BRENDT AQUIRES GEOSHACK AND SAKKIA
The Brandt Group of Companies announced they have reached an agreement with U.S.-based Ultara Holdings to acquire the assets of GeoShack Canada Company and the Canadian assets of Inteq Distributors, subject to due diligence. The company also announced they reached an agreement with Topcon Positioning Systems to acquire the assets of Ontario-based Sokkia Canada. The announcement is the latest in a series of acquisitions and dealer agreements by the Regina, Sask.-based company since its purchase of Ontario/Quebec/Newfoundland and Labrador John Deere Construction & Forestry dealer Nortrax in late 2019. The Brandt Group of Companies is comprised of Brandt Agricultural Products, Brandt Engineered Products, Brandt Equipment Solutions, Brandt Road Rail, Brandt Positioning Technology, Brandt Truck Rigging & Trailers, Brandt Finance, Brandt Developments, Brandt Road Technology, Brandt Mineral Technology, and Brandt Tractor. Brandt has over 100 locations in Canada and the U.S., and employs over 3,400 people.

SALEMI JOINS LANDSCAPE ONTARIO
Joe Salemi has taken a newly created position at Landscape Ontario, Deputy Executive Director. He is already well known among landscape professionals, having served for 10 years with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, and eight years in a leadership role with Dynascape Software. He completed a communications and business degree at Brock University and earned a post graduate diploma in Human Resources Management at Mohawk College. Salemi and his wife Dawn are the parents of four-year-old Matthew.

Executive Director Tony DiGiovanni said, “I love how Joe interacts with customers. His integrity, trustworthiness and values are right for LO.”

Salemi says, “Small business is the cornerstone of our economy. Whenever we focus on business development, it has to be small business; I love helping businesses work toward success.”
 
SIMA SHOW GOES VIRTUAL
The Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) is shifting its Snow and Ice Symposium from a live show and conference to a digital format, August 25-28, 2020.

The decision was made after its host facility, the Connecticut Convention Center, determined it would not be able to open this August to host events. “These are challenging times dealing with the health and safety impact of Covid-19, and we have been preparing for the possibility that large events would not be able to be held in the near future,” SIMA said in a media release. “As such, we’d like to introduce you to SIMA’s 23rd Annual Snow and Ice Symposium - Virtual Experience! While we can’t duplicate the in-person event, our focus will be to deliver all of the things the Best Show in Snow is known for in a new format: Live and on-demand role-focused education that will be accessible through 2020 and beyond; Small-group, peer-to-peer topical discussions and role-specific meet-ups that will allow you to engage with other snow and ice professionals on a fun virtual platform, maintaining and growing close professional relationships; and a virtual trade show where attendees can meet with exhibitors and learn about the latest in snow and ice equipment and services.” Visit sima.org/show/home for more details.

SYNGENTA FLOWERS NAMES GLOBAL HEAD
Syngenta Flowers announces Michael Kester will retire at the end of 2020 after 42 years at the company. Mark Schermer is appointed as his successor as global head of Syngenta Flowers, effective Sept. 1, 2020.

Kester has held senior roles in the Crop Protection business in Africa, Germany, Argentina and Japan. He then led the Vegetable Seeds business in Europe, Africa and Middle East, and subsequently the Syngenta organization in Benelux. “In the last three years as head of Syngenta Flowers, he has built a strong foundation for the future growth of Syngenta’s Flowers business,” the company said in a media release.

Mark Schermer joined Syngenta in January 2018 as Head Flowers Marketing for Europe, and then was appointed Head of Flowers Europe in May 2019. Schermer “has successfully led the transformation of the Flowers marketing and commercial organizations in the region and brings significant leadership experience in the flowers industry to his new role,” Syngenta said. He will be based at Syngenta’s global Seeds office in Downers Grove, Ill.

YANMAR APPOINTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Yanmar Holdings approved a new Board of Directors as part of the company’s business reorganization. “In this term of personnel changes, Yanmar Holdings is rejuvenating the board with a range of strategic appointments,” the company said in a media release. “Under the leadership of the new management, Yanmar Holdings will promote management reforms faster than ever before and respond to changes in the market in order to realize further sustainable growth of the Yanmar Group.”
Based in Osaka, Japan, Yanmar manufactures industrial equipment, from small and large engines, agricultural machinery and facilities, construction equipment, energy systems, marine, to machine tools, and components.

BOBCAT PARTNERS WITH RADAR COMPANY
Doosan Bobcat North America announced it has partnered with. Ainstein, a radar technologies company headquartered in Lawrence, Kan., to develop next-generation radar sensor systems for Bobcat equipment. “Through this partnership, Ainstein and Doosan Bobcat North America will collaborate to create radar-based sensing solutions to detect objects on jobsites,” the company said. “The radar system developed by Ainstein collects object position data like range, azimuth, elevation and doppler information to provide real-time alerts to operators by incorporating a combination of mmWave radar, sensor fusion and artificial intelligence. This technology will enable obstacle avoidance solutions and future technologies that support autonomous operations.”

SUNNYBROOK HOSPITAL PROMOTES POLLINATORS
Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital Bayview campus recently became the first Canadian hospital to have an urban apiary on its grounds. Hives hosting 30,000 bees are located about one kilometre away from the main hospital buildings. Once the hives are established, the hospital hopes to sell honey in its gift shop. “Sunnybrook wanted to support the bee population and also provide opportunities for staff and visitors to learn more about bees. Our large campus and plenty of green space is an added bonus,” said the hospital’s energy and climate action manager Michael Lithgow. Sunnybrook has a reputation for progressive support of green spaces; volunteer Rohan Harrison says, “Sunnybrook loves firsts.”

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AIPH LAUNCHES VIRTUAL EXPO AND CONFERENCE
The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) announced a Virtual International Expo Conference for Sept. 15, 2020 called Recovery from crisis – the future for ornamentals.

“The coronavirus has made it impossible to host a physical congress this year,” AIPH explained. “Still, we are delighted to have identified an online solution that will enable us to continue to run a major international conference that will make it easy to attend for everyone, wherever they are in the world.”

AIPH will host a 3D virtual event over two days, using 3D software and real-time technology. Both events will host participants from around the world, including: Key international speakers; AIPH member associations and affiliated members; Growers, traders and experts from around the world; and supporters, sponsors and expo organisers. For more information, visit aiph.org.

LANDSCAPING AND GOLF JOB SEARCHES SKYROCKET
The number of job searchers looking for landscape and horticulture positions spiked this spring, Brendon Bernard, an economist at Indeed told Yahoo finance.

“Standing out at the top of the list are job searches including ‘golf’, which have more than doubled as a share of Canadian job searches since early April. ‘Garden’ and ‘landscaping’ related job searches have also jumped as a share of activity, as have searches for ‘fruit picking’, which could potentially provide some relief for agricultural producers reporting difficulty finding workers,” said Bernard.

“Not only is relative search interest in these roles up since April, reflecting general seasonality, but it’s also higher than it was last May, when a wider range of job opportunities were available.”