Landscape Management articles from January 2004

Landscape Management archives from January 2004

New tricks for this old dog.(On the record: from the boss)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... When we approached chief designer Lisa Lehman about making several structural changes to Landscape Management, she said: "The only reason to make changes would be to improve the magazine." We kept coming back to that statement as we...

Mark Pendergast: [C] Salmon Falls nursery & landscaping.(Inside the Owner's Head: personality profile)(Interview)
January 1, 2004... Tell me you don't work more than 50 hours a week at your age? I wish I could. But yeah, it's 70 to 80 hours per week in peak season. I'm always either at the shop or at a job site. One of my personal goals is to get my life straightened out...

Need talent? You better get crackin'.(In the know: news you can use)(American Landscape Contractors Association)
January 1, 2004... Do you think that Ohio State football coach Jim Tressell or Michigan's Lloyd Carr sit in their offices waiting for the next All-American quarterback to knock on their doors and say, "Well, here I am"? Recruiting is a big reason why these...

Environmental efforts pay off.(In the know: news you can use)(Pro-Lawn Plus Inc.,)
January 1, 2004... JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Too seldom does the public think of the environment and lawn care in the same context. This is unfortunate. Pro-Lawn Plus, Inc. demonstrates that that should be every LCO's goal, and earned PLCAA's 2003 Environmental Service...

Barenbrug USA.(People & companies)(Devesh Singh)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Barenbrug USA has promoted Devesh Singh to Director of Research.

Hunter Industries.(People & companies)(Russell Mitchell receives Edwin J. Hunter Achievement Award)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Hunter Industries presented Russell Mitchell with its Edwin J. Hunter Achievement Award. Hunter CEO Richard E. Hunter made the presentation to the irrigation designer and praised Mitchell's leadership and lifetime service to the landscape...

Encore Manufacturing Co.(People & companies)(Doug Tegtmeier and Bob Reed)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Encore Manufacturing Co. has appointed Doug Tegtmeier (far left) to president and Bob Reed to general manager.

Ruppert Nurseries.(People & companies)(Jorge Torres)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Ruppert Nurseries promoted Jorge Torres to assistant nursery manager.

Schiller-Pfeiffer, Inc.(People & companies)(Jeff Marcinowski )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Schiller-Pfeiffer, Inc., manufacturer of Little Wonder and Mantis Landscaping & Gardening Power Equipment, promoted Jeff Marcinowski to manager of engineering & product development.

Environmental Designs, Inc.(People & companies)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Environmental Designs, Inc. hired Myles Tangalin as senior landscape architect, Devon Hukill as manager of the firm's Landscape Enhancement Division, and Leigh Anderson as manager of marketing.

BASF Corp.(People & companies)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... BASF Corp. named William Strickland senior marketing manager, Rich Kalik national accounts manager, Greg Thompson regional sales manager, Northern U.S., and Bryan Brochin marketing associate.

TPI prez frets over artificial turf, water.(In the know: news you can use)(Turfgrass Producers International)(Ed Zuckerman)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... ROLLING MEADOWS, IL -- Ed Zuckerman, president of Turfgrass Producers International (TPI), identified artificial turf and water shortages as two of the turfgrass industry's biggest challenges in 2004. "An influx of artificial turf, along...

Irish/Toro host youth.(In the know: news you can use)(Lawn and garden equipment industry organised a youth's weekend )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... SOUTH BEND, IN -- Several Big Brothers Big Sisters youth and their mentors became a part of Notre Dame football and also learned about professional groundskeeping this past fall, thanks to The Toro Company The youth's weekend started at a...

EPA green lights Dow's spotlight.(Clippings)(Dow AgroSciences L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... INDIANAPOLIS -- Dow AgroSciences LLC has received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Spotlight specialty herbicide, a post-emergence herbicide for improved clover control and control of other annual and...

Monument gets EPA label OK.(Clippings)(Environmental Protection Agency)(herbicide)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... GREENSBORO, NC -- The U.S. EPA granted registration of Monument herbicide for post-emergence weed control use in commercial turf markets, including golf courses, sod farms and commercial property management. The active ingredient in Syngenta's...

Productivity tips 10 winners: check out what your colleagues and competitors are doing to squeeze more production and profits out of each day.(Operations)
January 1, 2004... Getting more out of every hour of work--aka "productivity"--may be as close to a magic bullet for business success as you can get. We spoke with some of your colleagues and compiled a quick list of 10 things they do to improve...

