President’s Perspective
Patrick Karnick GCBAA PRESIDENT
CHARTER MEMBERS ACC GOLF CONSTRUCTION ADS/HANCOR, INC. ASPEN CORPORATION BOYD IRRIGATION, INC. BRYANT TAYLOR GORDON GOLF CATERPILLAR, INC. DUININCK GOLF DYE DESIGNS INTERNATIONAL EAGLE GOLF & LANDSCAPE PRODUCTS EWING IRRIGATION FLEETWOOD SERVICES LLC FORWARD GROUP GLASE GOLF, INC. HARCO FITTINGS HARTMAN COMPANIES, INC. HENDERSON & COMPANY, INC. HERITAGE LINKS HUNTER INDUSTRIES ISCO INDUSTRIES JACKLINGOLF JOHN DEERE LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED, LLC LANDIRR, INC. LASCO FITTINGS INC. LEEMCO INC. MACCURRACH GOLF MCDONALD & SONS, INC. MCI FLOWTRONEX MEDALIST GOLF MID-AMERICA GOLF & LANDSCAPE, INC. NMP GOLF CONSTRUCTION, CORP. PROFILE PRODUCTS LLC QGS DEVELOPMENT, INC. RAIN BIRD CORPORATION – GOLF DIVISION RAVEN CLI RYAN INC. CENTRAL RYANGOLF CORPORATION SHAPEMASTERS, INC. SOUTHEASTERN GOLF, INC. SPORTZMIX – WAUPACA SAND & SOLUTIONS SUNBELT RENTALS TEE-2-GREEN THE CART PATH COMPANY THE TORO COMPANY UNITED GOLF, LLC WADSWORTH GOLF CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WEST COAST TURF XGD SYSTEMS, LLC DBA TDI GOLF
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It has been an honor to serve on the GCBAA Board of Directors for the past 10 years and it is even a bigger honor to have been elected to serve as the President of this great Association. It was a bitter-sweet experience the day I was handed the gavel from our Past President, Scott Veazey. On my walk over to the GCBAA Board Meeting on the morning of the first day of the GIS in San Antonio, I received word that Brent Wadsworth had passed earlier that morning. While the loss of one of the great pioneers of our profession and a personal mentor was setting in, I was reminded of his passion for the golf industry, his everlasting spirit of determination and one of his primary tenets in business and in life; treat everyone you meet with respect and be honest and fair. I hope I can continue to represent our Association in a manner that would make Brent Wadsworth proud. As I read through several past “President’s Perspectives” from previous issues of Earth Shaping News, it’s remarkable to see how the dynamics of our Association have changed over the past 10 years, not to mention the past 45. In 2010, we were in the midst of the Great Recession and golf course work had virtually ground to a halt. In 2014, the tide was beginning to turn and work was slowly coming back, providing opportunities for those companies that had weathered the storm. As we begin 2018, it appears the industry has a made the incredible rebound that we all hoped for but were not sure would ever arrive. It has arrived. The business climate has changed and growth is on the horizon. Companies are hiring and expanding and new companies are being formed to take advantage of the growing demand in all aspects of the golf industry; planning, design, construction and the supply of equipment and materials. With a metered response to this revitalized demand and rising tide of optimism, there is opportunity for many to do well. The GCBAA has also seen the effects of this optimism and resultant change in opportunity. Over the past several years we have invested in Regional Meetings and new initiatives to increase the awareness of our Association. We have developed stronger and more collaborative relationships with our allied associations to bring recognition to the important and valuable resources available from our members. We continue to seek opportunities to be involved where the golf industry is being discussed and public awareness of our positive message is being broadened. We continue to be a member-driven association and it is vitally important that we continue to support our members and our Association. This support can be through participation in one of the many board committees, sponsorship of Association meetings, promoting membership in the Association or simply participating in our “Buy from Within” initiative. My personal thanks go out to each individual or company that has diligently supported our Association in any way, large or small. A special note of thanks to my good friend Rick Boylan who will be moving off the GCBAA Board and into his new role on the Board of Governors. He has proven to be an invaluable resource to our Association and I am proud to know him. I would like to thank Past President Scott Veazey for his dedication and years of service and leadership to our Association and look forward to his continued involvement. I would also like to thank outgoing board members Frank Warden (Toro), Stephanie Zimmerman (ADS/Hancor), Terry Gwinn (Best Sand) and Dennis Wagner (Hunter Industries) for their much-appreciated service and selfless contributions over many years. All have become great friends during my time on the board and I look forward to their continued participation and support of the GCBAA. I would also like to welcome our new board members Mike Perez (VM Golf Services), Bob Sylvester (Toro), Ian Williams (Rain Bird) and Jon Truttmann (Hunter Industries). I look forward to working together with all members of our Board in the continued leadership of our Association. I am excited for the opportunity and look forward to serving as your President for the next two years and hope to increase the value of being a member of the GCBAA through my service. If there is ever anything I can do to assist in any way, please feel free to reach out to me directly. A final note of thanks to Justin Apel and Samantha Huff for their dedication and continued efforts to guide our Association and for their professional representation of the GCBAA. I look forward to continuing to work with them and everyone in the Association in the coming years. Patrick Karnick