Upcoming Events
2026 SEMNLA Summer Extravaganza: Green Industry's Fun in "The D"
Whitney Mansion & Garden Tour and Detroit Tigers Baseball Game
Join your Green Industry colleagues as we explore the Whitney Mansion & Gardens and enjoy a Detroit Tigers game!
Schedule:
2:00 pm – Arrive in downtown Detroit
(park near Comerica Park – parking is on your own)
2:30 pm – Board the QLine from Grand Circus Stop and ride it to
Canfield St. (free to ride, arrives every 15 minutes or less)
2:45 pm – Arrive at Canfield St. and walk to Whitney Mansion
(1 min walk)
3:00 pm – Enjoy a 1-hour historical tour of the Mansion
(includes a glass of champagne)
4:15 pm – Stroll through the garden, then walk as a group to the
QLine’s Canfield St Stop
4:30 pm – Arrive back at Grand Circus Stop and walk to Comerica Park (3 min walk)
4:45 pm – Group photo at the Tiger
5:10 pm – Enter the ballpark and get food/drink (on your own)
6:40 pm – Game begins (our group will sit together to cheer on the Tigers as they take on the Royals!)
Thursday, July 23 • Downtown Detroit •
2:00 pm until conclusion of game
$45 per person – includes a one-hour historical tour and stroll through the gardens of the Whitney Mansion with a glass of champagne and one ticket in our group seating area at the Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals game at Comerica Park. (Parking and food/drink are on your own and are not included.)
Past events
2026 SEMNLA Day of Service
On Thursday, July 16, 26 SEMNLA members braved the heat and smoky conditions to participate in our Day of Service.
Together, they transformed the landscape of a home for the family of an active-duty service member, creating a safer yard, refreshed plantings, and welcoming outdoor spaces where the family can relax and spend time together. The physical transformation was remarkable, but even more inspiring was the generosity, compassion, and teamwork demonstrated by every volunteer.
Projects like this remind us that our work goes far beyond plants and landscapes. We create places where families gather, heal, and thrive. Thank you to everyone who donated their time, talent, and resources to make a lasting difference for a truly deserving family.
1st Annual SEMNLA John Ropek Memorial Golf Outing Wrap-up
On September 15th the 1st Annual SEMNLA Golf Outing was held at the beautiful West Shore Golf & Country Club in Grosse Ile, MI. The weather was perfect and 60 Green Industry professionals gathered for this 1st Annual Event. Golfers enjoyed a beautiful day of fun and camaraderie with a sponsored snack table, awards for 1st Place Mens and Mixed Teams, SKINS, hole contests, and an awards banquet with a delicious dinner and prizes. The outing was a nice tribute to our friend and colleague John Ropek, and his children Tom Ropek, Alex Ropek, and Maria and Ryan Lotan were at the event to share their appreciation.
Our Appreciation!
Thank you to all of the teams and sponsors of the 1st Annual SEMNLA John Ropek Memorial Golf Outing that have helped to make this a successful event. The 2025 Golf Outing Sponsors are:
Cart Sponsor
Royal Logistics & Transportation
Snack Table Sponsor
Ray Wiegand’s Nursery, Inc.
Hole Contest Gift Sponsors
Bob Munroe/SEMNLA (2)
Outdoor Obsessions (3)
Tee Sponsors
Belden Architectural Elements
D & B Landscaping, Inc. (2)
Eason Horticulture Resources (EHR) (2)
Fendt Builders Supply
GLC Landscaping & Pools (2)
McHutchison
Moose & Squirrel Horticultural Resources
Rock Bottom Stone Supply
The Tree Connection
Unilock
WHCanon (2)
World Class Landscaping
Poo Professionals
Outdoor Obsessions
And our appreciation goes to Gino Lucia of GLC Landscaping & Pools for his efforts to make this a successful event!
It was a surprise when additional donations were made and we give our appreciation to these firms for their generosity:
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One was from our 50/50 raffle winner who donated their winnings back to the Scholarships and Service Projects Fund. Thank you to Team WHCanon!
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We also had three of our Skins winners donate their winnings back to the Scholarships and Service Projects Fund. Thank you, Teams: World Class Landscaping, WHCanon, and Moose & Squirrel Horticultural Resources!
Congratulations to the Winning Teams!
1st Place Winners
With a score of 61 (10 under par!), the 1st Place Men’s Team was: World Class Landscaping that included Charles Collert, Dan Bondy, Billy Bondy, and Dave Mills.
For the Mixed Flight, with a score of 67, the 1st Place Mixed Team was: WH Canon that included Steve Udell, Gene Montayne, Kim Ennett, and Donna Rupert.
And, with a score of 81 (ten over par), the Team winning the Better Luck Next Time trophy was: Team WH Canon that included Kelly Harpst, Isabella Rista, Dave Harpst, and Brandon Kruger.
Contest Winners
Photos from left to right
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Men’s Longest Drive winning a $50 Gift Card donated by Bob Munroe/ SEMNLA: Chuck Collert
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Women’s Longest Drive winning a $50 Gift Card donated by Bob Munroe/ SEMNLA: Maria Lotan
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Longest Putt winning a $50 Cash Prize donated by Outdoor Obsessions: TJ Moreno
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Closest to the Pin winning a $50 Cash Prize from Outdoor Obsessions: Rob Loughlin
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Closest to the Pin winning a $50 Cash Prize from Outdoor Obsessions: Tim Babcock
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