Landscape Trades February 2020

February 2020 VOL. 42, NO. 2

landscapetrades.com

Final results from snow and ice study Three budgets your business needs Maintenance contractor moves from mentee to mentor

THE FUTURE of

Mowing

Robot mowers cut labour costs and environmental impact

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CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2020 VOL. 42, NO. 2

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER Lee Ann Knudsen CLM | lak@landscapeontario.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Scott Barber | sbarber@landscapeontario.com ART DIRECTOR Kim Burton | kburton@landscapeontario.com LANDSCAPE ONTARIO MAGAZINE EDITOR Robert Ellidge | rob@landscapeontario.com MULTIMEDIA DESIGNER Mike Wasilewski | mikew@landscapeontario.com ACCOUNTANT Joe Sabatino | joesabatino@landscapeontario.com ACCOUNT MANAGER Greg Sumsion | gsumsion@landscapeontario.com

Gearing up with robotic mowers

COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Angela Lindsay | alindsay@landscapeontario.com ADVISORY COMMITTEE Gerald Boot CLM, Laura Catalano, Jeremy Feenstra, Mark Fisher, Hank Gelderman CHT, Marty Lamers, Bob Tubby CLM, Nick Winkelmolen, Dave Wright Landscape Trades is published by Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Phone: (905)875-1805 Email: comments@landscapetrades.com Fax: (905)875-0183 Web site: www.landscapetrades.com LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Darryl Bond, Amy Buchanan, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, Cassandra Garrard, Meghan Greaves, Sally Harvey CLT CLM, Keri MacIvor, Heather MacRae, Kathy McLean, Ian Service, David Turnbull, Lissa Schoot Uiterkamp, Tom Somerville, Myscha Stafford, Martha Walsh

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FEATURES 6 Automation impacts landscaping

Grounds management contractors discuss the pros and cons of robotic mowers.

BY JORDAN WHITEHOUSE

12 SICOPS Update

The final results from a multi-year snow and ice management study.

BY DR. TAMUR USMAN

COLUMNS 14 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

Get your books in order to start the new year, and decade off right.

BY MARK BRADLEY

16 ROAD TO SUCCESS

In business and baseball, get your pitch and swing away.

BY ROD McDONALD

20 LEGAL MATTERS

Navigating creditor proceedings and bond claims.

BY ROB KENNALEY

30 MENTOR MOMENT

Steve Snider talks about working as a family to get a job done to award-winning standards.

DEPARTMENTS 4 22 24 28 29 29 29

GREEN PENCIL CNLA NEWS NEWSSCAPE NEW PRODUCTS EVENTS CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISERS

FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

3

GREENPENCIL Snow fighters’ latest challenge: Insurance

You are never alone PASSION, BY DEFINITION, is a strong

with. Our first passion was landscaping, and barely controllable emotion. Passion turf maintenance, asphalt and paving, was witnessed at the Emergency Snow and construction — outside in the beautiIce Meeting held at Landscape Ontario’s ful sunshine, the warmth, working in the Congress last month. I stood at the back fresh air and with the earth. Somehow, we of the room and observed person after ended up in the bitter cold, fighting for our person stand up and tell stories about how lives — for the safety they had been wronged by the insurof others. ance industry. A company with 32 years Against all this adversity, we have perin business, never had a slip-and-fall, lost severed. Snow and ice professionals have insurance. One company’s insurance rates gathered and developed the only industry NICHOLE ASHTON increased by 300 per cent. Another comtraining of its kind on our own. We identipany owner was forced to use extremely fied the environmental impacts of salt high deductibles to obtain insurance. Some were absolutely overuse and partnered with other groups to hire the University appalled by the fraudulent and frivolous slip-and-fall claims of Waterloo to research how much salt is “enough.” As an inthat have scarred our industry to the depth of our souls. We, as dustry, we have developed standards to help us, and others like professionals, give so much of ourselves for our clients, for our us, to grow and succeed. In Ontario, we lobbied and changed businesses, for our industry. the Statue of Limitations period from seven years down to two, Snow removal is emotional, possibly one of the rawest indus- and we are working on doing it again with Bill 118. We are tries I have come across. We work ourselves until drained and an industry that works hard for results. We need to focus our delirious, eyes bloodshot, physically and mentally exhausted. passion and emotion for the good. We provide a service that We work for days straight in a snowstorm to keep our sites safe makes a difference in people’s lives. Emotion is something we — all while receiving call after call from client after client with feel, it can take control over us, but it’s not quantifiable and the same message. “There’s snow in the parking lot, customers can harm us if not used properly. Focus on harnessing that are complaining, when are you coming back?” (I could go on energy and passion toward understanding and educating our and on…) The next day, the sun comes up and it’s over. Lots and teams, our clients and society. Winter has become an illness, walks are cleared, salt is turning into brine, curbs are visible, and we are the doctors. It’s time that we not only provide and it was like it never happened at all. My friend once asked professional services but educate people on industry standards, me, “Why do you do this? You kill yourself, and it can melt the to show the world how we can help them get better. next day. There’s nothing to show for it, all your hard work is for As we grow and develop, remember that others were once nothing.” But it’s not for nothing. We are not just contractors in the same place. Professionally and emotionally, we have — we’re emergency service providers. We save thousands and all had struggles and successes. Be sure to connect with other thousands of lives every year, just by providing this service. If contractors and reach out if you have questions or are unsure it didn’t matter, people would not get so emotional about it. It of how to proceed in any situation. The one thing we are does matter, because we are an industry that truly cares. good at is helping each other. Use the shows and events like Caring to the point of risking our own safety to provide these Congress, Snowposium, SIMA Symposium and others to services, and at the end of the day — we are battling liability, network, meet and connect. Communicate, learn and grow. slip-and-fall claims, salt shortages and price hikes. Insurance You are never alone. LT companies are walking away and choosing to give up the financial risk, leaving us broken and battered, scrambling to get Nichole Ashton is a winter maintenance professional insured so we aren’t losing our businesses — our livelihoods.

All of this in an industry that was never our first choice to begin and Smart About Salt board member.

