The Buckeye - May/June 2022 by OGIA

the

BUCKEYE MAY/JUNE 2022 Vol. 33, Issue 3

MAGAZINE

INSIDE:

OGIA 2022 Member Directory

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 1

NOVEMBER 1 - 3, 2022

COLUMBUS, OHIO

midwestGREEN brings together green industry professionals from across the region in a uniquely multifaceted environment for business development, innovative technology showcasing, educational opportunities and networking. Conference sponsors and exhibitors represent the best that the green industry has to offer. Along with providing valuable conference support and leadership, sponsors and exhibitors position themselves to connect with the industry’s most important stakeholders, to increase their brand visibility with this audience and to share expertise and thought leadership with the most influential players.

Visit ogia.org/MGSponsorsExhibits to secure your space!

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GREATER COLUMBUS CONVENTION CENTER

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 1 Exhibits open 12:15 - 4:00 PM 8:00 - 11:00 AM 10:00 AM - 12:15 PM

Exhibitor Set-up & Registration Educational Sessions

12:15 - 1:30 PM

Break & Exhibits

1:30 - 2:30 PM

Opening Keynote Speech (Exhibit Hall)

2:30 - 3:00 PM

Break & Exhibits

3:00 - 5:15 PM

Educational Sessions

WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 2 Exhibits open 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM & 5:00 - 7:00 PM 8:00 - 8:30 AM

Vendor Showcases

8:00 - 8:30 AM

OGIA Annual Business Meeting

8:45 AM - 12:15 PM

Educational Sessions

12:15 - 1:30 PM

Break & Exhibits

1:30 - 2:30 PM

Educational Sessions

2:45 - 3:45 PM

Collab Sessions & Exhibits

4:00 - 5:00 PM

Educational Sessions

5:00 - 7:00 PM

OGIA Celebrate Reception (Exhibit Hall)

THURSDAY | NOVEMBER 3 Exhibits open 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM 8:00 - 8:30 AM

Vendor Showcases

8:45 - 11:00 AM

Educational Sessions

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

Closing Keynote Speech (Exhibit Hall)

12:15 - 1:30 PM

Break & Exhibits

1:30 - 3:30 PM

Educational Sessions

1:30 - 3:30 PM

OCNT & ODA Testing

1:30 - 3:30 PM

Exhibitor Tear Down

CONTENTS

May | June 2022

VOLUME 33 • ISSUE 3 ogia.org THE BUCKEYE is the official publication of the Ohio Green Industry Association and is published six times a year.

EDITORIAL / ADVERTISING ISSN 1536-7940 Subscriptions: $75/year sara@ogia.org OFFICERS Molly John President M.J. Design Associates, Inc. Devon Stanley Immediate Past President Benchmark Landscape Construction, Inc. Genevieve Reiner-Mills President-Elect Oakland Nursery, Inc. DIRECTORS Patrick Greeson W. A. Natorp Corp. Michael Hall Harrell’s LLC Fred Higginbotham Millcreek Gardens LLC Scott Knowles Wolf Creek Company Steve O’Neal Columbus State Community College Ron Schultz Premier Plant Solutions Matt Turner Turner Landscaping LLC STAFF Tracy Schiefferle Executive Director Roni Petersen Membership & Certification Sara Cantees Marketing & Communications Jim Scott Professional Development 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 OGIA does not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services.

COLUMNS

President’s Perspective

Executive Director’s Message

Financial Corner

Advocacy Update

Human Resource Spotlight

F E AT U R E D S T O R I E S

Faces of Our Workforce: Green Industry Immigrant Workers

OGIA Member Profile

OGIA Welcomes Jim Scott

OGIA Partners with MásLabor

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Classifieds

OGIA 2022 Member Directory

Event Calendar

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 3

North Branch Nursery, Inc. Email: wholesale@northbranchnursery.com P.O. Box 353 3359 Kesson Rd. Pemberville, OH 43450 Phone: (419) 287-4679, Opt. 2 Fax: (419) 287-4509 www.NorthBranchNursery.com

Centrally located in Northwest, OH near Bowling Green Grower of finished materials, including balled and burlap and potted trees, shrubs, and perennials Call-ahead ordering is available or shop our sales yard Delivery available

Growing High Quality Plants, People, and Relationships

lanter

Annuals Combo Planters Grasses

Hardy Ferns Herbs Peonies

Perennials Shrubs Vines

ers

Restoring the native landscape. https://bit.ly/ErnstBuckeye

www.millcreekplants.com 800-948-1234 | SALES@MILLCREEKPLANTS.COM 15088 SMART-COLE ROAD | OSTRANDER, OH 43061

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(800) 873-3321 sales@ernstseed.com

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE them all that we have to offer, and we do have a lot to offer.

MOLLY JOHN

M.J. Design Associates, Inc. 2022 OGIA President mjohn@mjdesignassociates.com

s we embark on our yearly 100 days of Victory, Opportunity or what ever adjective you would like to call it, I hope you are all able to take a little bit of time to enjoy our successes. Spring is such a pretty time of year with the emergence of perennials, early flowering trees and the bright green leaves on our trees and shrubs. It is a time of new beginnings for all of us. I know during this time of year we could always use more employees. Having the ability to be fully staffed and fill our numerous job openings is stressful. It doesn’t matter if you are a landscaper, garden center, nursery grower, lawn care, irrigation, or any green industry professional, staffing is probably the number one business challenge we all face each year. As professionals in the Green Industry, I think it is important for all of us to do what we can to help improve the image of the industry and show the next generation the value of the plants, landscaping, and horticultural practices. Workforce development can happen in so many different capacities. We are fortunate in Ohio to have several Career Tech schools across the state who offer programs in horticulture, landscaping, or construction. I recently helped judge the State FFA competition, where students from the top 10 high schools completed in plant layout, paver installation, job costing, irrigation, and bobcat use. It was a great opportunity to talk with the students about their programs, why they chose to go into the program and what their future plans were. The same can be said for OHLO (Ohio High School Landscape Olympics) that we at OGIA put on each fall. There is no better chance to engage with the next generation of workers in our industry. Or should I say what better way to talk to students (and parents) about all the great opportunities the Green Industry has to offer. I would encourage each of you to reach out to local schools to see what opportunities there are for you to get involved. Mentor a young professional or class. On the Higher Education side, many of the community colleges around the state have some sort of Landscape construction and design program. Ask to come talk with the students. Offer them to come visit or tour your companies. In this day and age, we have to be actively engaging and selling ourselves. We can’t just sit back and wait for people to come to us. We need to show

On another side of the spectrum, while most of us would prefer to hire U.S. born domestic workers, utilizing the Immigrant population to fill our staffing needs has become much more popular over the years and is almost a requirement. At our company, we have utilized the H2B visa program for 20 years to help fill our seasonal labor positions. The program allows us the opportunity to hire a legal immigrant work force. Many OGIA members who are growers utilize the H2A program. The difference between the two programs is H2A visas are for seasonal agricultural workers who fill temporary agricultural jobs, while H2B are unskilled non-agricultural workers who perform a job which is temporary or seasonal in nature. Both factor in when there is a shortfall of U.S. workers or not enough available to fill the need. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for workers from Mexico, Central America, European or Asian countries, we need the governments help to provide us with the opportunity to have a legal workforce. Currently the H2A program has no limit on the number of visas that can be issued in a given year. As long as you can show proof of need and your attempts to hire domestically, you can receive workers. However, the H2B visa program only allows 66,000 visas for the entire country for the whole year. Landscapers are the largest users of the program, but many other industries utilize the program from, hospitality, construction, amusement parks, lumber, fishing, etc. The 66,000 has been the given number since the program was introduced over 30 years ago. In January there were over 7,000 applications, requesting more than 136,000 workers, for just 33,000 available visas. Clearly that is not enough to fill all that is needed. For those of you who currently use the H2B program or those thinking about it, have you been actively involved with lobbying and advocating efforts to get changes made to the program? Since

2015 I have made 6 trips to Washington D.C., participating in Fly-in trips on the Hill, talking to Senators and Members of Congress. In addition, there has been several remote zoom calls in recent years, talking with congressional leadership. I would encourage all of you to get involved. We know change is necessary if we have any hope for this program to remain a viable source for employees. It is a known fact constituent voices matter and the more they hear from us the better the chances are action will be taken. We cannot continue to sit back and wait for others to do the hard work for us. We know there are fewer individuals looking to pursue careers in the Green Industry. Enrollment has steadily decreased in college programs. We have to sell ourselves. We are in this because we love what we do. We get to physically see what we produce and at the end of the day we can sit back and say Wow, that is beautiful. Whether it is propagating the next petunia or hydrangea to creating water saving solutions through irrigation systems to installing a beautiful outdoor living space. We are creating something meaningful. It is hard for anything to happen, unless we all take a vested interest in getting something done. We can’t complain about the situation unless we make a concerted effort to change the environment. We need to come together as members of the Green Industry to create change whether it is domestic workforce development or Immigrant labor changes. I encourage each one of you to utilize these 100 days of Opportunity to reach out to someone. Join me in our workforce development efforts. Happy Spring!

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 5

Dream Come True

2022

INCREDIBALL

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INCREDIBALL® Hydrangea arborescens ‘Abetwo’ USPP#20,571 USDA zone 3-8, full to part sun 4-5' tall and wide

• Native • Reliable • Long blooming

Available from Proven Winners® ColorChoice® growers. www.provenwinners-shrubs.com

E X EC U T I V E D I R EC TO R’S M E S SAG E

find Spring to be such an energetic time of year. The weather (usually) starts to give way to green grass, buds on trees, flowers blooming, the reemergence of everyone who has been hibernating during winter. So many people turn to soaking up as much time outside of their home as they can and that, of course, turns the spotlight on what OGIA members do best! TRACY SCHIEFFERLE

OGIA Executive Director tracy@ogia.org

While you are busy with clients, projects, inventory, and sales so is your OGIA team as we make preparation for several exciting events. We have a full slate of ways for you and your team to ENGAGE, LEARN, and SHOW OFF. We have also added some new services, have a new website and welcomed our new Professional Development team member Jim Scott. So, speaking of showing off – I am so proud of the work that Sara Cantees, Roni Petersen, and Jim Scott have done. Their efforts on the new website and upcoming events are outstanding so I hope you check it out. The return of our annual conference midwestGREEN will be held Tuesday, November 1 thru Thursday, November 3 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. We are so excited to offer three days of education, networking, product showcase, and celebration. This is the perfect opportunity for ALL industry professionals to engage and learn as there is something for everyone. It is a terrific way to encourage your employees to become more vested in your company because you invest in them. midwestGREEN will feature: • • • • • • •

75 different educational session offerings on innovative ideas as well as must know industry topics. Collaboration sessions focusing on different industry segments. Learning intensives offering a deeper dive in to subjects important to the profession. Modified trade show featuring up to 50 vendors to highlight products and meet with attendees. Product showcases for a more detailed experience. OCNT and ODA testing. Networking and industry celebration.

