Landscape Ontario - May-June 2023

SELECT STONE CELEBRATES THREE DECADES

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Recognizing our student employees

Our spring rush has started to wind down and the season is settling on us well. The sales funnel is getting full, or is already full for the 2023 season and our clients are all satisfied with the work they have received to date. This is the perfect time of year to welcome new workers. Students are graduating or moving out into their first career-specific position in horticulture and design. They are bringing forth their new knowledge and skills to this broad profession. How are you going to respect their education and encourage their future?

This is when business owners and managers can step up to train, mentor and support this new cohort of eager landscaping professionals. How can we make their experience the best it can be? Perhaps after their regular onboarding/ orientation session, they are buddied up with a more knowledgeable team player who will show them the ropes, one who will encourage them to ask questions, to not to be fearful if they make mistakes, and to encourage them to learn all they can.

Perhaps your business has a welcome breakfast or barbeque to bring the entire company together

to meet, do some fun icebreakers, and chat with the new people. Maybe it’s “a drive around” day with the team leader and the newbie to check out some of the sites the company works on.

Whatever you choose to do, make it special for your new hires. Set the stage so they have a successful season with your company. Let them know they can depend on you to fulfil their needs as a new worker in this wonderful profession.

A great way to kick start this is by making them aware of the many scholarships available through the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation to help further their studies. Over $60,000 in assistance is available to Ontario students enrolled in landscape and horticulture programs. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2023. Scholarships range from $500 to $1,000 and are also open to apprentices and postgraduate studies. Scholarships are a great way to encourage the growth and effort of the future leaders of this marvellously diverse profession. For full details, visit ohtf.ca/scholarships

As always, if you have any landscape related questions, feel free to contact me. Enjoy your summer.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President - Lindsay Drake Nightingale

Past President - Dave Wright

Vice President - Ed Hansen

Second Vice President - Lindsey Ross

Treasurer - Jeff Olsen

Landscape Ontario’s mandate is to be the leader in representing, promoting and fostering a favourable environment for the advancement of the horticultural profession in Ontario.

Project by Partridge Fine Landscapes using Select Stone natural stone products.

CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

By Karina Sinclair

Tony Schenkel loves natural stone. He’s built an entire career around it. In fact, his company Select Stone Supply is now celebrating 30 years of specializing in boulders, blocks, and other bespoke stone products. From a rocky start to an evolving enterprise, the willingness to help — and be helped — have been instrumental in Select Stone’s success.

THE EARLY DAYS

Schenkel fell in love with machines at a young age. His father was a carpenter and home builder, so Schenkel got an early introduction to construction job sites. An early summer job involved operating tractors and equipment at a produce farm. “Then my first serious full-time summer jobs were in landscaping. That was just a natural go-to,” Schenkel said. “There was a lot of landscapers in our community and it was quite easy for me to get a job there. I realized I really enjoyed that. I liked the physical work, I liked building things.”

He continued to work in landscaping, and then went back to school to study business. “I didn’t particularly like school that much, although I do like learning,” said Schenkel. He struggled with what to do next until an acquaintance offered a suggestion. “He said, ‘There's a market out there for somebody who gets a crane truck that can go to different sites of suppliers, quarries and pick up stone and deliver those to sites for landscapers.’ I was 22 at that time, and I decided, ‘Okay, I am going to start with this.’”

Stuart Schenkel is the yard manager at Select Stone and has worked with his brother for over 22 years. “I remember when he bought his first truck, how nervous he was,” Stuart said. “Huge stuff, young guy, early twenties. It was a big deal. But he just had that drive. He wanted to make it happen. I wasn't able to see that far ahead. He could.”

The first few years were tough. Schenkel hustled to make connections at quarries, handing out business cards and slowly collecting leads. He admits it was hard to build credibility when showing up with an old crane truck. While in between deliveries, Schenkel would subcontract for his former employer. “I would jump in one of his trucks, drive to do site work for him and kept up a really good relationship,” he said, recalling how this presented his next big opportunity. “He had a much newer and much better crane truck that was actually underutilized. I approached him and said, ‘Would you be interested in selling me that truck?’ And he actually said to me, ‘Tony, I was thinking of talking to you about the same thing.’”

Buying the second truck cost about five times the price of the first truck, but having such a strong relationship with his former boss helped Schenkel grow his business and reputation. “That’s when I started to become quite busy,” Schenkel said. Next, he bought a trailer and was able to source

and deliver more stone to landscapers. At the same time, he built a rapport with nurseries and began delivering nursery stock and trees.

This might be where some people would say it was pure grit and long-term vision that kept them going. Schenkel gets real about his major motivator. “It was fear. And I realize that's maybe not the most eloquent answer, but there was absolutely that piece of it where I did not want to fail. I made a financial commitment with the bank. I was in the lake. I had to swim and swim, I did.”

Schenkel was quick to add that there was fun, too. “The relationships that started happening with people — I started to realize how many people would actually come alongside and help you,” he said, referring to fellow peers and mentors who helped champion him along the way. He credits those relationships for fostering his success. “They gave some awesome ideas. You know, the idea to buy a crane truck wasn't my idea. It was somebody else's idea.”

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

With two crane trucks and a tractor trailer on the road, Schenkel enjoyed the growing credibility. He could pick up more boulders than ever before but with nowhere to store them he needed to find landscapers who could use those materials immediately.

Schenkel rented space at a nursery to establish his soon-to-grow supply yard.

Around the same time, one of his clients proposed to run a stone yard together alongside his high-end nursery. “I actually politely declined on the partnership,” Schenkel recalled. “But I said, ‘I would love to rent space from you and open up a yard.’ So that is actually what we did in 2001.”

The small back corner of land served as a holding area while Schenkel found contractors to buy loads of stone. It didn’t take long before he started to outgrow the space so he reached out to his network again for help to find property to purchase. In 2004, Schenkel found an undeveloped 11-acre parcel in Burlington, Ont., that would become the long-term home of Select Stone.

“From there it just grew bit by bit by bit,” Schenkel said. “I had a number of pieces already in place before we actually physically opened up a stone yard. I didn't even realize it at the time, but I had two trucks already. I had customers already, I had suppliers already. We had quarries that we were going to. So we were actually just expanding on something that we already had. It wasn't that, all of a sudden, it's like, ‘Okay, start up a stone yard, buy a bunch of trucks, find a bunch of yard suppliers.’ It was actually just an expansion of what we had.”

