Bartlett president to retire
STAMFORD, Conn. – After a 45-year career in arboriculture, Greg Daniels will retire as president and chief operating officer of Bartlett Tree Experts on Dec. 31, the company said in a statement.
Daniels joined Bartlett in 1975 as a local manager and held roles of increasing responsibility until being named president in 1999. During his tenure with the company, he has been involved in more than 20 acquisitions, 31 office openings and the establishment of new locations in the U.S. and abroad. He is, and will remain, a member of the Bartlett board of directors and trustee of the Bartlett Tree Foundation, which provides mentoring and financial support for future arborists.
In 2011, Daniels received the TCIA Award of Merit, the highest honor bestowed by the organization to an individual that has positively impacted the practice of arboriculture. His years of volunteer service to industry organizations including TCIA, ISA and the National Arborist Foundation are just one example of his role in advancing the field of arboriculture.
“Greg has been a true visionary for Bartlett Tree Experts, building the company’s character with his leadership,” said Robert Bartlett Jr. chairman and CEO. “I remember when I first met him. He wanted more than a job. He wanted a challenge. I’m pretty sure we’ve been able to deliver that challenge over the years – and Greg has more than lived up to it. I look forward to working with him in a new capacity in the years to come.”
Bartlett Tree Experts is currently conducting an internal application process and will be naming a new president in the coming months. The selected candidate will start Jan. 1, 2013, under the mentorship of Daniels, who will continue to be actively involved in the company.
Scotts and Valent make a deal
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. – Valent U.S.A. Corp. announced an agreement with The Scotts Co., which includes a collaborative supply agreement on key active ingredients for the outdoor consumer lawn and garden market in the United States.
Scotts will acquire certain consumer assets of Valent subsidiary Green Light Co., including trademarks for the Green Light brand family: Amaze Grass & Weed Preventer2, Super Bloom, Rose Defense, Conquest Insecticide Concentrate and Yard Safe Insect Repellent, among others. The existing Green Light products, pricing, programs, promotions and processes are expected to transition from Valent to Scotts over the next few months and remain unchanged for the remainder of the program year.
“As a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical Co., Limited, Valent has an innovative, growing portfolio of active ingredients and proprietary formulations which are appropriate for many market segments. In the case of the U.S. consumer lawn and garden business, Scotts offers excellent market access and the ideal business opportunity for cooperation,” said Andy Lee, Valent chief operating officer.
“This divestiture allows us to sell our proprietary products directly to Scotts and continue to access the important consumer lawn and garden business, while also allowing us to focus on our rapidly growing core business: providing innovative technology to professional and agricultural markets. It also signals our willingness to enter strategic partnership agreements with companies recognizing the value of our best-in-class products.”
Judge grants H-2B injunction
PENSACOLA, Fla. – A Florida judge has granted a temporary injunction preventing the Department of Labor from implementing the H-2B program rule. The ruling, issued in Florida, applies nationwide, said Tom Delaney, PLANET’s director of government affairs. Congress has blocked the wage rule until Sept. 30.
“We do expect the Department of Justice to appeal the decision, but any legal challenge will take a quite a while to play itself out and we are well positioned to address any further legal challenge,” Delaney said.
PLANET and other organizations initiated lawsuits against the H-2B program rule in the Northern District of Florida. PLANET attorney Richard Lehr said the judge relied heavily on PLANET CEO Sabeena Hickman’s sworn statement when making the decision.
CENTS 2013 dates announced
WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s Central Environmental Nursery Trade Show (CENTS) will be held on Jan. 14-16, 2013 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus.
CENTS Marketplace provides a sales/purchasing and networking venue for professionals representing all facets of the nursery, landscape and horticulture industries. Managed by the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association (ONLA), CENTS features more than 400 exhibitors and more than 80,000 square feet of exhibits.
“Many of our attendees choose CENTS as the only green industry convention to attend each year,” says ONLA President Andy Harding, vice president and general manager at Herman Losely & Son. “They count on us to provide them with tools, contacts, and access to products and services that will build their businesses in this competitive economy. CENTS Marketplace delivers everything companies need for the business side of their business, and the green side of their business.”
CENTS will again partner with The Ohio State University Nursery Short Course to deliver a range of programming including technical training, business management courses and owner-specific education.
Bobcat expands operations
WEST FARGO, N.D. – Bobcat Co. and Menlo Worldwide Logistics announced the expansion of operations at Bobcat’s Manufacturing Support Center in Bismarck, N.D. Bobcat also announced plans to acquire additional land at the Northern Plains Commerce Center, to create an Innovation Center for product development and testing.
Production of Bobcat compact attachments will begin moving to the new MSC (the former Bobcat production facility) immediately. Menlo has operated in Bobcat’s facilities as a strategic logistics partner since 2006. As many as 150 new positions will be created to support expanded production operations for the compact attachments line, which is being shifted to the MSC from a Bobcat Company-owned plant in Litchfield, Minn.
“This move enables us to better respond to customer demand for our attachments while leveraging the expertise of our strategic logistics partner in the process,” said Rich Goldsbury, president of Bobcat.
“This is a positive move for Bobcat, Menlo, Bismarck and North Dakota.”
