Aquatrols adds 2 to management team

The Aquatrols Co. recently welcomed two new team members.

David Libby is the new territory manager for the Northeast, and Kate Garassino joins the company as marketing manager for the golf market and Aquatrols’ new sports field marketing team.

Libby is a former superintendent with more than 25 years of industry experience and joins Aquatrols after a successful tenure at Prouts Neck Country Club in Maine.

Garassino previously worked as the Clay Technology Solutions marketing manager at Profile Products. She will manage social media, public relations and other aspects of the company’s communications and marketing efforts.

Envu taps Gore for its GST

Envu Turf and Ornamentals recently named Adam Gore, Ph.D., to its Green Solutions Team.

Before joining Envu he was a horticulture extension agent for Clemson University for six years, where he specialized in turfgrass agronomy and weed control.

A South Carolina native, Gore earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees from Clemson. His research included weed control and plant-health products on cool- and warm-season greens and the potential impact of copper within industry products. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles.

RISE names 2 new board members

RISE named two new members to its board of directors.

Joining the Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment board at the group’s annual meeting Sept. 20 in San Diego were Blaine Pinkerton, vice president of sales for Nufarm’s turf and ornamental division, and Brian Rowan, SiteOne Landscape Supply’s vice president of category management. They replace Scott Reasons of Syngenta and Kathy Bishop of Lebanon Seaboard Corp.

The group’s executive committee is:

• Neal Cleveland, PBI-Gordon Corp., chair
• Todd Mason, Sipcam Agro USA, vice chair
• John Johnson, Prokoz Inc., treasurer
• Karen Larson, Clarke, immediate past chair

Continuing on the board are Barbara Aguiar of BASF, Jeff Bunting of Growmark Inc., Sam Barrick of SePRO Corp., Dan Carrothers of FMC Corp., Steven Farrington of Gowan USA, Brent Stauffacher of Corteva Agriscience, Mark Schneid of Envu, and Shayne Wetherall of Amguard Environmental Technologies.

RISE also presented awards at its annual meeting. Recipients were:

RISE Volunteer Service Awards 2022-2024

Darryl Blakey of BASF, Julie Schlekau of Valent and Heidi Deja of BASF

Strategic Driver Award 2024

Brittany Wilkerson of PBI-Gordon Corp.

Grassroots Advocacy Award 2024

Buddy Freund, New Jersey Green Industry Council.

Simplot expands into Fort Myers area

The J.R. Simplot Co. is expanding into southwest Florida with a new location scheduled to open soon in the Fort Myers area.

Upon opening, the new location will offer a full range of products and solutions to help golf course superintendents and other turf managers grow healthy turf and ornamental plants.

With the new location, Simplot Turf and Horticulture will have 26 locations in 17 states.

Former golf course superintendent Andy Engelbrecht will be the regional sales representative servicing the golf market in the Fort Myers region. A graduate of the Penn State turfgrass program, Engelbrecht formerly was superintendent at Verandah Golf Club and Rotonda Golf and spent the past five years as a sales specialist with BASF.

As with the other locations, the Fort Myers team will support customers through building relationships and providing agronomic solutions.

11 Garske scholarship winners named

The GCSAA has named 11 college students as recipients of the 2024 Par Aide Garske Grants.

Established in honor of Par Aide founder Joseph S. Garske, the Par Aide Garske Grant competition is funded by the golf course accessory company and administered by the GCSAA Foundation. For more than 20 years, the program has helped children and stepchildren of GCSAA members fund their education at an accredited college or trade school with one-time, one-year grants. There are eleven grants awarded for a total of $14,000. Grants are based on community service, leadership, academic performance and a written essay.