And while you are at it – why don’t you show off a bit? OGIA’s Annual Landscape Awards are accepting submissions and winners will be announced and celebrated at midwestGREEN’s Celebrate reception. We have added over ten new categories to include not just projects but marketing and employee recognition to name a few. Not just for landscapers – something for all segments to enter. OGIA’s High School Landscape Olympics will be held in October and there are several sponsorship and booth opportunities available for you to engage with up-and-coming future industry professionals. This is an amazing event if you have not experienced it – you can just feel the excitement from these students about their future in the profession. And give some FORE thought to attending our annual Golf Classic in September at Safari Golf Course in Powell across from the Columbus Zoo. In addition, OGIA will be “Out and About” traveling around the state to host member networking events at spotlighted locations. If you are interested in having OGIA members to your business for an event or tour please let us know. We welcome the opportunity for you to show off a bit. Aside from all these events, OGIA has added new services for our members to take advantage of. If you have HR questions or need assistance with an HR problem, policy manual, need labor law posters, etc., take advantage of OGIA’s FREE HR hotline and partnership with The Employers Association. OGIA also has a new partnership with masLabor for your H2A/B questions - see page 19 of this issue for more details. Much like Spring – OGIA is energized and blooming too!

Do not miss this opportunity to Connect. Learn. Thrive. at midwestGREEN

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 7

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Faces of Our Workforce Green Industry Immigrant Workers BY ALANA SETTLE

Navigating the H-2A and H-2B temporary work visa programs is not for the faint of heart, but if used successfully, these vital programs can provide a safety net for green industry companies who continue to face workforce shortages. The H-2A and H-2B programs allow employers to hire foreign guest workers on temporary work visas to fill seasonal positions. Agricultural companies can apply for guest workers through the H-2A program, while H-2B visas are designated for nonagricultural workers. The landscape and groundskeeping industry utilizes nearly half of the 66,000 yearly available H-2B visas (other industries using H-2B include hospitality, construction, and food processing). While not without their unique pitfalls and challenges, the H-2A and H-2B programs offer a safe way to obtain a seasonal workforce. During a time when many green industry employers look toward a foreign workforce to fill jobs, companies do not have to fear hiring undocumented immigrants if they use these government programs. M.J. Designs Associates Inc., in Plain City, OH, began using the H-2B program in 2003. Co-owner and Vice President Molly John shared a common sentiment¬¬ among green industry business owners— she and her husband began their business in 1998 determined to use domestic workers, yet quickly learned that seasonal positions are just not as desirable as year-round employment to U.S. workers. “We decided that if we were going to use foreign workers, we were going to be assured they were legally able to work in the United States,” said John. Over the years, M.J. Designs has hired up to 18 H-2B workers for a season. This year they have nine workers, constituting around 80% of their seasonal workforce. John contributes much of her company’s growth to utilizing guest workers. Ensuring that seasonal positions are filled by workers who want those positions opens up opportunities for M. J. Designs’ fulltime employees as well. When there is a staff to perform the services they sell, John says they can dedicate more attention to developing their full-time employees and promoting them into management roles. Millcreek Gardens LLC, a wholesale nursery in Ostrander, OH, began using the H-2A agricultural work visa program in 2021. Fred Higginbotham, Millcreek’s Growing Operations Manager, said that as the company grew, filling their increasing seasonal positions became challenging. THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 9

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It’s not an inexpensive venture, but you’ll get quality, reliable help for your business.

“Some years we did well finding adequate help, other years we struggled,” said Higginbotham. “When we couldn’t fill all of our seasonal roles the burden fell onto our incredible full-time staff.” In its first year using the visa program, Millcreek hired 12 workers. This year, those workers returned on a Feb– Sep contract, along with an additional 12 new workers for shorter, March–July contracts. About 80% of Millcreek’s 2022 seasonal workforce was hired through H-2A. “One of the biggest benefits of using the program has been the consistency of having good help. We know the workers will be at the nursery every day and we can count on them for the entire season,” said Higginbotham. THE APPLICATION PROCESS Both the H-2A and H-2B foreign guest worker programs are notorious for their arduous application process. There are several participation requirements. Companies must first attempt to recruit local, U.S. workers for their seasonal positions. They must also offer a government-mandated wage rate, demonstrate adequate working conditions, and provide housing and transportation to and from job sites for their guest workers. The application process takes 10 | ogia.org

several months and can be time consuming, expensive, and unpredictable. It’s not a learnas-you-go process. Complete and accurate applications and strict adherence to all rules are required or employers may risk their application being denied. But there are ways to make the process easier. Both Millcreek and M.J. Designs work with másLabor, a consulting firm that provides comprehensive services to employers interested in H-2A and H-2B. “They have the system down. We wouldn’t think to try and handle it on our own. It is tough enough to run a small business, but with organizations like másLabor, it allows us to focus on our business, while they handle all the government paperwork,” said John. Higginbotham added that “másLabor has its fingers on the pulse of the H-2A and H-2B programs. As changes come down from Washington, they are able to keep us abreast and in compliance.” He also recommended asking for insight from other companies who have experience using the program. And even if they use agency like másLabor, employers should still expect a fair amount of administrative tasks before and after the workers’ arrival. CHALLENGES John joked that she “could use this entire edition of The Buckeye to talk about challenges.”

“The Department of Labor and United States Customs and Immigration Services, along with our members of Congress and Senate, are continually changing the parameters of the program, making it more and more difficult to use,” said John. While green industry associations diligently advocate in Washington to increase the number of H-2B visas (there is no cap on H-2A visas), landscape companies who apply for the program take the chance they may not make the cut. “We were first capped out in 2009 and didn’t get our workers. Then the last two years we have been unlucky in the DOL Lottery, getting positions in Group D & E, respectively, the last two years,” said John. An additional concern, particularly for consumerfacing companies, is the public’s perception of a foreign workforce. Consumers are generally unaware that government programs exist to legally bring immigrants to work in the U.S. M. J. Designs includes information about H-2B and their guest workers on the company’s “Meet the Team” webpage. John said clients will ask about the company’s Hispanic workforce but always respond positively after learning how the program works. Some of M. J. Designs’ clients have even spoken with congressional

”

members in Washington to advocate on the industry’s behalf. Once workers are hired, employers will need to carefully consider the onboarding process. Most foreign guest workers know little English and communication can be a challenge. “It’s something we work through on a daily basis. We’ve provided some in-house Spanish classes to about a dozen full-time workers at Millcreek,” said Higginbotham. “The Google Translate app has been a huge help in daily interactions.” Over the years, M. J. Designs has modified its paperwork and signs in the shop to include Spanish text and provide lessons for all employees in both English and Spanish. “We have an interpreter who has helped us a lot during reviews and meetings. Our Hispanic staff have gotten to know him and are comfortable talking with him,” said John. Finding appropriate housing can be one of the more expensive hurdles. Companies who have been using the program for multiple years often purchase or build homes for their guest workers to live in, since shortterm leases are hard to find. John said that after calculating the time and cost of moving and storing furnishings, it made more sense for them to purchase a house and rent apartments for a full year, noting “it is just a

OGIA spoke with a few employees from M.J. Design Associates about their immigration experiences.

ERNESTO A. GARCIA GUZMAN Durango, Mexico

business expense to cover the rent in the months when the workers are not here.”

Have you experienced any obstacles with the H2B process?

Millcreek is also working through challenges in transporting its employees.

We have to travel to Monterrey, Mexico for the interview process. Sometimes there are long delays. We have to return home and then come back the next week on a six to eight hour bus ride. It is a lengthy process.

“We’re currently housing our workers at an apartment complex about 20 minutes from the nursery,” said Higginbotham. “We purchased a 15 passenger van our first year which worked great. Now that we have 24 workers it requires four trips to and from the nursery each day. During peak season, we don’t always end work at the same time, so coordinating with our driver and setting up pickup times becomes timeconsuming. Having housing on-site would help eliminate this issue.” Despite the programs’ flaws and logistical issues, both Higginbotham and John say the results are worth it. “It’s not an inexpensive venture, but you’ll get quality, reliable help for your business,” said Higginbotham. “Our H-2A workers are happy to be at Millcreek, they show up with good attitudes each day, and are incredibly thankful for the opportunity that this program gives them and their families back home.” John agrees: “There is no question, utilizing the H-2B visa program has helped our business.”

Why is it important to you to secure green cards for your family? The economy is much better in the United States. I can make a better living here and provide an education for my children.

VICTOR GUZMAN MARTINEZ Durango, Mexico

What opportunities have you had by working in the United States? We now have many of the same rights as American citizens have. I am able to bring my family and am considering becoming a US citizen. I am able to send back half of my earnings to help support my family still in Mexico.

Have you experienced any obstacles with the H2B process? The time it takes from the beginning of the process until you finally get the actually green card can be lengthy.

GERONIMO LOPEZ BELTRAN | Zacatecas, Mexico Have you experienced any obstacles with the H2B process? We have to travel to Monterrey, Mexico for the interview process. Sometimes there are long delays. We have to return home and then come back the next week on a six to eight hour bus ride. It is a lengthy process.

Why is it important to you to secure green cards for your family? The economy is much better in the United States. I can make a better living here and provide an education for my children.

LORENSO BELTRAN GARCIA | Zacatecas, Mexico What work did you do while living in Mexico? I worked for a facility that exports produce. I worked with tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse and also in the dehydration plant.

What do you like most about living in the United States? For me, its the security and safety.

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 11

FINANCIAL CORNER Immigration, Your Work Force & Benefits

MIKE SULLIVAN

Founder & President

ince immigration policy affects a big part of OGIA’s membership, the management of benefits that attract and reward an excellent workforce is key. Benefits plans are overlorded by various regulatory agencies that include the Department of Labor, Insurance Regulators and the IRS, so offering benefits naturally comes with a lot of responsibilities. As one of our long-time clients stated, ‘this is the stuff that keeps me up at night.’

Within each company that provides benefits, the most single important person for ensuring your employees are cared for in a compliant manner stay in good graces, is your payroll person.

For the past two decades we have sought to educate people about these concepts and importantly about the concept that is hammering everyone now, personally: inflation.

So … with the idea in mind that your work force is the key to your success, you are busy running an effective business, and your payroll person is the gatekeeper to succeeding at making all of you happy, successful and compliant, we offer the following checklist items to guarantee victory:

Your retirement savings and investing efforts are designed to do one thing: store your TIME. You store your hours worked in the form of savings, then you try to use it just like you would use a mower, a truck, a ditchwitch or a fork-lift. You use it to accomplish a goal: to keep pace with or outpace inflation. You do that specifically so your time stored today can serve you by making your future time better.

• • • •

We understand completely! Effective communication is a must, so selecting a benefits plan should of course align with the responsibilities of the business owner and the needs of the work force. We know first hand that speaking to people about investments is a journey into mumbojumbo and that is when we’re speaking English. When we use terms like ‘smallcap’ and ‘treasury-bonds’, we instantly have a task on our hands. We also know that benefits are not the reason everyone is in business, so we do the best we can to educate as quickly and effectively as we can, help people to understand what they give (save and invest) in return for what they might get, and get you all back to your business as quickly as possible. A second language adds to the challenge, one that all of you have successfully come to master. Selecting your benefits provider should make your job as easy as possible. The good news is that today we live in a 24/7 world of communication, and people can learn and grow through devices like computers, tablets, and phones that are no further than their pants pockets.

