Landscape Management articles from April 2005

Landscape Management archives from April 2005

Landing that lst big account: ten things to know about getting the job that will grow your company to the next level.(BUSINESS: SMART GROWTH)
April 1, 2005... Time and time again, I've watched small contractors face the first big account, some more successfully than others. Some will tell you that the two happiest days of their lives were the day they got their first big account, and the day they...

Why I drink cheap coffee.(customers service in retail trade)
April 1, 2005... Once upon a time I eagerly (and more than occasionally) spent $7.99 for a pound of coffee beans. Full-bodied Colombian. French Roast decaf. Costa Rican breakfast. Not anymore. Call it pig-headedness or just chalk it up to human nature. There's...

Interns--you need a plan.(Best Practices: INVEST IN INTERNS)(recruiting new high-quality employees)
April 1, 2005... Many companies struggle to find enough quality employees to meet their growth requirements. Larger companies generally feel the best way to build their companies is by promoting from within. But where do you find these high-potential employees...

OSHA has its eye on you: hazardous workplace and personal/ protective equipment citations show the industry has to step up its safety efforts.(In the Know: NEWS YOU CAN USE)
April 1, 2005... Last year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued 161 citations for the lawn care Industry, a total of $67,423 in penalties. Avoiding costly OSHA citations requires that you provide a safe workplace and understand what...

Kick fire ants out of school.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... MONTVALE, NJ -- Through October 31, schools can save 50% on the purchase of Bayer Environmental Science's TopChoice fire ant prevention product. Bayer ES's Fire Ant Free Schools Program is aimed at helping public and private schools keep...

LM welcomes new managing editor.(In the Know)(Landscape Management )(Stephanie Ricca )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... CLEVELAND -- Landscape Management is proud to welcome Stephanie Ricca to its editorial team as managing editor. Ricca comes to LM from a 2-year stint as associate editor with two other Advanstar publications: Pest Control and Paperboard...

Ewing now in Pacific Northwest.(CLIPPINGS)
April 1, 2005... PHOENIX -- Ewing Irrigation, Golf & Industrial opened its first location in the Pacific Northwest. Ewing now has 145 branch locations from coast to coast.

FMC partners with Wilbur-Ellis.(CLIPPINGS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... PHILADELPHIA -- FMC Corp. is partnering with Wilbur-Ellis Co. to commercialize Portfolio 75 DF and Crossing 75 DF, new herbicides to control weeds and maintain bare ground on railroad rights-of-way, as well as on highway, roadside, industrial...

Scotts changes name, acquires co.(CLIPPINGS)
April 1, 2005... MARYSVILLE, OH -- The Scotts Co. changed its name to The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. to promote one of its best-known brands. The company also acquired Smith & Hawken Ltd., a leading brand in the outdoor living and garden lifestyle category, for...

Cornell tree and shrub manual available.(CLIPPINGS)(from Cornell Cooperative Extension)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... ITHACA, NY -- Now available, the Cornell Guide for Planting and Maintaining Trees and Shrubs, from the Cornell Cooperative Extension, includes practical information for the planting and maintenance of ornamental trees and shrubs. The book...

BES heading to new quarters in NC.(CLIPPINGS)
April 1, 2005... MONTVALE, NJ -- Bayer Environmental Science (BES) will move its North American operations from here and Birmingham, AL, to Research Triangle Park, NC, the company's American headquarters for Bayer CropScience. The move, set for mid- 2005, will...

Maruyama promo runs through mid-July.(CLIPPINGS)
April 1, 2005... AUBURN, WA -- For Maruyama's 2005 "Demand More for Your Money" promotion, lawn care professionals can receive a free M409 manual backpack sprayer or a $30 mail-in rebate with the purchase of either a BC3020 brushcutter or MC3020-SB multicutter....

Same company, shorter name.(CLIPPINGS)(Safe and Beautiful by The Care of Trees changed its name to The Care of Trees)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... MENLO PARK, CA -- Full-service tree care company Safe and Beautiful by The Care of Trees has changed its name to The Care of Trees. This comes two years after The Care of Trees acquired Safe and Beautiful. The Care of Trees has 500 employees...

