The program will begin by processing 50 aged turf fields, mostly from California, via ExxonMobil’s recycling technology in Texas.

TenCate Grass is announcing a new program in the U.S. to recycle end-of-life artificial grass — an initiative that leverages Cyclyx’s feedstock processing expertise and ExxonMobil’s Exxtend technology for advanced recycling.

The goal of this effort is to help solve the problem that has challenged the industry for years: how to efficiently and effectively recycle synthetic turf into feedstock that can be used to create new turf and other valuable products.

“At TenCate, we are committed to leading the industry and moving sustainability forward in a meaningful way,” said Joe Fields, president and CEO of TenCate Grass Americas. “We understand the issue of end-of-life synthetic turf, and we have taken it upon ourselves to find a true solution for the entire industry. Our goal is to keep turf out of landfills and put it back to use.”  Known as TenCate Turf Recycling Solutions, the program is starting by processing 50 aged turf fields from high schools and college campuses. The end-of-life turf will be shipped to a Southern California facility where it will be shredded.  The shredded turf will then be delivered from California to Texas, where Cyclyx International will further pre-process it before sending the turf to ExxonMobil’s Baytown advanced recycling facility. With ExxonMobil’s proprietary Exxtend™ technology, the end-of-life turf will be broken down into raw materials that can be used to make new products that are no different in quality and performance than those made from virgin raw materials. In addition to strengthening the circularity of plastics, ExxonMobil has found that its recycling technology does so while delivering lower relative GHG emissions when compared to processing the same amount of fossil-based feedstocks. “Our advanced recycling technology has already processed millions of pounds of otherwise difficult to recycle plastics, like food packaging and artificial turf, that are generally not recycled today,” said Dave Andrew, VP of New Market Development at ExxonMobil. “With our scalable technology and collaborations like this one alongside TenCate Grass and Cyclyx, we are helping to meet the growing demand for circular products.”  ExxonMobil’s recycling facility in Baytown has processed more than 11 million pounds of plastic waste, as of June 2022. ExxonMobil is expanding to a large-scale advanced recycling facility at the site, which, upon startup later this year, will be among North America’s largest advanced plastic recycling facilities, with the capacity to recycle 66 million pounds of plastic waste per year. Beyond Baytown, plans are underway for up to 1 billion pounds of advanced recycling capacity annually by year-end 2026 across multiple sites globally.   This program with ExxonMobil and Cyclyx builds on TenCate’s groundbreaking efforts to recycle synthetic turf. In the Netherlands, where the company headquarters are located, TenCate recycles its end-of-life turf into Ecocept, an elastic layer in sports fields and third parties also use the agglomerated material to manufacture new products.   TenCate now wants to expand its recycling efforts worldwide.  “As the global leader of synthetic turf, we have made sustainability a keystone in everything we do,” Fields said.    After this initial phase is complete, TenCate plans to expand the initiative across the U.S. — an effort that’s needed now more than ever. In North America alone, the total value of installed synthetic turf systems was estimated at $2.7 billion in 2020, according to the Synthetic Turf Council. This translates into roughly 265 million square feet of installed turf.    

The company specializes in general tree care and plant health care in the Austin area.

SavATree has merged Texas-based Central Texas Tree Care. This merger marks SavATree’s second office in the state.

Central Texas Tree Care specializes in general tree care and plant health care for homeowners and commercial clients in the Austin area. Owners of Central Texas Tree Care, Andy Johnson and Javier Robles, along with their team, will remain on board with SavATree.

“Our partnership with SavATree, a leader in the industry, means that we can take our business to the next level," Johnson said. "We’re glad to be keeping our entire team onboard to continue the same relationships that we’ve built with our clients, and now provide them with expanded and enhanced resources."

“We are so excited to join forces with Central Texas Tree Care, one of the leading competitors in the Austin market with an experienced staff and significant industry expertise," said SavATree CEO Carmine Schiavone. "Our teams share a deep commitment to our clients and to excellent service, and we’re thrilled to begin serving our Austin clients expanded offerings."