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Evaluate or re-evaluate your service providers to make sure they stack up Insist on written materials conveyed in at least English and Spanish Ensure the benefits company has phone lines that speak both languages Measure the technology provided, choose a provider that includes • 24/7 website access • Phone app or website phonecompatible access • Online service request capability • Reimbursement requests, loan applications, distribution requests • Online request approval functionality • Payroll interfaces Look for off-hours educational resources: direct web-site, Social Media streams, etc.

Benefits are a foreign language of their own. Your benefits people are very important. Make sure the providers have a vested interest in you, your business and your employees. The same features listed above apply to both retirement plans and health insurance platforms. Switching gears, in regards to Retirement Plans and retirement strategies, the most important thing anyone can do, business owner to new saver/investor, is to understand money and investing, stocks, bonds, real estate and what seem like obscure, geeky topics that many dismiss because they are themselves foreign concepts or because they are topics that people conclude they cannot do anything about anyway.

We have conducted webinars in the past for OGIA that specifically addresses these obscure concepts. This week, as we submit this article, a group of people in suits will go into a room and decide exactly how much money they will print and what it will cost if you want to borrow ‘money’. As this goes to print, the decision will already have been made. Already year to date through the end of April, major stock market indices are down double-digit numbers, some over -20%. If your savings are in ‘cash’, inflation took over 8% away from your purchasing power in the form of inflation … and not for this year’s dollars saved, for every single year you put it away. Other numbers track a more honest rate of inflation (the things you actually use) and place it at twice that, more than 15%. We will gladly run these webinars again for OGIA during the second quarter. If you are interested in attending them, let us know at (614) 734-WLTH (9584) or succeed@wealthcoachfinancial.com and we will gladly make arrangements to run them again. Best wishes for a strong Spring season!

CELEBRATE

OGIA 50TH ANNUAL LANDSCAPE AWARDS

CALL FOR ENTRIES DEADLINE: AUGUST 1, 2022 The OGIA Landscape Awards Program annually awards recipients for distinguished projects and service. We recognize exceptional individuals and companies for their accomplishments and outstanding work. With over 10 new categories added, these awards are designed to be inclusive of all professionals in the green industry more than ever before. This year, the OGIA Landscape Awards will be held at the midwestGREEN Conference during our Celebrate Reception on November 2. Be recognized in front of your peers from across the region for your hard work. TO ENTER, VISIT OGIA.ORG/LANDSCAPEAWARDS THE BUCKEYE | March/April 2022 | 13

GOLF CLASSIC Tuesday, September 13, 2022 10:00 am shotgun start

SAFARI GOLF COURSE $500 per foursome team 4853 Powell Road Powell, OH

(across from the Columbus Zoo)

$125 individual

Cost includes golf, a team mulligan, cart (2 per team), swag bag, lunch at the turn, cookout following golf, beverages, and bragging rights! Proceeds benefit the Ohio High School Landscape Olympics

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES HOLE SPONSOR (18 AVAILABLE) $100 • • • • • •

Exclusive sponsor on the hole OGIA produced sign at the tee with name or logo Name recognition in The Buckeye magazine and on OGIA’s website OGIA social media recognition

CONTEST SPONSOR (3 AVAILABLE) $250 • • • • • • • •

Exclusive sponsor for a contest: Longest Putt, Longest Drive, or Closest to the Pin OGIA produced sign with name or logo Name recognition The Buckeye magazine and on OGIA’s website OGIA social media recognition Opportunity to contribute item for golfers’ swag bag (150 items provided in advance may be imprinted with company logo)

PRIZE SPONSOR (EXCLUSIVE) $500 • • • • • • •

CART SPONSOR (EXCLUSIVE) $1,250 • • • • •

DRIVING RANGE / PUTTING GREEN SPONSOR (2 AVAILABLE) $250

•

• •

• • • •

• • •

Exclusive sponsor for the area OGIA produced sign with name or logo Name recognition The Buckeye magazine and on OGIA’s website OGIA social media recognition Opportunity to contribute item for golfers’ swag bag (150 items provided in advance may be imprinted with company logo)

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Exclusive sponsor for top teams’ prizes Opportunity to present prizes during 19th Hole event Name recognition in The Buckeye magazine and on OGIA’s website OGIA social media recognition Opportunity to contribute item for golfers’ swag bag (150 items provided in advance may be imprinted with company logo)

Exclusive sponsor Includes one team (4 golfers) OGIA produced sign facing players on each golf cart (approximately 65 carts) Opportunity to place promotional item on each cart for golfers (may be imprinted with company logo) Name recognition in The Buckeye magazine and on OGIA’s website OGIA social media recognition

BEVERAGE CART SPONSOR (EXCLUSIVE) $1,250

• •

Exclusive sponsor Includes one team (4 golfers) OGIA produced sign on roaming cart Name recognition in The Buckeye magazine and on OGIA’s website OGIA social media recognition Opportunity to contribute item for golfers’ swag bag (150 items provided in advance may be imprinted with company logo)

AT THE TURN SPONSOR (EXCLUSIVE) $1,500 • Exclusive sponsor • • • • • •

Includes one team (4 golfers) OGIA produced sign at lunch break area Opportunity to be at the turn to visit with golfers as they pass Name recognition in The Buckeye magazine and on OGIA’s website OGIA social media recognition Opportunity to contribute item for golfers’ swag bag (150 items provided in advance may be imprinted with company logo)

19TH HOLE SPONSOR (EXCLUSIVE) $2,000 • • • • • • •

Exclusive sponsor of progressive dinner at end of golf Includes one team (4 golfers) OGIA produced sign at dining area Opportunity to be at the dinner to present raffle prizes Name recognition in The Buckeye magazine and on OGIA’s website OGIA social media recognition Opportunity to contribute item for golfers’ swag bag (150 items provided in advance may be imprinted with company logo)

A D V O C A C Y U P D AT E Redistricting Ping-Pong

his is a year that Ohio, along with other states, must reconfigure its congressional and state legislative district maps after the recent census. By the time you are reading this you will have voted in Ohio’s May 3 primary. However, you will likely have noticed that candidates for the state legislature were absent from your ballot. This is because there has been “chaos” with the state legislative maps. TONY SEEGERS

1803 Consulting, LLC tony@1803consulting.com

With any changes in such district configurations come legal challenges, which certainly has more than plagued this set of maps, especially for the state legislative districts. Ohio’s Redistricting Commission, established in a change to Ohio’s Constitution voted by the electorate in 2015, is the entity charged with drawing the legislative maps. The Commission’s state legislative maps have been challenged in the Ohio Supreme Court four times by voting rights activists and four times the Ohio Supreme Court (by the same 4-3 vote) has rejected the maps and ordered the Commission back to work, with the latest decision rendered on April 14. In that decision, the Court ordered the Commission to submit new maps by May 6. Because of the continued back and forth with the Ohio Supreme Court, there will need to be a second primary vote for the Ohio House and Ohio Senate candidates that will take place after the May 3 primary. But when will that be? The Court, in its April 14 ruling, questioned why the primary for the statehouse couldn’t be after August 2. However, as pointed out by Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, “Ohio’s elections have their own statutory requirements, and because of these requirements it would require a violation of Ohio law for any primary to be held after August 2. In fact, the filing deadline for nominating petitions for nonpartisan races in the General Election, as set in Ohio law, is August 8, 2022. To be clear, any primary held after August 2 would directly conflict with the statutorily required deadlines of the General Election”. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this the dust will have settled and a second primary will have been set. The Skyrocketing Costs of Fertilizer It is no secret that global fertilizer costs have exploded, approximately doubling between the summer of 2020 and the end of 2021. Factors resulting in increased prices range from the bottlenecks in the supply chain that we all have experienced, to the dramatic rise in shipping costs in 2021, especially on shipments from Asia to North America, and spikes in the price of natural gas, which is a primary building

block for most nitrogen-based fertilizers. Of course, the recent war in the Ukraine has been characterized as the latest contributor. Russia is the world’s largest exporter of fertilizers, accounting for 23% of ammonia exports, 14% of urea exports, 10% of processed phosphate exports, and 21% of potash exports. Sanctions from on Russia for its invasion of the Ukraine has further caused a hit to the world fertilizer costs. In an effort to address these issues for not just American farmers, but all who use fertilizer in the businesses, Congressman Troy Balderson (R-Zanesville), along with more than 90 of his fellow House Republican colleagues, joined in a letter to President Biden requesting the Administration take steps to help alleviate the increased costs. Hopefully our elected officials in D.C. will begin working in a bipartisan manner to address the high prices for fertilizer. Update to the article I wrote titled “US EPA Changes Way It Registers Pesticides/ Herbicides” It appears that the US EPA received a substantial amount of feedback from stakeholders on its recent decision to ban use of the herbicide Enlist One and Enlist Duo in numerous counties in several states, including 12 in Ohio. The Agency announced on March 29 that it has changed course and will allow the herbicides to be used in the counties it had previously banned, stating in part, “In February 2022, Corteva submitted a label amendment to propose use of Enlist One and Enlist Duo in 128 additional counties. Corteva did not propose use in these counties during the registration renewal because Enlist products were previously thought to put the American Burying Beetle, a threatened species, at risk. However, after the renewal action was complete, Corteva proposed that EPA consider use in these counties. Based on EPA’s new effects determination, which included a robust analysis of updated species range maps from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), EPA expects that the use of these products — with the existing label requirements in place to mitigate spray drift and pesticide runoff — will not likely jeopardize the American Burying Beetle or other listed species and their critical habitats in these counties.” The takeaway from this? Perhaps providers can work within the US EPA’s new method of registrations and registration renewals.

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 15

OGIA MEMBER PROFILE

YA R D S M A R T LANDSCAPING BY ALANA SETTLE

Yard Smart Landscaping Inc. in Grafton, OH is celebrating 35 years in business this year. Founded by Bruce Stone, the company prides itself on its long-standing client relationships and emphasis on employee development. Bruce’s children, Kate and Jack, have joined the family business as well, and we spoke with Kate about how Yard Smart has evolved since its inception, its current priorities, and plans for the future.

16 | ogia.org

OGIA: How has the company changed over the years? What are you focusing on now? Kate: “Over a decade ago, Yard Smart changed from a partnership to a sole proprietorship, which inevitability changed the company structure. Bruce, who has always given the company his all, had to step into situations that were new and challenging. With his wife

by his side, long-time clients’ and fellow industry professionals’ support, he was able to weather a recession, a complete company restructure, and relocation all within a short period of time. The dedication he has shown to the company and the industry over the past 35 years has earned him much success and respect. In November of 2021, Yard Smart added a production manager to the team who helped spearhead a major culture shift. Our production manager, Brian, and I have been dedicated to creating a positive and teamoriented work environment that focuses on training and supporting our employees. Our marketing plan has changed completely since I joined the company in 2018. Previously we primarily marketed to sell work and used local phone books and newspapers. We now utilize more technology, including Facebook and Instagram (@yardsmartinc). We are also selective on new clients currently. Instead of overselling, we focus on keeping our current clients, some whom Bruce has worked with for over 30 years, happy. When we turned our focus inward on creating a better company internally, our marketing goals shifted with that. By keeping our focus on building a great work environment, our brand awareness within the community, and keeping our clients happy, we will be ready to grow outward in sales when we have fully built internally.” OGIA: How do you set your company apart from your competition?

