FROM THE PRESIDENT
Stop! Tim Malooly CID, CLIA, CIC
Water in Motion
For years, I’ve heard Green Industry members use phrases like “…it’s all over when the snow flies…”, referring with a combination of exhaustion and irony, to the
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annual end of business — and income.
…No business. No income. Lots of responsibilities and obligations. …For MONTHS.
Early spring this year opened with a new and unwelcome twist to our annual zero-income endurance challenge. So, I write this message on April 24th, and most of the Minnesota Green Industry can work — just in time to attend to spring conditions. Major damage was incurred by retail and some grower members as a result of the closing of non-construction portions of our industry when Governor Walz implemented Executive Order 20-01 on March 13th in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. By April 8th, after full-time work on the part of MNLA staff, government affairs leadership, and calm, reasoned appeals by YOU, our membership, Governor Walz declared the bulk of the Minnesota Green Industry could re-open, carefully. In fact, “Lawncare and Landscaping workers” were specifically added to the Governor’s list of essential industries in his April 8th Executive Order 20-33. 10
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I could write to you about many topics related to this event. My choice today is to discuss a particular uniqueness of our industry in contrast to many other industries. Now, I do not intend to make light of the extraordinary actions and impacts of actions taking place around the world in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Real people have died from this virus, real people are being harmed economically and we all will likely feel the effects of this event in myriad ways for years to come. That said, it is interesting to observe other industries and their leaders grapple with the notion of “Dead-Stop” and contrast their reactions with that of our industry. It may, or may not be something to take pride in but as an observer, I’d say our industry is among very few that is uniquely suited to manage the emotions and stress that comes with a “Dead-Stop”, that other industries and their leaders simply cannot handle. Is there any relevance to my observation? I think so.