Spanish labels for Dimension, Mach 2.(CLIPPINGS)
April 1, 2005... INDIANAPOLIS -- Dow AgroSciences offers Spanish label information and application guides for Dimension herbicide and MACH 2 insecticide. Last year, the company issued posters in Spanish detailing user practices for Snapshot and Gallery...

2004 good for LCOs, study says.(In the Know)
April 1, 2005... MENDHAM, NJ -- According to results of a recent research study of the professional turf and ornamental pesticide market in the United States, most professional lawn care operators reported a good year in 2004, with increased business. The...

What a gas!(In the Know)
April 1, 2005... Anybody with a car has noticed the steady rise in fuel prices recently, not to mention landscape company owners who gas up their trucks all the time. A recent lanscapemanagement.net survey says a whopping 61% of respondents have raised fees...

James O. King, founder of Regal Chemical Co., died Feb. 26, 2005.(People & companies)
April 1, 2005... James O. King, founder of Regal Chemical Co., died Feb. 26, 2005. King started his career at Diamond Shamrock. After working at the company for 20 years, he founded Regal Chemical Co. in 1970.

SePRO Corp.(People & companies)
April 1, 2005... SePRO Corp. restructured its turf and ornamental business structure. The company named Roger Storey vice president, Shane Barney marketing manager, Todd Bunnell research manager, David Ross national sales manager and key distributor accounts...

ValleyCrest Co.(People & companies)(appointments)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... ValleyCrest Co. named eight new vice presidents. Katie Bouvier is vice president, risk management; John Johnston is vice president and CIO; and Paul Wolbert is vice president, development for U.S. Lawns. For the company's Landscape Maintenance...

Arvesta Corp.(People & companies)
April 1, 2005... David Baker, Lee Rogers and Brett Rush were named sales representatives for Arvesta Corp.'s turf and ornamental group. Doug Houseworth joined the company as turf and ornamental technical service representative.

BASF Corp.(People & companies)
April 1, 2005... BASF Corp. appointed Philip Donahoo sales specialist for the company's turf and ornamental business in southern Florida and Fred Eckert turf and ornamental sales specialist for Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

Hunter Industries.(People & companies)
April 1, 2005... Diane Noecker joined Hunter Industries as marketing manager.

Paul Ecke Ranch.(People & companies)
April 1, 2005... Paul Ecke Ranch named Paul Ecke III as CEO, Steve Rinehart as COO and Andy Higgins as president.

Plantscape, Inc.(People & companies)
April 1, 2005... Plantscape, Inc. named Stephen Falatovich as CEO.

Good-bye to TG-CL research site.(In the Know)
April 1, 2005... DELAWARE, OH -- TruGreen ChemLawn recently sold the 108-acre site of its Technical Center here to Columbus State Community College for a Delaware County campus. The school plans to open this new branch, it's second location, in the fall of...

Hey, where's the odor?(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... ORLANDO, FL -- Nufarm enlisted the help of some unlikely ambassadors, four live skunks, to help promote its Triplet Low Odor herbicide at the recent GCSAA Trade Show here. The skunks--Ambush, Kiko, Scamp and Tonka (how can you tell one...

Kostecky inducted into ANLA Hall of Fame.(In the Know)
April 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, DC -- The Landscape Division of the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) inducted Joanne Kostecky, president of Joanne Kostecky Garden Design, into its Hall of Fame. Kostecky founded her Pennsylvania company 22 years ago,...

Give me an S-C-D! PLANET Student Career Days participants give it the old college try in Maryland.(PLANET: Meeting Brief: NEWS FROM THE PLANET STUDENT CAREER DAYS)
April 1, 2005... More than 950 horticulture and landscape contracting students and faculty representing 57 colleges descended on the University of Maryland's College Park campus March19-22 for the largest-ever PLANET Student Career Days (SCD). The event,...

Thoughts on success: a member of the winning Colorado State team weighs in.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, CO, took home top honors at this year's PLANET Student Career Days. The 16-member first-place team included landscape design and contracting, turfgrass, and floriculture majors....

Snapshots.(PLANET: Meeting Brief: NEWS FROM THE PLANET STUDENT CAREER DAYS)
April 1, 2005... 1. Students working in teams of two assemble irrigation systems. 2. Representatives from Denver's CoCal Landscapes describe job opportunities available to recent graduates. 3. Ohio State ATI students Ryan Krieg, Joe Rickard and Hanson...

