From the Field

Source: www.TurfMagazine.com

BASF Adds New Business Manager, National Accounts Manager and Sales Specialists

BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals has added four employees to its team. Appointed are Brian Lish as business manager; Derek Miller as strategic account manager—national golf, lawn and landscape; and Chris Key and Jonathan Smith as senior sales specialists.

Lish joined BASF in 2006, initially as district business manager for BASF Crop Protection, and most recently as business manager for BASF Professional Vegetation Management. Previously, he worked in business development, marketing, product development and operations for J.R. Simplot Company. He replaces Dr. Toni Bucci, who has taken on a role within BASF at its North American corporate headquarters.

Miller began with BASF in 1993 working as a sales specialist in BASF Crop Protection before becoming the marketing communications manager for the BASF Professional Pest Control and Professional Turf & Ornamental businesses in 2000. In 2003, he served as product manager for Professional Pest Control, and in 2004, became marketing manager for the Professional Vegetation Management business. Most recently he was national sales manager for the Professional Vegetation Management business.

Key served as a BASF Professional Pest Control sales specialist in Florida for six years before joining the BASF Professional Vegetation Management team as a sales specialist serving central and southern Florida for the past four years. Prior to joining BASF, he worked with Aventis, Bayer, Terminix International and York Distribution. His sales territory will include central and southern Florida and Puerto Rico.

Smith has served in multiple roles at BASF Professional Vegetation Management, including product specialist and associate marketing manager, and most recently as sales representative for Georgia and South Carolina. His sales territory will include the Charleston, S.C., area, southern and coastal Georgia and northern Florida.

Syngenta Names Steltz Marketing Manager

Syngenta has named Dan Steltz marketing manager for the Lawn and Landscape division. He will be responsible for Syngenta marketing programs and initiatives for the company’s lawn care, ornamental production and vegetation management customer groups.

Steltz joined Syngenta in 2004 as planning and forecasting manager. Since 2006 he has worked in the Golf & Landscape and Consumer division of Syngenta, most recently as market manager for vegetation management and specialty. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, and a master’s degree in business administration from Wake Forest University.