News roundup: Artificial turf sales rise in rainy areas

Front yard installation by Turf Supply USA in Houston, Texas.

While most believe that artificial turf markets are only relegated to the arid portions of the country that must conserve water, Turf Supply USA is proving them wrong.

Business is booming for the Houston-based artificial grass company, not because of a lack of rainfall, but an abundance of it.

“Houston is the opposite when it comes to artificial grass,” said Keith Derington, founder of Turf Supply USA. “We install turf because people are tired of their pets always tracking mud around. Houston gets rain. Lots of rain.”

Derington estimates that about 90 percent of the installs he does are for pet owners.

“You would think rain would be great for grass put too much rain actually kills it,” he said.

Turf Supply USA generally does install around 200 to 500 square feet, but recently it had a customer who wanted all 1,875 square feet replaced.

“Our customer was just flat out tired of keeping up with maintenance that came with a yard that size,” Derington said.

The homeowner had to seek approval from her homeowners’ association first and they requested that the replacement resemble St. Augustine grass. Turf Supply USA used Everlast Tacoma, an exclusive product from Synthetic Grass Warehouse.

Derington credits his company’s recent growth to word of mouth and the care that is taken in each installation.

“It’s the little things that matter like using crushed granite or a nailer board as our standard on every install,” he said. “We want to be a step above everyone else. Our installs look great and last for years to come.”

New Holland teases new utility vehicle in 2017

New Holland Agriculture and Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. have partnered together to create a new Rustler model that will be available in 2017.

“This collaboration gives us a unique opportunity to bring the highest-quality product to our customers,” said Todd DeBock, New Holland’s under 60 HP tractors marketing manager. “We want to ensure our customers receive the best product for use in agricultural applications and beyond in order to appeal to a broader customer base. We listened to feedback and are working with Textron Specialized Vehicles to release a brand new product that aligns with the needs and wants of our dealers and customers.”

Textron focused on power, payload and performance in this new model.

“We designed this utility vehicle with an unmatched suspension system to withstand the payload and rigor of heavy-duty farm chores, but also equipped it with a superior powertrain and performance features to create a vehicle that can play just as hard as it works,” said Raven Honsaker, Textron Specialized Vehicles’ director of product strategy for commercial business.

The New Holland Rustler 850 will be teased in February 2017.

Komatsu America forms new business unit

Komatsu America announced that it has formed the new business unit, Komatsu Northeast, to take over the trade territory of New Jersey effective immediately.

Komatsu Northeast will handle all Komatus construction, mining and utility equipment sales and rentals, parts, service and customer support activities in the state. The territory was previously served and supported by Binder Machinery Company.

“This investment, in addition to our ownership positions at Midatlantic Machinery, and Edward Ehrbar, reflect Komatsu America’s commitment to excellence in the Northeast region of the U.S.,” said Rod Schrader, CEO of Komatsu America. “I know with the extra support, and the team we have in place, we can deliver unrivaled products, services and solutions that exceed customer expectations,” Schrader said.

This move is part of Komatsu’s long-term plan to strengthen its distribution channel by getting closer to customers.