Volunteers give back to community as part of PLANET Day of Service

(VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.) STIHL Inc. partnered with the city of Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation and local lawn care company, K&D Round’s Landscape Services, to give back to the community as part of the third annual Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) Day of Service, a nationwide event that encourages green industry companies to give back to their communities. The STIHL event took place Saturday, May 7 at MundenPointPark.

“At STIHL Inc., we believe it is our responsibility as citizens of Virginia Beach to give back to our community in every way possible,” said Roger Phelps, promotional communications manager for STIHL Inc. and PLANET board member, “We are proud to be a part of PLANET Day of Service and partner with the Parks and Recreation department to improve one of our city’s great parks.”

Volunteers from STIHL Inc. and their families, K&D Round’s Landscape Services, and city-trained personnel all participated in Saturday’s event at MundenPointPark. Some of the improvements included tree pruning, shrub trimming, spreading mulch and pine straw, cleaning flower beds, sand volleyball court replenishment, and playground mulch replenishment.

“This is the third year that we have worked with STIHL Inc. to revitalize our local parks,” said Shawn Hopson, City of Virginia Beach open space manager. “This partnership with STIHL and local tree care companies has really saved taxpayers’ money while keeping our parks in the best possible shape for the community.”

STIHL Inc. is a supporting sponsor of PLANET Day of Service and is one of many companies performing a variety of volunteer lawn and landscape projects to give back to their communities across the country. The event was organized to demonstrate the importance of maintaining green spaces in recognition of Earth Day. More than 3,100 people in 43 states took part in the 2011 PLANET Day of Service and completed 190 service projects.

For more information on PLANET Day of Service, visit www.planetdayofservice.org/. For more information about STIHL Inc., please visit www.stihlusa.com/.

About STIHL Inc.
STIHL Inc. manufactures the number one selling brand of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment in America for homeowners and professional landscapers*, as well as the number one selling brand of chain saws in the world. STIHL products are sold through servicing power equipment retailers from coast to coast – not mass merchants. STIHL products sold through U.S. STIHL dealers are for distribution in the United States only. For more information or for the name of a local STIHL retailer, call toll free 1-800-GO STIHL (1-800-467-8445) or visit the dealer locator on the STIHL website at www.stihlusa.com/.
 
*"Number one selling brand" is based on syndicated Irwin Broh Research (commercial landscapers) as well as independent consumer research of 2010 U.S. sales and market share data for the gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment category combined sales to consumers and commercial landscapers.
 
STIHL is pleased to support the work of Independent We Stand , the Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund) , International Society of Arboriculture (ISA ), the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) , National FFA , Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) , the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) , and the National Association of State Park Directors .

About Virginia BeachParks & Recreation
Virginia BeachParks and Recreations vision is a balanced, sustainable and value-focused system of parks, recreation and public spaces that creates a sense of community. Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is accredited by CAPRA, the certifying agency of the National Recreation and Park Association. For more information, call (757) 385-1100 (TTY: 757-711 Virginia Relay), or visit http://www.vbgov.com/parks.

About PLANET
PLANET, the Professional Landcare Network, is an international association serving lawn care professionals, landscape management contractors, design/build/installation professionals, and interior plantscapers. PLANET is the association of members who create and maintain the QUALITY OF LIFE in communities across America. With more than 4,000 member companies and affiliates, these firms and their employees represent more than 100,000 green industry professionals. For more information, visit LandcareNetwork.org, or call the PLANET office at (800) 395-2522.