Employees--finders keepers: the kitchen sink approach works as well as any for getting them, but keeping them is another matter.
April 1, 2005... Employees are the Green Industry's biggest blessing and its biggest headache. Owners of landscape and grounds maintenance operations have lots of questions about them but they always start with: How do you find them? How do you keep them? ...

Your clients define value: what separates companies is the amount and quality of interaction between service providers and customers.
April 1, 2005... Your competition keeps nipping at your heels with new services and products, replicating your processes and systems and forming formidable partnerships you never dreamed possible. Perhaps they're even stealing your employees. If that weren't...

Trimmer on a roll.(Innovations: HOT NEW PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2005... 1 Trimmer on a roll In the category of useful gizmos and gadgets, add the Trimmer Trolley. A Seattle inventor mounted wheels on his trimmer to support it and provide a constant cutting height. In the process he designed it to more...

Pump you up.(Innovations: HOT NEW PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2005... 2 Pump you up Honda Power Equipment's WX10 lightweight water pump has gotten a makeover. The redesigned 13-hp unit, WX10K1, features a 50% improvement in priming time to 80 seconds in 16.4 ft.; an 18% improvement in total head lift to 118...

Brush destroyer.(Innovations: HOT NEW PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2005... 3 Brush destroyer The new Vermeer BC600XL is capable of processing material up to 6-in. in diameter. With the standard Auto Feed II system to maximize productivity and the innovative Bottom Feed Stop Bar to enhance operator safety, the...

One tough critter.(Innovations: HOT NEW PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2005... 4 One tough critter As the saying goes--"If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly." Dixon Industries, Inc., is taking a similar approach with its new Pro Series Grizzly ZTR. This commercial unit is available with either a 50- or a 60-in....

A special partnership with Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power.
April 1, 2005... What are you supposed to do when your engine won't start? Simply follow a 3-step process to determine which of the three gas engine systems isn't working properly--spark, fuel, or compression. To diagnose the no start problem, do the following:...

Radical recruiting.(From the Shop: GETTING A GOOD TECH)
April 1, 2005... So you're still looking for a technician or more probably you're looking for a technician again. The competition is fierce. Good technicians are constantly barraged with offers. One of my graduates (a talented technician) has moved three...

Streamline customer contact: a CRM database can help you track everything from phone calls to sales orders to customer service requests.(InfoTech: DATA MANAGEMENT)
April 1, 2005... What happens when one of your account managers or sales reps quits? What happens to the customer and sales prospects relationships? How long does it take the new employee to come up to speed? Do you spend weeks trying to pick up the pieces? If...

What's new in April at the Green Industry Hub: networking made easy.(Online Learning Center)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2005... You and your employees are invited to go online today to www.greenindustryhub.com and sign up to be a free or Premium subscriber of the Green Industry Hub, an online community focused on education, information sharing and industry...

New this month: join a forum.(ADVERTORIAL)
April 1, 2005... Free and Premium subscribers can join industry-focused discussion forums covering several management and operations topics. Once you've joined a forum, post a question. Everyone in the forum will be alerted so they can respond right away. ...

Insect control in transition: finding the best control option from a widening range of products challenges today's grounds pros.(TECHNOLOGY: INSECTICIDE EVOLUTION)
April 1, 2005... Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Navigating through the ever-changing landscape of products, formulations and regulations can be scary. After all, you're just trying to follow the yellow brick road to successful pest control. Well, we're not...

IPM success stories.(integrated pest management )
April 1, 2005... The key to successful integrated pest management (IPM) begins with healthy plants and diligent scouting, but that's just the start. Effective control products are still needed. Many grounds professionals are experimenting with a range of insect...

Disease management--profitable add-on: three Texas-based lawn care operations agree their clients need it and will pay for it.
April 1, 2005... Offering disease management is a simple way to provide a more comprehensive package--and ultimately have a more satisfied lawn care customer. Gary LaScalea, owner and president of GroGreen, Plano, TX, has been offering disease control for...

Staying current: the irrigation industry steps up its education and training to meet growing Green Industry challenges.(TECHNOLOGY: EFFICIENT IRRIGATION)
April 1, 2005... Dedicating time and resources to educate employees to stay up-to-date on irrigation knowledge and business trends is a challenge that's too often overlooked or not given the priority needed to ensure high-quality service. Now's the best time...

