Jan/Feb 2020 by National Association of Landscape Professionals

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Landscape PROFESSIONAL The official magazine of the National Association of Landscape Professionals

January/February 2020

2020 VISION A LOOK AHEAD Landscape professionals are gearing up for growth with a foot over the brake if labor pains force a sales slowdown.

PLUS: 6 Landscape Trends for 2020 and Beyond Members Share Proudest Business Moments 2019 Awards of Excellence Judges Award Winners

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Get Ready 2/4/2020

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OPEN THE DOOR TO POSSIBILITIES THAT DIDN’T EXIST BEFORE

COMING SOON: EARLY 2020 BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS •

President Andrew Ziehler, Landscape Industry Certiﬁed, Ziehler Lawn and Tree Care

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President-Elect Shayne Newman, Landscape Industry Certiﬁed, YardApes

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Secretary/Treasurer Bob Grover, Landscape Industry Certiﬁed, Paciﬁc Landscape Management

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Immediate Past President Jeff Buhler, Massey Services

DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE •

Bruce Allentuck, Allentuck Landscaping Co.

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Mike Bogan, Landscape Industry Certiﬁed, LandCare

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Lisa Fiore, Landscape Hub

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Paul Fraynd, Landscape Industry Certiﬁed, Sun Valley Landscaping

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Phil Key, Ruppert Landscape

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Roscoe Klausing, Landscape Industry Certiﬁed, Klausing Group

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Joe Kujawa, Kujawa Enterprises Inc.

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Frank Mariani, Landscape Industry Certiﬁed, Mariani Landscape

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William MacMurdo, Bayer Crop Science

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Joe Munie, Munie Greencare Professionals Inc.

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Tim Portland, Yellowstone Landscape

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Chris Senske, Senske Services

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Brandon Sheppard, Weed Man

LANDSCAPE CERTIFIED EXTERIOR TECHNICAN PROGRAM GOES ONLINE FIVE SPECIALTY AREAS TO CHOOSE FROM: SOFTSCAPE INSTALLATION, HARDSCAPE INSTALLATION, TURF MAINTENANCE, ORNAMENTAL MAINTENANCE, OR IRRIGATION.

National Association of Landscape Professionals landscapeprofessionals.org NALP is the national trade association representing the landscape industry that continuously strives for the highest level of professionalism through education, best practices and certiﬁcation.NALP helps to advance the landscape industry through education, advocacy and professionalism. Nicole Wisniewski, Editor Cheryl Claborn, Advertising Rob Ghosh, Design Page Howard, Copy Editor Lindsey Getz, Contributing Writer Kristen Hampshire, Contributing Writer Heather Tunstall, Contributing Writer 12500 Fair Lakes Circle, Ste. 200 Fairfax, VA 22033 800-395-2522 | 703-736-9666 | Fax 703-736-9668 © 2019 The Landscape Professional is published bimonthly by the National Association of Landscape Professionals expressly as a member service.

National Association of Landscape Professionals 3

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Landscape PROFESSIONAL

24 2020 Vision—A Look Ahead Landscape professionals are gearing up for growth but have a foot over the brake if labor pains force a sales slowdown.

DEPARTMENTS 6

NALP Members Speak Out: What is Your Proudest Moment in Business?

Data Driven: 6 Landscape Trends for 2020 & Beyond

20 How We Do It: Community Outreach at Ruppert Landscape 38 I am a Landscape Professional: Brigitte Orrick, The Davey Tree Expert Co. THE NALP EXPERIENCE 12 NALP Experience: Introducing Our Newest Trailblazers 16 NALP Experience: Inside the Minds of Current Landscape Students—Your Future Employees 19 NALP Experience: Meet Our Newest Members

6 Landscape Trends for 2020 and Beyond

Awards of Excellence 2019 Judges Award Recipients

Advertiser Index Bayer................................................................... Inside Back Cover Bartlett Tree Experts .................................................................. 18 Billy Goat ................................................................................................31 CASE ..................................................................Inside Front Cover Florasearch ............................................................................................3

Kubota ......................................................................................................21 Mulch Mate .......................................................................................... 15 NALP Exterior Technician Training ......................................3 NALP NCLC ....................................................................................... 23

4 The Landscape Professional // January/February 2020

NALP Workforce Development ..........................................30 Proven Winners ..................................................................................5 STIHL ......................................................................................................... 7 Z-Spray .............................................................................Back Cover

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NALP MEMBERS SPEAK OUT

“I’m not sure if there is a single moment, but I’m most proud of the opportunity to work with my father and my other family members at R.M. Landscape. As I became a parent, I also came to understand what it means to have a company and a legacy to pass on. We’ve done some really great jobs and brought on great people. The last three to ﬁve years we’ve been promoting managers and really growing from within. I think over the last couple of years we’ve really become a better company for our people and for our clients. At R.M. Landscape, we talk a lot about growing intentionally but realistically. We’re also being asked to grow both by our team and by our clients, and we’re stepping up to that challenge.”

“There are many things I am proud of about LMP, but the greatest joy comes from the knowledge that the continued growth of the organization provides more employment opportunities for individuals and a sense of security and well-being for their family members.”

Brett Lemcke, R.M. Landscape, Hilton, New York

What is your proudest moment in business? Ð

“There have been many moments where I felt that I had reached a milestone or met personal goals, but it’s so hard to pick out just one that I’m most proud of. It also implies I alone did something, and I can’t take credit solely for anything I’ve achieved. Everything I’ve accomplished has been through the help and support of others. A lot of people have helped open doors for me, given me their time to help me develop an idea and challenged me to execute at a higher level.”

Lisa Fiore, founder and CEO of LandscapeHub

6 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

Orlando Castillo Jr., Landscape Management Professionals (LMP), Dover, Florida

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NALP MEMBERS SPEAK OUT

“One of the things that makes me the proudest is seeing Level Green Landscaping employees be successful. This is in business but also in life: whether they’re starting a family or buying their ﬁrst house or building a pool. Those are things to me that are much more satisfactory than material possessions we acquire. Of course, the company’s growth is exciting, but what that means for our people is more rewarding.”

Doug Delano, co-owner, Level Green Landscaping, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

“Sitting in a room at the NALP awards banquet in Louisville to receive a Gold Award for one of our residential projects that took almost a year to complete was my proudest moment in business. To sit there, look around and see mentors like Frank Mariani, Marty Grunder and so many more was inspiring. This was my peer group of brothers, friends and colleagues who over the years have given me advice—whether it be at 6 a.m. or 10 p.m. on a Saturday night. They were always there for me. Without so many of them, we would never be where we are today.

Jarod Hynson, Earth, Turf & Wood, Denver, Pennsylvania

Mark Borst, Borst Landscape & Design, Allendale, New Jersey

“I’m so proud of the fantastic people who are part of our Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape team and have made a career in which they can make a good living and provide for their families. I’m not giving myself credit for all that—we’ve achieved it together—but it’s a source of pride to know we are all growing, succeeding and thriving together. I’ve watched the company grow from humble beginnings where it was just a job for people to a place where our current team has made it a career.”

“I don’t have a single moment but would say just how impressed I’ve been with my team at Borst Landscape & Design over the years. A lot of my original employees still work here. In fact, the ﬁrst two employees I ever employed are still here. One of my employees started working for me part time while he was in high school and I was in college. Now he manages our whole design/build side of the business. I never dreamed I’d have a business the size it is today but seeing how my team of people has stepped up to the plate to help it grow has been rewarding.”

“There are some students who must work harder than others to succeed. The ones who might struggle, but who overcome major hurdles and are all smiles on graduation day make me the proudest.”

Krisjan Berzins, Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape, Alexandria, Virginia

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information, visit blog.landscapeprofessionals.org. 8 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

Dan Stearns, professor emeritus of landscape contracting at Penn State University and NALP’s 2019 Outstanding Educator of the Year

DATA DRIVEN

6 #1: Cities of the Future Seventy percent of the world’s population will want to live in cities by 2050, according to a report from Ikea published in Bloomberg. While urbanization can improve education, employment opportunities and connection for those living in cities, city dwellers are also continually longing for nature. As a result, tranquil, plant-ﬁlled environments for business and pleasure are becoming not only landscape trends, but also necessities. Central Recreational Districts (CRDs) are on the rise, replacing Central Business Districts (CBDs). They are deﬁned as areas that include parks, historic landmarks and tourist destinations to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. They result in 16% higher housing prices, 10% growth in population and jobs, and attract 3% more college graduates, Dubow explains. Also green infrastructure and horticulture will continue to combine to help educate urbanites on creating desirable cities by propagating, growing and maintaining plants. This includes trees, which help control stormwater runoff, and reduce heat and air pollution.

Landscape Trends for 2020 and Beyond

By Nicole Wisniewski WHEN IT COMES TO PREDICTING the landscape trends that will emerge next year, Garden Media Group is seeing 2020 and beyond very clearly. Their 2020 Garden Trends Report gives us a look at what consumers may demand and landscape professionals may experience in horticulture into the early 2020s. This year’s trends should help reconnect people with nature and soil, leading to a more thoughtful approach, explains Katie Dubow, Garden Media Group’s creative director. Let’s dive into six off theirr predicted trends.