“

We find that we stand out by creating a genuine relationship with our clients and being responsive.

the past is not having accountability among management. This would then trickle down to every team member. Today, we are focused on creating systems and processes in areas where we lacked accountability in the past. We are also finding that with increased accountability comes increased communication among team members.” OGIA: What industry trends are you watching? Kate: “Many years ago, there were very few green industry educational programs. Most recently we have seen schools like Cuyahoga County Community College, not just grow substantially but also be recognized at the national level for their professors, program, and students. We are very eager to see the educational programs gain traction, in addition to certifications such as the OCNT and LIC be of importance. The focus on education and training has greatly benefited our team members, clients, and inevitably the company. Another trend we are seeing is adding team members who might have less experience in

”

the green industry but have the right mindset and are willing to learn and embrace personal development. Some of our most invested team members have never worked in the industry before joining our team.” OGIA: Any advice you’d like to share for landscape business owners who are just getting started? Kate: “Joining local organizations and associations to network with like-minded individuals and create relationships is crucial. While we all want to grow and be competitive, it is important to be respectful of and gain respect from other industry professionals. We are a huge community, but the majority are tight-knit. Yard Smart joined OGIA years ago for accreditation, networking, and events. Accreditation by associations helps us stand out among the sea of landscapers. It holds value within our industry and to our current and prospective clients.” To be profiled in The Buckeye, please contact Sara Cantees | sara@ogia.org

Kate: “We find that we stand out by creating a genuine relationship with our clients and being responsive. We are not a huge corporation, but rather a familyoperated business, so communication among management is much more streamlined. We also stress the importance of adding notes to our client files, which helps not only at a management level but also supports our crews to better service their properties. Our greatest asset is our devoted and invested team members that support the company and continue to provide quality service to our clients.” OGIA: Any “fails” that the company has learned from? Kate: “Without failure, the company would not be where it is today. We have found that one area the company has failed at in THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 17

JIM SCOTT JOINS THE OGIA OGIA is pleased to welcome Jim Scott to our team. Jim will lead our professional development and educational offerings for OGIA and will help shape the revised annual conference, midwestGREEN, in November. Jim comes to us with tons of industry knowledge having been an instructor in landscape design and management and sports and turf management at Knox County Career Center and Tolles Career & Technical Center respectively. Jim obtained his Master’s in Agricultural Education from Kent State and a BS in ornamental horticulture. He has extensive experience running educational programs and conferences for FFA both on a state and national level. He currently is the national chair for HOSA (for future health professionals) as well as managing the Ohio HOSA educational programs and conferences. In his spare time, Jim enjoys broadway plays and musicals, and loves to travel. He likes to garden, and loves all sports, but especially Ohio State football. Jim is married to his wife Carmela and has two children, Eric and Danielle. He also has four grandchildren: Byron, Jackson, Emma and Andrew ranging in age from one to 19 years old. His passion lies with the green industry and he enjoys partnering with business and working with students and teachers. You can contact Jim at jim@ogia.org.

DAVIS

tree farm & nursery

Container & B&B Stock

Trees - (Shade, Ornamental & Evergreen) & Shrubs Ornamental Grasses & Perennials

Bulk Materials

Blended Topsoil ~ Mulch ~ Dyed Mulches ~ Potting Mix

Wholesale Grower of Quality Nursery Stock

Check us out on the web at www.davistreefarm.com sales@davistreefarm.com

18 | ogia.org

6126 Neff Rd Valley City, OH PH: 330-483-3324 Fax: 330-483-4483

Making Your Business Easier ~ Quality Without Question

OHIO GREEN INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION PARTNERS WITH MÁSLABOR The Ohio Green Industry Association (OGIA) announced today a new preferred provider relationship with másLabor, the nation’s leading provider of comprehensive services for employers participating in the H-2A and H-2B nonimmigrant visa programs. Green industry businesses in Ohio have long struggled with labor shortages, especially for highly-seasonal nursery and landscaping jobs. The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the exodus of many Americans from the workforce, have only aggravated these shortages. An increasing number of businesses have therefore turned to the H-2A and H-2B programs to fill critical job positions. The programs provide a legal pathway for foreign guest workers to work in the United States on a temporary or seasonal basis.

Your success brightens our day... and night.

“The H-2A and H-2B programs are essential to American businesses, but the programs’ complexity makes them inaccessible to many. By partnership with másLabor, we can ensure that our members have the tools and guidance they need to succeed in the programs,” said Tracy Schiefferle, OGIA Executive Director. “Participating in the programs involve multi-stage government approval processes. másLabor takes care of all of that.” Before being permitted to employ foreign workers, employers must first “test” the local labor market by attempting to recruit U.S. workers for the job. After demonstrating that insufficient workers are available, the U.S. Department of Labor issues a “temporary labor certification.” Obtaining the labor certification allows the employer to then petition the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for approval to employ H-2A or H-2B workers. másLabor’s basic service package includes comprehensive assistance with all steps in the process. After the workers arrive, employers are expected to adhere to numerous program requirements, including detailed payroll and record keeping requirements. másLabor provides the guidance and best practices necessary for employers to manage their H-2A or H-2B workforce and stay compliant with the rules. This includes assisting employers with any post-approval government audits. “We deal with the government so employers can focus on doing what they do best – running their businesses,” said Edward Silva, CEO of másLabor. “Our job is to cut through the bureaucracy, deliver results, and equip employers with the tools they need to be successful.”

At Cascade Lighting, your success is our top priority and it’s been that way since we set up shop over 20 years ago. We’ll partner with you to provide expert advice on the best lighting solution to fit your project and budget. Our team also offers design and technical support at no additional cost. And to ensure the job gets done on time, our warehouse stocks a huge inventory of products ready for same day shipment.

Call us today at 800.758.6359 or visit cascadelighting.com

OGIA’s new partnership with másLabor will help OGIA members take advantage of these programs, and give members access to másLabor’s industry-leading systems and expertise. Members will also have access to exclusive content, including webinars and other resources, to help program users stay understand and adhere to the programs’ complex rules and regulations.

Providing over 40 lines of outdoor and landscape lighting products including:

Headquartered in Virginia, másLabor’s geographic reach expands to nearly all 50 states. Each year, the company’s H-2A and H-2B clients are approved for over 50,000 foreign workers – more the double the amount of any of its competitors. Nearly half of all H-2A and H-2B workers in Ohio come through másLabor. 111618

ONLA_halfpage-gen_1118.indd 1

19 THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 11/16/18 9:32 |AM

$1,500,000 & up

OGIA 2022 MEMBER DIRECTORY Active memberships are based on reported gross dollar volume of all sales for the previous fiscal year. Visit OGIA.org for other search options.

20| ogia.org

9 Trees Landscape Construction 9treeslc.com Hilliard, Ohio

Buck & Sons Landscape Service, Inc. buckandsons.com Hilliard, Ohio

Druffel Design & Landscape druffeldl.com Maineville, Ohio

A & J Landscape Center AandJlandscape.com Sylvania, Ohio

Bzak Landscaping, Inc. bzak.com Milford, Ohio

Eason Horticultural Resources, Inc. ehrnet.com Fort Wright, Kentucky

A. Brown & Sons Nursery, Inc. brownsnursery.com Phillipsburg, Ohio

C. M. Brown Nurseries, Inc. cmbrown.com Perry, Ohio

Envirocare Lawn & Landscape, LLC envirocarelawn.com Perysburg, Ohio

A. M. Leonard, Inc. amleo.com Piqua, Ohio

Cahoon Nursery & Garden Center cahoonnursery.com Westlake, Ohio

Environmental Management Services, Inc. landscapepros.com Dublin, Ohio

Acorn Farms acornfarms.com Galena, Ohio

Canton Road Garden Center, Inc. cantonroadgarden.com Akron, Ohio

Fabrizi Trucking & Paving Co., Inc. fabrizi-inc.com Middleburg Heights, Ohio

Agroscapes, Inc. agroscapesinc.com Ashville, Ohio

Cascade Lighting Inc. cascadelighting.com Akron, Ohio

Facemyer Landscaping, LLC facemyer.com Galena, Ohio

Allison Landscaping, Inc. allisonlandscapingandwatergardens.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Chagrin Valley Nurseries, Inc. cvnursery.com Gates Mills, Ohio

Fairview Evergreen Nurseries, Inc. fairviewevergreen.com Fairview, Pennsylvania

Ammon Wholesale Nursery, Inc. ammonplants.com Burlington, Kentucky

Ciminello's, Inc. ciminellos.com Westerville, Ohio

Five Seasons Landscape Management, Inc. fiveseasonslandscape.com Reynoldsburg, Ohio

Art Form Nurseries artformnurseries.com Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Classico Landscapes, Inc. classicolandscapes.net Louisville, Ohio

Fullmer's Landscaping, Inc. fullmers.com Dayton, Ohio

Avon Landscaping, Inc. avonlandscaping.com Avon, Ohio

Columbus Turf Nursery, Ltd. columbus-turf.com Ashville, Ohio

Gale's Westlake Garden Center, Inc. galeswestlake.com Westlake, Ohio

Bailey Nurseries, Inc. baileynurseries.com St. Paul, Minnesota

Cornwell Lawn & Landscaping, LLC cornwelllawn.com Columbus, Ohio

Gardens Alive gardensalive.com Tipp City, Ohio

Barnes Nursery, Inc. barnesnursery.com Huron, Ohio

Corso's Flower & Garden Center corsos.com Sandusky, Ohio

Greenleaf Landscapes, Inc. greenleaflandscapes.com Marietta, Ohio

Bartlett Tree Experts bartlett.com Columbus, Ohio

Creative Earthscapes Inc. creative-earthscapes.com Columbus, Ohio

GreenScapes Landscape Co. greenscapes.net Columbus, Ohio

BASYS Processing, Inc. basyspro.com Lenexa, Kansas

Daves Landscaping Service LLC daveslandscapingllc.com McConnelsville, Ohio

Grunder Landscaping Co. grunderlandscaping.com Miamisburg, Ohio

Bayer Ornamentals bayer.com Hilliard, Ohio

Davis Tree Farm & Nursery, Inc. davistreefarm.com Valley City, Ohio

H & M Landscaping, Inc. hmlandscaping.com Newbury, Ohio

Benchmark Landscape Construction, Inc. benchmarkohio.com Plain City, Ohio

Dayton Bag & Burlap daybag.com Dayton, Ohio

H. J. Benken Florist & Greenhouses, Inc. benkens.com Silverton, Ohio

Berns' Greenhouse & Garden Center, Inc. bernsgardencenter.com Middletown, Ohio

deMonye's Greenhouse, Inc. demonyes.net Columbus, Ohio

Harrell's LLC harrells.com Lakeland, Florida

Bluestone Perennials, Inc. bluestoneperennials.com Madison, Ohio

Dean's Landscaping Inc. deanslandscaping.net Xenia, Ohio

Hartman Landscaping hartman-landscaping.com Zanesville, Ohio

Bobcat Enterprises, Inc. bobcat-ent.com Hilliard, Ohio

Decker's Nursery, Inc. deckersnursery.com Groveport, Ohio

Hedge Landscape, LLC hedgelandscape.com Columbus, Ohio

Bowlings Nursery bowlingsnursery.com Simpsonville, Kentucky

Delhi Flower & Garden Centers delhigardencenters.com Liberty Township, Ohio

Hemlock Landscapes, Inc. hemlocklandscapes.com Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Breezewood Garden Center, Inc. breezewoodgardens.com Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Denny McKeown, Inc. bloomingarden.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Herman Losely & Son, Inc. losely.com Perry, Ohio

