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Cornerstone Equipment, located in London, Ontario, is Takeuchi’s newest North American dealer. Partners Calvin Vandenbrink, Eric Vanderlinde and Ryan Vanderlinde bring multiple years of experience in equipment sales to their new venture.
“As we launch this new venture, we’re excited to work with Takeuchi,” said Calvin Vanderbrink, partner of Cornerstone Equipment. “Takeuchi has a strong brand reputation built on providing high-quality construction equipment. We strongly believe that featuring Takeuchi as our flagship brand will help us attract a solid customer base within the construction, landscape and agricultural sectors here in this region.”
Cornerstone Equipment is strategically positioned to serve contractors, rental houses and agricultural customers throughout Southwestern Ontario, including Middlesex, Oxford, Waterloo, Elgin and surrounding counties. The dealership features dedicated showroom, parts and service space and a team focused on both in-house and on-road support to ensure strong customer coverage across its territory. From the outset, the company has committed to comprehensive sales training and product support to deliver a consistent ownership experience for Takeuchi customers.
“While Cornerstone Equipment is a new dealership, its leadership team has the knowledge and skills to make it a success,” said Patrick Kirychuk, regional business manager for Takeuchi-US. “Calvin, Eric and Ryan have a clear understanding of their market, a defined sales strategy and a strong commitment to product support. We’re confident their approach will help expand Takeuchi’s presence in this part of Canada.”
K&D Landscaping celebrates anniversary with charity golf competition
K&D Landscaping is celebrating 40 years on the Central Coast by bringing an ’80s theme and a $100,000 hole-in-one challenge to the third annual K&D Classic on Aug. 28, 2026, at Seascape Golf Club in Aptos, Calif. All of the tournament’s proceeds will directly benefit the nonprofit CASA of Monterey County.
CASA of Monterey County trains community volunteers to advocate for children navigating the foster care and juvenile justice systems. These volunteers help support vulnerable youth through the court system, ensuring they have a consistent adult in their corner.
“K&D has been rooted in this community for 40 years, and that comes with a responsibility to show up for it,” said Tony Battistella, director of growth at K&D Landscaping. “CASA does work that most people never see. They walk into courtrooms and sit beside kids who have nobody else. If we can use a day on the golf course to put real money behind that mission, that is exactly what we should be doing.”
To honor the company’s 1986 founding, the event will embrace a full ’80s theme. Golfers are encouraged to wear neon, headbands and windbreakers, with prizes awarded for the best individual and team costumes. The tournament also features a $100,000 prize for a hole-in-one on a designated hole, offering a high-stakes moment for the field.
The day runs as a shotgun scramble and includes lunch, a sit-down dinner, swag bags, drink tickets and competitive payouts. Additional contests include the longest drive, closest to the pin and fastest round.
Registration is open here with limited spots available. Tickets are $175 per golfer.
PBI-Gordon participates in Military Makeover with Montel
PBI-Gordon Corp., a producer of consumer lawn and garden products, participated in Season 45 of Military Makeover with Montel, featuring the home of army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Matthew Dawson, who was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Military Makeover with Montel is a nationally broadcast home renovation series hosted by navy veteran and military advocate Montel Williams. Each season, the show brings together designers, landscapers, contractors and brand partners to completely transform the homes and lives of deserving military families.
As the exclusive lawn care partner for the program’s Season 45 segment, “Lawn Care Transformation for the Home of a Hero,” Gordon’s donated products and support to help restore and protect the Dawson family’s Palm Springs, Fla., lawn, garden and landscape. Featured products included Gordon’s Trimec Platinum All-In-One Weed Control and Barrier Year-Long Vegetation Control Concentrate.
Jason Manz, vice president of strategic marketing and new business development for PBI-Gordon Corp., shared how the company approached the project as a chance to give back to a family that has given so much. An overview of the episode is available here.
Manz said the decision to participate was an easy one.
“Veterans like Matthew and families like the Dawsons deserve every bit of support we can offer,” he said. “As an employee-owned company, we take pride in showing up for people and places that matter — especially when we can help strengthen a family’s home and outdoor space.
“So, when the opportunity arose to be part of Military Makeover with Montel and give back to someone like Matthew Dawson, we didn’t hesitate.” Manz continued, noting that PBI-Gordon’s commitment to military families runs deep and calling it “an honor for our entire team and company to contribute products and help restore their home and outdoor spaces.”
PBI-Gordon’s commitment to military veterans also extends to its long-time support of Project EverGreen’s GreenCare for Troops initiative. GreenCare for Troops is a nationwide program that connects volunteer landscape professionals with the families of deployed military personnel to provide free lawn, landscape and snow removal services.
Watts makes World’s Most Impactful Companies list
Watts Water Technologies has been named to TIME’s World’s Most Impactful Companies 2026 list in this new ranking’s inaugural year. The company stated Watts’ inclusion in this list is a recognition of the company’s net-positive contribution to the world, based on a scientific assessment of data on its technologies, operations and global business practices.
The World’s Most Impactful Companies list, presented by TIME in partnership with Statista and The Upright Project, identifies companies and organizations that demonstrate a strong net-positive impact across key dimensions, including society, environment, health and knowledge. Inclusion on the list reflects an independent, data-driven assessment of how effectively a company’s products and services contribute to global well-being across its full value chain.
“Being recognized by TIME as one of the World’s Most Impactful Companies acknowledges our commitment to delivering solutions that meet the needs of our customers and create lasting benefit for the environment as well as for communities across the globe,” said Robert Pagano, Jr., CEO, president and chairperson of the board at Watts. “At Watts, we are committed to advancing water safety, efficiency and sustainability through innovation while operating responsibly and holding ourselves accountable to measurable progress. This recognition is a direct result of the dedication and professionalism of our team members, who consistently uphold our value‑driven culture.”
Watts stated it continues to integrate sustainability at the heart of its business strategy, reducing environmental impact by lowering emissions, advancing water conservation across its operations and delivering solutions that help customers optimize performance while conserving critical resources.
To learn more about Watts’ Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments and initiatives, read the company’s latest Sustainability Report or visit the Watts sustainability webpage.
The ranking is based on a rigorous, science-based methodology that evaluates companies using The Upright Project’s Net Impact Model, which analyzes the positive and negative effects of a company’s activities across its full value chain. Companies included must demonstrate a positive overall net impact and meet criteria related to scale, transparency and available data.
