6,000 sites, highly diverse working environments and some of the most demanding vegetation management conditions imaginable.
When CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment company, renewed its groundcare fleet across the UK, it left the decision to the people who use the machines every day. The outcome was clear: CBRE’s groundcare teams chose AS-Motor. Their decision was based on years of positive experience in daily operation, combined with the machines’ proven performance and reliability in the toughest working conditions.
With around 140,000 employees worldwide and revenue of approximately USD 35.8 billion in 2025, CBRE is one of the world’s leading real estate services companies. In the UK, the company manages around 6,000 commercial, industrial, technical and public sites. Its services include technical building maintenance and a wide range of property and facilities management services, including the maintenance of outdoor areas and green spaces.
When the time came to renew the groundcare fleet, CBRE deliberately chose to let the people who work with the machines every day make the decision, rather than management or procurement. “We asked the people who use the equipment every day to identify the best machines for the job. Our teams were instructed to assess the equipment solely on its suitability for the work they carry out every day. The outcome was unanimous. Time and again, our teams have chosen AS-Motor because of its proven capability, reliability and performance in demanding environments,” explains Paul Clark, National Grounds and Maintenance Manager, CBRE.
High Grass and Dense Vegetation Instead of Traditional Lawn Care
Many of the green spaces maintained by CBRE have little in common with traditional parks or amenity grass areas. Typical sites include telecommunications facilities, industrial premises and other technical locations. As these areas are generally cut only once a year, CBRE’s groundcare teams regularly face high grass, dense vegetation, brambles and the early stages of scrub encroachment. Conditions also vary considerably from site to site, ranging from steep banks and difficult terrain to large open areas. As a result, both operators and machines are subjected to demanding working conditions.
“Much of the work we undertake isn’t routine amenity grass cutting. We are often working on sites that haven’t been cut for many months. We need machinery that can cope with those conditions day after day while giving our operators the confidence to work safely and efficiently,” says Clark.
It is no coincidence that the teams once again selected AS-Motor. Machines from the southern German manufacturer have been part of CBRE’s fleet for many years, with some units still performing reliably after eight or nine years of service. This long-term positive experience played a key role in the latest fleet renewal.
Specialist Machines for Every Application
The new fleet has been tailored to meet the wide variety of applications encountered by CBRE’s groundcare teams. It includes the AS 940 Sherpa XL and AS 1040 YAK XL ride-on high grass mowers, complemented by pedestrian high grass mowers, flail mowers, mulching mowers and several AS 30 WeedHex brush weeders for mechanical weed control on hard surfaces.
For the first time, CBRE has also introduced the Ovis Evo 1000 RC remote-controlled flail mower. The company expects the machine to deliver significant improvements in both operator safety and productivity, particularly when working on steep slopes and difficult terrain.
“Introducing remote-controlled mowing is a significant step forward for us. This is the first time we’ve incorporated remote-control machines into our fleet, and we’re excited by the improvements they’ll bring in both operator safety and productivity when working on steep slopes and difficult terrain,” says Clark. “The comprehensive machine handover and operator training provided by AriensCo has given our teams the confidence to adopt this new technology safely and effectively from day one.”
Strong Partnerships Drive Success
A project of this scale can only succeed through close collaboration. Alongside selecting the machines, delivery, commissioning and operator training were all essential parts of the rollout. CBRE was supported throughout the project by AS-Motor dealer Lawncare Garden Machinery and AriensCo UK.
“We are delighted to support CBRE not only with the supply of their new AS-Motor fleet but also with the long-term service and aftersales support that will keep the machines performing at their best for years to come. This has been a real team effort involving many people across the UK,” says Barbara Green, Lawncare Garden Machinery.
Sam Lewis, General Manager of AriensCo UK, also sees the decision as a strong endorsement of AS-Motor: “What makes this project particularly rewarding is that the decision was made by the people who use the machines every day. The fact that they evaluated the equipment purely on its capability and once again selected AS-Motor demonstrates the confidence they have in our products under some of the most demanding working conditions.”
With its new groundcare fleet, CBRE is well equipped to continue maintaining around 6,000 sites across the UK safely, efficiently and to the highest professional standards.
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