Tamas (Tom) Tanto has been named the recipient of American Society of Irrigation Consultant’s Roy Williams Memorial Award. The award is given annually to a person or organization who has shown outstanding achievement or made a significant contribution to the irrigation industry. Tanto will be presented the award at the ASIC National Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico on May 7, 2019.
Tanto is a well-known figure in the golf industry. After emigrating to the United States from Hungary after World War II, he earned a degree in civil engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Shortly after graduation and working for the Dravo Corporation, he was introduced to the world of golf course construction. A few years later, in 1969, he started his own golf course construction company, Tanto Construction and Supply.
The company thrived under Tanto’s leadership; a period spanning 32 years. His reputation in the industry was based on honesty, quality work, and customer service. The company eventually focused on irrigation installation for both new construction and existing golf courses, working under the company name Tanto Irrigation. Tanto Irrigation installed irrigation systems on numerous private and public courses including work on twenty-five of Golf Digest’s Top 100 courses.
In addition to the ASIC Roy Williams Award, he was recently awarded the GCSAA Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to the industry.
Aspen Grove Landscape Group acquires Long Brothers Landscaping
The move is the second North Carolina company Aspen Grove has acquired.
WILLOW GROVE, Pa. – Aspen Grove Landscape Group has acquired Long Brothers Landscaping, a family-owned business with more than three decades of experience.
Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, Long Brothers serves the Triangle and Triad regions and is the second North Carolina company that Aspen Grove has acquired.
“We are thrilled to bring in Long Brothers to the Aspen Grove family of landscape companies," said Aspen Grove President David Fleischner. “They are aligned with our mission and values of having the best support via the resources of our nationwide organization, combined with their dedicated expertise on a regional level. At Aspen Grove, we encourage communication and partnerships.”
“Our business was founded on the principles of hard work and dedication, and we couldn’t be happier to be joining Aspen Grove," said Stephen Wilson, Long Brothers Landscaping vice president of operations. "We look forward to working together to provide optimal performance for our customers in the Raleigh and surrounding regions.”
AmericanHort reveals workshops, tours for Cultivate trade show
There will be more than 150 educational sessions, as well as half- or full-day workshops and industry production tours.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – AmericanHort has announced its lineup of more than 150 educational sessions, as well as half- and full-day workshops and production tours to provide knowledge, training and sharing of best practices within the green industry.
“Bringing knowledge so green industry businesses can perform better, grow faster and be prepared for the future is our primary focus,” said Ken Fisher, president & CEO of AmericanHort. “We are proud of the quality education programing, workshops, and industry tours available at Cultivate’19.”
This year’s workshops include:
Biocontrols Workshop – The How-to's of Quality Control and Application Methods: Participants will learn skills like applying beneficials and receiving biocontrols, which can be used back in the greenhouse. Kits will be provided with the tools needed for implementing strategies learned during the workshop. Workshop speakers are: Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, Buglady Consulting; John Sanderson, Cornell University; and Rose Buitenhuis, Vineland Research & Innovation Centre.
CareerUP – Setting You UP for Future Success: CareerUP is a day-long workshop designed to teach emerging professionals the softer or intangible skills needed to be successful. This year’s speakers will focus on improving team dynamics and communication; highlighting the skills needed to resolve conflict and have tough conversations and discuss how to better deal with change and let go of the fears that may be holding somebody back. CareerUP speakers include Leslie Halleck, Halleck Horticulture LLC; John Kennedy, John Kennedy Consulting; and Neil Glatt, GrowTheBench.
Creating A Modern Garden Center Workshop: Held at the Franklin Park Conservatory, this full-day, peer-to-peer workshop includes a panel of retail experts from around the world who will share their inspiration, plans, hurdles, and how they stay relevant to today's consumer. Moderated by Katie Debow, Garden Media Group, program speakers are: Tammy Behem, MayPop; Chris Satch, The Sill; Martina Mensing-Mecklenburg, Verband Deutscher Garden-Centre e.V.; and Jessie Jacobson, Tonkadale.
It’s All About the Workforce: Designed for horticulture HR, safety professionals, and green business owners, this workshop is for those who source, recruit, onboard and train employees. Topics to be covered include H2A Reform, Recruiting and Engaging Seasonal Labor, and Creating a Culture of Safety in the workplace in an nteractive seminar that will promote sharing of lessons learned and successes in attracting and keeping a well-trained labor force. Speakers include Patrick Berschauer, Safety and Wellness Manager at Smith Gardens, Inc. plus a panel discussion on immigration labor with expert attorney Chris Schulte of CJ Lake LLC, a leading firm and long-time partner of AmericanHort, Ann Margaret Pointer and Josh Viau attorneys with Fisher Phillips, another leading firm specializing in human resource and labor relation issues.
The Art of Giving Great Service Workshop: Zingerman’s is an experienced presence in the specialty food industry. This success comes from combining an innovative service philosophy with practical working systems, all of which will be shared in this garden retailer facing workshop. This seminar will teach the "Steps to Giving Great Service" and how to effectively handle customer complaints. The trainer is Elnian Gilbert of ZingTrain.
In addition to these workshops, industry production tours will take place on Saturday July 13 providing a unique opportunity to visit and learn firsthand from businesses in several green industry segments:
Garden Retail Tour – Tour stops include: Berns Garden Center, Delhi Flower & Garden Center, and White Oak Garden Center, a Top 100 Garden Retail Center.
Greenhouse Production Tour – Tour stops include: Green Circle Growers, Corso’s Perennials, and Corso’s Greenhouse.
