The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association
July 2015
Vol. 26, Issue 6
LIVING
OUTDOOR
SPACES
DiagnosticforWalkabouts the green industry
Join ONLA, OSU & AGI for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead in-depth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. The walks are offered six times during the season and cover the problems prevalent during that time of the season – no two will be the same. All walks are from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. June 25, 2015 Franklin Park Conservatory Columbus, OH .5 (Core), 1 (6A), .5 (8)
1 CEU
August 6, 2015 Toledo Zoo & Aquarium Toledo, OH
2 CEU’s
July 16, 2015 Stan Hywet Hall And Gardens Akron, OH .5 (6A), .5 (8)
HSW
2 HR.
2 CEU’s
August 20, 2015 Cleveland Metropark Zoo Cleveland, OH .5 (Core), 1 (6A), .5 (8)
1 CEU 2 CEU’s
2 HR.
1 CEU
1 CEU
2 HR.
1 (Core), .5 (6A), .5 (8)
1 CEU 2 CEU’s
2 CEU’s
September 24, 2015 Sunset Memorial Gardens North Olmsted, OH
HSW
1 CEU
.5 (6A), .5 (8)
HSW
1 CEU
2 HR.
.5 (Core), .5 (5)
1 CEU
.5 (Core), .5 (3A)
1 CEU
HSW
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.5 (Core), 1 (6A), .5 (8)
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HSW
September 3, 2015 BGSU Firelands Huron, OH
HSW
2 HR.
1 CEU
Register Today! Space is Limited!
2 CEU’s
Each walkabout is $45/person (ONLA member) or $65/person (non-member)
Register at www.onla.org For questions contact lisa@onla.org or 800-825-5062
The Buckeye is published 10 times per year by The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc. 72 Dorchester Square Westerville, OH 43081 p 614.899.1195 f 614.899.9489 www.onla.org info@onla.org
CONTENTS
EDITORIAL / ADVERTISING ISSN 1536-7940 Subscriptions: $75/year amanda@onla.org, editor
July 2015
Vol. 26, Issue 6
industry news
features
4
President’s Perspective
Outdoor Living Spaces
Business Leadership Styles
12 21 23
like an Investment
STAFF Roni Petersen, Membership & Certification Amanda Domsitz, Communications Director Amy Eldridge, CENTS Manager Karen Lykins, Accountant Lisa Larson, Education Director
departments
OFFICERS Mike Dues, President Dues Nursery & Landscaping, Ltd.
6
Business Buzz
How to Attain, Train, Retain, and Entertain
a Green Industry Work Force
9
Safety First The Connection Between Safety and
David Richards, Immediate Past President South Ridge Farm
Wellness
17
Retail Roundtable
Steve Maddox, President Elect Michell’s
Dialing In
DIRECTORS
Can Industry and Colleges Work Together to
Increase the Number of Quality Employees?
Hillary Henry, Board Member The Pattie Group Annette Howard, Board Member Gilson Gardens, Inc.
19 24
Look to the Future
PEST Newsletter
Spittle Bugs Don’t Spit &
Masked Chafers Show Up
Be a Spark! How to Treat Your Business
July 2015 Vol. 26, Issue 6
The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association
THE FINE PRINT The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, directors or staff and do not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as members of the ONLA does not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services.
Adam McClanahan, Board Member Carlton Plants
front cover:
Josh Posey, Board Member Buckeye Resources, Inc.
Hidden Creek Landscaping, Inc. Dublin Hideaway 42nd Annual Landscape Award Winner
Ellen Gallucci Purcell, Board Member Riepenhoff Landscape, Ltd. Mark Reiner, Board Member Oakland Nursery, Inc.
In the spirit of land stewardship, please consider recycling this publication.
also in this issue
25 Industry Calendar • 26 About The Buckeye • 26 Classified Ads • 26 Ad Index
B
President’s Perspective
Business Leadership Styles
Mike Dues Dues Nursery & Landscaping, Ltd. ONLA President mikedues@duesnursery.com
As I write this article on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning, I can’t help but reflect on the past weeks issues. One of the things I thought of is the leadership styles that each of us possess. I might have handled a situation differently than one of our crew leaders, who might have handled the same situation better than one of the managers. Over the years, each of us have read books and articles on leadership, leadership style, and leadership qualities that we analyze and scrutinize in our own abilities as a leader. Leadership is less about your needs, and more about the needs of the people and the organization you are leading. Leadership styles are not something to be tried on like so many suits, to see which fits. Rather, they should be adapted to the particular demands of the situation, the particular requirements of the people involved and the particular challenges facing the organization. In the book “Primal Leadership,” Daniel Goleman, who popularized the notion of “Emotional Intelligence,” describes six different styles of leadership. The most effective leaders can move among these styles, adopting the one that meets the needs of the moment. The ability to move back and forth among the different styles is truly an art.
there – setting people free to innovate, experiment, take calculated risks,” wrote Mr. Goleman and his co-authors. This one stuck out to me this morning for our executive board for the ONLA is truly trying to use this style as we move forward as an association. I like to use the phrase “Think outside the box” and I need to thank Mr. Posey, Mr. Richards, Mr. Maddox, and Mr. Demaline and last but not least Mr. Harding for truly exhibiting the qualities to “Think outside the box.” I do appreciate your energy and thoughts.
Visionary
Affiliative
This style is most appropriate when an organization needs a new direction. Its goal is to move people towards a new set of shared dreams. “Visionary leaders articulate where a group is going, but not how it will get
This style emphasizes the importance of team work, and creates harmony in a group by connecting people to each other. Mr. Goleman argues this approach is particularly valuable “when trying to heighten team
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Coaching This one-on-one style focuses on developing individuals, showing them how to improve their performance, and helping to connect their goals with the goals of the organization. Coaching works best, Mr. Goleman writes, “with employees who show initiative and want more professional development.” But it can backfire if it’s perceived as “micromanaging” an employee, and undermines his or her self-confidence. I find myself using the “coaching” style with the newer employees the most offend and with the few personalities the show promise as a quality leader that our organization could capitalize on.
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harmony, increase morale, improve communication or repair broken trust in an organization.” But he warns against using it alone, since its emphasis on group praise can allow poor performance to go uncorrected. “Employees may perceive,” he writes, “that mediocrity is tolerated.” After 27 years in this business, I can count on one hand how many times I have used “Affiliative” style. I guess I need to learn how to increase my knowledge of this style of leadership and see if I can become a little better with my personal growth as a leader.
Democratic This style draws on people’s knowledge and skills, and creates a group commitment to the resulting goals. It works best when the direction the organization should take is unclear, and the leader needs to tap the collective wisdom of the group. Mr. Goleman warns that this consensus-building approach can be disastrous in times of crisis, when urgent events demand quick decisions. I love this style and the thoughts and ideas that come out of the debate. I enjoy analyzing everyone’s thoughts, but when I make a decision it’s over, no looking back only forward.
Pacesetting In this style, the leader sets high standards for performance. He or she is “obsessive about doing things better and faster, and asks the same of everyone.” But Mr. Goleman warns this style should be used sparingly, because it can undercut morale and make people feel as if they are failing. “Our data shows that, more often than not, pacesetting poisons the climate,” he writes. Not so sure if I would call my personal style for standards “Pacesetting or coaching.” My phrase for standards goes “Do it right the first time. If we don’t have time to do it right the first time around, how are we going to have time to do it the second time.
