Hortica Names New President
Hortica Insurance & Employee Benefits, providers business insurance, employee benefits and personal insurance to the horticultural industry, is pleased to announced Mona Haberer is the new company president and CEO. Haberer replaces Robert McClellan, who is retiring after 21 years with the company. McClellan will assume the role of special advisor to the president during the transition period until his official retirement in July.
Haberer has been with Hortica for nearly 20 years, most recently serving as chief financial officer, treasurer and senior vice president for the past nine years. A CPA and CPCU, she holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Eastern Illinois University and is a member of the American Institute for Certified Public Accountants.
“Bob has been an excellent mentor and friend who retires with a knowledgeable management team in place. Hortica is financially strong and well positioned for growth,” Haberer says. “We’re excited about our plans to grow Hortica Insurance & Employee Benefits and to remain true to our niche as the largest insurer in the United States dedicated to the horticultural industry.”
McClellan has served as president and CEO of Hortica since 1994, and held several senior management positions prior to his appointment. Under his leadership, the company experienced rapid growth in agency operations to include local community sales and support, and achieved significant gains in financial strength by nearly every measure including surplus growth and reserve strengthening. McClellan also led the expansion of product and sales into all segments of the horticultural industry and expanded the role of loss control and safety programs to save lives, reduce injuries and reduce costs.
“I know healthy people who retire with the expectation of relaxation and fun because they are some how ‘entitled to that.’ I don’t feel that way and self actualization is off my radar screen. I have much to offer my family including lots of grandkids, my community and my country. I want to remain, for as long as my health permits, an asset not a liability to society.”
ValleyCrest Adds Business Development Roles
ValleyCrest Cos. appointmented of Jonathan Wyman as vice president, business development and John Page as director, business development. In these newly created positions, the seasoned duo is charged with bolstering the company’s landscape design, planning, and integrated design-build businesses, as well as supporting the national business development network to cross-sell services across divisions. Although both will spearhead business development efforts on a national and international scale, Wyman will be based in the company’s corporate headquarters in Southern California while Page will be located in Orlando, Fla.
Wyman brings more than 10 years of business development experience in the design arena to ValleyCrest. He joins the company from venerable architectural firm, SB Architects, one of the fastest-growing architectural practices in the nation specializing in hotels/resorts, and multi-family and mixed use residential projects, where he served as Vice President, Director of Business Development. Prior to SB Architects, Wyman provided business development leadership in the San Francisco office of Ai, an architecture and interior design firm specializing in corporate campuses that has since been acquired by Perkins + Will.
John Page, an industry veteran recognized for his knowledge of both design and construction, joins ValleyCrest from the Orlando, Fla., office of WATG, one of the largest hotel and resort design firms in the world, where he served as Director of Business Development. Previously, he served as Business Development Manager for Perini Building Co.
Bayer Environmental Science Names National Accounts Manager
David Crank was recently named national accounts manager for the Green Professional Products Division of Bayer Environmental Science in Research Triangle Park, N.C., the company recently announced.
In his new position, Crank will be responsible for several national accounts in the golf, lawn care and formulator business segments. He joins national account manager Rich Burns in handling specific national accounts for Bayer Environmental Science.
Previously, Crank was the lawn care and landscape market specialist for Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. An ISA-certified arborist, he is also an active member of PLANET’s lawn care specialty interest group and participates annually in PLANET’s Renewal and Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery.
Prior to joining Bayer eight years ago, Crank worked as a marketing research consultant for Novartis and previously, American Cyanamid. He holds a master’s degree in agribusiness from Santa Clara University, in California, and a bachelor’s degree in animal science from West Virginia University. He can be reached at 919/308-3052.
Hunter Announces Corporate Promotions, Organization Changes
Hunter Industries announced that Steve Abernethy was promoted to executive vice president, sales, and Gregory Hunter was promoted to executive vice president, marketing.
Steve Abernethy will have complete responsibility for both domestic and international sales operations. Barry Pedler, director, international sales, will now report directly to Steve Abernethy.
The current Marketing organization will now report to Gregory Hunter. Further, both Steve Abernethy and Gregory Hunter will join the Executive Management Team at Hunter Industries.
“We are confident the promotions will reinforce our executive management team moving forward,” says Richard Hunter, president and c.e.o. of Hunter Industries. “Both candidates are highly qualified and will enhance our group.”
The candidates will assume vital responsibilities for the leading irrigation manufacturer, and were chosen for their superior performance and management skills as the company implements its strategies in the current economic environment.
Former Pro Baseball Player Joins Ewing’s Turf Team
As baseball spring training ramps up in Arizona, Chris Sinacori, Ewing’s newly-appointed sports field specialist and former professional baseball player and coach, has turned his focus from the game played on the field, to the field itself.
“Having stepped foot on a baseball field 300 days per year for the last 17 years, this side of the sports field realm is a natural fit,” Sinacori said. “I can work with customers to not only supply the products they need to enhance their sports field’s look or play, but I can offer a player’s perspective.”
Sinacori will work with local Ewing branches to provide sales, service and support to Arizona sports field professionals—especially baseball field crews—at city parks, high schools, colleges and professional organizations.
Ewing sees tremendous growth opportunity in the sports field market. According to the Sports Turf Managers Association, there are a little over 30,000 facilities with sports fields across the country: 300 professional, 3,500 collegiate, 7,500 park and recreation and 20,000 K-12 fields. The economic impact of the sports field industry in the United States is estimated at $11 billion.
Before landing at Ewing, Sinacori spent seven years as a professional baseball player with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Florida Marlins and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He later went on to become a pitching coach for Arizona State University, Wake Forest University, the Chicago White Sox and the Seattle Mariners.
Bartlett Tree Experts Promotes Key Operations Employees
The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Co., a tree and shrub care company, announced the promotion of Peter Jeskey and Matthew Farin. These promotions recognize dedicated service to Bartlett Tree Experts and the key role these employees play in the company’s operations.
As assistant vice president of Capital Equipment, Jeskey will continue to oversee management of over 800 production vehicles and a fleet of over 200 sales cars. He will also focus on initiatives to maximize the environmental efficiency of the company’s equipment. Previously Jeskey served as director of purchasing and capital equipment. Over the coming months, he will transition oversight of purchasing to a new director, yet to be named. Jeskey joined Bartlett Tree Experts in the 1970s as a crewmember and then foreman and has since held various roles of increasing responsibility.
Farin was promoted to assistant vice president of contracts administration and assistant secretary. As an officer of the company, he plays anintricate and diverse role in the company’s operations including heavy involvement in the bidding and contract process, support for more than 200 sales representatives and corporate financial analysis. Farin most recently served as Internal Auditor and Director of Contracts. He has been with the corporation since graduating from the University of Connecticut over 15 years ago with a bachelor’s degree in economics.