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NALP Experience: Plan to
Plan to Attend LANDSCAPES
LANDSCAPES 2020, WHICH IS CURRENTLY MOVING
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ahead as scheduled for Oct. 20-23 in Louisville, Kentucky, is a learning and networking experience for the whole team.
CEOs, sales and marketing executives, account managers, customer service representatives and crew leaders can connect with professionals across the country during this “must-attend” education event of the year.
This year’s schedule will look slightly different with a full-day Innovation and Technology Summit on Tuesday, Oct. 20. There is an additional fee to attend this summit.
A variety of LANDSCAPES sessions will be offered Wednesday through Friday on topics that are timely and relevant to members. Programming will include the impact of COVID-19 and lessons learned by NALP members that can help companies better prepare for future business disruptions. While the Speciality Summits will not be held this year, there will be an opportunity for individuals to join speciality roundtable discussions to share ideas and discuss issues of common interest. The full LANDSCAPES program will be available soon. Also, in the LANDSCAPES package is admission to the Green Industry and Equipment Expo (GIE+EXPO) where attendees can explore numerous exhibits on the tradeshow floor and demo equipment. As part of your GIE admission, don’t miss Admiral James Stavridis, the opening keynote speaker on Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. This keynote is sponsored by John Deere. Stavridis is a retired U.S. Navy 4-star Admiral and USEUCOM, 16th Supreme Allied Commander, NATO. He will provide insights on addressing pressing global affairs challenges. TLP
Company City State
R-Greenscapes, LLC Latham NY Riverview Landscaping Durango CO Rock & Rose, Inc. Denver CO San Jose Tree Service San Jose CA
Sanders Lawn & Landscape Canton TX Satsuma Landscape & Maintenance La Puente CA SB Landscaping Rancho Palos Verdes CA
Seilers Landscaping, LLC Cincinnati OH Shubert Enterprises Dagsboro DE Sikorski Landscaping, Inc. Ormond Beach FL Sol Landscapes, Inc. Petaluma CA South Valley Landscape Construction San Jose CA Southwest Landscape, Inc. Santa Ana CA Storm- The Lawn Pro of the Fox Cities Greenville WI
Strabala Grounds Management Wellman IA Strand's Lawn Care, LLC Gillette WY Sunlite Landscape, Inc. El Cajon CA SuperScapes Tulsa OK Team Green Outdoor, Inc. Ballwin MO Thomas Landscapes Kula HI Thompson & Sons, LLC College Station TX
Company City State
Thompson Landscape Company Eugene OR Thompson Nursery Rocky Mount NC Tim Andrews Horticulturist, LLC Mazomanie WI TL Turf & Landscape, LLC Lorain OH TM Property Services, LLC Des Moines IA Total Maintenance Pro Hillsborough NJ Tree Barber Enterprises, Inc. San Marcos CA Trio Outdoor Maintenance, LLC Lenox MI TruCo Services, Inc. Provo UT Turf Magic Forsyth GA Twisted Oak Landscaping College Station TX Umstead Green Landscape Management, Inc. Raleigh NC URBAN|scapes Dallas TX Verdant Cal Landscaping Norwalk CA Volute Partners, LLC San Antonio TX Weiss Landscaping, Inc. Nevada City CA Wells Cutting Edge, LLC Erda UT Wild Outdoor Services Lakeville MN
Wilson Landscape Construction Lakeside CA Wolf Valley Landscape, LLC Clinton TN Yardworx Outdoor Services Zimmerman MN
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Resilient member companies push forward through trying times
By Lindsey Getz
AS CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWNS WENT INTO EFFECT and thousands of non-essential businesses were shuttered in March, many lawn and landscape business owners scrambled to figure out what that would mean for them. While industry companies have since been deemed “essential,” and most have forged ahead, it’s certainly no longer “business as usual.” There have been many changes, but lawn and landscape business owners remain cautiously optimistic.
Of course, there’s no denying that many businesses have taken a hit. Jeff Rossen, owner of Rossen Landscape in Great Falls, Virginia, says that it’s definitely caused a sales slump. Though it’s too soon to tell how much it will impact the bottom line, the silence of the phones speaks volumes.
“At this time of the year, the phone is normally ringing off the hook and we’re being flooded with emails about potential projects,” Rossen admits. “It’s very noticeable that this year is different. However, we have a good maintenance base and that’s going strong — and we did manage to sell a couple of big jobs despite everything that’s going on. So, we remain optimistic right now.”