Schenkel continued to focus on natural stone. “That’s something I felt very passionate about. The longer I was in the

stone industry, the more I loved natural stone.” To accommodate custom requests, the company eventually added a 15,000 sq. ft. production facility. The range of products they can fabricate or source continues to expand in style and finish, from raw and rustic to precise and polished. “The people who are here genuinely love natural stone,” added general manager Matt Bartels. “Something I really enjoy is making new connections, finding a new style and getting excited about it. That whole process of bringing it to market. So we’re always trying to better ourselves and better the product to make the life of the contractors easier. And then the end user is happy with their investment. We're always working for the customer.” After all, the company motto is: “We sell stone. We serve people.”

Over the past few decades, Schenkel has seen other stone supply yards come and go. He didn’t worry about the rivalry. “At a certain point in time, you get fairly secure in what you're doing. You have your customer base, you have your relationships. Competition is not always a bad thing,” Schenkel said. “There's actually a lot of work where we are, and it never really impacted us in a negative way. It actually gave us some really good relationships with other yards where we buy and sell materials back and forth with one another.”

Select Stone supplied LandArt with materials to create a textured oasis in historic Hamilton, Ont.

PROGRESSIVE CAREER GROWTH

As Select Stone grew, so did the staff. “We have a company of over 20 people. We move a tremendous amount of stone. Things have grown substantially,” said Stuart, who is just one of many employees who has been with the company for a long time. “When Tony was building this company, I knew that he had this vision to have the best people in place. So he really made it his mission to hire good people, treat them well, and it'll just be reciprocated.”

Bartels has enjoyed a 17-year career progression at Select Stone that led to the top. He started by helping contractors out in the yard; his next advancement came when the business bought a stone saw. He asked to be trained to operate it and soon slipped into running production. Schenkel recognized Bartels’ dedication and talent by promoting him to general manager, and in 2019, Bartels accepted the opportunity to become a partner.

“Working with Tony, he treated me so great that I just want to stay here. It just was never really an option for me to look elsewhere,” Bartels said. “There’s a sense that you're genuinely cared for and respected. Your ideas matter. Your input matters. When I started working here, Tony was very clear. It's not about ‘Let's put in more hours and sell more stone.’ It was

also very much about work-life balance.”

Part of achieving work-life balance meant Select Stone was one of the few supply yards that didn’t open on Saturdays. Although it wasn’t always a popular decision for customers, Schenkel felt it was important to preserve family time for his employees.

“Any time I’ve talked to him, he’s always been really concerned about that. He cares about all of our families,” said Matt Crease, supply chain manager. He explained how his professional development has been supported during his 11-year tenure: “From the very beginning, there's always been consultants brought in to push us forward, whether it’s been lean or sales or leadership. But also, there's been the opportunity to go and get training outside, so I went back to school.” With tuition covered by Select Stone, Crease studied operations management and perpetual inventory systems, and earned certification in supply chain management.

“They want to have the best practices. So they're always pushing and striving to do that,” Crease said. Crease appreciates that his humble boss is more concerned about how he’s doing, and less about profit or personal gain. “He's still driving the same truck from when I first started here 11 years ago,” Crease chuckled. “The company has done amazing and grown drastically in that time, but he’s still the same Tony from when I first started. He just cares, you know?”

NO ROOM FOR EGO

The business has grown, but Schenkel’s ego has not. Even after 30 years, he loves to roll up his sleeves and get dirty. “I prefer some of the hands-on jobs myself. I actually take some satisfaction in sweeping the shop. I actually really enjoy that,” he said, recounting how he has been mistaken for a labourer by customers who have seen him covered in dust. “I take strange satisfaction in that too. Every job and every person has intrinsic value. We're all human beings and we're all actually equal.”

When asked how he feels about his journey from that first crane truck to a new thriving enterprise, Schenkel said looking back at all the photos has been surreal. “Thirty years goes by very quickly,” he said. “[Business] is all about people. Sure, there’s machines, there’s processes, but a machine doesn’t have thoughts, feelings, or other challenges we all have in life. But people do. So we have to be sensitive. We have to be loving.”

Considering love is the top core value at Select Stone, it’s no wonder the clients come back and the employees feel confident about the future. “It's hard to know exactly what's going to happen 50 years from now,” Stuart said. “But with Tony's long-term vision, you get the right people in place and it should be a well-oiled machine.” Supply chain manager Crease finished: “It's really exciting to see how far we've come and then how far we can go.”

With Tony's long-term vision, you get the right people in place and it should be a well-oiled machine.

STUART SCHENKEL Yard manager and longtime employee

MODERNIZING

By Scott Barber

APPRENTICESHIP

The launch of Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) meant more than a rebrand. Just one year after replacing the Ontario College of Trades, STO is making good on its promise to modernize the apprenticeship and skilled trades certification systems in the province. The horticulture industry has been one of the first to reap the benefits.

This January, STO announced new standards now in place and available on its website for the horticultural technician, arborist and utility arborist trades. The changes include a revision of the horticultural technician on-the-job training standard to align with the Red Seal Occupational Standard and a structural refresh of the arborist and utility arborist curriculum content for better cohesion, giving apprentices additional time to learn theoretical content.

To further align with provincial and territorial Red Seal Standards, changes will also be coming to the program standards in 2023 for three heavy equipment operator trades: tractor loader backhoe, excavator and dozer.

STO’s mandate is to increase labour mobility and improve training standards for apprentices and skilled trades workers. Since its launch last year, apprenticeship registrations have increased by thousands in 2022 compared to 2021. In addition, more than 13,000 students, parents and teachers attended skilled trades career fairs aimed at attracting the province's next generation of tradespeople.

The new agency’s model was designed to minimize duplication and provide one point of access to apprentices, tradespeople and sponsors of apprentices, including businesses and union training centres. The goal is to achieve streamlined service improvements, easier navigation of the system, and the reduction of red tape — helping businesses find the talent they need and allowing the economy to grow faster.

Landscape Ontario recently connected with Melissa Young, STO’s CEO and Registrar, to learn more about the agency’s goals and its plans for working closely with industry groups like Landscape Ontario in the months and years ahead.

Scott Barber: What have been the highlights so far during STO’s first year?

Melissa Young: We did the Level Up! career fairs with the Ministry, with about 13,000 students, parents and educators attending. The highlight for me came on parent night. It was absolutely packed. They were busier than during the day, when kids were just coming through themselves as students. That really shows that the culture is changing. Parents are the number one influencers of children and so it was really great to see them engaged.