Brehob Nursery, Inc. brehobnursery.com Indianapolis, Indiana

Down to Earth Landscaping dteohio.com Garfield Heights, Ohio

Hidden Creek Landscaping, Inc. 2thecreek.com Hilliard, Ohio

Hyde Park Landscaping, Inc. hydeparklandscaping.com Cincinnati, Ohio

North Branch Nursery, Inc. northbranchnursery.com Pemberville, Ohio

Sharon Nursery sharonnursery.com Maineville, Ohio

Warstler Bros. Landscaping, Inc. warstlerbros.com Canton, Ohio

J. Barker Landscaping Company jbarkerlandscaping.com Bedford, Ohio

North Coast Perennials, Inc. northcoastperennials.com Madison, Ohio

Shearer Landscaping Inc. shearerlandscaping.com Lewis Center, Ohio

Wengerlawn Nursery Co. wengerlawnnursery.com Brookville, Ohio

J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. jfschmidt.com Boring, Oregon

North Creek Nurseries, Inc. northcreeknurseries.com Landenberg, Pennsylvania

SiteOne Landscape Supply siteone.com Plain City, Ohio

West Fairfield, Inc. westfairfieldinc.com Amanda, Ohio

John K. Leohner Co. Inc. sleohner@aol.com Carroll, Ohio

Oak Leaf Landscaping oakleaf@embarqmail.com Danville, Ohio

Star Roses and Plants / Conard-Pyle starrosesandplants.com West Grove, Pennsylvania

White Oak Garden Center, Inc. whiteoakgardens.com Cincinnati, Ohio

JTS Landscaping Co. jtslandscaping.com Seville, Ohio

Oakland Nursery, Inc. oaklandnursery.com Columbus, Ohio

Strader's Garden Centers, Inc. straders.net Columbus, Ohio

Willoway Nurseries, Inc. willowaynurseries.com Avon, Ohio

Kendrick and O'Dell Landscaping Inc. kendrickodell.com Cold Spring, Kentucky

Ohio CAT ohiocat.com Broadview Heights, Ohio

T. H. Blue, Inc. thbluemulch.com Eagle Springs, North Carolina

Wilson Landscape Associates wilsonla.com Columbus, Ohio

KGK Gardening & Design Corp. kgkgardening.com Hudson, Ohio

Ohio Mulch Supply, Inc. ohiomulch.com Columbus, Ohio

T. L. C. Landscaping, Inc. tlclandscapinginc.com Solon, Ohio

Wilson's Garden Center gardencenterohio.com Newark, Ohio

Klamfoth, Inc. klamfothinc.com Canal Winchester, Ohio

Oldcastle Lawn & Garden mike.satkowiak@oldcastle.com Springfield, Ohio

T. R. Gear Landscaping, LLC tr-gear.com Fairfield, Ohio

Wimberg Landscaping wimberglandscaping.com Milford, Ohio

Klyn Nurseries, Inc. klynnurseries.com Perry, Ohio

Oliger Seed Co. oligerseed.com Akron, Ohio

The Cottage Gardens, Inc. cottagegardensinc.com Perry, Ohio

WinnScapes, Inc. winnscapes.com Columbus, Ohio

Kurtz Bros. Inc. kurtzcoh.com Westerville, Ohio

Pacific Mulch, Inc. pacific-organics.com Henderson, North Carolina

The Garden Path Landscaping, LLC gardenpathlandscaping.com Hamilton, Ohio

Yard Smart, Inc. yardsmartlandscaping.com Grafton, Ohio

Kurtz Bros., Inc. kurtz-bros.com Independence, Ohio

Petitti Garden Centers petitti.com Oakwood Village, Ohio

The Keller Group Limited kellerf.com Columbus, Ohio

Yard Solutions yardsolutions.com Groveport, Ohio

Landscapes by Terra, Inc. lbterra.com Marysville, Ohio

Premier Plant Solutions premierplantsolutions.com Avon, Ohio

The Pattie Group, Inc. pattiegroup.com Novelty, Ohio

Lowes Greenhouse & Gift Shop, Inc. lowesgreenhouse.com Chagrin Falls, Ohio

ProScape Lawn & Landscape Services, LLC proscape-services.com Marion, Ohio

The Siebenthaler Co. siebenthaler.com Beavercreek, Ohio

Luther Landscaping luthland@aol.com Ross, Ohio

Quality Yard & Home Maintenance qualityyhm.com Pataskala, Ohio

The Site Group, Inc. sitegroupinc.com New Carlisle , Ohio

M. J. Design Associates, Inc. mjdesignassociates.com Plain City, Ohio

R. B. Stout, Inc. rbstoutinc.com Akron, Ohio

Thomson's Landscaping thomsonslandscaping.com Marietta, Ohio

McArthur Lumber & Post mcarthurlumberandpost.com McArthur, Ohio

Reading Rock Inc. readingrock.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Timberwood Landscape Co. Inc. timberwoodlandscape.net Dublin, Ohio

McCullough’s Landscape & Nursery, LLC mcland.com New Albany, Ohio

Reichle Brothers reichlebrothers.com Westerville, Ohio

Timbuk Farms timbuk.com Granville, Ohio

Meadow View Growers meadowview.com New Carlisle, Ohio

Rice's Landscapes Redefined riceslandscapes.com Canton, Ohio

Todd's Enviroscapes, Inc. growinggood.com Louisville, Ohio

Meadowood Enterprises, LLC meadowoodplants.com Madison, Ohio

Rocky Fork Company rockyfork.com New Albany, Ohio

Unilock Ohio, Inc. unilock.com Rittman, Ohio

Medina Turf Farms Inc medinaturf.com Seville, Ohio

Rohr's Nursery, Inc. rohrsnursery.com Canton, Ohio

Upscale Lawncare upscalelawncare.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Millcreek Gardens LLC millcreekplants.com Ostrander, Ohio

Rush Truck Centers rushenterprises.com Columbus, Ohio

Vizmeg Landscape, Inc. vizmeg.com Stow, Ohio

Monrovia monrovia.com Dayton, Oregon

Schill Grounds Management schilllandscaping.com North Ridgeville, Ohio

W. A. Natorp Corp. natorp.com Mason, Ohio

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 21

$750,00 to $1,499,999

1st Impressions Landscape & Garden Center 1stgardencenter.com Sunbury, Ohio

Exscape Designs exscapedesigns.com Novelty, Ohio

No Limits Landscaping, Inc. nolimitslandscaping.com Maineville, Ohio

TAH Benefits tahbenefits.com Westerville, Ohio

Albyn's Landscape & Nursery Center, Inc. albynslandscape.com Newark, Ohio

Fitzwater Tree & Lawn Care fitzwatertlc.com Greenville, Ohio

Ohio Nursery Exchange LLC ohionurseryexchange.com New Carlisle, Ohio

The DiSanto Companies, Inc. disantocompanies.com Cleveland, Ohio

Andy's Garden, Inc. andysgarden.com Piqua, Ohio

Gilb Landscaping, Inc. gilblandscaping.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Paramount Lawn Service, Inc. paramountlandscaping.com Loveland, Ohio

The Plant People, Inc. theplantpeople@columbus.rr.com Orient, Ohio

Arbor Farms Nursery arborfarmsnursery.com Fort Wayne, Indiana

Glass City Landscape gilsonken@yahoo.com Holland, Ohio

Perrino Landscape, Inc. perrinolandscape.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Those Guys Lawn and Landscape thoseguyslandscape.com Port Clinton, Ohio

Aristotle Design Group, Inc. aristotledesigngroup.com Newbury, Ohio

Gooding's Nursery & Landscaping goodingsnursery.com Sherrodsville, Ohio

Phelps Ohio Nursery phelpsohio.com Madison, Ohio

Timber Run Gardens, LLC timberrungardens.com Zanesville, Ohio

Baker's Village Garden Center bakersvillagegardencenter.com Powell, Ohio

Green Acres Landscaping & Nursery, Inc. greenacrescincy.com Fairfield, Ohio

Planted Earth, LLC. kadleta@planted-earth.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Tinkerturf Lawn & Landscape, Inc. htinker@tinkerturf.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Beardslee Nursery, LLC beardsleenursery.com Perry, Ohio

Hobby Nursery hobbynursery.com Loudonville, Ohio

Tree Tyme Nursery, Inc. treetyme.com Austinburg, Ohio

Beavercreek Landscape & Nursery beavercreeklandscaping.com Dayton, Ohio

J. R. Thomas Landscaping, Inc. jrthomaslandscaping.com Loveland, Ohio

Pond Supplies of Ohio, Inc./Hoffman Tree & Land Svc Inc pondsuppliesofohio.com Uniontown, Ohio

Bildsten Landscape Services, Inc. bildstenlandscape.com Columbus, Ohio

J. S. Goode Landscaping, Ltd jsgoode.com Circleville, Ohio

Campbell Landscaping LLC campbelllandscapingllc.com Canton, Ohio

Jason Weigandt Landscape Co. jasonweigandt.com Sidney, Ohio

Cardinal Landscape, Tree Service & Lawn Care cardinal-landscaping.net Oregonia, Ohio

Jeffrey Allen Corporation jeffreyallencorp.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Centerville Landscaping, Inc. centervillelandscape.com Centerville, Ohio

Johnson Property Services, LLC johnsonpropertyservices.net Marion, Ohio

Cherokee Manufacturing, LLC cherokeemfg.com South St. Paul, Minnesota

Ken Helmlinger Co. kenhelmlingerco.com Columbus, Ohio

Clean Cut Landscape & Lawn cleancut-landscape.com Bellbrook, Ohio

Kleinhenz Landscape kleinhenzlandscape.com Powell, Ohio

D & D Landscaping Supply, LLC danddlandscapingsupply.com Portage, Ohio

Landform Svc, Inc. landformteam.com Fairfield, Ohio

Davey Tree Expert Co davey.com Wooster, Ohio

Lawn Scapes, Inc. lawnscapescincy.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Detillion Landscaping Co., Inc. detillionlandscaping.com Chillicothe, Ohio

