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Bobcat Introduces TL623 Telehandler
Jessica Schwartz
A Brilliant Idea
Connecticut contractor glows about the performance of his solar trailer and electric hand-helds Click image to enlarge. The solar panels covering the top of this enclosed equipment trailer keep the firm’s STIHL electric trimmers and blowers charged and ready for action. Especially on hot summer days, the mowing crews at Madison Earth Care, Madison, Conn., used to pull up on job sites and look for some shade to park under. “Now I tell them, you can park the truck in the shade, but make sure you keep the trailer in the sun,” says Bob Blundon, who recently equipped one of his landscape trailers to be a solar unit to power electric handhelds for his new “green” crew. Blundon says the idea to try solar power in his lawn care and landscape business originated from his personal belief in the technology. This year he had solar panels installed on his own home. “I think solar is the future and it’s the right way to go,” he says. Madison Earth Care Owner: Bob Blundon Founded: 1972 Headquarters: Madison, Conn. Markets: Madison, Conn., and the Connectucut Services: Custom landscape design, landscaping, landscape maintenance, lawn care, stone work, perennial gardens, landscape lighting, construction and containers Employees: N/A Website: http://www.madisonearthcare.com Around the time his home went solar, Blundon heard reports about Stihl‘s new line of electric trimmers and blowers. He wanted to see if they would be a fit for his company, so he drove to Gano’s Power Equipment in Colchester, Conn., and spoke with ...
Distributors Vital to Lighting Category
Distributors are vital cogs in the landscape/lawn service industry supply chain. This is as true for outdoor landscape lighting products as it is for mowers and other landscape equipment. The job of a distributor is simple — buy product to sell product. But a good distributor partner provides so much more. When looking at your supply options, it’s important to consider more than just price.What additional services do you expect both before and after the sale, and which supplier is best equipped to deliver? Many distributors now offer training, both online and in person. Plus, many offer on-site lighting demonstrations, giving you a chance to get hands-on experience with installation and design. While you could attend the training and still purchase product elsewhere, what happens if you have questions on the project or have an issue with the product? Having a store or knowledgeable distributor personnel close by can help resolve many issues quickly.Most distributor partners offer a wide variety of landscape lighting products and brands so that your clients have a complete selection of style, composition and color. While specialized lighting products may not be on the shelf that day, most manufacturers offer overnight delivery so that your job continues on time, with the exact look your client demands. Virtually all distributor partners offer extended credit terms, helping you better manage out-of-pocket expenses through the job. Your local distributor has a vested interest in your success and that makes for a mutually beneficial alliance.
5 Reasons to Consider Outdoor Lighting
Adding low-voltage landscape lighting to an existing business is a great way to help you expand and stabilize your operation. For those companies already in the home services industry, it’s a wonderful opportunity to increase your top line revenue. There are several reasons why you should consider adding outdoor lighting to your current business. The top five reasons are: 1. The Landscape lighting market is growing: Exterior lighting is a $789 million category. A new report from The Freedonia Group predicts 6.9 percent annual growth for the landscape products market through 2017. Increases in construction, existing home sales and new home builds will drive the expansion, which will be especially potent for the residential outdoor living sector, including decorative products, permeable pavers and outdoor lighting. 2. Recurring revenue: Increasing your business’ recurring revenue will help you to grow your bottom line and improve the quality of your revenue. Residential service contracts, like the annual maintenance contract, allow you to get in front of your client on a regular basis, giving you the opportunity to upsell them on more services. 3. Combat seasonality concerns: As fall approaches and daylight savings kicks in, the need for landscape lighting increases. In my experience, October through December are some of the top revenue months to install low-voltage lighting. Holiday lighting services provide an additional opportunity to increase your revenue stream during the fall and winter months. 4. Increased exit multiple: Is your ultimate goal to sell your business? A larger revenue base, stronger margins ...
Wearing Many Hats
Horticultural Impression’s Aaron Jung loves solving problems Aaron Jung spent a decade learning from others before founding Horticultural Impressions in 2008.Photos courtesy of Horticultural Impressions. Aaron Jung, 39, says that his decision to become a landscape company owner is all about the people, the plants and doing what he loves to do. “You need to figure out who you are, and what fulfills you and makes you happy,” he says. What makes him happy is running his small business and meeting the many challenges that entails. “The innovation and problem solving are the fun parts for me. I’d rather build and perfect systems than follow the dots on a daily basis. I decided that if I was going to deal with the headaches I wanted to steer the ship, too,” says Jung, who launched Horticultural Impressions in 2008, starting with a truck, a trailer and two employees. He tried on a lot of hats getting to that point. It started with mowing lawns for his neighbors at 14. In high school, he worked for a sprinkler system and landscape installation company until it went out of business. So, on his own, he added more mowing accounts and part-time, industry-related jobs to finance his college education. After earning his bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Northwest Missouri State University in 1997, he explored his options. “I had the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree,” he says. “I went back to school for one semester. That helped me decide I didn’t want to ...
