Trent has four technicians underneath him in the shop servicing a mixed fleet of Toro and John Deere turf equipment. Let’s talk to Trent Welcome Trent to the real turf techs podcast. What’s up, buddy?
Trent Manning: 0:54
Hey, man. Thank you so much for having me on. I love this whole role reversal thing. It is, it’s cracking me up.
Tony Bevolo: 1:02
thank you for giving me the honor and the pleasure of interviewing the man that started this now other than yourself
Trent Manning: 1:08
Well, when we, when we got to going here, I remembered we had this idea over a year ago and I talked to you about it and then, you know, got busy, whatever, didn’t work out and I believe it was Jerry Cara said, you know, they 100th episode. And I said, that’s a pretty good idea, Jerry. I think we’re going to roll with that. So thank you, Tony, for being here and interviewing me.
Tony Bevolo: 1:39
You got it. I actually remember Exactly where I was when you called me on a Friday and, we were kind of just, kind of shooting the breeze with each other and you brought the idea up of having the podcast and I said, well, man, why didn’t I think of that? And then I thought, man, that’s a lot of work. I’m glad I didn’t think of that and do that. And, uh, And I remembered, you know, what you were going to do for guys like us to, to kind of get our story out there and, and tell the community, you know, kind of what makes each of us tick. And I thought it was a great idea and I’m glad you ran with it. Really am.
Trent Manning: 2:12
That’s been, uh, it’s been really, really good. And yeah, thank you for being the first guest. So if anybody wants to listen to episode one, it’s Tony.
Tony Bevolo: 2:21
I told you I’d be the guinea pig and boy, we guinea pigged
Trent Manning: 2:26
Well, I guess it makes sense since you have been out longer than anybody else, but you have the most views out of anybody by a lot to not just a little bit.
Tony Bevolo: 2:36
Nah, nobody wants to listen to me ramble about nothing. Trust me. It was just, It was something new and people were like, all right, let’s check this out. And then, you know, I probably made some viewership fall down actually, after hearing me for about 35, 40 minutes. So,
Trent Manning: 2:50
no, not at all.
Tony Bevolo: 2:51
so, uh, how is life, Trent? How’s everything going? How’s work? How’s personal life? Is everything, uh, everything good in your world?
Trent Manning: 2:58
Yeah. Everything is, uh, pretty good. I mean, it’s definitely that time of year and I’m sure all the listeners can relate. We’re just super busy with air fine, everything and throwing so much sand and I don’t, I gotta tell a quick story. So We air five, the Midtown course. I was just looking at the stats, 682 downloads for your episode, the first episode.
Tony Bevolo: 3:28
I apologize for all 652 people that had to endure that. I really am
Trent Manning: 3:33
But yeah, so we air five, the Midtown course. And we done a core verification and we ran the top changer, which is a wet jet machine. So a lot of sand, I think we waited four or five days. We bumped our height up to 30 thousandths higher and we mowed. And my director of agronomy showed me a picture of the basket with the clippings. And I’m like, that looks really good. And it was way more grass than sand. And I said, that looks a lot better than our normal Tuesday light top dressing here. So I don’t know what’s going on with our light top dressing,
Tony Bevolo: 4:21
quote on quote, unquote, light top dressing air quotes on that.
Trent Manning: 4:24
Yeah. Big air quotes.
Tony Bevolo: 4:26
I hear you, man.
Trent Manning: 4:27
yeah. So anyway.
Tony Bevolo: 4:29
I know, I know that all too well, like yourself, I’m, we’re in the thick of it, we’re shut down for four weeks now and, you know, verticut in eight directions and aerifying deep time and burying them. And it’s just like, man, we’re going to be grinding reels from now until. December, but that’s, uh, that’s what we signed up for. That’s the name of the game. And like, like you and, and, and the guys that really excel in this industry, we know the benefit of it. We know why we do this and it’s not a, they’re throwing sand to make our life harder. They’re throwing sand to make our life easier and help us excel. And what we’re trying to produce is, and it’s a good product for the membership or daily fee customer. So that’s just the way it rolls, bro.
Trent Manning: 5:12
Oh, for sure. And I’ve seen it before when I start seeing some scalping and stuff like that. I’m like, Hey, it’s about time to top dress. I think,
Tony Bevolo: 5:22
going, baby. Here we go.
Trent Manning: 5:23
that’s right. It’s part of it.
Tony Bevolo: 5:26
All right. Well, hey dude, let’s jump right into it. Uh, you got to interview 99 people and hear their story of how they’ve gotten to the turf industry. So let’s get yours. Let’s, uh, give me a, give me the story of Trent Manning and how you’re here today.
Trent Manning: 5:40
Well, it all started when I was 16 years old and I was in high school and I needed a job. And I didn’t like, so before that, all I’d ever done my best friend growing up through grade school and even through high school, his dad cut all the hay in our local area here around our town. And now that it’s even a town, it’s not even incorporated, but it’s a, it’s a small place in the middle of nowhere or was, and Atlanta keeps growing closer to it. But. Anyway, 5 an hour cash to load hay on a trailer, which wasn’t terrible money. Minimum wage at the time was 4. 15. And so anyway, I’m looking for a job. And another friend of mine that I went to high school with, he lived in the same neighborhood as the mechanic that worked at Sutton Down Creek Golf Club. And so he started working there, I think a week before me. And me and my buddy that I hauled all the hay with, Eric Warren, me and him go in on a Saturday morning for an interview for the grounds crew. And we sat down, you know, for 15 minutes and they’re like, yep, you got a heartbeat. Okay. We’ll take you. Here’s all the paperwork. And
Tony Bevolo: 7:02
yeah, you’re a warm body and you’ll, you’ll probably show up to work. You’re
Trent Manning: 7:06
yeah, yeah, you’re in. So that was like April of 95. So I continued to work at the golf course on the crew until I graduated high school in 97 and. First summer there in 97, our irrigation tech had left. So the director of agronomy, Courtney Young said, you want to learn this irrigation stuff? And I’m always up for a challenge. I said, yeah, sure. That’s that’s cool. So I did that for maybe six months. And our assistant mechanic left his name was Tony Henderson super tall guy. Yeah, yeah, Tony Henderson, and he was, he was a Harley dude. He had, uh, you know, it was whatever, 65 shovel head, something, another 62 front end. He had painted us a really cool motorcycle. And Tony had one speed and it was pretty slow. But he got stuff done. Anyway, he took a head, head mechanics job before they were calling us equipment managers back then at another course, and I’d always been poking my head in the shop and curious about, you know, what are you working on? You know, how’s this work? What does this do? And the head technician at the time, Larry Freeman asked if, I would be the assistant mechanic. I’m like, heck yes, right up my alley. Because when I grew up, I was always tinkering with stuff or as uh, Aaron Miller said, fiddling or piddling. I mean, we, we did it all growing
Tony Bevolo: 8:43
Tinkering. A
Trent Manning: 8:44
Yeah. Yeah. Tinker. Yep. All those things. So I worked with Larry for, I guess, about three years. And his son was a superintendent and on the superintendent track, but he left the golf course, another golf course, and he went, he started his own landscape business and he’s got, you know, a bunch of equipment and Larry just wanted to help out his son, Doug. So he went to work for him and there I am at whatever I was 20 years old running the shop and kind of thought I had it figured out. And no, and now, yeah, yeah, I think hopefully a lot of people can relate to be a 20 years old and thinking they kind of know everything, but that was the point I was at. I, so I started to get bored there and not enough challenges and, you know, looking back, I was like, golly, I was so dumb I could have, you know, I’ve been doing so much more. But that’s the other thing we learn what. We learn what others teach us, and that’s the only way we know until we step out of our bubble and see how somebody else does it. And I think that’s one of probably my biggest takeaways, you know, because So to finish that story, I was there till 02 and a superintendent that I worked for at the golf course went to work at this, sports field construction company. We, well, we maintain sports fields. We had a crew that done that. And then I did all the construction final grading. We didn’t do a whole lot of rough grading. so a laser grater and all those kinds of things. And then, uh, work kind of started getting slow and I went to work for a golf course construction company as their mechanic. And it didn’t take me too long to figure out that wasn’t really what I wanted to do, working on dozers and excavators and all that. I remember us, welded new shanks. I replaced all the shanks on a Cabelco 210 on the bucket. And. I want to say it was like 50 pounds of welding rod
Tony Bevolo: 11:08
my goodness.
