Yale Replacing Grounds Gear With Electric Alternatives: The Week’s Industry News

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.

Yale Replacing Grounds Gear with Electric Alternatives
Yale Landscape and Grounds Management is replacing its gas-fueled and diesel-fueled equipment with electrically powered alternatives. The effort will improve air quality, reduce noise pollution, and help Yale in achieving its greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitment, reports sustainability.yale.edu. Yale has more than 30 backpack blowers, along with a large quantity of augers, handheld blowers, tractor lawn mowers, push lawn mowers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, string trimmers, leaf vacuums, and sweepers. To help manage its property of over 1000 acres, Yale also hires contractors. Any equipment that Yale replaces for electric will also need to be replaced by the contractors.

John Deere recalls 25,000 lawn tractors for transmission problem
John Deere is recalling 25,000 lawn tractors and service part transmissions due to a crash hazard. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the transmission can fail, which could lead to a crash. No injuries have been reported to date. The recall involves certain model D105 lawn tractors with serial numbers beginning with 1GXD105. The recalled lawn tractors were sold February 2016 through July 2017. The recalled service transmissions were sold by John Deere authorized dealers from March 2016 through Aug. 2017.

UF/IFAS Offers Tips for Trees Damaged by Hurricane Irma
Michael Orfanedes, a commercial horticulture agent at the UF/IFAS Extension Broward County office, said it’s important to get input from a certified arborist before deciding what to do with trees damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Irma. Researchers and Extension faculty suggest resetting uprooted palms and trees only after they have been examined for safety and deemed worthy of replanting. For hardwood trees, if a majority of major anchor roots have been fractured, it is unlikely that such trees will successfully reestablish themselves, and they will likely fail in future storms. Uprooted trees and palms in good condition should be replanted as soon as possible and watered frequently. The full list of the tips shared by Orfanedes is online.

Pesticide License CEUs Available at New England GROWS
At New England GROWS attendees learn from the top experts in a broad variety of fields and earn continuing education credit from organizations that include: the National Association of Landscape Professionals, the American Society of Landscape Architects, the International Society of Arboriculture, the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, the Northeast Organic Farming Association, the Snow and Ice Management Association as well as state and regional pesticide licensing boards. Pesticide CEUs are available for the six New England states as well as New Jersey and Pennsylvania. A variety of education seminars, all taught by leading practitioners and approved for pesticide license recertification credit, will be taught at New England GROWS, November 29-December 1.

Ray Rueda, Alejandro Romo Join NHLA Board
The National Hispanic Landscape Alliance announced that Ray Rueda of Nature’s Dream Landscape, Inc., in Pinecrest, Florida and Alejandro Romo of Green and Clean Landscaping in Greensboro, North Carolina, have joined its board of directors for the 2017-2019 term. Also elected to new two-year terms are returning directors Mari Medrano, CoCal Landscaping in Denver, Colorado, Raul Berrios of Rulyscapes, Inc. in Centreville, Virginia; Josh Denison, Denison Landscaping, Inc.; Fort Washington, Maryland; Ivan Giraldo, Clean Scapes Landscaping, Austin, Texas; Rafael Gonzalez Arnau, GALA Services, Inc., Escondido, California; Wilmer Ventura, Yellowstone Landscape, Atlanta, Georgia; and Ken Taylor, John Deere, Cary, North Carolina.

Anuvia Partners with Ferti Technologies, Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply
Anuvia Plant Nutrients announces an agreement with Ferti Technologies, based in Quebec, Canada to market Anuvia’s GreenTRX to its golf and turf customers. The agreement with Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply is to distribute Anuvia’s GreenTRX to its landscape and lawn care customers. GreenTRX is an enhanced-efficiency, multi-nutrient, slow-release specialty fertilizer that delivers fast deep greening to turf. GreenTRX, a unique plant nutrient product provides targeted plant feeding using a novel slow-release mechanism. It delivers plant nutrition when plants need it most — releasing 65 percent of its nutrients in the first two to three weeks and the balance providing feeding for up to eight weeks. It also provides quick deep greening that lasts.

OnTerra Systems Releases Route Planning Software Buying Guide
OnTerra System, the makers of RouteSavvy route planning software, today introduced a new, free route planning software buying guide for managers of small to mid-sized fleets. This new, free buyer’s guide is available for download online. This new route planner buying guide covers the most important information business and non-profit fleet managers need to make the right purchasing decision when shopping for route planning software tools.

