Summer is here, so it’s no surprise that the Green Industry is in full-swing and packed with big employment moves.
American Lighting
American Lighting appointed Jennifer Kirkpatrick as its Director of Sales. She is responsible for planning, implementing, managing, and overseeing the company’s overall sales strategy for Lighting showrooms, Proluxe and Prizm Lighting.
In addition to her sales responsibilities, Kirkpatrick pours her creativity into designing American Lighting, Proluxe Lighting, and Prizm Lighting tradeshow booths. She also leads the design efforts for American Lighting’s showrooms in Denver, CO and Dallas, TX.
Ruppert Landscape
Ruppert Landscape welcomes Jeremy Clayton as director of project management in the company’s landscape construction division. In this capacity, he will be working with the company’s construction branches to create more continuity across project management practices, helping to improve training and refine processes.
Clayton joins Ruppert following six years at another leading landscaping firm where he led their project management team. Prior to that, he ran his own landscaping business in Montgomery County, MD for 14 years.
Ruppert Landscape also welcomed Eric Scheinerman as Chief Financial Officer. In this role, he will be responsible for planning, implementing, managing, and controlling all financial related activities of the company. As a member of the executive committee, he will partner with the senior leadership team to execute the company’s strategic imperatives, drive continuous improvement, enhance financial and operating performance, and play an important role in all aspects of mergers and acquisitions.
Scheinerman brings over 30 years of experience spanning the technology, life sciences, manufacturing, and travel industries with a proven track record of growing complex enterprises of all sizes and developing high-performance teams.
Isuzu
Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc. has announced Matthew A. Mesick has been appointed as the company’s first Director, EV Strategies. The creation of the position comes just two months after the company announced that its first all-electric truck for the U.S. and Canadian markets will begin production late in the first quarter of 2024.
In addition to Mesick’s appointment, the company announced two other promotions:
- Ed Crawford has been promoted to the role of Assistant Vice President, Sales Operations.
- Brian Tabel has been promoted to the role of Assistant Vice President, Marketing.
PBI-Gordon
The employee-owners of PBI-Gordon Corporation have announced that Matt Steward has joined the company as senior director of national accounts. Patrick Bastron has joined the company as a sales representative for IL and IN. And the company also welcomes Bert Lopez, who’s the new sales rep for golf course, sports turf, lawn care and landscape maintenance customers in AZ, CA, NV, and Guam.
As senior director of national accounts, Steward will lead the national accounts team in all aspects of account management in the turf and ornamental markets of golf, landscape, and professional lawn care. As an active member of the sales leadership team, he will develop and implement strategic business plans to ensure alignment with customer and company objectives. Additionally, Steward will serve as a mentor and coach for sales team members.
As a sales representative, Bastron will be responsible for PBI-Gordon product sales to golf course and turfgrass management customers in Illinois and Indiana. He will also identify new business opportunities within his sales territory to achieve strategic goals and objectives.
Before joining PBI-Gordon, Bastron worked as an assistant golf course superintendent at Kenosha Country Club in Kenosha, WI. In addition to his many years of professional experience, Bastron has been involved in various golf course industry organizations over the years, including The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and The Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents.
PBI-Gordon also welcomes Lopez, another new sales representative. Based in Southern California, Lopez brings more than 30 years of experience in the horticulture, landscape, nursery, and golf industries to his new role. A board-certified entomologist, he also holds several industry certifications, including a pest control adviser license from the Department of Pesticide Regulation in California.
Prior to joining PBI-Gordon, Lopez worked as an industry turf manager for Veseris. He holds a Bachelor of Science in agricultural biology from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. “Bert has deep experience and a proven track record of problem-solving, building trusting relationships with customers, and driving business growth,” said Dan Dumler, regional sales manager for PBI-Gordon. “He will be a valuable member of the team, and our customers will benefit greatly from his expertise.”
