The E Series excavator models will debut during an online launch on Thursday, Sept. 22.

CASE Construction Equipment will reveal the full rollout of its new E Series excavator models in North America on Thursday, Sept. 22, at CaseCE.com/ESeries. The rollout features seven new models — including two entirely new excavators — focused on enhancing the total operator experience to deliver even greater productivity, operator satisfaction and operational efficiency.  

New features (and models) include:

Sign up at CaseCE.com/ESeries to receive full CASE E Series excavator launch details including the new CASE E Series excavator model lineup, full machine information, spec sheets, explainer videos and more.

It may not be perfect, but panelists at the Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference broke down how and why to introduce robomowing.

Janet DeNicola believes implementing autonomous mowing is the easy part; adoption is much tougher.

“(When you’re implementing), you get good training, you get explained how you need to lay your perimeter wire, and you get good training on the people that are going to need to maintain them,” says DeNicola, the chief technology officer at The Greenery in South Carolina. “Adoption is a whole different animal. Adoption is cultural and involves people and how we think about it in our company. You still have to get everyone marching in the same direction.”

DeNicola admitted to Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference attendees that she’s still trying to get everyone fully on board. Her co-panelists, all speaking during the “Analyzing Autonomous” session, seemed to be in the same boat. Michael Mayberry, the CTO at Level Green, says executives trying to incorporate robotic mowers should start the process of easing nerves now – it could be a bumpy road.

“It’s really important to talk to your crews now about what’s happening because you need to get their buy-in,” Mayberry says. “Their mindset may be that these robots are going to replace me.”

And that’s not the case, Mayberry adds. He, DeNicola and Ben Collinsworth from Yellowstone Landscape all believe autonomous mowing could actually enable crews to do more work.

IMPERFECT IN THE PRESENT. Collinsworth began looking into robotic mowers two years ago, and when research at the time indicated markets would more commonly have them by now, Mayberry started his search three years ago. DeNicola says she started weighing robotic mowers in 2017, and the first one went out into the field in 2019.

She says she narrowed down the scope of what she wanted the mowers to do or have. For her, it was all about safety, ensuring it had lights on it, and whether or not it had smartphone controlling capabilities. Of course, price also factored into the equation.

DeNicola did not see an immediate return on investment with the mowers. It was more about getting the process right than trying to roll them out widescale.

“It’s such a learning curve. It’s going to take a lot to get them up and running,” she says. “To be successful, just buy one and put it on one property that you trust so that if it flops, it’ll be okay. Pick a client you trust and have a great relationship with.”

Mayberry says there were issues he didn’t think would come up that did when they got their robotic mowers. For example, his crews aerated the perimeter wires by accident even though they knew they were there. Also, they deployed their mowers on a large sports field (DeNicola says her machines wouldn’t get to pointy areas of residential properties) but the machines kept getting stuck in soccer nets. To combat this, they’d sit on the property and just watch the machine go. That actually helped because it was seen as a major morale victory if they fixed the problems, Mayberry says.

“When we did have challenges we went out there to watch what was happening,” Mayberry says. “It’s about watching what’s going on and making small adjustments.”

For Collinsworth, he acknowledged during the session that labor was a major factor in opting for these mowers, adding that “we all have different ways to solve it.” But reassuring current employees that their jobs are safe is important.

“There’s many ways to fix (labor), but this is part of the solution,” Collinsworth says. “For me, it’s messaging, it’s going out and telling people the benefits of what this can do in the future even if it’s imperfect in the present.”

CLIENT DEMANDS. Of course, the other side to consider is client expectations. DeNicola says reminding clients up front that there’ll be a learning curve helps temper those demands. But the end result is totally worth it for the client, as a traditional mowing crew comes by once a week, but automowing is done three times a week. The grass never looks unkempt.

“Once you’ve got things cooking along, the client has a totally better experience with the product. The grass looks awesome all the time,” she says. “The end product is superior…not to mention (the robomowers) are quiet, they’re not intrusive, all these other benefits.”

DeNicola adds neighborhood associations might be quick to adopt these mowers, too, because then they look like a progressive area to live. The Greenery slapped logos on their machines and has constant branding going on near tennis and pickleball courts.

For clients, that could be the ultimate win-win: It’s branding for you and it’s image for them.

“It’s very focused-forward, it’s environmentally great,” she says. “You can sell it lots of ways.”

Collinsworth says it’s demoralizing for his crews and clients alike when you get them excited for the machines and then something goes wrong, but working through that is vital. He says 30-50% of the work his company currently does could be automated, but he wants to add even more properties and work that could be automated to increase that percentage.