Arborjet Welcomes Kevin Brewer to the Team as New England Territory Technical Manager
Arborjet Inc. announced that Kevin Brewer has joined the company as New England Territory Technical Manager. In this role, Brewer will be responsible for identifying and securing new business in the New England territory and maintaining existing accounts with distributors, municipalities, landscape companies, arborists and universities. Prior to his role at Arborjet, Brewer worked as general manager at Kaiser Tree Preservation Co., managing plant health care and the diagnosis and prescription of treatment for trees and shrubs. He is a Certified Arborist and ISA Qualified Tree Risk Assessor.

TruGreen Picks Up Lawn Dawg, Major New England Lawn Care Provider
Lawn Dawg, headquartered here, informed its customers this week that it has been acquired by TruGreen. Lawn care veteran Jim Campanella founded Lawn Dawg in 1997 and had grown it to 10 branches in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and New York prior to the sale. Lawn Dawg had more than 100 employees and posted more than $14 million in 2016 revenue. TruGreen is the largest lawn care provider in the world, reporting 2016 revenues of $1.3 billion.

LANDSCAPES 2017 Offers Leadership Session, Account Manager Workshop
The National Association of Landscape Professionals is partnering with industry experts Jeffrey Scott to present Effective CEO/COO (GM) Partnerships: The Power of Collaborative Leadership, on Tuesday, October 17; and Ken Thomas and Ben Gandy of Envisor Consulting, Inc. to present the day-long Account Manager Workshop on Wednesday, October 18 at LANDSCAPES 2017 during the GIE+EXPO.

AMVAC Chemical Corporation Acquiring OHP, Inc.
American Vanguard Corporation’s wholly owned subsidiary AMVAC Chemical Corporation is acquiring OHP, Inc., a provider of technology based pesticide solutions specifically packaged and labeled for greenhouse and nursery production applications. Products are marketed utilizing a network of distribution partners throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. The parties expect that the transaction will close on October 2, 2017.

GIE+EXPO Offers Mobile App for 2017 Trade Show
GIE+EXPO attendees now have access to all things pertaining to the 2017 trade show through the Go EXPO free smartphone app, available now in the iTunes and Google Play stores. The mobile app, sponsored by TurfMutt, provides easy access to event schedules, the floor plan, exhibitor information, show announcements and social media posts. Users can search for exhibitors, locate booths, find and rate education sessions, view social media updates and recieve updates from show management.

Bayer Appoints Mark Schneid to Head of Environmental Science North America
Environmental Science, a business unit of Crop Science, a division of Bayer, today announced that Mark Schneid, former Chief Marketing Officer of the Environmental Science business unit, has been appointed Head of Environmental Science North America. In this new role, Schneid will be responsible for leading the business unit in the United States and Canada with a vision focused squarely on the needs of customers in the markets it serves, including: Turf & Ornamentals, Vegetation Management, Professional Pest Management and Vector Control. In his 15 years at Bayer, Schneid has excelled in several leadership roles, most recently serving as Chief Marketing Officer for the Environmental Science business unit as well as Global Market Manager for the Turf & Ornamentals segment.

Project Evergreen Launches Second Annual Green Space Contestt
Project EverGreen, in partnership with Exmark Manufacturing, the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) and The Foundation for Safer Athletic Fields for Everyone (SAFE), launches its second annual “Our Winning Green Space” contest. The contest runs from Oct. 1 through Dec. 15, 2017. Municipal parks and recreation departments, public works departments and non-profit agencies can enter the contest to have a chance at winning a top-of-the-line Exmark commercial mower package including Lazer Z X-Series zero-turn and Commercial 30 walk-behind mowers – valued at approximately $15,000 – as well as a “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.” renovation project for their city. Last year’s winner was In Memory of Community Garden and the Warrendale Community Organization in Detroit, Michigan.

Blue Thumb acquires LiquidArt Fountains
Blue Thumb has announced the acquisition of LiquidArt Fountains, a manufacturer of boulder fountains. LiquidArt pioneered the manufacturing of bubbling boulder fountains when it first introduced its products in 2004. Blue Thumb is in the process of moving all production & inventories from LiquidArt to their corporate headquarters in Saginaw, Michigan. The ability to ship LiquidArt fountains together with pond kits, pond-less waterfall kits, and other fountain equipment will provide an overall lower delivered cost for customers and an expedited and efficient ordering process.

