Industry Update

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From left, Clint Waltz, Jeff Lucovsky, Ricky Nix, David Barnes, Wayne Hanna, Ron Garl, Paul Raymer, Brian Schwartz, Terry Hollifield and Taylor Zimbelman.

UGA Holds Turfgrass Summit

The University of Georgia Turfgrass Team held its inaugural two-day turfgrass summit for golf course architects in Griffin and Tifton, Ga. Summit guests included Ron Garl, Ricky Nix and David Barnes of Ron Garl Golf Design, Lakeland, Fla.; Taylor Zimbelman of Dye Designs, Inc., Denver, Colo.; and Jeff Lucovsky of Mark McCumber Golf Design, Jacksonville, Fla. Presenters included Dr. Paul Raymer, Dr. Clint Waltz, Dr. Alfredo Martinez, Dr. Kris Braman, Dr. Patrick McCullough, Dr. Wayne Hanna, Terry Hollifield, Shelley Fincher and Dr. Brian Schwartz.

Foster Conant Selected for Project, Wins Awards

Foster Conant & Associates was selected by Orlando-based architectural firm C.T. Hsu + Associates P.A. to provide site-specific landscape architectural services for the new community pavilion and fountain park in the city of Winter Garden, Fla. The company will provide design, construction documents and construction observation for landscaping, irrigation, aesthetic grading, architectural amenities, site lighting, fountain design, layout and engineering, site signage and hardscape amenities.

Foster Conant was among the award winners at the annual design competition gala sponsored by the Florida chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. The company took home two Awards of Honor, one in the commercial category for St. Johns Town Center Phase II in Jacksonville, Fla., and one in the planning and analysis category for Shenfu New Town Discovery Lake District in China.

Groundskeeper Execs Lead CAI in Two Markets

Deborah Cole and Taylor Haught are presidents-elect of the Community Associations Institute in their respective cities. Cole is president of Greater Texas Landscapes of Austin, Texas, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Groundskeeper. Haught is branch manager of the Groundskeeper Albuquerque office in New Mexico.

GreenWizard & TerraChoice Form Business Alliance

GreenWizard, Inc. and TerraChoice announced a new business alliance focusing on the EcoLogo Program, which certifies environmental leaders covering a variety of categories. GreenWizard and TerraChoice will co-promote the EcoLogo-certified standards and building products, which TerraChoice will load into the GreenWizard platform, along with the accompanying EcoLogo product designations. Certified products will be easily available for architects, engineers and contractors searching for products for green construction.

Groundskeeper & IFMA Release Guide

The Groundskeeper and the IFMA Foundation announced the release of “Sustainable Landscaping,” a practical guide on how to introduce and advance sustainable practices in landscaping. The guide, sixth in the foundation’s sustainability guide series, is available as a free download at www.ifmafoundation.org or www.groundskeeper.com. It provides an overview of several key areas, including design, construction, maintenance, guidance on making the business case for sustainability and case studies.

Florida Water Star Volunteer Receives Award

Judy Benson, a certified irrigation designer and certified irrigation auditor from Winter Springs, Fla., was recognized by the St. Johns River Water Management District’s governing board with the 2010 Bob Owens Award. Benson has volunteered with the district’s Florida Water Star program, which encourages water efficiency in irrigation systems, landscapes, household appliances and water fixtures.

Deere Offers New Standard Warranty

John Deere increased standard warranty coverage on new construction equipment in the U.S. and Canada. The free, basic warranty has changed from six to 12 months. Deere’s basic, no-deductible 12-month warranty “travels” with the machine if the equipment is sold to another party.

PERC Hosts Workshop

The Propane Education & Research Council and the other members of the Alternative Fuel Trade Alliance continued their nationwide training program on alternative fuel at a workshop for fleet managers in Casa Grande, Ariz. It was part of a series of seminars made possible by a $1.6 million grant from the Energy Department. The workshops cover alternative fuel quality, infrastructure, available vehicles, safety, environmental impacts and latest technologies.

JCB Adds Dealer, Opens Factory

JCB’s North American dealer network has expanded with the addition of Darr Equipment Co.. Darr has eight branch locations in northeast Texas and Oklahoma.

JCB continued its investment in global excavator production capability with the opening of its newest factory in Brazil. The construction of the factory took seven months and includes a new training area to enhance the service backup provided to excavator customers in the region.

From left, Mark Hall, SnowEx director of marketing and sales, and John Fiorini, John M. Fiorini, Joe Nolan and Estelle Blush, all with Meadowbrook Parking Area Contractors.

SnowEx Gives Away Spreaders at SIMA Symposium

SnowEx gave away two free SR-210 wireless spreaders at SIMA’s 2010 Snow & Ice Symposium. The winners, drawn at random from a group of show attendees who registered at SnowEx’s booth, were John Fiorini of Fioland Contracting, West Babylon, N.Y., and Scott Carson of Piscataqua Landscaping Co., Inc., Eliot, Maine.

Oly-Ola Releases Joining Instructions

Oly-Ola Edgings, Inc. released step-by-step instructions for joining round-top landscape edging pieces together. Referred to as the overlap method, the instructions can be downloaded at www.olyola.com/installoverlap.shtml. They are available in both English and Spanish.

Randy Jeffers

Fockele Names Account Manager

The Fockele Garden Co., Gainesville, Ga., named Randy Jeffers as an account manager. Jeffers has more than 20 years in the green industry and brings a broad knowledge of maintenance, design/build, irrigation, lighting, pest control and floriculture to Fockele.

LTR Appoints Vice President

Liberty Tire Recycling appointed Douglas D. Carlson to the position of vice president of asphalt products. He has held a number of executive and managerial positions during his career, including his most recent position as the director of the Rubber Pavement Association.

Back row, from left, Ken Shave, president Dallas Steiner, Trevor Ryan and Brian Carr. Front row, from left, inside sales and marketing manager Wayne Ressler, Brian Godwin, T.J. Clark and national sales manager Kevin Holland.

Ventrac Sales Force Expands

Ventrac announced the expansion of its sales force with the addition of several new members. With over 31 years of experience in the sales and outdoor power equipment industry, T.J. Clark, Brian Carr and Ken Shave have joined the current Ventrac sales team. They will be responsible for increasing sales and growing the Ventrac dealer networks throughout their designated territories.