(Photo: Weed Man) Weed Man, a leading franchised lawn care provider, reports impressive growth and forward momentum in Q1 including four signed agreements, the hiring of several roles – including a new CFO – and a ranking in Entrepreneur’s 2024 Franchise 500. Brandon Burns The signed agreements come from existing franchisees Brandon Burns, Sam Morgan, Richard Thompson, and Epic3 – the largest multi-unit operator in the US. This Q1 growth will bring six new territories to Arlington Heights, IL; two to Lake Norman, NC; three to Coweta-Fayette, GA; and two to Omaha, NE, respectively. “Expand ..read more

Compiled by Turf Editors From the April 2024 Issue Landscape Company: Focal Pointe Location: Washington University Goals: Contribute To Client Sustainability, Quieter Campus Solution: 10 Electric Commercial Mowers Like most universities, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, has a very narrow window to win over a prospective student and often, a student’s first impression is the grounds. When Wash U needed a reliable landscaping partner, they found it in Focal Pointe, a full service landscape company with branches in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma that specializes in university and busi ..read more

Bobcat Company announces its electric ZT6000e commercial zero-turn mower is now commercially available at select Bobcat dealers across the U.S. and Canada. Powered by a 20.4-kWh, lithium-ion battery, the ZT6000e produces zero emissions and delivers productive runtimes in commercial applications. It requires fewer components and less maintenance than gas-powered equivalents, costs less to operate, and leaves behind a high-quality cut—every time. “The ZT6000e is designed for both lawn care professionals and other businesses that want to create their own professional-grade results in a more susta ..read more

Rachio, a leading smart yard brand, marked Earth Day 2024 last week with over 200 billion gallons of water saved through its smart-watering technologies. The company is working toward a goal of saving three trillion gallons by 2030. “This milestone of saving over 200 billion gallons of water reflects the effectiveness of our technology and our users’ dedication to sustainability,” said Kim Sentovich, Rachio CEO. “This Earth Month, we are asking our community to consider small changes that collectively make a significant impact on the planet for generations to come.” Smart Hose Timer Rach ..read more

While a tap-pouring truck is far from necessary equipment for a lawn or landscape company, we couldn’t help but publish this news anyway because it looks like a lot of fun! Isuzu Commercial Truck of America, Inc., distributor of America’s best-selling low cab forward trucks, recently announced the development of a new craft beer truck in collaboration with Summit Truck Body. Isuzu’s Ultimate Craft Beer Truck, which originally debuted in 2019, is a dual-purpose vehicle that can serve as a delivery truck during the day and a tap pouring truck at party time. In other words, a weekday workhorse an ..read more

Click the photo for a link to download the full Canopy Report. America’s favorite tree is the maple, followed closely by oaks. • The majority of Americans have climbed a tree (67%), half (51%) have gone leaf-peeping, and just over a third (36%) have hugged a tree. • If trees could talk, most of us would want them to sound like Morgan Freeman, though nearly one in three GenZers would prefer Leonardo DiCaprio’s voice. In honor of Arbor Day 2024, the Arbor Day Foundation just released the “The Canopy Report,” a new consumer report on how America sees trees. And while the stats above represent so ..read more

By Joe Magazzi & Christine Menapace From the April 2024 Issue   Like it or not, pesticide bans and restrictions are increasingly being implemented across the country.  As a result, many lawn and landscape professionals worry about being left without effective tools in their toolbelt to combat pests and disease. Finding viable alternatives to these compounds will be a major challenge for our Industry. However, this article provides some advice when it comes to alternatives. Since I wrote my last article for Turf three years ago, there have been even more advances in technologies f ..read more

Takeuchi recently announced its Dealer of the Year, Dealer Salesperson of the Year and the recipients of its 2023 Dealer 360° awards. The announcements took place at the company’s 2024 Dealer Summit in San Antonio, TX. These awards recognize Takeuchi dealers across the U.S. and Canada for excellence in sales performance, facilities, training, accounts receivables, marketing/parts and service. “Our Dealer 360° awards program outlines a unified standard of operation that promotes consistency among Takeuchi dealers,” said Jeff Stewart, president of Takeuchi-US. “We obviously want our dealers to b ..read more

Michael Traub, Chairman of the Executive Board of STIHL. The STIHL Group, a leading manufacturer of chainsaws and outdoor power equipment, increased the share of sales from battery-operated tools to 24% — up from 20% in the previous year. As a result, almost every fourth STIHL product sold is battery-operated. This and other news were announced at the 2024 annual financial press conference held yesterday. While sales of gasoline-powered products declined significantly, the battery and iMow business grew. In Western Europe and North America in particular, the battery drive type already plays a ..read more

The Kress Commercial platform of battery-powered landscape maintenance equipment is now AGZA Field Tested Certified (AFTC), according to the American Green Zone Alliance. This includes the full suite of Kress 60V handheld equipment and the Kress Commercial CyberSystem, which charges commercial-grade batteries in eight minutes. The AFTC designation marks the culmination of a four-year effort working with Kress engineers, tool designers, and product managers with visits to Florida and California. As a first step, Kress product developers teamed up with AGZA and gathered information from current ..read more