5/2/2023 - By Mike Hess

Being an industry-leading fertilizer supplier is just one thing Harrell’s is known for in the golf community. We also distribute branded fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, specialty liquids, wetting agents, and more. But really, relationships are the foundation of everything we do at Harrell’s.

This article is the transcript of a video we created alongside one of our partners, Brian Laurent, at Superintendent Network. Read along as we talk through what makes Harrell’s different from other fertilizer suppliers and how the relationship between a Harrell’s customer and their rep means more than just a business transaction.

Whether it’s investing in new research or distributing solutions on behalf of our manufacturing partners, we do it all with one goal in mind. And that’s to help our customers succeed.

Fertilizer Supplier Turned Trusted Resource

No matter the budget, we take great pride in being a trusted resource for turfgrass managers around the country. Our customers are our partners, our peers, and oftentimes our friends.

“We’ve been friends for 20 years,” said Chad Mark, Muirfield Village Golf Club, “And that’s what I think is unique about Matt and me. It started back in college at Ohio State, and then when we were both assistants at high-level clubs down the street, you start to have that friendship. Matt got into sales right around the time I got my first job, and there are a lot of guys who are just looking to sell you something in sales. But I knew Matt was coming from a system that was very similar to what I was in, and I could bounce ideas off of Matt, so we just connected on that.”

“I understood where you wanted to be when it came to suggesting a product or how you were going to manage something, I knew where you wanted to keep it, and I knew your expectations.” Said Matt Kilpeck, Harrell’s. “And that’s an underrated aspect of it, knowing where you want to be. It’s been that way with Matt, it’s been that way every time I’ve made a move in my career. I always wanted to have some of my people with me. If you don’t have anybody that knows what the finish line looks like, it’s hard to change the culture, it’s hard to change your programs, and Matt’s always known what I wanted that to be. That’s a big part of it, too, Matt’s always been with me, not just my assistants, but I had Matt going with me.”

A Fertilizer Supplier with Tailored Solutions for Golf Courses of Any Size

Our mission is not just to sell our customers a product but to provide them with a solution that is customized to their unique goals.

“I (Matt) run the gambit, I probably run the gambit more than most because I do have a customer (Chad) who’s at a top-15 club, but I like to establish a relationship with the customer. I like to understand their expectations as a superintendent, their expectations of what their conditions are, and also with their club as a whole.”

“Matt has been the type of guy too, no matter where he was at, if there was something he knew I wanted to do but didn’t have that product, he’d say, ‘Hey, this is what you need to do to go get the right product.’ And that might be crossing over to a line that they don’t carry, but he has our best interests at heart here, and when you have somebody that you trust to tell you that kind of thing, you’re going to pull all of your business that way.”

“Here, I think Chad and I have a pretty good go-to-business strategy. We’ve been doing early orders and our game plan is to sit down and start some of these conversations in September about some of the fertilizer that’s going to go out either this fall or next spring. He’s been using POLYON® controlled-release fertilizer since he’s been here. But we sit down, we have a pretty good rapport, we plan all of early order, we sit down with his schedule, we work tournament back. We go to tournament week, and we plan our sprays back, and then we revisit, and we plan our sprays after.”

“He won’t say this, but I’ll bounce spray sheets off of him every week to check me and make sure I didn’t make any mistakes in there, and overall, just give me his general impression of it. Especially during tournament time, he’ll get like six sheets per day, and he’ll tell me what I need to do, change, and what looks good. But I just want that reassurance.”

Fertilizer Supplier Harrell’s Forges Relationships Built on Trust

Being a trusted fertilizer supplier and partner means being there when you’re needed most. That’s why when Chad and his team at Muirfield Village host the world's best players each spring, Matt and the Harrell’s family are there to lend a hand to ensure a successful event.

“From the Harrell’s aspect, the partnership we have with them allows us to do great things for the staff and volunteers. It allows us to give an experience where we typically get a waitlist within two weeks of putting our volunteer letter out, and we couldn’t do that without great partners. Harrell’s is certainly one of those that allow us to give a great volunteer experience that keeps people coming back. And it’s huge for the tournament to have 35 volunteers of high quality.”

Your goals are our goals, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help our customers succeed.

“His success equals my success; the customer's success equals my success. I want to do anything I can for the customer so that they’re successful. My relation to Chad, I take this to ALL my customers,” said Matt.

“One of the great things about Harrell’s and one of the things that we try to do at Muirfield Village is to hire great people. I’ve used different mowing equipment throughout my career, I’ve used different fertility, and fungicide programs throughout my career, but the one constant regarding applications has been Matt. Matt and I have built this thing every year, and I know that I wouldn’t be as successful without his advice and counsel through the years.

It always helps to know that someone is going to tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear, and I appreciate that candid feedback. I always know that Matt is going to be honest with me; he’s always going to do what’s in the best interest of this club and for us as a team to get what we want to do. We’ve got close friends in this business, and what’s cool about the golf industry is they will do that for you.”

Looking for a fertilizer supplier that is more than just a salesperson? It is time for you to meet your local Harrell’s rep.

For more information on Harrell’s, any products or services you might be interested in, or to start a relationship with your Harrell’s Rep, enter your zip code on our Sales Page to find your rep.