This move will allow increased production of Bobcat attachments and equipment in the state of North Dakota, Goldsbury said, adding that market demand for compact attachments has increased as customers seek new ways to diversify businesses by adding more attachments to their existing compact equipment.
“Menlo and Bobcat have enjoyed a strong relationship for six years, and we look forward to expanding that relationship,” said Bob Bianco, president of Menlo Worldwide Logistics.
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Kansas, The Eli Young Band to perform at GIE+EXPO Legendary rock band Kansas will perform a free concert during GIE+EXPO and Hardscape North America on Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 4th St. Live! in downtown Louisville. The Eli Young Band, who recently won the 2012 Academy of Country Music Awards’ Song of the Year for “Crazy Girl,” will also perform a free concert on Oct. 25, at 4th St. Live! Kansas, well-known for their hit singles, “Dust in the Wind” and “Carry on my Wayward Son” has produced eight Gold albums and one Platinum live album. |
While increased compact attachments business has outgrown the Litchfield plant’s capacity, Bobcat will continue operating the Litchfield facility by moving heavy equipment attachment operations from a Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment facility in Statesville, N.C.
The move will involve around 65 positions, replacing more than a third of the jobs currently in Litchfield.
Bobcat also announced plans for the former MSC building and the acquisition of additional land at the NPCC. The company will build an Innovation Center, designed as a center of product design. Bobcat officials say it will bring together customer-, product- and dealer-focused functions and processes, creating a dedicated environment for evaluating customer research, conducting product testing and training and refining manufacturing processes.
Approximately 175 positions will be based at the Innovation Center, centralizing existing engineering jobs and adding new positions as well.
Work will begin on the Innovation Center later this year, with a full build-out at the NPCC to be completed by the end of 2014.
The former MSC will be renovated, plus a 50,000 square-foot indoor arena will be added with a 5-acre outdoor operation area.
Registration for WaterSmart Innovations Conference open
LAS VEGAS – Registration for the 5th Annual WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Exposition is now open.
WSI 2012 is slated for Oct. 3-5 at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas.
WSI is offering an early bird registration fee of $330 through Friday, June 1. Beginning June 2, the full registration fee will be $390.
To register for the conference and for more information about the event, visit www.watersmartinnovations.com.
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Hires, promotions and career advancements LAYTONSVILLE, Md. – Ruppert Landscape promoted Scott Distasio to the role of branch manager in for the Baltimore Landscape Maintenance branch. Distasio, a Catonsville, Md. resident, has more than 15 years of industry experience and has been with the company for five years serving in the roles of area manager and enhancement manager. In 2008, Distasio was awarded the 2008 Branch Impact Award for the Frederick Landscape Management Branch, an award that is presented to the branch employee whose outstanding dedication and contribution have made a positive impact on the organization. Distasio holds a bachelor’s degree in landscape development from SUNY Cobleskill. As a Branch Manager, Distasio will be responsible for the overall development and health of the branch including strategic planning, budgeting, training and higher education and all day-to-day operations. WARRENVILLE, Ill. – Stan Holat, an employee of Autumn-SavATree, completed the Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) program offered by the Tree Care Industry Association. The CTSP program allows one or more employees at a given company to become certified tree care safety experts, thereby encouraging a culture of safety within that organization. In achieving this honor, Holat joins more than 15 of his Autumn-SavATree colleagues who have also completed the CTSP program. SAN MARCOS, Calif. – FX Luminaire hired Zach Rundle as sales manager for the Gulf states and Drew Tedford for the same position in the Great Lakes region. Rundle is a graduate of the University of Arkansas’ school of agriculture where he earned a B.S. in Horticulture and Turf Grass Management. Tedford is a graduate of the University of Arkansas’ Landscape Architecture program. He has been involved in the lighting industry for almost a decade, and has held positions with distributors and numerous design/build firms. Rundle is based out of Fayetteville, Ark. His region will include Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, the Florida Pan Handle and western Tennessee. Tedford is based out of Glen Ellyn, Ill., which is 25 miles west of Chicago. His region will include northern Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Wisconsin. CHARLOTTE N.C.– Jacobsen has added three territory sales managers. Kevin Hutchins recently started as territory sales manager in the West, supporting western Nevada, California and Baja California. Hutchins was the superintendent at Mission Viejo Country Club in California for nine years. During his tenure, Hutchins won several industry awards, including the GCSAA Environmental Leader Award. Darrin Batisky was hired as territory sales manager in the Northeast, supporting territories in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Quebec in Canada. Prior to Jacobsen, Batisky was a turf and ornamental agronomist with Helena Chemical Co. He also served as a golf course superintendent for 15 years, managing courses in Pennsylvania and New York. Don Barowsky is Jacobsen’s newest territory sales manager, responsible for the Northwest region including Montana, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and parts of Wyoming, Washington and Nevada. Barowsky was most recently golf and sales Manager at Silver Creek Supply in Boise, Idaho. WORCESTER, Mass. – Michael Alexander has joined the Curtis Industries as vice president of marketing and sales. Alexander comes to Curtis Industries from Club Car Corp., where he was director of global business development. |
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