January 1, 2018

Industry news

The latest news and happenings in the green industry.

Canadian gardens feted by AAS
In 2017, All-America Selections (AAS) challenged AAS Display Gardens to create designs based on the theme “Foodscaping — Interspersing Edibles in the Ornamental Garden.” Daniel A. Seguin garden of Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., placed second, and Shell Park in Oakville Ont., placed third, in the 10,001-100,000 visitors per year category. Norseco at the Botanical Garden of Montreal, Que., placed second in the over-100,000 visitors per year category. 

Pro-Power acquires Wright distribution rights
Pro-Power Canada has reached an agreement with Wright Manufacturing to distribute its equipment in eastern Canada. The Meaford, Ont.-based distributor also has exclusivity with Walker Mowers, Billy Goat Equipment, Truck Craft, Ecolawn Applicators, AcrEase by Kunz, and Zrator in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. Wright is a Frederick, Md.-based producer of professional mowers.  

Ottawa looks forward to GreenTrade Expo 
With over 1,400 green professional attendees and 120 industry exhibitors, GreenTrade Expo 2018 is the buying, idea-gathering and networking event of the year for the horticultural and landscape sector in Eastern Ontario. The show will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Feb. 14, 2018, at the EY Centre in Ottawa, Ont. The event features an MTO/contractors breakfast and educational seminars as well as contests and prizes. Landscape Ontario’s Ottawa Chapter will also hold their fourth annual Awards of Distinction gala and casino night in conjunction with the show on Feb. 13. For more information, visit greentrade.ca or call 613-796-5156.  

Bobcat donates equipment to Conestoga College
Bobcat North America has donated equipment to four regional vocational schools for their service technician training programs, including Conestoga College’s Guelph, Ont., campus.  The training programs provide top instruction for service technicians and students on how to troubleshoot, service, repair, and rebuild compact equipment, and learn advanced equipment technologies. By focusing on vocational schools, Bobcat has been able to support and nurture individuals’ aspirations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related studies by helping to energize a future pipeline of skilled professionals. 

MBNLA hosts green industry at Grow18
The Manitoba Nursery Landscape Association is set to host Grow18, the province’s premier green industry show and conference Feb. 15, 2018 at the Canad Inns Destination Centre in Winnipeg, Man. The show provides opportunities for both attendees and exhibitors to update their skills, widen their business knowledge, and stay on top of industry issues and trends. For full details, visit www.grow.mbnla.com

Blue Jays nix natural turf 
Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro recently made clear the ball club is not moving forward with plans to install natural turf at the Roger’s Centre. In 2015, the organization commissioned the University of Guelph’s turf grass institute to conduct a feasibility study on the costs and challenges of replacing the artificial turf in the stadium with grass. However, Shapiro recently told multiple media outlets the cost of installing drainage for natural turf would be high, and the ball club would rather put the money towards other renovation priorities at the 28 year-old stadium.
 
JCB honoured by AEM
JCB was honoured with a Pillar of the Industry award by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), reflecting the Savannah-based company’s work throughout the past year to improve the business environment for the equipment manufacturing industry. JCB was also praised for its efforts to advocate for pro-manufacturing solutions, and for its participation in AEM’s “I Make America” grassroots program. 

Sarnia council quashes tree removal bylaw 
Sarnia, Ont., city council voted down a proposed bylaw that would have slapped fees and a permit requirement on tree removals on private property. During a public consultation process, 83 per cent of residents surveyed opposed the bylaw. The bylaw was proposed in response to clear-cutting by developers on a number of high profile properties in the Southwestern Ontario city. 

Briggs and Stratton moves production to U.S. 
Briggs and Stratton announced it will move production of its V-Twin Vanguard engines from a joint venture partnership in Japan to its manufacturing facilities in Statesboro, Ga. and Auburn, Ala. The increased production in North America will create approximately 50 new jobs at each of the facilities.

Caterpillar enters UTV market
Caterpillar announced plans to enter the utility vehicle market by entering into a manufacturing and supply agreement with Textron Specialized Vehicles. The Textron line currently includes the Cushman utility vehicles, Textron side by sides and ATVs, Arctic Cat snowmobiles, Jacobsen turf equipment and E-Z-Go golf carts.  Caterpillar will offer UTV models sold through participating Cat dealerships starting in 2018.
 
New turf technology director at Toro
The Toro Company named Edric Funk director of its Center for Advanced Turf Technology (CATT). He succeeds Dana Lonn, who retired in June of 2017 after 48 years with the company. In his new role, Funk will have responsibility for leading a team of engineers, agronomists and product development professionals to identify emerging industry trends, while bridging future technologies that drive sustainability, productivity and efficiency. The CATT team works alongside customers, academic institutions and leading researchers to make progress in a number of areas, including autonomous operations, labor productivity, environmental concerns, such as emissions and alternative fuels, and precision turf management, including irrigation efficiency and soil moisture sensing. 

Pest reference guide receives update
Knowing and recognizing, Koppert’s renewed reference book on pests and their biological solutions was launched at the ABIM in Basel, Switzerland, Oct. 23.  The first edition of the book was published 25 years ago, with the last update published in 2003. The book received a massive makeover and now counts 443 pages of revised and updated information, dozens of illustrations on the life cycles, and 700 photographs of the most prevalent pests, diseases and their natural solutions.