Trent Manning: 11:09
the shanks back on. And
Tony Bevolo: 11:12
It was it out. Did you do that out in the
Trent Manning: 11:13
oh, of course. Yeah. Yeah. I didn’t have a shop. Everything was in the field. I did find a shade tree, but that, that, that was the extent of it. Oh, another kind of funny story about that is, uh, one of the guys, he had a Chevy 2500, I don’t remember the year model. But it needed a fuel pump. So super easy, six bolts to unbolt the bed, pull the excavator over there. Take the bed off. Yeah. Rip the bed off. Yeah. So anyway, it’s, it’s funny what you can do with that amount of equipment. But then, uh, at this time it was 2008, so they were closing way more golf courses than they were opening with, uh, everything that was happening in the economy and I had two young kids at the time and the guy that owned the company, he says, I think I can keep you busy for about another month. And I’m like, okay, so I started calling around and Jerry Pate, the Toro distributor, they were hiring. So I went to work with them and that’s where I met Corey Phillips and became friends with him being a road tech and traveling all over Georgia and Alabama. I even went to panhandle of Florida. Visiting all the customers,
Tony Bevolo: 12:31
so I’m going to stop you there because I think. I think this is a good, this is a good question for a lot of people because there are, I’ve seen quite a few equipment managers that have, you know, either tried to get poached by the dealer or maybe thought instead of sitting at a shop, they liked the travel aspect. So somebody that’s lived both worlds as an equipment manager in a shop at a club. Versus you’ve also been on the road doing a road tech thing. What did you, what did you think about moving from, from like the shop to a road tech position? I know that everybody is obviously very different, but did you like the travel and seeing the, you know, different people or how, how did you enjoy that side of the career?
Trent Manning: 13:11
I really enjoyed that. And honestly, I think I enjoyed it more than working at the golf course because it was a different problem every day. Not that working at the golf course isn’t because believe me, I know we got our different challenges every single day, but it was a different technical problem every day. And I really enjoyed that and when we got called out, you know, I mean, most time it was warranty stuff, but if it was a customer pay job, somebody either didn’t have the time to diagnose it and repair it. Or they couldn’t diagnose and repair it.
Tony Bevolo: 13:53
Yeah, it’s normally something pretty extensive if that’s the case, you know, it’s a, it’s a big issue or a complicated issue. Right.
Trent Manning: 14:00
right. Yeah. So we didn’t get called out for an oil change or, you know, I mean, any of the simple stuff or fix a tire. And, you know, I didn’t necessarily mind that either. You know, if you, if you change all on one fairway more, you change it on all of them. And then the same thing with the replacing tires, it was kind of the same deal. But luckily we had a guy that worked in the shop and. He had been there. I mean, he’s still there today and he started in the eighties and that’s all he’s ever worked on is Torah equipment. And he’s like a human encyclopedia and his name’s William Albertson. And if you ever run into Corey, you could ask Corey about William, but I’ll call William up and say, Hey, William, what do you think about this? And then he would just, you know, vomit all, you know, all this knowledge on me. That was, uh, A lot of it over my head and stuff. And he’s
Tony Bevolo: 14:57
hmm. Slow down! Slow down! Slow down! Hold on! One second.
Trent Manning: 15:01
he’d say, what you need is a 1 0 6 dash 0 2 3 7 and get you one of those. And then you’re going to, you know, tell you however you’re going to do it. But I mean, all the part numbers memorized all the time. I said, just amazing, dude.
Tony Bevolo: 15:16
You need an inch and a quarter curl foot. You need a 16 inch extension. Yeah. Yeah.
Trent Manning: 15:21
well, and I think that was another thing that really, I get working for them. I don’t know how to, how to say this, but. I understand the value of knowledge better. And for instance, and I also, so when I was still at the golf course, I worked part time at a Yamaha dealership as an assembly guy, so putting together motorcycles and jet skis and all that. And I kind of learned this there too. If you do the job. Your first time. So Toro come up with a rework on, I think it was the 08 flex 2100s and the axle shaft seals were leaking. So the first rework was changing the seals out to a different seal. And then the next one we put on a vented half of the transmission and. Anyway, the, we got paid, I think an hour and a half, you know, Toro paid, Jerry paid an hour and a half labor for us to make this repair. And the first one I’d done, I don’t remember the name of the course. I remember it was in Birmingham, Alabama. Drove all the way over there, you know, which is three hours ish from my house. I’ll drive over there and I’m only doing one unit and it was like three and a half hours to do this. I ended up doing 25 of those and on, you know, the 3rd or 4th, I had it down to 45 minutes because, you know, every tool you need, just like you’re talking about, William said, you know, you need a 6th sense extension, you need a crow’s foot you know, all those things. And I guess that’s where I learned what we’ll get to it and tips and tricks, but if you got a rubber seal or. A metal seal that’s covered in rubber, drill two holes in it, run two sheet metal screws in there and use a pair of, side cutters and pop it out. William Albertson taught me that trick. So
Tony Bevolo: 17:37
I’m stashing that one away.
Trent Manning: 17:38
yeah, it’s, I mean, it works, you know, you gotta be cautious of what’s behind the seal and all those things,
Tony Bevolo: 17:44
Yeah. You got. Yeah. Right.
Trent Manning: 17:46
Most of the time, uh, you can get away with it without, and that was really handy for those because it was a pain to pull that gearbox off the unit. And then also a tool that you need to do that is a 13 millimeter boxed and gear wrench that flexes. And with that, you can get the four bolts that holds the transmission to the engine loose. Without that, it takes forever using a normal 12 point wrench.
Tony Bevolo: 18:16
Right.
Trent Manning: 18:18
So anyway, I know I went sidetracked on
Tony Bevolo: 18:20
No, no, that was my, Hey, that’s, that’s the host’s fault. Trust me. You can blame the host,
Trent Manning: 18:25
yeah, I’m going to blame you for
Tony Bevolo: 18:26
I, I think the insight was perfect. I think it’s, it’s good to hear that side because I mean, without road tax, you know, they’ve helped me out in a pinch many times. I’m sure they have for you too. I mean, there are, inaugural part of our industry and what we do. So, I mean, I need to get some road tax on here, Trent.
Trent Manning: 18:43
No, that’s true. I, yeah, I was trying to get a deer guy lined up and I don’t know. Kind of fell through the cracks but no, I definitely will. And to finish on the tail end of that, what I didn’t like being a road tech was leaving before I saw anybody in the morning and getting home after everybody had went to sleep. And I felt, you know, terrible because I’m losing all this time with my family.
Tony Bevolo: 19:12
right.
Trent Manning: 19:14
that’s why I went back to the golf course, but an interesting part of that story. So when I left setting down Creek, well, let’s back up. So I started at setting down Creek Ansley golf club bought setting down Creek or called it a merger in the late nineties, like 98, 99. And I left there in oh two, when I left Larry Freeman, the guy that. Came back, his son had went back to another golf course and he actually worked for the deer distributor for a couple of years and, waiting on me to leave, I guess. And when I left, he came back. So Larry retired in 2010 and I come back to replace him. So our director of agronomy Courtney has been there since 1988. And he’s had three mechanics, Larry Freeman, myself, and Lenny Day. And I don’t think Lenny Day was there very long. He was there like in the late eighties, maybe for a year or two. And then Larry started in like 91. So in 35 years or yeah, 35 years.
Tony Bevolo: 20:28
That’s, that’s crazy to think really. That’s
Trent Manning: 20:31
To have two mechanics, but that says a lot about the man and why we enjoy working for him.
Tony Bevolo: 20:39
No, I mean, it makes all the difference. I have the pleasure to work for what I consider, you know, a really good friend of mine. He stood up in my wedding with me and he’s our director of agronomy. We’re you know, really, really good friends and that helps. It helps when you got a guy going to bat for you, just like you go to bat for him. And that’s, you know, Going to work and working with family is, uh, important or in a family environment is important. That’s, you know, that’s half the battle, I think.
Trent Manning: 21:07
Yeah, for sure.
Tony Bevolo: 21:09
Well, Trent, you know what next? What’s coming next? What’s your favorite tool?
Trent Manning: 21:14
I still got to go with Streamlight Stylus Pro. That flashlight, you know, I’ve, I’ve switched to a Streamlight wedge and I like it. Okay. I’m not going to complain. It’s a really good product. I’ve had this one just a little over a year and hadn’t had any issues out of it. It’s rechargeable. All that’s great. But the thing I like about the Streamlight Stylus Pro. It’s, now they make one that’s rechargeable. I hadn’t tried one of those, but over the last, I don’t, you know, 20 years, I’ve had maybe three of them, which is pretty good when you carry it in your pocket. I mean, it’s everyday carry. So if I leave the house, I have that in my pocket. And, but the thing I like about those is you can stick it under your hat and use it kind of like a, as a
Tony Bevolo: 22:07
Oh, like a headlamp? Yeah.
Trent Manning: 22:10
yeah, so handy, waterproof. I’ve dropped them in, you know, to use the engine oil when I was draining oil or something and pull them out, wipe them off. And they, they still work. It’s a
Tony Bevolo: 22:22
I think it’s almost more shocking you haven’t lost more than that, than, than that many have broken, honestly.
Trent Manning: 22:30
Yeah. I don’t, I’m pretty
Tony Bevolo: 22:32
Pretty good. Yeah. Pretty good.