Another big item is the launch of the digital portal. The portal has streamlined efficiency for apprentices and sponsors. It's still in a growing phase, but the digital portal has helped us provide that one-stop-shop for the client.

What are STO’s priorities?

Our number one goal is to make the system easier for everybody. We need to make sure that our standards and curriculum are at the leading edge. We want it to be as easy as possible for people to move across the country should they wish to do so, especially in those peak seasons, for certain sectors.

Unfortunately, that has been impeded due to the fact that Ontario has lagged behind in the past on the harmonization front. Now, we are making strides to overcome those challenges. Horticulture, for example, is one of the occupations that we have completed the updates for, and that’s going to make a real difference for Red Seal journeypersons who want to come to the province from other parts of the country.

Our focus is really around education and training. That is what we are here to do. It's not a political agenda by any means. We are here to ensure that the education and training component of apprenticeship and certification is easy, streamlined and efficient for the industry as a whole, which includes the apprentice as well. Continued >

How is STO tackling the skilled labour shortage?

We have the trade equivalency assessment process, which works extremely well. I've seen similar processes across Canada and other jurisdictions and, I have to say, in Ontario we have a pretty good one. It's not that complicated. We've really beefed up the staffing in that area so that we can help our clients at a much higher level. I'll just provide you with a quick example.

To give you a little context, in our predecessor organization, you would fill out your forms. You would send them in, and if there was something missing or wrong information, you basically just got rejected and sent back. Now, we actually have staff that will pick up the phone, call the individual and say, “This piece is missing on your form. I'm sure it was an oversight. How can we help you?” So, we're working with the individuals to get their work experience and skills recognized. We're not just turning them away.

I believe that streamlining the system is helping to tackle the labour shortage. Our apprenticeship numbers are up by 10,000 since STO was established. That’s a significant increase, and I would say some of it is due to the fact that we've made it easier for people to get into apprenticeship programs.

Why is apprenticeship valuable?

This is a pretty passionate one for me. Yesterday, I celebrated 30 years working in the skilled trades. I've seen a lot. One of the things that has always puzzled me is those individuals that don't value their own education, their own training and their own skills. I have heard many times, people say things like, “Why would I bother going to get certification? It's a voluntary occupation.”

I will respond by saying it's about being able to provide that credential that actually gives validity to what you're doing. You may have the skills, and you may be able to do the work, but that’s your word.

And then there's the other side of it. I've had some not so great experiences working with mills, and different factory settings, that have shut down. And those individuals were in jobs for 25 years and never pursued a

certification in their trade. All of a sudden, they're unemployed. Well, guess what? They couldn't get a job because they didn't have anything to back up what they could do.

They were excellent in their trade, but they had no certification. So there was a lot of remedial work that we had to do. And this is my work. I was working for a previous government to get those people certified and trained or give them that theory training to get them through an exam. It's just understanding the value of having that certification. It brings great credibility to the trade as a whole and to your industry.

That's important to us, too. Part of our mission and mandate at Landscape Ontario is to raise the level of professionalism both inside and the perception from the public. Training, education, leadership, those are all key pillars from our perspective.

I liken landscape to compulsory trades that are out there now, like electrical and plumbing. Thirty years ago, landscape was perceived as throwing seed on your front yard. It has come so far. It is such a completely different industry today. It's part of your mortgage when you build a home, part of completing your home.

It's not just putting the siding on. Banks are not closing your mortgage till the landscaping is done too. And it's landscaping, not just the lawn. And there's a lot more to it. There's the hardscape as

well. It's such a beautiful trade with amazing talent and creativity to it. It's one of those trades that allows an individual to really use their imagination in creating things.

How can organizations like Landscape Ontario work with STO to overcome the skilled labour challenges Ontario is facing?

We need to promote the province as the top destination for in-demand talent and we need support from industry stakeholders to be effective. How do we attract that talent just within the country alone? We don't want all the East Coasters flying through Pearson to catch a connecting flight to Fort McMurray.

So, we will be tapping Landscape Ontario on the shoulder in that regard. And we also need continued support when it comes to curriculum and training standards, and exam development. Subject matter experts are such a big part of our success.

What’s next for STO?

We're into year two. We're not yet mature as an organization, but we are working on elements that are going to be coming over to us from the Ministry down the road. The research work has just been done on that now, but you'll see more of those operational elements related to apprenticeship move over to Skilled Trades Ontario, which will streamline and make things easier for our stakeholders.

So, we're pretty excited about that. This year, we're going to launch hard on our marketing side. We are coming up with a strategy to engage equity, diversity, and inclusion and making sure that lens is part of everything that we do.

We're in a strategic planning stage right now. We hope to launch that in the spring and at industry events that we'll be hosting. So, stay tuned for that. That's really our big piece of work that we're doing right now.

You're going to see that roll out, and we're going to be coming to industry to help us with planning. It's not going to be bureaucrats sitting around the table saying, "Okay, these are the priorities, this is how we're going to do it and we’re trying to figure it out on our own." No, we need the experts to help us with that.

skilled trades

apprenticeship,

Melissa Young

ASSOCIATION

Special meeting focuses on leveraging apprenticeship program

On March 10, Landscape Ontario hosted an employer sponsor event to discover ways to better utilize and leverage the Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship Program (HTAP).

The full-day event consisted of speakers, an employer panel and breakout sessions to explore the best ways to leverage apprenticeship to better help employers retain and recruit staff, and a discussion with MPP Deepak Anand, the Parliamentary Assistant to Minister McNaughton, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD).

LO wishes to extend thanks to all those who took part in this important event, especially speakers Dan Cardinal, Skills Ontario; Jason Taylor, Predictive Success and Paul Doornbos, Thornbusch Landscaping; who provided a wealth of information.

The employer panel made up of Peter Guinane, Oriole Landscaping; Krystal MacMillan, Christine’s Touch Gardening and Hilary Harrison, Unique Landscape Services; offered a great representation of the landscape and horticulture industry and a variety of experiences with the apprenticeship program.

Deepak Anand gave a provincial apprenticeship update and provided employers with the opportunity to ask questions and share their challenges. When asked, “What advice would you offer employers and staff members who have not taken advantage of the Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship Program?” our panellists responded with:

“[With the apprenticeship program] you get back

employees with better skills than when you started. We have an opportunity to show new recruits that there is a pathway to a career in [landscape and horticulture] that can take you as far as you want to go… and apprenticeship is part of that journey, it opens up more doors,” said Peter Guinane. “It all contributes to the skill level of the company. If all [employers, trainers and staff] contribute to professional development and foster a growth mindset to help employees find their opportunities [for growth] it will make a world a difference to your company.”

