Green Industry Roll Call: Updates From Arbor Masters, Robin Autopilot And More

The latest news and updates from the people and companies around the green industry, featuring Arbor Masters, Rotary, Robin Autopilot and Neighborly.

November 18, 2022

Alexis Mizell-Pleasant

KirillGorlov/stock.adobe.com

Arbor Masters acquires Advantage Tree Service

Arbor Masters has merged with Iowa arborist company Advantage Tree Service. The merger marks Arbor Masters’ first foray into the Iowa market in addition to their offices in five states. With locations in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa, Arbor Masters has been providing tree and plant health care services for more than 65 years.

Arbor Masters founder and CEO Ron Keith said, “Advantage shares our same passion and commitment to taking care of our local trees. We have been serving and, more importantly, educating communities throughout the Midwest for nearly 70 years. We are excited to expand that expertise and influence to customers across Iowa."

Based in Davenport, Iowa, Advantage Tree Service has been providing professional tree care and removal services in the Midwest for more than 17 years.
Both organizations have a team of ISO-certified arborists.
The acquisition brings Arbor Masters’ headcount to a total of 168 employees across five states.

Rotary adds new territory managers

Chris SiposRotaryRotary Corp. appointed two new territory managers to serve its growing dealer network.

Chris Sipos is Rotary’s new territory manager for metro Atlanta and the Chattanooga, Tenn., region. He will replace Billy Sapp who was promoted to regional vice president for the Southeast effective December 2022. Sipos previously served 10 years in territory sales for another outdoor power equipment supplier with accounts in Georgia and Tennessee.
Todd Van Sickle has been named territory manager for Rotary dealers in Michigan and Ohio. Van Sickle is a Navy veteran who has more than 20 years of experience in sales including municipal snow and ice removal equipment.

Todd Van SickleRotary

Robin Autopilot Promotes Ellen Bruno to Chief of Staff

Robin Autopilot promoted Ellen Bruno to the new position of chief of staff.

“Ellen has played an important part in the growth and success of Robin and many of our other companies,” said Logan Fahey, chief executive officer of Robin Autopilot and founder of Fahey Group. “We are privileged to have Ellen on our team and look forward to her continuing contributions as we expand Robin’s offerings and strengthen our position as a leader in the robotic lawn care service industry.”

Bruno’s new responsibilities will include overseeing staff relations, strategic planning and assisting in mergers and acquisitions. She will retain all of the responsibilities she had as vice president of operations for the company, including day-to-day operations, finance, e-commerce and logistics.
Bruno joined Fahey Group, a holdings company, in 2017. Since that time, she has helped launch and manage several Fahey acquisitions and ventures, including Robin Autopilot, Landmark Lawn and Garden Supply and Fahey Hospitality Group. She has more than 25 years of practical experience in multiple industries and roles including professional services, retail management and administration.

Neighborly Honors Its Top Performing Franchises

Neighborly named its top performing franchise owners of the year during the brand’s largest attended annual Reunion conference last month in Nashville, Tenn. With nearly 4,000 attendees from across Neighborly’s network, the event was the largest Reunion in the company’s history.

“With the highest attendance we’ve ever experienced, this year’s Reunion represented a culmination of a year of growth,” said Mike Bidwell, president and CEO of Neighborly. “We pride ourselves on being the ultimate hub for home services and seeing so many brands take the stage together in Nashville and connect through the Neighborly mission reinforces our network’s strength. Neighborly and each of our brands are successful through the work of our franchise owners, and it was an honor to showcase their successes this past year. I look forward to seeing how our family of brands continues to grow before the next Reunion.”

Top-performing franchise owners across Neighborly’s franchise network were recognized at the event, with awards including Rookie of the Year, presented to franchise owners who demonstrated outstanding performance in sales and building their organizations in their first 12 months, and the Neighborly Award, presented to franchise owners who are champions of the Neighborly vision, among many more. The highest honor a franchise owner can receive, Franchisee of the Year, was presented by each brand to the owners who have demonstrated exemplary growth, leadership, customer service and sales.

The 2022 Franchisee of the Year award winners included: