Green people: LandCare announces promotions in the East

LandCare announced recently the promotion of Michael Couch in Orlando, Florida, and Brian Simmons in Richmond, Virginia.

“Both Michael and Brian exemplify LandCare’s values and have had great results with their work,” said the company’s senior vice president, Neil Carter. “I’m very pleased to have them take the next step in their careers with our organization.”

Couch joined LandCare in February 2016 as an account manager with 16 years of experience and became branch manager in July. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Central Florida, as well as state certification in Florida as a pest control operator for lawn and ornamental applications.

Simmons, now branch manager in Richmond, joined LandCare in March 2016 as an account manager and was promoted to senior production manager in May. He has been in the landscape industry since 1998 and has irrigation, design build, maintenance, production management and account management experience for both residential and commercial properties.

Simmons is a Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association Certified Horticulturalist and has a Virginia Commercial Applicators License.

Ruppert Landscape welcomes 2 in Georgia

Ruppert Landscape announced recently the addition of John Butler and Bryan Doran in the company’s Georgia landscape construction branch.

John Butler

Butler has been hired as project manager. He brings more than 17 years of industry experience to the post, having held several management positions, and holds a bachelor’s degree in ornamental horticulture and landscape design from the University of Tennessee.

As project manager, he will be responsible for all aspects of the installation of landscape construction projects, including supervising field personnel, managing subcontractors, communicating with customers and maintaining quality standards. Butler currently resides in Sharpsburg, Kentucky, and is looking to relocate his family to the Atlanta area over the next several months.

“John first interned with Ruppert in 1999 and has since gained considerable management experience and hardscape expertise,” said Patrick Luzier, Georgia landscape construction branch manager. “We are glad to have his talent and skill set on our team once again.”

Bryan Doran

Doran, a resident of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, has been hired as estimator. He brings over 35 years of industry experience to his new position. Doran has held a variety of positions with other industry organizations, including project manager, estimator, turf manager and business developer.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in ornamental horticulture from the University of Georgia. As estimator, he will be responsible for accurately estimating direct costs for landscape installation bids and change orders based on plans, specifications and site inspections.

“We are pleased to welcome Bryan to our team and value his estimating skills and many years of industry experience,” said Luzier.