Krystal MacMillan, who completed the apprenticeship program herself, said: “Don’t hesitate, there is no reason not to be doing the apprenticeship program. Everything that Landscape Ontario’s workforce development programs [the Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship Program, the GROW Training Programs and the Professional Development Series] offer support our industry. Businesses ask ‘How do we get people to stay?’ — this is how we get them to stay, by utilizing the programs that so many people are working so hard for organizations to use in order to have a viable workforce going forward. Everything is right here, just make use of it.”

Landscape Ontario is here to guide you and your employees through the apprenticeship program from start to finish. To register your staff as apprentices or to become an employer sponsor, visit horticulturetechnician.ca. To find out more about the GROW Training Programs, visit growtraining.ca

Stakeholders in the Apprenticeship Program gathered at Landscape Ontario on March 10.

Garden Centre Group provides free training to new staff

BY ART VANDEN ENDEN Chair,

Group

The Landscape Ontario Garden Centre Sector Group recently held a series of live Zoom training webinars targeted to new and entry level positions in Ontario independent garden centres.

One of the biggest challenges that all garden centres face each spring is fast tracking and prioritizing training for new employees. Not only is it a challenge for business owners and managers, it is also a real challenge for new employees. This business has a reputation of going from zero to one hundred at the flip of a switch. Spring weather brings out masses of enthusiastic gardeners, itching to get gardening and doing things outdoors as the weather improves.

The garden centre industry can be heavily reliant on college, university and second career employees to fill essential seasonal positions as well as start to recruit new employees for longer work terms. Timing for having these employees come on board trained and ready for the huge influx of customers can be very tight. This phenomenon is compounded when we get a taste of great weather early in the spring like we did in 2023 in Ontario.

The challenge is training is often left to ‘train on the fly’, or ‘sink or swim’. This is not only tough for customers whose demands and expectations of strong product knowledge from garden centres is high. It's also tough on willing and enthusiastic staff. While it is not an expectation or reasonable

to think that a new employee can become a knowledgeable gardener in a short season, it is very useful to at the very least give the new staff some lessons on industry terminology and common practices. These exact areas are where we focused on with the training. We purposefully stayed away from content that was not applicable for all garden centres. Things like service, merchandising, product selection, pricing can have a wide range of positions on the scale from one centre to the next.

The topics in week one covered basic horticultural terminology, plant families and uses. What is the difference between an annual, a biennial and a perennial? What is the difference between deciduous and conifers? Did you know that Ontario is home to native deciduous conifers?

During week two, we dug into (get it?) soils, fertilizers, and some watering basics. Which conditions can be ideal for certain practices? Without getting into specific brands, what are the meanings of the numbers of fertilizer bags, and what do

each of them do for plants. This is important stuff for people working with plants.

Week three we spent a good amount of time talking about lawns, lawn maintenance practices and some of the more common pests, diseases and insects that homeowners need to deal with. It was also a week where we talked about container gardening, as well as what to watch out for when new shipments of plants are arriving at a garden centre.

The feedback from the students and owners has been positive. Training is one of the most important things to do to help your staff become successful in their career. We recognize how important it is as well as how difficult it can be to spend the right amount of time on it, all the while business owners and managers are working feverishly to be ready for the mad spring rush. There is nothing quite like the frenzy of a spring day in a garden centre. Something to look forward to every year. Spring at a garden centre can be like planning for 40 weeks, for a 12-week season. Don't shortchange your staff on training.

At Landscape Ontario, we were very happy to help with the training and we look forward to helping you be more successful in the future.

Access the videos online at HortTrades. com/introductory-horticulture-trainingvideos-2023.

Mammoth equipment donated to Landscape Ontario

New Landscape Ontario member Mammoth Machinery recently donated a new wheeled mini dumper to Landscape Ontario to support maintenance and construction of the Milton home office facility and grounds. Pictured here: Moe Abu Hudra, Mammoth Machinery, with Landscape Ontario executive director Joe Salemi (left).

Landscape Ontario Garden Centre Sector

Landscape trades well represented at 2023 Skills Ontario Competition

Ambitious high school and post-secondary students from across the province rose to the challenge at this year’s Skills Ontario Competition. Held May 1-2 at the Toronto Congress Centre, the event represented over 75 trades, including Horticulture and Landscape Design.

Landscape Ontario would like to extend a heartfelt thank-you to our Tech Chairs, Rob Tester of TNT Property Maintenance and Beth Edney of Designs by the Yard for their dedication and passion in ensuring these competitions were a success. The quality of work and the level of passion from the competitors was truly inspiring to see.

Landscape Ontario, in partnership with Green Thumbs Growing Kids, also provided an

Elementary Career Awareness Workshop for grade seven and eight students who attended the event. Students got hands-on experience scarifying, soaking and planting a Kentucky coffee tree seed, which they took back to their classroom to grow and eventually transplant. LO also provided a Career Exploration Showcase booth to promote the horticulture and landscape trades and connect with attendees.

Our involvement with Skills Ontario would not be possible without the dedication and support of our Tech Chairs, judges/ competition volunteers and generous suppliers. Please visit gfl.me/hbxt to read more about this year’s competition.

Competitors from the St. Clair College Landscape Horticulture Diploma Program.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Re “To Mow or Not to Mow in May,” published

in March 2023 issue of Landscape Ontario

BY LORRAINE JOHNSON AND SHEILA COLLA

The article on No Mow May, by Dr. Sara Stricker and Dr. Eric Lyons from the Guelph Turfgrass Institute, includes a number of assertions that call out for critique. While the authors correctly point out that No Mow May is hardly a panacea for pollinators, holding up manicured turf for its ecological and human health benefits, as the authors do, is equally problematic.

They label the vegetation that grows in unmown lawn “undesirable weeds.” Included in their list of “undesirable weeds” is wild violet, a host plant for fritillary butterflies, numerous species of moths, and a pollen-specialist bee. We would suggest that it is precisely such arbitrary, aesthetic conventions of plants considered “weeds” that adherents of No Mow May are questioning — and that we need to question in the context of biodiversity and support for pollinators.

The article claims that mice and rats “love an unmown lawn” and will “sneak into your home” and “cause excessive damage to buildings” and “carry disease and fleas.” Such scare-mongering ignores the fact that the primary attractant for rats is human garbage and food waste. Rats don’t eat plants, whether they’re “tall grass and weeds” or not. They will run along densely vegetated fencelines, but if you have a rat problem this can easily be controlled by removing all garbage and food waste and maintaining a narrow strip of low vegetation along the fence.

