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8 September 2015 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com INDUSTRY NEWS Fred Whyte to retire as president of Stihl Inc. Stihl Inc. announced that Fred Whyte will retire as company presi- dent at the end of 2015. Whyte has been part of the Stihl group for 44 years, including 23 years as president of Stihl Inc. Under Whyte's presidential tenure, the company experienced record growth and achieved the status as the number one selling brand of gasoline- powered handheld outdoor power equipment in America.* Bjoern Fischer, presently Stihl Inc. vice president of finance, will assume the duties of president on Jan. 1, 2016. Fischer has been with the company since 2012, and he currently oversees the financial op- erations of the company, as well as the human resources and infor- mation services departments. Fischer joined Stihl Inc. after a successful 20-year career at Sie- mens, culminating as the executive vice president and chief financial officer for the Global Business Unit Water Technologies. His expe- rience includes finance, controlling, infor- mation systems, logistics and project man- agement in several different businesses and countries. Fischer, a native of South Africa, gradu- ated from the University of Cape Town with a bachelor's degree in commerce. He serves on the regional board of directors of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and on the Dean's Executive Advisory Coun- cil (EAC) for the Old Dominion University Strome College of Business (SCB). "I am excited both personally and profes- sionally to continue my work with the team at Stihl Inc.," said Fischer, who is married with two daughters. "I look forward to building on the foundation that Fred has laid, and using my experiences in Germany and the U.S. to accelerate our growth and momentum as we look to the future." Whyte, who has been a prominent figure in the outdoor power equipment industry, plans to enjoy spending more time with family, and will stay involved with the Stihl brand. "It has been a great privilege to lead Stihl Inc. and to be a part of the tremendous success we have enjoyed over the last 23 years," Whyte said. "I am proud of what we have accomplished, and I am pleased that Bjoern Fischer will be leading the company go- ing forward. His experience and passion for Stihl are exactly what the company needs to continue our tradition of excellence." * A majority of Stihl powerheads are built in the United States from domestic and foreign parts and components. "Number one selling brand" is based on syndicated Irwin Broh Research, as well as indepen- dent consumer research of 2009-2014 U.S. sales and market share data for the gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment category combined sales to consumers and commercial landscapers. Survey shows homeowners updating their landscapes to account for climate extremes Water issues? Not in my backyard, say more than half of home- owners who are updating their yards to solve for drought (35%) and flooding (19%). The 2015 Houzz Landscaping & Garden Trends survey revealed that a third of homeowners (36%) up- dating their existing lawns are reducing them, and that 16% are removing them altogether. This number jumps to 46% in Cali- fornia, where homeowners are also twice as likely to substitute their existing lawn for a synthetic one. "Our data shows that new home purchases are triggering ma- jor landscape projects," said Nino Sitchinava, principal economist at Houzz. "In light of water-related challenges across much of the country, homeowners are embarking on projects to tackle a lack of, or excess, water in the long-term. This includes installing rain- water harvesting systems, adding drought-resistant and native plants, and others." Additional highlights from the 2015 Houzz Landscaping & Garden Trends survey include: New home purchases spurring outdoor updates — The re- Fred Whyte (left) and Bjoern Fischer.