MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ON
CAL HILL AREA SALES MANAGER FOR WINFIELD UNITED How many years have you been in this position?
into applying. That summer job led to majoring in Turfgrass Management at Mississippi State.
22 years this month. I started in November 1999 with ProSource One covering North Mississippi, West Tennessee and portions of Arkansas selling in the Golf, LCO, Sports Turf markets. ProSource One was partially owned by Land O’Lakes at that time. In 2009 Winfield Solutions (also a Land O’Lakes company) purchased the remaining portion of ProSource One. Today we are Winfield United. It is hard for me to believe it’s been that long. Time really does fly by when you’re having fun.
What path led you to your current position?
How did you decide to pursue a career in turfgrass management? In 1988 Old Waverly Golf Club was being built in my hometown of West Point, Mississippi. I had a few high school friends that were working there and seemed to really enjoy it. I graduated and needed a summer job before starting college. My good friend and current superintendent at Old Waverly, Brad Suggs, talked me
I spent a couple summers interning for Jim Harris at Chickasaw Country Club in Memphis. Growing bentgrass in the South… I mowed greens in the morning then repaired irrigation leaks and syringed greens the remainder of the day. Basically, working from 6 am to 6 pm all summer. Needless to say, I looked forward to school starting back in the fall. I did manage to eat a lot of good BBQ in Memphis at great places like the Cozy Corner and the Rendezvous. After graduating in May 1994, I moved to Gulf Shores, Alabama working for Jerry Pate Golf Designs as an assistant in the construction and grow in of Kiva Dunes Golf Club. With building a golf course on straight sand we didn’t have many rain days. We had the course completed by late October however the owner did not want to open until Spring. C ONTINUED ON PA GE 22
“I feel that the labor shortage is the biggest issue in the turfgrass industry today. To get qualified people on board and working takes so much effort for superintendents and LCOs.”
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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER / JANUARY 2022 Email TTA at: info@ttaonline.org