Focus on your business 'gauges': here's a model to score your three key business drivers: customers, employees and financials.(Operation Basics)
January 1, 2004... Landscape and lawn service company owners typically spend each workday keeping a number of balls in the air, in most cases too many. Do you often feel like you need an extra hand so that you can juggle faster? Whoa, slow down. Maybe you're...

Boys and their toys.(Rewards)(Environmental Management Services Inc.,)(Groundmasters Inc.,)(Piscataqua Landscaping Company, Inc.)
January 1, 2004... Bidding for the landscape maintenance of a large commercial development can be a grueling process. But it doesn't compare to being chased by an enraged elephant. Just ask Mark Wehinger. At home in Dublin, OH, Wehinger wields much power as...

Turfs for many challenges.(Turf Management)
January 1, 2004... When it's time to finish a landscape construction project by installing the turf, do you think about the research and development that went into that bag of seed or pallet of sod? Have you ever considered that a plant breeder had specific...

Skip the adrenaline rush.(Business ideas: advice you can use)(landscapers don't plan because they're addicted to the adrenaline rush of doing everything at the last minute, a clients opinion)
January 1, 2004... A client told me that landscapers don't plan because they're addicted to the adrenaline rush of doing everything at the last minute. Do you put things off until the last minute, forcing yourself and your staff to scurry around to try to...

Your lawn care "to do" list.(My way: PLCAA reports)(Professional Lawn Care Association of America)
January 1, 2004... Time to get everything ready for the upcoming season, from your finances to your service objectives. Finalize business plans for the upcoming lawn care season and review everything in your business from financial planning and business...

Hold people accountable.(Best practices: raising the bar)
January 1, 2004... A company with good accountability has clear policies for how things are to be done, and everyone is expected to follow those policies. One of the most significant shortcomings of many companies is their inability to hold people...

Irrigation controls 101.(Innovations: hot new products)
January 1, 2004... Rain Bird's new online tutorial for the ESP-LX+Series Irrigation Controller will help contractors train employees and it will also reduce callbacks by providing homeowners with step-by-step answers to many common controller questions. The...

Big Block party.(Innovations: hot new products)
January 1, 2004... Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power put some muscle into its new line of Vanguard V-Twin Big Block air-cooled and liquid-cooled commercial engines. The 25- to 35-hp engines offer more horsepower for commercial applications and feature an...

One smart system.(Innovations: hot new products)
January 1, 2004... As a standard feature on all 100 and 200 Series Gravely riding mowers, the Eye-Q Productivity System does everything from assessing equipment maintenance needs to analyzing time management. Monitor average cutting speed, locate jobs...

New Kubota UV arriving in Feb.(Innovations: hot new products)
January 1, 2004... Look for Kubota's first ever utility vehicle, the RTV900, in dealerships in Feb. 2004. It combines Kubota diesel engineering with a matched transmission and hydraulic power steering. It also boasts a braking system that never allows it to enter...

Is there a magic oil?(From the shop: maintenance tips)
January 1, 2004... Oil analysis isn't a substitute for timely oil changes. It's a tool for the preventive maintenance-oriented fleet manager. There seems to be as much mystery surrounding motor oils today as there was around patent medicines in the 1890s....

Granular fertilizers--old friends revisited: this practical guide reviews the basics of turf fertilizers and which to use for your properties.(Turf Nutrition)
January 1, 2004... Granular fertilizers are the "old folks" of the industry. They seem to have been around forever, and, in fact, have been. Why? Because they're easy to manufacture, store and handle. Also, because of the millions of tons used in agriculture,...

Zero-turn mowers.(LM reports: your guide to product research)
January 1, 2004... Cub Cadet [eth] M60 Commercial Tank riding mower features a 27-hp Kohler V-Twin OHV engine and 60-in. Command Cut System deck. Other engines available include a 25-hp Kawasaki V-Twin OHV or 28-hp EFI Kohler V-Twin OHV. For more...

U. of Arkansas/Ft. Smith: 2003 PGMS grand award winner for school or university grounds.(PGMS: award-winning landscape management)(Steve Dobbs)
January 1, 2004... If Steve Dobbs ever runs into trouble on the job, it won't be from lack of experience. The grounds manager for the University of Arkansas worked for an extension service for 14 years as a horticultural agent and state consumer horticultural...