4 | FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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robotics

BY JORDAN WHITEHOUSE

New mowers cause grounds management rethinks IF YOU EVER FLY in or out of British Columbia’s Victoria International Airport, take a look out the terminal’s windows and you might spot a roving team of zig-zagging lawnmowers with one important missing element: people behind them. In 2018, the airport, in partnership with Victoria’s IslandEarth Landscape Services, introduced its first robotic mower, aka Moe, a Husqvarna machine that uses guidewires and a GPS system to define the work area, register completed areas, and adjust its cut pattern. Built-in sensors detect objects in its way, and when it’s time to recharge, Moe heads back to its docking station.

Since then, IslandEarth has added three more Moes to the airport, and will likely add five more this spring. That’s on top of the handful of these Roomba-like machines they already have on commercial and residential properties in the Victoria area. The company’s operations manager, Dean Ross, says the goal is to have about 50 within the next three years.

“I think it’s a really good business opportunity, and it’s the way it’s going to be 10 years from now. A couple of years ago, there wasn’t much talk of robotic mowers, and now you see the pendulum swinging.”

The proliferation of robotic mowers really started in Western Europe over a dozen years ago and began creeping into the North American market about five years ago. Globally, the market is expected to hit $2.69 billion by 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate of almost 14.69 per cent between now and 2024, according to market research firm

Robotic mowers dock themselves when recharging is required.

FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

7

member had one in Holland for 15 years and only replaced the battery once.”

Bloomingdale, Ont.’s Wright Landscape Services tested a couple of robotic mowers last summer, and president David Wright says one of the biggest pluses is they will likely help his company do more with less. “Instead of having a cutting crew go out and do a property, they will be there to do planting beds and that kind of stuff, which is a higher margin type of work.”

Of course, robotic mowers will also help landscapers deal with labour shortages, says IslandEarth’s Dean Ross. “There will be a time, in about a dozen years or so, when companies will cut their staffing needs by half. No question about it. One hundred per cent that will happen.”

THE CONS

Robotic mowers save on people-power and can be programmed to keep your customer’s lawn the perfect length.

Arizton. In Canada, the market is still in its infancy, but there are an increasing number of homeowners and landscape companies using these man-free machines from Victoria to St. John’s. Weed Man has even started its own robotic lawnmower division, called TurfBot, with two locations in the U.S. and one in Toronto.

THE PROS

Martin Stokowski is operations manager of the Toronto TurfBot location, and says the biggest upside of the 50-plus mowers they’ve put on residential lawns is how they mow. “They’re fully adjustable in terms of what length you want, so you can make sure you’re not stressing out the lawn by letting it grow out and then cutting it down. It mows anywhere from two to four times a week, so you can come home every night and your lawn is the same length.”

Plus, according to everyone we talked to for this story, those lawns tend to be a lot denser and lusher, almost like golf greens, because the frequent mowing means clippings are constantly fertilizing the grass.

Robotic lawnmowers are also more environmentally friendly than their gas-guzzling counterparts, which is one reason why Orangeville, Ont.’s Whispering Pines Landscaping installed about 10 on clients’ properties last summer. “You’re also saving money by not burning those fossil fuels, because they’re battery-operated,” says the company’s marketing director, Leah Brakke. “You’re putting out the money for the one-time purchase, but your input costs are definitely less. The batteries last a really long time, too. A family 8 | FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Before all of those workers are replaced, though, a few kinks will need to be worked out. Number one is cost. The mowers TurfBot uses cost about $1,700 each, while IslandEarth’s are $10,000 each.

Those numbers should come down as robotic mowers become more popular, but that will take some time.

Many of the current mowers don’t work optimally on everyone’s property, either. When David Wright’s crews were testing them last summer, they ran into issues with the mowers falling into tree rings.

“The manufacturers told us to just bound up the tree rings, but I don’t agree with that because they’re telling you to change the way you do maintenance to make the robot work better,” says Wright.

“You’re also affecting the look of the property by doing that. We

“ Lawns mowed by robotic mowers tend to be a lot denser and lusher, almost like golf greens, because the frequent mowing means clippings are constantly re-fertilizing the grass.” want nice deep edges, and we want things to look nice and precise, and what they’re saying is to have the dirt right to the edge so that it won’t fall in.”

The zig-zagging nature of robotic mowers also means they don’t leave clean lines, and Wright found that some clients didn’t like that. In response, his crews had to return to the properties every couple of months just to put those lines in.

Dealing with fences can also be an issue. Wright’s crews ended up raising some fence panels and cutting off bottoms of fences so the mowers could pass through. It worked, but it wasn’t ideal, says Wright, because it does restrict your ability to mow a large property if there are fences and gates. Leah Brakke agrees, but says there

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Robotic mowers allow maintenance crews to focus on planting beds, trimming shrubs and hedges.

are workarounds, including using multiple mowers or installing one or more of American company Robin’s patented doggie doors for robotic mowers.

Another potential challenge is the cost and time involved in training the public about these machines.

Because robotic mowers are so new, the public is curious about them and so people tend to touch them or pick them up, which causes them to shut down. IslandEarth has one on a property near the University of Victoria, that gets noticed by a lot of inquisitive students. “We’ve been called out four or five times a day to start it back up,” says Ross.

ADVICE FOR SUCCESS

The novelty of robotic mowers also means there can be a lot of education involved with potential clients. IslandEarth was the first landscaping company to introduce them on Vancouver Island a few years ago, but Ross says it can still take time to convince potential clients and answer all their questions.

One typical first question, says Ross, is why would they want one on their property. “And you say, well, number one it’s good for the environment, and number two it doesn’t cost you very much money at all — you just have to supply the power.”

Another big question he gets: Are they safe? “It has been a problem in the U.S. with people stealing them, but the one we use has five different safety components, so no one steals it,” says Ross.

“That also means that they are safe to use around kids. Once you’re past that, clients are pretty much onboard.”

Leah Brakke’s big piece of advice for landscapers new to robotic mowers is to learn as much as you can about them and their limitations, so you are not selling them to the wrong people.

10 | FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

She also suggests having a demo mower on hand people can try, as well as having a solid sales pitch. “You want to make people comfortable with the idea, so know all of the pros and cons, maybe even use something relatable that people already understand, like the Roomba.”

As for David Wright and his company’s testing of those robotic lawnmowers last summer, he says he isn’t quite sold on them, yet.

“It’s not quite there for us, but it’s getting closer. I think within a couple of years the technology will be there, but right now they aren’t the best for our operation.” LT

Jordan Whitehouse is a Kingston, Ont.-based freelance writer.