Aerators.(LM Reports: YOUR GUIDE TO PRODUCT RESEARCH)
April 1, 2005... John Deere The Deere Aercore Models 1000 and 1500 aerators are tractor mounted to deliver high productivity without sacrificing hole quality, durability or ease of service. They feature heavy-duty frames, tine rams and adjustable hole...

Pinehurst Resort: 2004 PGMS Grand Award Winner for Hotels.(PGMS: AWARD-WINNING LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT)
April 1, 2005... The Pinehurst Resort, located in eastern North Carolina, is more than world- class golf courses, although when anyone mentions Pinehurst in a conversation, the next question that's invariably asked is--"Have you played there?" In all, five...

No city water? No problem: an irrigation consultant earns his keep on this unusual sports field project.
April 1, 2005... Every irrigation job has challenges. But the one Michael Astram was called in as a consultant for the Somers Athletic Field in Somers, NY, had a special challenge--no water. Astram, who owns Northern Design, LLC, Milford, CT, and is a member of...

True blue twister.(Products: TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
April 1, 2005... The patented Double Helix from LASCO Fittings makes the new Blue Twister swing- pipe fitting easy to install. Each piece is manufactured with Acetal for strength, stability and resistance to chemicals. It is made for .490 I.D. poly pipe and...

They'll blow you away.(Products: TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
April 1, 2005... Equipped with a high-powered, large-displacement Stihl 4-MIX engine, the BR 500 and BR 550 backpack blowers feature exceptional fuel efficiency, which reduces operating costs. Advanced ergonomic features include an efficient starting procedure;...

New hybrid fertilizer.(Products: TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
April 1, 2005... Growth Products took its best-selling fertilizer for 20 years, 18-3-6, and combined it with natural L-amino acids providing a hybrid of organic based and synthetic fertilizers. This combination has the benefits of slow-release nitrogen from...

Meet the Challenger.(Products: TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
April 1, 2005... AGCO Corp.'s new MT200B Challenger compact tractor features more than 40 improvements made on the B Series, from new front axles with higher load capacities to new piston and fuel injection technology, improving durability while reducing sound...

Tough compact loaders. (Products: TOOLS OF THE TRADE.
April 1, 2005... New Holland Construction added compact track loaders to its line of rugged construction equipment. The new LT185.B and LT190.B compact track loader models feature 2,400 and 2,900 lbs. rated operating capacity, respectively. Both new models...

Sense your turf.(Products: TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
April 1, 2005... The POGO Soil Sensor enables turf managers to spot-check any area for instant data on soil moisture, salinity and temperature, for better watering and fertilization management. The unit sends the information to a detachable PDA or to a laptop...

Meet a Muck Truck.(Products: TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
April 1, 2005... The Muck Truck is a rugged and versatile machine that moves up to 500 lbs. of materials over almost any terrain (up to a 30-degree incline). This 4WD unit is powered with a Honda 5.5-hp engine and has four forward and one reverse speed. At only...

Precision fertilization.(Products: TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
April 1, 2005... Widely considered the most accurate coating process in the industry, Howard ProFusion is a proprietary, heat-infused coating process applied to Howard's AccuBlend fertilizer mixes. A precision coat of liquefied pesticide is applied, accurate to...

Ride the platform.(Products: TOOLS OF THE TRADE)
April 1, 2005... John Deere is filling the gap between zero-turn-radius mowers and walk-behinds with the new A-Series Quik-Trak mowers. The operator doesn't sit or walk with a Quik-Trak; he or she stands on a platform. The compact size requires less trailer...

Events: what, when & where.(RESOURCES)(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... April 29-May 2 Turf & Ornamental Communicators Assn. Conference / Memphis, TN www.toca.org; 952/758-6340 25-27 International Salinity Forum / Riverside, CA, Sponsored by: University of California--Riverside, www.waterresources.ucr.edu...

Statistics: industry trends by the numbers.(RESOURCES)
April 1, 2005... AHOY THERE, MATEY, BUCS THE BEST A total of 1514 active National Football League players from all 32 teams filled out a survey concerning league playing fields. Here the five best playing fields and the five worst fields, according to their...