[News]

Deere to Sell Majority Interest in Landscapes Business to Private Equity Firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

MOLINE, Ill. — Deere & Company has agreed to sell a majority interest in its landscapes business to the private equity investment firm of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. (Clayton, Dubilier & Rice also owns Servicemaster, the parent company of Terminix International.) John Deere Landscapes has been included in Deere’s agriculture and turf segment. As a result of the transaction, Deere will receive approximately $300 million in cash and will initially retain a 40 percent equity interest in the business.

“This partial sale allows Deere an opportunity to remain as part of a successful landscapes distribution business,” said James Field, president of Deere’s Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division. “At the same time, Deere will continue to increase its own strategic focus on the global growth businesses in agriculture and construction and the complementary businesses in turf and forestry.”

Deere formed the landscapes business in 2001 when it purchased and merged two companies that sold wholesale landscape supplies and irrigation products. Two other acquisitions were later added and now John Deere Landscapes is one of the largest U.S. wholesale suppliers of turf and ornamental agronomics, irrigation, outdoor lighting, and nursery and landscape materials.
 

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John Bolanos to Retire from Univar; Trace McEuen Named Vice President

AUSTIN, Texas – Univar Environmental Sciences President John P. Bolanos announced in November that he will retire from the company effective Jan. 3, 2014.

Trace McEuen, a long-time member of the management team, will move into the role of vice president of Univar Environmental Sciences — Americas, effective Jan. 4, 2014.

“In John’s role as president and during his tenure Univar experienced tremendous growth and outstanding leadership, including the successful acquisition of Southern Mill Creek Products in 2010 that significantly increased Environmental Sciences’ geographic footprint,” said Mike Hildebrand, vice president, Global Agriculture/Environmental Sciences.

“Univar’s growth and leadership succession have always been top priorities for me and the transition of leadership to Trace is a natural progression,” said Bolanos. “I have the utmost confidence in Trace, his leadership, and the company’s strategy going forward.

Bolanos and his wife Jane plan to remain in Austin and will enjoy spending more time with family and on their ranch while continuing their active involvement in the community.

Remaining close to his Univar roots, Bolanos plans to fulfill his lifelong dream of beekeeping.
 

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Steritech Makes Executive Team Changes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Steritech Group has appointed previous COO and President Rich Ennis to the post of CEO. Ennis takes the reins from Mark Jarvis, who will assume a permanent position on Steritech’s Board of Directors.

“Mark has dedicated a significant portion of his career to Steritech and is an adept visionary that inspires everyone who works with him,” said Steritech founder and Chairman of the Board John Whitley. “As a member of our Board of Directors, we will look to his hard-charging leadership and forward thinking in charting our company’s future growth.”

Ennis joined Steritech in 2003 as vice president of the company’s auditing business before being promoted to COO in 2005, in which he oversaw the company’s two business units, Brand Standards and Pest Prevention.

“Rich’s highly disciplined approach to business has enabled our operations to reach new levels in service delivery,” said Whitley. “As CEO, he will apply this same discipline on a broader scale to lead our staff and evolve and transform our services.”

 

Free OSHA HCS Training Available from Pinto & Associates

MECHANICSVILLE, MD. — Employers (including pest management firms) are required to train workers by Dec. 1, 2013, on OSHA’s revised Hazard Communication Standard.

The Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is now aligned with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). According to OSHA, this update to HCS will provide a common approach to classifying chemicals and communicating hazard information on labels and safety data sheets (formerly MSDSs).

Techletter, a training newsletter for pest control technicians, has been offering its subscribers OSHA training modules in each of its biweekly issues. Now, nonsubscribers also can receive this training at www.techletter.com.

Publisher Pinto & Associates has placed 10 training pages, an introduction and a final exam on its website, www.techletter.com. At the bottom of the home page, click on OSHA HCS Training Modules. For more on OSHA’s training requirements, visit www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html.
 

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NPMA and ESA Partner to Grow and Develop the ACE Pest Management Program

FAIRFAX, Va. — The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the Entomological Society of America (ESA) recently agreed to a strategic partnership to enhance the professionalism of the pest management industry through the growth and development of the Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) Pest Management program.

“NPMA looks forward to a long and productive partnership with ESA to help foster and grow the ACE program and believes that cooperation is of mutual benefit to both organizations,” said NPMA Executive Vice President Bob Rosenberg. “By encouraging participation in the program, NPMA hopes to continue to help raise the level of professionalism and entomological expertise within the pest management industry through both initial exam preparation and providing recertification opportunities.”

ESA Executive Director C. David Gammel concurred. “Our leadership sees this new partnership as a long-term strategy to work together on taking the program to the next level and increasing the positive impact it can have for the pest management industry,” he said. “There has been tremendous buy-in from PMPs with an average annual growth of more than 35 percent since the program was introduced in 2004.”

The ACE program is a certification program that was developed and is run by ESA. ACE applicants must, among other requirements, prove a strong work history in the pest control industry, sign the ACE Code of Ethics and pass an examination of their knowledge of structural pest management as it relates to entomology.

