TURF INDUSTRY NEWS OPEI 2016-2017 Officers & Directors Named

Te Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) announced its 2016-2017 Officers and Board of Directors. Te officers and new board members were elected during the OPEI Annual Meeting held June 21-23 in Asheville, NC. Officers for the 2016-2017 year are: OPEI Chair: Tim Merrett, Vice President, Global Platform Turf & Utility, Deere & Company; OPEI Vice Chair: Daniel Ariens, Chairman & CEO, Ariens Company; OPEI Secretary/Treasurer: Tom Cromwell, Group President - Power, Kohler Company; Immediate Past Chair: Lee Sowell, President - Outdoor Products, Techtronic Industries, N.A., Incorporated.

“I am honored to be selected as chair. We are addressing new challenges as our industry grows,” said Tim Merrett. “We continue to build appreciation for the value and benefits of living landscapes and work to represent our members and their interests. We are also looking forward to our largest GIE+EXPO ever.”

New directors this year include: Bjoern Fischer, President, Stihl and Jeff Hohler, President, Consumer Brands Division, Husqvarna Professional Products. Continuing their service on the OPEI Board of Directors are: Tim Dorsey, President, Echo Incorporated; Tom Duncan, President & CEO, Positec USA, Inc.; Edward B. Cohen, Vice President – Government & Industry Relations, American Honda Motor Company Inc.; Marc J. Dufour, President & CEO, Club Car – LLC; Peter Hampton, President, Active Exhaust Corporation; Jean Hlay, President & Chief Operating Officer, MTD Products Inc.; Rick Olson, President & Chief Operating Officer, Te Toro Company; Todd Teske, Chairman, President & CEO, Briggs and Stratton Corporation; and David Withers, President, Jacobsen, A Textron Company.

App Available to Report, Track and Resolve Safety & Operational Matters

A new version of Te WorkplaceAware Report Management System has been released. It was first introduced in 2014 and quickly became a relied on solution to streamline and improve reporting processes. Instead of taking time to fill out multiple reports when a person gets back to the office, they can use the app on their smartphone, tablet or laptop to report any issues that might need attention. Pictures can be submitted and the reports are geo-tagged based on the location of the picture taken. Business owners, safety officers

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and managers can access the WorkplaceAware web- based dashboard wherever they are located. Reports can be generated and provided to a particular employee or management group, or forwarded electronically to the appropriate individual employee or department for immediate intervention and resolution. Alerts can be transmitted instantly notifying all mobile app users of significant events and news critical for an informed workforce. As government reporting requirements become more prevalent, ways to assist that process become more valuable. More information can be obtained at, www.workplaceaware.com.

Another App Available to Assist Farmers

A leading UK precision crop production company, SOYL has unveiled a new field scouting app called iSOYLscout. Tey say it is set to make recording, monitoring and reviewing of in-field problems and variations much easier for farmers. Te app works on iPhones and iPads to enable growers and anyone else helping to manage the business to log features and problems on the land while they are actually in the field. For example, they could note patches of weeds so that they could refer back to the information later when making spraying plans, or log the location of natural features such as trees or ponds which will help when creating crop protection application plans perhaps months later. Text edits and photographs can be added. Te app is free and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. More information can be obtained at www.soyl.co.uk.

Another Step Ahead for the Brouwer RoboMax

Te Brouwer RoboMax Automatic Stacking Roll Harvester is now featured on a John Deere 6110M Tractor. Te improved design provides additional ground clearance, a shorter turning radius, and a higher seating position for greater visibility. An optional adjustable pre-roller can be installed for improved cutting quality and increased floatation in extreme conditions. Tese additional features complement the current proven automatic flap control, that keeps sod roll flaps consistent in the same set position for a perfect and stable pallet; On-the-Go Scrap Ejection which drops rolls away from the turf; precision stacking patterns; and On-Te-Go Pallet Drop. When full, pallets can be dropped without stopping or easily backed out of the way.

TPI Turf News September/October 2016