Online Availability klynnurseries.com Visit our website Sales Staff Availability* Hot List* Klyn Catalog 2015* Quote Form Photo Gallery E-mail addresses About Us Directions *Contact us for user name and password
Commanding This is classic model of “military” style leadership – probably the most often used, but the least often effective. Because it rarely involves praise and frequently employs criticism, it undercuts morale and job satisfaction. Mr. Goleman argues it is only effective in a crisis, when an urgent turnaround is needed. Even the modern military has come to recognize its limited usefulness. In closing, I would like to add, know your situation, know the person/persons you’re dealing with and most importantly know your own weaknesses as you guide your team forward through adversity as well as the good times. Because when it’s all said and done, we strive to help each other and become a better unit. B
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KLYN NURSERIES, Inc. 3322 SOUTH RIDGE RD. • P.O. BOX 343 PERRY, OHIO 44081
TELEPHONE: (440) 259-3811 FAX: (440) 259-3338 1-800-860-8104 Web Site: klynnurseries.com E-Mail: klyn@klynnurseries.com July 2015 5
B
Business Buzz
How to Attain, Train, Retain, and Entertain a Green Industry Work Force If your Green Industry Endeavor is like Grunder Landscaping Co., you have had struggles finding quality people to add to your team. The recent struggles in the economy didn’t make finding people the challenge— finding business was the challenge. Today, in 2015, for most Landscapers, Nurseries, and the like, busy-busybusy is the story! Let’s talk a little bit about how you can find quality people to add to your team. There are 5 things I want you to think about.
1. Don’t say, “I can’t find people.”
If you say that, your team thinks that and you’re done before you’ve even started and you’re giving your whole team an excuse to do NOTHING. And what happens when we do NOTHING? NOTHING! I recently had a conversation with the most successful entrepreneur I know and he told me, “You can’t say, ‘you can’t find people,’ Marty.” I agreed with him. He went on to mention that saying that keeps you from finding solutions and entrepreneurs that are geared to troubleshoot and find solutions. Leaders are geared to troubleshoot and find ways to make things better. And the only way you are going to make things better is by having a GREAT, positive, can-do attitude. If you say you “can’t find people,” you are giving your whole team license to say the same thing and, trust me, that attitude will not help you make things better and you are “done” before you even start!
2. Understand that the best way to recruit people to your company is to make your place a great place to work.
I am amazed at how many companies have all sorts of
6 The Buckeye
Marty Grunder Grunder Landscaping Co. www.GrunderLandscaping.com
initiatives to find new people and in the process ignore their current folks. There are many things you can do to improve your workplace and help you keep the great people you have. I will list those in numbers 3-5; for now, I just want you to understand how important it is to not lose sight of what you’ve got. Like a lot of things in life, we tend to take for granted many things that we shouldn’t. A good way to get a handle on what’s going on at your business is to get out and talk to your team. Ask them what they like, don’t like and then put a plan in place to correct what you can and be honest about what you can’t fix right now. A sincere dialog like this is often the stepping stone to improvement. Everyone wants to know they are valued. When you put all your efforts into recruiting new people and none into taking care of the ones you’ve got, you just gave your competition a pathway to your team!
3. Share information to improve engagement.
“Engagement” might be my favorite business term. Green Industry companies that have an “engaged” workforce perform better than those that don’t have an engaged workforce. It would take me a while to explain completely what “engaged” means here; let me just keep it simple. Having an engaged workforce means you have a team that cares, they feel inspired to make their company better and feel trusted and valued. I have found from my company’s success and the other landscapers that I work with around the country that the simple act of sharing information is the foundation to having an engaged workforce. No matter what size your firm is, you can share the following: sales, purchases you are planning, good news about your team, and the business in general: new hires, unhappy clients, and unnecessary onla.org
expenses. We are in the process of sharing more and more information at Grunder Landscaping Co. as I have had a breakthrough just in the last year. Here it is. We business owners are afraid to share information with our teams as we think they will take the information and use it to hurt us by either starting their own businesses or asking you for a raise because you are making so much money. Neither needs to be something you worry about. If you don’t share information with your team, good and bad, they really don’t know the whole story. And in that process, they backfill the gaps with conclusions that you are making millions and that running a business is easy, and there are no problems. It’s important to discuss the good and the bad. Don’t complain; however, sharing the truth is appreciated and in the process your team will begin to see and understand that together all of you can do more than you can apart. Your team will see that running a business is not easy. Think about what you’d want to know if you worked for a landscaper or nursery and see if you can’t start sharing that. At least start sharing with your leadership team and go on from there. Trust me, this will help you engage your team and make them want to stay, not leave.
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4. Put a lot of little things in place to engage your team. Birthdays, anniversaries, (both work and weddings), good deeds, compliments from customers, and just some old-fashioned compliments are the things that should be talked about and celebrated at your company, no matter how big or small you are. On my birthday I love the presents; however, what I love the most are all the calls, texts, e-mails, and posts on my social media accounts telling me Happy Birthday. We get too caught up in the big things. We think we have to do some wonderful trip with our team to show them how much we appreciate them. We think the amount of money spent shows our team how much we appreciate them. Sure, a bonus is always appreciated, but slowing down to say thank you means a lot too. I am amazed what $200 worth of hamburgers does for our team! This can be a lot of work; however, if you take a couple of hours, write out a procedure and stick with it, it becomes routine. People want to feel loved; they want to know they are valued. You can take 30 minutes a week to do many simple things. Start slowly, don’t go crazy and add on other things as you get the hang of it.
please see page 8
July 2015 7
continued from page 7
5. Train and Educate your team. When I do my seminars across the country, I always mention to the teams who attend that they are fortunate to have an owner that values them so much they sent them to this educational opportunity. Think about it. When you send your team to a session you are saying, “I value you, I want you to improve, I see you as part of our future.” I have seen many a young person thrive athletically from having a coach that paid attention to them. My kids are shining examples of that! We have numerous star performers at Grunder Landscaping Co. who have blossomed by working hard and learning from our training, mentoring, and education. I heard a wise man say one time, “Don’t worry about training your people and having them leave; worry about not training them and having them stay!” It took me a long time to completely understand the value of training and education; I erroneously saw it as an expense. Today I see it as an investment—one that pays great returns. Okay, so we have talked a lot about creating a workplace others want to work at. Keep this above list and refer to it every month the rest of the year; share it with your leadership team. Make a commitment to get better. Pay attention to the leaders at your firm that enthusiastically embrace the culture you are trying to create, enlist those people, no matter what position they are in, to help you. Pretty soon, you won’t feel so lonely and will actually find business fun.
31 years we’ve been in business. I’m not perfect, most of my team reads The Buckeye so they’ll read this column and they’ll relate to what I’m about to say. I don’t have all the above-mentioned mastered. However, they will tell you I am a committed leader and we have a whole team of people that are working to be the best we can each and every day. And, ladies and gentlemen, if you have that, you’ve got something to work with. So, what are you waiting for? Take this article to a quiet place and truly think about what you can start doing tomorrow and then get started; soon, you’ll be writing a column in this publication talking about your successes (and failures) too. Best of Luck, Fellow Buckeyes. B Marty Grunder is the founder and president of Grunder Landscaping Co., an award-winning firm started in 1984, serving the Dayton Region. He is also an accomplished speaker and teacher and the author of The 9 Super Simple Steps to Entrepreneurial Success. Learn more at www.GrunderLandscaping.com.