Trent Manning: 22:34
I’m thinking I’m pretty good about always putting it back in my pocket. Occasionally, yeah, I’ll leave it laying around and that’s another, well, I know I’m on, I won’t have any tips and tricks when we get to that section. Cause
Tony Bevolo: 22:47
Well, you need to just calm it down a little bit there. I mean, you’re giving all, you’re giving everything away early.
Trent Manning: 22:52
but I would recommend to everybody when you’re buying a flashlight and even tools, I re I like bright colors because there’s so much easier to see you buy a black flashlight and you’re going to lay it down and you’re never going to see it again.
Tony Bevolo: 23:07
You know, it’s funny when I was, when I was working for skip at Belfair, of course he had the snap on truck through there about every four days. So, you know, he was burning a hole in my pocket and I was buying one of them screw, just a screwdriver set, just to have, and. They had the really tricked out black and gray ones. I’m like, man, that looks good. And the snap on guy said, he’s like, no, I really think you either get the red or green because you’re going to lose the black and gray one. You’re going to leave it in a piece of equipment you’re going to do. And I, to this day have not lost one screwdriver. And I’m like, you know what? That was a good, that was a good tip and trick
Trent Manning: 23:40
Yes, it was.
Tony Bevolo: 23:41
Absolutely. so Trent, what, uh, what do you like to do to relax or find your balance? I know, uh, I think I know the answer to it, but I’d like to hear it from the horse’s mouth.
Trent Manning: 23:50
Well, it’s it’s changed over the years. So I typically enjoy anything outdoors. So if it’s fishing, if it’s, I used to enjoy hunting. I don’t enjoy that so much anymore. But I do enjoy fishing. Hiking just being outside in nature. I think that’s why I love working at the golf course so much. And I think we mechanics equipment managers have the best of both worlds because when it’s really nasty outside, you can be in the shop, but you know, we still can, can get out. And if you’re having a bad day, you can get out and ride around. So most recently I’ve got into the shooting sport.
Tony Bevolo: 24:40
Okay.
Trent Manning: 24:41
a lot of I’ve been doing some three gun stuff with, Howard Horn. He’s been a guest to worked at a lot of different clubs, fellow EM. We’re a member of the same gun club. We try to go, it hadn’t worked out the last few weeks, but we try to go every Friday afternoon and. It’s just a lot of fun. We’ll set up like a little course and, you know, you shoot, set up six targets, shoot each one, you know, three, four times, whatever, and come up with different scenarios and, uh, doing that with your pistol or your rifle or a shotgun. And it’s just a lot of fun, blow off some steam. And I started reloading too.
Tony Bevolo: 25:22
That was going to be my next question. I was curious if you started
Trent Manning: 25:25
yeah. I mean, I, I guess technically I’ve had the reload and stuff for several years. And I loaded enough and then, didn’t shoot and then now I’m back shooting again. So,
Tony Bevolo: 25:37
So what do you reload? You’re reloading like nine millimeter and then like two, two, three, five, five, six stuff or
Trent Manning: 25:41
yep. That’s all, that’s all I reload, yep, is, is those two, and then I did buy a 6. 5 Creedmoor,
Tony Bevolo: 25:50
Mm hmm.
Trent Manning: 25:51
so, but I hadn’t got the dyes to reload that yet, and I hadn’t shot it that much but it’s pretty fun to shoot it, uh, 500 meters and here, here, here plate ring. Yeah.
Tony Bevolo: 26:03
I’m surprised y’all both didn’t walk out of the whole store at Sheil’s when you came and visited us in Texas. I mean, uh, just the selection they got over there is just…
Trent Manning: 26:11
Uh, it’s incredible.
Tony Bevolo: 26:12
It’s stupid.
Trent Manning: 26:14
Well, and so just this past weekend, I was in Kansas city and they have a shields.
Tony Bevolo: 26:19
do.
Trent Manning: 26:19
So we went and I Q 39 and went to shields, but you know, when I saw you in Texas, you know, me and Howard had never heard of shields. And it was so funny. We go in that place and it was daylight. And we come out and it was dark and we’re like, how long were we in here?
Tony Bevolo: 26:37
Yeah, it’s it’s like a casino they keep you trapped in there and
Trent Manning: 26:40
Yeah, it was nuts. Yeah. And I mean the staff too, so nice. I mean, all the employees, you know, coming up, seeing if you need anything, I mean, really, really cool store.
Tony Bevolo: 26:51
No, they they they do they do it good over there and it’s yeah, it’s that’s a story for another day But you can you can lose a couple paychecks in that place. No problem.
Trent Manning: 26:59
Oh, easily.
Tony Bevolo: 27:00
Absolutely trent, do you have a you got a mentor in the industry or somebody that You really think has helped you along the way?
Trent Manning: 27:08
I don’t, I think I have a lot of mentors and too many to name, but I will name a few. So I talked about Larry Freeman. He gave me my start in this career and he was, I mean, a really good mechanic. He was retired from GM and enjoyed playing golf. That’s how he ended up at the golf course. But his dad growing up was a machinist. So, I mean, just all those things you could learn from a person like that. I learned a lot from that man. And, uh, I’m very thankful that he was in my life. Another person that I learned a lot from was Tom Davenhaw and Tom Davenhaw since the early nineties has been a blacksmith and he’s originally from Pennsylvania. He’s, I mean, I think he’s about 75 now, but originally from Pennsylvania, he moves down here and he’s working for a burner company that sells burners to asphalt plants.
Tony Bevolo: 28:15
Now, this is local in atlanta. You’re
Trent Manning: 28:17
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So, Yeah,
Tony Bevolo: 28:19
area. Yeah.
Trent Manning: 28:20
yeah, he lives. I mean, not he lives probably like 10 minutes from the golf course that I work at. And I met him through mutual friends. So, anyway, just to finish his story. He moves here for that reason. Then he. Has always, when he was a kid, he worked at a Porsche dealership in Pennsylvania and just, he’s always been enamored with cars and he did a bunch of hill climb racing and stuff like that. Raced, Empson, you know, a bunch of these different series, but he met these guys at the Porsche club. And like a little, you know, local Porsche club. And so he, one of the guys he meets is Ron Satale and Ron Satale started him and another guy, his business partner started buying commercial real estate in Atlanta in the seventies. So you can imagine what that done for them. Uh, that was a lot of money covered in not that they weren’t smart businessmen, all those things. So anyway, Tom and Ron, so Tom is the mechanic and mechanic background. They opened this shop that’s called the metric shop and they work on Porsches, BMW, Audi, you know what I mean, all these German cars. And they run that for, you know, however many years. And, uh, And I don’t know, seven, eight years, something like that. And then, so Tom I don’t know what happened and why they kind of gave it up, but for whatever reason they have another buddy and he’s a home builder. And he’s telling Tom, he’s like, I really need somebody to clear lots and dig basements for me. So Tom said, okay. And he buys a John Deere 555 loader. A dump truck and a low boy and starts grading lots. Yeah. So, and he does that for like 10 years. And then, uh, he early nineties, he, well, this is another interesting thing, or I thought it was interesting. He’s read every volume of fine home building magazine says, you know, the seventies and he has them, you know, in his library. I mean, just a really amazing guy. Yeah, well, the knowledge, so in the early nineties, he says, I’m going to be a blacksmith and, you know, he reads all the books and he buys out this blacksmith shop, which is another great story. And I’m going to have him on the podcast at some point, just to hear his story. Cause I mean, he’s such a really cool guy. But so I’ll tell you this whole story about him being my mentor when I was. Building ball fields. The guy that owned that company was Ron Satel, Jr. And Tom needed some help and the blacksmith shop for ended up being about six months. So five and six days a week for six months, I worked with him. And I learned more about metalworking than I could imagine. I didn’t even know how much there was. And to this day, if I drill a hole, I drill a hole like Tom showed me how to drill a hole.
Tony Bevolo: 31:49
right
Trent Manning: 31:50
You use a center punch, you use an eighth inch drill, you step up a sixteenth at a time until you get to your final hole size. Does it take you longer? Yeah, it takes you a lot longer. Do you save drill bits? Yes. And that’s just the way I do it. And all the, you know, different tools that I used, I’ve never seen I don’t even know exactly what it’s called, but it’s for tapping holes. So you, but it looks like a cordless drill. You put your tap in there and it’s got a thing you can set on it for the depth. And so you get your hole drilled to whatever you need to tap it. and you run this in there and the tap runs in and when it hits the switch it backs out it reverses yeah so you can tap some holes in a hurry you know and this isn’t like half inch plate you know we’re messing with eighth inch and three sixteenths and you know stuff like that i got to run a lathe and a milling machine for the first time i don’t know how to use them To this day, but I got to experience that. Yeah, I mean, the blaster, I don’t think I’d ever used to be blaster. You know, he had 1 of those and,
Tony Bevolo: 33:04
He teach you how to use like an English wheel or anything like the Really kind of
Trent Manning: 33:09
a little bit. We didn’t do a ton of sheet metal work. He did. It’s really cool. The vena hoods that go over your stove at nicer homes.
