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Caterpillar Inc. and its dealers will sponsor a dragster in the National Hot Rod Association’s motor sport circuit during the 2008 racing season. Working with David Powers Motorsports to sponsor the dragster, Caterpillar says it will use the partnership to recruit service technicians for Cat dealers in the U.S. and Canada. The agreement follows a technician recruiting pilot program already under way with Caterpillar, some of its dealers, DPM and the NHRA. Prompted by a shortage of qualified service technicians, the partnership will yield access to a rich recruiting environment of highly skilled candidates with mechanical backgrounds, the company says. The company adds that NHRA events are attended by up to 125,000 people per event, and televised races reach more than 91 million viewers.
Novozymes has signed a development agreement with Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira, a Brazilian company, to develop bioethanol from bagasse, a residual product of sugar production from sugar cane. The development will occur through the collaboration of CTC and Novozymes in Brazil, along with Novozymes’ research and development centers in the U.S. and Denmark. This process is said to enable higher ethanol yield in the production process from sugar cane, maximizing the energy balance and further reducing the land use and emissions of greenhouse gases. The company says it won’t know the extent to which the cooperation can be commercialized for a few years. Brazil is the world’s largest producer of biofuel, predominantly based on sugar cane.
Last month marked the kickoff of the first Take Our Moms, Wives and Daughters to Golf Month. The event, designed to bolster women’s interest in golf, included resources for courses to get started and incentives for newcomers. Proceeds benefited the Executive Women’s Golf Association Foundation, a nonprofit group that develops golf education and leadership programs for women. The event was founded by Scott Pierson, who co-founded Moms Who Golf and estimated that more than 25,000 women played golf for the first time last month. Visit www.momswhogolf.com for more information.
Reinders has opened a new 7,000-square-foot store in Vernon Hills, Ill., near Chicago. The company celebrated its second store opening in Illinois with a grand opening ceremony last month. Reinders, a provider of grass seed, fertilizer, weed control products, irrigation supplies and more, also operates a store in Rockford, Ill., plus six locations in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Carson Industries LLC has been purchased by Oldcastle Inc., the North American division of CRH, an international producer of construction and building materials. Carson previously was owned by Norwest Equity Partners. Oldcastle says that Carson Industries will continue to maintain current channel partners and sales rep organizations, in addition to building company growth. Carson Industries provides enclosure and equipment pad solutions for irrigation and HVAC markets.
Sioux Corp. has acquired three new product lines from Walters Manufacturing of Watsonville, Calif. The company now is the exclusive sponsor for the Walters SteamGun, SafeSteam and SteamPro. The SteamGun can handle temperatures up to 450 degrees at 1,500 psi with minimal pressure loss. Sioux also will sell all replacement parts for the line. The SafeSteam line is a steam cleaner that taps in-plant steam and cold water lines. Finally, the SteamPro is a steam cleaner that will be incorporated into the Sioux Dakota Line, the company says. This line should be available starting January 2008.
Three members of the American Society of Golf Course Architects were named fellows at the group’s 61st annual meeting in Atlanta. Dick Phelps, David Rainville and Roger Rulewich have received the association’s fellow status, which requires being an ASGCA member in good standing for at least 10 years and having reached the age of 70. The group has named a total of 26 fellows. Phelps served as ASGCA president from 1980 to 1981 and has been a member since 1969. He designed courses such as Raccoon Creek, Lakewood, Colo.; Firewheel Golf Park, Garland, Texas; and Saddle Rock GC, Aurora, Colo. Rainville, a member since 1982, designed Mile Square GC, Fountain Valley, Calif.; Yucaipa (Calif.) Valley GC; and The Vineyard at Escondido (Calif.). Rulewich, president of the group from 1987 to 1988 and a member since 1963, worked for Robert Trent Jones for more than 30 years and has designed Ballyowen GC, Hamburg, N.J.; Foy Hopyard GC, East Haddam, Conn.; and Grand Dunes GC, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Dow AgroScience’s Dimension 2EW specialty herbicide is now registered for commercial use in California. A new formulation that offers post-emergence control of crabgrass and pre-emergence control of other grassy and broadleaf weeds, Dimension 2EW provides flexibility for turf and landscape sites, Dow says. The product contains the active ingredient dithiopyr and is a water-based formula available in half-gallon, 2½-gallon and 30-gallon containers. Dimension contains 2 pounds of active ingredient per gallon.
The Chicagoland Association of Golf Course Superintendents announces Luke Cella, CGCS, as its executive director. Cella is president of Cella Solutions Inc. An affiliate GCSAA member, Cella has worked in the golf industry since 1990 and works in association management.
The opening of a golf exhibit honoring a prestigious team competition in women’s professional golf occurred last August, less than a month before the kickoff of this year’s Solheim Cup at Sweden’s Halmstad GC. The exhibit, unveiled by the World Golf Hall of Fame with support from Ping, the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour, is titled “Pride, Passion, Patriotism: A Celebration of The Solheim Cup.” The exhibit features stories told by Solheim Cup captains and participants, personal memorabilia and three original Solheim Cup trophies on display from the Solheim family. Photos and videos complement the exhibit.
ClubCorp Inc. golf facilities now can receive customized financing solutions primarily for the acquisition of turf maintenance equipment as a result of a partnership between the company and National City Golf Finance. ClubCorp’s affiliates own or operate nearly 170 golf courses, country clubs, sports clubs and resorts worldwide. The new program offers ClubCorp facilities special financing options for turf equipment, technology and other equipment, with a focus on financing structures and flexible terms.
BASF Corp. has named Golf Ventures West, Phoenix, an authorized distributor of its Plurasafe EnBio TCS hydraulic fluid, which is formulated to eliminate damage caused by hydraulic spills on turfgrass. Golf Ventures West serves Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. A water-free lubricant, Plurasafe EnBio TCS is designed to replace hydraulic fluids based on mineral oils, vegetable oils and synthetic ester fluids, which the company says are known to kill turf and root systems. Golf Ventures West has additional exclusive partnerships with manufacturers in the golf and turf industries.
Tycrop has added two new distributors to its network — Professional Turf Products in Oklahoma and LaCorte Farm and Lawn Equipment in Long Island, N.Y. Professional Turf Products is a distributor for The Toro Co., while LaCorte Farm and Lawn Equipment carries John Deere equipment.
Jessup, Md.-based McDonald & Sons Golf Course Builders announces it will contribute $1,000 annually to the University of Maryland to help fund the newly established Golf Course Builders Association of America Foundation scholarship. Beginning this fall, yearly $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to two students at the university — one given to a student enrolled in the school’s four-year golf course management program, and one made by the matching funds from McDonald & Sons, a GCBAA member, to a student in a two-year golf course management program at the Institute of Applied Agriculture. Scholarship winners also will receive a two-year affiliate membership with GCBAA, a floor pass to the Golf Industry Show in February, a subscription to the group’s newsletter and access to all PGA, LPGA and USGA events.
The National Turfgrass Federation recently updated its Web site, www.turfresearch.org, to recognize sponsoring organizations and companies over the past year. Other enhancements include a U.S. map highlighting the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service turfgrass research, plus a complete description of the NTF and its governance. The U.S. map features research by state and research category, with links to more information on research projects, their purpose and progress. Sponsors of the NTF include: the USGA, the Irrigation Association, Turfgrass Producers International, Professional Landcare Network, Dow AgroSciences, Project EverGreen, Hunter Industries, The Scotts Co., Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association, Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation, Kentucky Turfgrass Council, the Sports Turf Managers Association and the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program.
At its 17th annual meeting in New Orleans last September,
Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment provided resources, elbow grease and 20 members to work on the restoration effort of New Orleans’ Longue Vue House and Gardens. A national trade association that represents pesticide and fertilizer manufacturers and distributors, RISE sent its members and resources to weed, replant, rake, maintain and restore the gardens of the eight-acre historic site that was 80 percent under water after Hurricane Katrina decimated the area in August 2005. The goal was to help restore Longue Vue, which sits near the infamous 17th Street Canal, to its original 1934 plan.
Last month’s Tee It Up for the Troops tournaments, a fundraiser for wounded American soldiers and their families, drew support from 110 courses in 33 states. Started two years ago at Mendakota CC in Mendata Heights, Minn., the event now takes place at multiple golf facilities across the country. The organizers intend for the event to be held on the Friday before Sept. 11 each year and to be open to any golfer and golf course. Golfers are asked to contribute 10 percent above green fees to the cause. This year’s simultaneous tournaments were expected to generate more than $1 million. In Minnesota alone, Tee It Up for the Troops has grown to 10 events at more than 20 golf courses. The Club Managers Association of America is a supporter of the event.