Now, let’s finish up with some simple ideas to attract people to your awesome company that do all the above things well. 1. Put decals on all your trucks that say you are hiring. 2. Hiring needs to be everyone’s job; get your crews to help you. Pay them for referrals. 3. Put a sign in front of your place of business. Why not? What do you have to lose? 4. Advertise on Craig’s List. Yep, we do it and it has helped and it’s cheap. 5. Speak at grade schools, high schools, and local colleges. Just like you market your company to your customers, you also need to get the word out that you are hiring. 6. Talk to everyone you can about the opportunities at your company. Use your social media platforms to get the word out. There are a lot of ways we Attain, Train, Retain, and Entertain our team at Grunder Landscaping Co. Some of them work well, some don’t; we’ve learned a lot in the
8 The Buckeye
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2/10/15 3:53 PM
SAFETY FIRST The Connection Between Safety and Wellness
Research shows that a worker with healthy diet and exercise habits will be safer in the workplace Health improvement as an injury prevention strategy may be new to some. However, injury-prevention experts agree that the only way to achieve and sustain a zero-injury work environment is to embrace health improvement as an injury prevention strategy. Safety professionals have access to resources and tools to help employers do just that. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) calls this broad, integrated approach to safety the Total Worker Health™ Initiative (cdc.gov/niosh/twh/). Studies show that a healthy, fit individual is more alert and able to respond more quickly to unexpected events. This means he or she is less likely to be injured. In addition, studies show that a healthy, fit person who does suffer an injury typically recovers more quickly. The foundation is preventing “presenteeism.” We may be more familiar with the term “absenteeism,” which is when we’re physically away from work. Presenteeism is when we’re physically on the job, but our mind is preoccupied. Presenteeism renders an individual unable to fully focus on a task due to health-related issues. When the task is safety-sensitive, presenteeism can lead to disaster, whether at work or at home. SAIF’s approach is to assist employers with organizational strategies to address six presenteeism risk factors. Although the immediate goal is injury prevention, controlling these risk factors also contributes to longrange health improvement goals of traditional wellness programs. Workers are more alert, which may boost productivity, as well. onla.org
Controlling the Risks When planning training or providing health information to your employees, it is important to remember that every company is different. Consider the needs of your employees when providing information to help them meet their health goals. One way to promote health improvement at the organizational level is by helping employees identify and control issues that work against alertness, productivity and safety. These can be simplified into three categories: what to do, what to avoid, and what to eat and drink.
What To Do: Move Inactivity can cause presenteeism, as well as contribute to obesity and other chronic conditions. Brisk activity for at least 30 minutes a day, on the other hand, improves alertness and cardiac fitness. Besides cardiovascular endurance, functional fitness is important to injury prevention. This approach to fitness focuses on muscular strength and endurance, body composition, flexibility, mobility (the ability to move a limb through a full range of motion with control), muscle symmetry (stretching tight muscles and strengthening weak muscles), stability and coordination (motor control). In the Workplace: Remove barriers to movement; for example, identify nearby options for safe walking, bring aerobic fitness and exercise equipment on-site, or subsidize gym membership. Encourage walking meetings and walking on breaks. Phase in sit-to-stand workstations for sedentary workers. Provide information to employees and families on the importance of movement and the hazards of sitting. please see page 10
July 2015 9
Hydrate
Relax Relieve headaches, improve memory, concentration
brain
73% skin
muscles
79
64%
%
water
water
Move
heart
water
73%
bones
lungs
31%
83%
blood
83% kidneys
79%
Reduce alcoholism, tobacco and drug addiction, and other harmful behaviors
Alleviate asthma symptoms
Decrease blood pressure, cholesterol, risk of heart attack and stroke
water
Ameliorate peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, stomach cramps, reflux, nausea, and weight fluctuations Lower insulin secretions, which can lead to diabetes, damaged arteries, and obesity
Decrease risk for low bone density and osteoporosis
Reduce muscle aches and pains, tension, and tightness; twitches and nervous tics
continued from page 9
Educate employees on safe walking practices, such as the need for high-visibility reflective clothing, obeying traffic laws for pedestrians, and walking facing traffic, especially on rural roads without sidewalks. Consider investing in expert assistance to create an exercise program designed for your unique workforce needs.
What To Do: Sleep Fatigue contributes to inflammation, obesity and presenteeism. Being awake for 20 hours or more is likely to result in impaired judgment, reduced mental flexibility and response times that are similar to a person who is legally intoxicated. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. In the Workplace: Explore strategic napping on lunch breaks. Assess and address lighting, noise and housekeeping. Provide sleep hygiene and lifestyle training for workers and supervisors. Educate supervisors and employees on fatigue management strategies, such as recognizing fatigue, scheduling and task variation. Look at fatigue factors in your workplace as hazards that can be controlled. Address shiftwork and overtime policies.
10  The Buckeye
What to Eat: Healthy Foods Refined, processed and sugary foods and beverages can cause inflammation, obesity and other chronic conditions. Sugary foods may also contribute to presenteeism. In the Workplace: Choose wholesome, healthy fruits and vegetables for vending machines, meetings and company events where food is served. Facilitate employee access to healthy foods. For example, bring a farmers’ market or communitysupported agriculture program onsite. Provide information on healthy food choices to employees and families.
What to Drink: Water When we are dehydrated, brain function decreases, blood pressure and heart rate can rise, and we are prone to soft tissue injuries. Individual water needs vary, but a good indicator of proper hydration is light yellow or straw-colored urine. In the workplace: Provide fresh, cool water at worksites and encourage consumption. Provide water onla.org
instead of soft drinks at company functions. Educate employees on the importance of healthy hydration.
What to avoid: Chronic stress Chronic stress contributes to presenteeism, obesity and inflammation. In the workplace: Use your existing risk management process. Work with employees to identify stressors unique to your organization and to identify and implement controls to reduce the impact. Educate employees on stress self-management; make clinical resources available for crisis needs.
What to avoid: Tobacco/nicotine Tobacco and nicotine use contribute to presenteeism by diminishing overall health. Tobacco use may also increase an employee’s health risk to other airborne substances at work or at home. In the workplace: Implement a tobacco-free workplace and provide employees with help to quit. The Oregon Health Authority (www.oregon.gov/OHA) has excellent resources for employers and employees, including a fact sheet on e-cigarettes.
Cheap or Free Ideas that Can Improve Health • • • • • • • • • •
Organize walking meetings. Compete as a work team in community events. Serve fruits and veggies for snacks. Volunteer to help a co-worker or someone in the community. Spend time outdoors enjoying nature. Provide incentives at work for employees who share with their families at home the safety and wellness they practice at work. Spend quality time with a child or family member. Compliment a co-worker for something specific. Stop using tobacco. Hold a sun safety campaign: Wear sunscreen or other protection.
Friendly Competitions that Help Engage Employees • • • • • • • • •
Health screening challenge Drink 32 ounces of water a day for hydration Walk a mile per day (or 10,000 steps) challenge Healthy meals cooking contest Bike to work challenge Noon walk competition with teams of co-workers Eat-a-healthy-breakfast challenge Avoid the elevator competition Sleep eight hours a night challenge
Cheap or Free Resources in Your Community • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Local hospital Community education Diabetes education Physical therapy County health department Communicable disease education and immunizations Tobacco prevention coordinator Healthy Communities Coordinator Local gym YMCA or YWCA Local parks and recreation department Local community education offerings Local walking clubs Local pool Community fitness events B
Deb Fell-Carlson is the SAIF policyholder safety and wellness adviser. This article was used with permission from SAIF Corporation, Oregon’s notfor-profit, state-chartered workers’ compensation insurance company.