Tony Bevolo: 33:19
Mine’s a microwave. Just so you know,
Trent Manning: 33:21
right, right.
Tony Bevolo: 33:22
know, I don’t have a
Trent Manning: 33:24
Yeah. Yeah. I understand completely. That’s, that’s how I grew up too. But he would cover those in copper.
Tony Bevolo: 33:30
Oh
Trent Manning: 33:31
And that was really cool. And he would make, you know, some weird shapes designs or whatever. And we would use a bead roller and it would roll a bead on the copper. And then we would solder them together. And when we saw them together, the solder and iron hook to a 25 pound propane tank. It’s heavy duty. So yeah, solder and iron. But like using a cutting torch, I’d use the cutting torch a lot before I met Tom, but after meeting Tom and finding out how to set it up properly and get everything set. Right. You know, cause if I cut something, I mean, back in the days when I was at the golf course, I would have three eights of an inch of slag hanging off the bottom of it. Because I have my oxygen to, you know, I mean, just all these things that I learned from him. So I’m, I’m very thankful that I got to spend the time with him.
Tony Bevolo: 34:28
I love that. I hope you do get amongst that. That’s that sounds like a great listen. Absolutely.
Trent Manning: 34:33
Yeah. Yeah, no, I, I gotta get that lined up for sure. And then, I mean, I guess that’s the two that I want to name, but I mean, everybody I’ve had on the podcast has been a mentor. The friends I’ve made from the podcast or just being in the industry. Have been mentors, I’ve learned so much from all these people and I’m, I’m thankful for that. And just like we were talking a little bit before we started today, David Blowers, I mean, he’s kind of my go to on a lot of stuff. Whether it be cars or John Deere, and every time I talked to him, I learned something new. So I would encourage anybody just pick the phone up and call somebody that, you know, and build that relationship. And the more you get to know them the more you’re going to learn to, Kent Carson. I spent some time, I worked like a side hustle and. he also worked on engines and all that stuff. And you know, if I have a two stroke problem, I’m calling, he’s my first call just because he’s been doing it. He’s let’s see, he’s in his fifties now, and he’s been doing it since he was a kid working on small engines and, you know, to pick somebody’s brain like that, you know, you, you call him up and give him your scenario and he like, check this, check this and check this, you know, it’s gotta be one of those.
Tony Bevolo: 36:08
Suck, bang, blow. It’s all I can do.
Trent Manning: 36:11
Yeah,
Tony Bevolo: 36:11
You know? Yeah. Yeah. That’s I love that. Love to hear that.
Trent Manning: 36:15
I want to tell you about a great product that I’ve been using task tracker. I know what you’re thinking. Task trackers for labor. But I’m here to tell you is also an easy to use equipment maintenance platform. Employees can scan QR code and send notes about the condition of equipment. And the equipment can be assigned to employees. Making the more accountable. I encourage you to reach out to Jamie and Gerald. The founders of ASB task tracker. At ASB task, tracker.com to schedule a demo and see how easy the platform is to use. Again, That’s ASB task tracker.com. Let’s get back to the episode
Tony Bevolo: 36:59
so I mean, maybe we will, uh, we’ll center this out. So Courtney doesn’t hear it, but what would be, uh, your dream job or opportunity if, I’m sure you may be already living it, but,
Trent Manning: 37:10
I don’t, I mean, I’m, I guess close. I’m really happy where I’m at right now. And I mean, Courtney knows if, I get ready to go, he’s going to be the first one to know before anybody else does. And I am very loyal to him and I’ve told, I don’t know how many people at the club, as long as Courtney’s there, I’m here. You know, not that I wouldn’t leave for any reason. While I’m thinking about that, all these jobs that are coming up, I mean, in Texas and all that, and these huge salaries and things, I’d love to see that for our industry,
Tony Bevolo: 37:45
same, likewise.
Trent Manning: 37:47
but I’m not one to jump ship for a dollar. And, you know, there’s just, it ain’t worth it because I know what I got there and I’m happy there, but I, I don’t know if this is a job or it’s a retirement, but, but my dream that I would like to make a living doing is basically doing a road show full time. So like, when I come to see you in Texas and we stopped and we, had, uh. What’s the name of the club?
Tony Bevolo: 38:18
Attorney Forrest,
Trent Manning: 38:19
No, no, not your club. A lotion. We, we
Tony Bevolo: 38:22
you yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Trent Manning: 38:24
and saw Will and I mean, I was, that was so much fun. I’ve been, you know, I spent a few days with JR on Long Island. I went, to Wisconsin and stopped in Chicago on my way up there and hung out with Austin, right. And made a, my, so I did go to Canada also, yeah. And spoke for the Alberta, something, another superintendents group.
Tony Bevolo: 38:51
I think you you turn you turn that into also Vlogging the trip and video and YouTube sensation, Trent Manning. I’m calling it here first, July 25th, 2023.
Trent Manning: 39:05
We’ll see. I mean, I, I, I would love to do that because I don’t, that’s the most fun I’ve ever had. And I enjoy kind of just living that way.
Tony Bevolo: 39:18
Yeah, absolutely. I
Trent Manning: 39:20
what the next minute is going to bring and keeps you on your toes and you just keep moving.
Tony Bevolo: 39:24
in it, I mean, I know you’d probably don’t hear this enough, but like it was, it was a treat and I heard it a lot from the guy. So for the, for the people that are listening, that don’t know, Trent came after a lotion, him and Howard came to Trinity forest and I held one of the first. equipment manager, quote unquote meetings that has happened in North Texas and that North Texas chapter in quite a while. And we did like a little demo day in the shop and we had you know, deer and we had Bernhard there doing some demos and Mike Rollins even showed up from SIP. And, you know, a lot of guys I feel like didn’t really realize how, how big, you know, we kind of stretch our, our wings out and touch and surface and how many people are around us that really are, passionate about what we do. And there were a lot of people that were, I can’t believe, you know, they heard your podcast. I know who you are. I can’t believe Trent came. I can’t, I can’t believe you took the time out to come and spend some time with us. And it was very cool, man. I, and I know you don’t hear that enough. But it was very well received that you took you and Howard both took and Mike and Danny, but y’all took time out to come and, you know, just help try to get our little chapter a little, uh, you know, just some networking time. So it was cool. It was very cool.
Trent Manning: 40:40
That’s so awesome to hear. Yeah, I didn’t, I didn’t know that. And yeah, I’m not anybody special and I really enjoy doing those things, you know, and, and I don’t. I don’t show up somewhere because, yeah, I want a big crowd around me or I need that. I mean, I’m the guy that’s standing over in the corner, not talking to anybody most of the time. Unless you get me on front of the stage and say, okay, you have to talk. You know, I’ll do that. And I’m not proving that in this interview here, cause I’m talking a lot. But 1 reason I’m talking a lot is I’m really excited and passionate about. All these things and all these people in the industry and all the amazing people I’ve met. I mean, it just, it gets me fired up and, Skip Hines, you brought up a minute ago, he said it, and I I’d never heard this before, but it puts a wind in your sail.
Tony Bevolo: 41:35
Yep. He said that many a times. Yep.
Trent Manning: 41:37
yeah so that’s a skip skip Heinz quote that, uh, I’m still in and I’m going to keep using because it really does and it doesn’t have to be, you know, on the scale of what I’m doing, but just for you hosting that. I mean, how much wind did that put in your sale? Having those other
Tony Bevolo: 41:56
Oh,
Trent Manning: 41:57
and gals,
Tony Bevolo: 41:57
it was great. And not, not a few months after mine, Bob Smith, who we don’t know if that’s his real name or not, obviously we think he’s a witness protection, but. Bob Smith hosted, uh, hosted, like what I did, a kind of an equipment manager kind of networking slash demo thing at PGA Frisco in his shop. So yeah, it’s, you know, I believe we’re going to do a few other clubs this year, so it’s great man. And it was, it was very well received that you were in your presence was there. So
Trent Manning: 42:24
awesome. And I mean, I just keep hearing more and more. You know, and I don’t know if it’s cause I’m out there more and I talk to more people, but I really don’t think, you know, five years ago there was much going on, like what you done at your shop and, Ben Beard, he’s been, leading the charge up there. And I think he just gave the reins over to, Mitch, but. All these, I mean, the Carolinas had a good with T TAC and they, they’ve been going for a while, but I really feel like the rest of the country now, I don’t know about, you know, West of you what’s happening out there. I don’t hear anything, but I know, Nebraska, Brian Eplin and Jordan Roth that I had on the other day, they’re doing a lot of EM education up there. I mean, it’s just, I don’t know. It makes my heart happy to, to see all this stuff going on.
