Personnel News: Wright, Davey, Dow AgroSciences, Quali-Pro, Profile, Ruppert, Sokolis Group

Wright Mfg. Appoints New President

Wright Mfg. appointed Shawn Wolf as President. Bill Wright, the company’s founder, had held the position since establishing the company in 1981.

“I have had the pleasure of working closely with Shawn during his tenure as Chief Operating Officer at Wright for the past eight years,” Bill Wright says. “He has successfully and effectively taken on all of the management and most of the 'presidential' responsibilities, which makes this appointment more about recognition than an actual change in his duties. His title of President reflects the reality of the role Shawn has had in recent years.”

Wolf came to Wright with over ten years of executive experience. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Bryan College, a master's degree in management from Eastern University and is currently enrolled in a doctoral program in strategic leadership at Regent University.

Davey Names VP & GM

The Davey Tree Expert Co. named James F. Stief vice president and general manager in its residential/commercial service line. 

Pat Covey, Davey executive vice president, operations says Stief will continue to have responsibility for south, west and central regions, and will take on additional responsibility for sales growth and profitability.  
 
A 30-year Davey veteran, Stief joined the company in Atlanta and was promoted to increasingly more responsible field positions. In 1988, he was promoted to corporate responsibility. He has been vice president of residential/commercial operations in the south, central and western regions since 1998.

Stief is a 1979 alum of the School of Forestry at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. He had early Davey field experience in Pittsburgh where he trained as a climber while attending college and participating in the Virginia Tech Co-operative education program.

He is a 1980 graduate of the Davey Institute of Trees Sciences, earning the Golden Oak award for the top grade in the class and was a charter member of Davey’s President’s Council.

Dow AgroSciences Adds to T&O Sales Staff

Dow AgroSciences named Marney Dorsey and Justin Stewart as sales representatives for the T&O market. They are resources to distributors and customers in the lawn care, golf and nursery industries. They will also increase awareness for Dimension, Gallery, Snapshot and Showcase specialty herbicides, and Eagle 20EW specialty fungicide.

Marney Dorsey is the sales representative for the turf and ornamental market in Ohio, eastern Michigan, western Pennsylvania and western West Virginia. She joined Dow AgroSciences in March 2007 as a sales trainee for the turf and ornamental, and pest management businesses.

Dorsey attended Penn State where she earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences in 1999, and a master’s degree in agricultural and extension education in 2004. She replaces Kylee Swyers, who has been promoted to the U.S. Northern Crops marketing communications position. Customers in Dorsey’s area may contact her at 614-579-0219 or by e-mail at mhdorsey@dow.com.

Stewart will be responsible for sales in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky. He joined Dow AgroSciences shortly after completing graduate school at Purdue University in August 2007.

Stewart earned a bachelor ’s degree in turfgrass science and master’s degrees in both business and plant pathology from Purdue. Stewart has more than ten years of experience in golf course maintenance, including three as assistant superintendent and one as head superintendent. Stewart replaces Ryan Messner. Customers in his area may contact him at 765/426-6763 or by e-mail at jmstewart@dow.com.

Quali-Pro Names West Coast Manager

Quali-Pro hired Larry Blackledge as West Coast area manager. Most recently, Blackledge served as technical sales representative with Nichino America. Prior to that, he held Sales positions with Nu-Gro Technologies, AgrEvo USA and Wilbur Ellis Co. Blackledge has more than 25 years experience in agricultural, specialty fertilizer and turf and ornamentals.

A veteran of the United States Navy, Blackledge has a bachelor's degree in entomology from the University of Arizona with a minor in chemistry and pest management. He is fluent in Spanish and resides in Onalaska, Washington.

For more information on the comprehensive portfolio of professional turf and ornamental products from Quali-Pro, call 800/979-8994.

Profile Products LLC Adds to Technical Service Team

Profile Products announced the arrival of Becky Gauthier to the company as a technical service associate. Prior to joining Profile, Gauthier worked for Fiber Marketing International/Canfor, and has been a member of the hydraulic mulch industry since the beginning of her career, with Weyerhaeuser in 1991.

Gauthier will support the Profile sales and marketing team by helping to integrate Canfor customers into the Profile distribution network, following Profile's recent acquisition of the Canfor hydraulic mulch product. She will also support Profile's western distributors and regional managers with technical product expertise, application assistance and product education.

Gauthier currently serves as the administrative vice president on the IECA Board of Directors and resides in Lakebury, Wash.

Ruppert Names Branch Managers

Ruppert Nurseries, based in Laytonsville, Md., promoted John Harich and Ed O’Brien to Montgomery and Frederick County branch managers, respectively.

Harich will open the company’s Frederick County branch this Spring. He has been with Ruppert Nurseries for five years and has served the company as field manager, area manager and business development manager.

Harich was awarded Ruppert Nurseries’ 2006 Achievement Award. He lives in New Market with his wife and two sons.

Ed O’Brien will take over the Montgomery County landscape management branch, a position created by Halsey’s own promotion. O’Brien’s immediate goals are to continue to improve the branch’s service and product consistency and to groom branch employees for future leadership positions.

O'Brien holds degrees in landscape design/build and business management and is both a certified landscape technician (CLT) and a certified pesticide applicator. He resides in Rockville with his wife, Lisa, and they are looking forward to the birth of their first child.

As branch managers, both men will be responsible for the overall development and health of their respective branches to include strategic planning, budgeting, training and higher education, and all day-to-day activities. 

Sokolis Group Hires Senior Account Manager

Sokolis Group, a developer of strategic fuel management programs that deliver significant cost savings to fleet owners, construction companies and other fuel purchasers nationwide, has named McKenzie D. Egender as Senior Account Manager/Consultant (megender@sokolisgroup.com). Formerly with a key product-services affiliate of Morgan Stanley, McKenzie’s supply chain, procurement and fuel logistics experience will be an asset to Sokolis Group and its clients. 

As a business developer and client liaison, McKenzie will draw from her diverse experience to help Sokolis Group clients reduce fuel costs by securing more favorable product pricing, improving fueling process efficiency and streamlining fuel tracking and administrative procedures.