Harrell’s, manufacturer and supplier of performance-based turf and ornamental products is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Jeff Higgins to the Executive Team as Vice President of Business Development. He will lead Harrell’s efforts in customer education and manage national accounts for golf, turf and landscape markets. Higgins will report to Harrell’s President Dave Schermerhorn. He is joining Harrell’s from ValleyCrest Golf Course Maintenance where he served as the Director of Agronomy and was responsible for agronomics and maintenance of over 70 golf courses throughout the United States as well as all vendor relationships.
“ I have worked with Jeff over the years and am delighted to welcome him to Harrell’s,” said Schermerhorn. “This is an exciting time at Harrell’s as we develop innovative ways to better serve our customers. Jeff’s unique and extensive background, coupled with his deep understanding and knowledge of the turf grass industry, will be an invaluable asset in our long-term efforts “
Dr. Higgins has over 25 years experience in the turfgrass and pesticide industry and has held positions as Executive Director of Business Development for Pursell Technologies Inc., Extension Turfgrass Specialist at Auburn University, Director of Agronomic Golf Services for Southern Turf Nurseries, Director of Specialty Products for Pennington Seed, Inc., and Worldwide Technical Product Manager for Dimension Turf Herbicide for Monsanto He is also an Adjunct Turfgrass Professor at Kansas State University, a Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg), and a Certified Professional Weed Scientist (CPWS).
Higgins has previously worked in the fertilizer business where he served as the Executive Director of Marketing for Agrium Advanced Technologies, who acquired Pursell Technologies, Inc. Dr. Higgins had spent 9 years with Pursell Technologies before the Agrium acquisition in various management positions and was instrumental in the founding and implementation of the PTI Tour, which is now recognized as The Experience at FarmLinks. While at Pursell Technologies, Dr. Higgins developed and commercialized Precise and developed an innovative turfgrass grow-in program utilizing Polyon fertilizer technologies. Dr. Higgins is recognized as one of the nation’s leading authorities on fertilizer technologies.
He is very well-respected within the field of agronomy and maintains a highly visible profile in the golf industry, with turfgrass academics, and within the pesticide industry. He has served on several committees of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and is member of numerous other groups spanning across many sectors of the golf industry including the National Golf Course Owners Association, Golf Course Builders Association of America, the International Turfgrass Society, the Florida Turfgrass Association, the Alabama, Carolinas and Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association Chapters, the Alabama and Georgia Turfgrass Association Chapters, the American Society of Agronomy, the American Society of Horticultural Science, the American Registry of Certified Professional Agronomists, and the American Registry of Certified Professional Weed Scientists.
Dr. Higgins earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Agronomy, with a major emphasis in Turfgrass Management / Physiology and Weed Science from Clemson University and earned an M.S. in Agronomy and Soils and a B.S. in Plant Protection and Pest Management from Auburn University.