Toro Buys Perrot, ASIC Scholarship: This Week’s Industry News

Source: www.TurfMagazine.com

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Industry News Roundup

Toro Buys German Irrigation Manufacturing Firm
Toro announced the purchase of privately held Regnerbau Calw GmbH, which makes the Perrot brand of irrigation equipment. Regnerbau, based in Althengstett, Germany, makes a variety of irrigation products including retractable sprinklers used in sports fields and irrigation equipment used in agricultural and industrial applications. The Perrot equipment is known for its long-distance casting and fast rotation. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Toro’s irrigation equipment accounted for approximately 16 percent of Toro’s $2.4 billion in total sales for fiscal 2015.

Aquascape Names Warren & Thoma & Associates as Manufacturer’s Rep
Aquascape Inc. has announced Warren Thoma & Associates, LLC of Crystal Lake, Illinois, as its new manufacturer’s representative for water feature and rainwater harvesting products and services. Thoma & Associates will service irrigation distributors in the central and southeast regions of the United States as a manufacturer’s representative for Aquascape.

Cavs’ Three-Pointers Earn Trees for Cleveland
The Davey Tree Expert Company, based here, partnered with the 2016 NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers and PwC to plant one tree for every three-point shot made by the Cavs during the 2015-2016 regular season as part of the Trees for Threes program–a total of 433 “trees for threes.” Volunteers from all three organizations planted some of the trees in downtown Cleveland in mid October near the Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the Cleveland lakefront. The partners will team up again Nov. 12 to give away 273 saplings at the Science Center’s new Cleveland Clinic Dome Theatre during a showing of the film “Tiny Giants.”

ScottsMiracle-Gro Confident of Strong 2017
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company on October 3 reported net sales increased 4 percent to $2.84 billion for the year ended September 30. Acquisitions and strong consumer demand for core lawn and garden products helped drive a 7 percent increase in fourth quarter sales versus the same period a year ago. GAAP income from continuing operations for the full year was $4.09 per share compared with $2.23 per share in the prior year. Pro forma adjusted earnings, which exclude impairment, restructuring and other one-time charges, were $3.75 per share compared with $3.53 per share a year ago. The 2016 results include dilution of $0.22 per share from the company’s minority equity investment in its joint venture with TruGreen. Scotts-MiracleGro projected sales growth of 6 to 7 percent for 2017. Adjusted earnings per share is expected between $4.10 and $4.30.

ASIC Irrigation Scholarship Honors Ivy Munion
The American Society of Irrigation Consultants (ASIC) raised $25,000 to create an annual $1,000 memorial scholarship in honor of ASIC’s past president, Ivy Munion. ASIC has partnered with the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) Foundation as an Association Ambassador to administer and implement the newly created Ivy Munion Langendorff Irrigation Scholarship. ASIC will present the first scholarship at the 2017 NALP National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC) in March in Provo, Utah. The scholarship will go to a student that has demonstrated a strong interest in a career in the irrigation industry.

People on the Move
Recent promotions and staff changes among green industry companies.

Jim Umpleby Named Cat’s New CEO
Caterpillar has named Jim Umpleby, group president for energy and transportation, as the company’s new CEO. He assumes that role on January 1, 2017. Cat made the announcement with the retirement of Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman on March 31, 2017. Umpleby, who started with Solar Turbines, a subsidiary of Cat 35 years ago, will also join the Cat board of directors.

Ruppert Announces Promotions in Maryland and Virginia
Ruppert Landscape recently promoted Mike Fleming and Dave Sharry to associate branch manager. Fleming, who’s been with the organization for more than 10 years, will serve the Baltimore landscape management branch. He holds a bachelor’s in horticulture from Williamson College. Sharry will serve the Richmond, Virginia landscape management branch. Ruppert also added Bernard Botchway and Blake Turner as area managers and Sean Sullivan as enhancement manager to its Forestville, Maryland branch.

Matt Trenary to Run Jensen Landscape’s New Branch
San Jose-based Jensen Landscape’s new Sacramento, California, construction branch will be responsibility of Branch Manager Matt Trenary, a former senior project manager at ValleyCrest in Northern California.

Aquatrols Names New CFO and North American Sales Manager
Aquatrols Corporation of America hired Ryan LeBon as chief financial officer and Stacy Peters as North American sales manager. LeBon most recently served as CFO for ICTV Brands Inc., a publicly traded consumer products company. His background also includes roles in public accounting. Peters most recently served as key accounts manager for Newport Laboratories, a subsidiary of Merial. In her new role, Peters will lead Aquatrols’ accomplished North American sales team and work closely with key internal and external partners to expand the Aquatrols product portfolio.

Read last week’s industry news here: Record-Breaking GIE+EXPO, Rain Bird’s Irrigation System at National Mall