Landscape Management articles from January 2003

Landscape Management archives from January 2003

Next month: what's coming up in February.
January 1, 2003... * Cover story: Great growth strategies for your business Marty Grunder shares his secrets for growing your business * On the compact tractor trail See the latest offering of compact tractors in "LM Reports" * Train Hispanic employees...

Don't let time slip away. (on the record).
January 1, 2003... It's strange. I've now owned my house for four years, yet I only recently noticed what somebody had carefully written on a crossbeam in the attic--Linda and Bob, 1966. I was floored. 1966. It had already been 36 years since Linda and Bob,...

Hitting the books: Bob Maffei is making changes in management structure to ignite his Cape Cod operation. (inside the owner's head).(Maffei Landscape)
January 1, 2003... College was keeping Robert Maffei from running his landscape business. So he dropped out. "Those were crazy days," he recalls. "First, I had a couple of guys working with me; then I had five guys, then 10, then 15, and the next thing I know I'm...

Would you buy your company? (business ideas).
January 1, 2003... Some landscape company owners run their business like it's "just a job." Others realize that they can build equity in their companies. The latter group of owners is the wiser of the two. Whether you intend to remain as the owner, pass your...

Drafix partners with Horticopia. (Clippings).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... KANSAS CITY, MO -- Drafix Software, a provider of design software for landscape professionals, has teamed up with landscape reference material powerhouse Horticopia to offer access to their images in Version 9 of PRO Landscape.

Toro's 4Q revenue up from '01. (Clippings).(Toro Corp.'s 2002 4th-quarter revenues exceed 2001's)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... BLOOMINGTON, MN -- The Toro Company reported net earnings of $5 million on net sales of $275.4 million for its fiscal fourth quarter ended October 31, 2002. For the year ended October 31, 2002, Toro reported net earnings of $35.3 million on net...

Kubota sues Daedong. (Clippings).(Daedong Industrial Co.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Torrance, CA -- Kubota Corp. is suing Daedong Industrial Co. and its U.S. distributor, charging trademark and trade dress infringement and unfair competition.

Correction.(Sports Turf Managers Association contact information)(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2003... Landscape Management recently published erroneous contact information for the Sports Turf Managers Association. The correct information is: STMA, 1027 S. 3rd St., Council Bluffs, IA 51503, phone: 712/322-7862 or 800/323-3875, fax: 712/366-9119,...

PLCAA picks new leader, Clayton Delaney reassigned to new legislative/regulatory post. (Industry almanac: news you can use).(Professional Lawn Care Association of America)
January 1, 2003... MARIETTA, GA -- Longtime Green Industry participant Gary Clayton, CTP, became the fourth executive vice president in the history of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA). He replaced Tom Delaney on Jan. 1, 2003. Delaney was...

How does your company's pay package stack up? (Industry almanac: news you can use).
January 1, 2003... It's information that you've always wanted to get from other companies but were afraid to ask for: How much do they pay their employees? Their management team? And, based on that information, are you overpaying or underpaying your employees?...

R.A.R. tour wows CLIP crowd. (Industry almanac: news you can use).
January 1, 2003... BALTIMORE, MD -- A cold drizzle couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the 350-plus attendees of the recent CLIP Conference who toured the new R.A.R. Landscaping Co. offices and shops here in late November. The 20-year-old company with about 100...

Super turfgrass team ready for Super Bowl XXXVII. (Industry almanac: news you can use).
January 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO, CA -- While most of the rest of the world watches the action on the field during Super Bowl XXXVII, grounds managers will be keeping their eye on the field itself. Real men play on real grass at Qualcomm Stadium here, unlike last...

Dow AgroSciences.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Dow AgroSciences named Lisa Bostock, Kent Redding, Jay Golz, Mark Ringkob and Linda Satter to its Turf & Ornamental sales team following a business realignment. Bruce Miehle, formerly the general manager for turf, ornamental and technical...

Allmand Bros.(Allmand Brothers Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Allmand Bros. appointed Doug Dahlgren product manager, Steve Allmand western regional manager, Tom Castrop northeast regional manager, Brad Allmand northwest regional sales manager, Tom Martin southwest district manager, and Sherri Ellsworth...

Shindaiwa.
January 1, 2003... Shindaiwa presented its 2002 Distributor Service Manager of the Year Award to Gene Hood of Smith's South-Central Sales Company located in Springhill, LA.

LESCO.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... LESCO appointed Kevin L. Wade to vice president, chief information officer and Steven Cochran to senior vice president of sales.

The American Nursery & Landscape Association.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The American Nursery & Landscape Association added Niel Henriksen, vice president and chief operating officer of Hermes Nursery, Inc., Shawnee, KS, to its Landscape Distribution Group's Board of Directors.

Chapel Valley Landscape Company.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Chapel Valley Landscape Company promoted Lawrence R. Conrad to regional manager for the Virginia Region.

PBI/Gordon.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... PBI/Gordon named David Fearis, CGCS, product specialist for Non-Regulated Products.

Statistics: industry trends by the numbers.
January 1, 2003... TOP CITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT (Q2, 2002) MULTIFAMILY Low mortgage interest rates are drawing people into home buying and away from the rental marketplace. Construction of new rental units totaled 115,000 units in the first half of...

