Supplier News

image_pdf

Project EverGreen and Partners to Restore Liberty National 9/11 Memorial Grove

Project EverGreen coordinated a project that saw more than $35,000 invested to revitalize the 9/11 Memorial Grove on Liberty Island on Tuesday, June 10. The grove was devastated by Hurricane Sandy, and the renovation follows the March removal of dead and dying London Plane trees damaged by the storm surge that sent five feet of saltwater onto the site. The soil at the site was also amended to reduce the high salt content remaining from the saltwater.

The 9/11 Memorial Grove Revitalization Day featured:

  • Re-planting new London Plane trees.
  • Mulching of the 9/11 Memorial Grove and several nearby tree beds.
  • Installation of small commemorative sign by the Project EverGreen board and volunteers with New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association.
  • New Jersey applicator volunteers also donated post-Sandy sodic soil treatments at 9/11 Grove and Ellis Island with Project EverGreen board assistance.

Project EverGreen invited several recipients of its GreenCare for Troops (GCFT) program to participate in the event.

Project EverGreen partnered with Paul Cowie & Associates Arborist Consultants, who donated tree care survey and soil remediation management plans. Husqvarna provided professional climbing, ground and felling saws for the projects, and Bartlett Tree Experts donated crews, trucks and equipment to conduct the work needed on both islands. New Jersey-based Lawn Doctor provided aeration and application equipment.

To reduce the excessive salt content in the soil in and around the grove, Solu-Cal USA donated 16,000 pounds of enhanced gypsum, and N.J.-based Lidochem, Inc. provided KaPre ExAlt surfactant product in in-kind donation for the project. In total, all in-kind product and service donations organized by Project EverGreen to help restore and renew the landscapes on both Ellis and Liberty islands equates to an equivalent retail cost approaching $35,000.

Strom Thurmond FFA Team Wins Turfgrass Competition

The Strom Thurmond Career and Technology Center FFA Turfgrass Team took first-place honors in the State Turfgrass Career Development Event held at Piedmont Technical College in Saluda, South Carolina, on May 17.

Team members Lucky Bailey, High Individual Scorer in the state event; Karson Barrett, Third High Individual Scorer; Jonathan McCreery and Clay Price successfully outscored six teams from high schools throughout the state.

The team was coached by Jeremy Brooks and Darla Steele, agricultural education teachers and FFA advisers at STCTC.

The contest consisted of a written general knowledge test, turfgrass chemical and fertilizer application calculations team event, sprayer calibration and application team event, live sample turfgrass identification, turfgrass weed identification, turfgrass insect and pest identification, and turfgrass equipment identification. The South Carolina State Turfgrass Career Development Event was planned and coordinated by the Agriculture Department at Piedmont Technical College.

Turfgrasses Can Survive Drought, Water Limitations

Many areas of Texas are having water shortages in the continuing drought, and a big concern is the inability to irrigate turfgrass, whether that is due to lack of water or municipality restrictions.

Homeowners are asking: What is my turf going to look like; will it come back?

Dr. Richard White, Texas A&M AgriLife Research turfgrass management scientist in College Station, said the answer is “yes,” with patience and a little water to keep growing points alive.

The bottom line is time, White said. That will tell the degree of damage that occurred.

Turf grasses and other perennial grasses have the potential to recover as long as those growing points are kept alive, he said, and when the drought is combined with cold winter weather; sometimes plants suffer more winter kill and won’t recover well.

For the full article, go to http://bit.ly/1jBr9j7.

Brickman, ValleyCrest Merger a Done Deal

The Brickman Group, Ltd. LLC and ValleyCrest Companies, LLC have entered into a definitive merger agreement.

The merger is expected to close by mid-2014. Brickman is currently owned by KKR, and ValleyCrest is currently owned by affiliates of MSD Capital, L.P. Following the close, KKR will have majority ownership of the combined company and MSD Capital will retain a significant minority ownership interest.

Combined, Brickman and ValleyCrest will have more than 20,000 team members with the commitment and deep horticultural knowledge to design, build and maintain beautiful landscapes.

With 140 years of industry experience, the combined organization will be extremely well positioned to meet client needs at the local level and across the United States. The company will have a strong platform to serve clients throughout the lifecycle of their projects, and across all seasons. Combined annual revenues are approximately $2 billion.

Following the transaction close, Andrew Kerin, Brickman CEO, will be the CEO of the new company, and Roger Zino, CEO of ValleyCrest, will become vice chairman. The company will continue to maintain its primary locations in Rockville, Maryland, and Calabasas, California.

Irrigation Foundation Releases 2013 Annual Report

The Irrigation Foundation has released its 2013 Annual Report summarizing initiatives and accomplishments. IA members can download this year’s report on the foundation website, www.irrigation.org.

In 2013, the foundation revised its strategic plan to better align with its mission of attracting people to careers in irrigation. In response, the foundation’s volunteer and staff leadership have pursued a number of new activities to expand existing programming and grow its most successful programs.

To find out how your company can volunteer with or support the Foundation, visit www.irrigation foundation.org.