Innovation Tour – This new tour goes through the Scotts Miracle-Gro headquarters to learn how they bring new consumer horticultural products to market and to share their organic nutrient research.
Nursery Production Tour – Tour stops include: Willoway Nursery, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and Davis Tree Farm & Nursery.
There is an additional registration fee for these tours and workshops, which can be purchased when registering for Cutlivate’19. All-Access pass holders can attend any of the more than 150 education sessions that take place during Cultivate with education tracks specifically planned for the Greenhouse, Landscape, Nursery, Garden Retail, Interior Plantscape, Generation Next, and Business Plus audiences.
General registration for Culitivate’19 opens on March 15, 2019. You can register at Cultivate19.org/Reg.
Husqvarna debuts newest chainsaws
The 572 XP and the 565 are all-new saws that highlight a series of products the company released last week in Asheville.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – On the same grounds where the nation's first forestry school was founded, Husqvarna officially introduced its five newest chainsaws to the North American market.
The entirely new 572 XP and 565 saws, as well as the updated 550 XP Mark II, 545 Mark II and T525, all feature higher cutting speeds and cutting capacities of their Husqvarna predecessors. The 572 XP and 565 also include improved AutoTune technology, which adjusts its carburetor based on air and fuel conditions every tenth of a second.
Husqvarna also debuted a new line of Arborist Essentials and its C83, C85 and S93G X-Cut chains. The essentials pack includes new helmets designed for Class C or Class E use, as well as other basic equipment necessary for line setting and climbing. Meanwhile, the C83 (.050 gauge) and C85 (.058 gauge) are 3/8-inch full chisel chains, while the S93G is a semi-chisel chain. All three of the products are expansions to the preexisting X-Cut Series.
"Our commitment is to always deliver products that are relevant to our end users and provide the necessary productivity," said Per Kvarby, Husqvarna's global director of product management. "At the end of the day, it's about productivity. How much money can I earn as a professional user cutting down trees?"
Jeff Perry, a member of Husqvarna's H-Team, explains his cuts before felling a tree with a new 572 XP chainsaw.
Kvarby said the company weighed the needs of clients involved in both harvest forestry and urban forestry. Whereas many clients are still buying chainsaws for logging, Kvarby said an increasing number of tree care specialists are trying to keep healthy green spaces within growing, urban cities.
With that in mind, Kvarby said the decision to create a variety in saws is because of the divergent needs of customers. Both the 572 XP and 565 are in the 70cc engine class, but the 572 XP is specifically designed for clients who require more power in the forestry segment. For users who don't need quite as much power and more maneuverability, the 565 may be best. The 550 XP Mark II and 545 Mark II are redesigned from their previous versions and are best used on mid-sized trees, though the 545 offers slightly less power than the 550. The T525, the latest installment in Husqvarna's compact chainsaw line, is ideal for limbing jobs, as it features an easy connect to a climbing harness and is the company's lightest gas-powered chainsaw to date.
"We are proud to provide the latest, state-of-the-art technology any innovative solutions to both our harvest forestry customers as well as our urban forestry customers," Kvarby said. "(The saws are) specifically customized for that end user."
Lawn & Landscape editor Jimmy Miller tries the 550 XP Mark II.
Christian Johnsson, the company's product management specialist, said Husqvarna considered six main areas when designing its new saws: cutting capacity, cooling capacity, air filtration system, improving AutoTune, power-to-weight ratio and cutting speed. The company upgraded its heat shields, air filters, and cylinder cooling technologies, plus added wear-resistant felling marks to help guide users during cuts. The AutoTune feature on some of the saws is also an improvement over previous iterations, as Husqvarna's AutoTune used to adjust the saw's carburetor once every second rather than once every .10 seconds.
"You could hear when it adjusts, but with these saws, it happens so fast you can't even hear it," Johnsson said. "To be able to take (our saws), develop them further, is quite impressive."
The new 572 XP is available now for $999.95 MSRP, while the new 565 can be purchased for $939.95. The 545 Mark II is listed at $539.95 and the 550 XP Mark II is at $599.95. The T525 is available for $489.95. For more information on product pricing or details, visit the Husqvarna website.
Mean Green joins equipment exchange program
The South Coast Air Quality Management District Commercial Electric Lawn and Garden Exchange Program gives participants 50 percent off the commercial electric equipment standard pricing.
Mean Green Products is now a part of the South Coast Air Quality Management District Commercial Electric Lawn and Garden Exchange Program.
Unlike most residential programs for small household electric mowers, commercial gardeners & landscapers, school districts, colleges, local government agencies and non-profit agencies are now eligible for this program. Participants must scrap one equivalent operable gasoline or diesel-powered mower.
SCAQMD has $2.5 million in incentive funds for this program. Participants can receive a discount of up to 50 percent off the commercial electric equipment standard pricing. With zero emissions, low noise, low maintenance, and zero fuel to purchase, new owners will help save the environment and in operating costs over the service life of the mowers compared to traditional gas mowers.
“We’re proud to be a partner with the SCAQMD to implement our latest zero-emission mowers to the Los Angeles basin,” said Mean Green Mowers’ president Joe Conrad. “Our all-electric zero-turn mowers with all-day run times have been mowing city parks, universities, resorts, and homes around the country for years."
“We have designed our commercial electric mowers to withstand all the punishment typically seen on commercial equipment,” said vice president of engineering Matt Conrad. “Our patented zero-turn mowers now have power that exceeds most traditional commercial mowers and has the lithium battery capacity to get contractors through an entire day of mowing”.