Snow and Ice Control of Parking Lots, Platforms and Sidewalks

Research project

WRAP UP

BY DR. TAIMUR USMAN

Editor’s note: The SICOPS research project, Snow and Ice Control of Parking Lots, Platforms and Sidewalks, filled a knowledge gap for contractors charged with providing safety in these important environments. Landscape Trades published SICOPS research findings in the July-August 2013, August 2016 and August 2017 issues. The project concluded in 2018, with final results presented is this issue.

THE PROJECT, Snow and Ice Control of Parking Lots, Platforms and Sidewalks (SICOPS), was motivated by the need to develop guidelines and standards for parking lot winter maintenance providers. Over 5,000 tests were conducted during the first phase of the project under semicontrolled conditions, which resulted in a model with bare pavement recovery time as a function of salt application rate, pavement temperature and snow density.

12 | FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Since the model was developed under semi-controlled conditions, SICOPS phase II was launched to validate the model under normal field working conditions. Salt application data for parking lots from a variety of functional classes were obtained under a wide range of weather conditions. A total of 351 site events were covered and used for model validation; sites were located in Kitchener/ Waterloo, Ont., Buffalo, N.Y., Milton, Mass., Dubuque, Ia. and Onondaga County, N.Y. Locations for testing were changed from year to year to ensure model performance when applied to other locations, to account for different maintenance practices specific to different winter maintenance contractors and to cover a wide variety of weather conditions. In the season 2015/16, data were collected manually, whereas for the other seasons, the process was automated using mobile apps and data loggers, the support functions for which

SNOW DEPTH (CM) (REGULAR SNOW WITH

AVERAGE PAVEMENT TEMPERATURE (°C)

DENSITY OF 100 KG/M3)

Use this chart to determine application rates at varied snow depths and temperatures to know expected Bare Pavement Recovery Time.

0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5

were designed using data from this project.

The original model formulated a relationship between bare pavement status or amount of snow being melted and salt application rate, as well as environmental factors such as temperature, snow type and amount. Later on, a number of adjustment factors were developed to account for different surface types (e.g. asphalt concrete, Portland cement concrete and interlocked concrete), snow density, traffic volume, alternative salts and use of pre-wetting. These factors were proposed to account for the variation not covered by model variables. Based on the validation results, it was found in general that results from the model were very well in line with those observed from the study sites. On average, the observed and predicted bare pavement differed by less than two hours over an entire season for most of the events.

How much salt do you need?

This chart provides results from the Bare Pavement Recovery Time model for a number of conditions. For snow depth over 2.5 cm, it is recommended to plow first. Use it to determine application rates for varied snow depths, temperatures and bare pavement times.

For example, with a pavement surface temperature of -5°C, a salt application rate of 35 lbs./1,000 sq. ft. is recommended to melt one cm of snow to reach bare pavement within four hours.

-7 -5 -3 -1 0 -7 -5 -3 -1 0 -7 -5 -3 -1 0 -7 -5 -3 -1 0 -7 -5 -3 -1 0

PRECIPITATION DURATION AND DESIRED BARE PAVEMENT RECOVERY TIME (HOURS) 1 2 3 4 5 6 85 75 60 45 40 90 75 65 50 40 95 80 65 55 45 100 85 70 55 50 105 90 75 60 55

70 60 45 30 25 75 60 50 35 30 80 65 55 40 30 85 70 55 45 35 90 75 60 45 40

55 45 30 15 10 60 50 35 20 15 65 50 40 25 15 70 55 40 30 20 75 60 45 35 25

45 30 15 0 0 45 35 20 5 0 50 35 25 10 5 55 40 30 15 5 60 45 30 20 10

30 15 0 0 0 30 20 5 0 0 35 25 10 0 0 40 25 15 0 0 45 30 15 5 0

15 0 0 0 0 20 5 0 0 0 20 10 0 0 0 25 10 0 0 0 30 15 5 0 0

7

8

0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 15 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

The developed model, however, has some limitations as well which are listed below: l It was consistently observed the model does not perform well when the observed bare pavement recovery time exceeded eight hours. l It was consistently observed that the model does not perform well when the temperature is below –10°C. l Alternative materials, different pavement types and pre-wetting were not used at the study sites, and thus these adjustment factors were not evaluated. l Adjustment for high traffic volume needs to be done for each location differently. LT Dr. Taimur Usman is a post-doctoral fellow at the Innovative Transportation System Solutions Lab, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ont. A large number of researchers contributed to the success of this project, including two post-doctoral fellows, four full-time graduate researchers, and over 30 co-op students. This project has been made possible with the financial and logistic support of many organizations from both government and private sectors, including Landscape Ontario, GO Transit, Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO), Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA), Viaesys Inc., and a number of private contractors from across Ontario.

FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

13

MANAGEMENTSOLUTIONS

Plan for 2020:

It’s budgeting time!

BY MARK BRADLEY

IT’S THE START OF A NEW YEAR and if you haven’t started your plan for profit, there is no time like the present.

During this time of year I always preach about the value of a budget. This year, I want to highlight three different budgets you should consider to make the most of 2020 and beyond.

THE COMPANY BUDGET This is a forecast Profit and Loss statement covering your whole company. Your operating budget is a summary of forecast revenue, minus forecast expenses (typically broken down by labour, equipment, materials, subs, and overhead) to create a plan (forecast) for a profitable year.

The biggest challenge for most contractors is just taking the time to sit down and create a budget. Your first budget will be a learning experience — but once you understand how they are built and, more importantly, how they help you set profitable goals and metrics, you will wonder how you ever ran your business without one. Budgets help you to: l Establish clear goals for sales. l Help HR and hiring planning — giving you clear goals on the number of staff in each role and the wages you can afford to pay. l Create an overhead recovery system (to ensure every job is priced right). l Ensure jobs are priced accurately. l Reduce the stress and anxiety of not knowing whether you’re on the path to success/profit.

THE DIVISION BUDGET The division budget is a forecast Profit and Loss statement covering one specific 14 | FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

division of your company. Again, it’s a summary of revenue, minus expenses, but in the division budget your goal is to only include the revenue and expenses for one specific division. With budgets for each division in your company, you are able to clearly see which services are profitable and which services need improvement.

For many contractors, the first challenge is isolating costs by division.

Tracking revenue by division is simple, but many contractors don’t track and enter costs accurately enough to assign them to a specific division. Technology plays a big role in fixing these problems. A time tracking app, and setting up your accounting software by division, will solve most of the issues in divisional costtracking.