In Northern New Jersey, business has been hit hard given the proximity to New York, the the “epicenter” of the virus in the United States. But Scott Fullerton, owner of Fullerton Grounds Maintenance (FGM), headquartered “We realized that our crews were pretty oblivious to the seriousness of what was happening. So, we had to educate them first. We closed
the company down for a short period and we focused
measures. We also got all of our administrators set up at home and we went 100 percent virtual from the office standpoint. Then, we opened and proceeded forward since we are considered an essential business.” – Scott Fullerton, owner of Fullerton Grounds Maintenance (FGM) in Kenvil, New Jersey, says he can remember when it first started, nobody was taking it very seriously.
“We realized that our crews were pretty oblivious to the seriousness of what was happening,” recalls Fullerton. “So, we had to educate them first. We closed the company down for a short period and we focused on educating crews on safety measures. We also got all of our administrators set up at home and we went 100 percent virtual from the office standpoint. Then, we opened and proceeded forward since we are considered an essential business.”
In terms of the financial impact, Fullerton says that it’s certainly been difficult that this pandemic has come on the heels of the worst snow season the company has experienced in its 26-year history. However, he remains optimistic about the fact that they haven’t lost a significant number of clients.
“Most of our commercial clients are telling us they want to keep their properties looking great when their people do come back to work,” Fullerton says. “I think people are pretty optimistic overall. And in terms of the residential market, I think a lot of homeowners are nesting. They are obviously home now, and they want their homes to look nice. We’ve had some mowing cancellations with people telling us they can handle that service themselves now — but that was never a big percentage of our business. In some parts of North Jersey, we’re seeing big surges in permits for home landscaping projects like patios and decks — and I think it’s because people are preparing for potentially being home a lot more this summer.”
Also, in Northern New Jersey, Mark Borst, owner and president of Borst Landscape and Design says that they were also hit hard by a virtually Continued on page 22 Ð
snow-free season this year. When the
Ð continued from page 21 closures first began in mid-March, they were in the midst of gearing up to go full steam and make up for that loss. However, as closures went into effect, Borst says they had to change gears.
“We had to put a lot of plans into action quickly,” says Borst, who says the Allendale business needed to put their H-2B workers on hold. At press time, he still hadn’t been able to bring them all back.
“We’re getting our work done but we’re running with about 85 percent of the workforce we’re accustomed to,” adds Borst.
At times, Borst says that tensions amongst the team have been high. Employees are stressed — and for good reason, he says. He’s remained empathetic and focused on being a calm leader.
“There are a lot of emotions right now and a lot of people are extremely stressed out by all of this,” says Borst. “We did have one manager and two field members take a leave of absence in the midst of it. So, it’s been important to take the time to talk to everyone, to calm them down, and to assure them that things will get better.”
RAMPING UP SAFETY
With landscape businesses being considered “essential” and continuing operations across the country, it’s been important that owners ramp up their safety efforts not only to protect their people but to also remain in compliance with various mandates. Most lawn and landscape business owners have told us that’s meant drastically reducing office staff — or going completely virtual. It’s also meant limiting the number of workers on a crew, staggering start times, and eliminating all in-person contact with clients.
Mark Hopkins, regional vice president of LandCare says that the company has been quick to act across the company’s 50 locations, which span 20 different states. He says discussion of changes that could be made began back in February. That quick-thinking has made a difference.
“The first focus was on the safety and welfare of our team members,” Hopkins shares. “When the initial cases were beginning to be seen in Washington state, LandCare had already begun
LandCare had already begun an aggressive, nationwide safety protocol of
daily sanitation to protect our teams and customers. In addition, the company enhanced our PTO policies to aid team members either directly or indirectly impacted by COVID-19 illness or quarantines. As a result, to date, our team members have had their personal economic impact mitigated.” – Mark Hopkins, regional vice president of LandCare
Masks have become a new part of PPE for crews out working.
an aggressive, nationwide safety protocol of daily sanitation to protect our teams and customers. In addition, the company enhanced our PTO policies to aid team members either directly or indirectly impacted by COVID-19 illness or quarantines. As a result, to date, our team members have had their personal economic impact mitigated.”
Borst has taken similar measures with reduced office staff and smaller crews. He also purchased a disinfectant that could be used in the company’s mist blowers. Every single truck that comes back from the field is sprayed inside and out.
Rossen says that the company has set up washing stations where field crews can wash their hands when they Continued on page 24 Ð
Many of the lawn and landscape business owners that we spoke with were optimistic about government funding opportunities.
arrive in the morning and when they return their trucks to the yard.
“While on-the-go, they’re wiping down high-touch areas multiple times a day with a rag and bleach,” adds Rossen. “For now, we’re no longer doing our morning huddles and we’re preventing crews from talking or congregating at the shop by staggering their start and finish times. We’ve created a check-out station that they go through as they exit the yard. The manager will stand there and give them any information they need. But we’re also encouraging crews to just report directly to the job site if they can.”