Working Hand in Hand
Award-winning California contractor finds balance between construction and maintenance Click image to enlarge. Richard Cohen, blue shirt, creates outdoor environments “to enhance people’s lifestyles.”Photo courtesy of Richard Cohen Landscape & Construction, Inc. It’s a wonder Richard Cohen doesn’t have a split personality. His company certainly does. Richard Cohen Landscape & Construction, Inc. has two distinct sides, each with approximately 50 percent of the business. The construction side plays to its founder’s background in the trades, with a strong emphasis on outdoor projects for high-end homeowners. The other half of the operation focuses on landscape maintenance, with a client list that’s heavily weighted toward commercial and industrial properties and homeowners’ associations. However, it’s when the two sides work together that Cohen believes his business is at its best. Wired for success Cohen definitely knows the labor side of construction. He started his working life as an apprentice, spending 10 years as a union electrician. Along the way, he also bought and remodeled a couple of houses and earned a general contractor’s license. Then, in the mid-1970s, he and his wife moved to nearby Mission Viejo, Calif. Richard Cohen Landscape & Construction, Inc. Owner: Richard Cohen Founded: 1976 Headquarters: Lake Forest, Calif. Markets: Orange County and surrounding California communities Services: Landscape management and custom installations (complete design; grading and drainage; pools, spas and water features; masonry and concrete; sports courts, tennis courts, putting greens; patio covers, gazebos, pavilions and decks; landscape lighting; specimen trees shrubs and color; outdoor rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, sports ...
Sonoran Desert Beauty
Tucson company’s gardens showcase the uniqueness of its climate Click image to enlarge. Xeriscaping is the predominent landscape style in Tucson. The city of half a million people is located in the Sonoran Desert. The region averages 12 inches of rain annually. My true love is gardens,” says Chris Niccum, founder and president of Sonoran Gardens, Inc. “The residential market lends itself to the ability to produce a truly beautiful garden.” That may come as a surprise to landscapers who associate beauty with lush turf and a heavy use of water. Niccum, however, has spent his career contending with drier climates, and says he’s fortunate to be in a community that not only embraces a desert-style landscape but also educates its citizens on water conservation. Still, the residential market is a comparatively new one for Niccum. A horticulture graduate of Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., he spent the early part of his career with institutional and resort clients. Sonoran Gardens, Inc. Founder and President: Chris Niccum Founded: 1996 Headquarters: Tucson, Ariz. Markets: Tucson, southern Arizona Services: Custom Care Landscape Maintenance, The Contained Gardener, landscape design & construction, seriscapes, irrigation installation and repair, landscape lighting and landscape renovations Employees: 15 full time, 2 part time Website: http://www.sonorangardensinc.com Since launching Sonoran Gardens in 1996, his focus has been on improving high-end clients’ outdoor living spaces with both hardscape and plants. And, while maintenance may not mean a lawnmower, the company’s Custom Care division has proven to be a winner. Outdoor living spaces ...
Irrigation System Upgrades and Renovations
Experienced landscape irrigators share what works for them Click image to enlarge. Spring irrigation start-up is an ideal time to analyze a system for inefficiencies and to recommend repairs and upgrades to make irrigation more efficient.Photo courtesy of Pacific Landscape Management. With a greater awareness that water is a vital, non-renewable resource, water conservation has become increasingly important. Add to that the pressures of persistent drought conditions across much of the nation and escalating water costs. It’s no wonder irrigation professionals are recommending assessment of existing irrigation systems to determine if renovations can result in water and money savings for their clients. Each geographic area and mix of clients brings its own unique challenges. Reno Green Landscaping, Reno, Nev., works primarily with commercial accounts, with residential accounts are a small portion of their business. “Our sites have a lot of turfgrass, from large open areas to those 6-foot-wide strips between sidewalks and streets,” says Mike Short, CLIA (certified landscape irrigation auditor). “Brown spots in the turf are not acceptable for our clients. That’s a prime consideration for whatever we do in system design or renovation.” Reno is in a drought crisis, with a multi-year drought pattern and now the two driest winters on record. Short says, “Water requirements in our area are almost as much as in the Phoenix high desert. Our elevation range is between 4,500 feet to 6,500 feet. Soil radiation is intense. Humidity levels are extremely low, around 10 percent, but often in the single digits, and ...