Tony Bevolo: 43:21
No, it’s it’s great. I uh, we need more of it. It is tough. It’s tough to try to get everybody In the same building at once. And, but it’s not, it’s not impossible. You know, if you kind of just put the feelers out there, I think you’d be shocked of how many people, especially nowadays, like you said, maybe eight, even five years ago, I don’t think we would have near got the traction that we did. I mean, I think we had 35 technicians at our place and that’s, I mean, we are a really big Metroplex, don’t get me wrong, but that’s a lot compared to. Years past, we didn’t have near that amount that we, we saw from last year. So I think we’re going in the right direction, but, uh, you know, we get just guys like yourself and, and, and everybody else that you named trying to spearhead that, you know, see, see where we can go. Right.
Trent Manning: 44:07
Well, and I’m sure there’s a really good quote to go with this or somebody said it, but yeah, I mean, the, the more people that we got toeing the rope, the further we can go.
Tony Bevolo: 44:17
Absolutely.
Trent Manning: 44:18
And to speak to that a little bit, I, I spoke at a deal. I’m not going to say what state it was for, but it was an equipment manager education and there was five of us in the room, three speakers and two technicians.
Tony Bevolo: 44:37
Probably from the same club.
Trent Manning: 44:39
Yes, they were from the same club. Yeah. Yeah. So there was only one club represented. Uh, this, you know, gathering. And I mean, there was a lot of people there cause they had stuff for superintendents and assistants. I think they even had irrigation techs. So there was a lot of people that attended, but the thing that bummed me out the most is the club that was hosting their guys weren’t there.
Tony Bevolo: 45:05
Yeah, that’s a problem.
Trent Manning: 45:07
And it was just like, what, what, what’s going on here?
Tony Bevolo: 45:10
Right.
Trent Manning: 45:11
Yeah.
Tony Bevolo: 45:12
Well, it’s like you, it’s like you touched on, we got, I mean, there’s a job open for a buck 60 a year and there’s a job, I think in Georgia for a buck 40 a year. That’s now people’s eyes are starting to open a little bit. And so, I mean, hopefully we’re turning in the right direction. I think we are, but you know,
Trent Manning: 45:28
oh yeah, for sure.
Tony Bevolo: 45:29
can only do, as much as we, we can, you know. But, uh, well, I mean, we just named a whole lot of people. Uh, do you got a tech, uh, that you would like to work for, uh, or work with? I, excuse me for a day
Trent Manning: 45:42
I
Tony Bevolo: 45:42
or a
Trent Manning: 45:42
I, yeah, can I say all of them?
Tony Bevolo: 45:45
I mean, yeah, this is your podcast. You can say
Trent Manning: 45:47
uh, I got, yeah, I don’t, I mean, it really, it doesn’t matter. I mean, I’ve been very fortunate and not that we were working hand in hand a lot of times, but. Being able to see all the shops that I’ve seen I wouldn’t mind spending a day with any of those people. And if there’s somebody at a D level course, I wouldn’t mind spending a day with them either.
Tony Bevolo: 46:15
You know what? Some of those guys are the most creative and just with the money that they have to get some, it’s just. B B baffles me. I’ve seen some stuff where I’m like, I mean, oh my God. I wouldn’t do that to our equipment. But it works. I mean, it it works.
Trent Manning: 46:33
Mm hmm.
Tony Bevolo: 46:34
Yeah. It’s, it’s
Trent Manning: 46:35
Exactly.
Tony Bevolo: 46:37
Well, gimme one, Trent. Come on. You can’t, you can’t sneak out of this with that. No, no, no. I’m not gonna let that, I’m not gonna let that slide.
Trent Manning: 46:43
Okay. Well, I appreciate you putting me on the spot. I don’t know. I mean, it’s not, it’s not fair because, because I’ve spent several days with John Patterson and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve spent time with Chad Braun, but I’ve spent time with J. R. Wilson. I mean, I’ve spent some time with a lot of, I know,
Tony Bevolo: 47:08
really good guys.
Trent Manning: 47:09
I know who I hadn’t spent a day with that I want to. Skip Hines.
Tony Bevolo: 47:13
Oh, no, I don’t wish that on you, buddy.
Trent Manning: 47:16
Yeah. I do. I do. I would love to. I got, I got to make a Florida, South Florida trip and, uh, spend some time with him.
Tony Bevolo: 47:25
You just gotta go rummage through that toolbox. That big old chest of goodies he’s got. You’d be shocked to some… He might have some of my wrenches in there, I think. I might need you to go and see if you got any… Anything that says TB inscribed on it, you need to ship that back to me. No, I mean, working for… I’ve worked for… Obviously, he’s my mentor. Skip is what… Got me to where I am today. That, that man would be a good guy to spend a couple of, even just a couple hours with he’s, he’s done a lot, seen a lot, knows a lot. And, uh, and it’s a really good guy. So that good answer. Good answer.
Trent Manning: 47:58
Well, the first time I went to the task group meeting, the EM task group, and we met in Lawrence, I didn’t know anybody. There, and at that point I hadn’t come out of my shell and I was still really quiet and not real outspoken and I don’t even remember how, but I run into skip and, you know, he introduces, not telling who I am and he’s like, you know, you’re, you’re nobody ain’t never heard of you. Uh, yeah, I’m, I’m sure that’s what he’s thinking to itself, but he didn’t say that. I mean, super nice. And, uh, he’s like, man, I’m really hungry. You don’t get something to eat. So we walked down the street and we went to this barbecue restaurant and, you know, just talk shop.
Tony Bevolo: 48:44
Right.
Trent Manning: 48:44
I mean, that, that meant a lot to me for sure that, you know, I’m not anybody. And I mean, there were some big name people there other technicians that, I mean, I don’t know, out of everybody there, most people in the industry had probably heard of them. So, uh, it made me feel special that he and I’d heard a skip before but it made me feel special that he took the time out to hang out with me, you know, the guy that’s not 1 of the. In the click yet, or, you know, however you want to look at it.
Tony Bevolo: 49:19
Right. Absolutely. Good. Great answer. We love you, Skip.
Trent Manning: 49:25
Yes, we do.
Tony Bevolo: 49:26
okay, so, we’re gonna be taking a blast from the past here. Uh, what do you think you wish you knew now? I’m sorry. What do you wish… That you knew then that you do know now.
Trent Manning: 49:39
What do you know now? You
Tony Bevolo: 49:41
They wish you know HAHAHAHAHAHAHA That’s just me being dyslexic, Trent. Don’t mind
Trent Manning: 49:46
No,
Tony Bevolo: 49:47
Oh, you wanted me to set the greens mower to 105? Well, it’s 501. Here you go. Send it.
Trent Manning: 49:53
don’t, it’s a really good question. And I really. I don’t know if I didn’t just learn this today, and I was telling you about talking to David Blowers and he said, he said, how are you doing? And I said, I’ve been better. And he said, have you been worse? And I said, yeah, I’ve been a lot worse. And I don’t, that really hit home to me. And I think so. If I was looking back on like when I first started in this. Not don’t get it. Don’t get so upset. Don’t take everything so personal and you know This is me talking and I know I’ve dealt with this a lot of a lot of the issues that come up I take them really personally and you know, that’s a problem I got to work on but I don’t think I’m all by myself on that
Tony Bevolo: 50:51
I, I agree with you.
Trent Manning: 50:52
You know, sometimes things Happen for no reason And we have, we have to, you know, deal with it. being able to step back and take a deep breath. I was not able to do that until, I mean, the last four or five years, probably. You know, and I’m old now, so it’s, you know, that it took me a long time to, uh, be able to do that. And I ain’t saying I got it figured out because I still struggle with that, but, you know, just slowing down sometimes, taking a deep breath, going for a ride, you know, whatever it takes to get you in a different headspace than you’re currently in when things are not going right.
Tony Bevolo: 51:42
Right.
Trent Manning: 51:43
I guess, I guess that’s what I wish I knew then that. I’m trying to still figure out now. Well,
Tony Bevolo: 51:51
And I mean, that, that doesn’t even just pertain to work. That’s, that’s life in general. I mean, that’s uh, yeah. I mean, obviously that can get very much, uh, interjected into what we do for a living. But that’s, that’s great advice just in life itself. Absolutely.
Trent Manning: 52:06
thank you. Thank you.
Tony Bevolo: 52:07
I love that.
Trent Manning: 52:08
Get ready for tips and tricks.
Tony Bevolo: 52:12
Well, I mean, you’ve given all your tips and tricks away, but
Trent Manning: 52:16
Yeah, we could probably just skip.
Tony Bevolo: 52:18
you ready for some tips and tricks.
Trent Manning: 52:20
Because, uh, yeah, I don’t know anything. Uh, we can go back over drilling holes. I probably should have been thinking about all these and writing them down. You know, I mean, we’ve covered so many out of these a hundred episodes and they’re all really good.
Tony Bevolo: 52:40
I don’t even remember what most, to be honest with you. I’m trying to think
Trent Manning: 52:44
yours was the power probe or was that, that was your favorite tool? Yeah,
Tony Bevolo: 52:52
Oh, I think it was the, the, and Mike Rollins just made a really good thread on this on Twitter about the QA five eccentrics for bed knife adjustment and stuff when you get. Yeah, real diameter’s getting down. yeah, I think that was it. You don’t got nothing in that wealth of knowledge there,
Trent Manning: 53:07
what was flipping those?