The 2024 winners are:

• Kiersten Bolon, Penn State, biochemistry, $2,500 — daughter of Thomas Bolon, Lake Forest Country Club Thistle Golf Club, Hudson, Ohio
• Jacob Shanahan, University of Arizona, finance, $2,500 — son of Tracy Shanahan, Peach Tree Golf & Country Club, Marysville, California.
• Hayden Fabulich, University of Florida, biochemistry, $1,000 — son of Scott Fabulich, Oceanside Country Club, Ormond Beach, Florida.
• Claire Marcinek, Temple University, nursing, $1,000 — daughter of Darrell Marcinek, Somerset County Park Commission, Somerset, New Jersey.
• Mia Waddle, Iowa State University, kinesiology/pre-physical therapy, $1,000 — daughter of Brandon Waddle, Lake Panorama National Golf Course, Panora, Iowa.
• Sarah Bagwell, University of Central Florida, $1,000 — daughter of Jason Bagwell, Gleneagles Country Club West, Chambers Bay Golf Course, Delray Beach, Florida.
• Trevor Keilen, Oakland Community Collego, computational data science, $1,000 — son of Andrew Keilen, Knollwood Country Club in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
• Riley Maronge, Auburn University, agricultural science, $1,000 — father of the late Andrew Maronge.
• Andrew Stewart, University of Central Florida, finance, $1,000 — son of Bryce Gibson, Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, Florida.
• Jaclyn Kelly Skirhanich, Bentley University, accounting, $1,000 — daughter of Michael Skirkanich, Granite Links Golf Club, Quarry Hills in Quincy, Massachusetts.
• Mia Safrit, NASCAR Technical Institute, $1,000 — daughter of Steffie Safrit, TPC Piper Glen in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Central Turf to open Florida location

Central Turf and Irrigation Supply, a distributor of irrigation, lighting, drainage and landscape supplies, will open its newest location in Freeport, Florida.

Established in 1990, Central Turf and Irrigation Supply is a family owned and operated wholesale distributor for irrigation, landscape, drainage, agronomic, sustainable products, lighting and grounds care equipment—with 60 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

The Freeport location will offer one-stop shopping with inventory from several manufacturers, same-day delivery services, category experts, large-scale design services and hands-on training.

Cabot Collection reaches deal with Audubon

Audubon International recently entered into agreement making it the environmental stewardship partner for golf and resort developer The Cabot Collection. Cabot’s portfolio includes Cabot Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Cabot Saint Lucia, Cabot Revelstoke in British Columbia, Cabot Citrus Farms in Florida and Cabot Highlands in Scotland.

Audubon International is an environmentally focused non-profit organization that offers members numerous certifications and conservation initiatives to protect their properties.

In this partnership, Toronto-based Cabot is the first multi-property brand to enroll every golf course and surrounding built environment into Audubon International’s comprehensive, Platinum Signature Sanctuary certification program that was introduced in 2023.

Platinum Certification brings an entire resort or community development under one certification umbrella, including golf courses, clubhouse facilities, lodging, real estate, restaurants and retail.

Across its portfolio, Cabot currently has eight golf courses open for play, with three courses in development and future growth plans. Both of the acclaimed Cape Breton courses, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs, are individually certified in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program and will move under the Platinum Signature Sanctuary umbrella along with its lodging, real estate, retail and restaurant facilities.

STEC names new territory manager

STEC Equipment recently named Ben Rothwell as its West Coast territory sales manager.

Rothwell has an agricultural background that includes growing up working the family farm in Listowell, Ontario. He is a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Guelph.

His experience includes working for MacDon, a Manitoba-based manufacturer of harvesting equipment for the agricultural industry. Most recently, he was the project manager for a startup turf equipment company.

His territory includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. He can be reached at brothwell@stecequipment.com.

Rezadone is latest Grigg turf health product

Grigg recently launched Rezadone for enhanced turfgrass health and vitality.

A liquid formulation, Rezadone accelerates the breakdown of grass clippings and improves water flow through the soil profile to reduce black layer, the company says.

Rezadone prolongs microbial activity to improve soil health.

