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INDUSTRY NEWS |
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England elected its slate of officers for 2009. Patrick J. Daly, CGCS at Framingham (Mass.) CC, is president; Jason Adams, the Class A member at Blue Hill CC, Canton, Mass., is vice president; Russell Heller, CGCS at Franklin Park GC, Dorchester, Mass., is the past president; Michael Stachowicz of Dedham (Mass.) Country & Polo Club is treasurer; Michael Luccini, CGCS at Franklin (Mass.) CC, is finance chairman; Mark Gagne of Walpole (Mass.) CC is secretary; Richard Gagnon of Segregansett CC, Taunton, Mass., is newsletter chairman; David Stowe, CGCS at Newton (Mass.) Commonwealth GC, is golf chairman; and David Johnson of Whitinsville GC, Dudley, Mass., is the education chairman.
Wolf Mountain Products, a supplier of wood-based soil enhancements and specialized mulch products, has acquired the FirsTurf trademark and brand to provide liquid fertilizer blends to golf course, turf and ornamental markets. The brand was acquired from Tessenderlo Kerley Inc., with which Wolf Mountain is also forming a marketing partnership, it says. As a result, Wolf Mountain will market the FirsTurf brand of liquid urea-triazone-based slow-release nitrogen, potassium and sulfur-based fertilizers in 275-gallon containers and smaller. Products will be available across North America through distributors, partners and directly from the company. For more information, visit www.firsturf.com.
Bobcat Co. announces a long-term strategic alliance with Polaris Industries Inc., which designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off-road vehicles that include all-terrain vehicles, snow mobiles and motorcycles. The two companies plan to co-develop work vehicles and share technology with a planned launch by the second half of 2010. Scott Wine, CEO of Polaris Industries, says his company will initially produce and sell work vehicles to Bobcat to be sold through Bobcat’s network of dealers, and at some point in the future the two companies will co-develop vehicles for both brands.
Yamabiko Corp., the parent company of Echo Inc., has announced plans to merge all Echo operations with those of Shindaiwa Corp. Echo and Shindaiwa, both of which manufacture outdoor power equipment, formed an alliance in 2007. However, rising costs, weakened global markets and a declining exchange rate between the dollar and the Japanese yen prompted the companies to accelerate the consolidation process, according to Yamabiko. Operations are scheduled to be merged in Japan by October, and the North American operations of both companies will also be affected. Shindaiwa Inc., Tualatin, Ore., will transfer sales and marketing responsibilities for Europe, Asia and the Middle East back to Japan, while all Shindaiwa operations for the U.S. will be merged with Echo’s operations in Lake Zurich, Ill., by October.
During Jacobsen’s recent annual dealer and customer event, the company announced the recipients of its 2008 Dealer Awards. The 2008 Pacesetter Awards went to Jason D’Andrea, G.C. Duke Equipment Ltd.; Ken Bramble, C&M Golf and Grounds Equipment; Dave Fleming, Kilpatrick Turf Equipment Inc.; Eric Nielsen, Turfwerks; Trip Freeman, Rocky Mountain Turf Equipment; Mike Werth, Burris Equipment Co.; and George Corgan, Steven Willand Inc. The 2008 Dealer of the Year Award went to Krigger & Co. Inc., the 2008 CustomerCare Dealer of the Year was awarded to O.J. Co. Ltd., and the Achievement in Customer Excellence Award went to Phil Millett of Rocky Mountain Turf Equipment.
Donald Hoos, superintendent at Wildcat Golf Club, Houston, recently won the 2008 Superintendent of the Year honor from ValleyCrest Golf Course Maintenance. The company award recognizes excellence among its 60 superintendents. Hoos first started with ValleyCrest in 2000 as a regional superintendent in Southern California. He also held a position with the USGA as a regional agronomist.
Lebanon Turf’s marketing manager Mike Sisti has joined the board of directors of Project EverGreen, a national initiative of green industry companies, associations and end-users. The group educates and informs consumers about the environmental, economic and lifestyle benefits of well-maintained green spaces. Den Gardner, Project EverGreen’s executive director, said Sisti and Lebanon Turf have incorporated the program into their operations, including adding the Project EverGreen logo to Lebanon Turf fertilizer bags and making a donation to the project when end-users request information about a new product from the company.
G.C. Duke Equipment Ltd., Burlington, Ontario, Canada, won Redexim Charterhouse’s Distributor of the Year award for the second consecutive year. Given to recognize outstanding customer support in promotion of Redexim Charterhouse equipment, the award was presented at the 2009 Golf Industry Show in New Orleans to Dick Raycroft, vice president and sales manager for G.C. Duke, from Chuck Hicks, Northeast regional sales manager for Redexim.