#2: Circular Economy Global consumption tripled since 1970, yet just 9% of materials consumed globally are re-used. A circular economy is one that minimizes waste and makes the most of resources. The goal for folks trying to appeal to customers and follow these recycle and reuse landscape trends: Deliver more customer value with minimal waste, Dubow suggests. National Association of Landscape Professionals 9

DATA DRIVEN

#3: Green Collar Jobs All of this urban growth (outlined in previous page) creates landscape trends in energy efﬁciency and resource sustainability. Also, experts predict gardening as a hobby will reach $49.3 billion by 2023. However, there are double the jobs available than students to ﬁll them; jobs in horticulture outnumber graduates two to one. Seed Your Future research shows children are familiar with and excited by terms like pollinators, plants and growing food, but none of them have heard of the term “horticulture.” “The passion is there, but when it’s time to pick a major, plants are not considered a career,” Dubow points out. With the rising cost of college, forecasters expect enrollment to dip 15% by 2025. While jobs exist that require much academic study, there is demand for green jobs that require less college education. Careers in urban agriculture, environmental sustainability or garden installation, for example, may only need an associate’s degree or vocational program to launch a fruitful career. Apprenticeship programs also can provide lawn and landscape industry opportunities.

#4: Endangered Soil/Regenerative Gardening

10 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

Erosion and deforestation have washed away one-third of the world’s topsoil, and soil in general has been stripped of nutrients. If current trends continue, soil as needed could be gone by 2050, says The United Nations Food & Agricultural Organization. Regenerative practices aim to rebuild soil organic matter, restore degraded soil, sequester carbon and reduce runoff. Composting, for instance, reduces waste and creates a probiotic for the soil.

#5: Indoor Plants Houseplants are having a moment, Dubois says, and they can even be a way for people to connect outside of the home as well, via pub crawls and plant swaps. Plants clean the air, reduce stress, bring life to rooms, enhance creativity and connect people with nature. The obsession with house plants grew 10% in 2018 in the U.S., according to Euromonitor. As younger generations find themselves with less space, time and money, they are turning to indoor plants for their benefits. Euromonitor says currently the largest proportion of plants sold are succulents, followed by tall indoor plants. Your possible opportunities: Educate your customers on plant benefits and offer indoor landscaping options.

#6: Indigo From a soft summer sky to the deep mezmerizing sea, indigo is the season’s color of choice. Blue plants continue to be the most sought after hue in the garden–from hydrangeas to salvia. Ornamental edible berries are also adding blue tones to the landscape picture. You should also expect to see indigo in containers/pots, pillows and other outdoor decor.

YOU HAVE THE TRENDS … NOW WHAT? Staying on top of trends allows you to take advantage of new opportunities and remain on the cutting edge, Dubow encourages. “For years we’ve identiﬁed shifts in habits and growth that affect both consumer and professional horticulture,” she explains. “From the way we design our cities to the people who work in them, the green industry will be at the forefront of urban growth and development in 2020.” She suggests the following ways lawn and landscape professionals can use these trends: Q Trends drive consumers and consumers drive your sales. Q When known well enough in advance, trends help you select the products and services your customers will crave. Q Trends can ignite a new business, customer or service experience. Q Knowing and sharing trends can make you a gatekeeper, trendsetter and inﬂuencer in your market. Q Staying on top of trends and taking advantage of the opportunities they provide can help breathe new life into your business. TLP National Association of Landscape Professionals 11

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Meet NALP’s Newest Trailblazers Chase Mullin of Mullin CHASE MULLIN HAS ALWAYS KNOWN THE VALUE—AND REWARD— of hard work. He grew up working construction jobs within the residential home building ﬁeld for a family friend. When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, Mullin was enrolled at University of New Orleans and immediately jumped into action helping local families to rebuild by installing projects designed by a local landscape architect. During that time, he started to rethink whether his pursuit of a degree in exercise physiology was truly where he wanted his future to take him. Around ou d tthe same time, he was given the opportunity to work full-time for a landscape ccontractor. Then the true path of his future really began to take hold. “Working for him led me to the decision that this is what I wanted to do,” Mullin recalls. “When I told him I was going off on my own, he smiled, because he’d always known. It was as though he had wanted someone to impart his wisdom onto, so he’d taken me under his wing.” Today, things have come full circle. Mullin, who is now president and CEO of Mullin in St. Rose, Louisiana, is looking forward to the opportunity to be a mentor through the Trailblazers. We reached out to ﬁnd out more about him. WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT IN BUSINESS? There have been many, but the construction of our new facility in 2017 was a proud moment that stands out. About a year into business I visited Grunder Landscaping. Prior to that I didn’t realize the height of what a landscaping company could achieve. To see a really well-set-up facility was inspiring. That shaped my early vision for what I wanted this company to be. The design and construction of our facility has helped us achieve that vision. It gives our people a better environment to work in, and that’s something that we’re proud of. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS CHALLENGE? Like others in the industry, labor is one of the biggest challenges. But another is the fact that there is no road map on how to set up a business or how 12 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

to build an organization that works for everyone. So many of the decisions we have to make are based on gut or intuition. For example, when do you hire your first non-billable person? How do you know you have the need to keep them employed? Not having a clear roadmap to follow in these decisions is a challenge. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU ON A MONDAY MORNING? Working toward achieving the vision we set forth for our company is my motivation. I set out to support my family, our people, and to develop an environment that would continue to allow us to offer more opportunities for our team. Knowing the role I play is beneficial to that desired outcome is very motivating to me. WHO IS YOUR BUSINESS MENTOR OR IDOL? I’ve learned a lot from a number of people over the years. My current mentor is Ken Thomas. He’s helped us better define the structure of who we are and where we’re going as a company. I truly appreciate the work that Ken does. He helps people like me improve their businesses, which results in better lives for us, our team members and our families. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK? I read a lot of books but the best book I read recently is “Traction” by Gino Wickman. I’ve read quite a few books that illustrate business operating systems. But this one seems to be the easiest to implement and the most relevant to the landscape industry.

WHAT LED YOU TO BECOME AN NALP TRAILBLAZER? My entire life, I’ve had a keen interest in helping people through my experiences. That’s what led me to become a Trailblazer—just the ability to give back and help others the way people have helped me. It means a lot to me to be able to help other people. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way but I’ve also done a few things right. To be able to help others through sharing my experience is important to me. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO OFFER THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE? I’m looking forward to developing new friendships and giving back to the industry that’s given so much to me. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR BUSINESS IN FIVE YEARS? I see Mullin continuing to grow. This will continue to raise the ceiling for our people to achieve more with us. As we move into the future, I look forward to being able to create opportunities for new team members. I also want to create opportunities for existing team members to continue to grow within the company.

Christopher Brown of Teed & Brown Lawn Care CHRISTOPHER BROWN’S START IN THE INDUSTRY BEGAN AS A summer job working on a golf course. He loved being outdoors in the fresh air. That and his fascination with grass maintenance science lead him to pursue a turfgrass science degree from Penn State. Though he imagined he’d wind up back in the golf course industry after school, some of the aspects of being a golf course superintendent did not appeal to him. He ultimately decided that starting a lawn care business would be his best path forward. In 1995, Brown met Peter Teed, who had been working at a local lawn care company. The two started GrassRoots Lawn Care Inc. that year, which became Teed & Brown Lawn Care in 2004. Since then, the business has grown tremendously. Today it has location in Connecticut and New York. Brown became one of o recently ece NALP’s newe newest Trailblazers and we reached outt tto ﬁnd out more about him. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT IN BUSINESS? There have been a lot of moments, but one stands out. One summer my business partner and I neglected to coordinate with one another. We both scheduled a two-week summer vacation at the same time. We weren’t initially sure what to do, but we knew we’d built a good organization. So, we said to Teed & Brown management, “It’s yours for two weeks.” We left it in their hands but said we’d be available if we were needed. By the time we both returned, not only had they not reached out for more than a few quick questions, but we found the company had grown. They had signed up new business while we were away. It made us proud that we had built a good organization that could run without us. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN BUSINESS? My biggest challenge has been internalizing and understanding that management styles must evolve. The management style you use at a certain size might work well at that size but won’t necessarily work any longer once the company grows to a certain point. Understanding you have to constantly change your management style and the structure of the company and systems as you grow to accommodate that growth is a big realization—and a challenge. There’s no perfect blueprint for how to do it—just something you have to be aware of and ready to handle as you grow.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU ON A MONDAY MORNING? I love the challenge of trying to grow the business and develop a more comprehensive and larger company. For the last several years, we been growing at about 25 percent over the previous years. The challenge that motivates me is about thinking toward the future. What do we need to improve now at Teed & Brown but also what problems will we run into a year from now that we should prepare for? Working on those strategies keeps me motivated weekly. WHO IS YOUR BUSINESS MENTOR/IDOL? Instead of having just one, I like to draw a lot of inspiration from a lot of people. For instance, you take someone like Steve Jobs. He is such a visionary and was so fearless in moving forward with his bold ideas and vision. He had such conﬁdence and willingness to make mistakes and that was truly inspiring to me. But I’ve also heard he was horrible to work for. So, I don’t see him as someone I want to emulate as a person leading my employees. But in terms of boldness, he really inspires me. There are other business leaders who have been great at building a really positive workplace culture, which is something else that I strive to do. Another inspiration to me is Abraham Lincoln for the primary reason that after he won and became president he pulled together “a team of rivals” that included the people ﬁghting against him. He got them to come on board and become part of his team, so he wasn’t surrounded by “yes men.” That is probably one of the reasons he was

such an effective leader—he wanted to hear other opinions besides his own. WHAT LED YOU TO BECOME AN NALP TRAILBLAZER? Over the last 25 years of business I have learned such a tremendous amount through trial and error and kind of wish I’d availed myself of the program at an earlier stage for myself. I think a lot of the mistakes we learned over the years could have been avoided had we talked to others who’d been through it. So, I wanted to be able to give back that way— to help others learn from our trial-anderror process. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK? There are many, but one that sticks out as being unique is “The Goal.” The reason I enjoyed it is the author is innovative in writing from a fictional standpoint but still develops business lessons he wants to get across. You learn some tremendous business lessons about how complex organizations can run. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO OFFER THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE? I think just from my own perspective, I’ve moved away from a lot of the turfgrass management work and much more into the business leadership and company building end of things. I think so many people are in this industry because they are good tradesmen. They start a company and build it. But then they don’t have a lot of interest in the behind-thescenes management that goes into running it. That’s boring to them or simply not their area of interest. They want to be out there creating new landscapes. What I hope I can offer is enough insight into that end of things to show it’s equally fascinating in its own way. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS IN FIVE YEARS? We have a five-year plan in place. We are hoping to add three more locations to make it five in the next five years. We also plan to be two-and-a-half to three times our current size in terms of total customer volume and revenue.