As a celebration of its 35th year in business in the United States, Kubota Tractor Corp. announces a new habitat restoration initiative, which kicks off with a Quail Unlimited sponsorship. Designed to develop and restore wildlife habitat nationwide, the initiative also includes Habitat Improvement Teams, pioneered by Quail Unlimited and Kubota, which will help educate public land managers and private landowners about how to complete habitat improvements on their properties. As part of the initiative, Kubota will sponsor tractors and equipment to support the Habitat Improvement Teams’ efforts during the next three years to help with restoration efforts, the company says.
The American Cancer Society received more than $54,000 as a result of Target Specialty Products’ annual charity golf tournament this year at the Tustin Ranch GC in Tustin, Calif. More than 130 golfers representing the golf, pest control, landscape, nursery and vegetation management industries turned out for the event, which honored five cancer survivors with ties to Target Specialty Products. A dinner, silent auction and raffle followed the tournament.
People news
Scott Todd is the new national business manager for Valent Professional Products. Charged with growing its product portfolio in the professional turf and ornamentals business, Todd will represent products such as Safari insecticide, Velocity herbicide, BroadStar herbicide, SureGuard herbicide and Sumagic plant growth regulator.
Mitchell Products (TriCure Soil Surfactants) has hired Karen Plumley, Ph.D., as its national accounts manager for its sales and product support. Plumley will be responsible for distributors in the United States and internationally. Previously, she worked for Cleary Chemical and as an instructor for Rutgers Turf Management School. She also is vice president of the New Jersey Turfgrass Association.
Project EverGreen has announced the winners of its 2007 Because Green Matters scholarships. The $2,500 awards, which assist students preparing for careers in the green industry, went to John Eastman, a horticulture student with an emphasis on landscape design and building at Michigan State University, and Dustin Potts, a horticulture and landscape architecture student at Purdue University.
June Cleveringa is the new director of marketing for AquaMaster. A 20-year veteran in sales, management and marketing, she previously worked as a business development executive for Coakley Tech Inc. in Milwaukee.
Yamaha Golf-Car Co. announces Tom McDonald as its vice president of marketing and sales. He will be responsible for the sales and marketing of all company products and coordinating financial activities. McDonald previously worked in the automotive, recreational vehicle and power sports industries.
Travis Klosterboer is the newest sales specialist for BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals. Klosterboer, a GCSAA member, will cover Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, helping superintendents, chemical distributors and other turf professionals select products specific to their challenges. He worked as an assistant superintendent at courses in Houston and Fort Worth. He previously worked for Bayer Environmental Science.
The National Golf Foundation names Gregory T.A. Nathan its vice president. Nathan will be responsible for business development within the consulting and research divisions, working with current and prospective clients and leveraging NGF’s research, database and consulting assets, according to the group. Nathan previously worked as director of client marketing for Golf Magazine and the SI Golf Group.
Golf briefs
Platteview CC in Bellevue, Neb., has signed Landscapes Unlimited Golf Group to a five-year full-service management contract. The company says it will use economies of scale to decrease operation expenses and give the club more working capital to make clubhouse and other improvements. One goal is to grow the club’s current membership from 200 to 350. Ahren Wonderlich is the superintendent at Platteview. Landscapes Unlimited manages 14 other facilities.
The Colorado Golf Association and Colorado Women’s Golf Association have hired Renaissance Golf Design to redesign the groups’ Mira Vista GC in Denver. Led by architect Tom Doak, the renovation will include a new 18-hole championship course and an enhanced practice facility with a short course devoted to junior golf. The course planned to close this fall and reopen in spring 2009. The two associations took over the operations of Mira Vista (previously the Lowry Air Force Base golf course) and officially bought it in 2005. Chanaan Fasanello is the superintendent at Mira Vista.
Southworth Development, through its European subsidiary, has landed a management contract in Scotland — Machrihanish Dunes, a new 18-hole oceanfront links course scheduled to open next spring or summer. Euan Grant, a Class A GCSAA member, is superintendent at the course. The company also will manage the Ugadale Hotel, adjacent to Machrihanish GC, and the Royal Hotel in Campbeltown, a famous hotel to be reopened early next year.
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