The 2022 Golfdom Summit partners and what they had to say to the super attendees
To kick off the 2022 Golfdom Summit, a room full of top-level superintendents from around the U.S. assembled at Reunion Resort near Orlando. Before the one-on-one individual meetings would begin the following day, partners were given eight minutes to address the superintendents as a group. One by one, the 18 partners entered and exited the room. Here are some takeaway messages from each of them:
The company: Smithco
What: Sprayers, rollers and bunker rakes
Who: Steven Johnson, regional sales manager
What he said: “We’ve been doing this for an extremely long time. And we like to pride ourselves on the fact that we are innovators; we tend to lead the marketplace when it comes to new ideas. One thing that we like to brag about is that we are one modular component, tip-to-toe. Every component that we use on our spray rigs are TeeJet components. Dave Annis is our spray tech. So we actually have somebody that if it’s something that distribution can’t figure out or can’t be sorted out over the phone, Dave will actually be on your property. He is a true asset to Smithco and what we do as far as our sprayer lines go.”
For more: Smithco.com
Jeff Churchill of Smithco walks superintendent Derrick Dreyer of Frost Creek through Smithco’s battery-powered bunker rake. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
The company: Turfco
What: Widespin 1550 Broadcast Topdresser
Who: Scott Kinkead, executive vice president
What he said: “The 1550 is all about helping you and your staff be more productive. It’s easier to load with an 80-inch hopper opening, it reduces the number of passes on your greens with its edge-to-edge consistency. A lot of time was spent on the design of the spinners and where the sands come into the spinners, so you can get different applications without any mechanical adjustments. Just set your eight different preferred applications for both the 1550 and the CR15 and you’re able to get all your different applications with just the push of a button. What guys love about the 1550s is the confidence they have knowing you’re always getting the perfect application you want so you and your staff can tackle other tasks.”
For more: Turfco.com
Turfco’s Widespin 1550 Broadcast Topdresser helps superintendents save time with eight different customizable application modes, according to the company. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
The company: Quali-Pro
Who: Jeff Rampino, Florida territory manager
What he said: “We like to think of ourselves as a hybrid company. We’re developing active ingredients. I think everyone has felt the pain of the supply chain issues; we’ve been affected a lot less than others because of our ability, through our parent company Adama Group, to pull material from China and Israel because we are fully backward integrated. Adama gives us access to more than 270 active ingredient building blocks to put together new products for superintendents. All our products are formulated here in the U.S., our pesticides and fungicides are formulated onsite in our Houston facility and our herbicides are formulated in Georgia.”
For more: ControlSolutionsInc.com
2022 Herb Graffis Businessperson Award winner Alex Stuedemann, CGCS (top right) and Alex Beson-Crone (right) meet with the team from Quali-Pro. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
The company: PBI-Gordon
What: Pedigree, Reunion
Who: Andrew Scott, product manager and Melissa McDonald, marketing manager
What they said: “While we’re certainly proud of our brands like SpeedZone EW, Segway and Q4 Plus, we’re looking forward to talking about some of the newest solutions we’ve brought to market. Solutions like Pedigree fungicide and Reunion fungicide, among others.” — Scott
“We also have a vast array of training and resources available online for superintendents and their staff to use. We’re continuing to add more training modules and information that give short snippets that give a good overview of the products and some industry information. Supers can also earn points that are redeemable for gifts by completing training.” — McDonald
For more: PBIGordon.com
Seago International President Scott Sweeney says the F-19 Gen 3 brings together input from superintendents and mechanics alike. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
The company: Seago International
What: F-19 Gen 3 hover mower
Who: Scott Sweeney, president
What he said: “We launched our F-19 Gen 3 about nine years ago, and we’ve taken a lot of input and put what we’ve learned from superintendents, equipment managers and mechanics into the machine. We have an incredibly strong nylon-injected polymer deck, a tall impeller for maximum flow, stronger and longer handles and a high lift kit. To steal something from Papa John’s, better ingredients make better hover mowers. Our normal decks get up to about 2 ½. Our high lift kit clips into place, which takes our max height up to 3 ¾. All of these machines are hand-assembled in Hickory, N.C. The machine has three blade options, stainless steel, quick change and a string option.”
For more: SeagoInternational.com
The company: Frost
What: Ninja GPS Spray Control System
Who: Ken Rost, president & CEO
What he said: “When we came to this Golfdom Summit, we had superintendents ask us, ‘why don’t you have some turn-key sprayer that you can offer, that way we can put it in our budget and we can ask for it and get the whole thing wrapped up in one?’ When we listened to that, we started looking for vehicle platforms. We chose the Kubota RTV 1140. That has proven to be the best move we have made. That machine, combined with our Ninja GPS Spray Control System, creates a sprayer that is accurate, reliable, repeatable and very productive. It gives the operator knowledge of what he is doing, and the superintendent a lot of feedback as to what is going out on the course. And we don’t stop there, we keep listening. If you have ideas, we want to hear them. That’s why we’re here.”