For Oasis Turf & Tree, headquartered in Loveland, Ohio, a focus on safety has meant a similarly well-coordinated effort of strategically planned out start times that help reduce human contact.
“We don’t want to have a cluster of crews together waiting on each other to load the vans and get on the road,” explains Angie Bradley, chief operating officer for the company. “Each of the vans is also sanitized and their equipment is sanitized daily. We’ve upgraded our PPE requirements to also include disposable gloves — each team member has a box in their van — and face masks are available if so desired. We have also suspended all door knocking or leaving any type of paper hangers on the door. We’re now emailing our service notes.”
On the administrative and management side, Bradley says only a handful are coming into the office — everyone else is working remotely. All meetings are being held via video conference and the office facility is sanitized frequently. Everyone is cognizant of this new norm.
Adam Zellner, the company’s vice president of sales, says that as much as they’ve been focused on the team’s safety — the effort also extends to customers.
“We know this is about the safety of our customers, too,” he says. “We have some customers that require communication prior to our visit, such as informing them before we treat. That’s something that we typically did in person. Now, we’re doing that from the driveway. Our customers have been extremely appreciative and greeted us with a positive attitude. They’ve been very cooperative about any changes we’ve had to make, and we’ve been grateful for that.”
Of course, keeping up with ever-changing protocols has been no small feat, adds Fullerton.
“We’re trying our best to keep up with every recommendation that comes out,” he continues. “It’s changing all of the time. First it was wearing masks, then it was a recommendation not to exchange tools, and now it’s a suggestion of one man to a truck. It seems that every day it’s something new. We have 100 vehicles that go out every day and each of our drivers is responsible for bleaching down their truck. It’s a lot of work but everyone is really stepping up.”
CLIENT COMMUNICATION
As a variety of changes have been made, it’s been important to keep clients well-informed.
“The company has focused on enhanced client communication to both inform customers of our efforts to ensure safe operations on their sites and to understand the potential impact of COVID-19 to their businesses or organizations,” says Hopkins of LandCare’s effort. “This approach is just an extension of the close relationships we strive to keep with our clients.”
The Rossen team has also been communicating regularly with customers ensuring they understand that landscaping is an essential business.
“We want clients to know that there will be no service interruptions,” Rossen says. “We’re also now announcing our site visits so that clients know we will be in their yard.”
Email communication has been a helpful tool that most companies have been utilizing. However, as Jack Moore, president and CEO of Grassperson quickly found out, many clients are already inundated with that type of communication from so many other businesses and services they’ve used.
“Like so many others, we felt it made
sense to begin communication with our clients through an email,” Moore says. “We intentionally waited on creating that email until we really knew what these changes were going to look like for us and that we were in line with all of the regulations. However, in gauging our open rate, only around 20 percent of our clients opened that email. That tells me that we were yet another email among so many others. In the case of many of our larger or strategic clients, we called them — and had conversations about what changes they could anticipate.”
Zellner adds that maintaining relationships with clients has long been something that Oasis has taken pride in — and now it’s paying off. And it’s been rewarding to see how much clients appreciate that their services have continued.
“I think for a lot of people, it’s a bright light — and some sense of normalcy — when their lawn care company shows up,” Zellner says. “They’re quarantined at home but things are still happening — their yard is still being taken care of — and I think that may be more appreciated than ever before in a time when so much has changed and so many other things have been cancelled in their lives.”
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Many of the lawn and landscape business owners that we spoke with were optimistic about government funding opportunities.
“The government’s Paycheck Protection Program has been a bright spot in this whole thing,” says Fullerton. “I’m not always a positive political person, but I see our government working to keep everyone going. We need to come out on the other side of this without devastating businesses — and there’s a lot of effort right now to make that happen. I see companies working together and I see the government working together and that’s all pretty encouraging.”
Borst agrees.
“The Paycheck Protection Program will be a lifesaver for us,” he says. “Having just emerged from our worst snow season, we were already taking a hit, but that program could really save a lot of businesses like ours — helping them get through the worst of this.”
At press time, Moore says he had just found out from the bank that he was approved by the program though many other companies didn’t get financing before the cap was reached..
“I spent about a week of my time researching and getting the paperwork in order for the Paycheck Protection Program,” he adds. “That is honestly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a small business, and you can be sure I was on the phone the minute Chase started taking calls. We didn’t lay anyone off and in fact, we’re trying to hire right now with the intension of investing in the business with that support.”
A CHANGE OF WAYS
Certainly, there have been a number of positives to emerge from this forced situation — a key of which has been the necessary adoption of technology and remote working capabilities. Albeit a forced situation, many lawn and landscape business owners say they’ve been pleasantly surprised just how well things are going.
