Ruppert Landscape Appoints Kang President & COO
Jessica Schwartz
What’s In The Market For 2023?
Bigger, badder, battery-operated everything. And robots! Depending on your perspective, the professional lawn care and land-scape Industry is either ripe with exciting new opportunities or frustratingly full of changes. Today, the Green Industry is undergoing dynamic and revolutionary shifts in many facets of once basic practices—from mowing to pest control. Robotics, battery power, increasing legislation, new tech options, and consumer attitudes are driving the Industry toward new types of equipment, new ways of working, and essentially, new ways of thinking. “Regulations are popping up at city and town levels that landscapers are having to deal with, changing the way they provide services,” comments Kubota Senior Turf Product Manager Tom Vachal. “Most notably gas-powered backpack blowers. Many areas are pushing for electric solutions, sometimes driving up the input costs which are being absorbed by the landscaper.” In addition to large, long-term Industry transitions such as battery power, are the more immediate and present issues. “Competition is increasing as the market gets tighter; this is compounded by labor shortages, inflation, and supply chain issues,” says Rick Agajanian, chief product officer at WorkWave. Vachal echoes these concerns, but is optimistic, “Some supply chain issues still exist in the landscape industry, but we do expect improvement in 2023 moving forward.” He adds, “Labor will continue to be a pinch point, but some minor improvement is expected in mid-2023.” “The landscape industry is being challenged on many fronts—labor, emissions, replacement parts, and environmental stewardship just to name a few,” says Scythe’s Director of Marketing Billy ...
Turf April 2022 Issue
Editor’s Letter: April 2022 Issue “It’s not that easy being green.” – Kermit The Frog Perhaps no one empathizes with Kermit right now better than lawn and landscape professionals. Everywhere one turns today there is new green legislation targeting the Green Industry—an irony lost on no one. Gas-powered equipment, neonicotinoids, and even amounts of turfgrass are increasingly being scrutinized for their effects on the environment. It’s a tough position to be in—especially for a group of professionals who love the outdoors so much, they chose it as their workplace. Yet even as work methods and profit sheets hang in the balance, most seem to agree we can do better. And there are those blazing a path for the rest to follow: such as McCoy Horticultural’s commitment to sustainable practices; the use of robotic mowers by Langton Group and others; Southern Landscape Pro’s recycling of yard waste into organic soil; and J.M. Baker Company’s use of a solar charging station co-developed by former University of Tennessee Turf Manager Matthew Layne to support robotic mowers. Then there are the equipment manufacturers, too, who are pushing out bigger and better battery-powered options in an effort to meet the more rigorous demands of commercial users. It’s a lot to take in and we currently stand in the crossroads. Turf’s first issue on Sustainability was an examination of best practices. Just one year later, this issue’s coverage feels more urgent. There’s likely a curve ahead and you can choose to be ahead of it, or behind ...
Turf April 2022 Issue
Editor’s Letter: April 2022 Issue “It’s not that easy being green.” – Kermit The Frog Perhaps no one empathizes with Kermit right now better than lawn and landscape professionals. Everywhere one turns today there is new green legislation targeting the Green Industry—an irony lost on no one. Gas-powered equipment, neonicotinoids, and even amounts of turfgrass are increasingly being scrutinized for their effects on the environment. It’s a tough position to be in—especially for a group of professionals who love the outdoors so much, they chose it as their workplace. Yet even as work methods and profit sheets hang in the balance, most seem to agree we can do better. And there are those blazing a path for the rest to follow: such as McCoy Horticultural’s commitment to sustainable practices; the use of robotic mowers by Langton Group and others; Southern Landscape Pro’s recycling of yard waste into organic soil; and J.M. Baker Company’s use of a solar charging station co-developed by former University of Tennessee Turf Manager Matthew Layne to support robotic mowers. Then there are the equipment manufacturers, too, who are pushing out bigger and better battery-powered options in an effort to meet the more rigorous demands of commercial users. It’s a lot to take in and we currently stand in the crossroads. Turf’s first issue on Sustainability was an examination of best practices. Just one year later, this issue’s coverage feels more urgent. There’s likely a curve ahead and you can choose to be ahead of it, or behind ...