For more: FrostServ.com
The company: Harper Turf Equipment
What: TV60 RE and TV60 RHD Tow-Behind Sweepers
Who: Byron Riesen, territory manager
What he said: “We manufacture niche products for the turf industry, specializing mostly in sweepers and vacuums. We’re based out of Harper, Kan., and we’ve been around since the early 1970s. One of the technologies we have in all our sweepers is called recirculating air. It is a dust-control technology that keeps the dust, dirt and even some of the noise pollution, contained within the system. You don’t need screens or filters that need to be cleaned out regularly. And you have a cleaner working environment for the operator and you’re less disruptive to the golfers. This is a patented technology that we use on all our sweepers.”
For more: HarperTurfEquipment.com
The company: The Andersons
What: Contec DG
Who: Alan Hollen, territory manager
What he said: “We’ve been doing Contec DG for quite some time, and it’s been very successful. We’ve expanded that technology to our humic lines and we’re going to continue to develop new products. We really pride ourselves in our technologies. A lot of people can make nice N, P and Ks, blend them and make a nice homogenous product. We take it a step further. We have a robust research and development team. Last year we brought on Dr. Ben Pease from Iowa State, fantastic guy, very smart. He’s sitting there in research and development and that’s why, every year, you’re going to see new products from us when you come to the golf show.”
For more: AndersonsPlantNutrients.com/Turf
Legends Shawn Emerson, Bob Farren and Tim Hiers discussed The Andersons’ products with Allen Hollen and Darren Johnson. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
Matt Smith of Steel Green Manufacturing walks Ryan Emerich through the company’s SG52 zero-turn spreader-sprayer. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
The company: Steel Green Manufacturing
What: SGXL
Who: Caleb Myers, demo rep
What he said: “We make stand-on spreader-sprayers. Over the last four years, our bread and butter has been in the lawn care industry, but we’re venturing out into golf and sports turf. We just celebrated our four-year anniversary. The SGXL is a 120-gallon sprayer with a 14-foot rear boom. Adjustments from rate to rate are very simple. This machine is not limited to liquid. The tank lifts off with four bolts and two hydraulic hoses, and you can drop on a 350-pound (capacity) stainless steel hopper. The fert trays on the sides hold five bags of fertilizer on either side, giving you an additional 500 pounds of capacity.”
For more: SteelGreenMfg.com
The company: FMC
What: Fame, Rayora, Kalida and Serata
Who: Tracy Tudor, key customer manager
What he said: “In 2020, we moved into the next generation DMI with Rayora for dollar spot, gray leaf spot, brown patch control, in cool season grasses, as well as spring dead spot in warm season grasses. In 2021 we launched a superior combination product that has an SDHI and a DMI product called Kalida. We had a huge presence at the golf show in 2022 with our brand new Pythium (product), a brand new FRAC code, Serata. It’s been in the market for a season, we’ve had a really good response. But we’re here because of you. We’re investing in the industry. Since 2020 we’ve donated $110,000 back to local chapters. We believe in a strong relationship between us and you, the end user.”
For more: FMCProSolutions.com
The company: Bernhard and Co.
What: Reel grinders, bedknife grinders
Who: Gary Ray, business development manager
What he said: “We are the second-oldest equipment manufacturer in the turf business. We’re a global company. But we also represent SubAir and TurfBreeze fans everywhere in the world, except for the U.S. Our mission is to provide education and to create better playing surfaces. We do an awful lot of education and support in training to achieve those things. We work alongside all of the industry partners … GCSAA, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, USGA, PGA of America, we do a lot of tournament support … We also have a very good customer service support center. We basically have people positioned throughout the world so we can handle support on a 24-hour basis. We overnight all our parts to customers.”
For more: Bernhard.Co.UK
The company: Sipcam Agro USA
What: Coastal and ETQ product family
Who: Todd Mason, senior director of sales and development
What he said: “Sipcam is a 76-year-old privately held, Italian, family-owned company. We stand out because we have the ability to be a little bit more agile, maneuver a little bit quicker and hopefully bring things to the market faster … innovation, passion, experience, independence and discipline. ETQ was one of our product lines, our enhanced turf quality products. Coastal, one of our newest herbicides, a warm-season product. … It’s not just fungicides. It’s not just insecticides. It’s not just herbicides. It’s biostimulants. It’s bionutritionals. One thing that’s nice is being a family-owned company out of Europe, we have access to things that are very much in the pipeline there because of the European Union and their regulatory restrictions.”
For more: SipcamAgroUSA.com
The company: Nufarm
What: Anuew PGR, Tourney EZ
Who: Chris Fronczek, golf market manager
What he said: “What we’re excited about at Nufarm in the next two, four, six years as we bring (new products) to the market to our customers. … Anuew is a popular late-stage GA-inhibiting growth regulator … we’ll be moving over to a liquid formulation, as will Tourney EZ fungicide, a great cool-season, warm-season fungicide for some hard-to-control diseases, fairy ring in particular. Allstar is a four-way postemergent herbicide that will be coming out in summer — June or July 2023. Great on crabgrass, grassy weeds, sedges and hard-to-control broadleaf weeds. (Decide fungicide) we’re waiting on EPA in this, but a third-generation SDHI that we’re really excited about. This will be a foundation product to build on to combo products.”
For more: Nufarm.com/USTurf
The company: Jacobsen / Cushman
What: Eclipse 360 Elite, AR530
Who: Josh Haggas, corporate accounts
What he said: “We’re taking our Eclipse 322, which I consider to be the best greens mower in the business, and making it completely lithium-ion (Eclipse 360 Elite). The AR530, our five-gang rotary mower … we’ve made some great efficiency changes to that machine, some traction changes. We’re taking lithium-ion into our fairway unit (with the Eclipse 360 Elite). It went up to over 70 holes on one charge with the lithium-ion placed in the unit. And they thought it could have been more, they just stopped counting at 70. Our (Electric Light Fairway) unit, which basically means we’re taking lithium ion into the old LF5 series. … We have taken that lithium-ion into the Hauler Pro Elite and the Hauler Pro X Elite.”
For more: Jacobsen.com / Cushman.com
Golfdom Summit attendees got the inside scoop on Jacobsen’s Eclipse 360 Elite from Klasie Baard, regional sales manager for Jacobsen. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
The company: Kafka Granite
What: Wax polymer pathway mix
Who: Jason Chilson, sales representative
What he said: “We’re trying to provide a solution to areas that we can offer a natural looking pavement or equivalent that also stands up to Mother Nature and address some of the main issues that you are all facing. There are different color options to fit your aesthetic needs. We address erosion issues in areas of heavy rains and drought areas and areas with high winds. We can minimize the amount of dust. The biggest thing for you is the reduced maintenance costs. It also works well with the environment. It’s flexible. It’s not going to crack and fall apart like a typical hardscape pavement. We took the same proprietary wax product, we manipulated the aggregate gradations and we made a bunker sand out of that. Your out-of-play bunker faces and your target bunker are great areas where you can put this material in.”
For more: KafkaGranite.com/Golf
Jim Pavonetti and Glen MacDonald learn more about Kafka Granite’s wax polymer pathway mix from company owner Glenn Kafka (right). (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
Dave Plaster, director of business and golf for Husqvarna, shares with Steve Gonyea how Automowers offer a look into the future. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
The company: Husqvarna
What: Automowers
Who: Dave Plaster, director of business development and golf
What he said: “(Autonomous mowing) is where the technology in the industry is going. The best part about robots is that they never call in sick, so you don’t have to worry about labor issues. They run 24/7, rain or shine. That doesn’t mean that we’re taking away jobs from anybody. You’re freeing up the labor that you had, and you can put it into more detailed work areas like greens and bunkers. Robotic mowing is not about event mowing, where you let the grass grow to a certain height and then cut it. With robotic mowing, you set the cut to a certain height and then maintain it forever.”
For more: Husqvarna.com/US
The company: Redexim
What: Verti-Drain 2519 and Top-Brush 6000
Who: Darren Powers, eastern regional sales manager
What he said: “Our newest Verti-Drain aerator, called the 2519, is here at the Golfdom Summit. It’s a deep-tine aerator that will go up to 10 inches deep to relieve compaction. You can put coring and solid tines in there — any tine you want, even down to pencil and bayonet tines. We’ve also developed a 19-foot-wide top brush — the Top-Brush 6000. These brushes are really popular in Europe, and we’ve brought them to the U.S. within the last year or so, and they’re starting to gain popularity. A lot of people don’t want to spray or can’t spray for worms out on their course. This does a great job getting rid of worm castings, plus it’s also great for removing dew and lifting up your turf.”
For more: Redexim.com
Redexim’s Verti-Drain 2519 is the company’s latest deep-tine aerator, continuing the Verti-Drain line of products, which the company invented in the 1980s. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
The company: POGO Turf Pro
What: POGO Turf Pro platform
Who: Carmen Magro, president
What he said: “We want to give you the confidence to make the best decisions possible. The platform collects key information that gives you a precise analysis to make the decisions that you have to make every single day. We measure soil, turf, weather, water and much more. You’ll know if you’re headed toward better conditions or away from them. We’ve all been there where we go out on the course and think, ‘Why can’t I have it this way every day?’ If you measure it, you can get to that point and maintain it over time. It’s also a full-scale mapping platform. You can map anything with POGO. You can log wildlife and all of your irrigation assets. We’ve even had courses in California that mapped out trees that they lost in fires for insurance claims.”
For more: PogoTurfPro.com
The increased availability of data is the name of the game for the POGO Turf Pro platform, according to President Carmen Magro. (Photo: Golfdom Staff)
Interested in attending the 2023 Golfdom Summit? Apply here.
Subscribe to Golfdom
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to Golfdom to receive more articles just like it.