Tony Bevolo: 53:09
Yeah, I think that was my tips and trick, wasn’t
Trent Manning: 53:11
Okay. But maybe it was, I’m not, I’m not arguing. I would say, you know, it’s not a trick, but. If you don’t know how to do a voltage drop test, learn it today.
Tony Bevolo: 53:23
That’s a good one.
Trent Manning: 53:24
and. I didn’t know how to do a vultures drop test until I started working for Jerry Pate and luckily Toro had a lot of resources for the road techs, you know, webinars, online videos, whatever that they made available to us and I learned more. And two years working for Jerry Pate than I did 10 years at a golf course. And I’ve said that before, and I’ll say it again, but the voltage drop test is probably what I learned or one of the best tools that I learned while working there. And if you don’t know, there’s, I’m sure there’s plenty of YouTube videos on how to do one, but if you take a multimeter and you set it to DC voltage. And you put one lead on a battery terminal and you put the other lead on the same battery post and it doesn’t read zero. You have a loose connection there. I mean, and you can do that through the whole system. And you know, it, uh, usually we’ll start at the battery and go to the component that is. Failed or not working like it’s supposed to and see what my voltage drop is there. And I do it on the positive side and then I’m going to do it on the negative side. And see if there’s anything out of the ordinary. One part of that, when you’re doing a voltage drop is the system has to be working or active. So if all your switches are off and you’re testing stuff, you’re probably not going to read anything because the circuits not doing work. So the circuit has to do work to make the voltage drop. And the reason Toro pushed it so hard for us being, you know, field techs is here’s your scenario. You got a machine that won’t start and what do a lot of people do? They start pulling fuses out. All right. Well, on that fuse, you have corrosion and you pull that fuse out. That’s got corrosion on it. You put it back in. Well, you clean your corrosion temporarily and the machine fires up. You get back in your van, you drive four hours back home. Two days later, the customer calls you and says, you didn’t fix this machine. It still won’t start. And there you are driving four hours back out there to clean the fuse this time or clean the terminal block or, or whatever. So that’s why that’s probably the most valuable tip that I know. Yeah, I mean, yeah, there’s, there’s so many, and like I said, most of them’s been shared before.
Tony Bevolo: 56:18
Your boy Skip is big on the voltage drop test. I learned that
Trent Manning: 56:21
Is he? Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Tony Bevolo: 56:26
Well, listeners, this is the time of the podcast and we would normally be cutting to the end, but I feel like I had to throw my own little, little sauce in the mix, so I’m going to ask our boy Trent here a few questions. You know, Trent, I almost thought about, but I didn’t want to give it away. I almost thought about putting out a thing on Twitter. Like, Hey. We’re going to interview Trent for the hundredth episode. Give me some questions. And I was going to pick some questions out from people, but I didn’t want to, I didn’t want to spoil it. You know,
Trent Manning: 56:52
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. And that would have been cool too. And maybe that’s, the 200th episode we do that or, you know, who knows? I don’t know.
Tony Bevolo: 57:02
I thought about it.
Trent Manning: 57:03
out somewhere.
Tony Bevolo: 57:04
maybe like an FA or like an FAQ or frequently asked questions kind of episode. I don’t know, either way I wanted to do that. And I was like, you know what, we’ll just, we’ll let this be organic and make sure, you know, that way nobody knows that, we’re going to hear from our boy Trent here. So, well, my first question to you would did you think, When you started this whole podcast idea that you’d be, first of all, recording the hundredth episode today or be in this position where you’ve gotten to do all your travels and speak to all these equipment managers and, and have the experiences that you’ve had over the last, what’s it been about a year and a half now? A year?
Trent Manning: 57:41
Uh, I think we’re into the second year.
Tony Bevolo: 57:43
Second year. Okay. So yeah. So what, do you think, did you think that you would have be here today when you started this?
Trent Manning: 57:50
Do I think I would be here today?
Tony Bevolo: 57:53
Like, like in the
Trent Manning: 57:54
I understand. Yeah, it’s, it’s, it’s a tough question for me to process because anything, and I know I’ll probably sound conceited or cocky or you can call me whatever you want to, but anything I put,
Tony Bevolo: 58:08
It’s confident to
Trent Manning: 58:09
anything I put my mind to. I do it.
Tony Bevolo: 58:13
I
Trent Manning: 58:13
Do, yeah, but do I think, did I think it would turn into what it is? I had no idea. My whole idea in starting this was hopefully maybe 10 people would listen to each episode. And learn something
Tony Bevolo: 58:35
Right. I remember you telling me that day one. I remember you saying those
Trent Manning: 58:39
that’s, that was my expectations. So this whole thing has blown up and exceeded my expectations, you know, tenfold or whatever. I mean, it’s yeah. Nuts where it’s went.
Tony Bevolo: 58:52
So that’s going to bring me to my next question. Where do you think? What do you think your next step is? Where do you think this is going to go? Or maybe your hopes?
Trent Manning: 59:01
yeah, I don’t, I’m hoping I can retire one day.
Tony Bevolo: 59:05
Oh, we all do.
Trent Manning: 59:06
yeah, from it. I would like to get a co host much like yourself or. Anybody else that’s up for it to take some of the workload off of me. And I mean, one thing that I’ve, I’ve wanted to do for a while and I’ve dabbled in it was, uh, videos, start doing some video tutorial stuff. And that’s not, you know, Hector does a great job and I love Hector, but. We still need more content out there because if you’re a new person starting in the industry, there’s not a whole lot of resources for you to learn, you know, basic stuff. And I guess when I thought about it before, I just wanted to do videos on really cool stuff that I was doing, or, you know, I mean, non typical things that we do at a golf
Tony Bevolo: 1:00:04
Well, because you think who’s going to watch me change The calipers on this pro gator or something, you know,
Trent Manning: 1:00:10
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, and I’ve been, I get bad, good, however you want to look at it. When we’re talking about education here for our Georgia chapter for the equipment managers, I usually steer away from cutting units, because we do so much, but honestly, there is so many people that don’t know what they should know when it comes to cutting units. And I mean, I think Mike Rollins really brought that to light with his cut line, his king presentation he’s been doing
Tony Bevolo: 1:00:45
I would agree.
Trent Manning: 1:00:46
He gave credit to John Patterson cause he did steal that from him and I’m calling him out right here on the podcast. I’m going to do a class and I’m going to call it sheer point is king. Yes.
Tony Bevolo: 1:01:03
Oh, are we hearing this for the first
Trent Manning: 1:01:05
Yeah, this is the first time I’ve even called Mike to tell him about it.
Tony Bevolo: 1:01:08
Do you got a button that we can hit like a paper bail or something? You know,
Trent Manning: 1:01:12
I need something over
Tony Bevolo: 1:01:13
yeah, you need some kind of sound effect to drop on them There you go, there you
Trent Manning: 1:01:20
yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Now we’re doing it now.
Tony Bevolo: 1:01:24
Of somebody if they’re listening on their headphones
Trent Manning: 1:01:26
yeah, I might have to, uh, tone the sound down on that thing there a little bit, that was pretty loud.
Tony Bevolo: 1:01:33
That’s all I, I normally listen to your podcast on the way to work, so that’ll, that would have woke me up.
Trent Manning: 1:01:39
yeah, that’s right. I’m not really gonna do a class, but I, I just gotta call him out.’cause cut line sheer point, you know, is, is it the same, is it not the same, but they come up with a great deal and they’re running with it and that’s good. That’s good for them. And, but most importantly, I appreciate him educating e everybody else on all these different factors that can go into cutting unit set up.
Tony Bevolo: 1:02:11
No, there’s no question. And when, and I, it’s, I’m going to use Mike as the example and JP when you start, I think if we were to start really breaking down the demographics of who is engaging in the cut line is King eat just a class or just, just Mike’s presence on Twitter that he’s. When he’s putting threads and stuff out like that, I really think that the, the director of agronomy, the superintendent, the assistant superintendent are really engaged in those kinds of talks because, I mean, let’s be honest, a radiator repair on a 5510, that doesn’t matter to the assistant superintendent, to the superintendent, to the director of agronomy. But a properly set up cutting unit that matters to them because that really directly affects their job and how they are perceived by the club. And I’d really do think that the engagement that Mike is having and JP and, and guys that are really putting. Emphasis on the cutting unit. I really think that they’re getting great traction, not only in the equipment manager circle that I agree, we do need a lot of education on that because there’s a lot of people that do not follow the I’m air quoting the correct procedure to set up or maintain cutting units. But I really do think that it is kind of like that that’s taken off big time.
