Landscape Management articles from July 2004

Landscape Management archives from July 2004

GMC commercial trucks.(Corporate Capabilities)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... When it comes to choosing the best vehicles for your business, only three things matter: productivity, dependability, and capability. That's why GMC offers the industry's most complete lineup of trucks for your business. Consider, the...

What's it take to be great?(On the record: from the boss)
July 1, 2004... Mariani Landscape, Lake Bluff, IL, is a great landscape company. It didn't start out that way. It started out just like your company. Small. It's future uncertain. Learning tough business lessons day by day. Indeed, Frank Mariani tells...

An account manager's job: why wait until you need an account manager to begin developing one? Pick out a good prospect now and start mentoring them.(Best practices: building your team)
July 1, 2004... What makes a good account manager for a landscape maintenance company? How do you develop one? How much work should they be able to manage? Owners often ask these questions as they try to grow their businesses. The first step is to...

Briggs & Stratton acquires Simplicity Manufacturing.(In the know: news you can use)(Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group LLC)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... MILWAUKEE, WI --Briggs & Stratton Corporation and its subsidiary, Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group, LLC, signed an agreement to acquire Simplicity Manufacturing, Inc. for $227.5 million in cash, subject to adjustments. Simplicity,...

Gravely on Tour returning in '05.(In the know: news you can used)
July 1, 2004... BRILLION, WI--About 900 landscape contractors attended the Gravely on Tour program offered at nine locations around the U.S. and Canada from January through March of 2004. Ariens Co. plans to continue the program in 2005 due to the number of...

Safe mowing initiative growing.(In the know: news you can use)
July 1, 2004... The National Safety Council (NSC) has partnered with two mower manufacturers to develop a training program aimed at the safe operation of zero-turn mowers. The Commercial Equipment Operators' (CEO) Safety Training Program is being...

Tailgate training the way to go.(In the know: news you can use)(Commercial Equipment Operators)(safety training)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Sam Steel, Director of Projects and Grants for the NSC, Itasca, IL, says he believes tailgate training--a method in which 5- to 15-minute sessions on a single safety topic are presented orally and interactively to workers--is an effective means...

Syngenta shows off refocused VBRC.(In the know: news you can use)(Vero Beach Research Center)
July 1, 2004... VERO BEACH, FL -- Along with mad dogs and Englishmen, add editors to the short list of those hearty souls who wander dusty fields under the noon-day sun. Turfgrass pathologist Dr. Henry Wetzel herded groups of editors over the two acres of turf...

Husqvarna helps diversity program.(Clippings)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... CHARLOTTE, NC -- Husqvarna will sponsor the first six Drive for Diversity crew members competing with race teams on the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, respectively, during the 2004 season. Drive for Diversity is a...

Toro irrigation renovates HQ.(Clippings)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... RIVERSIDE, CA -- The Toro Company completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of its irrigation division headquarters here, resulting in 60,000 sq. ft. of office space and a state-of-the-art, 100,000-sq.-ft. prototyping and testing facility. As...

Suzuki gets to brand the Mule.(Clippings)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... IRVINE, CA -- Japan-based Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) announced that its successful alliance with Suzuki Motor Corp., which has enabled both brands to expand their product lines in the U.S. market and to share development costs for...

Omni landscape division works on despite bankruptcy.(In the know: news you can use)(Omni Facility Services)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... NEW YORK, NY -- Omni Facility Services, South Plainfield, NJ, filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan in June. The company became a major player in the professional...

Dow AgroSciences.(People & companies)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Dow AgroSciences named Mike Donnelly (left) as its new national sales leader for the Specialty Products business. He replaces Bruce Miehle who retired May 1. Also, John Price becomes technical accounts manager, and Justin Gayliard takes over...

JP Horizons.(People & companies)(Appointments)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... JP Horizons hired Melinda Heidecker as Director of Training.

The Ariens Company.(People & companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Ariens Company promoted Mark Naperala to Director of Marketing.

The Brickman Group, Ltd.(People & companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Brickman Group, Ltd. appointed Debbie Dobson Vice President of Human Resources.

