Takeuchi-U.S. is preparing for the opening of the new Takeuchi Training Center, with the addition of Ashleigh Gross as a technical trainer and Megan McFarlane as training center coordinator.

As Takeuchi’s new technical trainer, Ashleigh Gross will be responsible for conducting all types of training for dealer technicians as well as Takeuchi’s staff. She will be developing training materials and maintaining training equipment, tools and supplies.

Gross comes to Takeuchi from Alban CAT in Myersville, Md., where she served as a technical training instructor, creating curricula, documentation and training courses while increasing efficiency and exceeding training goals. Her past positions include operations management, heavy equipment operation and more than two years with Johnston Community College in Smithfield, N.C., as an adjunct instructor on engines, hydraulics, basic electricity, industrial maintenance and transmissions. Gross holds a master’s degree in trade education from Oswego State University in Oswego, N.Y., and a bachelor’s degree in technology management from Morrisville State College in Morrisville, N.Y.

Megan McFarlane, Takeuchi’s new training coordinator, will manage training inquiries and coordinate service and sales training schedules. She will also be responsible for registration requests, event planning, billing and customer communication. McFarlane comes to Takeuchi from her former position as a business development representative for Lockstep Technology Group in Duluth, Ga., where she supported the sales team with new prospect lead generation, webinar creation, special events and customer relationship management. McFarlane has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from Georgia State University in Atlanta.

The Takeuchi Training Center is located in a facility next door to the company’s headquarters in Pendergrass, Ga. Courses that will be offered weekly include instructor-led, intermediate-level technical training for both compact track loaders and compact excavators with simultaneous classes starting in May 2021. Soon, Takeuchi will also offer quarterly sales training for dealers as well as advanced technical training. Beginner-level courses will be offered online via Takeuchi’s Learning Management System.

Bartlett Tree Experts promoted Erik Johnson and Nicholas Martin to the role of vice president. Johnson manages Bartlett’s five offices in Connecticut and one in central Massachusetts. Martin oversees consulting services for the company.

Johnson first joined Bartlett in 2009. As local manager of the York and Lancaster, Pa., locations, he led these offices to receive their first-ever company award for excellence in safe work practices. In 2018, Johnson broadened his leadership skills when he took on a new role assisting in the management of all of the company’s operations in Connecticut. Since that time, his regional team has continued to grow, expanding its client base and geographic footprint as well as improving sales even through the challenges of the pandemic.

Martin began his career at Bartlett in 2011 conducting tree inventories as an inventory arborist and became assistant manager of the Bartlett Inventory Solutions team three years later. When the company began further developing the consulting side of its business, Martin was selected to lead this venture. Bartlett Consulting was born, leveraging the combined expertise of regional inventory arborists and individual consultants, HortScience|Bartlett Consulting, Urban Forestry Services|Bartlett Consulting and a team in the United Kingdom.

NaturaLawn of America named Jim Laramee as the new owner of the Cape Cod, Mass., location.

Laramee brings more than 30 successful years of experience, with his NaturaLawn of America franchises in the North Attleboro and Hudson areas of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Laramee, with assistance from outgoing owner, Bob Meany, coordinated the transition to ensure the high level of customer service experience continued seamlessly.

The Davey Tree Expert Co. promoted Craig Ritter to market manager, Chesapeake operations, Residential/Commercial (R/C) services.

Ritter began his career at Davey in 1996 as a trimmer at the West Philadelphia R/C office and soon after, began working in plant health care and lawn care services at Davey’s King of Prussia R/C office. He then relocated to the Richmond R/C office to work in sales and in 2004, was promoted to assistant district manager at the same office. In 2008, Ritter was promoted to district manager at what was Davey’s Eastern Shore R/C office in Maryland, and in 2018, he returned to Richmond as a district manager.

Ritter is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist, holds a Maryland Tree Expert License and is a Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) from the Tree Care Industry Association. In 1998, Ritter graduated from the Davey Institute of Horticultural Sciences (DIHS) and in 1999 from the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences (DITS), which is Davey’s flagship training program in biological sciences, safety, tree and plant care and management techniques.

Davey also promoted Thomas Anderson to district manager of Davey’s Buffalo Residential/Commercial (R/C) services office.

Anderson started at Davey in 2015 as a sales representative at the Buffalo R/C office. In 2019, he was promoted to assistant district manager of the same office.

Anderson is an ISA Certified Arborist, a CTSP through the Tree Care Industry Association and a New York Commercial Pesticide Applicator. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resource management from SUNY ESF – College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry.

Davey also promoted Chuck Shouse to market manager, Texas operations, Residential/Commercial (R/C) services.

Shouse joined Davey in 1993 as a trimmer trainee at the Kansas City R/C office. From 1993 to 1999, he held various foreman positions at the Kansas City and South Chicago R/C offices before being promoted in 1999 to sales trainee for the South Chicago R/C office. In 2001, Shouse was promoted to assistant district manager of the same office. In 2007, he was promoted to district manager of the Milwaukee R/C office and then, in 2017, transferred to the East San Antonio R/C office.

Shouse is an ISA Certified Arborist. In 1997, he graduated from the DITS. Shouse holds qualifications in Texas for oak wilt, as well as aerial rescue and electrical hazards from the Tree Care Industry Association.

Tyler Enterprises, the turf products division of Masterblend International, added Scot D. Spier, CGCS, to its turf products sales team.

He will be responsible for business development and sales of both nutritional and plant protectant products for the golf, lawn care and sports turf markets in the northern and western suburbs of Chicago.

Spier’s nearly 20 years in turfgrass nutrition and ornamental supply sales and consulting, coupled with more than eight years as a course superintendent, give Scot unique, firsthand knowledge of turfgrass maintenance
and business management challenges.

Spier earned a B.S. in ornamental horticulture from the University of Illinois and is a Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS). He is an active member in several golf course superintendent organizations including GCSAA, MAGCS, NWIGCSA.

Exacto promoted Eva Magnusen to director of strategy and operations.

In her new role, Magnusen will be part of the Exacto leadership team. Magnusen joined Exacto in 2016 in Finance and, most recently has served successfully as a business leader over the Turf and Ornamental and Industrial Vegetation Management markets.

Prior to joining Exacto, Magnusen was a CFO for a logistics firm and project manager in telecommunications. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University.