STIHL Celebrates New Connecticut Location: This Week’s Industry News

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New Northeast STIHL Location Supports Growing Dealer Network
STIHL Inc. celebrates the grand opening of its new Northeast STIHL location in Oxford, Connecticut. In January 2015 it was announced that STIHL Inc. would relocate from Shelton, Connecticut to a new facility in Oxford, Connecticut. Completed in October 2016, the new 110,000-square-foot facility demonstrates the company’s continued investment to improve overall operations and support dealer growth in the northeast region of the U.S. STIHL selected Oxford for its access to the I-84 and I-95 corridors which are main routes for deliveries to STIHL dealers. Expanded warehouse capabilities include: efficient racking and storage systems, improved pick and pack processes that reduce errors and increase productivity and 13 loading doors to handle inbound/outbound freight. The new Northeast STIHL facility occupies 20 acres and employs roughly 56 employees.

KIOTI Honors Top 59 Dealers
KIOTI Tractor has announced that 59 North American KIOTI dealerships have received 5-Paw certification distinction for 2017. Of the 59 awarded dealers, 16 dealers received 5-Paw premiere certification, the highest level of honor within the KIOTI 5-Paw Dealer Excellence Program. The certification is part of a unique awards program created to honor KIOTI dealerships that deliver outstanding overall performance. The KIOTI 5-Paw Dealer Excellence Program was initiated in 2008.

Licensure of Landscape Architects Now the Law in District of Columbia
The American Society of Landscape Architects has announced that landscape architecture licensure is now the law in the District of Columbia. On April 7, Law Number L21-0249 passed the final step of U.S. Congressional review and is now in the process of being implemented. The legislation adds landscape architecture representatives to the newly renamed Board of Architecture, Interior Design and Landscape Architecture.

STIHL Independent We Stand Heads to the Rockies to support America’s Main Streets
On April 24, Independent We Stand hits the road for the “Great American Rocky Mountain Road Trip” as part of an online contest presented by STIHL Inc. The contest promotes awareness of the vital importance of America’s Main Streets and the small businesses that help them thrive. The Independent We Stand team will visit five cities, in five states, in five days — engaging with locals and absorbing each cities unique Main Street culture along the way. From May 1 through May 28, consumers and small business owners are invited to go online to MainStreetContest.com to vote for the 25 semifinalists. Participants are also encouraged to rally support for their favorite nominee through social media outlets. The winner will be announced June 5. On the Fourth of July, there will be a “Main Streets Make Us Better” event held on the winning Main Street, to announce the use of a $25,000 grand prize. Here’s a few of the scheduled stops:

  • April 24, Denver, Colo.: Ace on the Fax & Intermountain STIHL, Let’em Have it Salon, Old Western Paint Co., Mac Equipment
  • April 25, Casper, Wyo.: Bosco’s Italian Restaurant, Alpine Motorsports
  • April 26, Bozeman, Mont.: The Paint Factory, American Independent Business Alliance, Kenyon Noble Lumber & Hardware, Owenhouse Cycling, Downtown Bozeman
  • April 27, Idaho Falls, Idaho: Westmart Building Center, MarCellar’s Vintage Wine & Brews, Idaho Falls Downtown Development Corp., Idaho Mountain Trading Co.
  • April 28, Salt Lake City, Utah: IPACO, Speeds Power Equipment, Local First Utah

Arborjet Launches New FSeries TREE I.V. System
Arborjet has announced its new FSeries TREE I.V. system making micro-injection applications faster and easier. Designed for maximum speed, accuracy, and ease, Arborjet’s FSeries reduces tree injection set-up and application time, and provides greater safety and flexibility for small or large jobs. The backbone of the new FSeries is its ability to inject up to 120 pounds per square inch, with the flexibility for users to select a bottle size that matches the volume needed. The higher pressure significantly reduces injection time and the choice of bottle size reduces the amount of air needed to pump into the bottle. Users now have a choice to use a 650 milliliter bottle or a 1.5 liter bottle for higher volume applications. The fill port on the bottle cap allows the bottle to be filled without removing the cap assembly, improving speed and safety.

Registration, 2nd Location Announced for NALP Legislative Days and Renewal & Remembrance
Registration is now open for the 21st annual Renewal & Remembrance and Legislative Days in Washington, D.C. This year, at the request of Arlington National Cemetery, NALP is adding a second location to the Renewal & Remembrance event — at the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery, more commonly known as the Soldiers’ Home, in Washington, D.C., which is one of the country’s oldest national cemeteries. Legislative Days will be held July 16-18, 2017. Renewal & Remembrance will be held July 17, 2017. Visit NALP’s website to register.

Rotary acquires manufacturer of trimmer line products
Rotary Corporation has announced the acquisition of Desert Extrusion, a leading manufacturer of trimmer line products for outdoor power equipment. The privately-held company is based in Phoenix, Arizona and serves customers throughout the United States and over 40 countries on six continents. According to Rotary President and CEO Ed Nelson, the acquisition is consistent with his company’s strategy to expand and deepen its roots in the outdoor power equipment industry. Nelson said the merger will significantly enhance Rotary’s manufacturing and distribution capabilities in the years ahead. Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2017, Rotary serves customers in all 50 states and 68 countries around the globe.

Both Chambers of Congress Introduce H-2B Reform Bills
Two bills that would temporarily reinstate the H-2B visa temporary worker program have been introduced recently in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, according to the National Association of Landscape Professionals. The legislation would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to allow for more workers to enter the U.S. The Senate bill would “establish an H-2B temporary non-agricultural work visa program,” while the House measure states it would “reinstate the returning workers’ exemption for H-2B visas.” The Senate bill (792), introduced March 30, and House bill (1627), introduced March 20, were sent to their respective Judiciary committees. Both bills are designed as long term fixes for the program and would make the returning worker exemption (RWE) a permanent feature of the H-2B program. However, NALP and other members of the H-2B Workforce Coalition are working for a short-term solution that would extend RWE for 2017. The continuing resolution (CR) that Congress passed in December expires on April 28.

TurfMutt To Be Featured as Earth Day Hero
TurfMutt’s will be featured in Parade magazine this Sunday, April 16 in your local newspaper. TurfMutt is featured as one of their green heroes for Earth Day. Also, TurfMutt has officially signed on as a USGBC Education Partner, where TurfMutt curriculum will be shared through the USGBC Learning Lab, a portal for educators to access sustainability curriculum.

Altorfer Cat to sell full line of Thunder Creek Equipment Construction Products
Altorfer Inc. and Thunder Creek Equipment have reached an agreement that will make the heavy equipment dealer an official provider of Thunder Creek’s products for the construction industry in central Illinois, eastern Iowa and northeast Missouri. Altorfer Inc. will sell and service the full line of Thunder Creek fuel, diesel exhaust fluid and service products, including its line of Multi-tank Trailers and Service and Lube Trailers.

Read last week’s industry news: Turfgrass Producers International Unveils New Logo