RISE.(People & companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... RISE hired Kristin Van Veen as its first full-time communications and PR manager. Angela Bendorf Jamison, President of Communicopia Marketing Services, Inc., will continue to provide RISE and Van Veen with PR and marketing support services.

KehoeGuido.(People & companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... KehoeGuido, a Green Industry consulting and training firm, announced that it will become two firms, Kehoe & Co. and Guido Consulting.

Tanaka.(People & companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Tanaka hired Matt Wilson as product manager.

Barenbrug USA.(People & companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Joseph Wipff joined Barenbrug USA as a turfgrass breeder. He received his Ph.D. in Plant Breeding from Texas A&M University.

The American Society of Irrigation Consultants (ASIC).(People & companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The American Society of Irrigation Consultants (ASIC) elected Daniel F. Benner president at the group's annual conference held in Newport Beach, Calif. He is also President of Hydro Environmental, Inc., Marietta, GA.

Rain Master Irrigation Systems.(People & companies)(Warren Thoma & Associates )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Rain Master Irrigation Systems hired Warren Thoma & Associates (WTA) as manufacturers' representatives in the Midwestern United States.

GreenScapes Landscape Company, Inc.(People & companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... GreenScapes Landscape Company, Inc. promoted Thomas Kuhn II to Residential Design/Sales Manager. The company hired Doug Eing as a Commercial/Public Sales Representative, Adam Randall as Design Assistant and Matthew Medlock as Manager.

Bayer Environmental Science.(People & companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Bayer Environmental Science named Jeff Weld Programs Manager.

Big 50 companies.(LM 100)(Illustration)
July 1, 2004... BIG 50 COMPANIES These companies are the largest for a reason: they deliver quality service at a fair price year after year. Because of them--and thousands of other smaller landscape, grounds maintenance and lawn care companies--all of...

20 great organizations.(LM 100)
July 1, 2004... Kale's Nursery & Landscape Princeton, NJ www.kalesnursery.com Awards just rain down on Kale's Nursery & Landscape Service for its captivating landscape designs and installations--and have been for more than 50 years. Where...

10 must-have books.(LM 100)
July 1, 2004... When we asked some of the Green Industry's most popular consultants what their favorites books relating to business management are, they responded with these 10: 1. "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. Galahad. The...

Top ten grounds.(LM 100)
July 1, 2004... Lubbers Stadium at Grand Valley State University Completed during the summer of 1979, Grand Valley State University's Lubbers Stadium was a sight to behold. But excessive wear finally took its toll, and the field was completely re-sodded in...

H-2B cap.(Industry Issues)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A collective gasp was heard across the industry last March when the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it had received enough H-2B petitions to meet this year's congressionally mandated cap of 66,000 new workers. It was...

Gas prices go up, up, up.(Industry Issues)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Everyone's been whining about increasing gas prices, but perhaps those with the biggest gripes are landscape company owners. They're not only getting hit filling up their family SUV but at the shop, too, where gas makes their weed trimmers,...

Water shortages.(Industry Issues)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... As the demand for water increases with the burgeoning worldwide population and droughts become more and more frequent, landscapers will eventually have to face the music and change their ways. The 21st Century Water Commission Act of 2003 seeks...

Emerald ash borer.(Industry Issues)(Emerald ash borer)(ash trees)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation continues to grow, killing ash trees which are an important timber species, landscape tree and wildlife food. The latest discovery of the exotic forest pest from China was in Steuben County in Illinois. It...

"Do not call" list.(Industry Issues)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... When the Federal Trade Commission enacted the "Do Not Call Registry," lots of consumers couldn't wait to sign up so their dinners would no longer be interrupted by telemarketers. But lawn care companies cringed. It immediately drove the cost up...

Neighbor notification.(Industry Issues)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Neighbor notification lawns regarding the use of pesticides continue to proliferate, with the latest developments occuring in Delaware. House Bill No. 425 aims at amending the Delaware code relating to pesticides, adding a new subchapter on...

Phosphorus bans.(Industry Issues)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Phosphorus is still on everybody's minds, particularly legislators in states such as Wisconsin, Vermont and Minnesota who think that phosphorus runoff from fertilizer on lawns harms lakes. Lawn care professionals continually point out that...

