Landscape Management articles from January 2001

Landscape Management archives from January 2001

events : WHAT, WHEN & WHERE.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... January 2001 15-18 Michigan Turfgrass Conference / Lansing, MI; 517/321-1660; michiganturfgrass.org 16-17 Connecticut Nurseryman's Association Winter Meeting / Waterbury, CT; 203/445-0110 17-19 Mid-America Horticultural Trade...

Time to raise the bar.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Are you as successful as you want to be? If you're not getting the hourly rates you want, the clients you prefer or the good employees you need, you probably need to ask if your organization has a long-term future. Do you have a professional...

Raise your prices for 2001.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... If you're in the lawn fertilization business, it's gut-check time. Screw up your courage and raise your prices this approaching season. If, for competitive reasons, you can't, or if you've already signed up a lot of customers at last season's...

Share your success with employees.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... My partner, Bruce Stone, and I think it's good business to share our landscape company's success with our employees. One of the ways we do this is through profit sharing. By including full-time employees in the company's financial rewards,...

Toro acquires Goossen.(Goossen Industries)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... BLOOMINGTON, MN -- The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) announced on Dec. 7, 2000 that it was purchasing Goossen Industries, Inc., which makes sweepers, vacuums, blowers, mulchers, chipper/shredders and bale choppers. "This purchase will expand...

Scotts Company businesses unite.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... MARYSVILLE, OH -- The Scotts Company united its professional businesses in America and Europe as a Global Professional Business Group. The company cited the growth of its international professional business, synergies between product lines and...

EII acquires North Haven Gardens.(Environmental Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... CALABASAS, CA -- Environmental Industries, Inc. (EII) acquired North Haven Gardens, Inc., Dallas, TX, a $17-million full-service landscape company. North Haven Gardens will operate under EII's landscape and maintenance divisions.

e-Greenbiz.com, Growzone.com merge.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... BOULDER, CO -- e-Greenbiz.com and Growzone.com signed a letter of intent to merge the business-to-business assets of both companies. Under the proposed agreement, eGreenbiz.com will provide the technology solution and customer relationship...

MacKissic acquires Johnson Big Wheel.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... PARKER FORD, PA -- MacKissic, Inc. acquired Johnson Big Wheel[R] Mower, Ridgeland, MS, producer of high wheel mowers. The initial focus will be to continue supply to Johnson Big Wheel current customers before making the high wheel mowers...

Feds finally fund turfgrass scientist at USDA.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... BELTSVILLE, MD -- The USDA will, sometime early in 2001, fund its first full-time turfgrass research scientist since Jack Murray's position was abolished after his retirement in 1988. This is a result of the passage of the FY2001 Agriculture...

TopPro has new product line.(TopPro Specialties' herbicides, insecticides and fungicides)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... MEMPHIS, TN -- TopPro[TM] Specialties, a unit of BASF Corp. and Micro Flo Co., has a new product line of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides for the turf and ornamental industry.The product expansion, which includes Amdro[R] Pro, is a...

Turfco unveils parts Web page.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Turfco Direct unveiled the lawn care industry's first parts direct page on its Web site, www.turfco.com, which allows for purchases day or night. "It's expensive and time-intensive to send someone to get parts during the...

Wal-Mart to carry Snapper mowers.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... McDONOUGH, GA -- As the result of declining numbers of OPE dealers and the growing popularity of home center stores and mass merchants, Snapper has reached an agreement with Wal-Mart to sell several models of mowers in Wal-Mart stores. Snapper...

Blount acquires Fabtek.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2001... MONTGOMERY, AL -- Blount International, which manufactures industrial and power equipment among other things, acquired Fabtek, Inc. Fabtek, which had sales of $21 million last year, will now become part of Blount's Industrial and Power...

Sonar label changes approved.(aquatic herbicide)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... CARMEL, IN -- Recent changes to the Sonar aquatic herbicide label have been reviewed and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and the state of California. The label is available through SePRO at 800/419-7779 or www.sepro.com.

Spectro 90WDG label accepted.(Cleary's Spectro turf and ornamental fungicide)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... DAYTON, NJ -- Cleary's Spectro 90WDG turf and ornamental fungicide has been accepted for use in the state of California. Labeled site uses include golf courses, commercial lawns, sod farms, greenhouses, nurseries, interiorscapes and...

Texas bans morning commercial equipment use.(Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... HOUSTON, TX -- The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) voted on Dec. 6 to ban commercial landscape contractors in the Houston/Galveston, TX area from using gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment in the morning. The...

Learning on the fly : Web course gives busy industry pros education in a snap.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Just think: you could chew gum or thumb your nose at the professor and he or she would never know. It's doubtful that Web-based courses were conceived for those reasons, but they have changed the face of education. More important, they...

