9/7/2021 - By Mike Hess

The Harrell’s Research & Development team of turf agronomic experts, affectionately named the TurPh.Dudes, are devoted to helping you Grow a Better World. The TurPh.Dudes team consists of Drs. Raymond Snyder, Jeff Atkinson and Paul Giordano, who each have their own area of expertise, comprising a complementary team covering fertility, weed science and plant pathology areas of turf agronomy.

I had the opportunity to interview each member of the team over the past few weeks, where we spoke in depth about their respective backgrounds and vision for where Harrell’s is heading. To read more about each respective member, see the links below:

• Dr. Raymond Snyder
• Dr. Jeff Atkinson
• Dr. Paul Giordano

In this article we will discuss the teams’ vision for the TurPh.Dudes as well as what it’s like working as a group of Ph.Ds.’ all in the same organization, and how they are able to continuously service customers through providing valuable insights and support to our sales team.

Dr. Raymond Snyder is a second-generation expert in soil fertility and turfgrass nutrition. Dr. Jeff Atkinson is a weed scientist and turf physiologist with a vast array of experiences in both academia and industry. And Dr. Paul Giordano has a strong background in turf pathology and product development, fully rounding out the team. The team collaborates, as needed working to each other’s strengths to solve Harrell’s customer challenges, bringing our valued customers strong well-vetted solutions.

When I asked the team what it’s like having a team of experts all working together toward the same goal, their responses all differed based off of experience, but eventually all converged to the same vision. Dr. Snyder had this to say regarding their dynamic, “Now we have a three’s company, not a crowd, this is three’s company. Based on that, we really can service all of our geographies much better, and the three of us each have our own areas of expertise, which is great. We complement each other really well, but we share the same vision for the agronomy team.”Pairing this with their consistent availability to the sales team, the TurPh.Dudes constantly work to bring success not only to our valued customers, but to the teams in the Harrell’s family who service them.

The team of TurPh.Dudes provide Technical support to our sales team and customers, and research and develop all new product technologies. “From a product development perspective, it’s great to have these guys as we all provide a unique perspective on challenges and potential solutions.” Said Dr. Atkinson regarding product development.

Get to know the Harrell’s TurPh.Dudes team. Check out their individual articles:

• Dr. Raymond Snyder
• Dr. Jeff Atkinson
• Dr. Paul Giordano