New consultation business for greenhouses
Sylvia Courtney and Becky Yount have partnered to leverage their 55-plus years of greenhouse experience and launch Consolidated Greenhouse Solutions (CGS).
CGS offers integrated services focusing on assisting greenhouse operators reduce overall costs while achieving their objectives.
CGS will be working with architects and construction managers to provide a clear specification for competitive bids, assisting with maintenance planning, greenhouse modifications and renovations, equipment and control upgrades, trainings, etc.
For more: www.cgs-grow.com
National Garden Bureau releases 2013 picks
The National Garden Bureau (NGB) announced the three crops featured in its 2013 “Year of the” program. For annual flowers, next year will be the year of the gerbera. For edibles, it is the year of the watermelon, and the year of the wildflower for perennials.
The nonprofit organization selects crops that are easy to grow and are genetically diverse, with many new varieties to choose from.
NGB is encouraging breeders, growers, brokers and garden centers to consider these plants when planning for the 2013 season to take advantage of the publicity generated from this program. NGB has photos of numerous varieties of all three crops, provided by its members. It also has PDF fact sheets, flyers, handouts, signage and more, which can be downloaded free of charge.
Consumer publicity will begin in January.
For more: www.ngb.org
Nexus Corp. opens new facility
Nexus Corp. CEO Cheryl Longtin and President Mike Porter announced the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the addition of the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Pana, Ill.
The new facility will more than double the footprint of the company’s original building and will incorporate all of the latest technological advances. She said that the extended space and additional equipment will triple the capacity in the facility over the next two years.
The Nexus Pana plant supplies both the Nexus and National Greenhouse product-line for Nexus customers in the Midwest and along the East Coast. The National Greenhouse Co. (a division of Nexus) has been in Pana since its inception in 1919.
For more: www.nexuscorp.com
People Bob Klaeser died at the age of 62. Klaeser, a climate control innovator, designed the STEP 50 and the STEP 500 for Wadsworth Control Systems, two of the company’s most popular greenhouse controllers. Klaeser began working at Wadsworth Control Systems in 1970, and designed its first computerized greenhouse climate system in the mid-80s. He later became a partner in Wadsworth with George Dean Jr., and remained so until his retirement in 2004. Klaeser was a graduate of Electrical Engineering College at California Polytechnic State University in Pomona, Calif. and held an accounting degree from Metropolitan State College in Denver. Harlan Hamernik, founder of Bluebird Nursery in Clarkson, Neb., died at the age of 76 from severe burns he suffered in a house explosion on Oct. 15. The noted horticulturist was a former mayor of the community, a member of the village board, and served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician for more than 40 years. Hamernik’s sons, Tom, Chuck and Mike, operate the nursery. Greg Hunter was promoted to chief operating officer of Hunter Industries. Hunter will be responsible for executing company strategy and optimizing the day-to-day operations for all Hunter business units. He’ll also oversee the Hunter Executive Leadership Team. Hunter is an engineer with a degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University. Gene Smith was also promoted to replace Hunter as the new vice president of marketing. Smith assumes the position after 12 years with the company, in which he’s held leadership positions in engineering, product management and marketing. In his new position, Smith will lead the marketing efforts for all business units. Smith holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering from the University of California, San Diego, as well as an MBA with an emphasis in marketing from California State University, San Marcos. |
2013 TOCA scholarship available
The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) is now accepting applications for the 2013 TOCA scholarship for green industry communications students.
The TOCA board of directors will award one $2,500 fall semester scholarship for the 2013-2014 academic year to an undergraduate college student pursuing a career in green industry communications. To qualify, students must major or minor in technical communications or a green industry-related field such as horticulture, plant sciences, botany, agronomy or plant pathology. The applicant must also demonstrate an interest in using this course of study in the field of communications.
Kari Weis was named the 2012 TOCA scholarship winner. Applications are due March 1.
For more: www.toca.org/html
New web address for Sakata’s vegetable line
Sakata announced a new web address for its vegetable lineup. Visitors will find that the new site — www.sakatavegetables.com — is set up in an informative, easy-to-navigate format with extensive product information for dealers, growers and retailers. Key features include a resource library with videos, brochures and catalogs, and recent articles about Sakata products and services. An extensive photo library provides easy and timely access to quality images; registered users can search and download a wide variety of photos at various resolutions. Growers can also locate and contact Sakata dealers.
The web addresswww.sakata.com is still active and visitors can still navigate to all the Sakata sites from it. Sakata will continue to refine and expand information, and add functionality, to this resource over the coming months.
For more: www.sakatavegetables.com
Configure registered for Canada
Fine Americas Inc. announced the Canadian registration of Configure. According to the company, Configure is the only pure benzyladenine (6-BA) plant growth regulator. The product is registered for use on a wide variety of annual and perennial flowering and foliage crops, as well as many tropical plant varieties.
Kevin Forney, technical services manager for Fine Americas, recommends growers trial Configure on a limited basis before widespread use, as individual plant response can vary based on variety, growing medium, light, ambient temperature and other factors.
Configure is manufactured under strict ISO-9001:2000 standards. N.M. Bartlett of Beamsville, Ontario serves as the exclusive Canadian distributor of Configure and other plant growth regulators from Fine Americas.
For more: www.bartlett.ca or www.fine-americas.com
Business and education opportunities at CENTS 2013
Thousands of green industry professionals from across the nation will go to Columbus, Ohio, to buy, learn and network this January at CENTS 2013. The annual convention brings business owners together with their customers and prospects for first-in-season sales, executive business, green tracks and renowned authors and speakers.
The event will kick off with a keynote speech by international author and horticulturist Michael Dirr. Highlights of the event include the ONLA Management Master Class, the Growers Energy Solutions Interactive Learning Center, the Hands-on Tool Pavilion and the Young Professional Leadership Summit.
CENTS is scheduled for Jan. 14-16 at The Greater Columbus Convention Center. More than 8,000 visitors and 400 exhibitors are expected to attend.
For more: www.onla.org
Syngenta to expand research, development and seed production facility
Syngenta will do a major expansion at its Woodland, Calif. research, development and seed production facility. Construction is set to begin this fall, with a completion date in 2014.
The new facility will allow for expanded research and development in the California Central Valley for cereals, corn, cucurbits and tomatoes.
The expansion will include new greenhouses and specialized plant growth environments, a new plant pathology laboratory, and an expanded work space for research and development activities.
The location will be headquarters for Syngenta North American cucurbit research and development. Vegetables grown at the facility will be shipped around the globe.
For more: www.syngenta.com
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