The Professional Landcare Network Academic Excellence Foundation (PLANET AEF) promoted four companies from the title of ambassador to platinum ambassador of the foundation. The companies rose to the rank by pledging an additional $25,000 to the foundation, bringing the total each has pledged to $50,000.
The newest platinum ambassadors include:
- CNA Insurance, Eustis, Fla.;
- Go iLawn and The Rorie Family, Loveland, Ohio;
- HighGrove Partners and The McCutcheon Family, Austell, Ga.; and
- Husqvarna Professional Products, Charlotte, N.C.
The addition of the four companies brings the total number of platinum ambassadors to 11.
“We are so thankful for the amazing generosity our PLANET AEF ambassadors share with the future of our industry,” said Tom Fochtman, PLANET AEF president. “They continue to go above and beyond helping to make the next generation of the landscape industry a bright one.”
PLANET AEF awards scholarships to students enrolled in landscape contracting and/or horticulture programs at two or four-year colleges and universities. Scholarships will be awarded during a PLANET AEF scholarship reception at the annual PLANET Student Career Days, a national collegiate landscape competition held March 20–23 at Colorado State University.
The foundation is halfway through its five-year campaign to raise the fund balance from $2 million to $5. To date, the fund has grown to $3.7 million.
