Neil Cleveland. (Photo provided by PBI-Gordon)
Neil Cleveland has joined PBI-Gordon as vice president and general manager.
Cleveland will oversee all aspects of the PBI-Gordon Professional Turf & Ornamental and Home Lawn & Garden Business Unit, including product sales, marketing, operations, research and development, regulatory and technical services. He will be based out of PBI-Gordon headquarters in the Kansas City, Mo., metro area.
Cleveland replaces Tom Hoffman, who is retiring from PBI-Gordon in October 2018. Hoffman joined the company in 1983, and throughout his 35-year career, he has overseen considerable growth as PBI-Gordon has evolved into the business it is today.
Cleveland was most recently director of commercial operations for Bayer’s CropScience division, a position he held since 2012. Prior to that, he held a series of domestic and international management-level positions with Bayer and ChemLawn Services during his 30-year career.
Cleveland holds a bachelor of science degree in agronomy from Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture. Throughout his career, he has served on the boards of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America and Project Evergreen and has been a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of American Industry Council. He most recently served as president of the Mid-America CropLife Association.
“We thank Tom for his leadership and dedication in his 35 years with PBI-Gordon,” said Don Chew, CEO of PBI-Gordon. “Neil brings a wealth of industry experience to the role of general manager. He is a true professional in every sense of the word and will be an integral part of our team as we expand and refine our product portfolio in the years to come.”
The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) added Brandon Martin to its staff as director of battery and electric products and industry relations.
“We’re excited to have Brandon join the staff here at OPEI,” said Kris Kiser, OPEI president and CEO. “His experience in product development, channel support and marketing will make him a key part of our team as we continue to expand our staff expertise in the battery and electric product space.”
Martin has spent 12 years in the power equipment industry working with major OPE manufacturers and has experience in the development and management of battery/electric commercial and consumer equipment, as well as robotic products and UTVs.
“I’ve been involved with OPEI on the member side for several years, and I’m excited to join the team,” said Martin, who served on the association’s battery and electric products, robotic electric lawnmower and market statistics committees. “It’s a dynamic time for the industry, and I’m looking forward to helping the OPEI team continue its good work in driving the industry forward.”
Takeuchi-US hired Jim Ramsdail as technical trainer and content developer. Based out of Takeuchi-US headquarters in Pendergrass, Ga., Ramsdail’s primary role will be helping to conduct the instructor-led technical training to Takeuchi subsidiaries and distributors around the world. Additionally, he will assist in new content development as Takeuchi expands delivery training and knowledge to better serve its distribution network.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Ramsdail has more than 20 years of experience in the agricultural, construction and industrial equipment industry. Most recently, Ramsdail served as a supplier recovery supervisor for AGCO Corp. in Duluth, Ga., where he has been since 2015. In his role, he initiated team training programs and strengthened partnerships with suppliers. He has a technical studies degree in computer science and engineering from Wright State University and was a Petty Officer 2nd Class in the U.S. Navy, Advanced Electronics.
The Aspire Software Co. added two new team members: Anitha Sathish as quality assurance analyst and Sid Singharath as marketing manager.
Singharath has more than 10 years of experience putting together comprehensive marketing strategies that drive profitable growth and improve brand recognition. As a specialist in small to mid-sized businesses, she’s accustomed to wearing many hats, including event management, social media campaigns, account management, yearly budgeting, lead nurturing, inbound marketing, print media and more.
After graduating from University of Central Missouri with a bachelor’s in business administration, she lived in Missouri, Texas and Kansas establishing her career. As a St. Louis native, Singharath is excited about the opportunity at Aspire, which brings her back to her hometown roots.
Sathish has worked in the information technology field for more than 4 years, focusing primarily in quality assurance (QA) and software testing.
Prior to joining Aspire, she served as a QA and business analyst for Global KTech, a technology firm headquartered in Orlando, Fla., where she was involved in setting up numerous testing environments and responsible for performing system and integration testing for release. Her background includes conducting exploratory testing, not only for web but also mobile applications as well. In addition to her accomplishments, Anitha has also been selected as a favorite tester by the customer and a Gold Rated Tester in Functional Testing.
Aquatrols, a manufacturer of soil surfactants and related technologies, has named Darryl Ramoutar, Ph.D., as director of research and development.
Previously serving in leadership positions at Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. and Clarke Environmental Services, Ramoutar brings a breadth of experience to the role that will help fuel Aquatrol’s future growth and product expansion. Most recently director of global controls R&D at Scotts Miracle-Gro, Ramoutar specialized in providing strategic technological, regulatory and market guidance to brand teams and company leadership within the controls category.
“Darryl’s deep background speaks to his wealth of knowledge and passion for agronomy,” said Matt Foster, Aquatrols’ president and CEO. “I am confident that Darryl’s expertise will not only help us improve our product line for customers, but also help us continue down the path of becoming the most trusted supplier in golf.”
Ramoutar will lead the team in developing new products that not only extend beyond the company’s current portfolio but also provide an enhanced user experience, the company said.
Jeff Korhan is now a Certified Duct Tape Marketing Consultant.
The Duct Tape Marketing System is a comprehensive suite of strategy-based, total online presence solutions for getting predictable results with websites, SEO, social media, advertising, reputation and review management, content and business story marketing and analytics and reporting.
“Nowadays there are many layers to digital marketing that make it challenging to manage,” Korhan said. “That’s why I’m excited to partner with the global Duct Tape Marketing network of over 100 consultants to provide ‘done for you’ solutions for businesses of all sizes and almost any budget.”
Korhan is the founder of Chicago-based Landscape Digital Institute, a frequent industry speaker and the author of several books and thousands of articles on digital sales, marketing and communications.
The post People on the Move: Neil Cleveland joins PBI-Gordon team; OPEI adds Brandon Martin; and more from Takeuchi-US, Aspire, Aquatrols and Jeff Korhan appeared first on Landscape Management.