The authors then raise the spectre of “biting insects” (“fleas, ticks and mosquitoes”) and their negative effects on human health (as disease carriers) if grass is left unmown. More scare-mongering. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. You can have a perfectly manicured lawn and still have an “infestation” of mosquitoes if you don’t remove all standing water from eavestroughs, catch basins, tubs, etc.

As for the risk of West Nile Virus from mosquitoes, research by Matthew Waltner-Toews and David WaltnerToews (published in LA+ Interdisciplinary Journal of Landscape Architecture, Fall 2017) suggests that “lawns can also increase WNV risk” and that “planting native vegetation and attempting to create a complex, biodiverse urban ecosystem would likely reduce mosquito-borne risk by encouraging more mosquito predators.”

Ticks are indeed a human health concern, but instead of promoting manicured monocultural turfgrass for tick control, one could examine the research finding that biodiversity may reduce the risk of human exposure to Lyme disease (Ostfeld and Keesing, 2000). The research supports biodiversity for human health, not more monocultural, manicured lawns.

The authors note, correctly, the extensive research on the mental health benefits of “greenspace.” They don’t acknowledge that unmown turf is also greenspace, nor do they mention the study that compared lawns to other greenspace in the school environment and found that lawns had a negative effect on students’ academic performance (Byoung-Sun Kweon et al, 2017).

The authors are correct in stating that “when it comes to feeding pollinators, diversity is key.” But their scaremongering continues when they label ground-nesting bees “unwanted insects.” Roughly 70 percent of bee species in Ontario are ground-nesting, and far from being “unwanted insects” they’re crucial to the pollination of wild flowering plants as well as fruit and vegetable gardens. Mown turf, which isn’t allowed to flower and thus offers no pollen or nectar for pollinators, contributes little to biodiversity and is a pollinator dead end.

The advice provided by the authors on maintaining a “healthy” lawn is sound, but what we need to do is to question a notion of health that excludes the health of pollinators and the biodiversity on which all ecosystems — and therefore human health — depend.

When the authors do mention biodiverse habitat gardens such as prairies and savannahs, they suggest relegating them to the backyard and keeping kids out. Their implication that habitat gardens should be hidden away is mired in anti-ecological aesthetics and scaremongering about health and safety.

It’s interesting to note that what the authors list as their “perhaps more serious issue” with No Mow May is that it “could lead to homeowners giving up on their lawns entirely.” To that, we say, great, it’s a start! Turfgrass is the largest single irrigated crop in North America — a monoculture that consumes 40 million acres (roughly the size of New England) of the U.S. alone (Milesi et al, 2005) and contributes little in the way of ecological benefits (unless compared with non-porous concrete).

In the midst of a biodiversity crisis and climate emergency, what we need is an urgent rethink of landscaping conventions. What the authors have offered, instead, is a backwards-looking defence of precisely the conventions (mown turf, removing dead leaves and plant stalks, etc.) that have contributed to the mess we’re in. It’s this mess we need to weed out. And to do that important work at the local scale, the evidence is clear: we need more habitat gardens and less lawn.

Lorraine Johnson and Sheila Colla are co-authors of A Garden for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee. Their article on No Mow May can be found in the Spring 2023 issue of ON Nature magazine, https://view.publitas.com/ on-nature/spring-2023/page/38

In Memoriam — Raffy Hanimyan

Raffy Hanimyan passed away suddenly on April 30, 2023, surrounded by his loving family. Dear son of Jirayr and Diana. Beloved husband of 25.5 years to Angela. Caring and devoted father to Alexander. Dear brother of Rob (Lisa) and brotherin-law to Daniela (Daniel). Caring and devoted uncle to Christopher, Emily, Livia, and Lucas. Loved son-in-law to Virginia. Cherished by many aunts, uncles and cousins. Lovingly remembered by many family in Canada and abroad.

The president of Elite Concrete based

in Thornhill, Ont., Hanimyan was a long-time supporter and volunteer of Landscape Ontario, serving on the Toronto Chapter Board from 2019-2022 and on the Membership Committee from 2015-2017.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations made to CAMH or the Hayastan Foundation Toronto would be appreciated.

Links to an online obituary and preferred charities can be found online at gfl.me/hbwH

BUY DIRECT FROM THE GROWER

PROFILE

Sharing a love of nature motivates Lisa Smith to volunteer

Lisa Smith has been a pillar of Landscape Ontario’s Upper Canada Chapter since its inception over two decades ago. Smith has held multiple leadership roles within the chapter, and is no stranger to helping with the association’s Congress Trade Show and Awards of Excellence program. Smith says she “lives and breathes plants on a daily basis” at her job as wholesale trade desk supervisor at Connon Nurseries in Trenton, Ont., but she still finds time to volunteer with LO initiatives — especially when it means helping her community connect with nature.

LO: How did you get involved in the landscaping and horticulture profession?

Smith: My love of the outdoors began at a very young age, when I would spend time with my grandmother out in her garden and hobby greenhouse. I will always remember the smell of the soil, transplanting itty bitty seedlings; it was so intoxicating!

Growing up in the country, I played in the soil, picked fresh grown asparagus and ate apples straight from the fruit trees. Looking back now, I needed to be outdoors. So naturally, I was inclined to pursue horticulture in some form when the time was right.

Originally, I wanted to own my own florist business, but after meeting a wonderful professor during a brief orientation, I decided to keep my options wide open and chose the field of horticulture. I still took floral design as an elective, but I made sure to have a healthy cross section of knowledge. So, after high school, I had the pleasure of attending the historic Niagara College in St Catharines, Ont., graduating with my Diploma in Horticulture in 1994. After which, I successfully ran a small garden design and consultation business for eight years until life moved in a different direction. Little did I know, this was only the beginning of my future career in horticulture.

What are the various ways you volunteer with Landscape Ontario? How long have you been involved?

I have been involved off and on with the Upper Canada Chapter of Landscape Ontario since its inception 25 years ago; holding many different roles such as director, treasurer and secretary. (I even have a picture tucked away from

the inaugural meeting held at Connon Nurseries Trenton). You may have seen me at Congress working a booth, helping decorate with Beth Edney for the Awards of Excellence ceremony, or even stuffing giveaway bags. Currently, I am the chapter president, and one of my greatest involvements so far was a chapter project we completed this past October at two schools within our community on the same day. It was ambitious, but with an amazing project manager [Rhonda Derue], it went off without a hitch. I think I walked a million miles that day, helping to plant 14 trees. I am so proud of all the work our members and volunteers did to make this happen!

