Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association

HISTORY . . .

Back in 1990, during a time of great growth in all segments of the Green Industry, a small band of communicators met to form TOCA in Minneapolis, MN, thanks to a grant from Ciba Turf and Ornamental Products (now Syngenta Professional Products). For two days this group discussed forming a professional improvement association for those in the communications business in the Green Industry.

Those attending included current TOCA members Cindy Code, Jerry Roche, Pat Jones and executive director Den Gardner. They were joined by Eliott Marus of Lawn Care Industry magazine (a publication no longer in circulation). That group developed the bylaws and marching orders for the association which still guide its membership today.

Thanks to the early financial support of Syngenta, as well as John Deere and Monsanto later in our first year of organization, TOCA started with 58 members. Its first newsletter was published in 1990, just before its first annual meeting, held May 20-22 in Atlanta.

TOCA announced its writing, design and photo awards program at that first annual meeting. Since then, the association has:

Created a scholarship program for college students in the Green Industry,
Created an industry roundtable at the GIE show each year,
Developed a recognition program for environmental communications,
Improved camaraderie between those in editorial and those on the industry sides of the business, and
Developed a web site to provide more information to all communicators about the Green Industry

Today, TOCA has grown to approximately 215 members and has nearly 30 corporate sponsors. Its communications contest has more than 350 entries each year and attendance at annual meetings continues to rise.

TOCA's success is because of its members and their determination to increase the professionalism of the industry through quality publications and all aspects of marketing communications.

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