Want to keep up with the latest news in lawn care and landscaping? Check back every Thursday for a quick recap of recent happenings in the green industry.
TBEI Welcomes Jason Stansbury as New Central Territory Manager
Truck Bodies & Equipment International, Inc. (TBEI) has welcomed Jason Stansbury as the new Central Territory Manager for the Crysteel, DuraClass and Rugby brands. He started in the industry as the office manager at the United Rentals location in Jefferson City, Missouri. Most recently, Stansbury was the General Manager of the Palfleet-Council Bluffs location. As Central Territory Manager for TBEI, Jason will cover the states of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
JCB Hosted 5th Annual Mud Run Charity Event
The JCB Mud Run celebrated its fifth year in Savannah, Georgia on June 18. Racers could participate in five-mile course or a shorter 5K course and register solo or as part of a team. Runners completed 43 obstacles, including a lake, numerous trails a mud slide. JCB MudFest is part of the Savannah Mud Run Charity Series benefitting local children/youth non-profit organizations in Chatham County and surrounding areas. MudFest benefits The Lady Bamford Center for Early Childhood Development. Operated by Wesley Community Centers of Savannah, the Lady Bamford Center provides education and social skills development to children from six weeks to four years of age.
Morbark President Named Michigan Manufacturer of the Year
Morbark, LLC President, James W. Shoemaker Jr., has been named the 2016 John G. Thodis Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Award recipient for Large Tier companies by the Michigan Manufacturers Association (MMA). Now in its 35th year, the Award program recognizes manufacturers for their dedication to community service, issue advocacy and their role as a symbol of the positive work being done by the manufacturing industry. The Large Tier category award is presented to a company with 200 or more employees. Shoemaker joined Morbark in 2003 as Director of Operations before being promoted to Vice President of Operations, and then was appointed President in 2011.
Grasshopper Earns Top Dealer’s Choice Award for Second Consecutive Year
The Grasshopper Company earned the 2016 Dealer’s Choice Award for the Outdoor Power Equipment manufacturer category for use in commercial and residential applications for turf, lawn or grounds maintenance, by the Equipment Dealers Association (EDA). This is the second consecutive year Grasshopper has won this top award as selected by dealers throughout North America. Survey respondents indicated Product Quality was the most important category when ranking manufacturers.
OPEI Has Appointed New Director of Standards
The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) is welcoming Michael Ross as Director of Standards. Ross has engineering expertise in mechanics, dynamics, hydraulics, electrical, CAD design and manufacturing. He will be involved with electrical product standards development with the American National Standards Institute, the International Electrotechnical Commission, the International Organization for Standardization and Underwriters Laboratories. He also will communicate with key regulatory agencies, such as the Department of Energy, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. He will be staff executive for the Electric Products Committee.
SiteOne Posts Robust First Quarter Results
SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. announced net sales for the first quarter of 2016 increased to $328.5 million, or 45 percent compared to $225.8 million for the prior-year period. Organic sales growth of 23 percent was aided by favorable weather which pulled forward demand from the second quarter, but also reflected strong underlying market growth and continued execution of commercial initiatives. The company said its 2015 and 2016 acquisitions, including Hydro-Scape Products with its 17 locations, performed well and benefited from the same trends, contributing another 22 percent in revenue growth. SiteOne’s first quarter ended April 3, 2016 of the fiscal year ending January 1, 2017.
Scotts Miracle-Gro Partners with Water Protection Organizations
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, based in Marysville, Ohio, announced partnerships with more than a dozen water protection organizations across the United States. The goal of the partnerships and Scotts’ nationwide Water Positive Landscapes initiative protect water quality and promote conservation. The first step under the Water Positive Landscapes initiative is the creation of the Water Positive National Partner Network, currently comprised of 13 non-profit organizations that are among America’s leading authorities on water quality and conservation.
Kawasaki Engines Division Names Executive Director
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. named Nelson Wilner executive director at its Engines Division. Wilner comes to the division with over 20 years in the marine and recreational vehicle industries. Dealer sales, marketing, order service, logistics and information technology will report to Wilner.
Davey Tree Announces Promotions
The Davey Tree Expert Company announced the promotion of Gregory Ina to vice president and general manager of research, recruiting and human resource development and the promotion of Kathy Doody to director of recruiting and employee development. Ina previously served as vice president and general manager of The Davey Institute. Doody joined Davey in 1993 as the tax manager and was promoted in 2001 to the manager of human resources administration.
Maryland City Holds Hearing on Pesticide Ban
The Gaithersburg City Council met to review recommendations from city staff regarding whether or not to adopt the ban on lawn and landscape pesticide use that was passed last year in Montgomery County. The staff report to the council stated in part: “in consideration of the conflict-prone, complex nature of the Healthy Lawns Act and arduous process established within the County’s legislation, staff recommends that the City take no action at this time.” The meeting ended with the council taking no action and deciding to revisit the subject in the fall. The National Association of Landscape Professionals says that this is a significant development because Montgomery County governs by home rule meaning that for many laws, including the pesticide ban, a number of communities have to “opt in” before the law takes effect.
Paul Cushing Joins Calcium Products Turf Team
Calcium Products has added Paul Cushing to the professional turf sales team. He will be representing Calcium Products in Denver, Colo. and west of the Rocky Mountains. Cushing comes to Calcium Products after a 27-year career in turf management, mainly in the golf industry. He has managed four top-100 golf courses in the U.S., including Torrey Pines, Shadow Creek, Riviera and Edgewood Tahoe, and hosted ten PGA Tour events and a PGA Championship as a golf course superintendent. Cushing also recently started an independent agronomic consulting business for golf course and sports turf managers.
Jimi Martin Earns 3rd Straight Takeuchi-US Sales Honor
Takeuchi-US awarded Jimi Martin of Perimeter Takeuchi and Cobb County Tractor Co. (CCT) as the top sales person of the year and dealer of the year for their successful sales efforts in 2015. The award marks the third consecutive year that Martin was recognized after ranking No. 1 again in retail sales for North America. It marks two of the last three years that CCT has received the award. CCT achieved the top performance nationally in machine sales and market share.
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