Companies in the news: Updates from Husqvarna, Grunder Landscaping, Sun Valley, Bobcat and more

Grunder Landscaping Co. donates time, materials to update sensory garden

Team members from Grunder Landscaping Co. volunteered their time to refresh a local sensory garden. (Photo: Grunder Landscaping Co.)

Grunder Landscaping Co. recently refreshed a sensory garden at an elementary school in Springsboro, Ohio. The company donated much of the materials used to build the sensory garden in 2018 for teachers and therapists to work with children who have disabilities at a Dayton-area school.

GLC’s crews refreshed the space by donating time and materials. The team provided new edging to divide the areas, added limestone to the rainbow path to make the walking path more stable, replenished mulch and rock and cleaned up all the other areas. The materials donated included:

• 11 cubic yards of black-dyed mulch.
• 4 cubic yards of red-dyed mulch.
• 6 tons of limestone No. 57.
• 16 tons of granite No. 57.
• 1,000 linear feet of edging.

Team members who worked on this project were paid for their time, but they volunteered to work on a Saturday morning to fit this project into the company’s busy fall schedule. GLC said cleanup took 9 team members almost 10 hours to complete.

“Giving back to the community is something we’re passionate about at Grunder Landscaping Co., and something that our team greatly enjoys having the opportunity to do,” said Seth Pflum, president and COO at Grunder Landscaping Co. “We were happy to use our skills to make this community space more usable for the staff at Clearcreek Elementary School.”

Husqvarna launches online learning platform

Husqvarna launched Pro Insider, a web-based learning management system that provides users with interactive learning opportunities for professional products and solutions, in addition to industry best practices.

Husqvarna Pro Insider offers short, video courses at training.husqvarna.com on topics such as personal protective equipment (PPE), equipment usage, product technology, accessories and more. Each self-paced course is less than five minutes.

For every course users complete, they can earn coins redeemed for merchandise at the Husqvarna store.

Ruppert Landscape team volunteers service for landscape installation

Ruppert Landscape installed landscaping and a volleyball court at a nonprofit in North Carolina recently. (Photo: Ruppert Landscape)

Employees from Ruppert Landscape’s North Carolina branches volunteered to help improve the grounds of Ground 40 in Monroe, N.C. The company said this cleanup and installation are part of Ruppert’s ongoing effort to partner with community organizations that provide support and services for vulnerable populations.

Ruppert invested approximately in materials $20,000 and 320 labor hours for Ruppert’s 40 employees. Crews prepped and cleaned the site and installed more than 250 perennials and shrubs and 15 trees. Crews also mulched planting beds and installed a volleyball court. SavATree, Site One, Mulch Services, Scott Tree and Osprey Minerals also donated materials for the project.

Ground 40 is a program that helps men transition back into the community from homelessness, addiction, and incarceration.

“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 Angela Howes, branch manager of Ruppert’s North Carolina Landscape construction branch. “This project came to us through one of our employees who knew about Ground 40 and suggested that we get involved. One of our company’s values is giving back to our community and we love to undertake projects that have meaning for our team members.”

DLF opens new facility

DLF recently celebrated the opening of the company’s newest seed enhancement and operations facility in Albany, Ore.

DLF said this new 141,000-square-foot facility helps the company consolidate its Oregon operations and features a seed enhancement line, a fully automated blending line with palletizers, diverse packaging capabilities, 12 loading docks and 65,000 square feet of storage space for finished goods and raw materials. 

BioSafe Systems gives away $1,000

As part of the company’s 25th anniversary, BioSafe Systems said it will give away $1,000 in appreciation for its customers.

To enter, visit BioSafeSystems.com and enter your contact info.

“We couldn’t have done it without you so this year we’re celebrating by sharing our story, giving back, and saying thank you,” the company said in a release.

Bobcat donates $5M for new engineering facility

Bobcat said it will donate $5 million toward a new Center for Engineering and Computational Sciences at North Dakota State University (NDSU).

“As a company built on decades of engineering advancements, Bobcat is committed to investing in and developing the talent pool that will shape the next century of innovation,” said Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America. “We are proud to support NDSU as they educate future engineers who are helping us transform how the world runs jobsites, builds cities and thinks about a sustainable future.”

Headquartered in West Fargo, N.D., Bobcat is the state’s largest manufacturer and a major employer with more than 3,750 employees at facilities in Bismarck, Gwinner, Fargo, West Fargo and Wahpeton, N.D.

Bobcat is also one of the largest employers of NDSU graduates. The company said more than 55 percent of all Bobcat engineers are NDSU alumni.

In addition to Bobcat’s donation, private funds in the form of other corporate and private donations will match the North Dakota Legislature’s appropriation of $59 million for the new center.

Sun Valley Landscaping gives back

The team at Sun Valley Landscaping volunteered at Bags of Fun Omaha, which supports children with long-term or life-threatening diseases. (Photo: Sun Valley Landscaping)

Volunteers from Sun Valley Landscaping recently donated time to fill bags with toys and activities tailored to children in need for Bags of Fun Omaha.

The organization provides enrichment and care packages for children fighting long-term or life-threatening conditions nationwide.

“Together, we can make their journey a little brighter,” Sun Valley said in a LinkedIn post.

Ultimate Innovations comes out on top

Island Life Hawaii named Ultimate Innovations, a Sperber Company, to its 2023 Best of Hawaii list for landscaping. The company took home the first-place award.

“A testament to the hard work of our amazing team and unwavering commitment to the Hawaii community, this wouldn’t be possible without the support. Mahalo for making us No. 1 in paradise,” Sperber said in a LinkedIn post.

Mammotion robotic mower wins innovation award

Mammotion said Luba AWD series perimeter wire-free robot mower won the Pro Tool Innovation Award 2023 and a finalist for the IDEA Design Award 2023.

The Pro Tool Innovation Award and IDEA Design Award celebrate ingenuity, exceptional design, and outstanding performance, revolutionary innovation.

Pro Tool Innovation Award judges stated “Worry-free robotic mowing is now a reality thanks to the Luba AWD series from Mammotion. You have the option to set multiple mowing zones for larger lawns, and the all-wheel-drive system can handle up to 75 percent slope and avoids getting stuck better than other designs.”

Features include a RTK-GNSS mapping and navigation system, precise obstacle avoidance and auto-recharging, APP control anywhere and the ability to mow lawn stripes.

Oasis Turf & Tree opens new facility

The Dayton Daily News reports Oasis Turf & Tree of Loveland, Ohio, started construction on a new $8 million facility in the Dayton area. The 30,786-square-foot facility will include about 8,000 square feet of corporate offices, with the remainder dedicated to warehouse and indoor parking for Oasis vehicles.

Co-owner Angela Reindl told the Daily News work should be completed by next summer. She also said the company plans to add about 80 jobs once the facility is fully operational.

Oasis Turf & Tree provides lawn and tree care services and exterior pest control in Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky.

Got news? Let us know!

Have promotions or updates about your team? Send it to Editor Christina Herrick at cherrick@northcoastmedia.net, and we’ll feature it in an upcoming Companies in the News.