Green people: Twilight Designs wins lighting award, LandCare promotes within

Photo: Twilight DesignsPhoto: Twilight Designs

During the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals’ (ALOP) annual meeting, it presented several awards including one for “Best Outdoor Living Lighting Project.”

The first place award for “Best Outdoor Living Lighting Project” was given to Twilight Designs, based in Las Vegas. The company’s project took place in the Alta Drive Historic District of Las Vegas and consisted of a complete overhaul of the existing landscape lighting system.

The previous system used nearly 6,000 watts worth of halogen lights, but now it uses 20 percent less power thanks to the LED replacements. Spotlights were installed in numerous 70 plus year old pine trees to illuminate the plants and the paths below.

The focal point of the project was the 50-foot long outdoor kitchen and bar that had a color changing neon LED rope light that ran the length of the seating area.

“I think of landscape lighting as an art form as lighting can evoke a completely different emotion than you would otherwise have in the same space without lighting,” said David Bilik, owner of Twilight Designs.

Bilik has installed over 1,000 lighting systems over his 13 years in the industry and his company has also won two prior first place awards.

LandCare recently promotes and hires employees

LandCare has promoted Jared Rice to regional manager of Northern California after previously serving as a branch manager for both California and Texas.

Jared RiceJared Rice

Rice joined LandCare in 2008 and has distinguished himself as a leader by honing in on actionable insights and accepting that one size does not fit all.

“You need to focus on one or two items that can move each branch’s respective needle,” he said.

His leadership has resulted in growth in the Texoma region and has also provided growth opportunities for his team members.

“What excites me about the role of regional manager is the opportunity it affords me to grow personally and professionally and the outstanding team I am fortunate to join in Northern California,” he said. “I enjoy working with the motivated and passionate professionals at LandCare and having the chance to make decisions that positively impact our team and customers.”

Nina Won and Ashley PlaetzerNina Won and Ashley Plaetzer

The company has also recently hired Ashley Plaetzer and Nina Won to fill two newly created positions as director of talent and director of marketing, respectively.

“We’re pleased to have added two key positions to our team,” said Mike Bogan, CEO of LandCare. “Ashley’s strong background will help us continue to bring in top talent when we have an opening. And Nina brings a polished, professional approach to our marketing efforts to compliment the work we have begun with the new brand. I am pleased to see our team continue to grow and develop as we build the best branch support structure in our industry.

As director of talent, Plaetzer will recruit administrative and leadership talent for the branches and corporate office, while Won will drive the marketing strategy for the company.

NCNLA names new manager of professional development

The North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association (NCNLA) has added Hannah Singleton as its new manager of professional development.

Hannah SingletonHannah Singleton

Singleton graduated from the University of Mount Olive in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural education and a minor in psychology. She formerly worked as a sales representative at Jericho Farms/Landscape Design where she supported daily operations and future growth of the business.

She handled social media marketing, inbound sales, account management, hands-on plant identification, tagging and quality control and job costing.
“I am excited to join such a great team at NCNLA and to have the opportunity to serve the members of our industry by developing valuable opportunities for education and professional development,” Singleton said.

Singleton’s duties as manager of professional development include developing NCNLA’s annual education plan, aligning programming with the education plan, exploring new certifications and ensuring all certification thresholds are met. She will also develop events, sessions and experiences that will enhance the skills of NCNLA’s members.

EnP adds on to its sales team

The specialty fertilizer manufacturer EnP has hired John Gruneisen as part of its sales team.

John GruneisenJohn Gruneisen

“John has a wealth of knowledge and experience in our key markets – golf, sports turf and landscape,” said George Murray, EnP’s president. “We are confident that he will add a tremendous amount of value to our customers, and will be a resource for them as we continue to grow.”

Gruneisen was previously a territory sales manager at Holganix and will now serve as a technical advisor on EnP technologies that are used in Holganix PB1, Holganix PB1-LTO and other products.

He graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in turfgrass science and a minor in plant pathology. He will serve as EnP’s Midwest territory sales representative focusing on the Foliar-Pak line of specialty turf and ornamental fertilizers.

“I’m excited to join the team,” Grueisen said. “I share in EnP’s commitment to providing economically and environmentally sustainable solutions.”

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