As part of a plan to prepare Ewing Irrigation Products for growth and efficiency, Douglas York, president and CEO of the company, announced a reorganization of its executive board. The reorganization includes the appointment of Warren Gorowitz as vice president of sustainability and conservation. The company also announced promotions of senior company officials Richard York, previously executive vice president, now chief operating officer; Jeffrey Anthony, previously vice president of finance, now chief financial officer; Rilus Graham III, previously vice president of credit administration, now senior vice president of credit administration; and Cliff Woodbury, previously vice president of marketing and administration, now senior vice president of marketing and communications. The executive board also includes Terry Williams, vice president of customer experience; Raul Gonzalez, vice president of industry relations; and Jim Borneman, vice president of education services.
Quali-Pro’s newly created Passion for Turf Scholarship program awards $1,000 scholarships to college students annually. The scholarship will provide financial assistance to full-time college students studying in the turf sciences or related agronomy fields. Each participating university will receive two $1,000 scholarships each year. The deadline for submission for the 2009-2010 academic year is July 15, and the first scholarships will be awarded by Aug. 15. For more details about the scholarship program, visit www.quali-pro.com.
At the 2009 Golf Industry Show in New Orleans earlier this year, John Deere Golf announced its top distributor of the year, Austin Turf & Tractor. The Marble Falls, Texas, company won Deere’s Mark Rostvold Award for the third time since 2001 during the company’s annual distributor awards dinner. The award, named for the former senior vice president of the worldwide commercial and consumer equipment division, is given annually to the golf distributor who illustrates superior salesmanship and industry dedication.
A Web site created for municipalities and property owners to learn about the successful control and treatment of emerald ash borer is available at www.treeresearch.org. The IPM Tactics and Tools section of the site explains the differences between spray and soil treatments and injections. The site also offers remedies and procedures for healing and saving ash trees.
At the 2009 Golf Industry show, Smithco presented its annual awards to distributors. The Distributor Salesman of the Year award went to Bill Luthin of Wilfred MacDonald Co. Chris Hunt, sales manager for Wilfred MacDonald Co., and Mike Pelrine, president, accepted the award on his behalf.
People news
Haws Corp. announces William O’Keefe as its corporate marketing manager. With more than 12 years of experience in corporate sales and marketing, O’Keefe will handle all aspects of market definition, customer acquisition, new product launch support, marketing communications and evaluation of traditional and electronic media.
Charlene Bedal has been appointed to lead United Phosphorus Inc.’s newly created aquatics, turf and ornamental customer service department. She formerly served as the division’s account manager for the western U.S.
Joe Schmitt is the new equipment specialist for Target Specialty Products, working with the company’s sales staff to make recommendations and research equipment solutions for customers. Schmitt has previously worked in sales, customer service and irrigation supply.
Golf accessory supplier ForeFront Group Inc. has hired Scott Harris as its new director of marketing. Harris will be responsible for all marketing and branding initiatives for the Datrek, Burton, Devant and Miller Golf brands.
Axion Golf, a division of Axion International Holdings Inc., has named Joe York its head of market development for bridges and bulkheading. York’s role will be to secure new business from golf courses, resorts and other operations.
Dr. John Reynolds, vice president of global business development for Club Car, was recently inducted into the Professional Caddie Association’s Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the PGA Merchandise Show. Formerly a neurosurgeon, Reynolds grew up in Augusta, Ga., headquarters of Club Car, and caddied at the Augusta Golf Course and Augusta Country Club. After practicing medicine in Augusta for 20 years, he decided to spend the second half of his career in the golf business. One of seven 2008 inductees into the caddies' hall of fame, Reynolds also annually presents the Reynolds Medal to a caddie or caddie master in Georgia. That award has been presented for 20 years in conjunction with the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.
Grigg Bros. recently named Tyler Warner as technical representative for the southeastern U.S. Warner will consult with customers in a six-state region and assist them in selecting fertilizers. He previously worked for Golf Ventures Inc., one of Grigg Bros.’ 60 distributors, as a technical representative.
SipcamAdvan announces three new hires and promotions. Ron Hatton is the company’s director of operations. Based in the company’s new Durham, N.C., office, Hatton will be responsible for supply chain, manufacturing, customer service and information technology. He formerly worked for Bayer Environmental Sciences. George Furrer has been promoted to national marketing manager for the new specialty products business. Furrer will lead marketing efforts for the unit’s turf and ornamental, nursery greenhouse, lawn care, pest control and consumer garden markets. Bob Braddock has joined the company’s account management and sales staff. He will manage accounts in the southeastern U.S. He previously worked in sales for Monsanto.