Finding balance can also be a challenge. Track too little detail, and you still won’t be certain where you are making or losing money. Track too much detail, and it becomes too confusing for staff to track accurately. You end up with a whole lot of data that no one trusts. This is worse than not having data at all. A good rule of thumb is to try to separate any division in your company that contributes more than 20 per cent of your total revenue. Trying to track anything smaller is probably more work than it’s worth.

Splitting overhead can also present challenges. How do you split something like a utility bill or shop space? Here are three strategies: l Allocate overhead by percentage of revenue (e.g. maintenance is 40 per cent of revenue, so it gets 40 per cent of overhead costs). l Allocate overhead by percentage of the

year (e.g. snow is four of 12 months, so it gets 33 per cent of overhead costs). l Finally, a more thoughtful approach is where each overhead expense is looked at individually and split by “thoughtful assignment” (e.g. the install division should recover 80 per cent of marketing costs, but the snow division should recover 70 per cent of liability insurance).

When it comes to benefits, the division budget establishes clear goals for sales by division; helps you focus on areas of strength (and eliminate weakness), and shows clearly which divisions need to raise prices or become more efficient.

THE CREW BUDGET The crew budget is a forecast Profit and Loss statement forecasting revenue and expenses for one specific crew. Revenue is projected by the projects (design-build) or contracts (maintenance) completed by the crew in a year. Payroll expenses are forecast by number of staff (and hours/ wages) in the crew, and other expenses (materials, subs and overhead) are forecast using the same percentages as your company budget. For example, if your company spends 27 per cent of sales on overhead expenses, then 27 per cent of the crew’s revenue is allocated to cover overhead expenses.

A challenge is that most contractors are scared to share too much information with crews. But a crew budget doesn’t have to be too transparent; you can share your overhead as a percentage without actually spelling out your salary or other overhead salaries. You can easily create

a balanced approach that shares enough information to motivate, without going ‘open book.’

Some foremen will not like what they see. You might lose them, or need to get rid of them. And that’s okay. Each crew needs to be able to contribute to, not detract from, your bottom line. Subjective statements like, “I work tons of hours but don’t get paid what I’m worth,” or “I don’t think this crew gets much work done,” are made perfectly clear with numbers. Either the crew is beating the goals, or its not. If not, this budget clearly demonstrates why it’s so essential — without making the owner look greedy, unfair or unjust. The biggest benefits of crew budgets are: l It’s an amazing motivational tool; showing good foreman the financials that drive their successes or failures will likely lead to never-before-seen levels of engagement and care. l It clearly shows who your best crews are, and which need training or development. l Helps identify foreman with the most potential, and those who are unlikely to succeed. l Crystallizes key performance metrics for each foreman. l Aligns field staff and ownership toward a common goal. l Becomes the foundation for an effective incentive or bonus system.

I can’t stress enough how these three budgets will change the way you manage your landscape company. If you have never built budgets for your company before, make 2020 the year — no, the decade — that you start. LT

Mark Bradley is CEO of LMN, and former CEO of TBG Environmental, both based in Ontario.

FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

15

ROADTOSUCCESS

Swing for the fences

BY ROD McDONALD

WHEN THE FASTBALLS OF LIFE were thrown my way, I swung, and sometimes I hit and sometimes I missed.

Just because I missed did not mean I quit swinging. The best hitters in baseball have batting averages of between 30 and 40 per cent (.300 to .400 in baseball parlance) which means, bare with my math lesson, that they missed 60 to 70 per cent of their times at bat.

When a top hitter comes to the plate, there is frenzied anticipation from the crowd as they await the outcome of the duel between the pitcher and the hitter.

In a metaphoric way, people are always interested in what we are going to do next, as well.

We, of course, do not have millions watching our every swing on television, but we do have our audiences, who arrive at our garden centers, landscape yards and greenhouses, wanting to see what is new and exciting. They want more than the “same old, same old.”

I have oft referenced the greenhouses and garden centres from the fifties to the eighties where things rarely changed.

There they were, offering up packs of bedding plants, grown in mud. The plant varieties rarely changed. When asked, the owner/operator would respond, “Custom-

16 | FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

ers want what they had last year, because it grew well for them.” Perhaps there was some degree of truth to that statement, at the time. Things have changed.

Customers did purchase the “same old, same old” because they didn’t have a choice. Once things began to change and there were options, customers responded.

They might have purchased familiar varieties, but they were also willing to try something new in a somewhat experimental fashion. All that was required was some leadership from us, the trade, to show what was possible. Those who provided leadership were rewarded: those that did not, suffered.

Over the years, I have had several members of our green trades complain of how their sales have slipped, and their businesses are not what they once were.

One family ruled the greenhouse business, for several years, in my city and then their sales declined. Their decline continued until they disappeared. They blamed their demise on the fact that “customers are no longer loyal.” That was an actual quote from the family. In reality, their customers were no longer loyal to them, once they had greater options. The days of offering little customer service, along with a take

it or leave it attitude, doomed a business that once was the best hitter (again the baseball analogy) in our area. They had the goose that laid the golden egg and then the goose died from neglect.

Many years ago, I attended a seminar on greenhouse management. The speaker was a grower/manager of an extremely large and successful operation. He began his talk by saying “I am here today because I am more experienced than most of you.

That is a nice way of saying that I have made many more mistakes than you have.

Many more mistakes.” I love that opening.

He acknowledged the true meaning of experience. Sometimes we do everything right and sometimes, even with our best intentions, things do not work out the way we planned. The adage of “we can plan the event, but we cannot plan the outcome’ resonates, again and again.

Having said that, while we can never fully plan the outcome, we can simply align things so that we increase the chance for success. Every batter knows there are certain pitches they struggle to hit. Good hitters leave those pitches alone and wait for the ones they can hit.

Mediocre hitters swing away, thinking that this time, things will be different. They

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ROADTOSUCCESS can’t hit a high fastball, but they can’t leave it alone to paraphrase a line from A League of Their Own. Bill Van Belle, co-founder of Van Belle Nurseries, in Abbotsford, B.C., told me a wonderful story of people seeking a sure thing, a guaranteed hit. Many years ago, there were a number of investors who purchased acreages to live on. They had the land and more often than not, they wanted to grow a nursery crop, for tax reasons. One problem: they had no experience. But this trade of ours has to be easy, right? Just stick a cutting in the ground and in five years time, harvest and sell the mature plant for a profit. Nothing could be simpler?

