We recently welcomed the winners of the inaugural Mark Awards to our headquarters in Beatrice for a celebration of their achievement.
“The Exmark community told us who’s the best and who deserves industry recognition,” said Rick Olson, General Manager at Exmark Manufacturing. “At Exmark, we’re about more than just mowers and this was our opportunity to give back and provide additional support to the people that support our brand.”
The winners included:
- Zak Matouka of The Yard Men Snow & Lawn Services , winner of the Best Lawn Care or Landscaping Company
- Steve and Teri Gegner, owners of D&J Equipment, winner of Dealer of the Year
- Carlos Davila, runner-up for Crew Member of the Year
We flew in our winners and their guests for a once-in-a-lifetime Exmark experience, giving them behind-the-scenes access to our production facilities to see how our durable, efficient commercial-grade mowers are manufactured from raw steel to the finished product.
“I learned a lot about how they made the machines,” said Carlos Davila, runner-up for Crew Member of the Year. “I’d recommend them to any company and any dealer. They’re really good machines.”
Our winners also got to sit down with our executive leadership team and learn about the people behind the mowers. The winners and the Exmark team swapped industry stories, discussed challenges faced in the New Year and each side’s plans for the future.
The winners’ Exmark experience culminated with an awards ceremony with each winner receiving a diecast replica of the Lazer Z and their Mark Award, which was crafted in our Beatrice plant by Exmark employees.
This year’s prizes also included:
- Best Lawn Care or Landscaping Company – New Exmark Lazer Z mower and $1,000
- Dealer of the Year – $5,000
- Crew Member of the Year – A trip for two to Hawaii and $1,000
We were proud to advance the business of these deserving winners. “I started off with two walk-behind mowers, so winning the Lazer Z put me a step above most of the competition in my area. Now I can pick up larger accounts and move forward with my business,” said Zak Matouka.
