Good paying jobs still under the radar

still under the radar

equipment techs

Ousting the myth

Marty Cirbo, recruiter with Wagner Equipment Co., notes the challenge industrywide is to “dispel the myth that this is a low-level, low-tech job. We need to answer the question, ‘why would I want to be a mechanic for the rest of my life?’” Cirbo says all the pay, training and growth opportunities come down to “lifestyle” for today’s potential recruits. The perks, pay and career path relate more to parents— but what they mean for lifestyle is “key” for today’s young people. | CG

Building the pipeline

ALCC is partnering with Colorado Community College System (CCCS) to build another Career Pathway to prepare students for technician jobs upon graduation. In the summer, ALCC and CCCS will offer training for Colorado’s Ag/Ed teachers in skills they in turn can teach their students. The Compact Equipment Certificate will launch in selected high schools fall 2019.

Photos courtesy L.L. Johnson Company About 20 high school students and their teachers from Montrose made a detour on their way home from the National Western Stock Show in January to tour the shop at L.L. Johnson Distributing Co. John Bertsch, shop manager, showed them works-inprogress by technicians on equipment and talked about the variety ofjobs along the equipment tech career path.

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Sustainability Sustainability

Judy Guido tells why

Judy Guido is known and respected nationally within the green industry as a speaker, advisor and business coach. She recently spoke at ProGreen EXPO, andColorado Green

contacted her to gain her informed perspective on what sustainability can mean for landscape companies now and into the future.

Judy Guido By Lyn Dean

Sustainability may be a buzzword today, but the principles on which it is based resonate with buyers and stakeholders. If companies want to attract and maintain customers—and employees—experts say sustainability must be front and center.

Judy Guido, green industry growth expert at Guido & Associates, says, “Sustainability is a strategy, not a product or service. As a strategy, it needs to be incorporated into the company’s core business—its DNA—with no trade-off in quality, price and profi ts.”

What makes a company sustainable?

Let’s get on the same page with what this often-heard term “sustainability” means. The defi nition used by the U.N. World Commission is “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

How does this apply to businesses? They need to build a business case for sustainability. Sustainable companies “blend the economic, environmental and social, often referred to as the three P’s—people, planet and profi t—to meet new market expectations and regulations in ways that strengthen strategy, competitive

Sustainability is good for business

98.6 % of Americans want green solutions Company reputation is enhanced Recruiting costs decline Cost to deliver solutions can be 5-10% lower Net profi t can increase 2-4% Operating costs can decline 6-11%

advantage, brand and profi tability,” says Guido. “Sustainable companies will lead in the market, attracting more customers and employees, and will profi t more.”

Drivers of sustainability are here, right now

The drivers of sustainability can’t be ignored. They are a huge force, in front of us now as the new normal. Sustainability is not a fad. It is a megatrend. Fads are short-lived and market-specifi c, but trends have longevity and reach across all markets. “No industry is not touched or challenged by sustainability issues,” say Guido. She points to six key drivers. 1. Declining natural resources due to overuse of water, energy and food which causes an increase in compliance and regulation. 2. Radical transparency of company information on the internet. People are checking to see if you’re green. 3. Increased customer expectations for socially responsible products and services that have little negative impact on the earth and people’s health. 4. Consumer demographic shifts in key buyers especially boomers, millennials and women. 5. Population shifts to urban centers continue to increase. Overall population growth continues. 6. Climate change with a warming planet and rising seas is causing more severe weather.

The business case for sustainability is readily apparent, Guido says, when you consider the sustainability value matrix she presents to companies. Sustainability provides numerous opportunities that increase the value of a company including enhanced reputation, motivated employees, product differentiation, new business models, new markets and license to operate.

Shout it out

Companies must incorporate the needs and values of their targeted customers within the framework of their unique offerings.