NALP Supports Introduction Of Returning Worker Exception Act
The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) is applauding Reps. Cuellar (D-TX), Joyce (R-OH), Keating (D-MA) Pingree (D-ME), Chabot (R-OH), and Harris (R-MD) for introducing the bipartisan Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021. This legislation would enact H-2B reforms and cap relief through a returning worker exception while also providing integrity measures that protect U.S. workers and foreign seasonal H-2B workers while in the United States. “We applaud Representative’s Cuellar, Joyce and Keating for their leadership on pushing for much needed permanent H-2B reforms,” stated Britt Wood, CEO NALP. “As the single largest user of the H-2B program the landscape industry has been in a work force crisis for many years and the uncertainty and antiquated 66,000 cap has exacerbated the crisis. “Now is the time to enact a permanent bipartisan solution that provides certainty for landscape professionals to grow their businesses, support their U.S. workers and service their customers,” he continued. The Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021 makes several permanent changes to the H-2B program. The first is reenacting the returning worker exemption that would exempt returning workers from counting against the 66,000 cap if the H-2B worker is a returning worker in any one of the previous three fiscal years. The returning worker exception was part of the program from 2005 – 2007 and then again in 2017. Additionally, both the Biden and Trump administration made the returning worker exception a prerequisite to accessing the supplemental cap in each of the previous four years. Other provisions ...
NALP Supports Introduction Of Returning Worker Exception Act
The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) is applauding Reps. Cuellar (D-TX), Joyce (R-OH), Keating (D-MA) Pingree (D-ME), Chabot (R-OH), and Harris (R-MD) for introducing the bipartisan Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021. This legislation would enact H-2B reforms and cap relief through a returning worker exception while also providing integrity measures that protect U.S. workers and foreign seasonal H-2B workers while in the United States. “We applaud Representative’s Cuellar, Joyce and Keating for their leadership on pushing for much needed permanent H-2B reforms,” stated Britt Wood, CEO NALP. “As the single largest user of the H-2B program the landscape industry has been in a work force crisis for many years and the uncertainty and antiquated 66,000 cap has exacerbated the crisis. “Now is the time to enact a permanent bipartisan solution that provides certainty for landscape professionals to grow their businesses, support their U.S. workers and service their customers,” he continued. The Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021 makes several permanent changes to the H-2B program. The first is reenacting the returning worker exemption that would exempt returning workers from counting against the 66,000 cap if the H-2B worker is a returning worker in any one of the previous three fiscal years. The returning worker exception was part of the program from 2005 – 2007 and then again in 2017. Additionally, both the Biden and Trump administration made the returning worker exception a prerequisite to accessing the supplemental cap in each of the previous four years. Other provisions ...
Landscape Business Owner & Statesman Offers Six Steps For Political Involvement
Every industry has to deal with the ups and downs of government regulation and landscape professionals are no different. The legislation passed on Capitol Hill affects every aspect of how you run your company, from taxes to hiring practices. Business owners intuitively know this, but getting involved in the political process to make your voice heard can seem overwhelming from a distance, especially in our currently charged climate. If you only see the news or look at Twitter, getting involved in politics seems daunting and maybe even pointless. As a state representative and landscape business owner, I have both a unique perspective and a vested interest in helping more landscapers get involved in the democratic process. Over the course of my seven-year tenure as a statesman, I’ve been approached by many professionals looking for ways to be heard. There is power in being involved, and I’m more than happy to help our industry find its collective voice in politics. I assure you, from my experience, that most lawmakers, regardless of political party, are good people just trying to help the people they represent. I can’t speak for every elected official, but I can offer some insights into the process and provide some ideas to help drive the kind of policy change we all want to see. Vote. It may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many people try to affect change without even being registered to vote. Ideally, professionals will have voted in at least the most recent ...
Landscape Business Owner & Statesman Offers Six Steps For Political Involvement
Every industry has to deal with the ups and downs of government regulation and landscape professionals are no different. The legislation passed on Capitol Hill affects every aspect of how you run your company, from taxes to hiring practices. Business owners intuitively know this, but getting involved in the political process to make your voice heard can seem overwhelming from a distance, especially in our currently charged climate. If you only see the news or look at Twitter, getting involved in politics seems daunting and maybe even pointless. As a state representative and landscape business owner, I have both a unique perspective and a vested interest in helping more landscapers get involved in the democratic process. Over the course of my seven-year tenure as a statesman, I’ve been approached by many professionals looking for ways to be heard. There is power in being involved, and I’m more than happy to help our industry find its collective voice in politics. I assure you, from my experience, that most lawmakers, regardless of political party, are good people just trying to help the people they represent. I can’t speak for every elected official, but I can offer some insights into the process and provide some ideas to help drive the kind of policy change we all want to see. Vote. It may sound obvious, but you would be surprised how many people try to affect change without even being registered to vote. Ideally, professionals will have voted in at least the most recent ...