Emissions regulations.(Industry Issues)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Whether you hear it from Stihl, Shindaiwa, or other manufacturers of outdoor power equipment, emissions regulations are only going to get stricter in the future. Last year, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved new emissions limits...

Canada lawn care pros under attack.(Industry Issues)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Environmental activists have waged war with lawn care pros up North, and so far they're winning. They've managed to get many municipalities to ban the cosmetic use of pesticides on residential lawns, with heavy fines for non-compliance. The...

Sudden oak death syndrome.(Industry Issues)(Oregon Department of Agriculture)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Sudden oak death syndrome, a disease which causes die off and cankers on many trees and ornamentals, was first identified nearly two years ago in southern California coastal forests. The problem has only gotten bigger, with the recent discovery...

How to balance all three: creating a customer-centered competitive advantage is one of the three components to business success.(The Customer Connection)
July 1, 2004... Editor's note: This is the first of three articles on your key business drivers. This month we discuss customers. We'll follow up with the other two keys--financials and employees. Great companies have grasped the importance of taking a...

Mark Borst: Borst Landscape & Design.(Inside the owner's head: personality profile)
July 1, 2004... Mark Borst owns Borst Landscape & Design, a $3.8 million full-service landscape company located in Allendale, NJ. The company consists of three divisions: design/build, maintenance and lawn care. Design/build accounts for 65% of the company's...

You must track marketing: measure the results of your marketing to find out what's working and what's not.(Business ideas: advice you can use)
July 1, 2004... Now is a great time to take a time-out and begin conducting your marketing analysis. What's a marketing analysis? It's an attempt to make sure that the definition, identification and structure of your marketing activities are sound, targeted...

At a fast clip.(Innovations: hot new products)
July 1, 2004... 1 New for 2004, Country Clipper's Charger zero-turn mower offers Kohler or Kawasaki engines from 19 to 25 hp. An articulating front axle and mower deck offers a smooth ride and a fine cut on rough terrain. Other features include 24-in....

Workstation wonder.(Innovations: hot new products)
July 1, 2004... 2 Mobile Service Technologies' MCS3 Workstation enables users to transport a full range of tools and an adustable, level worktable in tight areas. The Workstation can withstand a load capacity of 1,000 lbs. Fold-out sides provide a sturdy...

Happy trails.(Innovations: hot new products)
July 1, 2004... 3 TerraMarc Industries has added the LL214 to its line of Load-N-Lift trailers, perfect for skid-steers and other low-clearance, compact and mobile equipment. With trailers that completely lower to the ground, no ramps are needed. The...

Grab it and go.(Innovations: hot new products )
July 1, 2004... 4 Intended for bulky and irregularly shaped debris, Caterpillar utility grapple buckets and forks are designed for handling a wide array of materials in tough operating conditions. The utility-grade grapple buckets are intended for...

Help, I need a technician! I wondered if the technician shortage was real, but I'm now convinced the shortage is real in a number of markets.(From the shop: shop management)
July 1, 2004... "Help! I need a technician!" is something I hear often. I get several calls a week from desperate business people looking for a technician. So where are the technicians? Is there a shortage? What can you do to replace that technician that just...

Pest controls for ornamentals: here's an update on what's available as regulations and treatment choices keep changing.(Chemical Strategies)
July 1, 2004... The Food Quality Protection Act continues to change the pesticide market in the United States. Some claim that this law has removed many conventional pesticides from the market, or minor uses from many insecticide labels. In response to these...

Out damn 'spot': advances in perennial ryegrass breeding gaining the upper hand over gray leaf spot.(Turf Grass Breeding)
July 1, 2004... Gray leaf spot (GLS) burst onto the scene in the Northeast in the late 1990s. It usually doesn't materialize unless climactic conditions of high heat and humidity are prevalent, usually in the months of August and September. And GLS isn't a...

This clock 'saves' time.(Solutions center: Answers To Real Challenges)(Jobclock)
July 1, 2004... Employees are a company's most valuable resource--but they're also its costliest and least controllable one. Some landscape company owners have discovered how to increase the value of their employees by keeping an accurate record of their time...

