Heritage and Metro Lawn Showcased at GIE
Heritage Propane and Metro Lawn were showcased at the 2011 GIE+EXPO. Heritage promoted propane as a proven engine fuel and alternative fuel, in conjunction with the Roush Drag Team. Susan Roush-McClenaghan appeared at the show along with her ROUSH Stage 3 Mustangs to explain the advantages she has experienced with propane. She also presented a forum to the attendees, sharing her personal story with racing and how she came to use propane.
Direct Solutions Adds Gooch to Team
Direct Solutions announced the addition of Bryan Gooch as North American marketing manager. Gooch and his team will have responsibility for management of all products Direct Solutions carries across North America. Previously, Gooch worked as a marketing product manager for Agrium Advanced Technologies’ Turf & Ornamental Wholesale product lines, and also worked in progressively senior sales and marketing roles with Bayer CropScience.
Brandon Vaughan’s winning project involved creating a large outdoor entertainment space alongside a home undergoing a complete remodel.
New Holland Announces Extreme Dream Winner
New Holland Construction and Turf magazine named Brandon Vaughan, Toms Creek Nursery & Landscaping, Denton, N.C., as the winner of the 2011 Extreme Dream contest. Vaughan received an L218 skid steer loader. Mike Dasilva, Paradise Views Landscaping, Etobicoke, Ont., and Brett Parks, Not Just a Garden Center, Mishawaka, Ind., were the other semifinalists chosen from the monthly winners in the contest.
UMass to Hold Winter Turf School
The University of Massachusetts has scheduled its Winter School for Turf Managers for Jan. 3 to Feb. 17 at the UMass campus in Amherst. The program is especially suited for those who desire to take their career in turf management to the next level, but are unable to schedule a two or four-year degree program. The program, offered since 1927, provides 32 hours of expert instruction each week, covering general turf management, physiology, pest management (insects, diseases and weeds), soils, fertilizers, irrigation, personnel management and more. For more information, call 413-545-5202, email academicprograms@contined.umass.edu or visit http://extension.umass.edu/turf/education/turf-winter-school.
Newtown Becomes Exclusive Morbark Dealer
Morbark announced the territory expansion of Newtown Power Equipment. A Morbark tree care products dealer since 1998, Newtown expanded its territory to include the entire state of Connecticut. The expansion added the remainder of the state to a well-established territory in southwestern Connecticut.
ROUSH Unveils Latest Offering
ROUSH CleanTech announced its latest propane autogas product offering with the unveiling of the new 2012 Ford F-250 and F-350 at the 2011 GIE+EXPO. These new trucks are designed to suit the needs of a wide variety of industries while providing a significant reduction in both fuel costs and carbon footprint. Denison Landscaping & Nursery, Inc., in Fort Washington, Md., was ROUSH CleanTech’s first landscaping customer to commit to purchasing the 2012 models once they become available.
PERC Displays Propane Engine Fuel Technology
The Propane Education & Research Council demonstrated the ease of refueling, sustainability and high performance of propane-fueled equipment through an in-booth presentation series at the 2011 GIE+EXPO. Lawn and landscape industry professionals also had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the latest propane-fueled technology in the Outdoor Pavilion.
Pro-Tech Launches Online Ordering
Pro-Tech Mfg. & Distribution now allows customers to purchase its latest line of products – the Sno Blade, Sno Blower and Sno Broom attachments – directly from its website at www.protechcorp.com. Online purchases are offered with free freight within the U.S., and products will be shipped directly to the customer. Pro-Tech plans to have the rest of its product line available for online purchasing by the summer of 2012.
Musser Foundation Launches Website
The Musser International Turfgrass Foundation launched a website, www.musserfoundation.org, to make information about the group’s mission and graduate student award program easily available to all interested parties. In addition to information on the mission, history and application process, the site also includes a list of previous Award of Excellence recipients dating back to 1989. The foundation also created a Facebook page and a Twitter feed.
SUPERthrive Inventor Celebrates 100th Birthday
Dr. John A. A. Thomson, inventor of SUPERthrive, celebrated his 100th birthday Nov. 23, 2011. Thomson developed the SUPERthrive formula in 1939 and founded Vitamin Institute to market and sell it. Seventy-two years later, he is still active in the operations. Thomson holds a doctorate degree in biochemistry and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lawn & Garden Marketing & Distribution Association in 2006, as well as Sustainable Environmental Education’s Environmental Awareness Award in 2009.
Case Honors Hubbard Construction
Case Construction Equipment announced Hubbard Construction, Winter Park, Fla., as a monthly winner of the Case Community Challenge. Hubbard received the award for donating labor, materials and the use of equipment in helping build 28 “mud volleyball” courts for the 19th annual Mudd Volleyball Challenge for the March of Dimes. The company received a $1,000 parts and service gift card, and Case also made a $1,000 cash donation to the March of Dimes.
PLANET Gives Back to Louisville
The Professional Landcare Network held a community service project, “PLANET Gives Back,” during the 2011 GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky. PLANET teamed up with Metro United Way and a group of volunteers to enhance four facilities in downtown Louisville. They planted shrubs and flowers, pruned, mulched, installed water features and planted turfgrass.
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