The Vertex V-Series stand-on mower and the Commercial 21 V-Series walk-behinds debuted this week at NALP's ELEVATE event.

At the NALP ELEVATE Show in Orlando, Fla., Exmark introduced its first stand-on electric mower – the Vertex V-Series. The new machine provides the commercial durability and cut quality landscape maintenance professionals expect from Exmark, in a HyperCell powered electric mower.

Exmark Director of Marketing, Jamie Briggs, said the new machine is a natural evolution for the company, especially as more and more contractors look to electric equipment for a competitive edge.

“We built the Vertex V-Series for contractors, municipalities and schools looking for the next generation of zero engine emission mowers,” Briggs said. “It is a highly productive solution for anyone that needs to comply with local regulations, ordinances, or preferences for quiet mowing solutions and zero engine exhaust.”

Exmark leverages the HyperCell Power System to power the Vertex V-Series mowers. Designed specifically for commercial mower applications, HyperCell batteries are designed to run cooler to provide more runtime and longer service life. The Vertex V-Series uses eight HyperCell batteries, with patent-pending management software that optimizes performance for the conditions and delivers up to 7 hours of runtime per charge.

The Vertex V-Series uses commercial high-torque wheel motors working with a planetary transmission to deliver a smooth, responsive feel at the controls and ground speed of up to 10 mph.

In addition to delivering incredible power and torque in use, the electric powertrain also eliminates service and maintenance typically associated with gasoline engines, including oil and filter changes. The use of electric spindle motors also makes belt maintenance and replacement a thing of the past.

This reduction in maintenance time and cost, when combined with the dramatic savings in fuel costs, makes Vertex V-Series a cost-efficient choice for contractors looking to minimize the total cost of ownership of their machines.

Vertex V-Series mowers feature Horizon360 Connect smart equipment remote software, which provides app-based connection to the machine for real time equipment data, battery charge status and location information.

For 2023, Exmark will offer the Vertex V-Series with a 52-inch Electric Series 4 side-discharge cutting deck. Fabricated and welded from high-strength steel to deliver Exmark’s signature quality of cut. The high-torque deck motors feature a 9-inch diameter cast aluminum spindle housings with blade retainers for maximum commercial durability.

Exmark has also launched its first electric commercial walk-behind mower –– the Commercial 21 V-Series. The new model offers the commercial cut quality and durability landscape professionals demand, with low sound output and zero engine exhaust emissions, from an electric machine.

“The Commercial 21 V-Series makes it easier for landscape contractors to work in zero engine exhaust emission areas, or HOA quiet zones,” Briggs said. “It gives these professionals a true commercial mower that delivers Exmark’s signature cut quality and durability, with the low sound output and zero engine exhaust emissions they need to operate.”

At just under 81dB of measured sound output, the Commercial 21 V-Series operates well below the OSHA 85dB threshold for hearing protection. The electric powertrain also eliminates service items typically associated with gas-powered mowers, including oil changes and air filter maintenance. The reduction in service-related downtime ensures the Commercial 21 V-Series is ready to work whenever it's needed.

The Commercial 21 V-Series is powered by a rechargeable 60 Volt 7.5Ah lithium-ion Professional Power System that provides up to 40 minutes of runtime per charge, depending on conditions. The 5.5A rapid charger provides 90% charge in 75 minutes. Two 60V 7.5 Ah batteries and a rapid charger are included with each Commercial 21 V-Series machine, giving contractors needed runtime and flexibility in the field.

A ¼-inch thick die-cast aluminum cutting deck –– the same deck used on gasoline-powered Commercial 21 models –– delivers durability, with the ability to bag or mulch clippings. A 2.5-bushel bag and mulch kit are included. Cut height is adjustable in half-inch increments, from 1-inch to 4.5-inches.

