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INDUSTRY NEWS 10 NOVEMBER 2015 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com HOT NEWS Gardner acquires Servantage Dixie Sales Gardner, Inc. announced October 1 that it acquired Servantage Dixie Sales Inc. and Servantage Dixie Sales Canada Inc. Servantage Dixie Sales Inc. and Servantage Dixie Sales Canada will continue to operate as independent companies and under their current names. There should be no impact on business in the short term, but Servantage Dixie Sales and Gardner will communicate further when they begin to make changes, which will benefit all of their customers. "We are very excited to build on what both companies have accomplished to this point," said Ted Finn, CEO of the newly formed enterprise. "We feel that by combining the considerable resources of these two great companies, we are creating a customer-focused platform with more than 285 years of collective experience, more than a million square feet of state-of-the-art distribution space, and more than 500 dedicated professionals spread out across the country." Mike Rounsavall, president of Servantage Dixie Sales, echoed Finn's excitement. "I am very impressed with the people-oriented culture and commitment to excellence that is displayed throughout the Gardner organization," Rounsavall said. "We look forward to implementing best practices that will better serve our valued dealer, OEM and retailer relation- ships with a focus on a positive customer experience!" The Gardner Group of Companies is one of the largest family-owned lawn and garden and outdoor power equip- ment distributors in the nation. Gardner has been serving its customers for more than 70 years, striving to be the "Supplier of Choice." Gardner currently has distribution centers in Columbus, Ohio; Wadsworth, Ohio; Franklin, Mass.; and Jacksonville, Fla., providing next-day shipping to all 50 states. Gardner's goal is to always provide its customers with service that is quick, complete, and at the lowest possible cost. The company measures its success by high fill rates and on-time deliveries. For more information about the Gardner Group of Companies, visit www.gardnerinc.com. Servantage Dixie Sales is also an independent, full-service, value-added distributor of lawn and garden equipment that enhances end-user experiences with consumer products. As a trusted partner and reliable resource, manufacturers and multiple-store retailers depend on Servantage Dixie Sales to create a seamless brand experience for their servic- ing dealers and consumers. Headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., the Servantage Group now operates distribution cen- ters in Greensboro, N.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Victor, N.Y.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Toronto, Canada. For more about Servantage Dixie Sales, visit www.servantage.net. Wright names 2015 Distributor of the Year Wright Manufacturing recently named Outdoor Equipment Distributors, Inc. (OED) of Raleigh, N.C., as its 2015 Distributor of the Year. The award recog- nizes OED's outstanding performance as a distributor of Wright's full line of commercial lawn mowers and accessories. Established in 1931 as Raleigh Auto Supply, OED is in its third generation of family ownership. It became Outdoor Equipment Distributors in 1969 and has dis- tributed Wright products for 20 years. The distributor- ship serves more than 500 independent dealers in seven states — North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware — and the District of Columbia. Hal White, Wright vice president of sales, recently visited OED headquarters in Raleigh and presented the award to OED President Rob Zucker. Wright Manufacturing invented the stand-on mower in 1997 and now has expanded the line to also include commercial walk-behind and mid-mount zero-turn mowers. Participating in the Distributor of the Year award presentation are, left to right, Ray Clark, OED vice president of administration; Jim Fenner, OED sales manager; Rob Zucker, OED president; Hal White, Wright vice president of sales; and David Zucker, OED vice president of finance.