“‘Just give me back my old mower,’” Collinsworth has heard them say.

Mayberry believes that even though his clients are buying into it in droves yet, it’s going to become widely popular. He’s actually lost some revenue on properties where they implemented robomowing, but it’s still done with an eye to the future.

When autonomous mowing is more popular, Mayberry believes his company won’t be one still trying to figure out how to set up and operate the machines. He encouraged attendees to all go home and figure out which properties might be good candidates to try out autonomous mowers. 

“For the future, it’s worth it. When it goes widescale, we aren’t figuring it out. It will be economically beneficial at that point.”

The company added several new services as part of the change.

Formerly known as Wheelistic Web Design, Aiden Silvers rebranded his Florida-based digital marketing agency to Green Marketing. The move came in response to a need in the lawn and landscape industry for full-scale marketing services that help green industry players meet their growth and revenue potential.

Silvers has grown to $500,000 in revenue and, since May of this year, Silvers has grown the company from 10 to 19 employees.

 “I’ll forever be addicted to strategy and problem solving,” Silvers says. “I’ve been in the industry long enough to identify the pain points and create systems that consistently fix them, over and over again.”

While Wheelistic Web Design provided a la carte services, Green Marketing now provides comprehensive marketing services, which include:

Lawn & Landscape profiled Silvers in the October 2020 issue, which you can read by clicking here.

Triad T Select is labeled for the selective postemergence control of over 80 broadleaf weeds.

Prime Source, a division of Albaugh, LLC, announces the registration of new Triad T Select Herbicide. The newest member of the Triad herbicide family combines triclopyr with the trusted performance of Triad Select, containing 2,4-D, MCPA and dicamba. Triad T Select is labeled for the selective postemergence control of over 80 broadleaf weeds including clover, dandelion, plantain, ground ivy, oxalis, spurge, thistle, Virginia buttonweed and wild violet.

Formulated as an amine, Triad T Select offers an extended application window and is labeled for control of weeds in cool-season and fully dormant warm-season turf including Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, Buffalo, zoysia, centipede, St. Augustine (sod only) and Bermudagrass. Use sites include golf courses, sod farms, athletic fields, parks, residential and commercial properties, cemeteries, airports and lawns.

“Triad T Select is another great tool within our broad Triad herbicide family. Customers have been tank mixing these actives for many years. We are excited to offer the convenience of this premix formulation of Triad Select with triclopyr,” said Russ Mitchell, Director of Prime Source specialty business.

Like other Prime Source branded products, Triad T Select will be available through the Prime Source distribution network. For more information on Triad T Select, Triad Select, Triad QC Select, Triad SFZ Select and Triad TZ, and the full line of products from Prime Source go to www.primesource- albaugh.com.

Hunter Thompson will now serve as director of accounting, systems and reporting.

Ruppert Landscape is announcing the promotion of Hunter Thompson to director of accounting, systems and reporting. In this role, he will be responsible for providing department oversight, ensuring accounting system integrity, managing the annual financial audit, reporting internal financial statements timely and accurately, ensuring adherence to internal control and accounting policies, developing and implementing new controls and procedures, and various other special accounting projects as needed.

Thompson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting, Business Administration and Economics from McDaniel College. He began his career with Ruppert as an intern in 2012 and he worked in that role for several summers until he came onboard full-time in 2014 as an AP Specialist. Since then, Thompson has served in almost all capacities within the department, most recently as senior accountant, and has been promoted now for the third time in recent years.

“Hunter possesses extensive knowledge of Ruppert systems, procedures, and operations, and uses that experience to develop and maintain accounting standards necessary for external reporting while ensuring our internal customers receive the value and information needed for operational decision making,” said Jennifer Saah, vice president of accounting and financial risk. “Additionally, Hunter’s commitment to our culture and values has made him one of the key mentors, trainers, and motivational leaders within the department for years.”

“I am very excited about having the opportunity to make a larger impact; this position will challenge me in new ways, and I am looking forward to meeting the challenge,” said Thompson. “I am also looking forward to working more closely with people who I have looked up to during my ten years with the company.”

Ruppert Landscape, a family and employee-owned business, has been a provider of commercial landscape construction and management services for nearly 50 years. Headquartered in Laytonsville, Maryland, the company employs over 2000 people and serves customers from 30 branches in eight primary markets: Philadelphia, Baltimore, D.C., Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, Houston, and Nashville. Learn more at www.ruppertlandscape.com.