National Association of Landscape Professionals 13

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Skip Thompson of Tidewater Landscape Management WORKING IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY AND DEALING WITH CRAZY hours and a young son at home, Skip Thompson of Tidewater Landscape Management actually found his way to the lawn and landscape industry in order to be able to obtain more manageable hours. He started at a golf course making minimum wage and filling sand traps during construction. He worked his way up as he went along. “I did not go to college but I realized early on that if I was going to continue in this industry that I needed something, so I started the certification process and became a Landscape Industry Certified C Manager in 2002 and Technician in 2003,” ThompTec son shares. Seeing what the power of certifications could do, Thompson has also been a member of the International Certification Council (ICC) and served as chair for the last three years. He helped to write the current lawn care exam and was a subject matter expert on the transformation of the hands-on exterior technician exam into an online, written exam. Over the years, Thompson worked his way up in management and various roles, finally landing at Savannah, Georgia-based Tidewater Landscape Management in 2009 as director of operations for the military division. In 2018, he took on the role of CEO. “I have had a lot of help along the way from a lot of people in order to get to where I am today, and I’m extremely grateful,” says Thompson. A desire to “give back” some of that knowledge is what lead Thompson to become one of the newest NALP Trailblazers. We reached out to find out more. WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST MOMENT IN BUSINESS? Seeing people advance through the ranks and rise up and better themselves for themselves as well as their families. That has been really rewarding. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS CHALLENGE? Of course, like everyone says, it’s always labor. But it’s also a matter of 14 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

finding the right people. You can find people who are willing to work but finding the right people is a challenge of its own. We’ve done a lot of different things to address this. We’re looking into the Apprenticeship Program right now. We’ve also made efforts online, through referrals and even going out and hanging local fliers. It’s all about continuing to be creative and varying your approach. You can’t do just one thing. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU ON A MONDAY MORNING? The fact that it’s a new week. You get to face new challenges and new opportunities for that week with a clean slate. You can’t carry stuff from last week into a new week. It’s always got to be a fresh slate. And with that comes new obstacles to overcome, which is challenging but it can also be fun. WHO IS YOUR BUSINESS MENTOR OR IDOL? I like John Maxwell. He provides a great perspective on leadership but also life in general—on being a better person. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BUSINESS BOOK? It would be John Maxwell’s book: “Failing Forward.” I like that he points out that failures are not always detrimental, but at end of the day probably more helpful in leading you to successes. You have to fail to move forward. Ultimately, how you handle failure is what really makes a difference. WHAT LEAD YOU TO BECOME AN NALP TRAILBLAZER? I was nominated and honored to have been. I just wanted to continue to have the opportunity to work with NALP. I’ve been on the ICC for 13 years and am recently coming off as chair. I’ve been really blessed through my career with

help, and NALP has been a big part of that. I believe that if everybody helped everybody else a little bit it’d be a better industry. We all need to help one another. Personally, NALP has helped me a lot and my involvement with them has been a wonderful opportunity. I always encourage people to take advantage of what NALP has to offer as there are just so many resources. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO OFFER THROUGH THE NALP TRAILBLAZER EXPERIENCE? More than anything else, I’m just looking forward to having the opportunity to give back. I was so fortunate to be helped on my way. If I can help somebody in some way— whether it be operations or business or even just their outlook, then I’m more than willing. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS IN FIVE YEARS? I expect to still be in the industry and in this company. But I also want to continue to grow our people and our leaders, so they become leaders not only in the industry but in the community around us. Just being able to better themselves as people is something that is important to me. TLP EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information, visit landscapeprofessionals.org/trailblazers.

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THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Inside the Minds of Current Landscape Students—Your Future Employees SURE, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING about the job openings you need to fill at your landscape business and the work you need to get done regardless of if you fill them or not. But do you know what your future employees are thinking? We asked current horticulture students who are attending NALP’s National Collegiate Landscape Competition about their career goals and why they think the industry has a hard time filling open positions.

ABBY DENNING, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT STUDYING HORTICULTURE WITH A FOCUS ON LANDSCAPE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF MICHIGAN STATE’S STUDENT HORTICULTURE ASSOCIATION WHAT WAS YOUR SINGLE FAVORITE EXPERIENCE AT NCLC IN 2019? The Michigan State team went hiking in the mountains after we had taken our qualifying exams in the morning. It was a great time to relax and get to know people on our team better. There are so many different events in the competition. As a result, you gain a respect for your peers who compete in events that you would consider difficult. WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT NCLC IN 2020? I am looking forward to hosting this year. There is a lot of work that our professors and NALP put into this event. It has been interesting to play a minor part in planning the student reception. I also had the opportunity to meet other students in the industry at NALP’s LANDSCAPES show as a student ambassador, so I am looking forward to seeing them again. WHAT DO YOU WISH LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS WOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR CAREER GOALS THAT YOU DON’T THINK THEY ARE AWARE OF TODAY? Within my career goals, I would still like to advocate and promote the industry. Helping the public to understand the landscape industry is extremely important as our culture is slowly transitioning to be more environmentally conscious. WHY DO YOU THINK LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS HAVE SUCH A CHALLENGING TIME FILLING OPEN POSITIONS AT THEIR BUSINESSES? WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY COULD CHANGE TO IMPROVE THIS SITUATION? I think that landscape professionals have a hard time filling positions because the labor force is changing as the education system pushes students into other career paths. Landscaping requires a unique skill set and appreciation for the work that we accomplish. Additionally, general misconceptions allow for this industry to get overlooked when there are many opportunities for successful careers. Continuing professionalism and having a willingness to change as a business are ways that businesses can improve this situation and attract employees. WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS? I am currently a junior, so I have one more summer to spend before entering the workforce. Last summer, I did an internship with Ruppert Landscape in Baltimore, Maryland. I learned an incredible amount in the area of commercial landscaping. This summer, I’m looking to stay closer to home and diversify my experiences, potentially working in the areas of floral design, marketing, extension or farming. It is important to me that I explore the horticulture industry before I likely work for a landscaping company, which is where my passion began.

16 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

MARY TUSKI, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT PURSUING A BACHELOR’S OF SCIENCE IN HORTICULTURE WITH A HORTICULTURE SCIENCE CONCENTRATION, AND PRESIDENT OF MICHIGAN STATE’S STUDENT HORTICULTURE ASSOCIATION WHAT WAS YOUR SINGLE FAVORITE EXPERIENCE AT NCLC IN 2019? My favorite experience about NCLC in 2019 was competing in the irrigation assembly competition. It was a great opportunity to put my irrigation knowledge to the test while competing against other students from all over the country. Even though we were all in competition with each other, everyone was friendly and encouraging. It was a very cool experience to interact with some impressive industry individuals who were monitoring our event. The adrenalin and desire to work to my best ability at something I enjoy made it a great experience. WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT NCLC IN 2020? I am excited that Michigan State University is hosting NCLC this year. It has allowed me to see what it takes to put on this event. I’m also looking forward to sharing our campus with students from all over the country. East Lansing is a place I’ve called home for the past four years and I’m excited to share it with our industry and students. I am also excited to participate in four events this year as well and represent MSU. I have the opportunity to participate in two events this year that I did not last year and I am excited to put my knowledge of these events to the test and compete with other students. WHAT DO YOU WISH LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS WOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR CAREER GOALS THAT YOU DON’T THINK THEY ARE AWARE OF TODAY? What I wish for landscape professionals to know about my career goals is that I would like to integrate my marketing skills and experience into whatever position I obtain. Our industry is an amazing one, but we

lack marketing. I would love to help promote our industry through whatever company I work for and help the public understand what this industry has to offer. WHY DO YOU THINK LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS HAVE SUCH A CHALLENGING TIME FILLING OPEN POSITIONS AT THEIR BUSINESSES? WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY COULD CHANGE TO IMPROVE THIS SITUATION? As someone who is currently looking for jobs, one thing I have noticed is that many companies do not post their job positions available online. This makes it hard for individuals who are seeking jobs to find ones that are desirable to them. Job posting websites are great places to post open positions because that’s where a lot of people search for jobs. I believe making it easier for potential employees to find job positions will help fill them. Also, the career opportunities our industry provides are becoming less known. The younger generations are not aware of our industry and how there is so much to it and so much potential. Bringing awareness about our industry and how great it is might encourage more people to enter into it. WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS? I am graduating from Michigan State University in May 2020 with a bachelor’s of science degree in horticulture. I hope to work for a nursery and grow trees and shrubs. I love the production side of our industry and I have always had a passion for trees. I eventually want to move into the marketing side of the industry because it is an area I have experience in. I am very excited to start my career in our industry and grow in my knowledge and understanding of horticulture.