EPA, Syngenta agree to phase out diazinon.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... GREENSBORO, NC -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Syngenta Crop Protection USA have agreed on a four-year phase out of diazinon, an insecticide used to control insects and grubs. The announcement comes six months after the...

HOSE REELS GALORE.(Hannay Reels Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... HOSE REELS GALORE...can be found in Hannay Reels' four-color hose reel catalog that features information and specifications on hose reels for air/water, washdown, refueling, lubrication, hydraulics, grounds maintenance, pest control, repair and...

VISUALIZE NIGHT LIGHTING.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... VISUALIZE NIGHT LIGHTING...with "Vista Night Vision," Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting's new CD-ROM designed to allow landscape contractors and architects to see projects under different light conditions ranging from daylight to complete...

2000 T & O CHEMICAL REFERENCE GUIDES.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... 2000 T & O CHEMICAL REFERENCE GUIDES...are now available at the PLCAA office with special pricing for PLCAA members. Members save over $85 on the ninth edition, which includes over 300 top selling products from 24 companies, full text labels...

LABONVILLE INC.'S NEW PRODUCTS GUIDE.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... LABONVILLE INC.'S NEW PRODUCTS GUIDE...features everything a landscape company might need for its daily operations. You name it, Labonville's got it: outdoor, work and safety clothing, chainsaw supplies, arborist supplies, hand tools,...

CORRECTION.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2001... In the November issue of Landscape Management, the article on Person of the Year Terry Kurth referred to atrazine as a fungicide. It is not. Rather, it is a selective herbicide used for broadleaf weed and grass control in corn and sorghum. We...

Tree pruning guidelines.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Tree pruning guidelines...are offered in the International Society of Arboriculture's (ISA) Tree-Pruning Guidelines publication. Written and reviewed by a committee of top arborists and educators, it was developed to accompany the new A300...

Lots 'o seed.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Lots 'o seed...can be found in Barenbrug's new catalog entitled, "Grass Seed Mixtures for the Professionals." The catalog profiles more than 35 of Barenbrug's varieties so that its grass seed users can select the correct variety for their...

Environmental Care.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Environmental Care, the landscape maintenance company of Enviromental Industries, appointed Brian Storm vice president. The company also hired Mark Frederick as branch manager for Denver, CO.

Roberts Seed Company.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Roberts Seed Company appointed John Zajac as director of market development.

Weed Man and Turf Management Systems.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Weed Man and Turf Management Systems appointed Michael Kernaghan chief operating officer.

Smallwood Landscape.
January 1, 2001... Smallwood Landscape, Naples, FL, appointed Jud Griggs vice president of operations.

Kujawa Enterprises'.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Kujawa Enterprises' Chris Kujawa, CCLP, was named one of Milwaukee's "40 Under 40" by the Business Journal of Milwaukee. The distinction honors Milwaukee's young business people. Kujawa Enterprises is located in Cudahy, WI.

Pennington Seed.
January 1, 2001... Pennington Seed appointed Stanley Kleczynski southeastern territory manager for its Professional Turfgrass Group. The company also named David Merchant assistant manager of Seed Production and Vegetable Seed Divisions for the Seed Group.

Environmental Industries.
January 1, 2001... Environmental Industries named Richard H. Klein Senior Vice President Corporate Development.

Valley Crest.
January 1, 2001... Valley Crest, the landscape construction division of Environmental Industries, hired Steve Titus as branch manager for Arizona.

Riggs Industries.
January 1, 2001... Riggs Industries, (J & J Truck Bodies & Trailers; J & J Truck Equipment), appointed David Spear director of education, Stephanie Mostoller dir. of safety.

Uncovering Your best side.
January 1, 2001... Your dream may have started like many others' -- a dream of independence, good work, profits and pride. Your dream to manage a landscape operation grew from the idea that you'd make your mark, put your own stamp on something worthwhile -- and...

WATER AUDITS: Programmed savings.
January 1, 2001... Want to save your commercial and residential customers money? A water audit might be the first step With an average annual rainfall of 50 inches, you would never guess the City of Houston would need a water conservation program. Guess...

Mowers can't break down, landscaper says.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Greg Kahl just can't deal with mower breakdowns. As the owner of a small, family-run landscape company in Verona, WI that averages 250 to 260 stops a week, the breakdown of one mower is crippling. Some of the company's stops are two hours from...

Post Crest : A 2000 Grand Award Winner of the Professional Grounds Management Society for Apartment Complex.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... What does an apartment complex administration do to maintain its 100% occupancy rating? Hold monthly grounds inspections, that's what. After all, a nice landscape is one way to keep tenants happy, right? Post Crest Operations, the...