LandOpt To Host Landscape Speaker Series This Fall
LandOpt will be hosting a landscaping speaker series called EVOLVE, this fall. Key note speaker Dan Stearns, Professor Emeritus of Landscape Contracting at Penn State University, will introduce components to help the landscape business owner measure preparedness and plan for the future within the framework of milestones, trends, and the current state of the industry. The series is designed exclusively for green industry business owners striving to be leaders in the marketplace and navigate the uncertainty a rapidly changing industry brings. There are three dates available to attend: October 5, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; November 9, Baltimore, Maryland; and December 5, Fairfax, Virginia.

Toyota’s new North American campus gets highest level of LEED certification
Toyota’s newly completed North American campus in Plano, Texas has reached the highest level of LEED certification by the U.S. Green Building Council months after the Japanese automaker opened the Plano campus. Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz received the sought-after platinum award from the Texas chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. By 2050, Toyota North America, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp. hopes to create a net positive impact on the planet through its energy efficiency and sustainability methods, which includes the largest array of solar panels on a corporate campus in Texas. The panels are affixed to the parking garage rooftops on the campus.

Other attributes considered for the LEED certification include: The campus produces up to 33 percent of the daily electric needs of the headquarters. It creates enough energy to power 1,200 average U.S. homes each year. The rooftop design helps manage rainwater, reduces heat and insulates the buildings. The solar panels produce up to 8.79 megawatts of power and is managed by SunPower Corp. Toyota North America has the ability to preserve and resell excess power generation back to the grid. It also uses Texas wind farm renewable energy credits to offset its grid energy. The campus has a cistern water storage with the capacity to hold 400,000 gallons of harvested rain water.

Ruppert Landscape hires David Roles as Frederick, MD Branch Manager
Ruppert Landscape has announced the addition of David Roles as branch manager in the company’s Frederick, Maryland landscape management branch. Roles holds a degree in landscape management from the University of Maryland’s Institute of Applied Agriculture and is a Landscape Industry Certified Technician (CLT) and Maryland Licensed Pesticide Applicator. He has over 20 years of industry experience, having held positions including account manager, operations manager, supervisor, and most recently as branch manager for other leading landscaping companies. As branch manager in Ruppert’s Frederick landscape management branch, he will be responsible for the overall welfare of the branch, including the safety and development of his team, strategic planning and budgeting, training, and day-to-day operations.

SiteOne Landscape Supply Acquires Marshall Stone
SiteOne Landscape Supply, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Marshall Stone. Started in 2006, Marshall Stone has two locations in the greater Greensboro, North Carolina and Roanoke, Virginia markets, and is a leader in the distribution of natural stone and hardscape material.

CLCA Water Management Certification Program Receives National Recognition
The California Landscape Contractors Association’s Water Management Certification Program has received a prestigious “Power of A” Silver Award from the American Society of Association Executives. The national awards, the association industry’s highest honor, recognize a select number of organizations annually for innovative and effective programs that have a positive impact. The Water Management Certification Program, which launched in 2007, is the only performance-based certification program dedicated to saving California’s most precious resource: water. ASAE created the “Power of A” Awards to showcase how associations leverage their unique resources to solve problems, advance industry/professional performance, kickstart innovation and improve world conditions.

Kim Chadwick Joins Central Turf & Irrigation Supply
Central Turf & Irrigation Supply, a North American wholesale distributor of irrigation, landscape, lighting and equipment supplies, has appointed Kim Chadwick Vice President of Operations. Chadwick comes to Central with over 20 years of industry experience with high growth private and public industry companies including McGinnis Farms, John Deere Landscapes and most recently SiteOne Landscape Supply where she was Vice President, Human Resources. Chadwick’s primary focus at Central will be enhancing current processes to support the field in areas including recruiting, onboarding, and talent development.

Read last week’s industry news roundup: CASE Begins Heavy Equipment Operations for Hurricane Harvey Recovery

The post Yale Replacing Grounds Gear With Electric Alternatives: The Week’s Industry News appeared first on Turf.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230377 http://ift.tt/2furPyD
via IFTTT