Industry Update

Source: www.TurfMagazine.com

News from around the Green industry

PacLease Announces New Locations

PACCAR Leasing Co. continues its expansion with the addition of two new full-service lease locations in Moses Lake, Wash., and Anchorage, Alaska. The new locations are operated by Western Pacific PacLease, which also has locations in Oregon, California and Washington.

PacLease has also added a new location in Hayward, Calif., operated by NorCal PacLease, which also has locations in Sacramento and Oakland, Calif.

Cougar Canyon Begins Hotel Construction

Construction is underway at Cougar Canyon Golf Resort Community, near Trinidad, Colo., for a new hotel, which will operate under the name Cougar Canyon Golf Resort and Spa. The resort complex is the latest addition to Cougar Canyon, a multi-use, master-planned development and golf links created by Nicklaus Design.

Ross Small of Architect Studio in Albuquerque, N.M. is the architect for the project, and the designers are Kelley Levesque and Danielle King of Design 5280 in Denver, Colo. Vince Colarelli with Colarelli Construction of Colorado Springs, Colo., is the contractor.

Underhill Moves to New Facility

Underhill International Corp. has moved to a new production and administrative facility in Southern California to accommodate its expanding line of irrigation products. The company is now located in Lake Forest, about 50 miles south of Los Angeles.

AGGRAND Approved Organic by WSDA

AGGRAND Natural Fertilizer 4-3-3 has been approved for use by certified organic food and crop producers nationwide. It is now registered with the Washington State Department of Agriculture and is listed on the WSDA Web site’s Brand Name Materials List as an approved product for use in organic food production.

AGGRAND is a division of AMSOIL, Inc.

Exmark Honors Power Trim

Exmark, a manufacturer of commercial zero-turn riding mowers, honored Power Trim Co., Inc. with a 20-year service award. Located in La Palma, Calif., Power Trim has distributed Exmark products in California and Northern Nevada since 1987.

The Power Trim team includes Jim Dykes, president; Phil Shearer, general manager; Brian Heffernan, sales and marketing manager; Guy Miller, service and parts manager; Bob Nickel, territory manager; and Hale Rector, territory manager.

Bayer Names New Sales Reps

Bayer Environmental Science has announced three new sales representatives: Mike Kelly, Bob Ducote and Mike Hirvela. They will be responsible for sales and product support for golf customers in their respective territories.

Kelly’s territory is Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota. Previously, Kelly was golf course superintendent at Edina Country Club, Edina, Minn., and an assistant site superintendent for Thunder Hawk Golf Club, Beach Park, Ill.

Ducote covers Southeast Texas for the golf market and is also the golf and lawn care field sales representative in Arkansas and Louisiana. Ducote was a distributor sales representative for UAP Professional Products and Helena Chemical Co.

Hirvela will be responsible for the golf market in Michigan. Most recently, Hirvela owned and operated Total Land Care, Inc. and Fertilizer in Royal Oak, Mich. Prior to that, Hirvela worked as golf course manager for Wabeek Country Club.

Sod Solutions Unveils New Logo

Sod Solutions, Inc. has introduced a new corporate logo reflecting the company’s role in researching, developing and marketing environmentally friendly products. The logo more accurately depicts its mission, which is to identify, test and introduce new selections of turf varieties that exceed the expectations of consumers.

HMI Reaches Agreement With Bartlett

Horticultural Asset Management, Inc. has reached an agreement with Bartlett Tree Experts, a nationwide provider of tree and shrub care services.   Under this new agreement, Bartlett is making its local arborists available to support the creation of Certified HMI Horticultural Assessments. Bartlett personnel will also be available to conduct both remedial and preventive services that may be required as a result of the assessment process.

Assessments provide detailed information including plant description, location, replacement cost value, general health assessment and other important data which can be used for insurance, tax, real estate or risk management applications.  

