Personnel News: BASF, Dow, PBI Gordon, U.S. Lawns, Bandit, Sakai

The latest position changes from around the industry.

BASF Specialty Products Department Appoints Market Development Specialist

BASF Specialty Products Department has named Todd Burkdoll to the position of market development specialist supporting turf & ornamental markets in the Western United States. He’ll work with BASF sales representatives, distributors, university cooperators and end users to facilitate BASF product stewardship, innovation and leadership in the field.

“Todd‘s background in new product development for BASF and years of experience with fungicides on the West Coast, particularly California, is critical to our success as we launch new products for turf and add to our ornamental portfolio offering in those key markets,” said Toni Bucci, Ph.D., BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals business manager.

For the past six years, Burkdoll worked for the BASF Agricultural Products division as a technical service representative, providing sales support to dealers of BASF crop protection products in Southern California, Arizona and Hawaii. In this role, Burkdoll achieved a BASF business leader award in recognition of his efforts toward building platinum-level partnerships with BASF customers.

Burkdoll holds a master’s degree in plant science from California State University in Fresno. In addition to his professional pursuits, Burkdoll’s credentials include humanitarian work in Bangkok, Thailand, as project administrator in UNHCR refugee camps for displaced persons from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Dow AgroSciences Names Matt Benson to Extended Role

Dow AgroSciences has named Matt Benson as North America Market Sell and U.S. Business Services Leader following the retirement of Jack Mitenbuler.

In his expanded role, Benson will manage both marketing research and marketing communications managers. He will continue to lead marketing and sales training for the company.

Benson brings 25 years of experience to the position, having joined Dow AgroSciences in 1982. He has held positions in sales, marketing and customer service, most recently as the Commercial Training Leader/Six Sigma Black Belt. Benson graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor of science degree in Agricultural Business.

Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company providing innovative crop protection, pest and vegetation management, seed, and agricultural biotechnology solutions to serve the world's growing population. Global sales for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are $3.4 billion. Learn more at www.dowagro.com.

PBI/Gordon Announces New Hire for Product Development

PBI/Gordon Corp. announced the recent appointment of Mark Welterlen to the position of New Product Development Manager. 
 
New to PBI/Gordon, Welterlen is not new to the professional turf and ornamental management industry.  His experience encompasses an extensive 40-year background in the green industry with technical, business, marketing and hands-on grounds-care experience.  In his new role, Welterlen will identify market needs and evaluate new chemistry and formulations to fill these needs.

Welterlen, who started at PBI/Gordon on April 16, holds a Ph.D. in agronomy with a focus on turf management from The Pennsylvania State University. He started his career in the green industry with hands-on experience on a golf course in Massachusetts while still in high school.  

Welterlen has held positions as group publisher of Grounds Maintenance magazine and other publications at Prism Business Media and as an assistant professor of Agronomy (turf) at the University of Maryland.  Welterlen also has served as a consultant and expert witness for golf course developers and architects. 
 
For more information on PBI/Gordon, or their full line of professional turf and ornamental products, visit pbigordon.com or call 800/821-7925.

U.S. Lawns Announces New Accounting Supervisor, Controller

Janet Charran was recently promoted to accounting supervisor, while Kim Gubera was promoted to controller, at U.S. Lawns.

In her new role, Charran will oversee and manage the staff in the accounting department, which processes transactions for the U.S. Lawns franchise business, national account business, and re-sale products business.

Charran began working with U.S. Lawns in April 2005 in the finance andaccounting department. Janet received her Bachelor's degree in business management from Long Island University and her Master's degree in business management from Hamilton University.

Gubera joined the company more than 18 years ago and has held several positions in accounting and finance, including the role of senior accountant, prior to being promoted to her new position. She has worked in the past with Environmental Care, now known as ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance, as well as handling a continuing array of projects for the ValleyCrest Companies corporate accounting department.

Duties will include balance sheet management functions, financial analysis and project work. Gubera will be reporting to U.S. Lawns President Ken Hutcheson in her new role.

She received her Bachelor's degree in accounting and her M.B.A. degree while working for the company. She has achieved the designation of Certified Public Accountant from the State of Florida in February of 2006.

Bandit Welcomes New Regional Sales Representatives

In an effort to expand sales and service throughout the nation, Bandit Industries is excited to introduce their newest regional sales representatives: Northwest Regional Sales Representative Chad Huber, West Coast Regional Sales Representative Dick Edwards, and Midwest Regional Sales Representative Gerad Himebaugh.

Northwest Regional Sales Representative Chad Huber
A Blanchard, MI native, Chad has been with Bandit for twelve years. Upon graduating from Ferris State University with an engineering degree, he was hired in to Bandit’s Hand-Fed Chipper Drafting Department. Shortly thereafter, he transferred to the Beast Recycler Engineering Department, and then to the Service and Warranty Department. Since his move to the sales department as Northwest Regional Sales Representative, his new duties include dealer support for hand-fed chippers and stump grinders in the Northwest.

West Coast Regional Sales Representative Dick Edwards
Dick has worked in the chipper and grinder sales, service and parts industry for almost 30 years. Prior to joining the Bandit sales team, Dick was heavily involved in sales and dealer development in the east coast, west coast, and Hawaii dealer networks. As the West Coast Regional Sales Representative, Dick will be available to answer any questions or concerns that customers may have regarding Bandit’s entire product line, including hand-fed chippers, stump grinders, whole tree chippers and Beast waste reduction units.

Midwest Regional Sales Representative Gerad Himebaugh
Gerad has over twelve years of sales experience. Prior to accepting his position as Midwest Regional Sales Representative for Bandit hand-fed chippers and stump grinders, Gerad was in charge of all open territory sales for Bandit stump grinders. His duties have been refined to the Midwest region to more effectively target customers and assist dealers in the area. Gerad is now available to assist Midwest regional dealers with hand-fed chipper and stump grinder sales.

Bandit Industries offers the widest range of equipment to serve the tree service and forestry markets, with high production chippers, stump grinders, and waste reduction units. Backed by over 300 dedicated employees, 80 qualified dealers worldwide and a team of on-call regional sales representatives; Bandit offers not only top-of-the-line equipment, but also an unrivaled support network. Log on to www.banditchippers.com to learn more about Bandit equipment.

SAKAI America in Adairsville, Ga., appointed Karl Rowan as District Manager for its Mid-Central territory.  This area includes the states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Ontario, Canada.

Rowan has an extensive background in heavy equipment, both hands-on and managerial.  His career began as a field service technician, then production supervisor, parts specialist and culminated in dealer training and technical support. With experience in purchasing, inventory management and customer
service, Rowan will be an asset to Sakai in many critical areas. 

Rowan's hiring supports SAKAI's long-term plan for market development in North America.  Initially, his responsibilities will include support and training of dealer sales and applications teams which are already in place and recruitment and set-up of new dealers within the territory.  He will also oversee dealer parts and service department set up and training for all new and existing dealers in this territory.

Manufacturing and shipping more vibratory compactors worldwide, SAKAI's line features vibratory pneumatic tire rollers and track driven vibratory soil compactors. Also included are single-drum smooth and padfoot vibratory soil compactors, SAKAI's unique, interchangeable padfoot-smooth drum soil compactors, strike-off blade options; double vibrating drum asphalt rollers and combined vibrating drum/pneumatic tire rollers.  SAKAI also markets the R2H, a balanced three-wheeler. All Sakai rollers are equipped with R.O.P.S. as standard equipment.

Dealers interested in marketing an exciting line of field-proven soil and asphalt compaction equipment in this territory should contact Rowan at his office at 740-767-4274 or k-rowan@sakaiamerica.com.