Editors' choice: top ten labor saving products & ideas: this mixed bag of unique new products will give you a head start on the season and your competition.
January 1, 2003... Green Industry trade shows are fun. They promise unexpected discoveries but more often the chance to check out the newest models of longtime favorites. Whose blood doesn't flow a little warmer checking out the newest model pickup trucks? Or...

Profit from long-term contracts: build multi-year relationships with your clients to boost your bottom line and provide them with better landscapes. (Business Management).
January 1, 2003... Long-term contracts are popular with landscape professionals and lawn service companies because they provide a win-win situation for everyone involved, especially customers. "Long-term contracts, say, from three to five years, let us...

Telemarketing: is it in trouble? Despite mounting regulations, lawn care business owners still think it's a great tool. (Lawn Care).
January 1, 2003... Telemarketing--long a mainstay of the lawn care industry--is being pulled in two directions at once. New regulations are casting a shadow on its use and causing many in our industry to wonder how long it will be available to them. More...

Lessons learned from the drought: what these lawn and landscape pros learned during the 2002 drought will help you this year. (Water Management).
January 1, 2003... "I was just getting ready to go on a week's vacation when the `no watering' mandatory restrictions went into effect on August 26," says Jeff Cooper, owner of Lawn Connection, Inc., Mt. Laurel, NJ. "We fought for weeks to have it lifted for...

Prep your fields for spring: preparing cool-season fields for spring sports involves a thorough program that actually starts each fall. (Athletic turf: turfgrass management).
January 1, 2003... Spring challenges sports turf managers. Baseball, softball, lacrosse and soccer begin before the turf has awaken from the winter. The adversary is the weather--if it's not snowing, the spring showers are probably dousing your fields. How are...

Illinois State University: 2002 PGMS Grand Award Winner for School or University Grounds. (award-winning landscape management).
January 1, 2003... Illinois State University, founded in 1857, is the oldest and one of the largest public universities in the state. Director of Grounds Operations Mike O'Grady and his staff's respect for the old gem shows in the service they provide it. ...

Know thy costs: Determining how much to charge for mowing isn't so tough if you know how much it costs to do it. (Mower Guide 2003).
January 1, 2003... When landscape professional Bob Smart looked out over the darkened conference room prior to his presentation at the 2002 CLIP Conference, he saw more than 200 expectant faces looking back at him. His topic: "Know Your Mowing Costs." Smart...

Deep-tine or standard coring? (LM reports).
January 1, 2003... The buzz on aeration at landscape meetings recently revolves around the difference between deep-tine aeration and standard coring. Dave Kopec, turf specialist at the University of Arizona, says both are valuable when used in the right...

Ask the expert.
January 1, 2003... Extensive dieback Live oaks in our area are showing extensive dieback of branch terminals. These twigs are discolored. There's no evidence of any insect-like borers.--TX The problem is most likely caused by botryodiplodia sp., the...

Get in control. (Products: tech center).
January 1, 2003... Valvette Systems' new sprinkler head bodies, pop-up shafts and fittings offer savings in time, money and water. Each part contains the Little Valve, which provides for individual on/off control for each sprinkler head for stress-free cleaning,...

Merit for ornamentals. (Products: tech center).
January 1, 2003... Merit Insecticide's new granular formulation provides an easy-to-use alternative for ornamental treatments. Merit 2.5 G Ornamental Insecticide is a ready-to-use product in a convenient 4-lb. bottle. Because it's applied based on volume, not by...

A cut above. (Products: tech center).
January 1, 2003... Vaughan & Bushnell's new series of three Mini-Bear Saws provide specific designs for tree pruning. Each pull saw features a triple-edged, super thin, 7-in. blade with a color-coded handle. The thinner blade allows faster and more accurate...

Vacuum the turf. (Products: tech center).
January 1, 2003... Goossen's new high-powered turf vac is a self-contained and towable unit that offers a 25-hp Kohler gas engine, seven cu. yd. hopper, a 24-in. diameter x 10-in.-wide high-flow fan, and hydraulic hopper dump. Additional features include a 60-in....

Class is in session. (Products: tech center).
January 1, 2003... International Training Videos' new 30-minute training video, available in both English and Spanish, instructs unskilled new recruits how to properly and safely operate lawn care equipment such as weedeaters, commercial mowers, and blowers. ...

Handy and dandy. (Products: tech center).
January 1, 2003... Shindaiwa's new M2500 multi-purpose tool is a string trimmer, hedge trimmer, pole pruner, PowerBroom, lawn edger, and cultivator all in one. Working off one power head, the split boom and positive coupler design allows for quick and easy...

See saw. (Products: tech center).
January 1, 2003... FCI-RACINE Hydraulic Tools introduces improved hydraulic hand and pole chain saws. Enhancements include a steel sleeved dual spool, which allows the user to switch easily between open center and closed center truck systems. Other features...

Events: what, when & where.(landscape industry conferences 2003)(Calendar)
January 1, 2003... January 15-19 STMA 14th Annual Conference & Exhibition / San Antonio, TX; 800/323-3875; www.sportsturfmanager.com 18-20 TNLA/TFGA Convention and Trade Show / Chattanooga, TN; 931/473-3951; www.tnla.com 20-22 Central Environmental...

Equipment: labor savings, life cycle & maintenance. (Best practices: guidelines to help an industry grow).(related article on commerical mower information)
January 1, 2003... Contractors use equipment primarily to save labor. Some contractors are knowledgeable about equipment and have strong opinions about what equipment is right for which situation. Other contractors are more focused on sales and rely on their...