These new landowners would phone Bill, asking what they should plant that would be a good money maker, five and 10 years down the road. Bill had a stock answer that would crack me up, “I don’t have a crystal ball into the future. I can’t tell you what will make you money and what will cost you. Here is my question: If I did have a crystal ball, and I knew what would make me the most profit, why would I tell you, or anyone else?”

There are no crystal balls, but you can take your best guess and as with all guesses, sometimes you are right and

sometimes you curse. Forty years ago, a nurseryman predicted that a new variety of forsythia would be the next best thing.

He grew many, many plants. The forsythia never took off and he was stuck with these, albeit well grown, plants. Eventually, he made a joke of it. He would tell customers “With every $1,000 order, I will throw in 10 free forsythias. 20, if you ask me, nicely.”

In my own career, I had some real winners as well as some also rans. My friends in Ontario, 25 years ago, told me how black lava rock and black mulch were the rage, down east, so I jumped onto the bandwagon. I ordered many pallets of product and waited for the stuff to sell itself. It sat, and it sat, and it sat. No sense sitting on slow inventory so I reduced the price by thirty per cent. No sales. Then 50 per cent. No sales. Finally, I reduced the product by 80 per cent, something I had never done before. I was desperate.

It finally sold, but no one ever came back asking for more. Certain products will do well in specific regions and not so well in others. My mistake was to assume that if it did well in Ontario, it would do well in Regina.

When a baseball hitter goes into a slump, and is striking out more often than usual, his confidence declines.

Sometimes, they are trying too hard to finally get that hit, swinging away when they should be taking the pitch for a ball.

When the good pitch comes, they have to overcome their fears to take a chance, and swing.

When we don’t hit a home run, we shouldn’t stop swinging. We have become successful by adjusting to the next pitch and taking our chances. We swing as if the ball will be flying 415 feet into centre field.

We take our chances on that new variety of fuchsia, Million Bells or whatever is coming on the market. Our customers are coming to us for the good stuff, as I have oft written, but they are also coming to us for what is new and exciting. To stay on the road to success, all we have to do is to give it to them. Keep swinging for the bleachers. LT

Rod McDonald owned and operated Lakeview Gardens, a successful garden centre/ landscape firm in Regina, Sask., for 28 years. He now works full-time in the world of fine arts, writing, acting and producing in film, television and stage.

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LEGALMATTERS

Creditor proceedings and bond claims

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

IN THE LAST COUPLE of years, several high-profile insolvencies (including Carillion, Bondfield and Sears) have resulted in proceedings commenced under the Creditors Companies Arrangement Act (CCAA). In this article, we will discuss the subcontractor’s ability, where the principal under the bond has obtained CCAA protection, to pursue the bond claim notwithstanding the usual Initial Order issued under section 11.02 of the CCAA, which stays any proceedings “against or in respective of” the principal, its business or its property. Some would argue, for example, that because a claimant will not be able to prove a claim against the bond without first establishing that the principal owes it monies under the subject contract or subcontract, any proceeding to enforce the bond must be a proceeding “in respect of” the principal.

We would not agree.

First, an action against the principal is not, based on the plain wording of the standard form bond itself, a condition precedent to a claim. In addition, numerous cases confirm that claimants can and do pursue labour and material payment bond claims in proceedings to which the underlying debtor/principal is not made a party. See, for example, Truro (Town) v.

Toronto General Insurance Co., [1974] SCR 1129, 1973 CanLII 169 (SCC), Harris Steel Ltd. et al. v. Alta Surety Co., 1992 CanLII 4560 (NS SC), Campbell Comeau Engineering Ltd. v. Alta Surety Company, 1996 CanLII 5343 (NS SC), Williams v. Axa

20 | FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Pacific Insurance Co., 2003 CanLII 49306 (ON SC) and Harris Steel Ltd. v. Seaboard Surety Company of Canada, 2003 CanLII 49313 (ON SC).

In addition, a labour and material payment bond is a guarantee, made by the surety, that the bonded contractor or subcontractor will pay its subcontractors for their labour and materials supplied to the bonded project. This is significant given section 11.04 of the CCAA, which provides that an order for a stay under section 11.02 has no effect on proceedings against a person, other than the company in respect of which the order is made, who is obligated under a guarantee in relation to that company. The rationale for s.11.04 (as it applies to sureties) was addressed in Browne v. Southern Canada Power Co. [1941] CarswellQue 14 (C.A. Que.), an often cited case of the Quebec Court of Appeal in which the court rejected a surety’s argument that an action against it on a bond should be stayed. The Court stated: “It is a somewhat startling proposition that a surety can avail himself of the bankruptcy of his principal debtor to avoid or modify his own obligation.

A contract of commercial suretyship, such as is under consideration in the present case, is generally for the very purpose of guaranteeing the solvency of the principal debtor. … .

The very special remedies authorized by law for the exclusive benefit of a debtor company are not available to

third parties. The Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act is a special statute, to be restrictively interpreted, and its benefits accrue to those alone envisaged by the statute. Its provisions only come into play after the debtor has become bankrupt, thus involving the sureties, and what happens after that event affects the company only. Any delay given for payment of the company’s debts as an insolvent … do not and were not intended to operate as a release of any of the obligations of the company’s guarantors. … It is always possible that a debtor, whether a person or a company, will become bankrupt.

That is not something inherent in the debt, but it is in most cases the reason why a guarantee is demanded.”

Similarly, in Northern Transportation Co., the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench adopted the approach in Brown to hold that a s.11.02 stay ought not extend to those who guarantee the debtor’s obligations: “The nature of a contract of guarantee is that the primary debtor will perform his contract and the guarantor has to answer for the consequence of the primary debtor’s default: Schell v. McCallum & Vannatter (1918), 57 S.C.R. 15 (SCC), [1918] 2 WWR 735, at paras 50, 51 Brodeur J. (dissenting). ...

“In addressing the public policy objectives of the Act to keep the

debtor company in operation and to treat the creditors fairly, the Court in Keddy Motors further held at p. 5 that: “[s]uits against guarantors who are principals ought not to have any adverse effect upon the operations of the company; indeed, satisfaction of debts by realization of guarantee should enhance the financial position of the company. The principals — not the company — will suffer the effect.”