At the Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association’s recent annual meeting, the group elected its board of directors for 2009. Eric Spurlock, Hermitage Country Club, returns as president; Jeff Berg of Goose Creek Golf Club is vice president; and Matt Boyce of Princess Ann Country Club is secretary-treasurer. Michael Oates of Winchester is past president. The board includes five external vice presidents, including Peter McDonough of Kewick Club (Old Dominion GCSA); Jeff Van Fleet of Forest Greens GC (Greater Washington GCSA); Chris Petrelli of Cedar Point CC (Tidewater Turfgrass Association); Ed Eagle of Ingleside Resort (Shenandoah Valley Turfgrass Association); and Kim Garnett of Blacksburg CC (Virginia Turfgrass Association). Rounding out the board are two newly elected board members: John Libassi of Heritage Oaks CC, and Mark Merrick, CGCS, of Syngenta.
David Hamilton has been named vice president of global strategic accounts for Club Car. Previously vice president of sales for the company’s Golf America groups, Hamilton will be responsible in the newly created position for strategic accounts and industry relationships with such organizations and entities as the PGA of America, PGA Tour, European PGA, NGCOA, CMAA and GCSAA.
Golf briefs
Braemar Golf of St. Andrews, Scotland, is providing golf course construction management services to complete the 18-hole Thracian Cliffs Golf and Spa Resort in Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria. Designed by Gary Player, the course is expected to open for play in 2010. Set along nearly 3 miles of the Kaliakra cliff on the country’s Northern Black Sea coast, the layout will feature the white cliffs and holes right on the Black Sea.
Pine Lakes Country Club, one of the oldest courses in Myrtle Beach, S.C., recently reopened for play following a 20-month, $15 million renovation that included grassing the course with SeaDwarf seashore paspalum. The club is the northernmost to feature the grass. Designed to return the club to Robert White’s original design, the renovation, overseen by architect Craig Shreiner, preserved 16 of the original 18 corridors and used a strategy similar to White’s philosophy of rewarding risk-taking with scoring opportunities. Greens, fairways, tees and roughs were converted to SeaDwarf in the wall-to-wall project because of the grass’s water- and environmentally friendly reputation. The course is developed and managed by Burroughs & Chapin Golf Management. Alan Jarvis, CGCS, is the superintendent at Pine Lakes.
Schmidt-Curley Design announces two recent projects in China and Thailand. The firm’s renovation of Siam Country Club’s Old Course in Thailand (pictured) included constructing new greens to improve drainage, tiling and high-flashing bunkers and removing 20 to 30 percent of all trees to improve air flow around greens and reclaim playing corridors. Routing remained intact. The greens feature Novatek UltraDwarf bermudagrass, while seashore paspalum was used to grass all other areas. The design group also refurbished the nine-hole C Course at Tianjin Yangliuqing Golf Club in China. The course was renovated and combined with another Schmidt-Curley project, the facility’s nine-hole D Course. Measuring more than 7,400 yards, the par-72 layout features rolling terrain lined with willow, poplar and locust trees that complement wide fairways, rugged bunkers, large, undulating greens and incorporated chipping areas.
Group Viveros, parent company of Viveros Resorts, announced recently that Jack Nicklaus will create a par-72 Signature Golf Course on Isla Viveros, an island resort based in the Pearl Islands located in the Pacific Ocean 45 miles from the Panama coast. The site boasts several natural features including elevation changes up to more than 200 feet, lush vegetation and almost 22 miles of coastline. The overall $300 million development also includes plans for two hotels, a private marina, commerce and villas with private jet hangers.
Architects at Lohmann Golf Designs Inc. recently finished a renovation project of Westmoor Country Club in Brookfield, Wis., outside of Milwaukee. Scheduled to open this spring, the course features deep, flat-bottomed, steep-faced style bunkers reminiscent of the designs of William Langford, who worked at the club in the 1950s. The group also regrassed all 18 putting surfaces with A1 bentgrass, rebuilt from scratch four greens and removed about 500 trees, a move that increased the course’s slope rating. Contractor TDI International removed 2-inch strips of sod on each green before digging 15-inch drainage trenches every 6 feet, laid down drainage tile and refilled the trenches in an attempt to match the greens’ existing push-up soil profile. The course’s length also was extended from 6,846 yards to 7,050 yards from the tips. Jerry Kershasky is the Class A superintendent at Westmoor CC.