FE ATURE ◗ TREVOR SMITH
Kendall: Remembered for Intelligence, Kindness, Passion An industry pioneer who greatly contributed to the turfgrass management industry ◗ Michael P. Kendall. Born in Calgary, Alberta, October 23, 1948 to George and Marie Elizabeth Linscott Kendall. At that time, his father George was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and stationed in Europe. As with many army families, Michael and his siblings moved around the world to wherever their father was stationed. At the end of George’s career, the family settled in Winnipeg where George went on to become the golf superintendent at Breezy Bend. Michael started in the business, humbly, as a golf course employee under the guidance of his father George at Breezy Bend. George was a pillar in the formation of Golf Associations in Manitoba as well as being a founding father of the CGSA. After high school, Michael ventured to Lakeland College in Florida to further his education in turfgrass management. On completion of his studies at Lakeland, Michael went on to be the golf course superintendent and assistant GM (1974-79) at the Wildwood Golf Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba. During that time, he also became the President
of the Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association. From there, Michael made his way west and landed on his feet as the maintenance supervisor at the Okanagan Park Country Club Resort Hotel (now the Lake Okanagan Resort) in Kelowna, from 1980-81. It was at this point in his career when Michael decided to move into the fertilizer business, where he became a technical sales rep for the O.M Scott & Sons Proturf Division. Michael stayed as a tech rep from 1982–85, servicing clients for The Scotts Company and creating great sales numbers all the way to the Manitoba border. During the month of April 1985, in a fashion specific only to Michael, he resigned and then made a proposal to The Scotts Company to be their Western Canada independent agent. Once again he saw an opportunity! The company was not quick to reply or to hire anyone else to replace him. But Michael had a plan and, as usual, was ready to walk away. He did, taking a job
at the University Golf Club as the golf superintendent, working together with General Manager David Gillespie. It didn’t take long for The Scotts Company to come calling again. In July of that same year, the company accepted Michael’s proposal to be their Western Canada agent. Michael gave up his position as golf superintendent and went straight to work, incorporating Kengill Holdings as an agent for the Scotts Company and incorporating KESO Turf Enterprises Ltd. Kengill would be the exclusive Scotts Proturf Agent while Keso Turf Enterprises would look toward distributing other golf related products. His plan was falling into place. As usual, Michael wasn’t sitting still. How could he promote and advertise his products when there were very few industry trade publications available to do so in 1988? The problem had an easy solution. Michael collaborated with his brother Rud, whose experience in publishing led them both into starting up MRK Publications. It was then that Turf and
ONE OF KENDALL’S FAVOURITE PASTIMES WAS PLAYING A ROUND OF GOLF. KENDALL KNEW HIS WAY AROUND A COURSE, AS A PLAYER AND A SUPPLIER. 30 GreenMaster | www.golfsupers.com