Read more about these NALP members and partners in the news.
Schill Grounds Management Purchases The Ohio Valley Group’s Commercial Division
Schill Grounds Management has purchased the commercial division of The Ohio Valley Group in a carve-out acquisition that expands Schill’s service area to the east side of Cleveland.
Schill will take over all of the commercial customer accounts for office, retail, mixed-use and industrial properties of The Ohio Valley Group. Around a dozen employees from The Ohio Valley Group will also join the Schill family and Schill will gain equipment and use a portion of their existing facilities and office space.
“We are excited to welcome these new Ohio Valley Group employees and customers to the Schill family,” says Jerry Schill, president and co-founder of Schill Grounds Management. “We look forward to working with our new teammates to provide our new customers with high-quality, year-round landscaping services.”
Schill is actively seeking additional acquisitions within the commercial landscape space in Ohio and beyond.
Selling the commercial division to Schill was part of a purposeful succession plan for owners Andy and Kathleen Dangelo. The husband-and-wife team has created a winery and event space called Sapphire Creek Winery & Gardens. The Dangelos plan to focus on residential landscape maintenance and design/build projects through The Ohio Valley Group while expanding Sapphire Creek Winery.
“After spending more than 30 years growing our business and investing in our employees and customers, we are delighted to leave our commercial division in the hands of someone who will nurture it and care for it as much as we have,” says Andy Dangelo, president of The Ohio Valley Group. “Kathleen and I are very impressed with the Schill organization and thankful for the opportunity to spend more time growing our new business, Sapphire Creek.”
CASE Construction Equipment Dealer Expands into Arizona
Sonsray Machinery, a CASE dealer, is expanding into Arizona with a full-line of CASE sales, rental and service operations in Phoenix and Tucson.
This expansion further establishes Sonsray as the largest CASE dealer on the West Coast with 15 locations in five states: California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona.
“Our growth into Arizona allows us to better serve our clients who work throughout the West Coast and Southwestern U.S., and we look forward to meeting, working with and becoming active members of the Phoenix and Tucson communities,” says Matthew Hoelscher, president of Sonsray Machinery.
The new Phoenix and Tucson stores are operational now. Contact details and address information for each location can be found at SonsrayMachinery.com.
ServicePro Joins ServiceTitan Family
ServiceTitan, software solution for residential and commercial service contractors, has partnered with ServicePro.
ServicePro provides software solutions for field services like pest control, lawn care and arbor care. ServiceTitan’s investment ensures improved ROI for ServicePro users with a heightened focus on live support, dedicated account management and improved product experience.
“Existing ServicePro customers can expect to see benefits immediately as we take our solutions and support to a new level,” says Andy Deering, ServicePro CEO. “They’ll enjoy enhanced engagement with the ServicePro team, with new resources targeted to continue driving their success.”
Deering and Kim O’Connor, CIO, will still lead ServicePro as a subsidiary to ServiceTitan and ensure continuity of service and roll out future ServSuite releases for customers. Deering, O’Connor, and designated ServicePro support teams are excited to accelerate their suite of solutions for customers with this new partnership with ServiceTitan.
“We’re continuously looking to build partnerships that help us deliver premium, vertical-specific solutions to professionals facing evolving challenges in the field service industry,” says Ara Mahdessian, co-founder and CEO of ServiceTitan. “Bringing ServicePro into the ServiceTitan family of brands will support our continued growth and help ServicePro users reach success, while also inspiring us to innovate and develop new solutions that transform the trades.”
Davey Tree Names District Managers
Davey Tree has promoted Jonathan McNeil to district manager of Arborguard Tree Specialists, a Davey company, in Atlanta.
McNeil joined Davey through the acquisition of Arborguard in 2017 as an assistant district manager. He graduated from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in natural resources management. He is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist and a Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) through the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA).
“Jonathan brings a wealth of knowledge gathered over his 21-year career in the green industry,” says Keith Francies, operations manager, Southeast, Residential/Commercial (R/C) services. “His knowledge combined with his get-it-done attitude and enthusiasm for his new role will help him excel with his added responsibilities.”
Davey Tree has also recently promoted Tyler Hesseltine to district manager of Davey’s North Minneapolis R/C services office. Hesseltine started at the Minneapolis office as a tree care foreman in 2010. In 2012, he was promoted to a sales rep and in 2020 he was promoted to assistant district manager in South Minneapolis.
Hesseltine graduated from the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences (D.I.T.S.). He is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Board Certified Master Arborist and holds a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) through ISA.
“Tyler is a hard worker and has a wealth of green industry knowledge and certifications, which made him a great candidate for this position,” says Dave Bargerstock, operations manager, Great Lakes West, R/C services. “His passion for helping his clients and engaging with his team is easy to recognize and will be beneficial in his new leadership position.”
Joe Williams, Founder of Lawn Master, Inc., Passes Away
Joseph Ross Williams, Jr., 82, passed away at home on Jan. 24, 2021.
Williams attended Tulane University and worked at American Cyanamid for 23 years before launching his company Lawn Master, Inc. in 1981. The Pensacola, Florida-based company is still operated by his family today.
Williams held several leadership roles in professional lawn care associations, including the National Association of Landscape Professionals, the Florida Turfgrass Association, and the Green Industry Expo. He was also a past president of the Alabama Turfgrass Association.
He is survived by his wife, Elaine Weekley Williams, their five children, thirteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