MATT MURPHY, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT STUDYING HORTICULTURE MANAGEMENT/ AGRICULTURE BUSINESS PLANNING AND LOOKING TO GRADUATE IN 2022 WHAT WAS YOUR SINGLE FAVORITE EXPERIENCE AT NCLC IN 2019? My favorite experience at NCLC 2019 was meeting people from other schools, being able to drive equipment and cheer on NC State. WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT NCLC IN 2020? I am looking forward to representing NC State and meeting new people. WHAT DO YOU WISH LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS WOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR CAREER GOALS THAT YOU DON’T THINK THEY ARE AWARE OF? I want to learn as much as I possibly can about the industry and be hands-on in the ﬁeld while learning. WHY DO YOU THINK LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS HAVE SUCH A CHALLENGING TIME FILLING OPEN POSITIONS AT THEIR BUSINESSES? WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY COULD CHANGE TO IMPROVE THIS SITUATION? Jobs are hard to ﬁll because many people do not know the different positions in the industry or are not exposed to it in their lives. We can change this by doing more to advertise the industry. WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS? My career goals are to be able to manage crews and expand my personal landscaping business. National Association of Landscape Professionals 17

THE NALP EXPERIENCE LAUREL YORK, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT STUDYING AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT WITH A MINOR IN HORTICULTURE WHAT WAS YOUR SINGLE FAVORITE EXPERIENCE AT NCLC IN 2019? My single favorite experience at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition in 2019 was the opening ceremony because it got me excited for the upcoming competitive events. Also, the schools’ team cheers brought my team closer together, while we also got to watch other school’s cheers to see our competition.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT NCLC IN 2020? At the National Collegiate Landscape Competition in 2020, I am most looking forward to competing in my competitive events again because I feel more prepared and excited to compete after competing in 2019. WHAT DO YOU WISH LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS WOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR CAREER GOALS THAT YOU DON’T THINK THEY ARE AWARE OF TODAY? I wish the landscape professionals knew that I, as well as a lot of other students, are not only interested in the landscape industry for their career goals, but we are also interested in

I wish the landscape professionals knew that I, as well as a lot of other students, are not only interested in the landscape industry for their career goals but we are also interested in companies that affect the landscape industry, such as chemical companies, distributors, etc.

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18 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

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companies that affect the landscape industry, such as chemical companies, distributors, etc. I enjoyed the career fair a lot last year and was able to make a lot of good connections benefitting my career goals, but I wish there was a larger variety of companies than just landscape companies in attendance, such as chemical companies like BASF, Bayer, etc. I’m not sure if the landscape professionals are aware that lots of their competitors try to get jobs with companies like these. WHY DO YOU THINK LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS HAVE SUCH A CHALLENGING TIME FILLING OPEN POSITIONS AT THEIR BUSINESSES? WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY COULD CHANGE TO IMPROVE THIS SITUATION? I think landscape professionals have such a challenging time filling open positions at their businesses because most of the open positions they are offering require high amounts of labor and not many people with a college degree want to work in labor for the rest of their lives, which is a good portion of the jobs offered in the landscape industry. To improve this situation, they could search to fill these positions elsewhere, like high school or collegeaged students looking for part-time work or people who have yet to get a college degree looking for good paying work. Most students who are graduating with a bachelor’s degree aren’t going to want to go into labor positions straight out of college. WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS? My career goals are to go into a sales or management position within the landscape industry working for a large, well-known company. I previously worked for Scotts Miracle Gro as a retail merchandiser, and after gaining experience there and through four years at NC State, I have decided that I enjoy sales and would be qualified to work in management. I recently accepted a fulltime position with Brightview in sales, which I partly owe thanks to NCLC for connecting me with the company. I am very excited to see where this position takes me after graduation in 2020. TLP EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information, visit landscapeprofessionals.org/nclc.

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Welcome Our Newest Members Company

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Company

City

State

AB Landscaping Inc.

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Furlong

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Power Equipment Distributors Inc.

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Enterprise Professional Services Inc.

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ServiceWorks

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Sinc Constructors Co.

Centerville

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Field Pro Enterprises LLC

Westwood

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Foran Lawn & Yard

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Galati Landcaping Inc.

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Gibbon Winter Service

Buckley

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Sawyer

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Little Rock

The GreenShape Holding LLC

West Palm Beach FL Statesville

GreenLea Groundskeeping

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GreenWeaver Landscapes LLC

Lenni

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Harris Lawn & Landscape

Worcester

Treebeard Landscape

J. Christopher Landscaping

Battle Ground

Turfmaster Inc.

Jo’s Landscaping Plus LLC

Lake Zurich

United Ag and Turf

McKinney

Rochester

Just The Tips Lawn Care

Fountain

Van Putte Landscape

K & D Landscape

Plainﬁeld

White Pine Landscaping

East Greenwich

La Hacienda Nursery & Landscape Inc.

Indio

Wingate Lawn Care

Denton

Exeter

LANARC

Raleigh

Yardman Yardscape

Landscape Architecture LLC

Madison

Yards Done Right

Olympia

Landscape Design Innovation Group LLC

West End

Yavapai Landscaping

Prescott

National Association of Landscape Professionals 19

HOW WE DO IT

Community Outreach at Ruppert Landscape By Lindsey Getz EACH YEAR, THE NALP Community Partnership Award recognizes companies who demonstrate leadership in helping restore or revive communities. NALP presents the awards to companies actively engaged in community outreach. It also highlights the aesthetic, environmental and quality of life benefits the landscape industry brings to communities across the country. This year, the first award goes to Laytonsville, Maryland-headquartered Ruppert Landscape. “It is a great honor to receive this award as it helps raise visibility around the needs that exist within our communities. It also highlights how the landscape industry is partnering with deserving people and charitable organizations to meet those needs,” says Phil Key, president of the company. “We feel very fortunate to be in a position that enables us to help.” The company has always believed in giving back throughout its 40-year history. In fact, over the years, Ruppert has helped thousands of deserving causes and given in excess of $5 million. The company typically commits more than 5,000 hours each year to community service projects—both big and small. “The company has a strong commitment to giving back to the communities where we work and where our employees live,” says Amy Snyder, director of public relations for Ruppert Landscape. “We donate 5 percent of our profit to support charitable causes. More importantly, we involve our employees 20 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

Ruppert Landscape employees volunteering to improve the grounds at the Armed Forces Retirement Home. in charitable projects to ensure each of them experiences that feeling of goodwill that comes with giving to those in need. The company encourages employees to make their branches a part of charitable efforts that are dear to them. Their causes can be breast cancer walks or feeding the homeless or other ideas.” The company’s branches directly manage 2 of the 5 percent slated for giving, Snyder says. This ensures employees directly involve themselves in choosing the charitable projects. FIELD DAY IS AN OUTREACH HIGHLIGHT One of Ruppert’s recent large-scale community service efforts was its Atlanta Field Day event. More than 100

employees from the company’s Lilburn and Mableton, Georgia and Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina branches worked together with parishioners to transform the grounds of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The company’s annual Field Day is a long-standing tradition that enables employees to give back to the community. It combines charitable giving, training and friendly competition among branches. The church campus had a number of existing landscape issues Ruppert addressed. This included areas of vegetation overgrowth and eroded turf, drainage issues, unhealthy trees and damaged concrete. The site also

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HOW WE DO IT

“We saw it as more than just an opportunity to give back to our community. It was an investment in our training and team building. It’s a way for us to check our skills and identify areas where we needed improvement while creating a fun, competitive environment and building morale and pride.”

lacked visual appeal and did not create an inviting space for parishioners to enjoy the church’s outdoors. Beyond fixing problems, a portion of the day was spent installing new plant material to give the campus a fresh feel. Nine caliper shade trees were planted in the parking islands and three ornamental trees in the front of the church. Over 500 shrubs and 135 perennials were also installed in four high-visibility locations throughout the site. Lastly, mulching of all the newly installed plant beds and existing beds totaled approximately 120 yards of mulch. In total, over 800 man-hours and approximately $100,000 was involved in making this project a reality. Since its completion, the congregation has been spending more time outside worshipping, gathering and enjoying the benefits of feeling one with nature. HELP SPANNING MANY MILES Field Day is just one of many ways Ruppert has partnered with communities both near its headquarters and its 23 branches. The company has performed cleanups, enhancements and installation projects for many organizations and establishments. These include HeroHomes (a non-profit dedicated to providing housing for wounded veterans), the Ronald McDonald House and the Armed Forces Retirement Home, among many others. The company has donated both landscaping skills, materials and time. For instance, in January 2019, several of the company’s Raleigh landscape management and North Carolina landscape construction branch members volunteered with the Special Olympics of North Carolina to help sort and package uniforms for the 300 U.S. athletes and coaches heading to the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi.

