Steve Marshall, executive vice president and assistant to the president, retired after 40 years of service to The Davey Tree Expert Co. Marshall, who retired April 1, started his career with Davey in the Akron office in 1977 as a lawn care technician. Rising through the ranks, he eventually joined the corporate office and became a key member of the executive team and an employee-owner. He became executive vice president of operations in 2007. He’s also a recipient of the 2013 John Davey Award and the inaugural recipient of the Davey President’s Council in 1988.
Jim Novak, communications manager, will retire from Turfgrass Producers International TPI May 31. During the decade he spent with TPI, Novak produced educational brochures on lawn care, contributed to trade publications, wrote press releases and performed miscellaneous copywriting and speechwriting tasks for the company’s various online content, print publications and speeches. He began his career as a writer/producer/director at WGN-Radio Chicago and spent nearly 20 years as an independent communications consultant. Among the numerous awards he won for his writing, such as the George Washington Honor Medal from Valley Forge, Novak received two awards from the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA).
PBI-Gordon hired Jay Young as herbicide product manager on its marketing team. He brings nearly 20 years of experience in the professional turf industry, most recently serving as global specialty solutions product manager at FMC. He’s also served as superintendent and director of agronomy at several golf courses and a territory manager at Harrell’s. He holds a bachelor’s in agronomy and soils with an emphasis in turfgrass management from Auburn University and an MBA from Webster University.
Hartney Greymont, a Davey company, promoted Josh Fritz to district manager of the Residential/Commercial office in Concord, Mass. Starting with the company in 1997, Fritz has 20 years of green industry experience. He holds an associate’s degree in applied sciences from Essex Agricultural and Technical School.
Cool Planet, a golf, turf and landscape technology company, hired Mike Ewert to bring the company’s soil health solutions to the Midwest and Western U.S. Ewert has experience in turf management and irrigation from courses like Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colo., the former home of the PGA Tournament. Ebert holds a bachelor’s in turf management from Rutgers University.
Ruppert Landscape added Sam Wells as branch manager of the Raleigh, N.C., landscape management branch. He brings 23 years of landscape industry experience. After beginning his career in 1994 as an intern, field manager and then area manager with Ruppert, he held branch manager positions with other industry organizations before returning to Ruppert. He holds a bachelor’s in applied horticulture from SUNY Cobleskill.
Photo: The Davey Tree Expert Co.
