The Green Industry steps up to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita disaster relief challenge

On it's home page, the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) is publishing brief regional reports on damage to the Gulf Coast's horticulture production industry. ANLA is also supporting the Southern Nursery Association's (SNA) Disaster Relief Program. SNA will be coordinating donations of loaned equipment and labor to help nurseries save plant inventories. It is also collecting money to help purchase needed supplies.

BASF, parent company of BASF Specialty Products, will donate $1 million in cash to agencies supporting Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery efforts in the company’s site communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas. In addition, the BASF Katrina Relief Fund will work with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to accept employee and retiree contributions during the month of September to aid those affected by Hurricane Katrina, primarily in Ascension Parish, where BASF’s Geismar, LA, site is located. The company will also cooperate with several organizations to bring BASF products, technology and expertise to help in the rebuilding efforts. (More...)

Bayer Corp., parent company of Bayer Environmental Science, committed $2 million in cash and product donations to Hurricane Katrina relief. The Bayer Foundation will match Bayer employee donations to the American Red Cross dollar for dollar. (More...)

Just hours after Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, Nick Richards, a local nursery owner, started clearing streets around his home using his Bobcat T190 compact loader so that emergency vehicles could get to Memorial Hospital. That clearing enabled trapped New Orleans residents to evacuate that part of the city. He says what was so astounding to some people is that the authorities couldn't have gotten to the hospital, which was used as a trauma center, without his help. Richards spent 17-hour days cleraring streets for more than a week before FEMA asked him to join their staff and continue removing debris. Sid Duhon of Duhon Machinery, the local Bobcat dealership, helped Richards keep his machine functioning during those stressful days.

Case New Holland has donated more than $1 million of construction equipment to support ongoing relief and restoration efforts. CNH also will match individual employee donations to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

A Davey employee helps clear fallen trees around a gulf coast home wrecked by the recent hurricanes. Image: Davey Tree.

Hundreds of Davey Tree Expert Co. employees from around North America are currently working in the Gulf Coast region most affected by Hurricane Rita. The crews, many coming straight from Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, have begun to clear trees from power lines so that the utility companies in the area can restore power quickly and safely. Despite the difficult circumstances, the Davey crews are proud to help the area return to normalcy, said Steve Marshall, vice president and general manager for Davey's Eastern utility services.

Deere & Company will donate $1 million to support ongoing relief and restoration efforts related to Hurricane Katrina. In the coming weeks, the company's John Deere equipment divisions will identify opportunities for in-kind equipment donations. (More...)

Dow AgroSciences, which has 7,000 employees at six sites in Louisiana, will contribute $3 million in cash and product donations to hurricane relief efforts. (More...)

The Florida Turfgrass Association announced it will collect monetary donations for the American Red Cross at the FTGA Annual Conference in Bonita Springs, Sept. 11-14.

Diversified manufacturer Honeywell will donate up to $500,000 to support multiple programs to help those who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. The contributions, made through Honeywell Hometown Solutions, will first target the company's approximately 525 employees affected by the storm. Remaining funds will be used to support local fire and rescue squads and for specific rebuilding projects in Honeywell communities, such as Baton Rouge and Geismar, Louisiana. For the Green Industry, Honeywell manufactures Sul-N PRO ammonium sulfate fertilizer.

Hunter Industries created a monetary donation program in partnership with its network of Preferred Contractors. Donations will be sent to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Komatsu Zenoah America, parent company of the RedMax line of outdoor power equipment, is donating 100 RedMax chain saws to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for clean-up efforts in the Gulf states. The company's regional manager personally delivered chain saws, bars, oil, fuel mix, gasoline, food, water and ice to Biloxi, MI-based B&B Distributing for use in that community.

Kubota Group, parent company of Kubota Tractor Corp., announced an initial cash donation of $200,000 to the American Red Cross for immediate Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. President Tetsuji "Mike" Tomita said the company will also donate Kubota equipment for an in-kind donation of $200,000 to help in clean up and reconstruction. (More...)

Oak Creek, WI-based Kujawa Enterprises Inc. (KEI) sent nearly three tons of water, food, clothing and other supplies to distribute to Hurricane Katrina victims in the Jackson, MI area. KEI is a family-owned landscape management business with 150 employees. Three employees made the 1,700-mile round trip trek to deliver the donation to Hinds Community College in Raymond, MI where students and faculty of the school's horticultural program accepted them. KEI's contribution was distributed through Jackson's Community United Methodist Church. Joe Kujawa, executive vice president for operations, said the company expects to send more donations in the future.

Makita USA Inc. will donate of $100,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

The National Recreation and Park Association welcomes cash donations as well as offers of equipment, supplies or in-kind assistance to assist state park and recreation associations, local agencies and public officials. . (More...)

SePRO Corp. employees collected $4,085 in employee donations which was matched by the company for a total contribution of $8,085. The SePRO Foundation will contribute the money raised to the American Red Cross. SePRO's key business segments include the aquatics industry, horticulture/greenhouse markets and professional turf management.

Yanmar America Corp. and its affiliates are donating $60,000.00 to the American Red Cross. The company manufactures diesel engines, agricultural construction and industrial machinery.