Lewis Landscaping & Nursery, Inc. lewislandscaping1.com Copley, Ohio

DLL Landscaping & Tree Service dllohio.com Columbus, Ohio

LTD Landscapes, Inc. ltdlandscapes.com Milford, Ohio

Dresden Landscaping, Ltd. tcrwatters@yahoo.com Dresden, Ohio

Madison Lawn Care, Ltd. madisonlawncare.com London, Ohio

Ebright Landscapes, Inc. ebrightlandscape.com Pickerington, Ohio

Meyer's Garden Center & Landscaping, Inc. meyersgardencenter.com Fairfield, Ohio

Evergreen Seed Supply, LLC grassseedsupply.com Lambertville , Michigan

MGZ Lawn & Grounds Care mgzllc2015@gmail.com Piqua, Ohio

Executive Landscaping, Inc. executivelandscapingohio.com Vienna, Ohio

Miller Landscapes of Westerville, LLC millerlandscapeswesterville.com Westerville, Ohio

22 | ogia.org

Quality Lawn, Landscape & Fence, Inc. qualitylandscape-fence.com Casstown, Ohio Quality Services qualitysprinklingsystems.com North Ridgeville, Ohio R & J Farms, Inc. rjfarms.com West Salem, Ohio Richard's Tree & Crane Service, LLC richardstreeservicellc.com North Ridgeville, Ohio Riepenhoff Landscape, Ltd riepenhofflandscape.com Hilliard, Ohio Rindler Landscape, LLC rindlerlandscape.com Kettering, Ohio Rocky Gardens Landscape Group LLC kelly26@frontier.com Beloit, Ohio Royal Landscape Gardening, Inc. royalcompanies.net Garfield Heights, Ohio Sandy's Landscaping, Inc. sandyslandscaping.com North Canton, Ohio Scott's Garden Center, Inc. scottsgardencenter.net Powell, Ohio Smith Evergreen Nursery, Inc. smithevergreen.com Magnolia, Ohio Strausburg Nursery strausburgnursery.com Xenia, Ohio Stropkey Nurseries, Inc. stropkeynurseries.com Painesville, Ohio T.D. Landscape, Inc. tdlandscape.net Fredericktown, Ohio

Virgin Landscape LLC virginlandscape.net Gahanna, Ohio Willo'dell Nursery, Inc. willodell-nursery.com Ashland, Ohio Wolf Creek Company wolfcreekcompany.com McKinney, Texas Wright's Tree Service, LLC wrightstree-ohio.com Columbus, Ohio Yard Barbers, Inc. yardbarberslandscape.com Columbus, Ohio

$500,00 to $799,999

All Season Landworks, Inc. allseasonlandworks.com Sunbury, Ohio

Knollwood Florists, Inc. knollwoodgardens.com Beavercreek, Ohio

The Greenhouse Shoppe thegreenhouseshoppe.com Wooster, Ohio

Builderscape, Inc. builderscape.com Plain City, Ohio

Konen Landscaping Inc konenlandscape.com Dayton, Ohio

Union III Outdoor Living unioniii.com Marysville, Ohio

Cable Bros Outdoor Services cablebrosoutdoors.com Trotwood, Ohio

Lakeview Nurseries, Inc. lakeviewgardencenter.com Fairfield, Ohio

Wade Gardens Landscaping wadegardens.com Mansfield, Ohio

Davies' Landscape & Lawn Care davieslandscapinglawn.care Cincinnati, Ohio

Leuty Nursery jlleuty@roadrunner.com Novelty, Ohio

Dayton Nurseries, Inc. daytonnursery.com Barberton, Ohio

Madison Tree Care & Landscaping, Inc. madisontreecincy.com Milford, Ohio

DeHoff Flowers, Greenhouses & Landscaping dehoffs.com Alliance, Ohio

McHenry Landscaping mchenrylandscaping.com Novelty, Ohio

Delagrange Landscaping and General Construction, LLC godelagrange.com Howard, Ohio Delhi Landscape Inc. delhilandscape.com Radnor, Ohio E. F. Pouly Company efpouly.com Orrville, Ohio Eric Stewart Enterprises ericstewartenterprises@gmail.com Bexley, Ohio Ernst Conservation Seeds, Inc. ernstseed.com Meadville, Pennsylvania First Capital Landscape Group LLC firstcapitallandscapegroup@gmail.com Chillicothe, Ohio Garden Of Eden Landscaping Services, LLC edensproduce.com Richwood, Ohio Gotch & Company, Inc. gotchandcompany.com Carrollton, Ohio Graf Growers grafgrowers.com Akron, Ohio Green Velvet Sod Farms Ltd. greenvelvet.com Bellbrook, Ohio H. A. M. Landscaping, Inc. hamlandscaping.com Cleveland, Ohio Hope Timber Garden Center, Ltd. hopetimber.com Newark, Ohio Hubert's Landscaping Company Incorporated hubertslandscaping.com Avon Lake, Ohio

OGIA 2022 MEMBER DIRECTORY

Morton Professional Lawn Care mortonprofessionallawncare.com Zanesville, Ohio North Dayton Garden Center northdaytongarden.com Dayton, Ohio Ohio Green Works LLC ohiogreenworks.com Waynesville, Ohio Penn-Ohio Wholesale info@kraynaks.com Painesville, Ohio Pleiman Landscaping LLC pleimanlandscaping.com Maria Stein, Ohio Rain One Inc. rain1.com Blacklick, Ohio Richards' Landscaping, Inc. richardsgardens.com New Washington, Ohio Runkel Landscape Associates, Inc. landscapeassociates.net Lima, Ohio Seibert Keck Insurance seibertkeck.com Columbus, Ohio Sherman & Sons Lawn Care LLC shermanandsonslawncarellc.com Grafton, Ohio Smith Landscaping, Inc. smithlandscaping.com Beloit, Ohio Smith's Camargo Landscape smithscamargolandscape@fuse.net Amelia, Ohio Smith's Gardens, Inc. smithsgardensinc.com Delaware, Ohio Spieles Nurseries spielesnurseries.com Lima, Ohio

Jenkins Maintenance Co., Inc. jenkinslandscaping.net Medina, Ohio

Stefani Landscaping, Inc. sgcinc@fuse.net Cincinnati, Ohio

John T. Baker Enterprise, Inc. johnstreeonline.com Hudson, Ohio

Tall Oaks Lawn & Landscaping, LLC talloakslawn.com Hamilton, Ohio

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 23

$250,00 to $499,999 OGIA 2022 MEMBER DIRECTORY

Abbruzzese Brothers, Inc. abbzinc.com Hilliard, Ohio

Creech's Lawn & Garden Center, Inc. creechsgarden.com Lebanon, Ohio

Joe's Landscaping of Beavercreek, Inc. joeslandscaping.com Fairborn, Ohio

Acme Tree & Landscape, Inc. acmetreeandlandscape.com Cincinnati, Ohio

D & D Maintenance ddmaintenance.net Medina, Ohio

John B. Jacobs & Son Nurseries, Inc. jacobsnursery.com Blanchester, Ohio

American Safety & Health Management Consultants, Inc. ashmci@aol.com North Canton, Ohio

Dazzle Lawn Care, Inc. dazzlelawncare.com Cleveland, Ohio

Kile Landscaping kilelandscaping.com Sabina, Ohio

Delventhal Landscaping & Nursery, Inc. delventhallandscaping.com Waterville, Ohio

LaCava's Landscape LLC lacavaslandscape.com Grand River, Ohio

Arselli's Landscape & Design arsellislandscape.net Chillicothe, Ohio

Diamond Cut Lawn & Landscaping Services, LLC diamondcutllc.com Columbiana, Ohio

Lamanna's Lawn & Landscaping lamannaslandscpe@aol.com Kettering, Ohio

Atwater Nursery atwaternursery.com Atwater, Ohio

Drake's Landscaping drakeslandscaping.com Powell, Ohio

B & H Landscaping jillaharder@gmail.com Strasburg, Ohio

Dumont Seed Co. dumontseedco@att.net Canton, Ohio

B Roe Landscaping LLC roeboat45@hotmail.com Norwalk, Ohio

Durbin Landscaping, Inc. jdurbinlandscape@aol.com Cleves, Ohio

Beck's Greenhouse, Inc. becksgreenhouse.com Bellville, Ohio

Earth Works, Inc. landscapingearthworks.com Dayton, Ohio

Beining Nursery & Landscaping, LLC beiningnursery.com Cloverdale, Ohio

Essential Landscaping & Irrigation essentiallandscaping.com Miamisburg, Ohio

Benanzer Nursery, Inc. benanzernursery.com St. Henry, Ohio

Father & Son Property Maintenance, LLC fatherandsonpm.com Louisville, Ohio

Blooming Designs summit-landscape.com Norton, Ohio

Floralandscape, Inc. floralandscape.com Toledo, Ohio

Boyles Nursery and Landscaping LTD boylesnursery.com Mogadore, Ohio

Florimar, Inc. landandtreetending.com Georgetown, Ohio

Bremec Garden Centers & Bremec Group bremec.com Chesterland, Ohio

Galehouse Tree Farms galehousetreefarms.com Doylestown, Ohio

Brockhage Landscape Company brockhagelandscape.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Gillam Lawncare & Landscaping, LLC gillamlawncare.com South Vienna, Ohio

Brotzman's Nursery, Inc. brotzmansnursery.com Madison, Ohio

Gold-N-Touch Landscaping, Inc. gold-n-touch@sbcglobal.net Dayton, Ohio

Bry Pan, LLC Newark, Ohio

GoodSeed Farm Landscapes goodseedfarm.com Peebles, Ohio

Arcola Creek Nursery arcolacreeknursery.com Madison, Ohio

Buena Vista Landscaping buenavistalandscaping@gmail.com Springfield, Ohio Cedar Lane Farm Corp. cedarlanefarms@sssnet.com West Salem, Ohio Cianciolo Designscape, Inc. cdesignscape.com Cincinnati, Ohio City Wide Seed & Sod carrier@newhousingohio.org Hamilton, Ohio Combs Landscaping combslandscaping.com Westlake, Ohio

24| ogia.org

Gorman Landscape Contractors, LLC gormanlandscape.com Spring Valley, Ohio Greenbush Professional Services, LLC greenbushprofessionalservices.com Camden, Ohio Greenhouse Landscaping, Inc. greenhouselandscap@sbcglobal.net Beavercreek, Ohio Holscher & Hackman Garden Center plantingthefuture.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Lanhan Contractors, Inc. lanhanlandscaping.com South Euclid, Ohio Lilly Lawn and Landscape LLC lillylawnandlandscape.com Ravenna, Ohio Listerman & Associates, Inc. listermanassoc.com Beavercreek, Ohio Lowenoak Landscape Development lowenoak.com Findlay, Ohio Mark Webber's Landscaping Company webberlandscaping.com Liberty Twp, Ohio Mateva Gardens jeeneyh@yahoo.com Cincinnati, Ohio McIreland, Inc. mcireland1@embarqmail.com Mansfield, Ohio Metroscape metroscapehls.com Columbus, Ohio MJK Unlimited Inc. mjkunlimited.com Chagrin Falls, Ohio Moyer's Nursery & Landscaping moyersnursery.com Massillon, Ohio MTC Horticultural Services mtchort.com Oberlin, Ohio My Lawn & Landscape, Inc. mylawnlandscaping.com Spring Valley, Ohio New Leaf Landscape Construction, Inc. nwlflc.com Marysville, Ohio NYP Corp. nyp-corp.com Elizabeth, New Jersey Oberlander's Tree & Landscape, Ltd. oberlanders.com Bucyrus, Ohio Pam's Perennial Plant Farm pamsperennials.com Norton, Ohio Personal Touch Landscaping & Consultations, Inc. ptlandscaping96@gmail.com Urbana, Ohio

