The Davey Tree Expert Co. partnered with the Cleveland Cavaliers, winners of the 2016 NBA Championship, and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on last year’s Trees for Threes program. The company will plant one tree for every three-point shot made by the Cavs during the 2015-2016 regular season. A total of 433 trees will be planted or donated in downtown Cleveland, including in green spaces surrounding the Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The initial planting day was Oct. 19, and the partners will give away 273 saplings at the Science Center’s new Cleveland Clinic Dome Theatre Nov. 12.
Heads Up Landscape Contractors, a commercial and residential design, install and maintenance company with locations in Albuquerque and Sante Fe, N.M., has been nominated for an Ethics in Business Award by Samaritan Counseling Center for New Mexico. It was nominated for the Jack & Donna Rust Award for Excellence in Ethical Business Practice by a For-Profit Business. Award recipients will be announced in January 2017 and honored at the 18th Annual Ethics in Business Award Celebration on April 26, 2017 at Hotel Albuquerque.
Puryear Farms Nursery & Landscaping, based in Gallatin, Tenn., was named 2016 Landscape Contractor of the Year for the state of Tennessee by the Tennessee Nursery & Landscape Association (TNLA). Owner John Puryear accepted the award from TNLA President Kim Holden during an award ceremony Oct. 7 in McMinnville, Tenn. The company, which employs 65 full-time workers, specializes in commercial and residential design, installation, maintenance, outdoor lighting and more. John Puryear also commits 25 percent of his time to serving on civic boards and committees, according to the company.
The Toro Co. was recognized with a 2016 WaterSense Excellence Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its efforts and education in water conservation. The company received the award at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Expositions in Las Vegas. Toro was recognized for water-conserving initiatives, including training events, trade shows, expos and educational programs, like the Wyland Foundation’s National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, which the company helps produce.
Exmark received five grants totaling $13,700 from the Nebraska Department of Labor’s Worker Training Program. The company will use the funding to help offset the costs of Lean Enterprise training for members of its engineering and manufacturing leadership. Exmark is also investing more than $114,000 to fund the training, the goal of which is to improve group dynamics and communication skills and implement a lean manufacturing environment in the company’s Beatrice, Neb., facility, the company said. The program is currently training six employees.