For more information visit www.npmapestworld.org or www.entocert.org.
 
 

Specialty Professional Products Acquired by KODA Distribution Group

STAMFORD, Conn. — Specialty Professional Products (SPP), parent company of ADAPCO and Red River Specialties, has been acquired by KODA Distribution Group (KDG), a specialty chemical distributor. With the acquisition, KDG says it plans to establish its agricultural chemicals division, with its continued growth to be led by SPP President Steve Burt. ADAPCO and Red River Specialties will maintain their current management, sales and support staff.

ADAPCO is a distributor of mosquito control products, its own branded sprayers, and technology and support services to mosquito management professionals. Red River Specialties supplies products to the forestry, vegetation management, and range and pasture markets.

Headquartered in Stamford, Conn., KODA Distribution Group is a specialty chemical distributor serving customers in the coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE) market as well as construction, care, lubrication, ink and plastics end markets. It is comprised of five regional companies servicing those markets in the United States: Ribelin Sales in the Southwest and Southeast, GMZ in the Ohio Valley/Midwest, P.T. Hutchins on the West Coast, Monson Companies in New England and E.W. Kaufmann in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic.

For more information visit www.kodadistribution.com, www.myadapco.com or www.rrsi.com.
 

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Bayer CropScience and PMPs Partner for Maxforce on a Mission

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience LP, announced the launch of Maxforce on a Mission, a giving-back campaign in which Bayer and pest management professionals are teaming up to help rid underserved communities of allergen- and disease-carrying pests. The first community service project kicked off in August in Jacksonville, Fla., in collaboration with the Boselli Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on providing children in at-risk neighborhoods with a holistic and comprehensive after-school learning environment.

As a part of the campaign, pest management professionals provided complimentary pest control services to nonprofit organizations that aim to improve the livelihoods of underserved populations. The Jacksonville PMPs donating their time and services to the Boselli Foundation include Bug Out Service Technical Director Linda Prentice and McCall Service Vice President John Cooksey. Bayer donated various Maxforce products for the pest control services.

“Pest management professionals serve a critical — and often undervalued — role in preserving public health in their communities,” said Ray Daniels, product marketing manager for Bayer’s professional pest management business. “Through Maxforce on a Mission, it is our goal to raise public awareness of the societal value of professional pest management and inspire other PMPs to reinforce this value through giving back where they can in their own communities.”

The Bayer team continued the initiative in September in Philadelphia, where they teamed up with two pest control companies to treat two homes in the north Philadelphia area. These homes are regularly supported by Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, an organization that provides critical home repairs, modifications and improvements for Philly’s low-income homeowners.

As part of the mission in Philadelphia, Jim Nase, service manager for Moyer Indoor Outdoor, and Joe Silvestrini, president of Pest Control Technicians, provided complimentary pest control services to help improve the livelihoods of homeowners in an underserved community. To assist the PMPs in the mission, Bayer donated Maxforce products for the pest control services.

Additional events are scheduled to take place in the future, where local PMPs will participate in a similar community service project. PMPs and other organizations are encouraged to learn more about Maxforce on a Mission and how to get involved through the campaign website. For more information, visit www.backedbybayer.com.
 

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ServiceMaster Names New Terminix President

Memphis, Tenn. — The ServiceMaster Company announced Bill Derwin has joined the company as president of Terminix. He will report to ServiceMaster Chief Executive Officer Robert Gillette.

Derwin joins Memphis-based ServiceMaster from the Otis Elevator division of United Technologies Corporation, a $57 billion dollar company that provides a broad range of products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries. The company’s other divisions include Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky.

“One of my top priorities since joining ServiceMaster has been filling key positions on my executive team with performance-driven leaders who bring a passion to win every day,” said Gillette. “At Otis, Bill established an outstanding 11-year track record of driving growth in a highly competitive environment. He’s a proven, results-oriented leader who brings significant global experience in growing businesses through a combination of acquisitions, joint ventures, organic growth and service excellence. Bill’s background will be especially helpful as we explore opportunities to grow Terminix by expanding our commercial and international segments.”

Derwin served as vice president of Otis’ $4.2 billion global field operations, with 30,000 employees around the world, including the emerging markets of China, India, Brazil and Russia. Prior to Otis, Derwin spent five years as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, leading a number of major initiatives for a broad array of Fortune 100 companies, building extensive experience in strategy, operations, human resources, commercial growth, and sales and marketing. He began his career in engineering at The Boeing Company in Seattle. Derwin holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and a master’s degree in business administration from the Harvard Business School.

Larry Pruitt, who has been serving as Terminix’s interim president since March, will assume a new role as Terminix chief operating officer and assist Derwin during the transition. “Larry has done an excellent job as interim president,” said Gillette. “Despite some marketplace challenges in 2013, under Larry’s leadership, Terminix has continued to deliver solid performance. He’s also helped the entire team stay focused, energized, engaged — and accountable. Larry’s broad industry knowledge, accumulated over a 29-year Terminix career, will be a huge plus as Bill settles into his new role.”