Ruppert Landscape Appoints Bob Jones as Chief Sales Officer
Jessica Schwartz
Bans, Laws, & Legislation
Various state and local legislation coming down the pipeline stand to have large impacts on the Green Industry and the day-to-day operations of lawn and landscape businesses. Certain pesticides and gas-powered equipment are being targeted and debated in meeting halls, government offices, and courtrooms across the nation. Highly controversial, the bills are viewed as overdue eco-saving necessities by some and as non-science based, financially cumbersome, public health-risking, over-regulation by others. Unfortunately, many in the Green Industry find themselves in the unenviable position of appearing “anti-green” if they oppose such regulatory measures—measures that can greatly impact every aspect of their business, even its basic viability, overnight. Many lawn and landscape professionals, particularly when it comes to adopting battery-power, find themselves not opposed to the transition per se, but find the devil is in the timing, enactment, and details of regulation. “There are a lot of people trying to tell our story, but nobody tells it better than us,” says Brandon Sheppard, Weed Man Sub-Franchisor team member and operator of Weed Man franchises in Virginia, Maryland, and Alabama. “We want sustainability, too. But we must continue to focus on the science, not the emotions. We are not the bad guys as we are sometimes made out to be. We want cleaner air and safe green spaces for our kids—and for many of us, that’s what this industry is all about.” No matter where you fall in opinions or location, it’s beneficial to stay ahead of what’s happening and how it may ...
AGZA & NALP Collaborate On Responsible Transition To Zero-Emission Landscape Equipment
The American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) and the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) announced this week that they will work together on an approach to the responsible transition from gas to zero-emission equipment in the landscape industry. “The industry is committed to making a transition to zero-emission equipment in a time frame that is feasible,” said Britt Wood, NALP CEO. “Unfortunately, this is not just a light switch to turn on and off as landscape businesses will have to invest in new and more expensive equipment and build the infrastructure required to power the batteries needed for commercial operations.” A long proponent of battery-powered equipment, AGZA helps promote and facilitate lower impact operations and sustainable land care through peer-to-peer engagement, training, and certification with the landscape industry. AGZA Green Zones are committed to more environmentally friendly solutions in lawn maintenance, while AGZA Service Pro Certification offers workforce training and education courses on operating and using low noise, zero-emission, low-emission equipment, and sustainable practices. (For more on their initiatives, read a full Turf article here.) “The American Green Zone Alliance is neutral on regulation, bans, and restrictions, but instead prefers a solutions-based approach that involves the carrot versus a stick approach to help the landscape industry transition into lower-impact technologies,” said Daniel Mabe, American Green Zone Alliance president. “We think this collaborative approach with the landscape industry is the fastest path to help us reduce emissions from outdoor power equipment.” AGZA and NALP believe that the transition to zero-emission equipment ...
AGZA Collaboration Creates Robotic Green Zones
The American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) has formed a collaboration with Automated Outdoor Solutions (AOS) and the Langton Group which benefits people, the planet, and profits. AOS sells, installs, and maintains robotic mowing systems and Langton Group is a premier landscaping company providing enhancing landscaping designs. The collaborative group has created five robotic AGZA Certified Green Zones in three locations in Illinois: in Woodstock for companies including Sweetwater, Woodstock Sterile Solutions, and Dura Bar; in Geneva for Marklund; and in Marengo for Thompson Linear. An AGZA Certified Green Zone is a defined area of land on which routine landscape maintenance is performed with the use of quiet, low impact equipment using battery, electric, robotic, and people-powered tools. Green Zones are created through a structured, multi-step program designed to achieve a transition away from fossil fuel-based landscape maintenance. It has become the independently verified standard for low impact and sustainable grounds maintenance operations with education and certification at the core of the program. AOS President Joe Langton, and dozens of his employees at AOS and the Langton Group, were among the first to become AGZA Service Pro® Certified. The Certification Course – a 15 lesson online course available in Spanish and English – was developed to help achieve professional competence in the new technologies.“The feedback was positive with employees appreciating the quality of the course and its comprehensive coverage” said Langton. Training in the use of battery electric equipment, and proper set-up and installation of robotics and power hubs in the ...
AGZA Initiatives Today
One of Turf’s first reports on The American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) was back in 2014 when Jamie Banks, Executive Director of Quiet Communities Inc., wrote about meeting Dan Mabe, AGZA President and Founder, in April 2013 and deciding to collaborate. Banks wrote, “I thought then we could be on the verge of an electric revolution in landscape maintenance.” Later in the article, she added, “The era of electric landscape maintenance is in its infancy. It has a long way to go before it becomes mainstream.” At the time, Banks predicted slow adoption of the technology, starting with schools, hospitals, luxury properties, parks, and municipalities. Seven years later, she hasn’t been wrong. Mabe describes AGZA as “a group of people whose mission is to ‘prudently’ help facilitate low impact, cleaner, and quieter technologies and operations for the grounds maintenance industry.” Despite the inertia of change in any industry, the movement is steadily growing as electric and battery technology improves, product costs come down, and environmental awareness increases among clients and providers. Today, AGZA represents an alliance of communities, advocacy groups, service providers, manufacturers, and more who are leading the landscaping industry toward what they see as the inevitable future. Interestingly, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, AGZA experienced a surge of community interest as kids and parents were schooling and working from their homes. “We were overwhelmed with inquiries because people now started to realize the elevated noise levels from gas powered service on their own properties, which ...
Announcing First AGZA Certified Green Zone To Use Robotic Mowers
Commercial property owners of Woodstock, IL will soon hear the quiet when their lawns are being maintained by Langton Group since the area is now the state’s first American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) Certified Robotic Green Zone. Not only is this the first AGZA Certified Green Zone in the state of Illinois, but the first Certified Green Zone using robotic mowers. AGZA is a California-based non-governmental organization whose charter is to help communities reduce noise and pollution using hand tools and electric-powered lawn and landscape equipment. The group works with non-profit partner Quiet Communities to establish, monitor, verify, and certify properties using more environmentally friendly solutions in lawn maintenance. “From California to New York, people are recognizing the advantages of reducing the use of gas-powered lawn equipment,” said Dan Mabe, President of AGZA. “We at AGZA help educate citizens, business leaders, and policymakers on the benefits of battery-powered options, which can eliminate gas pollution, reduce noise 40% to 70% and generally improve the quality of life in our communities.” In its first Certified Robotic Green Zone in the state of IL, AGZA is working with Langton Group, a full-service, 250-employee, landscape construction, maintenance, and snow removal company also located in Woodstock, IL. Langton Group, with the help of Automated Outdoor Solutions – another company owned by Joe Langton of Langton Group – is converting its current customer base to automatic daily mowing using Husqvarna Automower® and setting up eco contracts to perform property maintenance with battery equipment. Automated Outdoor Solutions ...