We also suggest that a reading of section 11.03(2) of the Act supports our position. Sureties, of course, will often take guarantees from the directors of the principal company to which it provides bonding. Section 11.03(2) provides that a section 11.02 stay “does not apply in respect of an action against a director on

a guarantee given by the director relating to the company’s obligations.” This accordingly allows the surety to proceed against the directors on the guarantees notwithstanding the stay. We suggest that section 11 ought not be interpreted to shield the surety from claims against guarantees it gives (through bonds) while allowing the surety (by virtue of section 11.03(2)) to pursue the guarantees it has received from the principal’s directors.

This, we suggest, would be an inequitable interpretation of Section 11, which would lead to absurd consequences.

In the end, where an insolvency above them in the construction pyramid seems possible, contractors and subcontractors should do what they can to preserve remedies that do not rely on privity of contract, including claims for lien, hypothecs in Quebec, trust claims and

labour and material payment bond claims.

Where such a bond claim is made, claimants should consider taking steps to push the claim forward promptly, notwithstanding any stay of proceedings ordered under the CCAA. LT

Robert Kennaley practices construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ont. He speaks and writes on construction law issues and can be reached for comment at 416-700-4142 or at rjk@kennaley.ca. This material is for information purposes and is not intended to provide legal advice. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstance are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regard.

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NEW CHAIR FOR NPDC The New Plant Development Committee (NPAC) named Michel Touchette chairperson. Touchette takes over the position from outgoing chair DeVonne Friesen from Van Belle Nursery. John Bakker continues his term as co-chair of the committee.

The NPDC is responsible for fostering and encouraging the development of new landscape plants for the domestic and export marketplaces, as well as overseeing the Heritage Research Fund and to ensure it is being managed in accordance with its Terms of Reference.

The Hardy Rose Breeding program, which has introduced the roses Canadian Shield, Chinook Sunrise and soon Aurora Borealis to market, continues under the direction of this committee.

As new plant development at CNLA was never intended to be just rose breeding, the committee is looking for ideas from across Canada on what its next plant breeding focus should be. Is there a particular tree or shrub that, if improved upon, would make an ideal new plant for the industry? Are your customers asking for anything in particular that is not available in existing cultivars? Please call Jamie Albers at 647-724-8630; he would be very interested in discussing the potential of these ideas with you and with the NPDC.

NEW CNLA STAFF CNLA welcomed Frydda Sandoval to its team as Environmental Policy Coordinator. As far as she can remember, she has always loved nature and trees in general; therefore, her first career option was in the environmental and natural resources area.

Her background includes sustainability projects, community engagement and policy research, as well as substantial expertise in managing the preparation and submission of all relevant permitting documents. She is Frydda Sandoval 22 | FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

academically founded in environmental engineering, environmental management and public policy.

Her past professional experience includes orchestrating implementation and monitoring of strategic environmental goals, liaising with the local community and government, and handling permit applications.

Sandoval’s role as Environmental Policy Coordinator at CNLA includes working with the Climate Change Adaptation Committee and the international partners in the research, development, application and monitoring of environmental programs and policies.

The role includes promoting the benefits of green infrastructure in light of climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience, as well as integrating landscape best practices into environmental programs, policies and communication pieces using the Canadian Landscape Standard.

PROGRAM YEAR-END HIGHLIGHTS It has been an incredible year of savings for CNLA members. We increased the number of member savings programs to 25 this year. Some of the highlights for 2019 include: l $464,600 in savings discounts for FCA vehicles. l 7,354 Mark’s Work Warehouse savings cards issued to members. l $13,578,900 in savings discounts for GM vehicles.

These numbers are as of the end of November, 2019. We are always on the lookout for new programs that will benefit you and in turn, help serve your customers. Be sure to stay up-to-date on all the latest news by checking out future issues of the CNLA Newsbrief and our monthly membership update.

CAF SYMPOSIUM The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) held a two-day symposium in Ottawa, Oct. 23-24. The symposium, Preparing Youth for Careers in the Skilled Trades, addressed the realities surrounding apprenticeship in Canada and how it

pertains to youth.

The two days of sessions included an open discussion led by facilitator Warren Wilson which engaged members in discussions on best practices and evaluating success in pre-apprenticeship. Another session run by Statistics Canada presented research conducted about who completed apprenticeship within the prescribed duration, those who took additional time to complete, and those who dropped out of their apprenticeships.

The statistics were preliminary and do not take into account careers that have a mandatory apprenticeship over those that do not. It did not reveal what happens to those that do not continue their apprenticeship, whether they continue to work in the same industry, or break out apprentices working in unionized or non-unionized places of employment.

These are all major factors that would affect the research conducted. Statistics Canada realized some of this, but not all, and agreed they could certainly look deeper.

Some key findings show that apprentices were more likely to become certified if: l They received credits for pre-registration training. l They work in the most common industries in their trade. l They applied for the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (Red Seal Trades only).

Apprentices are more likely to discontinue if: l They work in multiple industries in the year of registration. l They had financial difficulties.

The symposium closed with a panel discussion and roundtable conversations.

Interesting ideas from the discussions include: l The need to engage youth at a younger age. l Businesses should take on a co-op student as a gateway to get them interested in the trade. l Summer students are a great resource and can spark an interest for future labour.

The two-day Canadian Apprenticeship Forum held in Ottawa, Ont., addressed key concerns of apprenticeship programs and careers in the Skilled Trades. l A need to get in front of schools to

educate them on the value of the trades. l Consider changing the name from Skilled Trades to Skilled Professional.

APPRENTICESHIP INFORMATION Finding staff is a real problem that many employers are facing. Our industry is not the only one in this situation. Canada is running out of tradespeople, and the government is trying to encourage people to consider a trade with grant incentives. Did you know the government is also providing tax breaks to employers who take on apprentices?

The Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit (AJCTC) is a non-refundable tax credit equal to the eligible salaries and

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wages payable to eligible apprentices in respect of employment after May 1, 2006. An employer can claim up to $2,000 per year per eligible apprentice.

What is an eligible apprentice?

Any person who is working in a prescribed trade in the first two years of their apprenticeship contract. The contract must be registered with a federal, provincial or territorial government under an apprenticeship program designed to certify or license individuals in the trade.

What is a prescribed trade?