Trent Manning: 1:03:28
Oh, yeah. Yeah. When you’re doing air quotes, you know, I’m never going to say there’s only one way to set up a cutting unit. There’s yeah, there’s not. I mean, you do it how you want to do it, but I think a lot of people are missing a lot of the variables on setting up the cutting unit. I mean, maybe they know you got to grind the reel. Maybe they know you got to, you know, sharpen the bed knife, but beyond that, what, what do you got to know? Reel diameter though? Is it parallel? You know, I mean, all those things, and then just like what Mike talks about the shear point, you’re moving it forward. You’re moving it back. You know, how much is the reel engaged in the turf? How much is the bed knife engaged in the turf? I mean, all those things are really important.
Tony Bevolo: 1:04:15
Right. And then that changes from property to property. I mean, my property, even though we’re both, me and you are both Moen Zoysia fairways for the most part, they’re different.
Trent Manning: 1:04:23
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Tony Bevolo: 1:04:24
you know, my Zoja Fairways and JP’s Zoja Fairways are different, you know, it’s, it is, it’s a, it’s a very meticulous art that we do, and it is an art, I think it’s an art, I don’t,
Trent Manning: 1:04:35
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Tony Bevolo: 1:04:36
I, I would say it’s, it’s very much so an art and we got guys that are finally putting stuff out to the masses, so it’s great, it is really good to see.
Trent Manning: 1:04:44
good stuff.
Tony Bevolo: 1:04:45
so Trent, being the most recent winner of the Edwin Budding Award how did that make you feel? And, and what does that award mean to you?
Trent Manning: 1:04:53
I don’t I couldn’t believe it. Honestly when I got the phone call Actually, I think I was on the way back after visiting you
Tony Bevolo: 1:05:01
You were, because we knew, we knew that you were
Trent Manning: 1:05:03
Okay. Yeah, I was I think it was like Friday and Howard’s like what was that about? I was like, you’re not gonna believe this somehow. I won the Edwin budding award I had I mean I had no idea I was blown away I can’t believe starting in this little RealTurf Techs podcast has led into everything that has led into between, you know, traveling around, meeting different people. And yeah, thanks whoever nominated me for winning that. But to be nominated by your peers and win that award, I mean, that’s the special part to me. You know, if. Just whoever said, okay, here’s you this award, but when you’re getting nominated by your peers, that makes it really, really special. And the VIP treatment that I’ve got, you know, for doing that, I mean, it’s just. I would have never guessed or never expected or anything else. When in the award,
Tony Bevolo: 1:06:05
Absolutely. Well, I, I, I’ll be, I’ll be the one to say it wasn’t, you know, it wasn’t close, it
Trent Manning: 1:06:13
Oh, well, all right. Well, awesome. That’s, that’s good to hear too.
Tony Bevolo: 1:06:16
very, very well done. you’re more than deserving of it. And we’re glad, we’re glad that we had, we got the, well, I got to be a part of it being, you know, in that task group and, and, and everything that was huge. So we
Trent Manning: 1:06:27
Well, and you know, if you look at the people that got it before me, hell mute from Toro retired. You know, in his seventies or, you know, however old he is been doing it forever. Designing greens, mowers, you know what I mean? All those things, Jim Nedden, which, I mean, he’s one of my idols too. And I look up to him and respect him so much. Roland McPherson, you know, and his roller tamer and, Hector. You know, as one at two and you look at how big Hector is and his following and all the things he’s done for the industry. So to kind of be in the group of those guys, I mean, that’s really, really special.
Tony Bevolo: 1:07:12
in good company. No question.
Trent Manning: 1:07:15
Thank you. Thank you.
Tony Bevolo: 1:07:16
So, being that you’ve been in the industry for about 28 years, me and you talked earlier about this, what, what are the biggest changes you’ve seen in your career, like with the equipment manager role?
Trent Manning: 1:07:28
I don’t, I think expectations have changed a lot. Yeah, I think expectations have changed a lot. And for. For everybody, not just the equipment manager, but for the superintendents. And I mean, the golfers used to come out to play golf and I’m not going to say they didn’t care about course conditions, but they were not as critical about. Course conditions, and just like, I remember when we used to break out the white paint for tournaments
Tony Bevolo: 1:08:01
It’s a big
Trent Manning: 1:08:01
that, yeah, it was a big deal. And now we do it every day, you know? So I think that’s probably, you know, one of the biggest things is the expectations
Tony Bevolo: 1:08:13
That’s a great answer. And I would
Trent Manning: 1:08:14
so much. And I don’t know. I remember hearing the conversation about HDTV being a factor on quality of cut, aftercut appearance issues that You know, I don’t know that it was high def and high definition TV that, you know, or people just started noticing it more
Tony Bevolo: 1:08:39
I mean,
Trent Manning: 1:08:39
around the same time.
Tony Bevolo: 1:08:41
I would think it’s very possible. You got millions of eyeballs watching cover, especially a major. You got millions of eyeballs all over the world, watching a tournament on crystal clear television, going back to their club, to their superintendent, to their GM and saying, why can’t we, you know, that’s like the Augusta effect. That’s, you know, it, it just, that’s very true. Yeah, it’s very true. I would agree. What, uh, what changes do you think are on the horizon for the current and like upcoming technicians, whether it’s, you know, current day to five, 10, 15 years out, what do you, what do you, what do you think you’re seeing as far as our role,
Trent Manning: 1:09:15
I think a lot more electronics. I don’t know if we’re not going to end up having to know how to code at some point. I threw this idea out and everybody thinks I’m crazy, but I don’t see why not Toro and Deer and Jacobson could send us a file and we could print out our own part. At some point. I mean,
Tony Bevolo: 1:09:43
Very possible.
Trent Manning: 1:09:44
yeah, I don’t know if we’ll ever get there and I know they’re not going to send it for free. They would be a charge. Uh, so they still got to get theirs. But yeah, I think just the technology and all the autonomous mowers I’ll get on my soapbox for a second and say, out of all the mowers, you can make autonomous. Why would you make a fairway mower autonomous?
Tony Bevolo: 1:10:09
I don’t really understand that
Trent Manning: 1:10:10
I don’t understand that at all. Most people that has worked in or around the golf course on agronomy side say they want to mow fairways when they retire. So what are we going to do with all these people that want to mow fairways when they retire? You know, if it’s taken over with an autonomous machine, if you can make an autonomous, uh, fly mow all day
Tony Bevolo: 1:10:39
big time, big time. Yeah. I’ll tell you what, there’s no way in hell when I retire, I’m going to be raking bunkers. There’s no way
Trent Manning: 1:10:45
RAT, Autonomous Bunker Riker. Yeah, I mean, yeah, there’s… You know, I don’t know, but that’s definitely the way we’re going and I don’t see it changing. And I know like John Patterson, I think they’re using some of the Husqvarna’s on their, uh, short course or par three course or something to, uh, mow that. And for, you know, taller areas, like rough areas, I mean, why not?
Tony Bevolo: 1:11:14
yeah, I
Trent Manning: 1:11:14
can get away with those.
Tony Bevolo: 1:11:16
I, uh, I think the Husk of Arna thing is becoming kind of, that’s kind of becoming a little bit of a wildfire. I mean, shout out to my buddy, Clay Payne. He’s a superintendent over at, uh, Buffalo dunes. And he, I remember I was on a golf trip with him, I think a year and a half, two years ago, and he, he had, I think one or two in his fleet mowing rough and, I was asking him how low they can go. And he’s like, man, I mean, these things can get down to like half inch, like four 50 and I’m like, really? And he showed me some pictures and I was like, I mean, that’s, I think he’s got bluegrass up there a little different than Zoysia, but I’m like, if they can perfect something like that, they could be onto something. I mean,
Trent Manning: 1:11:54
yeah, yeah,
Tony Bevolo: 1:11:54
there might be a whole fleet of Roombas out at Trinity forest, but I mean, I don’t know, it’s very possible. We’re thinking about demoing one actually for maybe our front entrance, where we got this, some. You know inch and three quarter inch rough that just kind of lines the the entrance to the club If we can get a man off of that, why not?
Trent Manning: 1:12:12
oh yeah, yeah,
Tony Bevolo: 1:12:13
but I think it’s coming. I agree. I think it’s coming faster than we think it is
Trent Manning: 1:12:18
yeah, it’s, I think, yeah, right around the corner.
Tony Bevolo: 1:12:21
Yep, I would
Trent Manning: 1:12:22
And, I mean, there was a lot more of those, uh, the show this year, robotic type stuff. I mean, it’s, it’s coming. I’m curious to see what next year will look like at show,
Tony Bevolo: 1:12:35
Yeah
Trent Manning: 1:12:36
you know, in one year’s time, see how much more technology
Tony Bevolo: 1:12:40
taking a step back and looking and seeing how just in one year how far it developed. Yep.
Trent Manning: 1:12:46
when I really hope that, uh, right to repair, whatever, all that stuff comes through. So we’ll be able to work on our own equipment. Um,
Tony Bevolo: 1:12:56
No comment I plead the fifth I plead the fifth
Trent Manning: 1:13:00
I don’t want to go down that road too far, but
Tony Bevolo: 1:13:03
it is. It’s a,
Trent Manning: 1:13:04
I don’t agree with not being able to work on our own equipment
Tony Bevolo: 1:13:08
I agree.