22 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

Ruppert donating time and services to a Virginia-based charity (above). Ruppert’s Atlanta Field Day (below). In April of 2019, the Baltimore landscape management team participated in Pigtown Main Street’s “Bloom the Boulevard” event. Together with a team of community volunteers, they cleaned and “greened” a section of Washington Boulevard from MLK to Carroll Park. They removed trash and debris, installing 15 trees, mulching tree rings and cleaning and re-planting the planters. They also donated annuals for the ﬂower sale and held two planting workshops for community residents. BUDGETING FOR OUTREACH Though Ruppert is a massive company, spanning multiple states, “giving back” is scalable to any level. As a result, it’s possible for any company. In the early years, once the company reached $2 million in sales, they started doing larger events like Field Day. But Key says an event like this has multiple beneﬁts. “We saw it as more than just an opportunity to give back to our community,” he says. “It was really an investment in our training and team building. It was a way for us to check our skills and identify areas where we needed improvement while creating a competitive, fun environment and ultimately building morale and pride in our company.” When the company grew, Key says budgeting for giving became more systematic and planned for over time. “Once we grew, we set aside a percentage of our annual revenue for giving. We always look for causes that

will enable us to not only help in our communities but also to train, compete and hopefully continue to build our team and underscore what we value,” he says. GETTING MORE INVOLVED Key says charitable involvement and giving is ultimately a very individual decision that a company has to make. But the landscape industry has many ways in which it can offer its talents and skills to those in need. “Deciding on dollar amounts, degree of involvement and what causes are deserving of assistance can be very personal. It must resonate with a company and its employees,” advises Key. “With the opportunities and successes with which we’ve been blessed comes an implicit obligation to help those who have not been as fortunate and perhaps haven’t had the same opportunities that mentoring, education and certain life experiences provide.” Having a social conscience is “self-perpetuating,” Key adds. It helps the community, motivates employees and gives them pride in the company. “Those employees work hard at keeping customers happy because they work for an organization they believe in. In turn, the company will continue to enjoy ﬁnancial success, which enables more contributions to worthy causes,” Key explains. “Perhaps the most important takeaway for us is that by involving employees directly in the giving, many more people get to experience ﬁrsthand the kindness and feeling of goodwill that comes with giving to those in need.” TLP

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2020 VISION A LOOK AHEAD Landscape professionals are gearing up for growth but have a foot over the brake if labor pains force a sales slowdown. By Kristen Hampshire

24 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

he phones are ringing. Homeowners are asking about design/build and landscape renovation projects to improve their outdated properties. Companies that run maintenance routes are keeping trucks and equipment busy. “We continue to see a demand for outdoor living spaces—patios, hardscapes, outdoor kitchens,” says Jeff Garner, president, Garner’s Northwest Landscaping, Monroe, Washington. But there’s one thing. Finding people to do the work is a seemingly immovable barrier to growth. “We took a good, hard look at our business and decided to focus on proﬁtability rather than revenue growth,” Garner relates, noting that last year he streamlined routes to cut windshield time to make the best use of his crews’ time. “Then, we started cutting unproﬁtable accounts. We’re trying to thin down [routes] so we can manage with a smaller workforce.” The opportunity is there—but the labor is not.

This is a consistent theme for landscape professionals as we turn the calendar page to 2020. The No. 1 business concern that will keep contractors up at night is employee recruitment and retention, according to a 2020 NALP Lawn & Landscape Business Forecast. In fact, 71 percent of respondents named labor as their greatest pain. The next greatest area of concern for business owners is the high costs of doing business (7 percent), including fuel prices, health insurance and workers’ compensation. But there are many bright spots—and, with a continued strong economy and demand for services, 21 percent of the landscape professionals we surveyed expect to grow in 2020 by 7 to 10 percent, with 15 percent planning for a 11- to 15-percent gain next year. Louis Palazzi, owner, Palazzi Landscape Gardening, Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, says 2019 was the best year since 1972. “I don’t see demand slacking off,” he says, noting that

Baby Boomers are requesting lawn renovations. Looking ahead, he says, “I think 2020 is going to be a great year.” However, in a service industry stressed by labor woes—and in a seasonal business that can get hampered by weather—some of the challenges owners are anticipating in 2020 are somewhat out of their control. “If we do not get our H-2B workers next year, I don’t know what we are going to do,” says Michael Kukol, president, Horizon Landscaping, Wyckoff, New Jersey. “It is a time to reﬂect on how we will have to change to survive.” WAY TO GROW How do you feel about 2020? When asked, landscape professionals say optimistic, cautious, growth—and survival. Josh Wise, owner, GrassRoots Tree and Turf Care, Acworth, Georgia, says, “Explosive.” In 2019, Wise began franchising his business and in 2020, the company will have six new territories. His company grew 21.9 percent, and custom-

er retention was high with an 11.2-percent cancellation rate compared to an industry average that’s closer to 20 percent. The NALP survey showed 81 percent of respondents expect to retain 81 to 100 percent of their customers for the 2020 season. Wise says his greatest challenge will be growing too fast. “I’m concerned about my time and how I’ll handle that,” he relates. So, he is upping his workforce by adding four team members to the home ofﬁce to ﬁeld customer service calls for new franchisees. “That way, we can protect the brand and make sure customer service stays the same way we have it,” he says. In 2019, Wise had one dedicated salesperson. Next year, he plans on recruiting two more sales associates to help manage additional territories and support new franchisees. Why will 2020 be “explosive?” He sees great potential with franchising his brand. “When I talk to potential franchisees who are looking at starting their

ÅGROWTH GOALS WHAT ARE YOUR GROWTH PLANS FOR BUSINESS IN 2020? Q More than 20% loss 5% Q 10% to 20% loss 4% Q 5% to 10% loss 5% Q 0% Q 1% to 3% gain 8% Q 4% to 6% gain 12% Q 7% to 10% gain 21% Q 11% to 15% gain 15% Q 16% to 20% gain 11% Q More than 20% gain 15%

National Association of Landscape Professionals 25

ÐCOVERSTORY own business, they’re interested when you talk to them about the landscape industry,” he says. “I think all in all, the industry is strong.” Matthew Wagoner, manager at Landscape Consultants LLC in New Cambria, Kansas, feels cautious about 2020, following two years of record commercial design/build business that is drying up. Their region experienced a building boom and capitalized on the new landscape jobs. But, Wagoner says, “I think that is running out of steam in our community. We are not seeing the commercial bids come up.” On the other hand, the residential market shows growth potential, says Laura Stroda, marketing director at Landscape Consultants LLC. “And, our maintenance division has grown every single year since we moved to our new location in 2014,” she reports, noting that maintenance is about 30 to 40 percent of the company’s overall sales. The garden center division of Landscape Consultants is also in growth mode, Wagoner points out. That includes an extensive tree farm and native plant offerings—a different angle than nearby stores that sell typical annuals and perennials. “We are going to be selling some trees on the open market because I see a continuing shortage of certain calipers and species of trees, so we’ll push those and native plants,” he says. Palazzi says his company has been enjoying the beneﬁts of pent-up demand for landscape services. Since pulling out of the 2008 recession, he has noticed an uptick in interest. “Now that the economy has rebounded, demand is going to be very strong for next year,” he predicts. IN-DEMAND SERVICES So, what areas of business are landscape professionals expanding in 2020? Design-build opportunities are strong, with 37 percent of NALP survey respondents indicating the most revenue growth from this type of work. Close behind is landscape maintenance/mowing at 34 percent. Less essential offerings like water features and holiday lighting barely made the radar, at 0.62 percent and 0.31 percent respectively. No one said landscape lighting would promise revenue growth. At Landscape Consultants LLC, a new water well drilling service comple26 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

ÄService Stats HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH SERVICE PRICES IN 2020? We are holding prices steady in order to retain customers. 20% We are raising prices as necessary. 80% We are decreasing prices in order to retain and attract customers. 0%

IN WHAT ONE SERVICE AREA DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE THE MOST REVENUE COME FROM IN 2020? Landscape maintenance – mowing 35% Lawn care - pesticide and fertilizer applications 15% Landscape design/build 37% Tree care 2% Irrigation 3% Landscape lighting 0% Water features 1% Hardscapes 4% Snow and ice removal 4% Holiday lighting 1%

IN WHAT ONE SERVICE AREA DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE THE FASTEST GROWTH IN 2020? Landscape maintenance – mowing 37% Lawn care - pesticide and fertilizer applications 20% Landscape design/build 22% Tree care 3% Irrigation 4% Landscape lighting 3% Water features 1% Hardscapes 7% Snow and ice removal 3% Holiday lighting 1%

ments irrigation. Wagoner says, they bought the business from a retiring owner who focused only on the drilling. “It ﬁts in real well,” he says, noting that it adds value to the irrigation division. “We are looking at some packages with the water well drilling and irrigation,” he says of plans for 2020. Hardscape will continue to be an in-demand service, Wagoner adds. “It used to be a basic patio, and now we are doing rooftop patios, ﬂagstone walkways and elaborate outdoor living spaces with water features and pergolas,” he says. “This whole segment of the industry continues to evolve.” Wagoner adds, “In our market, renovations to high-end and middle-market homes are where we are focused and doing well.” Maintenance grows every year at Landscape Consultants, but labor limits the company’s ability to add new accounts. So, the company is selective and partners only with clients who want full service. “We want to take care of their mowing, lawn care, pruning and irrigation—and if they want to add a deck, we can do that, too,” Stroda says. “Our clients appreciate that they can pick up the phone and make one call.” Wise says that demand for lawn care in the Southeast hasn’t slowed. He can tell because with little marketing, his company grew more than 20 percent last year. LABOR PAINS—AGAIN You can sell all the work you want. But who will do it? Labor is the greatest challenge landscape professionals face, and it will force many to change the way they do business. Kukol calls labor “out of control,” and notes that there are few “American blue-collar workers” left. “The blue-collar worker of today is going into IT—technology,” Kukol says. He received 140 responses to a help-wanted advertisement in spring 2019 with a pay rate starting at $16.81. “Less than half took the time for a phone interview,” he says. “Of that, only 15 showed up for an in-person interview. Five took the job and two showed up for work. Six months later, both were gone.” He hired some temporary workers— but they left for the Police Academy, got called by a Union Hall or decided to go back to school. “How do you run a business like that?” Kukol relates.

ÈCustomer Retention WHAT PERCENT OF YOUR CUSTOMERS FROM 12 MONTHS AGO DO YOU EXPECT TO STILL BE YOUR CUSTOMERS IN 2020? 0% to 20% 2% 21% to 40% 2% 41% to 60% 2% 61% to 80% 14% 81% to 100% 80%

Matthew Wagoner at Landscape Consultants LLC feels cautious about 2020, following two years of record commercial design/build business that is drying up. Their region experienced a building boom and capitalized on new landscape jobs. But “I think that is running out of steam in our community. We are not seeing the commercial bids come in.”

