Landscape Management articles from January 2005

Landscape Management archives from January 2005

We'll share keys to success.(On the record: from the boss)
January 1, 2005... There's no such thing as a free lunch." We're all familiar with the saying, and experience has taught most of us how true it is. To get something, you have to give something first. It's the law of reciprocity; it's as fundamental as...

Max out industry meetings: employees are often sent to industry meetings or shows for the wrong reasons, such as that they worked hard and deserve a perk.(Best practices: boost your training)
January 1, 2005... Now is the time of year when there's an abundance of industry meetings and trade shows. Most of these meetings have educational components that can help you supplement your own in-house training. Here are some ideas to help you get the most out...

Stoltman named publisher of Landscape Management.(In the know: news you can use)(Appointment of Kevin Stoltman )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... LEVELAND, OH -- Kevin Stoltman was recently named publisher of Landscape Management magazine. "I am grateful for the opportunity to lead Landscape Management and look forward to the challenge," said Stoltman, who joined Advanstar...

Industry mulls H-2B strategies.(In the know: news you can use)(Landscaping industry)
January 1, 2005... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Many U. S. businesses that depend upon seasonal immigrant labor will not be getting the workers they need in 2005. The annual cap for H-2B visas was reached on January 3. That means that any petition for H-2B workers not...

Lauded for protecting historic area.(In the know: news you can use)(ServiceMaster LawnCare )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- Protecting and beautifying a region of historical significance earned ServiceMaster LawnCare of Williamsburg the 2004 Environmental Improvement Service Award. The annual award is sponsored by Landscape Management and PLCAA...

LESCO, Agrisel USA left out of LM issue.(clippings)
January 1, 2005... CLEVELAND, OH -- The editors of LM offer an apology to LESCO and Agrisel USA for omitting them from the December 2004 Green Book issue. To learn more about LESCO, a leading supplier and partner to the Green Industry for more than 40 years,...

Feds boost $$ for turfgrass research.(clippings)(National Turfgrass Federation, Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... BELTSVILLE, MD -- The recently approved national appropriations included new funding for turfgrass research. Kevin Morris of the National Turfgrass Federation, Inc., reports that the bill provides for an additional $275,000 for research at...

Havener expands its distribution.(clippings)(Havener Enterprises, Inc )(Sunbelt Outdoor Products )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... BRADLEY, IL -- Havener Enterprises, Inc., manufacturer of Mower Sulky, has teamed with Sunbelt Outdoor Products for distribution in North Carolina and South Carolina.

New Pursell plant to double output.(clippings)(Pursell Technologies)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... SYLACAUGA, AL -- Pursell Technologies' newest plant has begun production to meet demand for the company's polymer coating technology for horticulture and professional turf market segments. The new facility will double the firm's production...

FMC partners with Wilbur-Ellis.(clippings)(Wilbur-Ellis Co.)(FMC Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... PHILADELPHIA, PA -- FMC Corp. recently announced its partnership with Wilbur-Ellis Company to commercialize Portfolio 75 DF and Crossing 75 DF, new herbicides with registration received from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to control...

Aquatrols unveils new headquarters.(clippings)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... PAULSBORO, NJ -- Aquatrols celebrated its 50th anniversary with the construction of a new corporate headquarters here. The new facility features technologically advanced lab facilities to support ongoing R&D, as well as expanded shipping and...

Schiller Pfeiffer acquires Classen.(clippings)
January 1, 2005... SOUTHAMPTON, PA -- Schiller-Pfeiffer, Inc., manufacturer of the Little Wonder and Mantis brands, acquired Classen Manufacturing in Norfolk, NB. The purchase includes all Classen Manufacturing. The Norfolk manufacturing facility, which employs...

Steiman to lead SIMA in 2005.(In the know: news you can use)(Snow and Ice Management Association)(Appointment of Alan Steiman and Bob St. Jacques)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... ERIE, PA -- Alan Steiman, Northboro, MA, is the 2005 president of the Snow & Ice Management Association (SIMA), and Bob St. Jacques, Windsor, CT, is the vice president. The two were recently elected by SIMA's 11-member board. Steiman has...

Bayer Environmental Science.(People & companies)(Appointment of George Raymond )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Bayer Environmental Science named George Raymond western sales representative, covering northern California for the golf team and coordinating lawn/landscape activities in the western states.

