Laytonsville, MD – Ruppert Landscape is pleased to announce the promotion of Mike Felts to the newly created position of corporate administrative manager and the promotion of Sean Davitt to the position of branch manager in our Maryland landscape construction branch.
“We created the corporate administrative manager position in an effort to better position our company for continued growth and development and to support departmental and divisional initiatives,” said company president, Phil Key. “We believe this position will be a tremendous asset in providing additional support to help us meet our goals.”
Felts has held numerous positions during his seven years with the company, including estimator, production manager, operations manager, and most recently as branch manager in our Maryland landscape construction branch. Prior to joining Ruppert, he held positions as a partner in a general contracting company in North Carolina, a small business financial advisor, and served six years as a sergeant in the U.S. Army, deployed to Afghanistan for two of those years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Virginia Tech.
“Mike has set the tone with his Maryland landscape construction team by working right alongside them as they had one of their most profitable years to date, leading by example and putting the company before himself more times than I can count,” said Key. “He will be instrumental in helping us create and define this new position from the ground up.”
In his new role, Felts will be responsible for planning and directing administrative, financial and operational activities. He will be working closely with the company president to assist in managing corporate departments and their initiatives, executing on the five-year plan, prioritizing inquiries and determining proper course of action, and providing operational support in areas such as sales, collections, and acquisitions as needed.
Sean Davitt has been tapped to fill Felts’ role as branch manager in our Maryland landscape construction branch. Davitt officially joined the company in 2010 as an estimator after having spent several summers as an intern learning the business from the ground up. He was immediately asked to temporarily relocate to Oklahoma City for the Myriad Gardens project, where he served as assistant project manager, the first in the company to hold that newly created position. After successful completion of that project, he was promoted to project manager, and subsequently to production manager and most recently operations manager in our Maryland landscape construction branch, excelling in each of these positions over the past seven years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business from West Virginia University and is OSHA 30 certified. Additionally, he is a platinum-level graduate of ABC Metro’s Leadership Development Program and has completed the Grinnell Leadership Jumpstart® Program.
“Sean is very well-liked by all who work with him, he is hardworking, committed and a great delegator—providing the perfect amount of direction and follow-up for project success,” said Bob Jones, president of our landscape construction division.
“His team is committed to him, and he is committed to his team and the company. This promotion is a well-deserved opportunity and we expect great things from him in his new role,” said Felts. “I am confident that I’m leaving the branch in good hands with Sean.”