The product also enhances nutrient release, supporting improved growth and color, while reducing the need for frequent aeration and preserving soil structure and integrity.

Hunter adds wireless valve certificate program

Hunter Industries has launched its Wireless Valve Link Certificate Program that demonstrates installation methods and best practices for the company’s Wireless Valve Link System.

The online program gives users the product knowledge needed to deliver successful results for even the most complex projects — without running costly wire or cutting into hardscape.

The program includes 12 videos that provide an overview of product capabilities, installation, ideal applications and accessories.

Those who complete the program with a score of 80 percent or higher will earn a professional certificate.

Mack named Georgia Superintendent of the Year

Lydell Mack, CGCS (right) at Big Canoe Golf Club in Jasper, has been named Superintendent of the Year by the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association. Mack’s award, presented in partnership with Corbin Turf & Ornamental Supply, was announced at the association’s annual awards banquet during a three-day event at The King & Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simons Island, earlier this month.

Alabama names Superintendent, Assistant of the Year

Hunter Salts, director of agronomy at Vestavia Country Club in Birmingham, (above at right) was named the recipient of the Alabama GCSA Superintendent of the Year award.

Russell Wallace of Greystone Country Club in Hoover (right below) was named the association’s Assistant Superintendent of the Year.

Both awards were presented at the association’s annual meeting Dec. 1 at Pine Tree Country Club in Birmingham.

Sipcam Agro expands with acquisition of Odom

Sipcam Agro is expanding its capabilities in North America with the recent acquisition of the Odom Industriesis, a Waynesboro, Mississippi-based chemical formulating, packaging and warehousing company.

The acquisition includes Odom’s two operating facilities and a large storage warehouse with 320,000 square feet of combined production and warehousing space on 40 total acres in Waynesboro, Pachuta and Shubuta, Mississippi. The company was founded in 1989 by Donald Odom, Sr. and W.R. Odom, Sr., and will be operated by Sipcam Agro Solutions, a susidiary of Sipcam Agro USA.

Based in Durham, North Carolina, Sipcam Agro is a manufacturer of fungicides, herbicides, plant growth regulators, bio stimulants and plant nutrition products and is an affiliate of Sipcam Oxon in Milan, Italy.

NGF names new president

The National Golf Foundation named long-time employee Greg Nathan as its new president and chief operating officer. Nathan, who has worked at NGF since 2007, will take over for Joe Beditz.

Beditz has served as president and chief executive officer since 1989, and will continue to serve as CEO.

Beditz, 71, first joined NGF in 1984 as the research director, and has groomed Nathan to take over the nonprofit think tank.

Central Turf, Corteva reach distribution deal

Central Turf & Irrigation Supply, a distributor of irrigation and landscape supplies with dozens of outlets across North America, is now a distributor of Corteva Agriscience products.

Corteva Agriscience, formed from a merging of Dow, DuPont and Pioneer, offers a portfolio of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and seed treatments that protect turf against weeds, disease and insects.

Central Turf has more than 60 outlets in the U.S. and Canada.

Ryan turf equipment rebranded as Bobcat

Doosan Bobcat’s Ryan turf renovation equipment will rebrand under the Bobcat name.

Ryan equipment joined the Doosan Bobcat portfolio in 2020, following the acquisition of Bob-Cat Mowers and the Steiner and Ryan brands of grounds maintenance equipment from Schiller Grounds Care.

Ryan has produced turf renovation equipment for more than 75 years and has a product lineup including aerators, sod cutters, dethatchers, power rakes, overseeders and other specialty products.

Brandt partners with Florida GCSA

A new system modeled on the PGA Tour FedEx Cup will help send a group of Florida superintendents to the GCSAA National Golf Championship. Under a three-year partnership with Brandt Consolidated, the new points-race system will provide an annual trophy for the overall winner plus travel, entry fees and uniforms for a total of 10 Florida GCSA members (two teams) to represent the state in the team event at GCSAA championship.

