Davey Tree hires director of recruiting and development

KENT, Ohio – The Davey Tree Expert Company has appointed Brigitte Orrick to director of recruiting and employee development.

Orrick joins Davey from the Tree Care Industry Association, where she was the workforce development director. Prior to TCIA, Orrick was the Dean of Trade, Industry, and Apprenticeships at Nicolet College. With more than 15 years in the industry, Orrick brings experience in the collegiate and professional affiliate market spaces.

“To keep pace with Davey’s growth and service delivery expectations, we have committed to providing a premier recruiting and employee development function,” said Greg Ina, executive vice president of The Davey Institute and employee development. “More than ever, it is increasingly important that we also positively influence employee retention and reduce turnover through aggressive engagement and development strategies. Brigitte’s expansive network, experience and passion for our industry will undoubtedly serve her well as she takes on this new role.”

Orrick holds a bachelor’s degree in forest resource management from West Virginia University and a master’s degree in forestry and wood products from Virginia Tech. She is a graduate of The Chair Academy and Leadership Pikes Peak.

WALLED LAKE, Mich. – Real Green, a global software company, has entered a partnership with Serent Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm focused on investing in high-growth technology and services businesses.

Real Green’s solution provides an operational management and marketing service solution for businesses ranging from small startups to international franchise operations.

The platform provides an integrated and automated solution to enriching and extracting customer and marketing data. Real Green started with the lawn care industry and expanded to industries such as pest control and real estate.

“Since inception, Real Green has focused on one thing – improving lawn care companies’ and other service providers’ ability to manage their backend system and serve their customers,” said Joe Kucik, founder and CEO of Real Green. “Real Green was the first to develop software to aid in managing and growing a lawn care business, a concept that started a service-industry software revolution. Our Service Assistant, Mobile Live, Route Assistant, and Real Green Payments products are leading examples of how we help our customers to do more and scale.”

“We have spent several years looking for the right platform investment in the field service industry. Real Green is the leader in software and marketing services for lawn care companies, and we are tremendously impressed by the business Joe and his team have built.

“This success is demonstrated by stellar customer satisfaction, strong growth, and high retention rates,” said Lance Fenton, partner at Serent Capital. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Real Green management team to drive continued product innovation and growth.”

Real Green will add three independent directors to their board of directors, starting with Romir Bosu. He has extensive experience working with high-growth software businesses and implementing payment processing capabilities through his work at Nadavon Capital Partners.

Bosu was formerly a board member at PayLease, a payments company serving the apartment rental market, and serves as on the board of Club Speed, Capsilon, and is the Lead Director for another Serent business, BirchStreet Systems.

Serent’s investment in Real Green represents its eighth investment in the field services industry, including Next Gear, Aftermath, and CoConstruct.

HORSTEL, Germany – OASE Living Water acquired U.S.-based Atlantic Water Gardens, a leading supplier of outdoor water feature products and systems to the North American market.

Headquartered in Hörstel, Germany, OASE provides water gardening products. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Atlantic Water Gardens has a 30-year history of supplying professional grade water feature products to landscape contractors through distribution channels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“We have been collaborating with European landscapers for years and see an opportunity to build on this experience with professional contractors in the North American market,” said OASE CEO Thorsten Muck. “We are excited about this expansion as it gives us the opportunity to work with the highly respected and talented team at Atlantic. Their product range and expertise will enhance our ability to serve an even broader range of customers world-wide.”

“Joining forces with OASE will provide excellent channels to deliver our state-of-the-art water features to landscapers beyond North America. What’s more, OASE’s wide range of premium water gardening equipment is highly complementary to Atlantic’s systems and projects,” said Jeff Weemhoff, the president of Atlantic Water Gardens.

“We look forward to providing OASE’s cutting edge, German-engineered technology to our clientele,” he said. “Together, we will create the most innovative and comprehensive water gardening business in North America.

“Whether the beginning hobbyist or the professional landscaper – by reaching out to a more diverse base of water garden enthusiasts, our goal is to transform and inspire the North American water gardening industry.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – GPS Insight has promoted Gary Fitzgerald to chief executive officer. Former CEO and founder, Rob Donat, will remain with the company as chairman of the board. Wayne Holder, the company’s controller, moves to the chief financial officer role and Jason Walker, VP of sales, becomes chief revenue officer.

Fitzgerald joined GPS Insight in 2016, from GE, where he served as an enterprise architect for 10 years.

Fitzgerald served as vice president of technology for almost two years and led the company’s product development efforts, technical teams, and security practice.

“This is a pivotal time for the telematics industry with many intriguing technologies hitting the market,” Fitzgerald said. “We believe that camera systems, 5G cellular technology, and mesh networks will be a significant part of the next generation of fleet management. We are confident that our product will be a market leader, driving innovation across the industry. Our continued growth is a testament to Rob’s leadership and the talented team the company has assembled.”

In his new capacity, Holder will take a more active role in financial planning and analysis. Walker has been with GPS Insight since 2010 and leads the company’s sales efforts.

“Jason and Wayne have been invaluable assets to GPS Insight since joining the company,” Donat said.

“I’ve worked closely with both Wayne and Jason over the past couple years and remain impressed with their dedication to our customers and fellow team members,” Fitzgerald said. “In their new expanded roles, both Jason and Wayne are perfectly positioned to provide leadership during the next phase of growth at GPS Insight.”

ALEXANDRIA, Va.– The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) environmental education and stewardship program, TurfMutt, is sponsoring a new television program, Ready Set, Pet.

Hosted by Phil Torres and co-produced by Hearst Originals, Ready, Set, Pet educates and informs teens and their families about pet adoption, responsible pet ownership and the importance of a green space for pets.

In each episode, Torres guides a family through the pet adoption process after a careful look at their unique situation to help them make an informed decision in finding the right pet for their lifestyle.

While the family visits local shelters and rescues, experts revitalize their outdoor space to make a safe and eco-friendly home for their new pet. Ready, Set, Pet teaches viewers that thoughtful preparation is key when learning to care for an animal's needs.

"Ready, Set, Pet" airs on Saturday mornings on the CW Network.

The show will teach viewers to carefully prepare their green spaces for an animal’s needs.

Included in each episode are TurfMutt tips on the importance of our yards and managed landscapes to families, pets and the environment.

Through the TurfMutt program, Lucky, the real-life rescue dog behind the TurfMutt cartoon character, is “pawing it forward” for other rescue dogs by championing the family yard and other green spaces.

In conjunction with its education partner Scholastic, the youth education program educates children in grades K-5 and their families on the importance of caring for these important green spaces.

TurfMutt sponsored a TurfMutt Adoption Event, “MUTT MADNESS,” in partnership with the Kentucky Humane Society (KHS), in Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center during GIE+EXPO.