A trade that is currently listed as a Red Seal Trade; Landscape Horticulturist is a designated Red Seal Trade.

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How do you claim the credit?

An employer can claim the AJCTC on the individual income tax return, on line 412 – Investment Tax Credit, by filing form T2038 (IND), Investment Tax Credit (Individuals). Any unused credit may be carried back three years and carried forward 20 years. If two employers employ the same apprentice, only one may claim the credit. LT

The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association is the federation of Canada’s provincial horticultural trades associations. Visit www.cnla-accp.ca for more information.

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Congress 2020 offered attendees access to over 600 exhibitors, over 50 hours of education and live demos each day on the show floor.

GREEN PROFESSIONALS ENJOY CONGRESS 2020 Over 15,000 landscape and horticulture professionals visited Landscape Ontario Congress at the Toronto Congress Centre, Jan. 7-9, 2020. The annual trade show and conference featured some 600 exhibitors, showcasing the latest nursery stock, landscape products, equipment and materials. LO Congress was highlighted by a stacked conference program with over 50 hours of educational sessions, along with live hardscape, planting and vehicle safety demonstrations on the trade show floor.

Congress 2021 will take place Jan. 1214 at the Toronto Congress Centre. Visit locongress.com.

GARDEN CENTRE SUMMIT COMING TO EDMONTON The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) is holding the next annual Garden Centre Canada (GCC) Summit in Edmonton, Alta., on July 5-7, 2020.

GCC is hosting garden centre owners and operators from across Canada and the United States, showcasing the best of what Alberta has to offer in the way of innovation, as well as a full day of world-renowned industry expert speakers. It begins with a welcoming reception on the evening of July 5, and a bus tour the next day. Six garden centres will be featured, including lunch at Kiwi Nurseries and dinner amongst plants at 24 | FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Branches restaurant in Greenland Nursery and Garden Centre. After a social breakfast on July 7, keynote speaker Corey Bordine will inspire attendees to dig into their business with “Seven Ways to Effectively GROE Your Business.”

Eve Tigwell will speak on “Making the Most of What You’ve Got,” working to maximize your profitability. Seats are limited at $450 each. If you have any questions, please contact Anne Kadwell at anne@canadanursery.com.

AVIAN THEME HIGHLIGHTS CANADA BLOOMS 2020 The 24th annual Canada Blooms brings the theme, “Birds of a Feather” to Toronto’s Enercare Centre, March 13-22, 2020. The country’s largest flower and garden festival, Canada Blooms aims to “connect people to the joys and

benefits of nature through experiences with gardens and flowers, [and] by promoting, educating and celebrating all aspects of horticulture.”

Co-located with the National Home Show, the festival features display gardens and landscapes, as well as over 200 horticulture and floriculture seminars and workshops.

The theme Birds of a Feather gives Canada Blooms garden designers an opportunity to explore imagery incorporating birds, feathers, bird baths and more. Alternatively, designers can choose to interpret ‘Birds of a Feather’ figuratively and focus on similarities of people, plants and insects,” the festival website explains.

The festival will include flowers and plants from a wide variety of growers, including the 2020 Canada Blooms

The Canada Blooms festival features display gardens and landscapes, along with horticulture and floriculture seminars and workshops.

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DOOSAN BOBCAT ACQUIRES BOB-CAT Doosan Bobcat finalized the acquisition of Bob-Cat Mowers and the Steiner and Ryan brands of grounds maintenance equipment from Schiller Grounds Care.

“We are pleased and proud to welcome the Bob-Cat, Steiner and Ryan team members into the Doosan Bobcat family,” said Mike Ballweber, president of Doosan Bobcat North America. “We are bringing great people and strong brands into our organization to help further grow our business and reach more customers and markets.”

Doosan Bobcat announced the signing of a definitive agreement in December 2019 to acquire Bob-Cat Mowers and the Steiner and Ryan brands of grounds maintenance equipment,

Landscape Ontario’s Awards of Excellence honoured the incredible talents of maintenance, design, construction, lighting and garden centre members who are greening our cities and towns.

including the Johnson Creek, Wisc., manufacturing facility. Approximately 200 employees at the manufacturing facility and members of the distributor and dealer direct field sales and technical support teams will join Doosan Bobcat.

Doosan Bobcat is based in Seoul, South Korea, with its North America headquarters in West Fargo, N.D.

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ONTARIO AWARDS CELEBRATE EXCELLENCE About 700 landscape and horticulture professionals gathered in Toronto, Ont., Jan. 7 for the Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence ceremony, celebrating the best construction, maintenance, design and landscape lighting from 2019. The top-scoring construction award — the Dunington-Grubb — was presented to Seferian Design Group; top maintenance prize, the Don Salivan Grounds Management Award, went to Snider Turf and Landscape Care; and the Casey van Maris Award, recognizing unique and innovative design, was presented to Land-Con. See all the award winning landscapes via a link at LOawards. com. Held in conjunction with Congress 2020, the awards program celebrated its 47th year.

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The Fédération interdisciplinaire de l’horticulture ornementale du Québec (FIHOQ) announced it is changing its name to Quebec Vert. The rebranding better represents the association’s commitment to promoting the essential role plants play in society, Quebec Vert stated in a media release. The change also better positions the association to “represent and promote the ornamental horticulture sector,” including its role in environmental and ecological sustainability, Quebec Vert’s executive director Luce Daigneault said. The horticulture

profession in Quebec represents more 40,000 jobs and generates some $6 billion, and serves nearly two million consumers each year. Quebec Vert is based in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.

CAPTEIN ELECTED COHA PRESIDENT The Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance (COHA) announced Dave Captein was elected president for a two-year term. Captein has served as a Director on the COHA-ACHO Board since 2014 and as Vice-Chair since 2017. He operates Blue Magic Green-

COHA president Dave Captein with family.

houses in Pitt Meadows, B.C., where he grows hydrangea, lilies, Ilex, Viburnum and Hellebore as cut flowers for the Pacific Northwest. Ornamental horticulture accounted for $2.3 billion in gross receipts at farm-gate in 2018, making it one of the largest sectors of horticulture in Canada.