Golfers will earn points based on their performance in the Everglades GCSA Poa Annua Golf Classic, the Florida GCSA Steven Wright Memorial Golf Tournament, the North Florida GCSA Fall Classic, the Central Florida Crowfoot Open and the inaugural Florida GCSA Benevolent Fund Tournament.

The event will be known as the “Florida GCSA Race to Orlando presented by Brandt.” The highest points earner will get to keep the BRANDT Cup for one year as well as a trophy they keep permanently.

“We are very excited to help ensure that superintendent golfers who qualify will actually get to go the national,” Brandt turf and ornamental territory manager, Chris Cartin, says. “It gets more and more expensive to attend the national show each year and not every superintendent or their facility has the resources to meet those costs. We’re looking to help guys have that chance to participate, show their skills and proudly represent their state.”

The partnership will also ensure the Florida GCSA has the best chance to build on its record at the national golf championship. During the past 20 years, Florida has produced the winner of the individual championship nine times and the winners of the team event eight times.

FMC gives back to golf

FMC gave back more than $26,000 to 49 local GCSAA chapters through its “Give B ack to Local GCSAA Chapters” program. Since the program’s inception, FMC has donated more than $106,000 directly back to local chapters to fund education, programming and research.

This year’s rewards-check recipients represent GCSAA chapters from all across the country that were winners in FMC’s booth contest at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in February in San Diego that was tied to the launch of Serata fungicide.

Purchases of Fame SC, Rayora, Kalida, and Serata fungicides through August will generate additional rewards for GCSAA local chapters.

PBI-Gordon names new sales, marketing managers

PBI-Gordon, a manufacturer of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, growth regulators and other products, recently named Geoff Smith the company’s new sales team as national key account manager, and Lyndsie Balstad as product manager for the marketing team.

As national key account manager, Smith is responsible for overseeing all sales initiatives. Most recently, he was formulator sales territory manager for Gowan USA and also worked for The Scotts Co.

As product manager with the PBI-Gordon marketing team, Balstad will focus on the herbicide portfolio by supporting product life cycle management and driving innovation to bring new products to the market.

Before joining PBI-Gordon, Balstad was with Corteva, where she has extensive experience in the agricultural market.

Syngenta enhances WeevilTrak

Syngenta has introduced the first guarantee for control of annual bluegrass weevil, all white grub species and turf caterpillars with the WeevilTrak annual bluegrass weevil assurance program.

To qualify for the assurance, superintendents must be registered WeevilTrak users and apply the recommended rates of Acelepryn, Ference, Provaunt WDG or Scimitar GC insecticides as outlined in the assurance.

WeevilTrak features monitoring updates, digital tools and ongoing insights from researchers via the WeevilTrak blog. In addition to the assurance, Syngenta added monitoring sites at Kings Mill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Cannon Golf Club in Lothian, Maryland.

Click here for more information.

Aquatrols taps new territory manager

Aquatrols recently named Ian Grove as territory manager for the southeastern United States.

A former superintendent, Grove will be responsible for overseeing business in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

He joined Aquatrols after working in sales for SiteOne, Harrells and Agrium Advance Technologies.

Click here for more information.

Pursell names new T&O director

Pursell Agri-Tech named Bill Abetz as director of turf and ornamentals. A 30-year green industry veteran, Abetz will oversee its nursery, greenhouse, lawn care, golf, sod and sports turf markets.

A former assistant superintendent and nursery operations manager, Abetz has more than 20 years in chemical and fertilizer sales and product development. He has introduced multiple products and new product categories into the market.

Click here for more information.

Aquatrols names 2 new managers

Aquatrols, a manufacturer of soil surfactants and related technologies, has appointed August Young and Tom Breiner as U.S. territory managers.

In their new roles, Young will be responsible for overseeing the company’s business in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Breiner will oversee business in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

Both Young and Breiner join Aquatrols after holding previous sales positions within the turf industry and between them hold more than 25 years of combined experience.