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Feature
O utdoor Living Spaces
By: Mary Elizabeth Williams-Villano
Dad’s cooking burgers on a kettle grill in the corner of a little concrete patio. Mom’s setting a picnic table, while the kids run through the sprinklers with the dog. In the not-too-distant past, that was what “outdoor living” looked like. Things have changed—radically. Now, an outdoorliving scenario is likely to feature a group of fashionably dressed adults milling about an elegant L-shaped outdoor bar, a pergola sheltering them from the hot sun. On a large built-in gas grill, chickens and steaks are sizzling, along with assorted other foods. The grill is just one component of the big outdoor kitchen, which also boasts beautiful cabinets, a refrigerator, sink, and a separate ice machine. Adjacent to this, other guests are seated around a gleaming table, the centerpiece of which is a gas flame. Next to that, in the outdoor living room, still other
guests are seated on the upholstered furniture, watching a movie on a big, flat-screen TV. That’s outdoor living, 2015-style. And people want it. When homeowners are surveyed about what they’d most like to see in their backyards, outdoor kitchens and living rooms top the list. Now that the economy is gaining steam again, this business is exploding. “We’re only in our fifth year of business, and we’ve grown exponentially,” said Erik Moden, co-owner of Outdoor Spaces, LLC in Leesburg, Virginia. “People want outdoor living spaces versus just a patio. They really want to take their living outdoors.” This is a fantastic opportunity for the design/build landscape contractor. It crosses categories, encompassing fire features, water features, pools, spas, landscape lighting, gazebos, retaining walls and all kinds of paving
Photo Caption: (above) A complete outdoor environment with a kitchen island featuring counter-top dining and a seating area warmed by a firepit. A separate screened room keeps the bugs away, a definite plus in some areas of the country.
12 The Buckeye
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products. Even more exciting is the fact that this trend isn’t confined to the Sunshine States.
concrete pavers, a patio or a pergola, if they already had a patio. They could get a small kitchen, with a 36-inch grill, a side burner, a fridge, cabinets with stainless steel doors, Extending the Season and a granite countertop.” Let’s play a game of word association. You say, Everything doesn’t have to be done all at once, either. “Outdoor kitchens and living rooms,” and I’ll say, “We’ll get clients who want to start with something small, “Minnesota.” What? a patio or landscape,” says Moden. “We’ll go ahead and Ross Johnson is sales and marketing manager develop an overall master at The Outdoor Greatplan for him that incorporates Room Company in Eagan, the entire outdoor living Minnesota, a manufacturer area, to be implemented in and supplier of outdoor gas phases.” fire pits, fire tables, outdoor “It’s a great way for the gas fireplaces, pergolas, average middle-class person custom outdoor kitchen to be able to afford this, to islands, outdoor furniture break it into chunks over and electric fireplaces to both several years.” the public and contractors all Of course, the more they over North America. spend, the more they’ll Business is good. People get. Sear burners, warming coming into their showroom (above) A table-top firepit supplies warmth on a cool evening. drawers, drop-in ice bins in Eagan like the idea of and full-sized refrigerators extending the warm season as are just some of the things people can get. “We’ve even long as possible. put dishwashers in some of my bigger kitchens,” said the “When customers hear that they’ll be able to enjoy New Orleans contractor. “We’ve also done three set-in spring six weeks earlier and fall six weeks longer, I have deep fryers. If you can think of it or dream of it, we can yet to see them shake their heads ‘no,’” says Johnson. install it.” “Add the two together, you’ve got 12 weeks, or three Outdoor living fits the culture in New Orleans, a place more months—a substantial amount of additional time where social life centers around food. High-pressure they’ll have to continue enjoying the outdoors.” burners are often requested. Evenings in the Upper Midwest during those extended They provide hotter flames than regular burners for seasons can be in the low ’50s. This makes fire pits, cooking large pots quicker. They’re great for boiling fire tables and outdoor heaters popular, as they make it shrimp or cooking a big pot of gumbo or pasta. possible to stay outside and still be comfortable. Fire isn’t something just the residents in the cold states crave. “Very few projects that we design and create are absent of fire,” said Aaron Wiltshire, owner of Tulsabased Oklahoma Landscape, Inc. “Everybody who wants an outdoor living space wants fire, in one form or another. And it can come in many forms, shapes, styles, sizes and functions.” There’s something deep in our DNA about this. “I do seminars at various trade shows around the country,” says Johnson. “One of my slides is an image of cavemen sitting around a fire. Fire is deep in our psyche. Sitting around a fire is just kind of natural. We find it relaxing.”
Not Just for Millionaires Outdoor living spaces aren’t the sole province of the rich and famous. People of more modest means can have them, too. When an outdoor living contractor in the New Orleans, Louisiana area, was asked if someone could get a nice outdoor living space for $10,000, he answered, “Absolutely.” What could they get for their money? “They could get onla.org
From Landscape Contractor to LivingSpace Creator
For Aaron Wiltshire, CEO and owner of Tulsa-based Oklahoma Landscape, Inc., building outdoor living spaces is a natural outgrowth of the business he started as a teenager in the late ’70s, knocking on neighbor’s doors, asking if he could mow their lawns. Over the years, he kept adding services, including all aspects of landscape installation and maintenance, irrigation and, eventually, design/build. Brett Berry is the CEO and owner of Berry Outdoor Living Construction, Inc., in Kansas City, Missouri. He also started out with lawn maintenance in the late ’70s. The company morphed into a full-service landscape company, and around 1995, expanded into swimming pools and spas. He started designing outdoor living areas around them. “The year 2000 was when the outdoor-living craze hit K.C.,” he says. “Everybody suddenly wanted kitchens and living centers outside.” There’d been an influx of corporate executives from please see page 14
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both coasts who were used to having outdoor living spaces. Moving to Kansas City, they got a lot for their dollar; in some cases, selling $2 million homes and finding the equivalent for just $400,000. That left them a lot of extra cash to spend.
Focus In 2010, Berry made a big decision concerning his business. “Eight or ten years ago, we did it all—lawn care, snow removal, landscaping, deck building, irrigation and outdoor lighting, in addition to all this hardscaping.” One night, he and his wife, the prime owners of the company, sat down and said, “‘Let’s do what we’re really, really good at—building outdoor living spaces, and get out of these other things.’ We had to pick what we were best at and enjoyed the most, and go with it.” Berry said that making this decision not only boosted their happiness as a couple, but their company’s profit margin as well. Focusing enabled Berry to uphold the high standard of quality he wanted his company to be known for. Building these spaces is a complex enterprise requiring a high level of skill. “An outdoor cooking center, built correctly, will put seven to ten tons of weight on a relatively small area,” he says. “If not engineered properly, things will settle and the whole thing will begin falling apart.” Berry still does some landscape and lighting work, but only when it’s integral to creating a total outdoor environment. Wiltshire’s company, by contrast, remains a fullservice green industry provider, with a lawn maintenance division. Services include ornamental shrub care, weed control, fertilization and landscape drainage projects, in addition to building outdoor kitchens and living spaces. “There’s not a lot we don’t do,” he said. And they’ll continue doing it. In 2007-8, when the economy started to tank, the company found the $200,000-and-up outdoor living jobs drying up. To recover, Wiltshire brought back the company’s service base. He thinks now that a healthy mix for a landscape
14 The Buckeye
company is probably 70/30, with the 70 percent consisting of recurring items such as lawn maintenance and sprinkler repair. “We got caught with our pants down a little bit,” admits Wiltshire, regarding the Great Recession. “But we’ve learned our lesson. Right now, our mix is about 65/35 with the 65 percent being our ‘Disney World’ projects, the outdoor living jobs. We’re trying to flip that, make our service base the 65 or 70 percent, because that’ll make for a much healthier company.”
