Industry Update

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The Governor’s Residence.

WGIF Members Provide Landscape Makeover

Members of the Wisconsin Green Industry Federation provided the Governor’s Residence with a landscape makeover. The Bruce Co. designed a new landscape plan, removed the previous landscape and installed the new plantings as a donation. Other member companies that donated time and materials to the project included Bailey Nurseries, Ener-con, Johnson’s Nursery, Keleny Top Soil, McKay Nursery Co., Midwest Groundcovers, Northern Christmas Trees & Nursery, Paul Swartz Nursery & Garden Shop, ProGreen Plus and W. & E. Radtke. People who helped with the project included Jesse Beckwith, Jon Hilgers, Eugene Pasch, Rich Carlson, Mark Nofsinger and Jim Matz.

News from Excel Industries

Excel Industries, Inc. has named Buddy Hooper as national distribution manager of its Hustler Turf Golf Division. He began his employment with Hustler Turf in 2007 as the southeast territory manager. Hooper holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of South Carolina.

BigDog Mowers has updated its Web site at www.bigdogmowers.com to include a new dealer locator. Now users can find the nearest BigDog dealer, complete with dealer name, address, phone number and map location.

Michael GreenePeter Kim

Kioti Announces New Dealerships, Promotions

Kioti Tractor appointed seven new dealerships in the U.S. and three in eastern Canada. They are Haltom Equipment, Inc., Mooresville, Ind.; Hollinger’s Sport & Turf, Ephrata, Pa.; Lamb & Webster, Inc., Grove City, Pa.; Miller Tractor & Equipment, Inc., Anderson, Calif.; Pardo’s Truck Service Parts, Sewell, N.J.; Pete’s Equipment Sales & Service, Morrisville, Vt.; Rusty Palmer, Inc., Honesdale, Pa.; Country Corners Rent All, Inc., Exeter, Ont.; Machinerie Benoit & Frère, Notre-Dame-du-Bon-Conseil, Que.; and Québec Tracteurs, Saint-Romuald, Que.

Kioti promoted Michael Greene to the position of vice president and chief operating officer. Most recently, he served as the director of planning and coordination, and he has been with the company since 2004.

Kioti also promoted Peter Kim to the position of vice president and chief procurement officer. He most recently served as the business procurement manager and administrative manager and has been with the company since 2006.

Leslie Equipment sales staff with Bandit representative Travis Lint during Bandit factory sales training.

Bandit Adds Leslie as Dealer

Bandit Industries, Inc. signed on Leslie Equipment Co. as a new dealer in the southern U.S. Leslie has 10 locations throughout West Virginia, southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky.

King Granted Trademark

King Innovation has been granted the black color trademark for all underground irrigation and landscape lighting waterproof connectors. DryConn original Black Series connectors are UL 486D listed and prefilled with dielectric silicone sealant to tightly seal splices exposed to condensation, water vapors or dust.

Rapid Helps with Oil Spill Cleanup

Rapid Equipment Distribution, Inc., based in Chicago, Ill., helped clean up tar balls from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on beaches in Pensacola, Fla. The company used the Gravely Rapid two-wheel tractor with a sand cleaner attachment that thoroughly cleans sand of all types, removing tar balls as well as everyday debris.

Toro Helps Build Playground

For five consecutive years, Toro, the Minnesota Vikings and KaBOOM! have teamed up to build new playgrounds for Twin Cities communities. This year, more than 250 volunteers gathered to construct a new, contemporary playground at Nellie Stone Johnson Community School in North Minneapolis during a one-day build event. The playground features brightly colored slides, a giant tire swing and many other student-inspired elements.

Jeremy Klein

Klein Promoted at Allmand

Jeremy Klein was promoted to director of marketing at Allmand Bros., Inc. He has been with the company since 1997 and most recently served as customer services manager.

GreenerGreenGrass Launches Affiliate Program

GreenerGreenGrass launched a new affiliate program for Web site managers. Through one of two participating affiliate network programs, clixGalore and the company’s internal affiliate system, Webmasters can become a GreenerGreenGrass marketing affiliate and earn commissions. The program offers a tiered commission structure based on the amount of monthly sales generated through affiliate sites.

Honda Reaches Milestone

Honda Power Equipment announced that it has shipped 30 million power products to domestic dealers and distributors since it began offering outdoor power equipment in the U.S. in 1972. Honda currently provides more than 60 models of power products, 28 basic models of general-purpose engines and a wide variety of four-stroke outboard engines.

SeaDwarf Available in Australia

Environmental Turf, Inc. announced that Orara Turf, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, has been selected as a licensed producer of SeaDwarf seashore paspalum turfgrass. Orara is the first Australian turf producer to grow and sell the variety. Bill Wilson oversees the family-owned business.

StoneMakers Welcomes New Dealers

A number of new dealers joined the StoneMakers Corp. team during June trainings. They include Mose Mullet, Hiland Masonry, Millersburg, Ohio; Ann Adams, Flawless Landscaping & Tree Services, LLC, Columbus, Ohio; Jean Henry, Lawrence & Associates and Lawrence Concrete, Louisville, Ky.; Harold Lunnie, Harold’s Concrete Construction, Concord, Vt.; Mike Pecquet, Green Machine Landscaping, Reading, Ohio; John Drake, Murray’s Groundskeeping, Inc., Topsham, Maine; Joe Boyer, Boyer Landscaping & Snow Removal, Anaconda, Mont.; Tim Schroeder, Schroeder Masonry, Leipsic, Ohio; Carl Fox, Fox Masonry, Inc., Newmanstown, Pa.; Ben Holmes, Rye Beach Landscaping, LLC, Rye Beach, N.H.; Peter Castillo, Castillo Scapes, Southold, N.Y.; Mike Frank, Chevalier Outdoor Living, Springville, N.Y.; Bob Jones, Boulevard Homes, Cincinnati, Ohio; and Paul Pomilla, Homestyle Landscaping & Design, Inc., Mount Sinai, N.Y.

Actor Gary Sinise performs with the Lt. Dan Band.

Notes from Case

Case Construction Equipment celebrated production of its 250,000th skid steer loader. A special ceremony was held at the company’s global skid steer manufacturing facility in Wichita, Kan., and the skid steer was presented to Dino Folino of A. Folino Construction, Oakmont, Pa.

Case received an Excellence in Equipment Engineering award from Diesel Progress magazine at the BAUMA trade show held in Germany. It received the award in the loader/backhoe category for the 590 Super M+ Series 3.

The company continued its support of Illinois military families and veterans with its sponsorship of the fifth annual Rockin’ for the Troops concert at Cantigny Park in Winfield, Ill. Featuring entertainment from actor Gary Sinise’s Lt. Dan Band, the outdoor concert is produced by Operation Support Our Troops-Illinois, which supports the Hines Veterans Health Administration Hospital and multiple military-related causes.