Landscape Management articles from August 2000

Landscape Management archives from August 2000

How high tech won't help.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... After five minutes in a Best Buy store, I've usually found three or four things I "must" have -- new software, a portable phone, some audio gizmo. Tech does that to you. Tech toys change constantly, luring us with more memory, more features,...

events : WHAT, WHEN & WHERE.
August 1, 2000... August 23 Michigan Turfgrass Field Day / Lansing, MI; 517/321-1660 23 Indiana State Lawn Care Association Summer Field Day / Carmel, IN; 317/575-9010 September 7-8 Southwest Horticultural Trade Show / Phoenix, AZ; Sponsored by...

Boring? Are you kidding?(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... The Sonnen family -- Rudy, his wife Paulette, and their sons, Cory and Ty -- started Western Productions, a seed company, about six years ago. Rudy had already logged over 20 years in the turf and forage seed business. The Sonnens work...

Don't plan, and go nowhere.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... There seems to be a common question that Green Industry owners and managers constantly ask: Is all this work and worry worth it? Nothing ever seems to go right. Operating headaches are a part of the industry, but it's how they're handled...

Kawasaki, LESCO form alliance.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA, has formed an alliance with LESCO, Inc. Through the new venture, LESCO will carry Kawasaki power products as its exclusive hand-held power equipment line in 234 LESCO Service Centers[R] and 75...

Albizo leaves ANLA.
August 1, 2000... Joel Albizo left the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) in July to join PlantAmerica, a green industry technology firm. He joined the ANLA in 1988 as director of public relations.

Griffin markets new fungicide.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... VALDOSTA, GA -- Griffin LLC, a joint venture company of Griffin Corporation and DuPont, will market its own brand of chlorothalonil fungicide, to be sold under the trade name Concorde SST.

BASF responds to EPA study.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC -- As a result of the tolerant reassessment process conducted by the EPA under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), BASF Agricultural Products has agreed to amend usage patterns for the broad-spectrum fungicide...

Vendex[R] OK for ornamentals.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... VALDOSTA, GA -- The EPA reinstated application to ornamentals for the Vendex 50WP-T/N/O miticide label.

Toro aiding Audubon program.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... RIVERSIDE, CA -- Design a sprinkler, help wildlife. That's the message The Toro Company sent as it announced a program aimed at helping Audubon International's Cooperative Sanctuary System. For every irrigation design submitted to Toro...

DTN partners with ESRI.(DTN Kavouras Weather Services and Environmental Systems research Institute)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- DTN Kavouras Weather Services, a subsidiary of Data Transmission Network Corp. (DTN), Omaha, NE, has partnered with the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) to provide real-time weather information in ESRI format...

Cad, McNeel form product partnership.(Cad Easy Corp. and Robert McNeel and Associates market modeling software together)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... SEATTLE, WA - Cad Easy Corp., the producers of EasySite, and Robert McNeel & Assoc., the producers of Facade, have formed a product partnership for the latest release of each company's products. EasySite is a site modeling and visualization...

HomeProject.com partners with Horticopia.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... TORONTO - HomeProject.com has partnered with Horticopia to offer homeowners a comprehensive selection of plant photographs and horticultural information which they can use to design their own gardens on the Web. Horticopia publishes CD-ROMs...

ABT saga drawing to a close.(bankruptcy court sells off AgrioBio Tech Inc. assets)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... LAS VEGAS, NV -- The saga of the bankruptcy of AgrioBioTech Inc. (ABT) is finally coming to an end, and the U.S. turf seed industry is hoping for more stability. The bankruptcy court, located in this desert city, sold most of ABT's grass...

Ryegrass -- what a bargain!(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... If you purchase large quantities of perennial ryegrass seed -- perhaps for overseeding warm-season grasses or for establishing new lawns -- you'll love this story. Perennial ryegrass seed is a bargain this season. While not all varieties...

The John Deere Worldwide Commercial and Consumer Equipment Division recently celebrated the production of the first Gator[R] utility vehicle.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... The John Deere Worldwide Commercial and Consumer Equipment Division recently celebrated the production of the first Gator[R] utility vehicle at the company's new $30 million, 300,000-sq-ft. facility located in Williamsburg, VA. Here, Lou Gomez,...