Should You Get Into This Market? No question, there’s a lot of money to be made building outdoor living spaces. “It’s got a great profit margin,” says Wiltshire. But he cautions that before you enter this arena, make sure it’s something you really have a burning desire to do, because there’s a lot to learn. “Do the research; make sure you’re qualified,” he adds. “And know how to bid the jobs right.” Berry says there are a lot of contractors who do well with landscape services and should probably stick with that. However, he acknowledges that it can be difficult to say no when a lawn-care client says he’ll give you $30,000 to build an outdoor kitchen. “How do you walk away from that, when you’re used to mowing lawns for 50 bucks a pop? But guess what— there’s a price to pay. You can get in over your head in a hurry.” The New Orleans-based contractor says he’s seen a lot of companies “jumping in, and messing up the market;” for example, installing prefabricated elements that don’t fit the style of a home. He’s also seen framing done with wooden studs, which he says is a no-no in South Louisiana. “We’re pretty much the termite capital of the world down here,” he says. “So we use aluminum studs, like they do in commercial buildings.” Wiltshire’s philosophy is, if you can’t do an excellent job, hire someone who can. “We have a small family of subcontractors who follow our jobs around. We’re not stone masons or electricians; we don’t even attempt to do those sorts of things.” onla.org
“Be sure you get all the needed permits and follow all the local codes,” adds Wiltshire. Don’t try to “shotgun” something into someone’s backyard, because if you get caught, you’re going to have to pay a fine. It’ll also make you look unprofessional to your customers.” Wiltshire knows what he’s talking about. He’s often called in to fix other people’s screw-ups. Sometimes, it’s like an episode of “CSI: Outdoor Living.” “We came in on the back end of a project that involved a segmental block retaining wall,” he recalled. “The contractor had walked away, leaving the job halfway done. We had to piece things together like detectives, figure out where he’d gotten the segmental block from.” Wiltshire gets these calls a few times a year. Often, it’s the plumbing or electrical that hasn’t been done right. Or, a contractor had a conflict with a customer, sometimes from getting too far ahead on billing. He avoids this pitfall by billing progressively. He doesn’t take deposits; instead, his company gets paid at the end of each week, only for work completed that week.
and produce a rendering, to scale, in 3-D. He can model anything that’s being proposed for the finished space exactly the way it actually will look. This particular program also includes a “warehouse” with thou- sands of animation elements that others have created and stored, which you can access. Everything’s there—chairs, fire pits, appliances, even people. The 3-D rendering is a powerful sales tool. “It’s really awesome,” says Wiltshire. “People can visualize exactly what they’re going to get.” He’s even gotten as specific as putting the exact breed of a customer’s dog in the yard and a bottle of his favorite wine on the table. “If he’s a Sooners fan, we can put an OU guy scoring a touchdown on the TV screen. We make it personal, so the customer knows we’re going to go above and beyond. It makes a big difference.” Once all the elements are agreed upon, his landscape architect uses AutoCad to produce a construction drawing set that’s used in the build phase.
Have a Plan
Tim Huinker, construction specialist at Anchor Wall Systems, Inc., Minnetonka, Minnesota, says that sometimes, contractors miss opportunities for additional sales. “A homeowner may say, ‘I want an outdoor patio,’ and leave the door open for the contractor to be creative, and suggest some ideas. But a lot of them will just go with what they’re already comfortable with, and build him the same old patio they always build.” “Instead, they should be asking, ‘What if I did this with your grill? What if we did a little pergola over this part of the patio?’ You could do as flanking a grill with columns something as simple and economical made of
Wiltshire says that when contractors get into trouble, it’s often because there’s no discernable plan, just a verbal agreement. For him, a solid plan is essential, and saves a lot of hassles down the road. There’s no argument later on about who said what to whom over the phone, or whether a tree was supposed to be ten feet tall or six. It’s all right there in black and white, to be seen and signed off on. Wiltshire starts every new project by using a paid version of Google SketchUp to do a preliminary design
The Power of Suggestion
please see page 16
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stacked concrete blocks to give it the look a built-in. Give the customer the opportunity to say ‘yes’ by asking questions.” Homeowners don’t necessarily realize what their options are, Huinker says. If you bring interesting ideas to them, they’ll often find additional money in their budgets to pay for them. If you’re in an open- ended conversation, take it as far as you can go. Leave it to the customer to say ‘when.’ Point out to customers that building a beautifully-done outdoor living space adds substantially to the re-sale value of their home.
When you talk to Wiltshire, you can hear the enthusiasm he has for his business. It’s an enthusiasm that you could share. Before you jump in, however, make sure you know all you can about your market, your methods, and what you and your company are truly capable of. B By: Mary Elizabeth Williams-Villano
Reprinted with permission from Irrigation & Green Industry magazine
The Sound of Success This is an exciting time to be an outdoor living space contractor. New improvements and ideas are coming out all the time. “One area that’s really emerging now is outdoor sound,” says Wiltshire. “We installed the first system last year, and we’ve already done three. These products are designed to be used outdoors. The sound is incredible.” Wiltshire says that where you used to call an audio/ video company to install sound, this segment, too, is starting to slowly migrate to the landscape contractor who does outdoor living. These new systems are easy to install, have a good profit margin, and customers love them.
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Retail Roundtable
Dialing In By: Ron Wilson
Hi Kids! Welcome back to another edition of “Let’s Ask the Retailers!” You know how the game is played: we ask the question and our panel of retailing aficionados provide their thought provoking brain stimulating answers, sure to change your retailing ways. Kids, are you ready? Aficionados, are you ready? Then grab your buzzers (we said “buzzers”, Tom) and let’s play! Here is your question. Good luck. “You just came out of one of the wildest and craziest springs ever. Not only were you filled with customers, but in the background, was the sound of the telephone ringing off the hook. So, let us know…just how did you handle the ringing telephone at your garden center during the crazy busy spring rush?” Tom Hilgeman / White Oak Gardens– “Good question, and not an easy one to answer. It is sometimes good to hear that others struggle with some of the same issues. We do our best to answer the phone. We have at least 2 employees at the front register near a phone during the busy times. Answering the phone is part of what they are responsible for. For the most part we are able to keep up with the calls. Employees are trained to do their best to answer the phone when they are not helping a customer, and we are ok with letting the phone ring if they are checking out a customer. We would rather make sure we are giving all of our attention to the customer currently at the store rather than interrupt by answering a phone call. For the most part we are able to keep up with the incoming calls and helping customers in store. 2Way radios are very important when it comes to taking care of the phone call after it has been answered. It becomes very difficult to get a greenhouse or nursery employee onla.org
to stop what they are doing to run inside to answer a question. We do our best to use the radios to try and get the questions answered without having to get another employee to pick up the call. This will always be an issue and a frustration that we will just have to find ways to take care of. I don’t think there will ever be a perfect way to handle the phones in May.” Jodi Dawson / Oakland Nursery– “Are you still standing upright? What a killer spring; reminds me of the “old days!” So, here is how Oakland deals with background noise (as in the telephone). At the Oakland Nurseries in Columbus, we hired a lovely receptionist 18 years ago. This is the main location which houses the landscape, interiorscape, irrigation, and accounting departments. So it is necessary that our location has a dedicated person to direct the calls to the correct office. On the weekends our service desk is responsible for answering the phone. There is a dedicated nursery associate stationed there. A number of the calls are for nursery which makes it easy for the customer if that person is answering the phone! If they cannot handle it, everyone pitches in. I consider the customers in the store to be first priority. They made the decision to choose our establishment and are deserving of our attention. I do recognize the importance of phone calls, which are potential customers, but they are not standing in front of me, which is a heck of an effort to me! Tim Clark / H.J. Benken Florist and Greenhouses– “We are a little different than most garden centers because we actually have a call center for the floral department. Because of this, customers are expecting to talk with someone regarding their questions. Basically, please see page 18