Experienced landscape maintenance professionals know that achieving an optimal cut quality in different cutting conditions comes down to deck adjustment. Small adjustments to deck pitch, or rake, can make a difference in finished cut quality and mower efficiency, which is why Exmark has introduced Adapt. 

Available on select 2023 Lazer Z X-Series zero-turn mowers, Adapt enables the operator to make quick deck rake adjustments from the operator seat, without tools. 

According to Briggs, Adapt simplifies deck rake adjustment, so it’s easy to understand, whether you're a landscape contractor or not.

“Adapt is perfect for contractors who maintain a lot of different turf types, because it lets them quickly optimize deck performance for the conditions,” Briggs said. “It’s also ideal for homeowners who want professional looking results, but perhaps don't have the desire or aptitude to make manual deck adjustments. Adapt takes away the fear of misadjustment because it’s just as easy to go back to the stock ‘home’ setting as it is to adjust away from it.”

By enabling both positive and negative deck rake adjustment, Adapt enables Exmark’s UltraCut Series 6 cutting deck to operate optimally in a wider range of conditions. It works equally well for side-discharge, mulching and bagging.

Selecting a positive rake setting raises the rear of the deck, increasing airflow to increase discharge velocity to reduce deck clumping and plugging, particularly in moist cutting conditions. In addition, going from flat rake to ¼-inch positive rake also reduces power consumption by up to 25%. This results in increased fuel economy and decreased stress on the engine.

A flat or negative deck rake, with the rear of the deck lower than the front, results in increased blade contact with the grass, which can help provide a clean cut with fewer stragglers in stemmy, seedy turf conditions.

For 2023, Exmark will offer Adapt on select Lazer Z X-Series zero-turn mower models equipped with the UltraCut Series 6 side discharge cutting deck, including 52-, 60-, and 72-inch models.

Visit the Exmark website to view specifications and learn more the company’s 2023 new products

Users can now upload their design blueprints and the software returns auto-generated takeoffs.

Attentive, the Delaware-based business management software provider for outdoor services industries, has launched Automated Blueprint Takeoffs for maintenance and construction job estimation.

Users can now upload their design blueprints onto the AutoMeasure software and the software returns auto-generated takeoffs based on the specified requirements. The software delivers takeoffs for all types of construction and maintenance jobs, including landscape, hardscape, and irrigation.

With this update, users will be able to cut down on the hours spent manually clicking around blueprints in order to do the takeoffs. Attentive’s auto-generated blueprint takeoffs give the opportunity to decrease the turnaround time and send out more bids.

“Automated Blueprint Takeoffs were the demand of the hour, so we took notice," said Shiva Dhawan, co-founder and CEO of Attentive. "Our customers have benefitted immensely from our automated aerial takeoffs, and it was a natural next step for us to build out automated blueprint takeoffs. It took a lot of hard work for our team to build it, but we are glad we have taken off here as well.”

Rod Larson brings over 35 years of industry experience to the role.

Altoz, manufacturer of outdoor power equipment, is pleased to announce that Rod Larson has joined the Altoz team as the service parts and accessories manager.   With over 35 years of experience in the outdoor equipment industry, Larson is well-versed in many aspects of the business. Having owned and operated an outdoor power equipment business and as parts and pricing manager for a major powersports manufacturer, he understands both the dealer's and the manufacturer's objectives.   "Rod's extensive experience and strategic vision are assets that will benefit our dealers, customers and organization," said Altoz Sales and Marketing Director, Karl Bjorkman. "As the Service Parts and Accessories Manager, Rod will focus on working with Research and Development to grow the Altoz accessories line, managing inventory, and administering programs for service parts and accessories."   "This position is a great fit for me with my experience in outdoor power equipment and powersports. I'm eager to make a difference and increase Altoz's parts and accessories offerings. I'm fortunate to work for a company that has a sincere dedication to their employees, dealers, customers and community," Larson said.