Exmark launches new Web site.(Exmark Manufacturing)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... BEATRICE, NE -- Exmark Manufacturing Corp. joined the growing number of Green Industry companies entering cyberspace by recently launching its new Web site: www.exmark.com. Exmark national marketing manager John Cloutier believes the site...

PLCAA polls members on Dursban limit.(Professional Lawn Care Association of American survey results regarding regulated pesticide)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... According to a recent poll conducted by the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA), a little over half of landscape professionals say the loss of the insecticide Dursban will affect their business. Most say they haven't received...

Eco Soil, Simplot amend purchase deal.(Eco Soil Systems Inc. sells Turf Partners to J.R. Simplot)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Eco Soil Systems, Inc. (ESSI) amended the agreement to sell its Turf Partners subsidiary assets to the J.R. Simplot Company. The new agreement calls for a fixed purchase price for Turf Partners' assets, payable in cash at the closing of the...

Web-wise operators.(landscaping firms and the Internet)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Survey respondents Landscape Management's State of the Industry Report are starting to frequent the Internet in record numbers. Our survey showed that one in five (21%) of respondents' organization have their own Web-sites and that more than...

BlueBird International appointed Carla Herron director of marketing and business development.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... BlueBird International appointed Carla Herron director of marketing and business development, Bruce Gibson director of operations and Richard Moran engineering manager.

Ferris Industries.(new marketing vice president)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Ferris Industries named Hal White vice president of marketing.

Bayer Corp.(Bayleton 50 Fungicide)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Bayer Corp.'s Bayleton[R] 50 Fungicide is now labeled to treat gray leaf spot (Pyricularia grisea).

Simplot Turf and Horticulture.(Bill Whitacre, president)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Simplot Turf and Horticulture appointed Bill Whitacre president.

Irritrol Systems.
August 1, 2000... Irritrol Systems hired Keith Shepersky as category manager for the stand-alone controller product line.

Encore Power Equipment.(new distributor for Encore Power Equipment)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Encore Power Equipment recently added Chas. J. Smith and Co. of Jersey City as a distributor for its commercial mower line. The territory covered by Chas. J. Smith includes New York, Long Island and New Jersey.

Bio-Green.
August 1, 2000... Bio-Green, Las Vegas, NV, has appointed James E. Smith as the new director of retail sales operations.

The Green Industry Expo Board.(new officers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... The Green Industry Expo Board elected Kevin O'Donnell of Villanova University as president, Rick Doesburg of Thornton Landscape Services as vice president and Jon Cundiff of Turf's Up Lawn Service as secretary and treasurer.

Pursell Technologies.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Pursell Technologies named John Johnson director of marketing.

The Arizona Nursery Association.(new education and communication coordinator)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... The Arizona Nursery Association hired Lynda Tatum as its new communication and education coordinator.

Get mobile with tech : Getting mobile has never been easier with new tech tools designed to increase your efficiency at home, the office or the truck.(landscape professionals discuss their high tech equipment)
August 1, 2000... It's no secret that landscape professionals are busy these days. It pays to be everywhere at once, to get back to clients instantly, to be in constant contact with crews...and to do all of this anywhere. Let's face it: landscape work is outside...

Turf goes 'Space Age' : GPS isn't just for golf courses anymore. Find out how it will streamline your operations.(global positioning system)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Remember when all you had was a citizen band radio to communicate with crews and a hand calculator to price out jobs? All that is changing as the Space Age comes down to Earth. Advances in technology have made cell phones commonplace, while...

ASPs:Outsource services, on the Net -- Application service providers can simplify your operations. Their on-line services let you concentrate on what you do best -- service your customers.(landscaping services)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... If your operation has grown quickly, you may discover that keeping your budget on Excel just doesn't cut it any more. Perhaps you're located in an area that doesn't attract many computer professionals, but you need one. Maybe you have...

Divine design.(landscaping use of various software programs)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... B Vinyl sheet piling engineering software from C-LOC[R] enables design/build contractors to gain approval on installations faster. C-LOC Sheet Pile Design Program Version 1.1 performs engineering analyses and design for cantilever and anchored...

