TruGreen Hires New CFO As It Looks to Drive Growth

Memphis-based TruGreen has named a new chief financial officer as current CFO David Martin transitions into the new role of vice president of sourcing and accounting.

Brian Hamm comes to the lawn care and outdoor services company from Energizer Holdings, where he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer. He has held financial positions at a number of global corporations, including PepsiAmericas and Price Waterhouse.

As TruGreen’s CFO, Hamm will be responsible for ensuring the company's finances enable it to continue to drive growth.

“Brian brings a strong background to our finance team from his experience at several global companies where he was instrumental in providing the financial strategy and leadership to help the organizations get to the next level of growth,” said TruGreen president and CEO David Alexander in a statement. “With Brian, I’m confident we’ll be well positioned to meet our goals of consistent profitable growth moving forward.”

TruGreen had been a ServiceMaster brand until it was spun off into a separate business in January 2014. It merged with Scotts LawnService in April 2016, creating the largest lawn care company in North America.

Headquartered in East Memphis, TruGreen has around 260 branches in the U.S. and Canada, along with about 35 franchise locations, and services more than 2.3 million residential and commercial customers across the United States with lawn, tree and shrub care.

– Daily News staff

Mueller Posts Stable Earnings For Second Quarter

Memphis-based Mueller Industries Inc. posted net income of $27.6 million for the second quarter of 2017, or 48 cents per diluted share. The figure released Tuesday, July 25, compares to net income of $27.8 million for the second quarter of 2016.

Mueller, which manufactures copper and copper alloy tubing and fittings as well as similar goods made of aluminum, steel and plastic, reported net sales rose 13 percent to $614.3 million for the quarter compared to $544.1 million a year ago, which it attributed to higher prices and higher unit volumes.

Its operating highlights for the quarter including acquiring the PexCor and HeatLink companies in May and exiting a joint venture in a China tube mill in June following what the company has described as years of “mediocre performance and increasingly challenging business conditions.”

Mueller executives said they intend to reallocate cash and other resources from the China venture to new mills in Utah and Bahrain and other undertakings.

The company is considered a bellwether of the housing market because its products are used in construction.

“Business conditions in the markets we serve are on track with our expectations for 2017,” said Mueller CEO Greg Christopher in a statement. “Construction activity in the U.S. continues to provide steady demand for many of our products and improvement in industrial demand after several years of softness is encouraging.”

– Bill Dries

Collierville Design Firm Relocates to Memphis

The Kitbash Brand Design team has moved from Collierville to the Broad Avenue Arts District.

Founded by Jeff Rodgers in 2013, Kitbash is a creative agency that had been located at the Collierville Town Square. After months of searching, Rodgers and his team of creatives found a 2,400-square-foot space at the corner of Bingham Street and Broad Avenue.

Rodgers said the move will present the firm with more opportunities to help businesses grow.

The firm’s clients have included Triumph Bank, International Paper and Espero Pharmaceuticals, among others. Rodgers and his team can handle tasks such as business naming; photography; videography; packaging; apparel; social media; and logo, print and website design.

– Andy Meek

Luttrell to Join Boyd At Campaign Appearance

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell makes a campaign appearance Wednesday, July 26, with Republican candidate for Tennessee governor Randy Boyd.

Boyd’s campaign calls the press conference in East Memphis a “special announcement.”

The announcement comes the same month the only West Tennessee contender for the Republican nomination, state Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville, was nominated by President Donald Trump as a federal judge, effectively ending Norris’ bid.

Boyd, of Knoxville, is the former Tennessee Economic and Community Development commissioner. He is joined in the Republican primary race by Franklin businessman Bill Lee, state Sen. Mae Beavers of Mount Juliet and state House Speaker Beth Harwell. U.S. Rep. Diane Black of Gallatin is also weighing an entrance into the primary.

In the Democratic race, former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is an announced candidate. State Rep. Craig Fitzhugh of Ripley is considering the Democratic primary.

– Bill Dries

Cardinals Fantasy Camp To Be Held Sept. 14-17

The St. Louis Cardinals have scheduled a Fantasy Camp for Sept. 14-17 at AutoZone Park in Memphis. The four-day camp will give fans an opportunity to play alongside former Cardinal players such as Rick Ankiel, Jason Isringhausen and Bo Hart, be drafted and managed by Cardinals alumni Danny Cox and Tom Lawless and interact with Cardinal legends Whitey Herzog and Willie McGee.

Throughout the four-day camp, 44 campers will receive instruction and play four games under the management of a former Cardinals player. All four team rosters, managed by John Costello, Cox, Lawless and Gene Roof, will be determined by a draft, with the former Cardinals/team managers selecting their players.

Two former Cardinals will also be drafted onto each roster and will play alongside the rest of the team. Former Cardinals scheduled to play alongside campers include Ankiel, Scott Cooper, Mike Crudale, Ed Easley, Bernard Gilkey, Hart, Kyle McClellan, Jason Simontacchi and Brad Thompson.

All campers will receive two authentic, customized Memphis Redbirds jerseys and use a personalized locker in the visitors’ locker room at AutoZone Park during the round-robin tournament. At the end of the weekend, one team will be crowned Cardinals Fantasy Camp Champions and receive fantasy camp championship rings.

Camp registration includes a three-night stay at the DoubleTree Hotel Memphis Downtown, along with a private reception and Cardinals alumni autograph sessions on Sept. 14 and a dinner banquet featuring Herzog and a live auction on Sept. 15. Dave LaPoint will serve as fantasy camp commissioner, leading the camp along with Scott Terry.

A portion of the net proceeds from Cardinals Fantasy Camps benefit the Cardinals Kids Cancer Center at Mercy. For more information and camp registration, fans can visit cardinals.com/fantasycamp or email fantasycamp@cardinals.com. Campers must be 27 or older.

– Don Wade

SEC Network Releases Sched For First 3 Weeks of Football

The Southeastern Conference has released the start times for games on the SEC Network during the first three weeks of the 2017 season.

The SEC Network’s Saturday schedule opens with three games on Sept. 2. The network will air six games on the second week of the season along with five games in Week 3.

The first conference matchup of the year on the SEC Network will feature Kentucky at South Carolina on Sept. 16. As previously announced, Arkansas will take on Florida A&M in Little Rock on the SEC Network to begin the season on Thursday, Aug. 31.

The Sept. 2 schedule includes Missouri State at Missouri (11 a.m. CT), Charleston Southern at Mississippi State (3 p.m. CT) and Georgia Southern at Auburn (6:30 pm CT).

On Sept. 9, the SEC Network will air Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky (11 a.m. CT), Indiana State at Tennessee (3 p.m. CT) and Northern Colorado at Florida (6:30 p.m. CT). Meanwhile, the SEC Network Alternate will air UT Martin at Ole Miss (11 a.m.), Alabama A&M at Vanderbilt (3 p.m.) and UT Chattanooga at LSU (6:30 p.m.).

And on Sept. 16, the SEC Network will air Louisiana-Lafayette at Texas A&M (11 a.m.), Purdue at Missouri (3 p.m.) and Kentucky at South Carolina (6:30 p.m.). The SEC Network Alternate will air Mercer at Auburn (3 p.m.) and Samford at Georgia (6:30 p.m.).

– Don Wade