What inspired you to commit your attention and talent to give back through these initiatives?

My love of horticulture is strong. On my days off, you will find me digging in my garden at home while trying to live harmoniously with the wildlife on three acres. I live and breathe plants at my job on a daily basis. There is just something joyful and heartwarming when you take a

person by the hand and show them a tree that has unusual bark or leaves or perhaps a plant that's fragrance intoxicates the air they breathe; it's truly amazing to watch their expressions and share their newfound joy. How can you not SMILE! For some it could be their first visit to the garden centre or perhaps it's their last dying wish. You just never know. It's important to give back where possible and teach/ show the next generation of horticulturists or landscapers; leading by healthy example for the upcoming generation shows vision, excitement and continuity.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering?

I would say my favourite part about volunteering is meeting new people community wide.

What advice do you have for people who may want to volunteer?

If you are going to volunteer, just jump right in with all four feet. You may only get your pinky toe wet the first day, but by the end, you will be swimming a marathon with others.

14905 Bramalea Road, Caledon, ON L7C 2R5

SCHOLARSHIP PROFILE

Leadership goals in sight thanks to scholarship and role models

Keegan Stribbell recently completed his second year of the Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship Program (HTAP) at Humber College with an overall GPA of 92.7. Currently the planting foreperson at Dusty Miller Landscaping in Queensville, Ont., Stribbell was recently awarded a $600 Apprenticeship Scholarship from the Ontario Horticultural Trades Foundation — a charitable organization whose mandate is to “ensure a healthy future for the horticulture industry.” To be considered for the scholarship, Stribbell was required to be enrolled in an accredited apprenticeship program and submit a two-page essay about his interests and experience in the horticultural profession.

Now that Keegan has completed the apprenticeship, he plans to write the Red Seal exam to continue to grow his career into leadership roles at Dusty Miller, where he’s been working since 2016.

Brian Miller, president of Dusty Miller, says he’s very proud of his ambitious employee. “Keegan has been an amazing member of our team. We are lucky to have him as part of the DML family. He deserves the recognition for all his hard work and dedication.”

LO: What prompted you to pursue a career in landscaping or horticulture?

Stribbell: I was prompted to pursue a career in landscaping from my love of being in nature. From a young age I was constantly outside helping my father work at our house. I then got a job in landscaping when I initially went to college to study Police Foundations. After completing my policing degree, I decided that I was happier working with my hands and improving the world around me. So I stayed in the industry and have enjoyed every day since.

Why is completing an apprenticeship valuable to you?

Completing the apprenticeship is important to me because with the knowledge that I gained from the program I can further my career. The education I have received has reinforced the concepts that I had learned in the field and further strengthened my abilities to accomplish the tasks that I do on a daily basis. Along with this, I will also be able to help mentor fellow coworkers and encourage them to enrol in the Horticultural Technician Apprenticeship Program.

How did you hear about the scholarships available from the Foundation?

I heard about the scholarships available from Landscape Ontario. Our representative Christy did a number of in-person and online presentations where she greatly helped me and fellow classmates utilize all the tools and scholarships at our disposal.

What impact did earning the Apprenticeship Scholarship have on your learning journey?

When I found out that I was awarded the scholarship I was overjoyed. It covered the cost of my tuition for the semester, which was a big step in me continuing my education. I was also grateful and appreciative of the hard work that I had already put into the program being acknowledged.

Who are your role models/ who do you respect or look up to in the profession? I would have to say that my role models and who I look up to are one in the same. They are my General Manager, Jason Dewilde and the owner of Dusty Miller

Landscaping, Brian Miller. They have always been supportive of everything I have done and wanted to do. They have encouraged me to pursue my goals, and have provided tremendous inspiration to me. The work that they both accomplished is amazing and one day it would be an honour to say I have accomplished even half of what they have done.

What advice do you have for others who are considering entering this trade?

If I could offer advice to others considering entering this trade, it would be to take in as much of your surroundings as possible as each and every property that you will walk onto will be unique, and that every day is an adventure and a new experience. The people and different trades that you will meet and interact with are a vault

of knowledge. Everyday you will learn something new. And never be afraid to take risks and ask questions. The world is

literally in your hands and it is you who will continue to mold the beautiful landscapes that will last for years to come.

To learn more about the many scholarships available under the Foundation and Cullen Family Scholarship Program, please visit ohtf.ca/scholarships.

THE DEADLINE TO APPLY EACH YEAR IS JUNE 30.

avknursery.com

Keegan Stribbell (second from left) with fellow crew members at Dusty Miller Landscaping.

PROFESSIONAL NEWS Sheridan Nurseries opens new garden centre in Aurora

Sheridan Nurseries is pleased to announce the grand opening of its newest garden centre in Aurora, Ont. Located at 15630 Bayview Ave., the new location opened to the public on May 5 and will kick off its official grand opening celebration on May 11.

"We're thrilled to be opening our newest location in Aurora," said Colin Cruji, President and CEO of Sheridan Nurseries. "Sheridan Nurseries has been part of the Ontario landscape industry since 1913, and we're excited to bring our expertise and passion for gardening to this vibrant community."

The new Aurora Garden Centre features:

• Over 10,000 square feet of live goods, including:

- Flowering shrubs, evergreens and other hardy, ornamental nursery stock, most locally grown on Sheridan's farms in Halton Hills, Ont.

- A stunning selection of perennials and annuals to add beautiful colour and texture to gardens and planters.

- A greenhouse featuring an exotic collection of tropical, foliage and flowering houseplants.

• An extensive selection of lawn and garden care supplies and tools.

• An inspiring lifestyle department

City of Windsor landscape architect elected president of provincial association

Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA) elected Stefan Fediuk president. Fediuk’s impact has been felt by the City of Windsor, where he has worked for the past 15 years, and previously with both the private and public sectors in Winnipeg, including nine years with the City of Winnipeg, all as a landscape architect.

His most recent accomplishments include leading efforts to build the

Rotary Club of Windsor Centennial Plaza on the Detroit Riverfront. He has also actively prepared the Parks Master Plan with the City of Windsor’s Parks Department, which proposed the Ojibway National Urban Park, facilitating the way for UNESCO Heritage designation of the Detroit River.