Kukol applied for H-2B employees, as he always does. “We have to go that route because there are no other options for help,” he says matter-of-factly. In spring 2019, Kukol says he turned down “tons of work” because routes were full. “What else can we tell people? We say, ‘Sorry, we are full.’ We couldn’t even send a salesperson out. We let a lot of work slip by.” Kukol doesn’t want to do that this year, but labor will dictate how much the company can sell rather than vice-versa. Every business NALP interviewed cited labor as a chief concern. Landscape Concepts is trying to get ahead of a labor shortage by offering referral bonuses to its staff. After 30, 60 and 90 days, the referral source receives a monetary incentive. “The ideas is that they not just bring anyone to ﬁll out an application and work for two days—it makes them think about who they pick,” Stroda says. “They are putting their own reputation on the line a little bit.” Retention will be a major initiative. “We do pretty well at it, but we want to get better,” Stroda says. Wise agrees that with record low unemployment rates, “The ones who don’t have jobs are the ones who don’t want to work. It’s hard to ﬁnd good, quality employees.” He hires more people than he needs. “I try to keep an extra technician around and forecast our future growth,” he says. Of course, hiring extras is easier said than done. And, doing so can feel

impossible when you’re turning down work because of a labor shortage and refiguring your routes to accommodate a thinning staff. Garner says during March-April 2019, his business lost five of its 12 employees. “The sad thing is, there were only six who I wanted to keep but we were too scared to get rid of the others with how tight labor is,” he says. “We should have gotten rid of those five in the first place.” They left after not qualifying for pay raises due to poor quality work or attendance issues. “So, we said, ‘We have to cut back,’” Garner continues. “We cut out our ‘pain point’ clients who were constantly calling us about this or that.” After thinning the book of business, his team could manage the routes and deliver the quality the company promises. Garner has used Craig’s List and iHire Landscaping to recruit workers. “We offer bonuses to our employees if they bring in other workers, and that has helped,” he says. PRICING & PAY The cost of doing business today will never be less than it was yesterday— and it’s only going up. Nearly 80 percent of professionals who responded to the NALP survey say they will raise prices as necessary, and few customers are complaining about it. They get it. Garner will increase prices, “And we think everyone else in the market will, too,” he says. His business now offers

National Association of Landscape Professionals 27

ÐCOVERSTORY

ÈMARKETING MONEY The greatest source of referrals for Landscape Consultants LLC: People who say, “Hey, I saw your truck down the street.” The second biggest marketing move: “My neighbor told me about you.” Third is Google.

HOW WILL YOU GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS IN 2020? Most pros know that marketing has moved online, yet referrals and clean, branded trucks continue to bring in the bulk of business for many NALP members. “We have a fairly large fleet and we invested in it to make sure we have nice, clean trucks,” says Matthew Wagoner, manager, Landscape Consultants LLC, New Cambria, Kansas. The greatest source of referrals for his business: People who say, “Hey, I saw your truck down the street.” The second biggest marketing move. “My neighbor told me about you.” Third is Google. Laura Stroda, marketing coordinator, adds, “We have invested into building our existing website and making sure that we are the top result in our area.” Of the NALP members surveyed for the 2020 Lawn & Landscape Business Forecast, 63 percent say their marketing spend will stay flat. One-third of respondents plan to increase their marketing budget. And a few, 4 percent, will decrease the dollars they dedicate to advertising. One of those is Michael Kukol, president, Horizon Landscaping, Wykoff, New Jersey. His reasoning? “With no field labor, marketing will be reduced.”

WHAT ARE YOUR MARKETING PLANS FOR 2020? We are increasing marketing spending 33% We are maintaining marketing spending at our current level 63% We are decreasing marketing spending 4%

28 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

health insurance—an added expense— to compete with other employers. “We are looking to add some sort of retirement benefit,” he says. Kukol hopes to charge more in 2020. “Costs for everything keep going up, and if the smaller companies will realize what it costs to stay in business, then they will raise their prices, as well,” he says. “Too often, people go into business, think they are making a lot of money, then grow to two or three trucks and realize that they are barely braking even. After five to seven years of deflating the market and making other companies that are in it for the long-haul look like thieves, they sell everything and get out of the business. Or, they stay small enough to be under the radar and pay their employees cash.” Paying cash is trouble, Kukol adds. “That doesn’t happen in a good company.” Wise won’t raise prices this year, after hiking them up slightly at the end of 2018. “I feel like I’m priced competitively in the market, and we are high enough that we don’t get customers who are just looking for the cheapest price and will cancel in three months when someone shows up at the door with a price that is a dollar cheaper,” he quips. “I’m happy with our sales and growth, and I don’t feel there is any need to move that pricing needle.” As for pay, minimum wage is a moot point for owners who must pay more than that to attract quality people. “Not even worth discussing—we are already double minimum wage,” Kukol says. TECHNOLOGY AND THE FUTURE Finding ways to work smarter—and with fewer employees—will be a continued focus for landscape firms facing a continued labor shortage. This includes implementing scheduling and routing software, trading pen-and-paper for tablets in the field and experimenting with the latest robotic mowers. Kukol is interested in robotic mowers, but not ready to jump into it yet. “I think the robotic mowers, or something like them, are the future,” he says, adding that Horizon Landscaping is using technology wherever possible in its operations. Garner invested in new business software that he hopes will shave time off routes. “We are also trying to buy bigger and better equipment that can

cut down on labor,” he notes. Also, after meeting with some companies that are testing robotic mowers in the ﬁeld, he’ll do the same in 2020. “We are looking into it,” he says. NALP’s survey indicated 9 percent respondents who will increase equipment spending next year plan to invest in specialty mowers such as propane-powered or robotic. Business management software and a garden center point-of-sale system are a tech focal point at Landscape Consultants LLC. “We have some inhouse systems built by talented staff that are helping us with scheduling and tracking jobs and creating work orders,” Stroda says. “And, we invested in LMN and will roll that out during the next year.” Meanwhile, as companies consider ways to improve productivity, they’re also keeping an eye on potential jags that could sideline their companies— namely, regulations. Kukol says the last couple of years have been a learning experience for his business, and he is

considering renaming his human resources person as “compliance.” “There are so many issues to stay abreast of, and ignorance is no excuse when they knock on your door,” he says. Labor-related regulations intensify the stress of retaining qualified, legal employees. Palazzi notes that in Pennsylvania where he operates, lawn care and landscape businesses are “pretty heavily regulated,” and he is keeping an eye on whether the state will restrict phosphorus in the future. “My big thing is, we are paying all the fees to have licenses and certifications, and there are many other companies out there operating illegally,” he says. “There is no way the enforcement agency can oversee all of that. So, companies get away with it.” For Palazzi, supply chain issues have been more prominent than regulatory concerns in the past year. And, he figures this could continue. “We have had some—not a lot—but some, pressure with regards to supply,” he says, refer-

ring to plants and Milorganite fertilizer. Because of long-term relationships with suppliers, Palazzi says “we have been able to adjust well.” As for Milorganite, prices are up about 5 percent—“That, we can handle”—while the bag size continues to decrease. He used to buy the product in 50-pound bags, and now they are sold in 32-pound packages. The key with regulations, supplies and technology is to connect with industry peers and share knowledge. As Wise notes, “There is great camaraderie in our industry. Overall, we are really strong.” OPTIMISTIC. GREAT THINGS. HOPEFUL. BULLISH. The one-word forecasts for 2020 by NALP members are mostly positive. “Better than 2019.” Sure, there is a healthy dose of caution. “Be alert for downturn in the economy.” But, for the most part, industry professionals are steering into this new year with a mind to grow and prosper.

ÉLabor Pains WHAT ONE BUSINESS CONCERN DO YOU EXPECT WILL KEEP YOU UP MOST AT NIGHT IN 2020? Hiring-recruiting and retaining enough workers to get work done 71% Pricing/estimating work properly 4% Growing too fast to keep up 6% Lack of business growth/stagnant 4% Work/life balance 5% Low-ball competitors 2% High costs of doing business (fuel prices, health insurance, worker’s compensation) 7% Regulations/bans on pesticide/fertilizer use 1% Regulations/bans on noise/equipment use 0% Regulations/bans on water/irrigation 0% National Association of Landscape Professionals 29

ÐCOVERSTORY

ÊInvesting in Iron

IN WHAT AREAS DO YOU EXPECT TO INCREASE YOUR SPENDING THE MOST IN 2020?

More than half of the landscape professionals (56 percent) who participated in NALP’s 2020 Lawn & Landscape Business Forecast survey say they plan to increase their equipment purchases and leases. While 36 percent will maintain what they have, 8 will decrease equipment expenses—so they’ll save purchases for another year. Jeff Garner, president, Garner’s Northwest Landscaping, says his Monroe, Washington-based company is investing in equipment that reduces labor. In 2019, he added a leaf vac to the fleet and a couple of 52-inch mowers. “Now we can mow faster with less downtime, and we are looking to add two more of those mowers in 2020,” he says. Trucks and trailers will be the most common purchase, with 63 percent of respondents planning to increase spending, earmarking dollars for vehicles. Next up is mowers, with 47 percent noting that they’ll add to their fleets in 2020. Louis Palazzi, owner, Palazzi Landscape Gardening, Newfoundland, Pennsylvania, is trading out his diesel trucks for gas-powered vehicles, and he’ll add a dump truck to his fleet. “Because of the technology with gas now, you can run the trucks efficiently with less cost,” he says.