$249,999 and down Phillips Land Improvement Center phillipscompanies.com Beavercreek, Ohio

West Point Landscape & Design Co. westpointlandscapeanddesign.com Marysville, Ohio

A & J Lawn Care, Inc. ajlawncareinc.com Grove City, Ohio

Ponzani Landscape Co. ponzani.com St. Clairsville, Ohio

Winchester Landscape Gardens, Inc. winchestergardens@sbcglobal.net Groveport, Ohio

A & J Landscape and Lawn Care LLC aandjlandscapeandlawncare.com Mansfield, Ohio

Reynolds Landscape Co. reynoldsnursery.com Belpre, Ohio

Witte Landscape Specialists, Inc. wittelandscape.com Cincinnati, Ohio

All Season Landscape & Maintenance, Inc. rbrown62@cinci.rr.com Loveland, Ohio

Rich O'Donnell Landscape, Inc. richodonnelldesigns.com Warren, Ohio

Allscape Property Services LLC allscape.dayton@gmail.com Lebanon, Ohio

Ritenour Custom Lawn Care, Inc. customlawncareinc.com Butler, Pennsylvania

Ansley & Associates ransley@cscc.edu Columbus, Ohio

Second Nature Landscaping, Inc. secondnaturelandscaping@windstream.net Willoughby, Ohio

Aquilla Springs Garden Services LLC ada13rrp@gmail.com Chardon, Ohio

Sestili Nursery, Inc. sestilinursery.net Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Arbor Doctor, LLC arbordoctor.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Smith Bros., Inc. smithbrosmulch.com Medina, Ohio

B. Kolton Landscape Design & Build bkoltonlandscape.com Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Stewart Landscaping dschaub00@yahoo.com Sagamore Hills, Ohio

Bailey's Tree & Landscape, Inc. baileystreeandlandscape.com Sandusky, Ohio

Stone Ledge Designs Inc. stoneledgedesigns.com Garrettsville, Ohio

Barbeau Lawn and Landscape LLC barbeaullc.com Westerville, Ohio

Surface Nursery, Inc. surfacenursery.com Gresham, Oregon

Bardos Landscaping & Lawn Care, Ltd. andrewlindy@aol.com Maineville, Ohio

Surroundings, Inc. surroundingslandscape.com Loveland, Ohio

Bench' Greenhouse & Nursery benchsgreenhouse.com Elmore, Ohio

Sutherland's Landscaping & Excavating, Inc. sutherlandslawncare.business.site Pataskala, Ohio

Berger Peat Moss berger.ca Twinsburg, Ohio

The Formal Garden LLC the-formal-garden.com Columbus, Ohio

Best Landscaping Reno, Ohio

5 Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board jhutt614@gmail.com Columbus, Ohio Carl Harp Nursery carlharpnursery.com Barberton, Ohio Carmar Gardens, Inc. carmar@thewavz.com Nevada, Ohio Carroll Landscape & Nursery carrolllandscape.com Monclova, Ohio Cassinelli's Glendale Nurseries, Inc. Fairfield Twp, Ohio Casto-Anderson Landscaping, Inc. Sidney, Ohio Central Ohio Bag & Burlap, Inc. centralohiobagandburlap.com Columbus, Ohio Central Ohio Landscape Co. centralohiolandscapeco.com Waldo, Ohio Christal Clean Landscapes LLC christalclean.com Columbus, Ohio Cincinnati Nature Center cincynature.org Milford, Ohio Clean Cut American Lawn robertdye1@me.com Chillicothe, Ohio Columbus Hardscapes, LLC columbus.hardscapes@gmail.com Baltimore, Ohio Columbus State Landscape Alumni Association cslaalumni.com Ashley, Ohio Community Green Group communitygreengroup.com Loveland, Ohio

The Greatest Scape, Inc. greatestscape.com Mt. Vernon, Ohio

Biodiversity Landscape Design & Nursery Sales, Inc. skinczel@att.net Painesville, Ohio

Tom Green Nursery Sales, LLC tgreenhort@aol.com Louisville, Ohio

Blue Ring Residential Services blueringh.com Columbus, Ohio

Corsaro Landscaping and Design Inc. rcorsarolandscaping@yahoo.com Mayfield Heights, Ohio

Turner Landscaping LLC turnerlandscapingllc.com Saint Paris, Ohio

Bobbie's Green Thumb bgthumb.com Shaker Heights, Ohio

Crawford Nursery, Inc. Bucyrus, Ohio

Ultra-Turf, Inc. ultraturf@hotmail.com Hamilton, Ohio

Brennan Lawn & Landscape LLC brennanlawns@gmail.com Avon, Ohio

United Label & Sales Co. unitedlabel.com Cleveland, Ohio

Briar Rose Nurseries briarrosenurseries.com Perry, Ohio

Varga's Greenhouse & Assoc., Inc. vargalandscaping.com Bay Village, Ohio

Brown County Rental browncountyrental.com Aberdeen, Ohio

Village Green Floral and Garden Center villagegreengardencenter.com Wapakoneta, Ohio

Burger Farm & Garden Center, Inc. burgerfarms.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Vogel's Nursery vogelsnursery.com New Lebanon, Ohio

C. & C. Garden Design, Inc. McBlooms@aol.com Hinckley, Ohio

Contree Sprayer and Equipment Company contree.com Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

Creative Waterscapes ponddoc@ngamail.net Hebron, Ohio Custom Landscape Service chris.fallot@gmail.com Waynesburg, Ohio CustomTree Inc. customtreeinc@aol.com Copley, Ohio Dailey's Lawn & Landscaping daileyslawn@aol.com Dayton, Ohio Daniel's Landscaping danielslandscapes.com Plain City, Ohio

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 25

$249,999 and down

Darwin Designs darwindesigns@hotmail.com Plain City, Ohio

Gehret Nursery, Inc. gehretnursery.com Minster, Ohio

Hunter Green Services, Inc. hgsinc@roadrunner.com Aurora, Ohio

Deitering Landscaping, Inc. chrisymansfield@hotmail.com Leipsic, Ohio

Glass-n-Greens Cuddy624@comcast.net East Palestine, Ohio

Huss Nursery and Landscaping LLC rootmon@frontier.com Genoa, Ohio

Designs of Nature, LLC designsofnature@embarqmail.com Morrow, Ohio

Goldenscapes LLC goldenscapes20@gmail.com Lockbourne, Ohio

Innovative Earthworks & Design Co. innovativeearth.org Chagrin Falls, Ohio

Luxury Landscapes luxurylandscapesohio.com Dublin, Ohio

Dig-It Excavating & Landscaping Hubbard, Ohio

Grass Groomers Inc. mygrassgroomers.com Reynoldsburg, Ohio

Johnny O's, Inc. johnny-os.com Canton, Ohio

LWB Design, LLC lwbdesign.com Willoughby, Ohio

Grasshuggers grasshuggers.com Columbus, Ohio

Jonas Lawn Care Unlimited, LLC rjonaslcu@gmail.com Reynoldsburg, Ohio

Masterscape LLC scapemasterllc.com Shaker Hts, Ohio

Grayhawk Greenhouse Supply, LLC grayhawkgreenhouse.com Swanton, Ohio

JTS Tree & Landscape LLC jtstreellc.com Westerville, Ohio

Mathers Environmental Science Services, LLC mathersenvironmental.com Gahanna, Ohio

Green & Growing, Inc. greenandgrowing@msn.com Burbank, Ohio

K. & E. Design Management snyderkande@aol.com Montville, Ohio

Maumee Valley Growers Association maumeevalleygrowers.com Oregon, Ohio

Green City Resources greencityresources.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Kemper's Landscaping Versailles, Ohio

Maxville Quarries Inc. info@stimmelconstruction.com Logan, Ohio

Dill's Greenhouse dillsgreenhouse.net Groveport, Ohio Don Mould's Plantation, Inc. mouldsplantation.com North Ridgeville, Ohio Eddybrook Tree Farm eddybrook.com Johnstown, Ohio Enoch Farms ernie.enoch@frontier.com Circleville, Ohio Environmental Enhancement, Inc. jmcder7865@aol.com Westfield Center, Ohio Envirotech Consultants, Inc. envirotechcon.com Somerset, Ohio Estate Landscaping Service, LLC jayfost@aol.com Columbus, Ohio Evergreen Landscaping Services, Inc. gorton_4@yahoo.com Milford Center, Ohio F&W Properties fwproperties.com Columbus, Ohio Fleetcor fleetcor.com Atlanta, Georgia Flores Landscaping & Nursery, Inc. jorgecabrera3830@att.net Painesville, Ohio Follow the River Designs, LLC followtheriver.net McConnelsville, Ohio Franklin Park Conservatory fpconservatory.org Columbus, Ohio Fred's Water Service, Inc. fwservice.com Perry, Ohio G & G Nursery, Inc. gandgnursery.com Lesage, West Virginia Garden Guru, Inc. gardenguruohio.com Hilliard, Ohio Gardenscapes by Joanna LLC gardenscapesbyjoanna.com Oberlin, Ohio Gateway Gardens & Nursery jayster8079@aol.com Streetsboro, Ohio

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Green Girl Garden, LLC greengirlgarden.org Cincinnati, Ohio Green King Co., Inc. greenkinglandscape.com Reynoldsburg, Ohio Green Shades Garden Center greenshades77@yahoo.com Roseville, Ohio Greenleaf Nursery Co. greenleafnursery.com Park Hill, Oklahoma Greenspire Grounds Management, Inc. greenspiregroundsmgmt.com Hilliard, Ohio Hagee's Nursery, Inc. rnbhagee@gmail.com Clarksville, Ohio Halter Lawn & Landscaping, Inc. halterlawnandlandscaping.com New Lebanon, Ohio Hartville Hardware hartvillehardware.com Hartville, Ohio Hens and Chicks hensandchicksohio.com Fairview Park, Ohio Hickory Lane Farms Nursery & Landscape LLC hickorylanefarms.com Raymond, Ohio Hillcrest Lawn & Landscape LLC vstickney@netzero.net South Vienna, Ohio Hoover Nursery & Landscaping, Inc. hoovernursery.com Maximo, Ohio Hornberger Landscape & Nursery, Inc. hornbergerlandscape.com Pleasant Plain, Ohio Hortica, a brand of the Sentry Insurance Group hortica.com Edwardsville, Illinois