LawnGrips Goes International, Partners with Stihl

LawnGrips, LLC has announced the appointment of Deshe Itzhar as exclusive distributor in Israel for its growing line of footwear. The expansion into Israel is a first step in establishing a global presence for the Oregon-based company. Deshe Itzhar, established in 1992, operates a 148-acre sod farm.

Stihl, Inc. has entered into an agreement with LawnGrips to make available to the nationwide network of independent Stihl dealers three models of lawn care footwear that will feature both the Stihl and LawnGrips logos.

Ditch Witch Employees Complete Training

Thirteen Ditch Witch employees completed Trenchless Products New Person Sales Training at the Ditch Witch Training Center in Perry, Okla.

The trainees were Terry Thompson, Bobby Sellers, Brian Mehigan, Charles Riggs, Cory Bailey, Damon Reeves, Gary Murphree, Joe Person, Michael Dellazizzo, Michael Mooney, Roger Bigaouette, Ron Martin and Shawn Tuschhoff.

Doonan Partners With Truck Web Services

Doonan Specialized Trailer, a manufacturer of specialty flatbed, drop-deck and lowbed trailers, has appointed Truck Web Services, a division of Dominion Enterprises, as its exclusive Internet services and solutions provider.  Truck Web Services provides Web sites and Internet marketing solutions for commercial truck and trailer dealers.

Greene Elected to STC Board

Stanley H. Greene, president and CEO of Sprinturf, was elected to the board of directors of the Synthetic Turf Council during the organization’s Annual Membership Meeting. Founded in 2003, STC serves as an objective resource assisting buyers and end users with the selection, use and maintenance of synthetic turf systems in sports field, golf and landscape applications.

AlturnaMats Acquires Mobile Matts

AlturnaMats, Inc., a producer of ground protection mats, has acquired Mobile Matts, based in Green Bay, Wis.

Phil Schounard will continue to head up Mobile and operate from the Green Bay facility. Mobile Matts are now available through AlturnaMats’ extensive dealer network.

John Deere/LESCO Golf Merger Complete

A merger between John Deere and LESCO has been finalized. With the merger, John Deere Golf has added about 150 agronomic experts to its sales and support organization.

Agronomic products, including LESCO brands, will be available through golf sales representatives, Stores-on-Wheels and John Deere Landscapes Gold Branches, while equipment and irrigation products are available through John Deere Golf distributors.  

Red Rhino Wins Green Apple Award

Red Rhino Crushers won the National Gold Award in the International Green Apple Awards 2007 for Environmental Best Practice, in recognition of their Compact On-Site Recycling Solutions project.

Trophies are awarded annually in recognition of organizations carrying out projects that benefit the environment.

The award-winning project will be featured in The Green Book and the organization will also be presented with a Green Heroes Shield.

The Green Apple Awards campaign is run by The Green Organization, which recognizes, rewards and promotes environmental best practice around the world.

Beidel is Growing

Ed Beidel, president of Beidel Design Associates, has opened new offices. The corporate office is now in Orlando, Fla., with a satellite office in Valencia, Pa. Beidel has been practicing golf and landscape architecture for 31 years.

Peterson Appoints New Managers

Peterson, an Oregon-based manufacturer of grinders, chippers and blower trucks, appointed Brian Gray as product support manager for Eastern North America.

Gray has worked in a wide variety of areas in sales and support for the forestry and construction and power generation industries. Prior to joining Peterson, Gray worked for Pioneer Machinery and Carter Machinery in Virginia.

Peterson also appointed Victor Acevedo as blower truck sales manager. Acevedo will focus on blower truck sales, support and demonstrations.

Acevedo has worked for Peterson since 1993, most recently serving as the blower truck manufacturing coordinator.

Dent Promoted at Ecological Laboratories

Ecological Laboratories, manufacturer of the Microbe-Lift brand of products, announced the promotion of Doug Dent to vice president of sales.  Dent joined Ecological in 2002, prior to which he spent 32 years in the biotechnology sector with Sybron Biochemical, where he was director of institutional, household and commercial products.