Lifestyle Landscaping.(People & companies)
January 1, 2005... Lifestyle Landscaping promoted Greg Stout to PlantCare Manager.

Profile Products LLC.(People & companies)(Appointment of Walter Butman )
January 1, 2005... Profile Products LLC hired Walter Butman as its new vice president of distribution and international sales.

Tecumseh Power Company.(People & companies)(Appointment of Jim Doll)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Tecumseh Power Company named Jim Doll Product Line Manager for Walk Behind Mower Engines.

Skinner Nurseries.(People & companies)(Appointment of Josh Bare )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Skinner Nurseries hired Josh Bare to handle outside sales for the Atlanta/Athens area.

Hunter Industries.(People & companies)(Appointment of Guy Collins )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Hunter Industries appointed Guy Collins Sales Manager I, responsible for contractor, specification, golf course, municipality, and casino sales through Hunter's exclusive distribution network. His territory will cover Las Vegas, Southern Utah,...

BASF Corp.(People & companies)(Appointment of Philip Donahoo )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... BASF Corp. appointed Philip Donahoo sales specialist for the company's Turf & Ornamental business in southern Florida and Fred Eckert Turf & Ornamental sales specialist for Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

The Irrigation Association.(People & companies)(Appointment of David F. Zoldoske)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Irrigation Association appointed David F. Zoldoske, director of the Center for Irrigation Technology, president.

Stiles Landscape.(People & companies)
January 1, 2005... Stiles Landscape named Howard Greenstein Senior Area Manager.

The ServiceMaster Co.(People & companies)(Appointment of Dennis Sutton )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The ServiceMaster Co. promoted Dennis Sutton to COO and interim president of TruGreen ChemLawn.

Shindaiwa.(People & companies)(Appointment of Bertil Albing )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Shindaiwa named Bertil Albing as the new Product/Technical Specialist for Europe.

It's the Professional Landcare Network!(In the know: news you can use)(Associated Landscape Contractors of America merges with Professional Lawn Care Association of America)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The long awaited name of the new association formed by the merger of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America and the Professional Lawn Care Association of America has finally been announced, and it is...drumroll please...the...

Isuzu celebrates 20th anniversary.(In the know: news you can use)(Isuzu Truck of America Inc.)
January 1, 2005... SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- When Isuzu Truck first came to the United States in 1984, it sold 143 units. In 2004, the company sold 27,000 units. But a tremendous increase in sales wasn't the only reason to invite over 550 dealers, media members and...

Sell smart, not slick: a few good landscape contractors reveal the secrets to selling their service.(Increase Sales)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2005... The secret to being a successful salesperson in the landscape industry? There might be a few, but most of them are things we already know but, because of time constraints or overall negligence, fail to do. There's no secret to the following...

The recruiter's role: why on-the-grow landscape companies seek outside help to find experienced managers.(Management Staffing)
January 1, 2005... Editor's note: The first in a series of articles on staffing. How to find top managers. Recruiting top performers. Keeping top performers. The author, a top recruiter, tells how to improve personnel management to attract and retain more...

Know the wage-hour law: landscape contractors' failure to comply can be costly.(Employee Management)
January 1, 2005... You're a busy landscape contractor who keeps written records of the hourly wages you pay. But one day, an employee files a complaint alleging that he wasn't paid all of the wages he was due. Before you know it a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)...

Tom Conway, Jr.: Smithfield Gardens, Inc.(Inside the owner's head: personality profile)(Interview)(Interview)
January 1, 2005... Tom Conway, Jr. owns Smithfield Gardens, Inc., a $3.1 million retail nursery and landscape design/build company located in Suffolk, VA, that has been in business for 32 years. About 45% of the company's revenues come from the retail nursery,...

Attention! Time for war: we need passion for our business, but passion isn't enough. We also need applied knowledge.(Business ideas: advice you can use)
January 1, 2005... I see many landscape business owners doing things the same old way, putting up with the same old frustrations, working hard and not thinking about tomorrow. Their only concern is to get through another day. Is this you? If you don't love...

How to keep the best ones: I found out that listening to others and acting upon ideas and recommendations was, by far, the most important thing to do to keep employee morale up.(My way: building trust)
January 1, 2005... Employee morale is a concern to any company hoping to retain its most valuable resource--its employees. Most of us have lost valuable employees or, at the very least, sensed that our companies weren't operating at the level we desired due to...