U.S. SHOW AND CONFERENCE CHANGES The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) has announced that in 2022 it will move into 100 percent ownership of GIE+EXPO, the international landscape, outdoor living and equipment exposition held annually in Louisville, Ky. The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) announced it will separate its annual meeting, LANDSCAPES, from GIE+EXPO and will host its own standalone conference. For more than a decade, NALP has held its annual meeting in Louisville in conjunction with GIE+EXPO. Before that, the association hosted an annual meet-

ing and exposition (the Green Industry Expo) which traveled to different cities.

STAR ROSES LAUNCHES MINIATURE ROSE Star Roses and Plants announced the launch of the first-ever miniature Knock Out rose, Petite Knock Out. “Petite Knock Out is perfect for the landscape, garden and containers,” says Layci Gragnani, Rose Brand Manager at Star Roses and Plants. “Its versatility, ultra-compact form and staying power makes it perfect for growers, retailers, landscapers and home gardeners.”

Petite Knock Out has non-fading, bright red flowers on top of unique, dark and shiny green foliage,and is extremely black spot resistant, the West Grove, Pa.-based company said in a media release. The mature plants are 18-in. tall and hardy to zone 5.

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Electric zero turn mower The Rival electric zero turn mower from Mean Green Mowers provides seven hours of continuous mowing time, the choice of a 52- or 60-in. deck, speeds up to 12 miles per hour and power comparable to a 36-hp gas mower.

Mean Green Mowers www.meangreenproducts.com

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Compact track loader JCB introduces the new 2TS-7T Teleskid compact track loader to its lineup. The 2TS-7T Teleskid is built on the company’s small-platform skid steer chassis and is powered by a 74-hp Kohler engine.

JCB www.jcb.com

Steel snowplow cutting edge system The new Patriot Steel Snowplow Cutting Edge System by Winter Equipment is built to last four times longer than the industry’s standard steel snowplow blade, the company says. The Patriot system’s wear bars are filled with Winter carbide matrix weld paired with high-quality, hardened steel for increased blade life, and the blade’s serrated design self-sharpens and cuts through packed snow.

Fecon introduces a new lowflow mulcher head for use with most standard skid steer loaders, Avant-type wheel loaders, and others carriers that are able to provide 17-27 gpm of hydraulic flow, have enclosed cabs that can be properly protected with the appropriate polycarbonate guarding, and have the ability to carry the 1,300-pound attachment. The new mulcher head features 22 knife or carbidetype cutting tools and has a 50-in. working width.

Fecon www.fecon.com

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Cordless sander Dewalt introduces the 20V MAX XR Brushless Cordless 1/4 Sheet Variable Speed Sander. A variable, seven-speed dial offers speed control from 12,000 – 14,000 OPM, allowing users to match the sander’s speed to their application.

Dewalt www.dewalt.ca

Compact tractor The new CK2610SE tractor from Kioti incorporates a factory cab with air conditioning and heat. The improved tractor also features HST cruise control and link pedal, and USB and AUX media inputs.

Kioti www.kioti.com

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EVENTS FEB. 20 Grounds Management Lecture Series, Milton, Ont., www.landscapelecture.ca

FEB. 27 Lighting Conference 2020, Milton, Ont., www.lightingconference.ca

MARCH 2-5 Canadian Golf Course Management Conference, Ottawa, Ont., www.golfsupers.com/en/events/ cgcmc2016

JUNE 16-19 SIMA Snow and Ice Symposium, Hartford, Ct., www.sima.org/show/home

JULY 5-7 Garden Centres Canada 2020 Summit, Edmonton, Alta. anne@canadanursery.com

AUG. 11-13 Independent Garden Center Show, Chicago, Ill., ​ www.igcshow.com LT

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LAND SCAP E TR ADES

CENTRAL ALBERTA LANDSCAPING BUSINESS FOR SALE Geneva Gardens Inc. established in 1968.

Necessary equipment, name, website and goodwill $35,000. Landscape experience required.

Business location and coaching available for the right party for a two year period.

For information contact only through the website, genevagardens.com

ADVERTISERS

Any pro where for gduct an, any tim reen d se e indu rvice , stry dire pro ctor s y Onli ne li stin gs a t

View these ads and more online at landscapetrades.com/classifieds

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FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

29

MENTORMOMENT

Blessed with fun STEVE SNIDER operates Snider Turf

very proud of my staff and providing them with a work and home life balance. Balance of life is important to me and our family.

and Landscaping Care in Waterloo, Ont. Snider launched the company in 2007, but his horticulture roots extend deeper to his father’s landscape equipment business, as well as time spent working What is the toughest part with the late Paul Grobe (Snider’s fatherof running your business? in-law) at Grobe Nursery in Breslau, Ont. The hardest part is staffing; finding the Snider TLC was the proud recipient of right people to fit the company and STEVE SNIDER the top maintenance award — Don blend well with our existing staff. New Salivan Grounds Management Award — staff may not have the experience, at the 2020 Landscape Ontario Awards of Excellence. but we can train them on that. But if they don’t have the right attitude, it doesn’t seem to work. Even if they have How would you describe your leadership style?

10 years experience, if they don’t have the right attitude, I want our staff to understand what the expectations are, it’s not going to work for us. without micromanaging so they have some free reign on how to complete certain tasks. Most properties just go What do you enjoy most about operating easier if you have a plan and complete them it an orgaa landscape business? nized efficient manner, and I like for the guys to try to I love what we do; I am very passionate about it and I get find what works for themselves. I love when they come a lot of pleasure from it. I love the excitement we bring back and say they’ve found new solutions. That makes to our clients. We like to exceed expectations. I really me so proud and them feel a part of some ownership in enjoy our company culture of working together as a big what we do. family. Our fantastic staff are always trying to improve and help each other get even better.

Did you have mentors along the way?

After every job, I enjoy looking back and thinking, Absolutely. One of my mentors was Paul Grobe. The big ‘wow, that looks great. That’s what drives me. I also love things I learned from Paul were to have fun and that the relationships and friendships that I have had the quality counts. We want to provide a good, quality cusopportunity to develop over the years within Landscape tomer service experience, but want to have fun doing it.

Ontario. I am truly grateful. LT I was so blessed to have such a great mentor, like Paul, I want to pay it forward. I try to just be who I am, and to inspire others to be their best and to have fun doing it. I’m Do you have a mentor to recommend, or a question to suggest? very proud that we are carrying on Paul Grobe’s legacy Please write to editor@landscapetrades.com. as well as creating one of our own. I’m also grateful and

30 | FEBRUARY 2020 | LANDSCAPE TRADES