Munro Pump
Munro has named David Bubsy as its new Southwest Regional Account Manager. Busby will work closely with the company’s network of professional distributors as well as with irrigation specifiers, landscape architects, and landscape contractors to provide support and further develop and enhance Munro’s current market presence. With over 27 years in sales and account management, Busby has the unique ability to develop new markets and pioneer new innovations while cultivating meaningful customer relationships.
Munro has also named Samantha Butero as its new Pacific Northwest Regional Account Manager. Butero will work closely with the company’s network of professional distributors as well as with irrigation specifiers, landscape architects, and landscape contractors, to provide industry-leading support and further develop and enhance Munro’s current market presence.
With over 25 years experience in sales management and business development, Butero brings experience working with contractors and specifiers in numerous industries. She is excited to contribute to the exciting growth of a premier brand.
Davey Tree Expert Company
The Davey Tree Expert Company has announced the promotion of John Wright to vice president, Commercial Landscape Services (CLS).
Wright started his Davey career in 1989 as a landscape foreman in the Washington D.C. office and was promoted to landscape management coordinator in 1991. In 2000, Wright was promoted to assistant district manager and then promoted to branch manager in 2001. In 2013, he was promoted to regional manager, CLS, Mid-Atlantic operating group.
BOSS Software
The Integra Group welcomes Jonathan Schlemmer as Vice President, Field Services Business Unit.
Schlemmer joins The Integra Group from The Home Depot, where he was the technology leader for the Rental and Services Division. He led the company’s product and engineering teams in North America, deploying new point of sale solutions to all 1,800 locations and building out online transaction systems.
Prior to working for Home Depot, Schlemmer was the head of technology for Compact Power, where he led all things technology from the inception of the company. During his tenure at Compact, he rolled out an automated scheduling solution that reduced drive time for over 600 technicians by 30%, He also developed a platform to manage over 24,000 assets, reducing theft and driving predictive field service solutions through telemetry.
Landcare
LandCare is proud to announce the promotion of Scott Watson to the company’s newly formed Southeast Division as Divisional Vice President. In his new role, Watson will oversee regions in Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida.
Since he joined LandCare in 2019, Watson has created a thriving environment in his branches, empowering team members, encouraging autonomy, and inspiring meaningful customer experiences. This direct investment in his team resulted in robust market growth and multiple internal promotions.
“Scott has demonstrated outstanding leadership, driving remarkable growth in Atlanta and Nashville,” Executive VP Mark Hopkins said. “He has truly embraced our culture and I look forward to seeing the success he will foster in the branches under his guidance.”
FMC Corporation
FMC Corporation has appointed Jeff Rice as Market Specialist for the Mid-Atlantic territory for sales of its GSS, Professional Solutions division products. FMC is a leader in the golf, lawncare, and pest control professional solutions market. Its comprehensive portfolio of fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides provide turf and ornamental growers, golf and lawn care professionals, as well as pest management professionals, differentiated solutions designed to help promote healthy turf and plant growth, while efficiently controlling pests.
“It is great to welcome Jeff to our team,” says Michael Sisti, North American Marketing Manager for the GSS, Professional Solutions group. “He comes to FMC with more than two decades of industry experience, most of it in the Mid-Atlantic region.”
Those 20-plus years of experience include the past eight as General Manager and Director of Grounds at Oak Creek Golf Club. Rice has managed a variety of both cool and warm season turf in the Washington DC metro area. Rice graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Turf and Golf Course Management.
Bartlett Tree Experts
Bartlett Tree Experts is pleased to announce that Nick Vallas has been promoted to Vice
President, overseeing the Company’s operations in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. Vallas first joined Bartlett in 2009 and proved himself as Local Manager and Arborist Representative of Bartlett’s Hanover, Massachusetts office. In 2012, he transferred to the Guilford, CT office to help grow Bartlett’s business.
After significantly growing his territory, Jim Ingram, Bartlett Tree Experts President and Chief Operating Officer, said the decision was made in 2022 to promote Vallas to manage the company’s operations in Connecticut and Western Massachusetts because of his leadership qualities, knowledge of species-specific programs, and talent for inspiring those he manages.