SubAir partners with Soil Scout

SubAir Systems has announced a partnership with Soil Scout, a wireless underground soil moisture sensor startup from Finland, to give turf managers more control with automated subsurface monitoring and ventilation.

Soil Scout’s sensor transmits moisture, temperature and salinity data in real-time from more than 6 feet below the surface and works in concert with SubAir’s subsurface aeration and moisture-removal units to automatically adjust soil-moisture levels.

Soil Scout, which was founded by Finnish agro-technology researcher and 19th-generation farmer Johannes Tiusanen, Ph.D., and electronics expert Jussi Sirkiä, also recently announced its partnership with GreenSight, a U.S.-based provider of autonomous aerial intelligence services, and is expanding its U.S. operations to help combat the ongoing drought in California.

LidoChem names new president and CFO

Lisa Pucillo has been named acting president and chief financial officer of LidoChem, Inc. She assumes the leadership role held by her longtime business partner, Don Pucillo, who died in October.

Now in its 40th year, LidoChem will carry forth the “Partners in Growth” philosophy embodied in a quote from Don Pucillo: “We appreciate the trust growers and turf managers place in us when they buy our products, and we honor that trust by continuing to offer the best products we can.”

LidoChem was founded in 1981. In 1999, Don Pucillo was one of the first in the industry to acknowledge a change in the needs of crop, turf and ornamental growers. Both regulations and environmental awareness drove demand for economical, effective and greener products, and he recognized the need to utilize natural resources to provide nutrition for plants and soil microbes.

The Performance Nutrition division was later created within LidoChem to develop eco-friendly products for the agricultural and turf markets using new and cutting-edge technologies.

Toro Foundation gives back to Ohio Boys & Girls Club

Giving back to the community is a longtime tradition at Toro and an enduring legacy of former chairman Ken Melrose. Recently, a new Community Impact Project by The Toro Company Foundation and the American Rental Association Foundation was held at the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Ohio’s Broadway Club in Cleveland.

The project involves both foundations working with local nonprofit organizations to give back to communities across the country through various rental-related projects. The series of projects kicked off by helping the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Ohio, which serves more than 8,000 youths ages 6-18 throughout five counties across metropolitan Cleveland. The Cleveland branch’s Broadway Club is home to a robust outdoor horticulture program where youth engage with and experience nature through a variety of hands-on, interactive, and fun program opportunities.

Through the launch of the Community Impact Project, the local Boys & Girls Club was revamped in a day. Projects included revitalizing a pollinator garden, creating and planting new landscaping beds and refurbishing the baseball infield.

The inaugural Community Impact Project was made possible by a group of more than 20 volunteers from six rental companies and two Cleveland area organizations: Bobcat of Cleveland – Leppos Rent, North Ridge; Event Source – Cleveland; General Rent-All – Massillon; Handy Rents – Eastlake; Miller’s Party Rental Center – Akron; Sun Rental Center – Mentor; Gardeners of Greater Cleveland; Ormiston Landscaping.

Green Velvet adds technical sales rep

Green Velvet named Amy Dearinger as a technical sales representative. Dearinger brings nearly two decades of professional turf experience back to the Central Ohio market.

Dearinger has a long history of technical expertise and helping turf managers solve agronomic challenges on some of the country’s best golf courses. She has a background of evaluating NTEP seed trials, researching Roundup-ready bentgrass and conducting research on the efficacy of foliar products.

Dearinger will be based in Columbus. Click here to contact her.

PBI-Gordon names new national accounts manager

Rick Williams recently joined PBI-Gordon as national accounts manager, and Trevor Radford was promoted to regional sales manager.