Mowers-traditional 47% Mowers-specialty (robotic, propane-powered, etc.) 9% Handheld power equipment 37% Skid-steer loaders/utility track loaders/compact utility equipment and attachment 28% Pesticides/fertilizers 21%

Trucks & trailers 63% Technology (business & design software, etc.) 26%

Spreaders/sprayers 16% Nursery materials (plants, trees, shrubs, etc.) 18% Snow & ice equipment 15% Water features and related equipment 3% Landscape lighting and related equipment 10% Irrigation systems and components 13% Tree care-related products 5%

HOW DO YOU PROJECT YOUR ANNUAL EQUIPMENT PURCHASES/LEASES TO CHANGE IN 2020? Increase 56% Decrease 8% Stay the same 36%

WORKFORCE Summit

A Think-Tank for Industry Professionals March 1 – 3, 2020 Washington, DC landscapeprofessionals.org/workforcesummit

Champion:

30 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

ÅWhat one word or phrase would you use to describe your expectations for your business in 2020? WORK

CONTINUED GROWTH

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www.billygoat.com National Association of Landscape Professionals 31

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 2019 JUDGES AWARD RECIPIENTS

A Modern Greenwich Estate Hoffman Landscapes revamps a residential property into a clean, elegant space. By Heather Tunstall

THE OUTDOOR SPACE OF A BEAUTIFUL ESTATE HAD BEEN languishing under a lack of proper attention for some time. Before Hoffman Landscapes took over maintenance, their client’s property was subject to incorrect pruning, services not being performed in a timely manner, insect and disease issues and poor communication over multiple providers. “The homeowner could see her vision was structurally there, but was suffering horticulturally,” says Michael O. Hoffman, president, Hoffman Landscapes. Hoffman Landscapes took over property maintenance, and immediately things began to change. FROM MISMANAGED TO MARVELOUS The homeowner wanted to keep clean, 32 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

straight lines and wanted the structure of her landscape to be impeccably manicured year-round. She employed Hoffman Landscapes in 2017 to execute a comprehensive maintenance plan, including weekly mowing, irrigation, bed care, ﬁne gardening, seasonal cleanups, new planting installation and renovation, hardscape maintenance, seasonal decor, and a

complete plant health care program. “The landscape design is very formal, yet ﬂows very naturally, which makes the property unique,” Hoffman says. “Our work on this property is also special because of the client herself. Very rarely do we come across a client this involved, even to the point of working side-by-side with the perennial care team. It makes a world of difference to have a client who truly enjoys the landscape, and we absolutely love working with her.” The estate sits on a 3.3-acre lot, which includes meticulously shaped Hawthorn trees along the driveway

“The landscape design is very formal, yet ﬂows very naturally, which makes the property unique. Our work on this property is also special because of the client herself. Very rarely do we come across a client this involved, even to the point of working side-by-side with the perennial care team. It makes a world of difference to have a client who truly enjoys the landscape, and we absolutely love working with her.”

and crisp Boxwood hedging throughout the property. A zen garden featuring a dozen Shademaster Honeylocust trees provides a peaceful respite over a gravel terrace. The hedges, trimmed to a sharp, perfect right angle, line the shrubbery and tree beds for a monochromatic contrast of textures. The hardscapes’ color palette complements the main house’s castle-like facade—simple, yet pleasing to the eye. NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGES The home is part of a private community with strict time constraints as to when the Hoffman team can be in the neighborhood. They have to be extremely efﬁcient with each visit to get everything done in their allowed time. Irrigation management is also a challenge. The Hoffman team are constantly balancing the needs of plants and turf with system constraints and water use restrictions in the area. “Possibly our biggest challenge lately has been a very high prevalence of boxwood blight throughout this region, which has made boxwood care in 2019 much more complicated than it was in the past,” Hoffman says. “To combat the spread of boxwood blight, hand pruning has been combined with shearing, irrigation has been converted from spray to drip, and all tools are disinfected prior to arriving on site and again in between planting areas.” The Hoffman team took on aspects of property care in June of 2017 and have added to their list of responsibilities every season since. “Our work here is ongoing and will never truly be complete,” Hoffman says. “Through interaction with not only the property, but the client, our understanding of both has deepened and we are able to be proactive with many issues.” National Association of Landscape Professionals 33

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 2019 JUDGES AWARD RECIPIENTS

A Phased Approach to a Cohesive Landscape R.P. Marzilli & Co. transforms a Massachusetts residential property. By Heather Tunstall

or connection to these spaces by creating an area where they could entertain, grill and have some fun, then the rear terrace was more secluded, more private, more intimate than the pool area, which was more recreation,” Johnson says. “Then the third phase was creating an The interior designer and home architect teamed up with the landscape entry, a sense of arrival, from the two entries they have.” architect Hawk Design to bring it all Phases two and three began concurtogether. rently about halfway through completion of phase one, so at one point, THE VISION they were working on all three phases The owners wanted a seamless simultaneously. landscape that would highlight the The existing entry had 25 to 30 historic home’s beauty in a way that ﬂows each part of the property together— steps leading from where guests the entryway, the home, an entertainment parked to get to the front door. The Marzilli team regraded the drive to pool area and a rear terrace. slowly transition upward, so that once The outdoor areas were planned in guests arrived at the entry court, they phases: phase one was the pool space, were closer to the ﬁnished elevation phase two was the rear terrace and and the experience was more welphase three was the entryway. When coming than parking down below and they were ready to start phase one, they having to walk up dozens of steps. called in R.P. Marzilli & Co. to be the “We got together with them, solicited landscape contractor. a little help from the interior designer “We tried to bring more of a purpose

THE OWNERS HADN’T BEEN PLANNING ON PURCHASING A HOUSE. But one day, they were dropping their kids off at a friend’s place and noticed an open house sign down the street. Curious, they decided to take a look, and they immediately fell in love with the property, decided to buy it, and moved from their neighboring town into their new home. The house was old and needed some updates, and besides, they wanted to give it their own personal touch. It had several renovations and additions over the years, without much continuity in design. The owners began work on the inside of the house as well as the outdoor property immediately. “They purchased this property and they hired an interior designer and an architect to re-fab the interior of the home,” says Chris Johnson, project manager for R.P. Marzilli & Co. “They decided to work with the same interior designer and architect to create a pool house and start to redo the landscape to create more of a systematic feel instead of a segmented feel within the property. With the series of additions, it wasn’t as cohesive as they would have hoped.” 34 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

and a couple of other people, and worked through a circulation of what really worked for them,” says Bob Marzilli, president of R.P. Marzilli & Co. “With that, we pretty much arrived at a design for an entry court, so that you actually drive up into a courtyard. You got that sense of you’ve arrived at the house versus you’ve arrived at the garage doors.” The Marzilli team, led by foreman Gil Cabral, was responsible for all aspects of the landscape, including planting, irrigation, lighting, masonry, site work and drainage. THE CHALLENGES In Weston, every tree over a certain size is tagged and documented by the town. Prior to construction, the design team had to work with the town and engineers to understand the grading process and which trees would be affected by grading. “Any trees that interfered with construction to the point where they couldn’t remain had to go in front of the town, so we had to seek approval to get removals on those trees,” Johnson says. “Then anything that was approved for removal had to be mitigated for it, meaning some of the trees and shrubs were mitigation plantings.” In order to grant permission to do the removals and move forward with the project, they had to do mitigation for compliance. And because the property abutted a stream, wetlands and a conservation area, they had to be conscious of that and follow the order of conditions provided by the town and the conservation commission. The team next planted large deciduous trees and evergreen trees to provide a natural screening from the neighboring streets and create privacy for the house and the landscaped spaces. The third layer of plantings were shrubs and perennials, which were used to create deﬁnition of the spaces and add seasonal color. The existing large trees were critical in providing scale within the property, and the team had to be particularly careful in not performing construction tasks over the roots of those trees. “We had to put up tree protection fencing and create limits of work where our construction crew could not operate equipment so that we were protecting those trees,” Johnson says. “While excavating for foundations and

even doing plantings, we had to be careful as to maintain the integrity of the existing trees.” They also had to work with the town in regards to the walls. “For the entry court walls, we had to present our design to an engineering ﬁrm who worked with us to make recommendations and structural plans that were stamped that allowed us to build these structures that would hold back the grade and be safe,” Johnson says. “It was really two part: we had to have structural drawings for our retaining elements and also we couldn’t exceed more than a 10% increase of impervious surfaces within our design.” The entryway court offered its own set of challenges. Having to grade the property to ease the elevation change, the Marzilli team took the grade change up in lifts and compacted it. “They’re usually 6- to 8-inch lifts,” Marzilli says. “You don’t want any sinkholes. You want to make sure that you’ve got 99% compaction so that way it eliminates the possibility of pavement moving, or any depressions over time. You have to keep a mind on proper compaction as you lift the grade.” Another major consideration was the New England weather. The Marzilli team worked year-round to complete the project, and that meant winter temperatures and other meteorological adversaries would present challenges. When the weather got frightful, they focused on hardscaping elements and staged areas under tents with heaters in a series of setting up and taking down.

