CASE Begins Heavy Equipment Operations for Hurricane Harvey Recovery: This Week’s Industry News

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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.

CASE Teams Up With Team Rubicon To Provide Hurricane Relief
CASE kicked off heavy equipment operations in the Rockport, Texas area, in partnership with Team Rubicon, this past Thursday, September 14. Initial heavy equipment operations included debris removal and home demolition near Rockport and Aransas Pass, Texas, where the eye of Hurricane Harvey made landfall in August. Sonsray Machinery, Inc. of California also shipped compact track loaders in for the operation, and Michelin North America, Inc. donated sets of its Tweel airless radial tires to outfit skid steers working in demolition applications. Since Hurricane Harvey made landfall, Team Rubicon has deployed 768 volunteers to Texas in support of the ongoing relief efforts with debris removal, damage assessments, muck outs, expedient home repair and chainsaw operations.

Arborjet Launches New Mn-jet Fe Liquid Micronutrient Solution
Arborjet Inc. has announced Mn-jet Fe, its new liquid micronutrient solution for trees, palms, shrubs and groundcovers. Fast and effective, Mn-jet Fe alleviates interveinal chlorosis caused by micronutrient deficiencies. Interveinal chlorosis in plants is result of micronutrient deficiencies, specifically iron and manganese. The foliage on chlorotic trees turns a pale green to yellow hue while the veins remain dark green; necrosis and twig dieback occurs in severe cases. When left untreated, chlorotic trees decline over several years and become more susceptible to insects and disease. This is a common condition throughout the United States that affects a number of species including oak, sweetgum, birch, pine, maple, and azaleas. Chlorosis is especially prevalent in the west and midwest regions of the U.S. where soils tend to be alkaline. Arborjet will be offering a free educational Mn-jet Fe webinar on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 3:30 p.m. CDT.

Deadline for IA Pitcher’s Mound ideas extended to Sept. 27
Do you have an irrigation product idea that could change the landscape of the industry? The Irrigation Association invites you to debut your idea and get valuable feedback from industry leaders at the IA Pitcher’s Mound during the Irrigation Show. The 2017 IA Pitcher’s Mound will include a special guest appearance from former “Shark Tank” success story and creator of the infamous tree T-PEE, Johnny Georges. Georges will speak about his experiences on the show and how pitching his product idea changed his life.

Toro Awarded National Contract by The National Joint Powers Alliance
The Toro Company has officially been awarded a national cooperative contract by The National Joint Powers Alliance for commercial turf maintenance equipment, commercial and residential irrigation solutions, residential and landscape contractor products and BOSS snow and ice management products. The new contract is valid for use in both the United States and Canada.

Daimler launches first all-electric truck in series production
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, part of Daimler Trucks announced the global launch of the FUSO eCanter in New York City. The FUSO eCanter is the first series-produced all-electric light-duty truck and will be delivered to customers starting this year in the US, Europe and Japan. MFTBC is planning to deliver 500 units of this generation to customers within the next two years. Larger scale production is intended to start in 2019.

Brookside Agra Hires Mary Doerschuck as Product Registration & Compliance Manager
Brookside Agra has hired Mary Doerschuck of Okawville, Illinois as Product Registration & Compliance Manager. In this role, Doerschuck will coordinate product registrations, trademarks and renewals, as well as handle Brookside’s tonnage reports, export documentation and accounts payable and receivable. She will also provide sales, customer service and administrative support. Doerschuck comes to Brookside Agra with more than 10 years of combined customer service, and account management experience, with a focus on contract administration, global trade compliance and export regulatory compliance.

Bobcat Donates Over $325,000 in Equipment to Assist with Hurricane Relief Efforts
Doosan Bobcat is donating over $325,000 worth of Bobcat equipment and Doosan Portable Power light towers and generators to assist with Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma relief efforts. The company is also providing financial assistance to affected Doosan Bobcat North America dealership employees and their families, and Doosan Bobcat North America employees will direct annual charitable drives toward assisting those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Florida-Based Toro Dealer Expands to Alabama and Mississippi
Southern Drill Supply Inc., a trusted Toro equipment dealer, announces a new location in Biloxi, Mississippi, which will provide sales and service primarily to the Florida panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Southern Drill Supply was founded in 2009 in Pensacola, Florida, and previously served the utility construction markets in Florida and Georgia. Southern Drill Supply and Toro have been working together since early 2016. Southern Drill Supply offers sales, rental, parts and service for Toro’s entire portfolio of underground products including directional drills, trenchers, vibratory plows, compact utility loaders, tree care and compaction product lines.

Grigg Brothers Re-brands As GRIGG
Grigg Brothers, a turf nutrition brand, is being re-branded as simply GRIGG. BRANDT, who bought Grigg Brothers in 2014, is a leading manufacturer of specialty products for the turf and ornamental market. The rebrand effort celebrates GRIGG’s commitment to science-based products, turf research and proven agronomic principles and embraces the research-driven approach that the Grigg family has created. The rebranding includes a new website and a revamped social media presence on Facebook and on Twitter using the handle @GRIGGco.

Toro Announces 2018 Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Program
The Toro Company is pleased to announce the 16th annual Toro Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Program. In January 2018, one lucky turfgrass science student will travel to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to help the grounds crew prepare the field for the biggest game in football. Starting with the inaugural World Championship in 1967, the NFL grounds crew has relied on Toro for its expertise and equipment in preparing the game field and multiple practice facilities. In 2002, the organizations partnered to establish the Toro Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Program. This year’s recipient will work alongside NFL field director, Ed Mangan, George Toma, and the Super Bowl grounds crew at U.S. Bank Stadium on synthetic turf maintenance, logo painting, field preparation for media day, halftime preparation and field clean-up. Beginning on January 27, 2018, the winner will be on hand at U.S. Bank Stadium preparing the field leading up to the game on February 4, 2018.

Brandt Partners With SiteOne
Brandt, a manufacturer of specialty products for the turf, agriculture and lawn and garden markets, signed a distribution agreement with SiteOne Landscape Supply. With this agreement, all Brandt and Brandt iHammer turf and ornamental products are available at all SiteOne locations. This is Brandt’s first national distribution agreement that covers the U.S. and Canada.

Vandalia Rental to Open Doors in Sharonville on October 2nd
Vandalia Rental has announced that they will officially open on Monday, October 2, at their new facility in Sharonville, Ohio. The third generation family owned and operated business is known for its diverse fleet mix and honest sales approach that began when it was founded in 1961. With this latest expansion to Sharonville, the rental company will now service the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area in response to the increasing demand from the contractors requesting their presence. This expansion in Sharonville will be the third rental facility for the Ohio based company.

Read last week’s industry news roundup: ECHO Expands Illinois Headquarters