Williams, who is based in Ohio, is responsible for managing national accounts, strategic business planning and enhancing customer relationships within the golf and professional lawn care markets. He brings more than 30 years of executive sales leadership to PBI-Gordon. Most recently he was regional account manager for Bayer, where he was responsible for growing and developing strategic relationships with key accounts.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy, Williams also participated in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s innovation program.

In his new role as regional sales manager, Radford is responsible for leading the PBI-Gordon golf and professional lawn care market sales team in the western U.S. market. He joined PBI-Gordon in 2005 as a sales representative and was most recently national accounts manager.

Bayer launches Densicor fungicide

Densicor, a new fungicide from Bayer is now available for purchase.

With the active ingredient prothioconazole, Densicor provides control of many common turf diseases, including dollar spot, brown patch, anthracnose, gray leaf spot, snow mold and more.

It can be used on warm- and cool-season turf, and just one bottle treats six acres, allowing superintendents to cover more turf with less product.

Rain Bird names new manager for SE Asia

Rain Bird recently named Rob Weiks as area manager for its Southeast Asia golf team.

Weiks will be responsible for sales planning and business development in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Guam and Brunei. He will also establish and manage relationships with distributors, golf course owners, green committees and superintendents while promoting Rain Bird solutions for new golf course projects and renovations.

A native of Australia, Weiks has more than three decades of experience in the horticulture industry. He will be based in Singapore.

Turfco compact aerator now powered by Honda

The Turfco line of TurnAer XT5 compact aerators for small areas now come equipped with the Honda GXV160 engine.

The XT5 is powered by a 163cc, 4.3hp gas-powered GXV160, and a 1.5-gallon fuel tank allows for longer use between fills.

The XT5’s hydrostatic controls are designed to make the unit more maneuverable and user-friendly. Operators can turn and reverse direction with the XT5 while keeping the tines in motion, thanks to the hydrostatic drive system coupled to Turfco’s patented, steerable aerator technology. Turning with tines to the ground reduces operator fatigue and improves productivity.

The XT5’s EasyChange tines reduce the amount of time required to change tines. Patent-pending tine wheels enhance steering and increase hill-holding stability. The XT5 also advances aerator durability with a low-profile design and rugged, unibody steel frame. Instead of belts, the XT5 uses drive chains that are covered and located outside of the frame for long-lasting, trouble-free operation.

Profile Products names new sales manager

Profile Products named J.R. Stewart as national sales manager for the eastern U.S. Stewart will manage and support the eastern team of regional sales and market development managers.

Stewart has more than 15 years of experience in the industry, most recently as a national sales manager for Filtrexx International.

Stewart earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Aqua-Aid names new territory manager

Aqua-Aid Solutions has named Tyler Warner as Southeastern U.S. Manager/Distributor Support.

Warner brings sales experience from his previous positions as a territory manager with The Andersons, Grigg and Milliken & Co. Warner served as director of agronomy for several clubs in Florida when first out of school. Warner received his associate degree in turfgrass management from Ohio State. He received his bachelor’s in finance from University of Akron.

Warner will be based in Walling, Tennessee.

Bayer launches new insecticide

Bayer recently launched its Tetrino insecticide for control of a wide range of turf-damaging insects.

With the new active tetraniliprole, Tetrino is absorbed by the plant to control many turf-feeding insects, such as including white grubs and annual bluegrass weevil.

It also can be incorporated into other management programs for control of pests like chinch bugs, caterpillars and billbugs.

Former GIS gets a new name

The conference and trade show formerly known as the Golf Industry Show has been rename the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show.

The event, which is conducted in accord with the Golf Course Builders Association of America and the American Society of Golf Course Architects, and with participating partners, the United States Golf Association, National Golf Course Owners Association and National Golf Foundation had been operating under the name Golf Industry Show since 2005.

The rebranded event is scheduled for Feb. 5-10 in San Diego.

Nematode-management program available from SiteOne

Soil Technologies’ Armorex nematicide and Bac-Pack microbial blend soil amendment are now available through SiteOne Landscape Supply. Armorex and Bac-Pack applied to nematode-infested golf course putting greens showed up to 90 percent control of lance nematodes in research conducted in Florida.