“I’ll be honest that we were not
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up-to-speed in terms of our virtual capabilities,” says Fullerton. “Now, we are 100-percent virtual and that’s a blessing that has come out of this.”
Rossen echoes a similar story.
“It’s not all doom and gloom. We’ve gained a ton of efficiencies because of this — including having become masters at Microsoft Teams meetings,” he laughs. “Previously, all of those meetings were done face-to-face. This has proven that we don’t have to all be in the same room together to get things done. We are functioning just fine remotely.”
Rossen did say that having the right software support has been crucial.
“Our Aspire software program has been critical in this whole thing,” he says. “If we didn’t have everything that we did streamlined into one software program, it would have been a nightmare. Aspire has honestly been a lifesaver in this.”
The company has even found some ways to keep things fun.
“I can’t take credit for this as it was my business partner Jason Navon’s idea, however, we’ve been doing ‘water cooler’ virtual meetings where once a week we’re getting all 15 members of the middle management team together just to talk,” says Rossen. “We might put a funky background up, play a little trivia, or just chat. My key challenge as a leader is to find ways to continue to engage the workforce even as we work remotely — and that’s hard. But this has been one way to do just that.”
Like others, Borst sees potential changes in the future as a result of a “new norm.”
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“It’s hard to know what exactly that will look like, but I do see more people working from home in the future — in our industry and others,” he says. “I think in the long-term, people won’t travel as much. They might even take fewer vacations but will instead say, ‘Let’s make our oasis here in our backyard.’ Down the road, that could help our industry.”
Moore says that he’s doing everything he can to look at the positives — and the opportunities — that may arise from this situation.
“We’ve been looking at buying real estate and we’re wondering if there may be reduced real estate costs that come of this,” Moore says. “We’ve also recognized that with some improvements, working remotely is a possibility for us. The point is, there are opportunities. There’s no question that the illness driving this is absolutely devastating. You can’t lose sight of the fact that lives are being lost. But I do think in terms of business, there are opportunities out there right now.”
Zellner shares a similar sense of hope with a focus on the bright side.
“While we’ve had some customers put their accounts on hold because of uncertainties, I have no doubt that once this calms down, we will be able to get those customers back,” he says. “They didn’t make a change due to being dissatisfied but rather because they felt they were forced to be conservative in their spending. We’re continuing to focus on the things that have helped our business to grow in the first place and we remain positive and optimistic that we will come through this as a result.” TLP
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Modern Garden ofBethesda –Hillary Schwab Photography
AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE
The National Association of Landscape Professionals Awards of Excellence program is designed to showcase outstanding industry excellence, and to recognize with distinction those companies who stand out from the pack. Enjoy prestige and become more well-known in the industry as a company others want to do business with. Market your company to current and potential clients as an award-winning business in one or more of the following categories:
Installation/Contracting Design/Build Landscape Management Lawn Care Interior Maintenance Interior Containerized Plantings Erosion Control/Ecological Restoration Special Events Decade Awards APPLY NOW! Apply by July 1st to save $100 on your application. Eligibility, tips and application instructions can be viewed online at landscapeprofessionals.org/aoe.
The Awards of Excellence will be highlighted in October at LANDSCAPES 2020.
Will You Be a 2020 Awards of Excellence Winner?
By Heather Tunstall
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW BEING
accepted for the prestigious Awards of Excellence (AOE), NALP’s annual program showcasing the industry’s greatest accomplishments in landscape, lawn care, interior maintenance, design/build, installation, container plantings, special events and erosion control.
Winning an AOE isn’t just an ego boost; it’s fantastic for business in several ways. Aside from the great publicity winners get, it also helps to motivate staff and reinforce client relationships. Everyone loves to see their work and their investment recognized as best in class. And when it comes time to recruit team members, AOE winners have a leg up on the competition, showing that their company puts forth some of the highest quality work in the industry.
The AOE are highly competitive, open to members of NALP and awarded at gold, silver, and bronze levels. A select panel of judges will choose the esteemed Judges Award to top contenders. Here are some tips to stand out from the crowd: Q Prepare the site — Clear any debris, toys, litter, etc. for clean pictures. Q Give a freshly completed project time to mature before entering it for
AOE. Q Do not include shots with a company name and/or logo. Q Take before and after shots from the same vantage point. Q Begin and end your submission with
“wow” photos.
Get more information and specific requirements at landscapeprofessionals.org (under menu item Stand Out Awards). The early bird entry deadline is July 1, so start gathering your materials now to take advantage of $100 off your entry fee. The final deadline is August 5, 2020. TLP