Last resort: a seasoned grounds manager reveals secrets to making resort grounds a 'work of art'.(Grounds Resort Maintenance)
January 1, 2004... More than simply landscape maintenance, resort grounds require something unique. A key indicator of a company's prosperity is the condition of the grounds. If a business is declining, the first cuts are usually made to grounds maintenance....

In the spotlight.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... Dow AgroSciences LLC recently received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Spotlight specialty herbicide for improved clover control and control of other annual and perennial broadleaf weeds. The herbicide is labeled...

Royal flush.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... Valvette Systems' "Fabulous Flushing Cross" is a new versatile sprinkler head tool that makes it easy to retrieve the pop-up riser stem when it snaps back into the housing. Also, it enables you to keep all the water you flush inside the planter...

Rack 'em up.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... Havener Enterprises' new equipment guard trailer racks feature a multi-purpose holder, a backpack blower holder, a 3-tier trimmer/brushcutter rack, a hand tool accessory rack, a water cooler rack and a portable hand tool rack. These affordable,...

Out in front.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... The Kubota GF 1800 front mower features excellent mobility on slopes and in soft ground conditions. Lock in the GF 1800's 4-wheel drive on-the-go by depressing the 4-wheel drive lock pedal and return to two-wheel drive with a touch of the...

At long last.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... FMC introduces TalstarOne multi-insecticide flowable labeled for lawn application, ornamentals and trees, and general pest control applications. It replaces TalstarF insecticide/miticide as a true insecticide/miticide because its active...

Brush up.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... Tanaka has added the TBC-600 heavy-duty brush cutter to its outdoor power equipment lineup. A 47cc, 2.4 hp engine features two piston rings and a stress relieved, chrome plated cylinder for long life. Other features include a bearing supported...

Who's the boss?(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... Sarlo Power Mowers is introducing Weedboss hand-held trimmers to its family of power equipment. These trimmers are the first to be powered by the Briggs & Stratton Fource four-cycle engine. The engine features a lubrication system that provides...

Pass the salt.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... RZI's decorative Salt Shield, when installed around trees and shrubs on commercial properties, protects them from salt spread in the winter. You would never consider watering shrubs with a salt mixture, but that's what happens when slush gets...

Blow it away.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... FINN's new enhanced BB605 bark blower, the industry's only 60+ hp, 4.5-cu.-yd. capacity bark blower available for use in trailer or skid applications, has a redesigned hydraulic system to handle greater workloads. It also now offers an optional...

Perfect edge.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... Echo's PE-310 Perfect Edge Power Edger achieves superior edging performance and increased productivity with the addition of the Pro-Torque Gear Case and Open Face Shield. Redesigned to deliver over 30% more torque at the cutting blade, the...

Pump it up.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... Air-O-Lator Corp.'s Aquarian aerators implement the use of Franklin Electric's submersible motors operating a scientifically designed propeller, pumping a large volume of water (500 to 2,700 gallons per minute depending on the horsepower). The...

Make a point.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... HydroPoint's WeatherTRAK technology in Motorola's IRRInet/ControlPort line of irrigation controllers will provide for automatic daily watering adjustments based on the exact needs of each customer's landscape. It includes a scientifically based...

Keep sprinklers safe.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... Mammoth Grip Sprinkler Spacers create a uniform space between a permanent barrier, such as a sidewalk or driveway, and a sprinkler. Why is this a good thing? It keeps sprinklers far enough away from sidewalks and driveways and also from...

What a load.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2004... The new Load-N-Tow is the safe and easy way to load and unload small but heavy and awkward equipment and materials. A front gate folds down to form a ramp, making it easy to roll or slide equipment, boxes, bags or loose parts on or off the...

Events: what, when & where.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... January 19-20 Nebraska Nursery and Landscape Association Winter Conference & Trade Show / Omaha, NE; 402/450-7192 19-22 Mid-Atlantic Horticulture Short Course / Virginia Beach, VA; 757/787-9451 19-22 Michigan Turfgrass Conference...

Statistics: industry trends by the numbers.(Labor Multiplier)(Illustration)
January 1, 2004... LABOR MULTIPLIER Just three to four years ago (1999-2001), many contractors would use a simple multiplier of 3.2 to 3.4 times the labor wage to determine the per hour price for labor-only jobs. Since that time, estimating software and...