Quite a load.(Innovations: hot new products)
January 1, 2005... 1 Quite a load Ingersoll-Rand offers a powerful series of backhoe loaders featuring upgrades to its existing backhoe loader line. The BL-275 side-shift, BL-370 center-mount, and BL-570 center- mount B-Series are all equipped with the...

Let it rain.(Innovations: hot new products)
January 1, 2005... 2 Let it rain The new rotary nozzle from Rain Bird allows irrigation professionals to more easily achieve higher efficient water distribution from 13 to 24 ft. The rotary nozzles have multiple rotating streams that uniformly distribute...

Ride on.(Innovations: hot new products)
January 1, 2005... 3 Ride on Turfco Direct's new TurnAer 26 Chariot ride-on aerator system takes aeration to a new level of ease and productivity. Designed for commercial use by lawn care professionals, the Chariot features a heavy-duty, low-profile steel...

A slim fit.(Innovations: hot new products)
January 1, 2005... 4 A slim fit Bobcat's new MT55 mini track loader can go just about anywhere at 41.5 in. wide (less bucket), but its wider tracks lower the machine's ground pressure to 4.1 psi. The MT55 also features a turf-friendly lug track that...

Some good tip offs: as the equipment we use to meet our customers' demands gets more sophisticated, we need better trained technicians.(From the shop: hiring a pro)
January 1, 2005... What does a good technician look like? That's usually the second question I get from prospective employers. The first is, "Where can I find a technician?" (I'll address that in a subsequent article). Sometimes this second question isn't asked...

A special partnership with Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Engine maintenance is key to prolonging the life of your engine. To keep your engine in peak condition, follow these top 10 service points: 1. Engine Oil--Check engine oil with each use, and change oil after every 25 hours of engine use, or...

It's time we caught up to IT: the landscape/lawn service industry, in general, has a lot of catching up to do; it's not as computer savvy as it should be.(InfoTech: using computerized systems)(Column)
January 1, 2005... I recently worked with a company that needed to distribute a database of new customer leads to its account managers. They were using printed leads to record their notes. A staff person, earning $20,000 annually, then entered the data into the...

What's new this month at the Online Learning Center: first aid & safety course.(Advertorial)(Green Industry University)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2005... Go online to www.greenindustryhub.com and get free access as a regular subscriber to this online community focused on education, information sharing and professionalism. Or, join the Hub as a Premium Subscriber and get immediate access to more...

New this month: first aid & safety.(Advertorial)
January 1, 2005... A key cost for many Green Industry managers is the cost of safety, especially when those costs are reflected in higher insurance and workers' compensation premiums, time lost off the job when a worker is injured, training and learning-curve...

A preemergence control primer: simple yet effective strategies to control annual grassy and broadleaf problems.(Turf Weed Control)
January 1, 2005... Many aspects of turfgrass management have changed over the years. However, despite the availability of effective herbicides for nearly 40 years, crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) and other annual grasses continue to be successful weeds of turfgrass...

Paver work for you? This Michigan contractor says you can do it, but why not partner with a specialist and leave the liability to them?(Mechanized efficiency)(Decra-Scape, Inc.)(hardscapes)
January 1, 2005... Matt Caruso and his team looked down a mile of winding, crumbling road and considered the challenges. Then they tore into the job. Over a period of about 30 days this past fall they turned that ribbon of disintegrating asphalt into what is, in...

What to expect: zero-turn mower engineers focus on speed, maneuverability and attachments to keep sales hot.(Commercial Cutting)
January 1, 2005... Maneuverability is the name of the game with zero-turn mowers. Speed is a close second. Functionality rounds out the big three advances landscapers can expect in future models. In addition to a trend toward smaller, more compact zeros, look for...

Zero-turn mowers.(LM reports: your guide to product research)
January 1, 2005... Auburn Consolidated Industries [eth] The EverRide Hornet comes with either a 48- or 52-in. deck. Both the 19-hp and 23-hp units have narrower wheel base, smaller deck size and weighs less than the EverRide Warrior. Contact Auburn at...

