FireFly Automatix, in partnership with Alliance Funding Group is pleased to announce we have funded the first equipment lease for our Autonomous Mowing Platform (AMP) for Serrano Country Club.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah and EL DORADO HILLS, California, November 21, 2024 – A premier private golf club situated in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains above Sacramento, Serrano Country Club has recently invested $8M to renovate its par-72 championship course. A key part of these improvements is adding an electric autonomous fairway mower—FireFly’s AMP—to their golf course operations.
Many golf course managers are looking for solutions to widespread and persistent labor shortages, and early adopters of robotic mowers are finding that they offer a way to augment productivity of their existing staff. In addition, the precision of the autonomous AMPs is proving to improve playing conditions in ways not possible with traditional manned mowers.
Long budget cycles, initial cash outlays and Board approvals can sometimes limit how quickly organizations are able to adopt new technology. The lease from AFG enabled Serrano to immediately add the autonomous mower into the renovation plans without requiring a substantial, upfront cash payment. Similarly, FireFly’s new equipment leasing program is already helping more golf clubs acquire this disruptive fairway mowing technology.
A strong funding source for these equipment leases, AFG is a direct lender that has provided over $3 billion in funding over 27 years. With an investment-grade rating and over $725 million in assets under management, they are an ideal partner to finance machines for FireFly’s customers.
“AFG is one of the top independent leasing companies which makes our partnership with FireFly so appealing,” said Matt Daleiden, Senior Account Executive at AFG. “Because we’re privately held, not bank owned, we provide more flexibility and much fewer hurdles to jump through, making the process faster and easier for FireFly’s customers.”
Paul Koojoolian, Serrano’s Director of Finance, agreed. “We filled out the paperwork and submitted our financials and were approved within a couple of days. I had a couple of questions, and they were all answered in a timely manner. It was a really easy process.”
Brandon Wagner, the Golf Course Superintendent, has used smaller autonomous mowers at a previous course. “I was always definitely interested in getting something like this, but I never expected to have such an advanced fairway mower so soon.”
The leaders at Serrano are not planning on reducing any staff members, but instead they are using the hours the AMP is mowing fairways to free up their crew for hand-watering and more detailed work around the property. The golf course, known for its stunning views, was designed by the internationally renowned golf course architect Robert Trent Jones II in 1996.
Koojoolian added: “With a 165-acre property and a 35,000 square foot clubhouse and another 10,000 square foot fitness center, we’ve got a huge capital appetite at the club. And the clubhouse is 28 years old, so we’re spending money on some large capital improvements. Being able to essentially finance this acquisition over time really helps with our long-range cash flow, budgeting, and forecasting.”
And the reaction from the Serrano community? The property includes 5,000 homes surrounding its course, and Wagner has already noticed fewer complaints from neighbors about noise because the electric AMP runs so quietly.
Josh Rumsey, Serrano’s General Manager, said: “The membership here has been hungry for innovation to maximize the club’s potential. They’ve been excited about the recent investment into the golf course and the things that we’ve been doing to try to enhance playing conditions and the member experience. So, seeing something like this that’s on the forefront of innovation has been very well received by our members. Aesthetically,” Rumsey continued, “having the laser straight lines and the ability to mow an additional time a week, it’s certainly making a positive impact on the way the golf course is looking.”
For additional information, please visit https://fireflyautomatix.com/leasing/.
Press Contact: pr@fireflyautomatix.com
FireFly Automatix is an AgTech company leading out in the application of autonomous electric vehicle (AEV) technologies to provide groundbreaking solutions that are both environmentally sound and business-friendly to innovators in the golf, sports, government, real estate maintenance, and turf harvesting industries. FireFly’s introduction of its Autonomous Mowing Platform (AMP) is in addition to its role as a global leader in the turf harvesting marketplace since its founding in 2010.