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we have two way radios that we use to radio out to the department in which there is a question. The answer is relayed back via radio and then told to the customer over the phone. Our main goal is to not have staff on the phone while there are customers in the store. Usually the questions don’t stop with “do you have?” They then want to know what size it is, how much it is, what color it is… it’s never ending. If we cannot answer the person on the phone’s question immediately, we will take a message and put in a return call later. Sometimes it’s necessary, as we are dealing with customers who have actually ventured into the store. Mike Ennemoser / Greenleaf Landscapes- “We would all agree that handling the phones at the Garden Center during the crazy busy season can be very difficult at times. Fortunately, our phone is answered by a real person in our main office, and then redirected to the Garden Center staff if more information is needed. Calls are then answered by a veteran team member capable of answering most questions right there on the spot. Voicemails and message pads are utilized for difficult calls and/or clients wanting a returned phone call. Call forwarding is also utilized during the off peak season and when our office support is not able to answer the phones. Darlene Cooper / Sharon Nursery- “Boy, this is a hot topic!! While I have talked with so many customers who are grateful and relieved to hear a human answer the phone, there are challenges. We are fortunate in that we have our office manager, Dawn, to answer the phones for most of the day during the week. We try to stress to our cashiers the value of asking lots of questions and then taking notes. Then we divide up the stack and try to return the call the same day, but, this does not always happen. It is so easy to get sucked into the pressure of the phone; its incessant ringing and plethora of mindless questions (don’t get me started) are enough to drive the most patient person nuts! The reality is, though, that there are lots of delightful people on the property with lovely wallets and deep plant needs and they MUST be our priority. We also encourage anyone who answers the phone to invite the customer in to see our complete inventory. Let’s face it, inventory changes every day! I sincerely hope we never go to the fully automated phone line; I think a lot of stuff falls through the cracks when we over mechanize. Note: I kept it short, but this is really a button for me. I think phones and phone etiquette are such an overlooked and misunderstood function of a well-run business! Every one of us in this industry needs improvement. Whether it’s rudeness or ignorance I sure run across some nightmare phone manners. It’s that old core value of common courtesy at all times. For some reason the phone causes people to throw it (common
18 The Buckeye
courtesy) out the window.” Ron Wilson / Natorp’s Nursery Outlet– “I couldn’t agree more with Darlene’s comments on telephone etiquette, and the lack of it in too many cases. So, what do we do during the crazy busy spring rush? All calls come to one number, and then distributed from there. Yes, it is a recording to get you started, but once the destination is chosen, it’s all real people from there; unless after hours. The phones are answered by the cashiers / cashier manager. Questions can be answered by asking employees over the 2 way radios, or actually transferring the caller to one of our horticulturalists to speak directly with the caller. When the Outlet is closed, the 4 horticulturalists share days taking the calls during open business hours; the calls automatically transfer to their cell phones. When calls come in after normal business hours, there is a recorded message, and can leave a message which will be returned the following day. One of the extra special services offered to our customers, is the ability to call the horticulturalist that takes care of that customer, direct on their cell phone. The ‘Hort4’ (as we call them) give their customers a business card with company phone numbers, the horticulturalist’s number, our website, and email addresses, so they have several ways to contact us. Many years ago I attended a phone etiquette class and learned to keep your greetings short and sweet. The customer only wants to know where they called and who they’re talking to. Instead of “Thank you for calling The Humpty Dance Garden Center, home of the hip hoppingest plants you’ll ever find; this is Rapping’ Harry Lauder, how can I be of great service to you today”, just give them a k.i.s.s. – “Welcome to Humpty Dance Garden Center this is Harry”, or even better with “Humpty Dance Garden Center – this is Harry.” Just sayin… I leave you with these words to ponder about telephones: I think it was Paul Reiner who once said “the telephone is a good way to talk to people without having to offer them a drink.” And almost positive it was Bill Gerhardt who said “marriage is like a phone call in the night: first the ring, and then you wake up. But pretty sure it was the ‘Buckeye Queen’ Amanda Domsitz who said “I keep the telephone of my mind open to peace, harmony, health, love and abundance. Then, whenever doubt, anxiety or fear tries to call me, they keep getting a busy signal.” Hey Retailers, can we talk? B Ron Wilson / Personal Yardboy and Ghost Writer for the ONLA Retail Committee rwilson@natorp.com
onla.org
Look to the Future
Can Industry and Colleges Work Together to Increase the Number of Quality Employees? Yes, this is a tough question. At Clark State Community College in Springfield, Ohio we have bulletin boards full of job openings with way too few students to fill the advertised vacancies. I fear many horticultural companies feel we have dozens of students without jobs sitting around waiting to be recruited. They feel all they need to do is connect with horticulture programs to recruit their future employees. The truth is most of our students come to our degree programs already working in the industry and have excellent opportunities waiting for them. Students, who are not employed when entering college, usually have such excellent co-ops or internships with companies that they continue their employment with them. Unfortunately, we cannot “clone” our students. So, the questions are, why do we have this shortage of interested future employees and how can industry and colleges work together to try to entice individuals into such a rewarding horticultural career? The decrease in numbers of students in horticultural programs is not only a state or national problem, but also an international problem. The UK, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, Uganda and many other countries are facing the same problem of a shortage of qualified employees in the horticulture industry. One of the main reasons for this is that students, parents, and high school counselors are not aware of the career opportunities in horticulture. Other reasons are due to the large numbers of Baby-Boomers retiring, the increasing population, and possibly the vast job diversity in agriculture and horticulture. I have read many articles recently of successful horticultural businesses, discussing what makes them successful and what challenges they face. Many mention that they are selling to the “Millennial” generation. Millennials are those born between 1980 and 1995. After reviewing their characteristics, it hit me that customers for horticulture businesses may be the Millennial
generation, but future employees are from “Generation Z”, or those born after 1995. Not as much information describing this generation is available. The Generation Z are “digital natives”, having been raised with iPhones, text messaging, and instant answers. So at least they are technologically savvy. However, their entire lives they have heard about global warming and terrorist attacks. We often hear from our current students that they want to make a difference in society; they want to make the world a better place, so maybe this is why. They also want to enjoy what they are doing and are not as concerned about the money they make. So, the question is how do we reach this new generation of employees? It would be nice to think that college instructors can do this alone, but due to teaching schedules, time constraints, and budgets we just can not get out to talk with prospective students very often. We need to work together with industry to help solve this problem.
Ways to assist in recruiting future employees include: •
Visit elementary schools, as well as, middle schools and high schools. Talk with science classes and career councilors. Ask if you can be part of a career exploration event. Describe the benefits of a horticulture career, explain there is both a science and an art side to horticulture and there are plenty of good paying opportunities for year-round employment and a long-term career.
•
Talk about your horticulture career with customers, community organizations, and civic groups.
•
Make a YouTube video. This was a suggestion by our advisory committee. The college could make one about their programs, but business’s can assist them or make one about your company and please see page 20
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projects you do and share it with their local college program. •
Include in your presentations, videos and details about a career and how a career in horticulture is making a difference to the world, remember this will appeal to the new generation of workforce. For example, planting and maintain trees, shrubs and turf, improves the atmosphere by reducing carbon dioxide and other harmful gasses while release oxygen, as well as, make a more aesthetically pleasing environment.
•
Businesses might also post the benefits of a career in horticulture on their companies website with links to their local colleges.
•
When having open houses or special promotional events have flyers, posters or displays about the benefits of a career in horticulture.