Fediuk, who has served on the OALA Council for seven years, including two as vice president, was acclaimed as a councillor at the association’s Annual General Meeting on April 27 and elected president by fellow councillors the following day.

“I’m very grateful to be chosen for the role of President,” said Fediuk. “The work

landscape architects do for our province is incredibly valuable, and we will continue to strongly promote our work during my tenure.”

Founded in 1968, OALA is a selfregulating professional association representing over two thousand landscape architects in Ontario. In accordance with the Landscape Architect Title Act, passed in 1984, OALA maintains standards of professional practice and conduct, consistent with the need to serve and protect public interest.

View the OALA 2023-2024 Council at oala.ca/council

featuring a stunning assortment of patio furniture, outdoor accessories, home décor and fashion.

• A knowledgeable and friendly staff ready to share their expertise and help customers succeed in their gardening adventures.

• Design for the new garden centre was led by Burdifelik and Drew Mandel Architects, with construction managed by Structure Group.

The Aurora garden centre is supported by Sheridan Nurseries' 900 acres of farm production in Halton Hills, Ont. In addition, a team of talented buyers will bring in a unique assortment of the highest-quality products each season.

"We opened our doors last Friday, and we want to thank the Aurora community for welcoming us with open arms," said Steve Cline, Aurora Garden Centre Manager and 24-year veteran of Sheridan Nurseries. "I want to recognize our incredible staff who have worked tirelessly to prepare for the opening of this garden centre. Their passion for plants and dedication to exceptional customer service sets Sheridan Nurseries apart from other garden centres. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or a first-time plant owner, our staff is always here to help answer your questions and provide advice," continued Cline.

The grand opening celebration held May 11 at 9:00 a.m. included a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local dignitaries and representatives from Sheridan Nurseries. Guests enjoyed special promotions and daily draws for great garden prizes all week.

Over 1200+ varieties of perennials

Many unique and hard to find varieties

Fruits and succulents

annuals, hardy vines, Ontario Natives, clematis, herbs, and water plants

Latest stats show utility hits on the rise

The Ontario Regional Common Ground Alliance (ORCGA) recently released its annual DIRT Report that provides statistics on the number of underground utility hits in the province, with the latest stats showing a four per cent increase from 2021 to 2022.

Over the past three years, an average of 4,700 utility hits have occurred in Ontario: 4,732 in 2020; 4,538 in 2021; 4,769 in 2022. Some of these hits are represented by the Green Industry comprised of various sectors:

The total Green Industry hits have increased by 12 per cent over the last 12 months. Landscaping has increased 6.6 per cent and Fencing by 14.5 per cent.

The total number of notifications each year represents an underground utility line on a property that could be struck by an excavating contractor when digging. Notifications over the past three years have averaged around six million, so with the actual number of hits averaging under 5,000, that number can seem comparatively low.

Homeowners normally account for about 18 per cent of all utility hits across the province. This is slightly more than than the Green Industry (15 per cent).

As a major stakeholder in the industry, the ORCGA encourages and educates both industry and homeowners to call Ontario One Call for locates prior to any digging via the “Dig Safe” and “Call Before You Dig” messaging and annual campaigns.

In order to improve the latest stats, industry advocate Terry Murphy suggests the following:

• Regular advertising and promotion of the Dig Safe and Call Before You Dig messaging in industry publications, trade shows, and events by all Green Industry sectors. Each sector setting hit reduction targets and discussing hit reduction efforts at regular meetings throughout the year. Increased promotion and messaging to homeowners at events like the National Home Show and local home and garden shows. Joining the ORCGA to get the latest tools, knowledge and resources to minimize risks and improve safety performance. Implementing these efforts could help to lower the overall number of hits that is currently stuck around the 4,760 level.

For more information on the ORCGA, including events such as its annual Damage Prevention Symposium and the benefits of becoming a member, visit ORCGA.com. The full 2022 DIRT Report is available online at ORCGA.com/dirt-report

EXECUTIVE DESK

Connecting with peers can help you to prosper

The work you do plays a vital role in society by creating beautiful outdoor spaces that enhance the aesthetic appeal and functionality of our communities. However, operating a landscaping business, nursery, garden centre or landscape supply business can be a daunting task — especially in a fiercely competitive market. Layering in tougher economic conditions with higher lending rates makes generating new business increasingly difficult.

Leaning on your peers can help you stay informed, motivated and connected with your industry, and contribute to your success. Associations (think Landscape Ontario) are a valuable resource to facilitate those connections. Landscape Ontario especially encourages personal and professional development, support and motivation, networking and collaboration opportunities, and the exchange of knowledge and expertise. We do this through our sector groups, chapters, events like Landscape Ontario Congress, and through the LO Peer to Peer Network. Connecting with your peers can provide several benefits for your small business, including:

Exchange of knowledge and expertise: Industry peers can offer valuable insights and expertise from their own experiences that can help you learn and grow. They can share best practices, lessons learned, and provide guidance you may not have discovered on your own.

Networking and collaboration opportunities: Building relationships with peers in your industry can open up opportunities for collaboration, partnerships, and even job prospects.

It can also help you stay up-to-date on industry trends and advancements.

Support and motivation: Industry peers can provide emotional support and motivation during challenging times. They can understand and relate to the challenges you face and offer encouragement and advice.

Personal and professional development: Through collaboration and knowledge-sharing, you can improve your skills and knowledge, which can ultimately lead to personal and professional growth.

How to connect with your peers through Landscape Ontario:

Engage and participate in our sector groups: Landscape Ontario has 10 different sector groups. Think of each one as a specific peer group where you work on initiatives to advance your specific sector, share your challenges, offer advice, and learn from each other.

Attend Landscape Ontario Congress: Trade shows provide opportunities to meet with vendors, learn about new products and technologies, and network with others in your industry. Landscape Ontario Congress is the homecoming for the entire landscape trades in Ontario (and beyond). It’s an opportunity to connect with your people!

Attend a local chapter meeting: Landscape Ontario has nine chapters across the province that offer meaningful networking opportunities to connect with your peers in your area. It’s a chance

to talk about the challenges you are facing and an opportunity to get advice on solutions. We often see business relationships materialize as a result of peer connections made at chapter meetings.

Participate in online communities: Joining the conversation in online communities, such as industry forums or social media groups, can also be an effective way to connect with your peers. These communities provide opportunities to share information, ask questions, and build relationships with others in your industry. Landscape Ontario’s Peer to Peer Network offers this through their Facebook Group. As a member, you can access this community and engage in conversations focused on helping out your fellow landscape peers.

