Bobcat Co. Awards Winner of Bobcat Park and Rec Makeover Content
Bobcat Co. recognized Ivan K. Hill Park in Winfield, Alabama, as the winner of the $100,000 Bobcat Park and Rec Makeover Contest.
The prize package will fund improvements at the park, with a focus on revitalizing a youth recreation space. Ivan K. Hill Park is a multiuse area featuring ballfields, playgrounds and a senior center. The park was nominated due to updates needed to improve user safety and accessibility. The $100,000 prize will go toward replacing the original 1960s fencing and ballfield backstop, as well as enhancing access to the fields and restrooms.
“This gift from Bobcat will allow our community to accomplish more by supplementing our funds to renovate a facility that will increase our ability to accommodate persons with disabilities in a safe environment. So many hearts will be touched immediately by offering hope and a promise of better playing facilities and just knowing that they are truly included,” said Gina Bryant, Winfield Park and Recreation director. “This award will help us continue to move forward with our goals and mission. It is proof that dreams can come true!”
Bobcat kicked off the contest in July by teaming up with brand ambassador and renovation expert Chip Gaines for a baseball field makeover in Waco, Texas. Together, they aimed to inspire communities to see the potential in their own hometowns. Bobcat also partnered with the National Recreation and Park Association to promote the contest and review the submissions with a focus on the parks’ demonstrated need, sustainability impact and long-term community benefit.
Ivan K. Hill Park was selected as the winner based on NRPA’s criteria coupled with strong public support for the park during the finalist voting period. Park enhancements at Ivan K. Hill Park are expected to be completed by April 2025.
In addition to the grand prize, Bobcat will also award the runner-up community with a new Bobcat zero-turn mower to assist in enhancing their park and recreation space. Aaron Perry Park in Pontiac, Michigan, will be presented with a new mower in the next few weeks. Other finalists included: Chestnut Street Park in Henderson, North Carolina; City of Purcell in Purcell, Oklahoma; and Jones Park in Galveston, Texas.
Takeuchi Names New Director of Sales and Marketing
Takeuchi-U.S. named Jeffrey Ratliff as its new director of sales and marketing, replacing Henry Lawson, who is retiring after six years with the compact equipment manufacturer.
“Jeffrey has spent his career implementing solid marketing and sales principles within the equipment industry,” said Jeff Stewart, president of Takeuchi-US. “He has a proven track record of building excellent teams who understand customer challenges and how to help those customers find the products that will best help them in their everyday lives. We’re pleased to have him join the Takeuchi family, and I’m excited to see his positive impact on market share and overall growth.”
A resident of Buford, Georgia, Ratliff will be responsible for dealer sales development and national account business and activity in North America. His role includes helping Takeuchi-US achieve company market share objectives, including dealer sales, budgeting, asset management and inventory audits. Ratliff will also direct and manage Takeuchi’s national rental accounts.
Ratliff comes to Takeuchi-US with nearly 25 years of experience helping teams deliver new products and services to the market while simultaneously driving revenue growth, margin improvement and market share growth. Over the past two decades, Ratliff worked in the ag equipment industry, taking on increasing responsibilities in sales and product management, eventually becoming the marketing director for an international ag machinery manufacturer.
Ratliff holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri—Columbia, where he majored in agricultural systems and minored in agricultural economics. He has also actively pursued continuing education, including such programs as Dardis Communications Leadership Presentation and Image, Fundamentals of Leadership, Purdue University Agronomy Essentials, The Project Success Method and Change Management.
Ruppert Landscape Promotes 2 Division Presidents
Ruppert Landscape named Fred Key and Jim Tuzzolino to division presidents in the company’s north and south divisions, respectively.
“Fred and Jim have been instrumental in driving our company’s growth and success over the years,” said CEO Phil Key. “Their promotions are a testament to their leadership, dedication and the significant impact they’ve had on our team and operations. I’m confident that under their guidance, our divisions will continue to thrive and deliver exceptional service to our customers.”
These promotions come as a result of the company’s recent restructuring, shifting from a service line-based division structure to a geographic division model. In their new roles, Key and Tuzzolino will oversee all landscape maintenance and installation operations within their divisions, working closely with regional managers to influence operational decisions that better serve Ruppert's customers and team members.
Key brings more 30 years of industry experience and has been a vital part of Ruppert for 22 years, serving in various capacities including crewman, foreman, area manager, controller, landscape construction production manager, division administrator, branch manager, region manager, region vice president and, most recently, as COO for the maintenance division. In 2009, Key was honored with the Clyde Vadner Merit Award, one of the company’s top accolades, recognizing his consistent hard work and dedication. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Salisbury State University and is a graduate of the owner/president manager executive leadership program at Harvard Business School. As division president in the north, he will oversee all branches in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Virginia.
Tuzzolino graduated from SUNY Cobleskill with a Bachelor of Science degree in wildlife management. He has more than 25 years of industry experience and has been a key player in Ruppert’s construction division for almost 20 years. Tuzzolino started his career at Ruppert as an intern and worked his way up through the ranks to assistant foreman, foreman, production manager, operations manager, branch manager, and most recently, region vice president. A consistent high achiever, Tuzzolino has been recognized with several awards, including the company’s Branch Impact Award in 2005, the Achievement Award in 2008—presented to the individual who has demonstrated outstanding job execution and high-quality results—and the Clyde Vadner Merit Award in 2012. As division president in the south, he will oversee all branches in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Texas.