BASF Corporation.(Corporate Capabilities)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: Pendulum[R] AquaCap encapsulates a new water-based formulation of BASF pendimethalin--the industry's leading pre-emergent active ingredient. A BASFpatented technology surrounds pendimethalin with an ultra-thin capsule, and...

Bayer Environmental Science.(Corporate Capabilities)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: Bayer Environmental Science manufactures a full line of turf and ornamental products for use on golf courses, home lawns, sports fields, commercial landscapes, nurseries and greenhouses. Bayer Environmental Science continues...

BlueYellow[TM].(Corporate Capabilities)(BlueYellow)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: BlueYellow[TM] is a revolutionary engineered turf system that provides a one-step solution to turf establishment. The system combines a cellulose-based substrate with a calibrated distribution of custom-blended, high quality...

Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power.(Corporate Capabilities)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power designs and manufactures robust, highperformance engines and is a leading provider of commercial power solutions. Manufacturing facilities: The Vanguard[TM] engines are...

Crompton Corporation.(Corporate Capabilities)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: Crompton Corporation is a leading worldwide manufacturer of agricultural and specialty chemicals, marketing the Uniroyal Chemical brand of specialty products. The Specialty Products Group was formed in 1990 to concentrate on...

Ford Commercial Truck.(Corporate Capabilities)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Ford Motor Company is more than a global corporation. It's a world of people nearly 400,000 strong, connecting with customers every day. Ford offers the widest variety of trucks built for commercial applications. Everything from E-series cargo...

FMC Corporation.(Corporate Capabilities)
July 1, 2004... Overview: FMC's Specialty Products Business, headquartered in Philadelphia is a leading manufacturer of high-performance insecticides, termiticides, termite baits, miticides and ant control products for use by the golf course, lawn care...

Husqvarna.(Corporate Capabilities)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: Husqvarna outdoor power equipment's exceptional quality and performance can be attributed to exceptional manufacturing. Based on its Swedish heritage, Husqvarna brings a tradition of excellence to every product, providing...

John Deere Construction & Forestry Company.(Corporate Capabilities)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: The John Deere Construction & Forestry Company produces more than 120 machine models used in all facets of earthmoving, including road building, underground utilities construction, site development and residential...

John Deere Worldwide Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division.(Corporate Capabilities)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: The John Deere Worldwide Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division manufactures and distributes a full line of lawn-care products for residential, commercial, and golf and turf applications, including irrigation supplies. The...

Kubota Tractor Corporation.(Corporate Capabilities)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: Kubota products for the landscape market include compact tractors with performance-matched implements (loaders, backhoes, tillers, box scrapers, mowers and more), 4WD diesel utility vehicles, diesel- and gas-powered zero-...

ProSource One.(Corporate Capabilities)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: ProSource One is a Memphis, Tenn.-based distribution company that supplies fertilizers, chemicals, seed and services to professional users throughout the United States. Markets serviced by the company include the...

Rain Bird Corporation.(Corporate Capabilities)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: Rain Bird's new Easy Fit Compression System helps simplify and expedite installation of landscape drip systems. Easy Fit has fewer components, reducing the likelihood for problems and callbacks. The system is made up of...

Symbiot.(Corporate Capabilities)
July 1, 2004... Headquartered in Sandy, UT, Symbiot Business Group is a consolidator in the property services market. It consolidates through the development of consortiums, recruiting top-tier regional players to act as its "branches." To date, Symbiot has...

Turfco Manufacturing.(Corporate Capabilities)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
July 1, 2004... Product focus: Turfco Manufacturing has served the professional turf industry for more than 40 years. The company provides the most advanced aeration and renovation equipment on the market. Turfco's engineers use the latest CAD/CAM...

Compact tractors.(LM reports: your guide to product research)
July 1, 2004... With its hydrostatic transmission, folding ROPs and power steering, the AGCO ST 32 is ideal for groundskeepers and landscapers who must get in and out of tight spots. Unit has 33 hp in a 116-inch chassis and 4-wheel drive. Sweeping, mowing or...

Multnomah Bible College & Seminary: 2003 PGMS honor award winner for school or university grounds.(PGMS: award-winning landscape management)
July 1, 2004... Al McInturf remembers mowing lawns as young as 12 years old. After one particular job when he was 17, he knew that landscaping is what he wanted to do as a profession. "I really liked the idea of making the world a better-looking place to...