Trent Manning: 1:13:09
there’s not many equipment managers out there that would say they don’t want to fix something, you know, I mean, that’s, that’s what we do. We want to fix it. We want to work on it. We want to be able to work on it and, you know. If they’re going to hand ties or whatever. So we can’t, that’s not cool.
Tony Bevolo: 1:13:28
Yeah, it’s BS. I agree. All right, dude, let’s let the machine guns fly and get that rapid fire going.
Trent Manning: 1:13:39
That’s a 50 Cal, by the way,
Tony Bevolo: 1:13:41
Is that a 50 cal? I
Trent Manning: 1:13:43
That’s a 50 Cal, sound bot
Tony Bevolo: 1:13:45
mean, it could have, could have been a Tommy gun, you know, it could have been something from maybe back in the 20s, Al Capone shooting up something. All right, Trent, you ready for some rapid fire questions?
Trent Manning: 1:13:54
I am
Tony Bevolo: 1:13:56
Favorite movie?
Trent Manning: 1:13:57
smoking the bandit all day long. Yes. My favorite movie of all time. Yeah. And I don’t know, I don’t know how many.
Tony Bevolo: 1:14:07
sorry, go ahead.
Trent Manning: 1:14:08
I don’t know how many times I’ve seen it, but I would watch it tonight.
Tony Bevolo: 1:14:12
I was gonna ask you, when do you think your first time you’ve seen it was?
Trent Manning: 1:14:16
Yeah, I don’t, I
Tony Bevolo: 1:14:17
You don’t, you don’t got a clear, uh, clear vivid memory of it?
Trent Manning: 1:14:20
yeah, no I mean, definitely a young age and yeah, I think it come out the year I was born. So I didn’t see it in the theater far as I
Tony Bevolo: 1:14:30
you were, you were born in like 1989, right? Something
Trent Manning: 1:14:33
Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Close, close. I don’t,
Tony Bevolo: 1:14:36
Just a couple years off. Alright, you’re watching Smoky and the Bandit. What’s your favorite last, what’s gonna be your last meal? While watching it. Wait, what are you eating?
Trent Manning: 1:14:46
I guess I’m all have to go a ribeye. And loaded baked potato.
Tony Bevolo: 1:14:52
Ooh. Yeah. It’s a bacon bits and chives and cream cheese and, or sour cream and
Trent Manning: 1:14:56
Yeah. Whatever you can put on it. You know, every time a waiter or waitress says you want all this stuff on your potato, I say, yes, I want it all. Yes. I want everything.
Tony Bevolo: 1:15:06
ribeye?
Trent Manning: 1:15:07
Yep. And then
Tony Bevolo: 1:15:08
What’s your temperature of ribeye?
Trent Manning: 1:15:10
usually medium. Yeah. Medium ish. I mean, I’m, I’m fine with rare than that. You know, as long as it don’t move at me, I’m
Tony Bevolo: 1:15:19
Yeah, I’m with
Trent Manning: 1:15:20
I’m, I’m pretty good. Yeah, medium rare is fine, medium, and then I definitely need a piece of cheesecake, red velvet cake,
Tony Bevolo: 1:15:32
Uh huh.
Trent Manning: 1:15:33
and I don’t, yeah,
Tony Bevolo: 1:15:35
Three desserts.
Trent Manning: 1:15:36
pit peach cobbler.
Tony Bevolo: 1:15:38
Oh yeah. A little ice cream on it.
Trent Manning: 1:15:40
Yeah, I, yeah, I love mode. Yeah, I definitely have a real sweet tooth. And
Tony Bevolo: 1:15:45
we’re, like, yep. I’m the same way.
Trent Manning: 1:15:47
if you go to any of the Manning get together functions, the dessert table is normally bigger than the regular food table and I love it. And then I’ll have like a cousin or an uncle, uh, and we’ll start on the dessert table before we go to, yeah, before we go to the food table. I mean, we take it serious.
Tony Bevolo: 1:16:10
I need a, I need, I need an invite next time.
Trent Manning: 1:16:13
Uh, yes,
Tony Bevolo: 1:16:14
you shoot one my way. Shoot. One my way. Trent, what, uh, other than your family, what are you most proud of?
Trent Manning: 1:16:19
I would say my, my career and the podcast. And how this thing has grown and we’ve been talking for a long time and we didn’t even talk about the WhatsApp group and how amazing it is. I mean, I’m so proud of all of that and I’m, I’m proud of everybody that’s been a part of that. You know, I, I might’ve put the group together, but that’s all I did. Everybody else has made it happen. So I’m thankful for everybody being. In that group, I’m thankful for leaders like you and Ryan Epland and Ben Beard for standing up in their area and getting something started. And I mean, that’s all it takes. And, uh, you know, I keep preaching that and I’m going to keep preaching it is, you know, just get involved. That’s really all you got to do. And everything else will kind of fall in place. Maybe that’s one of the things that I’ve learned. Out of this, journey is get involved and things will start happening,
Tony Bevolo: 1:17:35
For sure. For sure. Well, Trent, I, uh, I don’t think I butchered this too bad.
Trent Manning: 1:17:40
man. You did great.
Tony Bevolo: 1:17:41
Oh, thanks. Thank You Thank you. Uh, I’m blushing. I really am. I really am. I, I want to thank you for doing what you did, starting this thing and, and letting the guys like myself and, and you know, your countless guests come on here and just say a little bit about what makes us tick and, and, and what we like to do. And. You know, really just give us an outlet to come and talk. And I, I, I, I’m really proud of what you’ve done, not only in the podcast, but in everything I call you a great friend.
Trent Manning: 1:18:11
Thank you. Thank you.
Tony Bevolo: 1:18:12
I would love you to tell the listeners how they can find you, but they know how to find you. But I would like, I would like you to sign us off and, again, thanks for letting me be a part of this and, uh, I hope for a hundred more
Trent Manning: 1:18:24
Oh, yes. Thank you so much, Tony. And I mean, I do value your friendship and I like being able to. Call you whenever I need to and talk or vent about zoysia issues that that we may or may not have
Tony Bevolo: 1:18:41
we may need to start a support group with
Trent Manning: 1:18:44
Yes, that’s right. Yeah, quite a few, but no, I mean, thanks everybody for listening and yeah, you know where to get ahold of me if feel free to reach out. I mean, just recently I’ve had a lot of people DM me or text me and all those things. Asked in a question or want to know more about this. I mean, feel free, bring it. We’re all busy. And we make time for what we think is important. So remember that if somebody’s not getting back to you, they’re ghosting you about something. You’re probably not important to them. but I will try not to do that unless you message me on Facebook messenger.
Tony Bevolo: 1:19:30
That gets lost in the, the interwebs
Trent Manning: 1:19:32
yeah, I’m not really on Facebook anymore unless I’m looking for,
Tony Bevolo: 1:19:37
Uh, used engine on marketplace.
Trent Manning: 1:19:39
yeah. Use engine on marketplace. Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate it.
Tony Bevolo: 1:19:46
Absolutely. Thank you, Trent.
Trent Manning: 1:19:48
I really hope you enjoyed that. That was so much fun and I can’t thank Tony enough. For a interview on me like that. And I mean, it was just a blast. But I can’t think all of y’all enough for listening. I mean made my dreams come true. This is a more than I ever thought it could be ever thought it would be, It’s just been an amazing journey. Amazing ride. And I went to each one of you this listen right now. Couldn’t do it without you. And if I can ever do anything for you, no matter what it is, big or small. Send me an email. Real turf techs@gmail.com. Send me a DM on Twitter. asked somebody else has got my phone number, hubby happy for you to give me a call and, uh, we can chat about whatever. And if you’re just having a rough day. Reach out to me or somebody else. And let them know what you’re going through. I know I had a rough day, not too long ago. And I reached out to. My good friend, Howard. And, uh, you know, This is nice to have somebody that’s been in your shoes before that understands exactly what you’re going through. To, uh, talk through your issues. And I felt a whole lot better after I talked to him. So. I’m thankful for all y’all that I consider friends. And if we’ve never talked before, reach out to me. I’m glad you’re here. And if any of y’all that are listening right now would like to be a guest on the podcast, hit me up. I know you might be intimidated or might be scared of you. It gets you out of your comfort zone. All that’s good. But remember at the end of the day, it’s just me and you sitting down having a conversation to mechanics. Easy as that. And I’ve had a, quite a few newer people that I’ve interviewed. Lately and they do great. You know, everybody thinks they’re going to mess up or whatever, but that’s not the case. We’ve got a really. Good group of people in this industry. And I’m so thankful for each and every one of you. Till next time. See you. Bye. thank you so much for listening to the Reel turf techs podcast. I hope you learned something today. Don’t forget to subscribe. If you have any topics you’d like to discuss, or you’d like to be a guest, find us on Twitter at Reel turf techs.