The combination of Armorex and Bac-Pack resulted in turf that recovered quickly from nematode damage, according to research.

Armorex is O.M.R.I. listed for organics and contains the essential oils of sesame, clove and horseradish, the company says. The product is a liquid formulation that is diluted with water for easy spray application.

RightLine releases herbicide for use in warm-season grass

RightLine has launched its first sulfentrazone combination product with RightLine Sulfen Southern herbicide.

By combining sulfentrazone with the powerful herbicide imazethapyr, the new herbicide expands the list of weeds controlled beyond straight sulfentrazone products. While sulfentrazone alone controls many sedges and kyllinga, the addition of imazethapyr expands label claims to include purple nutsedge and a total of more than 50 weeds.

Sulfen Southern is labeled for use on many warm-season turfgrass species including bermudagrass and zoysiagrass and can be applied to golf course fairways and roughs, sod farms and athletic fields, as well as residential, commercial and institutional lawn areas. Sulfen Southern is packaged in a 64-ounce bottle.

New charging platform coming from Delta-Q

Delta-Q Technologies, a manufacturer of battery-charging solutions for electric vehicles and industrial equipment, introduced a new line of battery charging solutions with the launch of the XV3300. Its design combines a high-performance 3.3kW charger, a 500W DC-DC converter and an EV charging station interface in a compact package.

The XV3300 is the ideal solution for power-train electrification.

The 3.3kW charger will be available in 58.8V, 65V, and 120V models and is scalable, allowing OEMs to stack chargers for power levels up to 20kW. The XV3300 delivers a precise charge of battery packs of various chemistries and voltages to maximize battery life and optimize charge time.

Key features and benefits of the XV3300 charger include a compact, rugged design that has been tested for automotive-grade shock and vibration; integrated 500W DC-DC converter provides auxiliary power to operate vehicle accessories; and EV charging station Interface.

The XV3300 will go into production early next year.

Aquatrols taps Albert for eastern Canada

Aquatrols, a maker of soil surfactants and related technologies, has named Jonathan Albert as the company’s territory manager for eastern Canada.

A former golf greenkeeper, Albert will be responsible for overseeing all sales and marketing initiatives in that region. Albert joins Aquatrols from Bayer, where he worked in product development and trial testing as a field development representative and in sales as a territory manager.

Prior to his roles at Bayer, Albert worked in Montreal as an assistant superintendent at Windmill Heights Golf Course.

Rain Bird names new regional manager in SE Asia

Rain Bird recently named Mark Donohue as regional manager for the company’s Southeast Asia market.

In his new role, Donohue will manage the development of Rain Bird’s golf, landscape and agriculture sectors in the Southeast Asia region.

Donohue joined Rain Bird as a regional manager for Canada in 2016. Since then, he built a high-performing landscape sales team, expanded and improved the company’s distribution network and delivered outstanding business results. In recognition of his efforts, Donohue received a 2020 Rain Bird Achievement Award for Long Term Growth Orientation.

Before joining Rain Bird, Donohue spent five years as the national sales manager for ITW Construction Products, Canada in Markham, Ontario. In 2015, Donohue received his professional certification from the University of Innovative Distribution at Purdue University.

BASF brings first insecticide for golf to market

BASF recently introduced Alucion 35 WG insecticide, the company’s first specifically for the golf course market. This new dual-action, non-restricted use product provides golf course superintendents with a solution for controlling a wide range of surface-feeding insects.

With the active ingredients alpha-cypermethrin and dinotefuran, Alucion 35 WG is labled for control of pests such as nuisance ants, chinch bugs, cutworms and annual bluegrass weevil.

According to BASF, Alucion 35 WG insecticide is the only pyrethroid-containing insecticide for golf courses with a non-restricted use label.