What a great day at the beautiful Mira Vista Golf Club in Fort Worth for our April Chapter Event. Thank you to our Past President and Host Mike Epps and his staff for treating us all to a great day of golf, the course was in fantastic shape. We are so thankful to have had Helena as the Title Sponsor for the event. Thank you to Brad Shaver and Rick Blasi for a very informative and interesting educational meeting. Congratulations to Robbie Boyd and Andy Wright on winning 1st Gross, and Scott Alford and Jeff Smith on winning 1st Net. Thank you to all our NTGCSA Members for participating in the event.
Title Sponsor
Founded in 1957, Helena Chemical Company has grown to be one of the nation’s foremost agricultural and specialty formulators and distributors in the United States. Products and services offered include Crop Protection Products, Fertilizer and Fertilizer Application Services, Specialized Nutrients, Seed and Seed Treatments, Financial Services, and Precision Ag Services and Software. Helena also offers its own line of products – Adjuvants, Bioscience, Branded Fertilizers, Nutritionals, Seed Treatments and Value-Added Products – through the Helena Products Group (HPG).
Helena is headquartered outside of Memphis in Collierville, Tennessee. Across the country, Helena has over 4,000 employees that work in about 450 branch locations, as well as division offices.
Helena’s overriding goal is to help its customers succeed. This is achieved with a unique combination of dedicated and knowledgeable people, unique and useful products and the latest technical knowledge. The company defines its own success through the success of its customers.
The theme of People…Products…Knowledge… pervades all levels of the company, with customer success as the goal and ultimate end result.
Speakers
Brad Shaver – Helena Chemical
Topic: Biostimulants and Phytohormones in Turfgrass Management Programs
This talk will explore various categories of Biostimulants, how they help the plant respond to stress and how these products can be used in an integrated management program.
Brad Shaver received his Ph.D. in Plant and Environmental Sciences from ClemsonUniversity in 2015 in Plant and Environmental Sciences where he studied plant-parasitic nematodes in turfgrass. Previously, Brad worked as a sales rep and branch manager for Helena Chemical Company in North and South Carolina. He returned to Helena in 2015 as the specialty division agronomist. Brad covers the entire US for Helena, providing training and technical advice for sales reps and customers. Brad lives in Lyman, SC with his wife and two children.
Rick Blasi – Helena Chemical
Topic – Maintaining Optimum Turf Growth and Health
Plant Extracts and their impact on Turf. Covering Renova, Viva , and Utilize, three unique products from Helena.
Rick Blasi joined Helena Chemical company in 2001 as a Territory Manager for KS/MO. He was promoted to National Account Manager with Helena in 2006 and promoted again to Helena Product Manager in 2009, his current position. Rick has a B.S. in Agribusiness from Kansas State University. After graduation he worked for a Fertilizer Retail Facility as a Crop Advisor and Applicator for 3 years. He got involved in Distribution to the Golf Industry in 1997. Rick has been involved in the golf industry for 20+ years and has loved every minute of it. Rick enjoys the outdoors which include Golf and Hunting.
The Course
In 1985, the Mira Vista development group purchased 625 acres of ranch land in west Fort Worth -now home to a world-class golf course and gated community. Jerry L. Thomas broke ground in 1987, with a vision to turn the raw, yet spectacular ranching terrain into an exclusive, upscale golf course community.
The spectacular terrain and exhilarating views soon became the inspiration for the community’s name and identity. Mira Vista, which in Spanish means “See the View”, perfectly captured the image of the country club.
The centerpiece of the Mira Vista planned community is a masterful golf course that is the creation of golf professional Tom Weiskopf and golf course architect Jay Morrish. Their efforts have resulted in the design and construction of one of the most outstanding championship golf courses in North Texas.
Opening day -August 22,1987 marked the first new country club in Fort Worth in 15 years. Mira Vista began with 84 Charter Members and in the past 25 years has grown to include over 650 memberships. Mira Vista became a member-owned country club in 2008 and continues to look forward and welcome what the future holds.
