New Jersey landscape and design services company Fullerton Grounds Maintenance (FGM) supported Morris Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that helps families build housing for low-income individuals and families, by donating 12 shovels to help break ground on the new Randolph Condominium Complex.

The largest project in Morris Habitat for Humanity’s 36-year history, the new community will be comprised of 25 units across four buildings. Located behind Morris Habitat’s headquarters on South Salem Street, the community will provide much-needed affordable housing for eligible low- and moderate-income families. The 12 shovels Fullerton Grounds Maintenance donated will also be used for future groundbreaking projects at Morris. Each shovel has an engraved Morris Habitat for Humanity plate riveted on them.

The project will be completed in two phases. Thirteen condominiums are expected to be completed in late 2022. And additional twelve condominiums will be constructed and finished by the end of 2023.

Founder and CEO of FGM, Scott Fullerton, has been partnering with Morris Habitat for Humanity for over two decades.

“Fullerton Grounds Maintenance is always honored to do our part and help this wonderful community to break ground with the Randolph Condominium Complex. We’re looking forward to its construction, which will provide multiple families with the opportunity to build their lives in Randolph.”

From Nov. 11-13, 2021, 25 employees from three of Ruppert Landscape’s branches located in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia came together to put the finishing touches on the grounds of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington’s newly renovated headquarters. This project is part of Ruppert’s ongoing effort to partner with local nonprofits and industry organizations to make a real difference in the community.

“When we look for community service projects, we are looking for a project where we can utilize our landscaping skills and company resources to better our community,” said Craig Ruppert, Ruppert Landscape CEO. “This project came to us through one of our board members, Julie Smith of The Bozzuto Group, who has worked with the Boys & Girls Club for several years. We were happy to donate our time and talents to help enhance this campus where they are working hard to ensure that their young members achieve academic success, develop good character and live healthy lives.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington’s headquarters was renovated by Davis Construction and a host of more than 60 other organizations who pulled together to bring the project to fruition. The final touch for the building and grounds was the landscape, which was in need of some attention and sprucing up. This project involved an investment of both time and materials, totaling approximately $17,000 and consisting of 85 labor hours. To bring this project to fruition, the site was cleaned and prepped, the turf mowed, dead and aging plant material removed, existing trees and shrubs pruned and more than 125 perennials and shrubs installed along with bed edging and mulch.

Perkins Engines Co. Ltd. has appointed Power Master as the authorized Perkins distributor in Puerto Rico. Based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Power Master supplies Perkins engines and offers authorized parts and service to local customers and equipment manufacturers.

Strategically located near current and prospective customers in Puerto Rico’s leading commercial and industrial city, Power Master provides customers with exceptional convenience and accessibility.

Power Master further bolsters Perkins’ close collaboration with customers, which includes major manufacturing and parts distribution facilities on four continents as well as a global network of distributors offering engines, parts and service in 180 countries.

The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) has endorsed the nationally recognized GreenCare for Troops (GCFT) program.

GreenCare for Troops, managed by Project EverGreen, a 501c3 non-profit, celebrating its 15th year in 2021, provides complimentary basic lawn care and landscape maintenance services to military personnel with a deployed family member.

NALP’s endorsement expands the program to its 2,800-member companies, representing 200,000 landscape and lawn care professionals, and opens the door for more volunteers to provide services and bring healthy lawns and landscapes to military families in their time of need.

Since the program’s inception, more than 7,500 lawn and landscape professionals nationwide have provided free services such as mowing, shrub pruning, fertilization, weed control, fire ant services and other related services to deserving military families. To date, the value of the donated services exceeds $10 million.

GCFT volunteers provide more than lawn care and landscape maintenance; they provide peace of mind during a stressful time, a safe place for kids to play and families to connect and a cooler backyard to escape the heat of the summer.

On Nov. 12, Takeuchi-U.S. employees, including Takeuchi President Jeff Stewart, presented the Banks Jackson Food Bank in Commerce, Ga., with enough food for 200 Thanksgiving dinners and an extra $2,550 to buy additional turkeys to feed even more needy families.

This donation, worth a total of about $4,000, started out as a simple accompaniment to a fun company event and morphed into something far more meaningful. In October, Takeuchi hosted employees and their families for Family Fun Day. Leading up to the event, Takeuchi had a food drive to collect both food and monetary donations for the Banks Jackson Food Bank.

At Family Fun Day, approximately 200 adults and children enjoyed a pumpkin patch, food from local food trucks and numerous activities including bouncy houses, pumpkin painting, an egg race, a magician, corn hole games, a photo booth, a giant “Jenga” game and hayrack rides. One particularly popular event was “Meringue the Manager,” where employees paid money to throw whipped cream pies at their managers, raising an additional $600 for the food bank.

Takeuchi then generously agreed to double whatever employees raised, which resulted in the total donation of 200 Thanksgiving dinners and $2,550 in additional funds.

In other news, Takeuchi-U.S. has added EquipmentShare locations in the Las Vegas, Nevada and San Diego, California metropolitan areas to its growing North American dealer network.

The EquipmentShare location at 412 E. Gowan Road in North Las Vegas will now carry Takeuchi’s full line of compact excavators, wheel loaders and track loaders for sale and rental. The San Diego area location at 2590 Main Street in Chula Vista will focus primarily on compact excavators and track loaders. Both locations will offer replacement parts and serve as authorized Takeuchi equipment repair centers for customers throughout Clark County, Nev., and Imperial County, Calif.

Founded by construction and equipment industry veterans in 2014, EquipmentShare offers and supports various heavy equipment product lines. EquipmentShare began carrying the Takeuchi line at its headquarters location in Columbia, Mo., in July 2020, then added Takeuchi equipment to its North Salt Lake, Utah, location in January 2021.

Colorado’s landscape industry association, the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC), named the recipients of its 2021 Elite Awards. The Elite Awards recognize landscape companies and professionals who demonstrate unparalleled professionalism, excellence, management practices, sustainability and innovation.

“This year’s award winners demonstrated outstanding commitment to the central values of our industry, even during one of the busiest and most challenging seasons we’ve ever had,” said ALCC CEO John McMahon. “They have exhibited impressive environmental stewardship as well as sound business practices and community service.”

More than 120 landscape professionals gathered to celebrate Colorado projects that placed in the awards, and the organizations that created or maintain them. This year’s recipients, finalists and a brief description of their project submissions are as follows:

Community Stewardship

• Gold Award: Designscapes Colorado: Outreach program for underserved children during the holiday season in the Denver metro area

Design/Build

• Gold Award: Lifescape Colorado: Application of Xeriscape principles on a 1930s Tudor-style Denver home
• Silver Award: Tree of Life Landscapes: Creation of a private entertaining space that balances an ultramodern Boulder, Colo., home
• Bronze Award: Phase One Landscapes: renovation of a Parker, Colo., outdoor living space to cater to all generations
• Innovation Award: Rocky Mountain Trees and Landscaping: Unique approach to business focusing on key clients and unusual labor sources at a landscape company in Crested Butte, Colo.

Landscape Construction

• Gold Award for Commercial Landscape Construction: Western States Reclamation: Extensive landscape renovation outside a north Denver community recreation center
• Silver Award for Commercial Landscape Construction: Landtech Contractors: Construction of a new “outdoor gateway” to Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies stadium in Denver
• Bronze Award for Commercial Landscape Construction: Tree of Life Landscapes: Landscape renovation outside a Denver apartment community
• Gold Award for Residential Landscape Construction: Changing Landscapes: Landscape renovation at a Boulder, Colo., home

Maintenance

• Gold Award for Commercial Landscape Maintenance: Environmental Designs: Extensive upkeep of a condominium community in Loveland, Colo.
• Gold Award for Residential Landscape Maintenance: Lifescape Colorado: Meticulous maintenance at an English, garden-style home in Denver
• Gold Award: Environmental Designs: Upkeep and revitalization of irrigation system in planter beds outside industrial buildings in Loveland, Colo.

Plant Design

• Gold Award for Commercial Plant Design: Environmental Designs: Color beds including a logo design in Loveland, Colo.
• Silver Award for Commercial Plant Design: Lifescape Colorado: Vibrant and extensive gardens at a faith-based organization in Centennial, Colo.
• Bronze Award for Commercial Plant Design: Environmental Designs: Design and revision of colorful display of planters along an urban, Denver street
• Gold Award for Residential Plant Design: Tree of Life Landscapes: Perennial garden including low water use plantings at Boulder-area home

MVP Award Recipients:

• Steven Beacon, Brightview Landscape, Denver
  Sophia Gonzales, Rocky Mountain Trees and Landscaping, Crested Butte, Colo.
  Dalva Hedlund, Phase One Landscapes, Denver
  Michael Hofmann, Colorado Stoneworks, Colorado Springs, Colo.