Schiller Grounds Care announces new hires
Schiller Grounds Care, Inc., a manufacturer of Bob-Cat, Classen, Little Wonder, Mantis, Ryan and Steiner brand gardening, landscaping and turf care equipment, recently announced three new hires. The Southampton, Pa.-based company appointed Norman Yanke as chief financial officer responsible for its finance and IT functions, Rob Kurzyna as director of operations, and Tony Whelan as director of international business and national accounts.
Yanke brings more than 20 years of progressive and diversified financial leadership experience to Schiller Grounds Care from companies such KPMG and Honeywell. In his nine years at Honeywell, Yanke held various positions with the most recent being global director of sales operations/finance for a division of Honeywell International, where he oversaw its profitable growth in the field of process automation control technologies. Yanke holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Accounting from Temple University, and he is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant. “Norm’s leadership experience and cultural fit make him a welcome addition to our talented senior management team,” said Pat Cappucci, president and COO of Schiller.
Kurzyna will be responsible for operations, logistics, engineering and purchasing at the Southampton manufacturing facility, which is the primary manufacturing site for the Classen, Little Wonder and Mantis brands. He brings more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing, process improvement, design engineering, quality, and supply chain management to Schiller. The bulk of his career was split between Bosch Siemens Home Appliances and REHAU, a privately owned multi-industry plastics manufacturer, where he ultimately led the operations and supply chain functions for the Americas. Kurzyna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., and he served in Desert Storm.
Whelan will manage Schiller’s comprehensive network of dealers and distributors outside the U.S. and Canada, as well as national account business for all Schiller brands worldwide. He brings nearly 20 years of experience in building and leading domestic and international distribution, sales and operations for such companies as Jacobsen, a Textron Company, and RainBird International. Whelan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from the New York Institute of Technology.