13 ideas to ignite training : Training doesn't have to be a drag. Spice it up with these ideas.(training tips)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Training is an ongoing effort, and it's easy to get in a slump. Keep your sessions creative, energetic and focused on improving by using any of these ideas. 1. Play music. Get a boom box and use some energizing sounds - the theme from the...

award-winning landscape management : Peterson Air Force Base.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... The 1999 Grand Award Winner of the Professional Grounds Management Society for Government Building or Complex You better believe the grounds at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, CO, are closely manicured, enough to bounce a...

Life after Dursban: The new insecticides -- The rules are changing for insect control, so be prepared by understanding your alternatives.
August 1, 2000... The rules of pest management are changing. The 1996 Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) is having a significant impact on the availability of pesticides you can use to manage turf. In particular, the organophosphate and carbamate...

High-tech wonders.(landscaping, and high tech equipment)
August 1, 2000... It's the Year 2000. There aren't any flying cars yet, nor can people communicate through telepathy. But it's safe to say that more technological advances have been made in the last ten years than in the last 100. Buy a computer today, and it's...

Tree treatment goes bio.(treating maple trees with verticilium wilt)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... A treatment program consisting primarily of bio-stimulants was the knockout punch for verticilium wilt In September of 1997, a client of Mark Webber's Landscaping Company was concerned that 49 Norway Maples (Acer platanoides) lining his...

ask the expert.(magnolia scale, and other landscaping questions)(Questions and Answers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Magnolia scale We have a problem with magnolia scale. Our local nursery person told our client to spray with Cygon. Instead, we applied oil once in early summer and again in late summer. We found a few dead scales but a number of scales...

Light up your life.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Kichler Landscape Lighting's K-15060 AZT, an uncomplicated "simplicity side mount," offers perfect illumination along paths and gardens without bothersome glare. With durable die cast aluminum construction, it is finished in textured...

A bug's strife.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Move over, turf and landscape ornamental insecticides: here comes Meridian from Novartis (expected out this summer). For turf, it will provide broad-spectrum preventive and curative control of all major white grub species at the lowest rate of...

Pumping up soil.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Regal Chemical Company introduces LiquiGreen, an all natural, slow-release nitrogen fertilizer that relies on microbes in the soil as the catalyst for the process that releases nitrogen to make it available to plants' root systems. As microbes...

Load 'em up.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Komatsu Utility Corporation's two new compact wheel loaders feature wheel loader performance and skid steer versatility. A low effort single pedal allows for efficient control of speed and breaking. After dumping, the loaders feature a...

Blow like a pro.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Selbro, Inc.'s high velocity/high output blowers for the Scag S series and Toro Proline series mowers are designed to eliminate operator fatigue and increase productivity with Selbro's blower attachments for out front rotary mowers. New for...

Platform stake bodies.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... Morgan's platform stake bodies feature floors of Apitong laminated decking; Apitong hardwood or steel without underlay; standard 48-in. bulkhead; and 42-in. racks of unpainted galvanized steel or black powder coated, with platform lengths from...

D.C.-Area Green Industry statistics.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... * Average hourly wages for landscape and similar trades: hourly labor rate, estimate: $9 without supervisor; $11.50 with supervisor(1) * Annual wages for 1998: Landscape and horticultural services: $20,360 Building construction general...

Humdinger of a prize.
August 1, 2000... Irritrol Systems is making buying its products pay off in a big way. Just ask irrigation contractors Chad Bagley and Linda Rast, who were the first two winners of five Hummer safari trips Irritrol Systems will give away through its No Limits...

And the winner is ...
August 1, 2000... Lou Kobus of Village Turf, Mount Vernon, VA, supported the Evergreen Foundation out of the goodness of his heart. After all, the non-profit group provides greenway projects around the country with cash support and gift-in-kind contributions of...

Labor talk.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2000... "It's no longer a question of just 'Get me some labor;' it's more specific. Contractors want good workers whose legal status is solid. H2B addresses those needs." -- Scott Evans, C. Scott Inc., Bay City, TX, talking about how federal...