Ruppert Landscape promoted Kyle Meissner to branch manager in the company’s Forestville, Md., landscape management branch.
Meissner holds an associate degree in business administration from Carroll Community College and is a Landscape Industry Certified Technician (CLT). He began his career at Ruppert in 2013 as a crew member in the Laytonsville branch, where he was quickly promoted to field manager. He transferred to the Washington, D.C., branch in 2016, where his hard work and dedication earned him the company’s Branch Impact Award and enabled him to move up the ladder to area manager. He has been in the Forestville branch since October as an associate branch manager, training for his new role and building the midlevel management team.
“As an area manager in DC, Kyle led the branch in enhancement sales and grew to be one of the top enhancement sales leaders in the division in 2018,” said Doug Halsey, region vice president. “In addition to his sales prowess, Kyle is also adept at creating strong ties with his customers, which has enabled us to maintain valuable relationships. The Forestville branch will benefit tremendously from his talents in customer service, enhancement sales and recruiting, retaining and coaching new talent.”
As branch manager, Meissner will be responsible for the overall welfare of his branch, including the safety and development of the team, strategic planning and budgeting, training and day-to-day operations.
Profile Products hired Jeff Knape as director of business development. He will focus on developing new and unique growth opportunities for the horticulture business.
“Jeff has established himself as a leader in the horticulture industry, and we are thrilled to have him on the Profile team,” said Jim Tanner, president and CEO of Profile Products. “His extensive experience and knowledge of horticulture will add to our already highly skilled team and will provide our customers with an unmatched experience.”
Knape has more than 20 years of experience in the consumer lawn and garden, professional turf and ornamental markets. Prior to joining Profile, Knape held a variety of positions with the Scott Miracle-Gro Company in global procurement, business development, product innovation and most recently as director of sales and marketing. He has his bachelor’s degree in political science from The Ohio State University and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. Knape will be based in Columbus, Ohio.
Little Beaver welcomed Joseph Haynes as a product engineer at the company’s manufacturing facility in Livingston, Texas.
A fourth-generation Little Beaver team member, Haynes brings a familiarity of the family business and innovative knowledge of product design processes, according to Little Beaver.
“When my grandfather Newman Haynes, started in the auger industry years ago, he wanted a family-run business that left customers feeling like they were dealing with family,” said Joe Haynes, Little Beaver’s president. “Joseph grew up around this business and understands our vision for building safe and dependable products, while going the extra mile to serve our customers. He brings a unique experience with 3D modeling and CAD software, which will enhance our product development process.”
Haynes most recently spent 11 years as a product engineer at WFI International, a pipe fitting manufacturer. In his previous role, Haynes designed and developed a variety of fittings for different industries including oil and gas, nuclear and fossil fuel power plants as well as the food processing industry. He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University.
“I’m looking forward to bringing a fresh perspective and different technological expertise to Little Beaver,” Haynes said. “I’m excited to leverage my experience and insight to continue my family’s tradition of providing customer-driven design.”
