Personnel News: Includes Yanmar, Bayer, Lebanon, NTEA and Novae

Yanmar America Announces New President & COO

Yanmar America appointed Thomas Calhoun to president & COO. Calhoun succeeds Akihiko Nakaoka, who will remain on board with Yanmar through 2008 as the industrial division manager and senior special advisor.

Calhoun will operate from Yanmar’s expanding manufacturing, distribution, and new corporate office facilities in Adairsville, Ga., while Nakaoka will remain at the Industrial Division offices in Buffalo Grove, Ill.

Calhoun was asked to join the Yanmar team in April of 1999 based on his extensive senior level marketing background with companies such as Philips, Bertram Yacht and Crusader Engines. His initial responsibility was director of marketing for the Marine Engine Group, the Industrial Engine Division and the Replacement Parts Program. By 2000, Calhoun was assigned to Yanmar’s Overseas Planning Department in Osaka, Japan and in April of 2001 he was tapped as manager of the Export Marine Department that was also based in Osaka. The following year, Calhoun was reassigned to the U.S. as vice president of Yanmar Marine and promoted to the president of Yanmar Marine USA in 2004.

Currently, as president of all Yanmar’s North American operating groups including Construction Equipment, Calhoun has the responsibility for assuring performance consistent with the parent company’s short and long term financial goals and strategic objectives. As part of this, he is charged with overseeing the development of all necessary systems, structures and policies necessary to achieve these goals.

Bayer Environmental Science Names Imidacloprid Business Manager

Joe Burke was recently named business manager, imidacloprid products for Bayer Environmental Science, the company recently announced. He will have marketing responsibility for Merit insecticide, Allectus insecticide, CoreTect insecticide and all other green industry imidacloprid products.
 
Burke has worked for Bayer and its predecessor companies since 2000, when he joined Aventis Corp. as a financial planning and analysis manager. He was controller and manager of commercial service from 2002 through 2007. Previously, Burke worked for Timeplex Group in New Jersey for nine years.
 
A native of Washington Township, N.J., Burke holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ramapo College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in business administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J.

Currently, he resides in Cary, N.C., with his wife and two children.

Lebanon hires Marketing Manager

Mike Sisti was recently named marketing manager at LebanonTurf. He has 16 years of sales, marketing, and management experience within the green industry.

Sisti’s experience includes developing sales and marketing programs for several start-up lawn care companies, launching his own LCO, and as a marketing consultant to service companies both within and outside the green industry. He has written articles for several of the landscape trade publications.  In addition to his turf knowledge, Sisti is also a New Jersey-Certified Tree Expert and an ISA Certified Arborist.

Sisti has completed coursework in agronomy from Rutgers University and Penn State. He has a bachelor's degree in communications from Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa. and is completing an M.B.A. at Rider University, Lawrenceville, N.J.

NTEA Names Project, Public Relations Manager

Kathleen M. Kvasnak has been named Project and Public Relations Manager at the National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA). Kvasnak will be responsible for overseeing the Association’s public relations campaigns and activities, media relations and will serve as liaison with the organization’s public relations agency. She will also be responsible for special marketing communication projects and publications that will enhance the image of the NTEA and the communication between the association, its membership and other industry stakeholders.

Kvasnak has extensive experience in developing and implementing industry award-winning marketing communication and public relations campaigns and programs in diverse industries including financial services, healthcare and insurance. 

She began her career in the banking industry overseeing the marketing communications function for a multi-bank holding company and most recently served in marketing communication roles at the Auto Club Group and St. John Health in southeastern Michigan.

Kvasnak earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with an emphasis in journalism, public relations and marketing from Wayne State University and a master’s degree in advertising from Michigan State University. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, Inforum (Women’s Economic Club) and the Adcraft Club of Detroit.

Novae Corp. Hires Unit Manager

Novae Corporation promoted Jay Wehrle the newly created position, business unit manager. Included in his new responsibilities are the Proslide and Gridiron product lines. Wehrle has been with the company for 4 years.

In his new role Wehrle will expand the product lines, bring focus to great customer service, and position the business for rapid expansion. Wehrle will apply his design and production talents to developing new products that will make landscapers businesses safer, more efficient and more profitable.

Seago Hires Manufacturer's Representative

Don Davis joined Seago International as a manufacturer’s representative for all equipment distributed by Seago International. Davis’s territory will include Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

“Don has almost 20 years of experience in the turf industry, and that will be a great help to our dealers in his sales area,” said Seago president Scott Sweeney. “Having our top-quality equipment represented by someone with his skill, integrity and energy will be a real boost to our company.”