•
Companies could also mentor interested young employees and encourage them to continue their education. Offering to work around their college class schedule would assist them in completing a degree. A few companies have also offered
20 The Buckeye
to assist employees with paying tuition and/or textbooks based on performance. Whatever methods we use, we all need to work together to share with young people what great and rewarding career fields await them in horticulture. After all, we chose it! B Susan Everett, Ph.D. Clark State Community College Coordinator and Professor, Agribusiness/ Horticulture/Precision Agriculture everetts@clarkstate.edu
onla.org
Feature
a e B For the last few years, I’ve had the privilege of presenting at the MGIA trade show in Novi, Michigan. I like to teach and always try to create a session that is interesting and relevant. I look forward to the education schedule that comes out before the show to see what classes are offered and which I would like to attend. An interesting thing happened this year. I decided that a good long term goal for me would be to deliver the Keynote Address. I looked to see who would deliver the Keynotes this year and was instantly deflated as I read their bios. I remember thinking “I’m just an average guy and my story could never compare to theirs.” I figured I’ll just kept talking about hardscape…such is my lot in life. “Such is my lot in life.” How many times have we said this to ourselves? How many times have we said our story doesn’t matter? How times have we said we don’t make a difference? How many times have we said…etc.? And you know something, if you said it and you believe it- you’re right. Don’t believe it. Each of our stories DOES matter. Each of us DOES have the opportunity to make a difference. This is what we have to believe. Chad Hymas gave one of the Keynote Speeches this year and his story is truly inspirational. If you haven’t heard of him, stop and Google him. I missed it but watched some YouTube clips the next morning and vowed to not miss an opportunity like that again. Once you hear him speak, you can’t help but be better and determined to think differently. Guys like him have a way of stoking a fire that for many of us has burned to embers long ago. Although many of the big “things” of life- like love, faith, passion- look different when demonstrated in life, they are similar. I like to compare each of these to a fire. Fire needs just a few things to burn; air, fuel, and a spark. If it doesn’t have the right ratio of these things, it will either never get started or will quickly burn out. But if you add everything just right, that fire can turn into a raging inferno that is almost impossible to put out. So how did I get from the MGIA trade show to a
raging inferno? For many of us, those big things in life aren’t big in our own lives. Some of us need get the fire going while many others need to know how to keep it burning. How do we do it? Think like a fire. First we need the fuel. We need to fill our heads and our life with good stuff that will burn. Your attitude, thoughts, and dreams are just a few things that make up good fuel. But be careful not to put too much fuel on it without air or spark or it will never get started. Next you need air. Air comes from others. When you surround yourself with the right type of people, giving the right type of encouragement, you will have a right amount of air flow to get things going. But be careful, too much air might blow out the spark. Finally you need that spark. Guys like Chad Hymas can be a spark. His story is actually like gas, it burns hot and fast. But if you rely on the spark and don’t add your own fuel, it will burn out fast and you’ll be left with embers. We all need to look at our lives and see what we need to get our fires burning. For some it’s fuel, for others it’s air. And we have to constantly look for sparks and take advantage of opportunities like the one I missed at the MGIA show. It will transform our lives and our industry. If we, as an industry, got our collective fires burning it could change everything. It won’t be over night, but if we filled ourselves and our company with the right type of fuel (good attitude, good methodology, good ideas) and added the right amount of air (help from others in and outside the industry) it would take just a little spark to get the fire going. That fire could look like an employee who does a little bit more, a little bit better and begins to motivate those working around him to do the same. That fire could look like an owner empowering her employees to make decisions on their own, resulting in more autonomy for the employees and allowing the owner to focus on building a better business. That fire could look like young people seeing our industry being a great place to build a career because new please see page 22
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ideas are welcomed and built upon. That fire could look like a united industry in which the idea that companies competing on substance instead of price is the norm, not the exception. That fire could look like a more professional industry where making a healthy living is possible and expected. Who knows what the fire will look like? Before the industry fire burns, we each need to get our own fires burning. Tend to that first. And here’s why I wrote this. Chad Hymas’s story is amazing and he is a huge spark. But we might only see or hear him once in a lifetime. You probably will never bump into him on an ordinary day. But if you are intentional about tending your fire, it will burn. It might turn out to be a spark for someone else and that’s what we want. TEND TO YOUR FIRE. START TODAY. BE A SPARK. B By Adam DeLamielleure Territory Manager - Unilock Michigan, Inc. Reprinted with permission from the Landsculptor Magazine®, a publication of the Michigan Green Industry Association, www.landscape.org.
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22 The Buckeye
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Feature
How to Treat Your Business like an Investment What is the difference between an investment and a career? The two words are rarely compared, but in the context of business ownership perhaps we should pay closer attention to their meaning. A career is your occupation or profession, followed as your life’s work and hopefully something you are passionate about. An investment is an asset purchased with the idea that it will provide income in the future or appreciate and be sold at a higher price. Whereas a career only provides you with an annual income, an investment can provide you with both an annual income and a return (hopefully for a gain) of your invested capital. Perhaps the best way to compare the two is this: you retire from a career, but you exit an investment. This distinction sums up the difference in approaches retirement is a highly personal and emotional decision whereas exiting an investment is a highly rational, nonemotional, business decision. Unfortunately for many small business owners, when it comes to exit strategy it’s tough to separate the emotional from the rational. Therefore, exit is typically linked to retirement rather than the real factors that drive exit timing. At Caber Hill Advisors we draw the distinction between investments and careers because we know far too many business owners who treat their companies like careers. They purchased their business as a way to further their career and enhance their lifestyle, and, whether the goal was to make more money or create more free time, their company supports their goals. The focus is shortterm, with the primary concern being to make as much money this year as they did last year in order to fund their lifestyle. Creating a strong exit strategy requires a shift in mindset; it requires thinking of your company as an investment rather than as a career. To this end, your company is no different than a stock or a piece of real estate, at least insofar as the determination of when to sell it. Unlike stocks or real estate, however, you have control over many aspects that determine whether or not you will be able to sell it when the time comes. onla.org
Landscaping business owners who treat their companies like investments rather than careers embrace this mindset. They take action to ensure that their company is in a position to be sold at any point in time. We all like think that we control our own destinies, and in the case of business ownership that means determining when to sell and doing so on our terms. The unfortunate reality is that most don’t get to do both; some are forced to sell earlier than expected, usually due to unforeseen circumstances (divorce, illness, other hardship), while many others face the harsh reality that 80% of small business owners fail when trying to sell their company. B Peter J. Holton Managing Director Caber Hill Advisors peter@caberhill.com
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PEST Newsletter
Excerpt from the pest Newsletter About the P.E.S.T. Newsletter Over 22 years ago, Dr. David Shetlar joined The Ohio State University as an Extension Entomologist. He opted to continue printing Dr. Dick Miller’s BugDoc in partnership with the ONLA. Its new name is the PEST (Pest Evaluation & Suppression Techniques) Newsletter, and it’s printed biweekly from mid-March to midOctober.
Spittle Bugs Don’t Spit! For some reason, it seems to be a “good” year for spittlebugs. The pine spittlebugs appeared first. This species seems to prefer Scotch pine, but they can infest Mugho, white and pitch pine. They seem to be uncommon on red and Austrian pines. Next, I saw quite a few of the meadow spittlebug which is common in several forage crops where it attacks clover and alfalfa, but this species is also very commonly found on a variety of perennial and annual landscape plants. Over the last two weeks, I’ve noticed that my yellowtwig dogwood has been heavily attacked by a spittlebug. I had assumed (you know that happens!) that they were likely meadow spittlebugs, but the new adults emerged last week and they definitely were not meadow spittlebugs. The adults were tiny black and yellow, and short. Upon looking them up, I soon found that the spittlebug family has recently been divided into two families - the normal boat-shaped “frog-hopper” types and the small and rounded species. The one on my dogwood was the dogwood spittlebug (duh), and it was in the new family. I then learned that there were quite a few of these rounded spittlebugs. Other common species occur on alder, red cedar, sunflower and goldenrod! The goldenrod one can also be found on some other perennials. Most spittlebugs are considered nuisance pests, but some cause injury, primarily through their feeding punctures that can serve as entry points for various plant diseases. The Saratoga spittlebug is notorious because the nymphs develop on bracken fern, but the adults feed on nearby pine shoots. The adult feeding can girdle and kill the shoots! The same thing happens in southern states where the twolined spittlebug nymphs feed on turf, but the adults prefer Buford hollies. The adult can kill many small shoots on the holly trees. But, back to the title! The spittlemass of a spittlebug is NOT spit! It is basically the same material as aphid and soft scale honeydew, but in a bit more viscous version.
