Industry News

Ralston Creek recognized for tree preservation

The Daniel Island Club’s Ralston Creek course was chosen as one of only four recipients, and the only golf course, of the National Arbor Day Foundation’s 2007 Building with Trees Award of Excellence.

The award recognized the efforts of The Daniel Island Co. to protect and preserve trees during design and construction of the course, which opened in 2006.

The Daniel Island Co. is the only developer to win two Building with Trees awards. The Daniel Island Club’s Beresford Creek Course, which was designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 2000, won the award in 2003. Ralston Creek was the only golf course to receive the award in 2007. The other three recipients are residential developments.

The developer and golf course architect Rees Jones began working two years before construction started on Ralston Creek to plan a course routing that would impact the minimum number of trees. Once construction was underway, crews transplanted 42 oak trees and some 100 pine trees to other parts of the course, according to Jeff Elliott, senior project manager and land planner. Some of the oaks were at least 60 years old and had trunks as large as 31 inches in diameter, requiring one of the nation’s largest tree spades to aid in the transplanting process.

“The National Arbor Day Foundation’s mission to plant, nurture and celebrate trees is one that we strongly believe in and are proud to support,” Elliott said. “We think trees significantly add to the Lowcountry character and aesthetics of the course.”

Criteria for the Arbor Day award include creativity and attention to protecting trees during planning, design and construction; planting and providing for long-term tree care; demonstrating a commitment to tree protection by having a certified tree-care professional on the development team; taking inventory of existing trees and using information to help preserve trees; and adherence to tree protection goals throughout the construction process.

John Deere donates $100,000 to The Institute

John Deere Golf & Turf One Source has contributed $100,000 to The Environmental Institute for Golf.

Gregg Breningmeyer, director of sales and marketing, will represent Deere on The Institute's advisory council. The Advisory Council provides guidance to The Institute's board of trustees in the areas of outreach, fundraising and strategic planning.

"John Deere has been a valuable partner for The Institute over the years," said Hall of Fame golfer Greg Norman, who heads the council. "It shares the Institute's vision to strengthen the compatibility of golf with the environment and has played a key role in helping fund many research and education programs. Adding Gregg to the Advisory Council will only enhance our collaborative efforts."

John Deere was also welcomed as a new member of The Institute's Platinum Tee Club recently, recognizing its $15,000 donation from the 2006 John Deere World Championship.

"John Deere is committed to investing in the future of golf and ensuring its compatibility with the environment," Breningmeyer said. "We are pleased with the research and educational advancements The Institute is providing and we wanted to get more involved."

NGF joins sports participation study

Four of the leading sports trade associations have partnered to complete the largest online study of sports participation in the United States.

This year’s study has been done as a joint effort of the newly formed USA Sports Participation Study, a collaboration of sports associations that have been doing participation research separately for a number of years:  Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, National Golf Foundation, Snowsports Industries America and the Outdoor Industry Foundation.

NGF began conducting golf participation research with Synovate (formerly Market Facts) since 1986. The 2007 research was conducted via the Internet. This year’s sample of 60,000 individual surveys is the largest NGF has ever conducted, and was made possible by joining the partnership.

“We are very pleased to be working with SGMA, SIA and OIF in this landmark sports participation study,” says Joe Beditz, president and CEO of NGF. “The advantages include a consistent methodology between the partners and a larger sample size allowing for higher resolution of data. Another advantage is our ability to present cross-participation, or the extent to which golfers participate in other fitness and sports activities.”

Plans call for 60,000 more surveys to be added each year so that, as time goes by, the study will yield the largest and most useful database of golf participation, enabling analysis at ever smaller levels of geography.

The results of the golf portion of the study will be published in May in Golf Industry Report, NGF’s quarterly newsletter. Topline results for all sports will be available by the end of April at http://www.sgma.com.

Toro to host second annual WaterSmart Symposium

In celebration of the Irrigation Association’s Smart Irrigation Month, the second annual WaterSmart Symposium will take place July 19 at Toro's irrigation development and testing facility in Riverside, Calif.

Landscape contractors, golf course superintendents, architects, specifiers, homebuilders, government officials, and others with a stake in water conservation and the future of irrigation are encouraged to attend. 

“We are very excited to host the second annual WaterSmart Symposium,” said Phil Burkart, vice president and general manager of Toro’s irrigation division.  “This is part of our ongoing effort to educate the industry about the importance of proper water management and position Toro as the leading provider of water-efficient irrigation solutions. With last year’s event filled to capacity, we anticipate another successful WaterSmart Symposium.”

This event will feature presentations from some of the industry’s leading experts and other professionals who have already implemented successful water-saving techniques and programs.

For more information or to pre-register for the 2007 WaterSmart Symposium, please e-mail Christeen Miller at christeen.miller@toro.com or call 951-785-3444.

Coleman Cable acquires Copperfield LLC

Coleman Cable has agreed to acquire all of the equity interests in Copperfield for $213 million in cash. The combination is expected to create one of the premier U.S.-based manufacturers of electrical and electronic wire and cable products.

Copperfield is one of the largest private fabricators and insulators of copper electrical wire and cable in the United States. Copperfield sells its wire and cable products to industrial distributors and OEMs which operate in a diversified set of end markets including electrical, recreational vehicle, transportation, appliance and welding cable sectors.

Copperfield estimates that its revenues for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2006 will be approximately $520 million. The acquisition of Copperfield broadens the scope of Coleman Cable's product offering, further strengthens its strategic relationships with industrial distributors and increases Coleman's end-market diversity.

"Copperfield is an excellent strategic fit and a logical step in the continued growth and development of our business," said Gary Yetman, CEO of Coleman Cable. "This transaction represents a unique opportunity to acquire a preeminent industry player and seasoned management team that will significantly enhance Coleman Cable's position as a leading provider of wire and cable products in numerous niche industrial end markets."

Contact http://www.colemancable.com.