Headquartered in Hickory, N.C., Seago International is the North American distributor for Allen Hover Mowers, Atom Edgers and Tillers, Hayter Mowers, and Spyker Spreaders. The company has dealers throughout North and South America.

For additional information, visit seagointernational.com, call 800/780-9889 or e-mail sales@seagointernational.com.

Schréder Lighting USA Appoints Product and Brand Manager
 
To help market the Schréder brand of commercial outdoor lighting throughout the U.S., Schréder Lighting USA has appointed Cedric Van Den Haute to the position of Product and Brand Manager.  Schréder Lighting USA, the newest of the 40-member Schréder Group G.I.E. located in 36 countries on four continents, is marketing the Schréder brand in the fields of Public Lighting, Floodlighting, Tunnel/Transit Lighting, Industrial and Urban Lighting. 
 
“We are proud to have Cedric on-board with our company in the U.S.,” says Francis Schréder, Board Member of Schréder Group G.I.E. “Cedric brings a high level of product knowledge, sales and marketing experience, and we are confident that he can help impact the specifier community.”
 
In his new position, Van Den Haute will oversee all marketing, market research, advertising and public relations efforts. He will serve as liaison to Schréder Group G.I.E.’s Research and Development department in Belgium, and work closely with National Sales Manager John Camp to develop sales training programs, promotions and support for the firm’s sales agents and customers.
 
Prior to joining Schréder Lighting USA, Van Den Haute was employed by the Schréder Group G.I.E. for nearly six years where he served as Export Manager, Asia-Pacific, with Schreder Lighting LLC’s affiliate, Comelec SA, in Belgium.  He was in-charge of sales in Asia and the Pacific Basin and helped pioneer the very first LED street lighting installation (in Split, Croatia). 
 
His previous professional experience includes serving as Contractor Services Manager for Firestone Building Products Europe, and Technical Office Engineer for Besix Group of Besix Egypt.
 
Van Den Haute holds a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from the Université Catholique de Louvain, in Belgium.

Agri-Fab Names National Sales Manager, North American Consumer Products

Agri-Fab announced that Roger A. Johnson will join the company as National Sales Manager, North American Consumer Products.  In his role, Johnson will be responsible for identifying and pursuing strategic growth opportunities for Agri-Fab’s North American Consumer business, which includes the Agri-Fab and LawnCrafter brands.

Johnson joins Agri-Fab from Kimberly Clark Corporation, where he held a series of sales and marketing positions of increasing management responsibilities for its North American Consumer Brands.

“Roger brings leadership experience that will be invaluable in helping our multifunctional teams drive our North American Consumer business to the next level of performance,” says Michael Cohan, president of Agri-Fab.

Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 1977 and a master’s degree in business administration from Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, in 1982.

For more information, contact Mark Short at 800/448-9282.

GTO Expands Professional Sales Team

GTO, a designer and provider of the GTO Access Systems line of commercial and residential operators and accessories, announced that Jon Luis Novaro has joined the company as Florida and Ohio territory sales manager.

Based in Pembroke Pines, Fla., Novaro will cover all of Florida from the Keys to the Panhandle as well as the state of Ohio.  He represents the complete GTO line of products including Mighty Mule and GTO Access Systems branded Automatic Gate Openers and Access Controls.

Before joining GTO, Inc., Novaro held sales management positions at Carraro North America, CNH and Komatsu.  He also has experience in the access control industry, which he obtained while working as a Territory Sales Manager with Stanley Magic Door Inc. He has worked and traveled extensively in both the North and South American markets.

In his new position, Novaro will be responsible for sales, distribution, dealer development, marketing and other sales related activities for GTO’s complete line of residential, commercial and industrial line of retail and professional gate operators and accessories.

“As a result of the various positions I have held, I have been able to obtain a great deal of experience in sales and distribution management, all of which will be very useful to me when promoting GTO’s innovative products throughout my assigned territory,” said Novaro.

“Jon’s extensive sales experience is ideal for expanding our product base in the commercial and professional arenas,” said Kevin Peaden, vice president of GTO sales. “We welcome his addition to our growing sales force.”

For more information about GTO/PRO Professional Access Systems, go to www.gtoaccess.com or call 800/543-4283.