Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman plans to retire on March 31. Before assuming the chairman and CEO role in 2010, Oberhelman joined Cat in 1975, was elected as vice president and CFO in 1995 and has led a variety of businesses across the company in his tenure. The company named Jim Umpleby, group president for energy and transportation, as the company’s new CEO. Umpleby, a 35-year veteran of the company who started with Solar Turbines, a subsidiary of Cat, will join the Cat board of directors and become CEO effective Jan. 1.
Morbark appointed David Herr to CEO of the company. Herr, an active member of the Morbark board, replaces Dan Ruskin, who resigned due to health issues. He has more than 30 years of experience with both product and service companies, including GE Aircraft Engines and BAE Systems. He holds a bachelor’s in business administration from St. Francis College and a master’s of business administration from Northern Kentucky University.
The Davey Tree Expert Co. hired Chris Fields-Johnson to technical advisor in the Davey Institute’s research, development and innovation division. He holds a bachelor’s in forest resource management, a master’s in crop and soil environment sciences and has completed the requirements for a Ph.D. in crop and soil environmental sciences from Virginia Tech.
Agri-Turf Distributing added Craig Laursen as a territory manager catering to the speciality markets in the San Diego area. He has more than 25 years of experience in the agricultural chemical industry in California, and started his career as a sales representative for Mycogen Corporation, which was acquired by Dow AgroSciences. He holds a bachelor’s in botany-horticulture and a master’s in business administration from Oregon State University. He holds a pest control advisor’s license in California, and he is an active member of the Pest Control Operators of California.
Jensen Landscape, based in San Jose, tapped Matt Trenary to serve as branch manager for a new construction branch in Sacramento, Calif. Trenary has more than 13 years of industry experience, serving as senior project manager at ValleyCrest in Northern California before joining Jensen. Jensen Landscape is part of Monarch Landscape Holdings, a group of West Coast landscape firms.
Ruppert Landscape promoted Mike Fleming and Dave Sharry to associate branch manager. Fleming, who’s been with the organization for more than 10 years, will serve the Baltimore, Md., landscape management branch. He holds a bachelor’s in horticulture from Williamson College. Sharry, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Reserve and a five-year member of the Ruppert organization, will serve the Richmond, Va., landscape management branch. In all, he has more than 25 years of combined landscape industry experience.
Ruppert Landscape’s Forestville, Md., landscape management branch added Bernard Botchway and Blake Turner as area manager and promoted Sean Sullivan to enhancement manager. Botchway, a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, started as an intern with the company’s Alexandria, Md., landscape management branch in 2014 and held an account manager position at another industry organization before joining Ruppert full-time. Turner, who has more than 11 years of industry experience, previously held positions like operations manager with other industry organizations in the Texas market. Sullivan joined the company as a field manager in 2014 with several years of landscape experience. He holds a bachelor’s in landscape management from the University of Maryland, College Park.