Connecting with your peers is an essential part of running a successful small business. By learning from others, building relationships, and staying informed about industry trends, you can overcome challenges and achieve success. Joining industry associations like Landscape Ontario, attending trade shows, participating in online communities, and collaborating on projects, are all excellent ways to connect with your peers. By taking these steps, you can build a strong network of peers that can help you grow your business and excel in a highly competitive industry.

Joe Salemi CAE LO Executive Director jsalemi@landscapeontario.com

MEMBERSHIP

Showcase your best work to potential clients

Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association holds an annual juried competition to recognize excellence among its members, provide marketing opportunities and raise the bar for the industry. The program is open exclusively to all Green Trade Members and Green Trade Sole Proprietor Members of the association. It is to provide members with a marketing tool that shows their skill, passion, expertise, knowledge and customer-centric approach to creating the best landscapes in Ontario.

Entries are accepted for the following programs: Landscape Construction, Landscape Maintenance, Landscape Design, Landscape Lighting, Landscape Irrigation, Interior Plantscaping, Employer of the Year

A category for every project

Even if the project you are entering is unique, we've got a category for it! When compiling information for your entries, be

sure to refer to the categories page on our website before starting your online entry.

Top awards

In addition to the program awards, the Awards of Excellence program features four top awards. These are chosen by the judges as the most outstanding projects of all entries. These awards are not open for nomination. Winners receive a professionally produced Legacy Video that will be showcased at the following ceremony and can be used as a marketing tool on your own website and social media. The top awards are: Dunington-Grubb Award: This award goes to the most outstanding and highest overall scoring project in the construction categories.

Casey van Maris Memorial Award: The Casey van Maris award is given to the project awarded the highest marks for execution of unique and innovative design in landscaping.

Don Salivan Memorial Grounds Management Award: This award recognizes skill, that when properly executed, protects or even enhances the value of the original landscape investment. Winner is selected from maintenance project submissions.

Neil Vanderkruk Award for Excellence in Landscape Design: This award goes to the most outstanding and highest overall scoring project in the design categories.

Give your team and marketing a boost

Winning an award can give you an advantage over the competition and inspire potential clients to choose your services or products. It's also a great boost for your hard-working, skilled team who help to provide the best possible experience for your clients. Everyone wants their exceptional work to be recognized, and winning an LO Award of Excellence can go a long way to making that a reality.

Awards for outstanding individuals

The Special Awards Program is a means of recognition for the many volunteers and friends of the association that have spent countless hours working to better our great industry. Winners are determined through a nomination process. To nominate someone for an award, please see the criteria and a nomination form on LOAwards.com

Top scoring winners from the construction, maintenance and design programs will go on to compete in the National Awards of Excellence program. Online entries for the Awards of Excellence are accepted annually from July 1 to Oct. 1 and information can be found online at LOAwards.com

Amy Buchanan CMP LO Director of Membership abuchanan@landscapeontario.com

Many of you may remember Jean Paul Lamarche (JPL) — the North American landscape industry guru on overhead recovery. JPL was a passionate landscape designer and contractor, a brilliant math genius, and one of our professions’ all-time top mentors on business profitability, production rates, pricing and retail success. JPL passed away several years ago. He was my mentor and my good friend.

Every winter, I spend most of my time coaching business owners on how to improve profit and deploy JPL’s formulae on a weekly (if not daily) basis. It’s simple math and it’s actually not that painful. Most of you have probably settled on your 2023 pricing (hourly charge out rates, equipment day rates, wages and staff salaries) and sent out contracts already, there is also going to be a lot of new business that comes your way this year. My question to you is: Will you price your newly acquired work the same as the work you’ve already sold now?

There are many different ways to determine what to charge, and what to pay staff. Some business owners use what I refer to as the ‘dartboard method.’ This involves a mixture of guess work, intuition and knowing how to stay priced below the competition. Others use budgeting software — which can be either a very valuable tool to support profitable pricing, or a weapon to destroy it if not properly used. ‘Pie in the sky’ budgeting can be more disastrous than no budget at all, because it gives a false sense of success that never materializes. Some business owners use spreadsheets that track recent and projected sales, cost of goods sold and overhead, line by line to determine best predictions on profit margins.

It always amazes me how much variation there is to these methodologies, and related success. Unfortunately for many, figuring out how important proper budgeting and overhead recovery methods comes too late, and the business closes down. I am amazed every year at how hard working many business owners are, yet they fail to earn a decent profit or return on their investment. For this reason, I thought it best to share a few classic JPL ‘aha’ moments for you to consider for your pricing strategy.

Let’s start with an example on markup. Let’s say you have materials and labour on a small project that costs you $1,000. Labour, labour burden, materials, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), plus overhead recovery, and you want a 20 per cent profit. You would likely mark up the job by 20 per cent.

If I handed you a calculator, and asked you to add 20 per cent profit to those costs, most would enter $1,000 x 1.2 = $1,200 as the price to the customer. Right? Does that give you a 20 per cent profit? Nope.

It only gives you 16.7 per cent profit. $1,000/$1,200 = 0.833 (as the cost of the materials) which means 0.167 x 100 or 16.7 per cent is profit.

You just left 3.3 per cent profit on the table. When most landscape companies average two to three per cent profit (as reported by LMN), that’s a problem. The proper way to calculate profit added to Costs of Goods Sold is this:

$1,000/0.8 = $1,250 as the price to the customer. $1,000/$1,250 = 20 per cent. Why divide by 0.8? Well, 100 per cent minus the 20 per cent desired profit = 80 per cent. So if you divide by 80 per cent, what’s left is the 20 per cent you’re seeking. Look at the numbers here: 1,000 is 80 per cent of 1,250. Right? Right!

So if you use a multiplier of 1.2 to get a markup of 20 per cent on a $1,000 COGS job, you left $50 on the table. If it’s a $10,000 COGS job, that’s $500 you missed out on. If it’s a $100,000 COGS job, that’s $5,000 profit not realized by using a multiplier of 1.2.

For 10 per cent profit, divide your $1,000 project costs (including overhead) by 0.90, which equals an $1,111 price to the customer.

For 15 per cent profit, divide your $1,000 project costs (including overhead) by 0.85, which equals an $1,176 price to the customer.

For 25 per cent profit, divide your $1,000 project costs (including overhead) by 0.75, which equals an $1,333 price to the customers.

While the difference may seem small, it certainly makes a difference the larger your sales are. This simple math could be the difference between managing disappointment at the end of season.