HOW I SELECT MOWERS.
January 1, 2001... Three veteran landscape contractors talk about the importance of reliability and productivity in equipment A MANUFACTURER'S PERSPECTIVE Making a better mower Manufacturers talk about the key qualities they consider in their quest...

Effective, efficient hydroseeding.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... These contractors have found the right mix of materials, prices and products to make hydroseeding services profitable It's summer and business is heating up. So are the chances of your hydroseeder plugging. One problem might be failure to...

A sprinkling of great products.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... While there is great care to avoid system failures when installing sprinkler heads and emitters, Norm Mueller of I.S.A., Inc. finds that not cleaning out irrigation lines is the biggest problem. "It's more an issue with PVC than poly," he says....

ask the expert.
January 1, 2001... Spider mites Some Norway spruces on our clients' properties have dull, green needles. Some needles have yellowish flecking, discoloration and some browning. In a few cases, we found a small number of spider mites, which we treated with...

Royal treatment : When it came to defending majestic royal palms from royal palm bugs, the right insecticide saved time and trouble.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... When royal palm trees started looking like the victims of bad haircuts a few years ago, Rick Wilson sought a solution. As president of Summer Rain Fertilization Company, Margate, FL, which provides landscape care for commercial and...

Making the grade.(innovative farming and grounds-maintenance equipment)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... e By itself, or pulled behind a tillage tool, Brillion Iron Works says its Optimizer Pulverizer creates the optimum seedbed surface -- firm and texturized without air pockets. With an average operating weight of 200 lbs. per ft. of width and...

Little hydroseeder.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... FINN Corp.'s T-30 HydroSeeder[R] has a 300-gallon capacity and hydroseeds 1/10th of an acre in eight minutes. The smallest unit in the HydroSeeder line, it's designed for landscape contractors who want to add hydroseeding to their services, and...

Design with ease.(VectorWorks Landmark, landscape drafting and modeling software)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... VectorWorks Landmark design software offers drafting and modeling with site and landscape tools to create, analyze and present site and landscape designs. Features include schematic design, 3D visualization, planting design and management,...

Walk this way.(walk-behind mower by Cub Cadet Corporation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Cub Cadet Commercial's G1436 gear-driven wide-area walk-behind mower has a 14-hp Kawasaki V-Twin OHV engine and a 36-in. cutting deck. Other features include steel fixed fabricated deck, 5-speed Peerless[R] transmission with 9-spline shaft,...

Solid as a rock.(Anchor Diamond retaining wall blocks by Anchor Wall Systems)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Anchor Diamond[R] retaining wall blocks, suited for residential and commercial landscaping projects, are available in straight face and beveled three-way face styles, providing design flexibility for straight or curved retaining walls and...

Fine design.(EarthScapes, landscape drafting and design software)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Visual Impact Imaging's EarthScapes landscape design software features on-screen plant and modern hardscape libraries, a clone tool to remove old landscaping, texture tool to paint in materials, advanced perspective tools and infinite levels of...

Off-roading.(gas utility vehicle by Steiner Electric Company)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Steiner's UT669G gas utility vehicle features 4-wheel, 14-gauge unitized steel body and tube frame, steel cargo box, rear wheel hydraulic brakes, hand-operated parking brake, automotive-style steering wheel, horn, dual halogen headlights, dual...

Better spreader.(Garber Seeder Company's seed and fertilizer spreading machine)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Garber Seeder Company's new 3-pt. hitch spreader spreads seed or fertilizer into places such as square corners and dead-end spots, makes short turns without cramping the hitch, converts to a pull-type spreader, carries 180 to 360 lbs. or more...

Quiet blowing.(Quiet Blow leaf blower series by Billy Goat Industries)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Billy Goat Industries' Quiet Blow series blower features an exhaust design that condenses and controls hurricane-force airflow into a tight pattern. An ergonomically designed lever allows the operator to control the direction of the airflow...

A cut above the rest?(laser lawn mower by garden equipment manufacturer Wolf-Garten)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Holy lawnmowers, Grassman! The Associated Press recently reported in The Plain Dealer that Wolf-Garten, a European manufacturer of gardening equipment, has developed a lawnmower for consumer use that slices grass by laser, cutting it so finely...

Yep, those are all people.(customer-appreciation event by garden equipment manufacturer Walker Manufacturing Company)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... This may look like a colorful clump of dots, but it's actually the faces of all 1,750 Walker Mfg. Co. "family members" who attended the Walker Mowers Family Reunion Aug. 11-12 in Fort Collins, CO. Everyone who had ever bought a Walker mower was...

Need a new shirt?(Brief Article)
January 1, 2001... Ever see a Landscape Management staffer at an industry show, notice his or her sharp-looking shirt with the magazine's name embroidered on the front and say to yourself, "Now, I've got to get one of those!" Well, here's your chance to become...