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Instead of ejecting this excrement away, the spittlebug nymphs allow it to cover their bodies. The nymphs periodically extend the tips of their abdomens outside the droplet, suck in air into their anus, pull back in and blow a bubble out of their anus! So, I contend that they should be called “anal bubblebugs!”
Masked Chafers Show Up!! My students and I regularly run a light trap outside our lab and I was noting that the May/June beetles were dramatically decreasing. One day last week, the first masked chafer adult appeared and we have been getting a few adults dropping in since. This seems a bit early to me as we normally see masked chafers at the end of June through much of July. I checked around in my yard, and found quite a few pupae and even one mature masked chafer grub! In short, even with a few early arrivals, I still believe that the vast majority of the masked chafer population will likely emerge during the normal time. In any case, the arrival of a few masked chafers indicates that the new “grub season” has arrived and folks should be considering grub control treatments, if they haven’t already done so. Most of our common neonicotinoid grub insecticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid, & thiamethoxam) work best when applied in June, July into mid-August. These are also the least expensive products to use. Those using chlorantriniliprole (=Acelepryn) could have applied this insecticide in April and May though the target of this application is the new grubs that will arrive in mid-July into August. Acelepryn can still be used into early August, but it is much more expensive to use if you use the recommended label rate. We have field tested half rates of this insecticide and application of half rates in July still yield excellent grub control. Unfortunately, Syngenta won’t support this reduction, so there are no guarantees if there is a grub “breakthrough.” I still consider carbaryl (=Sevin), trichlorfon (=Dylox) and dinotefuran (=Zylam) as being “curative” grub insecticides. These insecticides have short residual activity periods in turf, so they should be applied when the grubs are present and actively feeding in the soilthatch interface (August into September). B Sign up for the PEST Newsltter at ONLA.org or call the ONLA office at 614-899-1195.
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Industry Calendar
View www.onla.org for seminars, events, trade shows and more! O designates qualifying OCNT recertification events July 16, 2015- OCNT Testing, Westerville, Ohio. ONLA is now having Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) testing once a month at the ONLA office. See ONLA.org for an application. O July 16, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Akron, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the Stan Hywett Hall & Gardens for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8). July 23, 2015- Landscape Industry Certified Hand-on Test, Wooster, Ohio. To become a Landscape Industry Certified Technician, candidates must pass a series of written and hands-on test problems specific to their chosen specialty. O July 30, 2015- 2015 OSU Annuals Trial, Columbus, Ohio. 10:00 A.M.: Presentation about the trials; 10:30 A.M.: Tour Cultivar Trials - In Ground and Containers; 12:00 P.M.: Box lunch; 1:00 to 3:30 P.M: Presentations of by speakers • Bob Croft (Sakata) • Pam Bennett (OSU Extension) • Michelle Jones (OSU/OARDC). August 6, 2015- OCNT Testing, Cincinnati, Ohio. See ONLA.org for an application. O August 6, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Toledo, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8). August 11, 2015- NGLCO 48th Annual Field Day, Celebrate the NGLCO's 48th annual Summer Field Day at the beautiful Chalet Debonne Winery, Madison, Ohio. Visit the NGLCO website for more details.
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August 11, 2015- OCNT Testing, Madison, Ohio. See ONLA.org for an application. August 13, 2015- OCNT Testing, Worthington, Ohio. See ONLA.org for an application. O August 20, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Cleveland, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the Cleveland Metropark Zoo for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead in-depth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8). O September 3, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Huron, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the BGSU Firelands for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8).
October 15, 2015- OCNT Testing, Westerville, Ohio. ONLA is now having Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) testing once a month at the ONLA office. See ONLA.org for an application. November 19, 2015- OCNT Testing, Westerville, Ohio. ONLA is now having Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) testing once a month at the ONLA office. See ONLA.org for an application. O January 11-13, 2016- CENTS Marketplace & University, Columbus, Ohio. CENTS (Central Environmental Nursery Trade Show) is Ohio’s Green Industry Convention brought to you by The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association. Over the years, CENTS has added an education program alongside the trade show. CENTS Marketplace & University is built strong from the ground up by you: the people who make it the largest convention of its kind in the Midwest. CENTS brings thousands of green industry professionals together each year to learn, to experience, and to grow. From the newest plant species to the most exciting business trends to the freshest ideas to ignite your customers’ interest—it’s all here, because we grew it that way, together. Deep roots, broad reach, lasting fruit, year after year. Visit centsmarketplace.com for additional information. B
September 17, 2015- OCNT Testing, Westerville, Ohio. ONLA is now having Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) testing once a month at the ONLA office. See ONLA.org for an application. O September 24, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Cleveland, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the Sunset Memorial Gardens for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead in-depth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8).
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Advertisers’ Index Big Trees Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 bigtreegroup.com The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association
Buckeye Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 buckeyeresources.com
The Buckeye is the nursery and landscape industry’s authoritative voice in Ohio.
The Buren Insurance Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Second to none in editorial and graphic quality, The Buckeye publishes a wide range of editorial features on the green industry’s key issues. The Buckeye is another example of how the ONLA leads, promotes, and facilitates the success and growth of green industry businesses.
Ernst Seeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
The Buckeye is published 10 times each year with a circulation of over 5,000 each issue and an
coveryourgrass.com
ernstseed.com Green Velvet Sod Farms Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 greenvelvet.com
estimated readership of over 10,000. Advertisers benefit from an industry-specific audience, with distribution to professional nursery, landscape and independent garden center businesses and individuals, certified green industry professionals, educators/researchers, and subscribers.
Klyn Nurseries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Access Ohio’s $4.9 billion industry. Contact Amanda to learn how your business can benefit from becoming an advertiser in The Buckeye.
Medina Sod Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
800.825.5062 amanda@onla.org
klynnurseries.com
medinasodfarms.com Millcreek Gardens, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 mgohio.com ONLA Diagnostic Walkabouts. . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC onla.org Scarff’s Nursery, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 scarffs.com
ONLA Classified Advertising: onla.org
The online classified service can be found on onla.org along with the complete postings. New ads will be added as soon as they are submitted to the ONLA. For more information, please contact the ONLA office at (614) 899-1195. The ONLA reserves the right to refuse ads. As we go to press, here are the ads posted on onla.org’s online Classified Section:
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Horticulture Exhibitions Designer, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Columbus, Ohio Landscape Maintenance Field Supervisor, Hidden Creek Landscaping, Hilliard, Ohio Landscape Design/Build Project Manager, Hidden Creek Landscaping, Hilliard, Ohio
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Landscape Irrigation Technician, Landfare Ltd., Columbus, Ohio
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Nursery Sales, Abby Farms, Accokeek, Maryland
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Nursery Sales, Scarff’s Nursery, New Carlisle, Ohio
Smith’s Gardens, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 smithsgardensinc.com Spring Meadow Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 colorchoiceplants.com Unilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC unilock.com
Ad Rates & Info Contact Amanda Domsitz 614.899.1195 amanda@onla.org
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Landscape Plants for Ohio A Professional’s Guide Please complete the below information Company Name: Contact Name: Shipping Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Email:
Landscape Plants for Ohio 1-100......................................... $6.00 Each 101-499..................................... $4.75 Each 500 or More .............................. $3.75 Each My Order is as Follows: Return with payment to: (checks payable to) Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association 72 Dorchester Square Westerville, OH 43081 Ph: (800) 825-5062 or (614) 899-1195 Fax: (614) 899-9489 info@onla.org
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