Toro's new MultiPro.(Products: tools of the trade)
July 1, 2004... Toro introduces the new Multi Pro 5700-D spray system with a 35.5-hp Kubota diesel engine to muscle through spraying operations in hilly and undulating turf, even with a full tank. Featuring a 300-gal. tank and a reliable dualdiaphragm pump,...

Fancy fountain.(Products: tools of the trade)
July 1, 2004... Otterbine Barebo is excited to introduce the Aqua Series Fractional Aerator, a cost-effective, energy-efficient, multi-purpose 1/4-hp and 1/2-hp aerator. Each unit comes with two spray patterns, the Aqua Gem and Aqua Blast. The float is...

Fertilize without phosphorus.(Products: tools of the trade)
July 1, 2004... NaturaLawn of America has developed a breakthrough probiotic concentrate, NP, which eliminates the need for additional and unnecessary applications of phosphorus to lawns. This is important in many areas that have banned the use of phosphorus...

Friendly injection.(Products: tools of the trade)
July 1, 2004... Wedgle Direct-Inject Tree Treatment System injects ArborSystems chemicals directly into a tree's cambial zone without drilling, so you can treat trees in the most tree-friendly way possible in five minutes or less. ArborSystems offers...

New Z.(Products: tools of the trade)
July 1, 2004... Gravely introduces its new 44Z zero-turn mower featuring a 44-in. cutting width and a 17-hp Kawasaki twin engine. Additional features include a 7-gauge cutting deck with maintenance-free spindles and Hydrogear commercial pumps and wheel motors....

Here's the twist.(Products: tools of the trade)
July 1, 2004... Shindaiwa's new trimmer line, Silentwist, is made from a durable, high-grade resin material and reduces high frequency noise by 10% over round, square and star-shaped lines. Also, there is decreased vibration at the trimmer head for smoother...

Shred it up.(Products: tools of the trade)
July 1, 2004... Little Wonder's Shredding TruckLoader cuts debris down to size. Its proprietary Talon shredding technology (five rotating spikes in debris path) shreds debris easily. Other features include a reverse inclined impeller design for more cutting...

No pressure at all.(Products: tools of the trade)
July 1, 2004... Pressure-Pro's new Super Skid pressure washer models feature a horizontal design that gives a lower, space-saving profile so it can be used in environments where overhead clearance can be a problem. These units can be configured to flow up to...

Events: what when & where.(Resource)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
July 1, 2004... July 13-18 ANLA Convention & Executive Learning Retreat / Maui, HI; 202/789-2900; www.anla.org 19-20 PLCAA Legislative Day on the Hill / Washington, DC; 800/458-3466; www.plcaa.org 24-28 Soil and Water Conservation Society / St. Paul, MN;...

Estimating labor rates.(Statistics: industry trends by the numbers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The following hourly labor rates used in estimating are sourced from our 2003 benchmarking survey. The rates are segmented by company size. Note: Size segments include maintenance and construction segments combined. These are the rates...

How many years has your organization been in business?(Statistics: industry trends by the numbers)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 1, 2004... HOW MANY YEARS HAS YOUR ORGANIZATION BEEN IN BUSINESS? <1 2% 1-2 4% 2-3 6% 3-4 3% 4-5 6% 5-10 17% 10-15 13% 15-20 12% 20-25 10% >25 26% ...

Business outlook.(Statistics: industry trends by the numbers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Family-owned companies... * Nearly 35% of Fortune 500 companies are family-owned * Family businesses account for 78% of all new job creation, 60% of the nation's employment and 50% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) * The average life...

Architect salaries going up, up, up.(Statistics: industry trends by the numbers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The 2004 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) National Salary Survey indicates the average salary for landscape architecture positions is $74,644, an increase of 23.4% in real terms as compared with the 1998 salary survey. In the...

Do-not-call by the numbers.(Statistics: industry trends by the numbers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... * 60 million phone numbers registered with the Federal Trade Commission's "do-not-call" registry * 300,000 complaints filed since the law went into effect last fall * 87% of Americans who signed up are getting fewer calls * 61%...