Dallas Theological Seminary: 2004 PGMS Grand Award Winner for Urban University.(PGMS: award-winning Landscape Management)
January 1, 2005... Stealing is wrong no matter where it takes place. But the criminals who have made off with more than 40 shrubs over the last two years at Dallas Theological Seminary must have a particularly heavy conscience. After all, this is a place that has...

Short and sweet.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2005... Shindaiwa's new AHS2510 short-shaft articulated hedge trimmer is equipped with a fuel efficient, high-torque 1.1-hp engine and has an overall length of 65 in. for trimming low hedges, brush and groundcover. It employs an articulating gear case...

Like a rock.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2005... Rock Jaw is a steel attachment that allows landscape contractors to move and place rocks with unparalleled precision. It chains onto any heavy equipment with lifting capacity (loader, backhoe, tractor) and clamps onto a rock of up to 4,500 lbs....

Wheelin' and dealin'.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2005... Yanmar's model V4A-5 compact wheel loader, rated at 7,376 lbs. operating weight, offers class leading lift capacities of 4,134 lbs. (full lift) and 6,945 lbs. (low lift) with smooth hydraulic performance. This versatile unit is powered by a...

Surging ahead.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2005... PBI/Gordon Corp. has received EPA acceptance for a new water-based broadleaf herbicide formulation containing the active ingredient sulfentrazone. Called Surge, it will be marketed under Gordon's ProForm brand with a new blue checked flag...

Brush it off.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2005... The Sisis Flexibrush is designed for fast, effective brushing on large areas of natural or synthetic turf. There are six sets of independently floating "V" section brushes, divided into three sections which also float. This allows the brush to...

Keep on truckin'.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2005... Monroe Truck Equipment announces the newly created Chevrolet Kodiak-GMC Topkick pickup truck. To develop this special version of the C4500/C5500, MTE worked with GM to give customers the ultimate Class IV/V pickup. This vehicle has an 8-ft....

Water savings wonder.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2005... Valvette Systems Corp., manufacturer of the LittleValve line of sprinkler parts and fittings, announces that recent testing showed water savings of 7% up to 47% are achieved when using just a 15-ft. nozzle in conjunction with LittleValve parts....

Root for these rotors.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2005... Toro introduces the TR Series of rotors to give irrigation contractors the flexibility and watering precision for varying landscape applications. The rotors cover a 25- to 77-ft. area, include easy adjustment, Smart Arc and slip clutch to...

Simplified skid-steer.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2005... New Holland introduces two new skid-steer loaders, the LS185.B and LS190.B, rated at 2,500 and 2,800 lbs. operating capacity. The new models feature a new, simplified power train design, are Tier II certified and incorporate features for...

Spray away.(Products: tools of the trade)
January 1, 2005... Hunter Industries introduces Pro-Spray Fixed Pattern Nozzles, a new collection of spray nozzles available in the most popular arc patterns. These nozzles feature the popular female-threaded design for compatibility across most brands. Five...

Events: what, when & where.(Calendar)
January 1, 2005... January 17-20 Turfgrass Industry Expo / Winston-Salem, NC; 910/695-1333; www.ncturfgrass.org 19-21 Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show / Chicago, IL; 847/526-2010; www.midam.org 20-21 WALP Winter Break Conference / Redmond, WA;...

Illinois green industry growing.(Statistics: industry trends by the numbers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... * 2003 combined product and service sector sales (plant product sales, landscape, lawn, arboriculture and interiorscape service receipts, and end-user payrolls paid to grounds and maintenance employees): $4.7 billion * 1999 combined...

What's in, what's out for gardening in 2005.(Statistics: industry trends by the numbers)
January 1, 2005... [thumbs up] [thumbs down] Do some of it for me. Do it all yourself. Environmentally Chemically dependent sensitive gardening. gardening. Tropical gardens. Cottage gardens. Romantic. ...

Online advertising pays?(Statistics: industry trends by the numbers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... As a landscape company, you may scoff at advertising your services on the Internet. But the good folks at GIYP.com, an online yellow pages directory specifically for the Green Industry, says you should think twice based on these statistics: ...

10 states with largest population increases *.(Statistics: industry trends by the numbers)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
January 1, 2005... 10 STATES WITH LARGEST POPULATION INCREASES * STATE APRIL 2000 APRIL 1990 # INCREASE % INCREASE Arizona 5.13 3.66 1.47 40% Colorado 4.30 3.29 1.01 ...