News

Davey Tree Expert Co. acquires Mass.-based Hartney Greymont
KENT, Ohio – The Davey Tree Expert Co. has acquired Hartney Greymont. Hartney Greymont is based in Needham, Mass., and was the Boston Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year in 2008.

Hartney Greymont provides tree, landscape and lawn services and will continue to operate under its existing name as a division of Davey. Jim McGuire, Hartney Greymont president, will continue in his leadership role as general manager of the division.

Hartney Greymont was established in 1938, when Mike Hartney started Hartney Tree Surgeons. In 1976, Hartney Tree merged with Greymont Tree Specialists to form Hartney Greymont. In 1988, the ownership of Hartney Greymont passed from Robert Greymont to its employees through an employee stock ownership plan.

“This will strengthen Davey’s presence in the Northeast and will bring additional regional business expertise, talented arborists and employee owners to our organization,” said Karl J. Warnke, Davey chairman, president and CEO.  “Both Hartney Greymont and Davey are actively involved in efforts to preserve and improve the health and beauty of our environment and are committed to supporting the highest professional standards, particularly through programs that educate current and future arborists.”

Mark Tobin, Hartney Greymont chairman and CEO, is a former chairman of The Tree Care Industry Association and a past recipient of TCIA’s award of merit, the organization’s highest honor.

“We were attracted to Davey because of the company’s commitment to employee ownership,” said Tobin. “Hartney Greymont’s success has been based on core values that are central to achieving our mission: honesty, quality, dedication, safety, respect and accountability. We believe The Davey Company shares these values.”

This transaction is Davey’s ninth in the past three years. It follows Davey’s June 2008 merger with The Care of Trees, and March 2008 acquisition of Wolf Tree Experts.

Deere doubles construction equipment warranty coverage
MOLINE, Ill. – John Deere has increased standard warranty coverage on new construction equipment in the U.S. and Canada.

The free, basic warranty has changed from six to 12 months.

“Now customers will be protected longer in this difficult climate,” said Ron Mayfield, director, worldwide customer and product support, John Deere Construction & Forestry. “That’s more than possible money savings; it’s valuable peace of mind.”

Deere’s basic, no-deductible 12-month warranty continues with the machine if the equipment is sold to another party.

Lawn & Landscape launches Environmental Business Awards
RICHFIELD, Ohio – How green is your company? Find out this fall.

Lawn & Landscape has launched the Environmental Leadership Awards, a program that recognizes businesses representing the core values of the green industry.

The awards, sponsored by Case, will recognize three outstanding landscape contractors who have had a direct environmental impact or have successfully overcome major environmental obstacles in order to complete a project or body of work.
  
The prestigious awards increase awareness of the contributions made by landscape contractors to the industry and the benefits of being committed to the green philosophy.
  
This year’s premier awards presentation will be made at this year’s GIE+EXPO, held Oct. 28-30, in Louisville, Ky.
  
Awards can be won for commercial or residential projects, including: rooftop gardens, green roofs, wetland remediation, landscape rehabilitation and waterscape installations. Each winning company receives a trip for two to the Case Tomahawk Customer Center in Tomahawk, Wis., for a customized hands-on equipment training/operation experience, and a $1,000 Case gift card.

To nominate a company or enter your own, fill out the entry form by Sept. 30.

Groups solicit comments on H-2B program
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s labor, immigration and employee benefits division, and ImmigrationWorks USA have commissioned immigration economist Madeline Zavodny to write a report on the H-2B visa program.

The groups plan to use data from the report to lobby Congress this fall in support of the guest worker program.

They are interested in learning:

• How many workers with H-2B visas have you employed in the last three years?
• What types of jobs do H-2B workers hold at your company?
• What are the benefits of the H-2B program for your company?
• What, if any, problems have you had with the H-2B program?
• What do you think your firm would do if you were not able to hire any H-2B workers?

You can e-mail your responses to Niki Littell at nlittell@immigrationworksusa.org or fax them to 202-506-4642. You can also answer at www.immigrationworksusa.org.

New England Grows broadens market scope for 2011 show
BOSTON – More than 30 ground-breaking educational seminars are planned for New England Grows, the Northeast’s premier trade exposition and green industry educational conference, scheduled for Feb. 2-4, 2011, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

The New England Grows speaker lineup includes such industry experts as Stephen Stimson, Richard Hartlage, Dan Snow, John Stilgoe, Mark Chisholm, Whitney Cranshaw and many other noted presenters. In addition to a host of horticultural and design topics, important business issues such as effective marketing, social media and customer retention will be addressed at the event.

Also, a new educational feature, Garden Center Success, will offer exceptional education aimed directly at today’s independent garden center operators. Garden Center Magazine Editor and Publisher Yale Youngblood will be part of this pertinent program for retailers.

“New England Grows offers top-line ideas, information and cost-effective solutions to meet today’s tough business challenges,” said New England Grows President Jim Abusamra, MCA of Hartney Greymont in Needham, Mass. “Just about everyone in the green industry attends New England Grows. it is the place for all of us to connect and get business done.”

Roughly 600 companies are expected to exhibit at New England Grows. Abusamra said booth sales have been strong, and that veteran exhibitors are expanding displays and many new vendors are joining the show’s ranks.
There are special savings for early registration to New England Grows: $39 for all three days for those who register before Jan. 15.

For more information, or to register, visit www.newenglandgrows.org.

NPMA and PLANET to co-host second lawn care summit
FAIRFAX, Va. – The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and PLANET, will once again co-host the Lawn Care Summit, a national forum on current trends and future developments in lawn care.

The meeting is scheduled for Dec. 1-3, at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. The inaugural summit covered how to create a dynamic website, strategic use of new and traditional insecticides and tips on designing cost-effective programs.
 
Dual-tracked sessions will offer both technical and business management sessions for owners, managers and top-line technicians. Programming developed by leaders in the lawn care field will bring respected experts from national firms to share thoughts on what the future holds as well as seasoned veterans to offer practical advice on how they are responding to current issues in the field.

The complete schedule for the Lawn Care Summit, sponsorship information and registration materials are available at NPMA’s and PLANET’s websites: www.npmapestworld.org and www.landcarenetwork.org.