Want to keep up with the latest news in lawn care and landscaping? Check back every Thursday for a quick recap of recent happenings in the green industry.
Cub Cadet Acquires UK-Based Advanced Turf Technology
Cub Cadet recently acquired UK-based Advanced Turf Technology, which manufactures cutting reel mowers and cassettes specially designed for the sports field and golf maintenance markets. This acquisition follows the recent acquisitions of CORE Outdoor Power and Precise Path Robotics.
GPS Insight’s Generosity Benefits 60 Charities
GPS Insight in 2016 donated $200,496.75 to 60 local and national charities and not-for-profits chosen by their customers and employees. GPS Insight customers and employees suggested the charities that mean the most to them by posting their picks on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. The fleet tracking company had a goal to donate $175,000 for the year, and because of the incredible response, they exceeded their goal by 15 percent. Every customer or employee that participated had a minimum of $250 and up to $5,656.75 donated to the charity they requested. A few of these 60 charities included Donate Life America, Habitat for Humanity, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Honor Flight Network and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.
BrightView’s Boosts California Presence with Purchase of Marina
BrightView, the $2 billion green industry behemoth, significantly grew its presence in the California market by recently acquiring the maintenance business of Anaheim-based Marina Landscape, a company that notched more than $60 billion in sales last year. Marina’s 400 employees service about 200 properties in Orange County, Los Angeles, Inland Empire and Northern California. In announcing the deal, BrightView said the Marina crews will remain with the company as it transitions into BrightView.
Takeuchi Hires Scott Price as National Accounts Director
Takeuchi-US recently appointed Scott Place as director of national accounts. Place’s primary duties will include overseeing current national rental accounts and potential large fleet buyers. Place brings over 20 years of experience managing rental locations, dealer locations and more recently the rental industries largest national accounts. He ill be working out of Takeuchi’s U.S. headquarters in Pendergrass, Georgia.
STIHL Announces Huge Spring Product Launch
This spring STIHL, Inc. is rolling out one of the largest product line launches in its history, said Steve Meriam, director of sales. The launch includes 40 new models with a host of new features and enhancements. The new string trimmers, edgers, KombiMotors and bed redefiner are designed with larger fuel tanks, providing 30 percent longer run times than the previous models. Additions to the STIHL range of professional gas-powered products include seven string trimmers, three edgers, three KombiMotors, a dedicated bed refiner, five pole pruners and four extended-reach hedge trimmers. Other new STIHL products include: nine battery products, launching as part of the new STIHL Lightning Battery System and nine additional gas-powered models, including a new line of STIHL pressure washers.
Industry Veteran Owen Towne to Lead Cool Planet’s T&O Business
Green industry marketing veteran Owen Towne was hired to lead Cool Planet’s company’s turf, nursery and ornamental business. Towne, with 20-plus years in the industry, will work closely with Cool Planet’s distribution, retail and business partners to distribute the breakthrough Cool Terra Engineered Biocarbon product across the United States.
Read last week’s industry news: United Turf Alliance Restructures Leadership Team