PLANET, the national trade association that represents more than 100,000 landscape industry professionals, has announced four new AEF Platinum Ambassador companies.

The Professional Landcare Network has announced the addition of four companies as the newest PLANET AEF Platinum Ambassadors. Each of the companies recently pledged an additional $25,000, bringing the total each has pledged to the Foundation to $50,000. In doing so, these companies move from the PLANET AEF Ambassador level to Platinum Ambassador level. PLANET AEF awards scholarships to students enrolled in landscape contracting and/or horticulture programs at two or four-year colleges and universities.

The following companies bring the number of PLANET AEF Platinum Ambassadors to 11:

• CNA Insurance, Eustis, Fla.
• Go iLawn and The Rorie Family, Loveland, Ohio
• HighGrove Partners and The McCutcheon Family, Austell, Ga.
• Husqvarna Professional Products, Charlotte, N.C.

PLANET AEF scholarships will be awarded at the annual PLANET Student Career Days, a National Collegiate Landscape Competition, March 20–23, 2014, at Colorado State University, during a PLANET AEF Scholarship reception sponsored by STIHL Inc.

"We are so thankful for the amazing generosity that our PLANET AEF ambassadors share with the future of our industry," said Tom Fochtman, Landscape Industry Certified, PLANET AEF president. "They continue to go above and beyond helping to make the next generation of the landscape industry a bright one."

PLANET AEF is halfway through its five-year campaign, developed by the PLANET AEF Board of Directors, to raise the fund balance from $2 million to $5. To date, the fund has grown to $3.7 million.

The Foundation recently launched a new website www.planetaef.org which showcases the work of the foundation and makes it easy to donate.

For more information about PLANET, please visit landcarenetwork.org.

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