THE RESULT The project took two full years to complete all three phases. The clients were living in the house while the outdoor construction was going on, and they laid out milestones for the team to focus on so that they could use parts of the outdoor space throughout the project. “We worked very closely with them and because they were living there, we did everything we could to give them usable spaces to enjoy while other areas of construction were going on,” Johnson says. “When we got our professional photographs taken, we put a book together of the site and we gave it to the clients and they were thrilled. They love our team, they love the guys who were onsite every day; they knew them on a ﬁrst name basis.” The clients even threw a cookout for the crew after at the end of the ﬁrst phase. “We really wouldn’t be here without the craftsmen who are working with us,” Marzilli says. “These are guys that year in and year out just build beautiful work for us. We’re really lucky to get to work with them.” National Association of Landscape Professionals 35

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 2019 JUDGES AWARD RECIPIENTS

Pebble Terrace and Garden Pavilion Detailed workmanship creates fascinating elements within a sprawling estate By Heather Tunstall

THE R.P. MARZILLI & CO. TEAM BEGAN WORKING WITH A PROMINENT client in the Boston area in 2004, the same year that the Boston Red Sox won their ﬁrst World Series in 88 years. Call it a momentous year. Fifteen years later, the property is an evolving, sprawling space with a series of intriguing themed outdoor corridors and “rooms” worked into a masterful grand plan by landscape architect Brian Frazier of Brian Frazier Design. The property owner, Ernie Boch Jr., is from a family of highly successful entrepreneurs who own a number of auto dealerships in the area. A musician and philanthropist who does a lot of outdoor entertaining and charitable events, he is well known in the community. His vision for the property was inspired by Dumbarton Oaks Garden, 36 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

the famed estate in Washington, D.C. The Pebble Terrace and Garden Pavilion area of the property received Special Recognition and Gold Award in the 2019 National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Awards of Excellence. PREP WORK Before work was to begin, there were years of preparation put into the property. “Originally, the property was a neighborhood with about 13 or 14 single-family homes,” says Chris Johnson, project manager for R.P. Marzilli & Co. “It was the client’s father’s original house, and over

the course of a decade or two, probably closer to two, the client’s father and the client slowly, one-by-one, bought these single family homes. The whole master plan and the garden pavilion and pebble terrace could not start until all of the properties were bought out.” Then came the demolition and construction. All of the houses came down, and all of the utilities were cut off on the street. “It was pretty intensive with the town and different utility contractors to get the site leveled out while he was still living in his house, which kind of bisected the property,” Johnson says. “Construction fencing went from his existing house and property out to the entry gate so he could still come in and out and have

usable space, and not be impacted by years and years of construction. Once all the houses were gone, the Marzilli team brought in more than 250 mature evergreen trees to line the perimeter of the property, enclosing it and giving it a sense of deﬁnition while creating a barrier to the construction. From there, several buildings went up, including the North and South Carriage Houses and the Garden Pavilion. Utilities had to be run from all of these buildings, which have full foundations and elevators that go down to basement levels that are below grade. “There was a series of drainage, electrical, gas and radiant heat so areas didn’t freeze, and all of these utilities had to be put in below foundations,” Johnson says. “The Pebble Terrace excavation was upwards of 20 feet in depth to get the proper pitch back to the street. That drainage line came all the way from the garden pavilion underneath the pebble terrace out to the street on the opposite side of the property, which was the only point the line could be tied into the street.” METICULOUS ARTISTRY The foundation of the Pebble Terrace was in by winter of 2016. To keep the Pebble Terrace from cracking and shifting, proper compaction and radiant heat were crucial elements of the foundation. Many of the walkways and the Pebble Terrace won’t accumulate snow thanks to the radiant heat within the concrete subsurface. “All of that tubing was installed by plumbers and it’s glycol that comes back from one of the mechanical areas and

gets pumped underground through the walkways, the driveways, and the Pebble Terrace,” Johnson says. “You need to know where your conduits and your pipes are so when it comes to landscaping and planting we’re not ripping stuff up and doing damage. It’s just very intricate, both what you see above ground but also what’s below ground that you don’t see.” From there, contrasting Mexican beach stones went into the foundation one-by-one with a select, controlled group of ﬁve craftsmen. The work was incredibly complex, with attention to the radius and dedication of the team to go in every day and focus on selecting the pebbles based on color, width, length and shape. “They were sorted really intentionally to follow the design intent that you see in the intricacy of the pebbles,” Johnson says. “That was all done in three months over that winter. We couldn’t do small portions at a time, we really had to tent this whole area up so we could have reference points in our symmetry throughout the terrace.” A Buxus hedge lines the shape of the Pebble Terrace, with Russian sage and hydrangea adding color and dimension to the space. The Garden Pavilion has an elegant sunken lawn, with London Plane trees setting up the North to South axis. A tremendous amount of planning and exactness in execution were put in to ensure the axis lines were exact, giving the space a peaceful and beautiful symmetry. “Really we wouldn’t be here without the craftsmen that are working with us,” says Bob Marzilli, president of R.P. Marzilli

& Co. “John Dias, who put together the pebble terrace … we feel very fortunate that we’re allowed to work for the craftsmen we work for.” COMING TOGETHER The Garden Pavilion and the Pebble Terrace are aligned on an east to west axis—the center of the Garden Pavilion is in line with the center of the Pebble Terrace. From the lower lawn, a ramp and twist staircase lead up to the Pebble Terrace, where the Garden Pavilion starts to come into focus. “There are fire features and pergolas, there’s an amphitheater, there’s the Pebble Terrace, there’s the Garden Pavilion...” Johnson says. “These series of spaces were meant to allow entertainment, but when you’re within these spaces you feel private and secluded and you could do things like concerts at the amphitheater and make it comfortable in a residential setting for entertainment purposes.” The R.P. Marzilli & Co. team not only worked on the construction, installation, lighting and irrigation on the property’s landscapes, but they also maintain them. “They really are dedicated to being the best they can be and delivering the highest level of quality to our clients,” Johnson says. “That’s so obvious to me every day working here, and it’s one of the reasons that makes it so awesome to come to work. We wouldn’t be winning these awards if it wasn’t for the ability of the people in the field who execute it day in and day out in the most extreme conditions of winter.” The property’s master plan should be completed in a year, Marzilli says. The final stage will be an auto salon with an apartment and surrounding landscaping. TLP

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information, visit landscapeprofessionals.org/aoe.

National Association of Landscape Professionals 37

I AM A LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL

Brigitte Orrick, The Davey Tree Expert Co. By Lindsey Getz WITH MORE THAN 15 YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY, BRIGITTE ORRICK joined The Davey Tree Expert Co. from the Tree Care Industry Association, where she was the workforce development director. Prior to that role, Orrick was the dean of trade, industry and apprenticeships at Nicolet College. She has experience in both the collegiate and professional afﬁliate market spaces. But Orrick says her roots are in forestry—no pun intended—and it is that passion that is a driving force in her efforts to grow the industry. We recently caught up with Orrick to ﬁnd out more.

Connect with Davey Company: The Davey Tree Expert Co. Headquartered: Kent, Ohio Year founded: 1880 and employee-owned since 1979 (celebrating 40 years!) Service mix: Residential and commercial tree care, commercial landscaping, utility vegetation management, environmental and urban forestry consulting services Business motto: Proven solutions for a growing world.

One of the biggest challenges that faces our industry is retention of people. That means making sure to interview and qualify the right people who will be a good ﬁt for the company and for the industry—but then also keeping them. For our company, retention is more of a challenge than recruiting. Moving forward, we are working to create a new orientation and onboarding experience. It will really focus on the ﬁrst three months of employment. For a large organization like ours, it’s a lot of moving parts and that’s a large undertaking but one that we believe is essential. My “Life Mission Statement” is to provide access to career paths at a family sustaining wage with upward potential. I get to do that in my current role. It’s more about changing lives than it is about just hiring people. It’s about supporting our peoples’ families. We look at it as more than just a job but also about the families we get to touch as a result of those jobs. Being a landscape professional is about sharing our passion for the environment, and to invite the public into a better understanding of trees and plants. I’m a forrester by trade, even though I’m more in an HR role today. I taught forestry to college students so that’s at the heart of my passion. With NALP, we have a place to collaborate and help advance the industry in a meaningful way. I also just started to serve with the Women in Landscape Network. I’m excited to get to share my passion with other women and help them pursue leadership within their companies. TLP

38 The Landscape Professional //January/February 2020

FAST FACTS Favorite business book: “Necessary Endings” by Dr. Henry Cloud. I really enjoy that book and think there are many lessons to be taken from it. Business mentor: When I was younger it was my grandmother. The older I’ve gotten I’ve learned to surround myself with a team of leaders because there are different seasons and different questions that arise, and you have a need for different experts. Five-year plan: I feel like I’m in my wheelhouse right now in recruiting and employee development. In ﬁve years, I’ll be working deeper in employee engagement as we really get this recruiting and retention thing ﬁgured out. Long term, I want to continue working within The Davey Institute. We have all of these teachers and scientists on staff who are such knowledgeable experts, and I hope to work with them in a different capacity as I grow within the company.

Your Success, Our Science Andrew Ziehler Owner and CEO, Ziehler Lawn and Tree Care

Together, We’ve Got This For years, Bayer has been trusted by lawn and landscape professionals everywhere. Great lawns and landscapes need help to thrive, and so do great businesses – and that’s where we come in. From our world-class products, to our industry advocacy and know-how, we’re always there when you need us. Visit es.bayer.us/lawn-and-landscape, and put science on your side. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS Bayer Environmental Science, a Division of Bayer CropScience LP. 5000 CentreGreen Way, Suite 400, Cary, NC 27513. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-800-331-2867. environmentalscience.bayer.us. Not all products are registered in all states. Bayer and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer. ©2019 Bayer CropScience LP. ES-1219-LL-0195-A-1

National Association of Landscape Professionals 39

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Articles inside

NALP Experience: Meet

I am a Landscape Professional: Brigitte Orrick

NALP Experience

NALP Experience: Inside

Data Driven: 6 Landscape