Blog
Jan 19

2020 in the Rearview: An Open Letter from Our CEO

Our President and CEO, Matt Foster, shares some observations about last year and some good news for this one.

I struggled with how to start this letter off since 2020 has been such a bittersweet year for many of us in the turf world. From some professionals being furloughed to others seeing more rounds played on their course than ever before, it has certainly been a year that is hard to put into words for our industry. The closest I can get in doing so is by using two nouns: unity and grit. During the year of 2020 I saw so much of both, not only from my own team, but much of the turf industry as well. We worked together in ways that may have seemed infeasible a year ago and persevered with passion during times of struggle – for that I would personally like to say thank you and job well done. We have appreciated your loyalty during a very challenging year for us all.

One of the things that superintendents strive for is building that culture where everyone on the team knows their job and does it eagerly. That’s what I saw here at Aquatrols throughout the craziness of last year, and I hope you saw it too in our support of you and your program. From trying to get our new research farm ready for superintendent tours to developing new products that we’re confident will help make your jobs a bit easier, everyone on the team had a hand in making 2020 as productive as it was for us.

Our amazing group of territory managers really shined last year as well. Though they may not have been able to see you all face to face as much as they normally do, they improvised and completed more extensive trainings than ever before in order to stay on top of their game. As a result, we saw more courses successfully adding Redox products and Zipline to their programs than we could have ever hoped for under normal circumstances, and their results truly speak for themselves.

Looking to 2021, we are excited for superintendents to try our active ingredient line. Our new insecticide, Avatar PLX, will be an absolute game changer for superintendents battling ABW on their course. Throughout the year our team will be working to bring even more high-quality products to that line, so be on the lookout for that as well.

Additionally, a huge accomplishment for us this year will be the grand opening of our new research farm. Throughout 2020 almost every member of our team got their hands dirty in helping to make tours this year possible, and I am extremely proud to say that this labor of love was truly a team effort.

The Aura Research Farm will be a place where we can test products and practices under real-world scientific conditions, which we felt was vital to helping our customers succeed. We want to be able to look our customers in the eye and tell them that we can prove what we’re saying with relevant results. Our first set of tours will begin around Memorial Day and will continue until the end of October. Superintendents, PhD’s, and turf experts will all be welcome for tours and we’ll even fire up the barbeque if time permits.

As I wrap this up, I would like to end on a bit of a personal note. Most years I travel a great deal, but due to the unique situation that was 2020, that didn’t happen. Due to that, I got a chance to work more on the farm, spend more time with my kids, speak one on one with more colleagues, and see the business from a different perspective. I hope this year gave you some of that bittersweetness too. I also got to see a different kind of grit and unity throughout the turf world and within my own team that makes me proud to say I am part of this industry. While 2020 was a trying year, I think we made out okay as a whole – and that is due to the character of each one of you. I wish everyone a great year and I can’t wait to see what the future holds – I know I’ll be impressed.

Yours,

Matt Foster

Aquatrols President and CEO

Aquatrols

About The Author

More than 60 years ago, Aquatrols introduced the world’s first commercially available soil wetting agent. Since creating an entirely new product category to address water management challenges and opportunities, the company has remained a top innovator and producer of high-performance soil surfactants and related technologies. Aquatrols’ advanced product suite optimizes soil-water-plant interactions in agricultural, professional turfgrass, and horticultural industries in more than 40 countries. Headquartered in southern New Jersey, Aquatrols also has offices in the United Kingdom and conducts business on six continents.