Kevin Flory Landscape & Lawn Care, Inc. florylandscaping.com Greenville, Ohio Kevin McCoy Landscape, Ltd. kmccoy.landscape@gmail.com Coshocton, Ohio Kibler Lumber Do-It Center kiblerlumber.com Mt. Orab, Ohio Kushner's Land Management LLC kushnersland@yahoo.com Batavia, Ohio L. H. Wexner Household Landscape Team davec@lawhold.com New Albany, Ohio Landfare Ltd. landfareltd.com Columbus, Ohio Landscape By Design zrmartin@yahoo.com New Lebanon, Ohio LandscapeHub landscapehub.com Chicago, Illinois Landscapes and OuterSpaces, LLC landscapesandouterspaces@gmail.com Hillsboro, Ohio Lawn Lad, Inc. lawnlad.com Gates Mills, Ohio

Locke's GoGreen Landscaping and Garden Center gogreenlandscapingllc.net Oberlin, Ohio Lubrecht's Landscaping Cincinnati, Ohio

McCarty Gardens, LLC mccartygardens.com Sabina, Ohio McKinnon's Landscaping & Irrigation mckinnonslandscape.com Springfield, Ohio Meadow Beauty Nursery meadowbeauty@gmail.com Madison, Ohio Michell's michells.com King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Mid-West Landscape, Inc. midwest3450@sbcglobal.net Columbus, Ohio Midwest Landscape Network, Inc. tomhilge03@gmail.com Harrison, Ohio Miller's Country Gardens millerscountrygardens.com Delaware, Ohio MirrorScapes, LLC mirrorscapes.net Lancaster, Ohio More Than Curb Appeal lmescher002@woh.rr.com Clayton, Ohio Mowery Landscape & Design, LLC Westlake, Ohio

Lawn Masters & More lawnmastersandmore@hotmail.com Albany, Ohio

Mox Nursery mox38@yahoo.com Delphos, Ohio

Lawn Masters Lawn & Landscaping, Inc lawnmastersohio.com Springfield, Ohio

MPM Landmark jbmpmlandmark@aol.com Concord, Ohio

Leo Berbee Bulb Co. Inc. berbeeus.com Marysville, Ohio

Mutter's Lawn Service deepgreenlawnservice.com Hilliard, Ohio

Living Legends, Inc. plantandpatio@aol.com Westerville, Ohio

Mycorrhizal Applications mycorrhizae.com Grants Pass, Oregon

National Nursery Products, Inc. nnpinc.net Crestwood, Kentucky

Perfection Lawns, Inc. u2bfree@msn.com Clayton, Ohio

Schneider Landscaping schneiderslandscaping.com Toledo, Ohio

Nature's Own, LLC naturesownlandscapes.com Springfield, Ohio

Picciano Landscaping & Irrigation, Inc. dompicciano@gmail.com Orange, Ohio

Schultz Lawn Service & Landscaping, Inc. Munroe Falls, Ohio

Neville Landscape & Tree Co. nevillelandscapetreeservice.com Holland, Ohio

Pinnacle Landscaping pinnacleohio.com Columbus, Ohio

Nick's Lawn Service Ltd. nickslawnserviceltd.com McCutchenvile, Ohio

Poleo Associates mpoleo@sbcglobal.net Ann Arbor, Michigan

Nil Gallagher, Inc. nilgallagher.com Berkey, Ohio

Pondhaven Excavating Painesville, Ohio

Sedgwick Cordell.Walton@sedgwick.com Dublin, Ohio

Pony Lawncare & Landscaping, LLC ponylandscape.com Delaware, Ohio

Seely's Landscape Nursery seelyslandscape.com Hilliard, Ohio

Post Excavating and Landscaping, LLC pel_llc@yahoo.com Fort Recovery, Ohio

Seiler's Landscaping, Inc. seilerslandscaping.com Cincinnati, Ohio

PR Landscape, LLC prlandscape.com Steubenville, Ohio

Shelby Landscaping & Garden Center /shelbylandscaping.com Sidney, Ohio

Precision Landscape Design precision4lawns.com Streetsboro, Ohio

Shoemaker Landscape, LLC sshoemaker002@columbus.rr.com Fredericktown, Ohio

Premier Landscapes, LLC premierlandscapesllc.com Hamilton, Ohio

South Ridge Farms sridgefarm@twc.com Ashtabula, Ohio

Pro-Cut procutlandscapes.com Grafton, Ohio

Spectrum Analytic, Inc. spectrumanalytic.com Washington CH, Ohio

Northwood Gardens Landscape Design & Construction, LLC northwoodgardens.com Lima, Ohio Nursery Growers of Lake County Ohio, Inc. nglco.com Perry, Ohio O-Heil Site Solutions oheilsitesolutions.com Dayton, Ohio Oakstone Landscape OakstoneLandscape.com Galion, Ohio Oberfields LLC oberfields.com Delaware, Ohio Oberson's Nursery & Landscaping obersonsnursery.com Hamilton, Ohio

Rainbow Mulch grant@wellsmfgco.com Ohio Landscaping Corporation Columbus, Ohio Caledonia, Ohio Raley's Pine Ridge Tree Farms Organic Roots Horticulture raleystreefarms.com ogroots.net Hinckley, Ohio Ravenna, Ohio Residential Landscape Specialists Owl's Nest Garden LLC rickbernard357@msn.com owlsnest.farm Centerburg, Ohio Piketon, Ohio Rhoads Garden Center & Landscaping P. V. P. Industries, Inc. rhoadsgardencenter.com pvpind.com Circleville, Ohio North Bloomfield. Ohio Richard Rodomsky Construction & Pacific Impressions, Inc. Landscape pacificimpressionsinc.com nocashrich@aol.com Mansfield, Ohio Girard, Ohio Palmer Energy Company palmerenergy.com Toledo, Ohio

Rine Landscape Group, Inc. rinelandscapegroup.com Columbus, Ohio

Paragon Landscapes, LLC lhower33@zoominternet.net Ashland, Ohio

Ryan-Brothers' Landscaping ryanbrotherslandscaping.com Columbus, Ohio

Park's Lawn Care LLC jerryjpark@gmail.com Caledonia, Ohio

S & S Landscaping & Tree Service LLC snslandandtree@aol.com Findlay, Ohio

Parks Garden Center parksgardencenter@aol.com Canfield, Ohio

S. & S. Farms, Ltd. gale.slack67@gmail.com Cardington, Ohio

Peggy Goodwin pjgoodwin@fuse.net Loveland, Ohio

Sabo's Woodside Nursery, Inc. sabosnursery.com Madison, Ohio

Perfection Landscape & Greenhouse, LLC perfectionlg@live.com New Washington, Ohio

Sal's Landscaping & Construction Co. sals-landscaping.com Brecksville, Ohio

OGIA 2022 MEMBER DIRECTORY

Scioto Gardens sciotogardens.com Westerville, Ohio Secrest Arboretum secrest.osu.edu Wooster, Ohio

Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum springgrove.org Cincinnati, Ohio Spring Lake Nursery springlakenursery.com Perry, Ohio Spring Meadow Nursery Inc. springmeadownursery.com Grand Haven, MI Steinman Lawn & Landscape allensteinman@att.net Westlake, Ohio Stepleton's Outdoor Development stepletons.com Lima, Ohio Stutzman Lawn & Landscaping stutzmanslawnandlandscaping.com New Philadelphia, Ohio Sugargrove Tree Farm, Inc. sugargrovetreefarm.com Ashland, Ohio SummitView Landscape and Design summitviewlandscape.com Wapakoneta, Ohio Sunbeam Gardens, Inc. sunbeam.gardens@gmail.com Avon, Ohio Sure Shot Landscaping LLC sureshotlandscaping@aol.com Fairfield, Ohio Taphorn Landscape Services ttls5450@gmail.com Milford, Ohio

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 | 27

$249,999 and down OGIA 2022 MEMBER DIRECTORY

BRINE/DE-ICER 200 or 300 gal

SKID UNIT

Taylor Terrace Lawnscapes tomasgtay@aol.com Norwich, Ohio

Trinity Gardens, Ltd. gardenking@att.net Parma, Ohio

Wilcox Farms, Inc. wilcoxtreefarm.com LaGrange, Ohio

Tepe Environmental Services, Ltd. tepeservices.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Turf Trimmers LLC turftrimmers.com Kent, Ohio

Wilde Nursery, Inc. moot568@gmail.com Cincinnati, Ohio

The Creative Content Shop creativecontentshop.com Carroll, Ohio

Universal Farms universalfarmsllc.com Fremont, Ohio

Wilson Garden Center, Inc. wilsongardencenter.com Hamilton, Ohio

The Nicolaus Company, LLC kylen1969@hotmail.com Batavia, Ohio

UpShoot LLC upshoothort.com Fairport Harbor, Ohio

Wollam Ag Center, Inc. wollamag.com Continental, Ohio

The Seed Center theseedcenter.com Ostrander, Ohio

Valley Landscaping, Inc. joe.maruskin@gmail.com Boardman, Ohio

Worthington Landscape Co. Inc. worthingtonlandscapeohio.com Plain City, Ohio

TheDon Landscaping thedonlandscaping.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Vicki and Company, LLC vkirkbride@neo.rr.com Louisville, Ohio

Wright Nursery wrightnursery@yahoo.com Lynchburg, Ohio

Tom Goodman & Associates tgaplants@live.com North Lewisburg, Ohio

Village Landscaping Co. villagelandscapingllc.com Dayton, Ohio

Yard Works droach6@columbus.rr.com Zanesville, Ohio

Tom's Lawn Service tomslawnlandscape.com Sidney, Ohio

Wade & Gatton Nursery & Landscape LLC wadeandgatton.com Bellville, Ohio

Your Way Landscaping LLC Marietta, Ohio

Top Notch Landscaping & Supply topnotchlandscape.com Wheeling, West Virginia

Welker Tree Farm, Inc. swelker2001@yahoo.com Columbus, Ohio

Tri State Foliage tristatefoliage.com Cincinnati, Ohio

Wellmaster wellmaster.ca Tillsonburg, ON

Tri-State Nurseries tristatenurseries@gmail.com Ironton, Ohio

Wickline's Landscaping wicklineslandscaping@yahoo.com Xenia, Ohio

BRINE/DE-ICER 500, 750, or 1000 gal

DUAL SKID UNIT

30, 50, 100, 150, 200, 30, 50, 100, 150, 200, or 300 gal or 300 gal

THREE POINT

55, 110, 200, 300, or 400 gal

28| ogia.org

THREE POINT MISTER

40, 60, or 100 gal

BRINE/DE-ICER

Zupcsan's Nursery zupnursery@gmail.com Madison, Ohio

PEST CONTROL

1300 gal

UTV

50, 68, or 110 gal

ULTRA LOW PROFILE 50, 68, or 110 gal

TREE SERVICE Tank size options

NURSE TRAILERS 1005, 1065, or 1300 gal

SPACE SAVER

TRAILERS

30, 55, 85, 100, 200, or 300 gal

VIEW SAVER

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Ads listed here were current as of press time. For details, or to place a classified ad, visit ogia.org/careers. Landscape Foreman & Technicians Walters Landscape Solutions Westlake, Ohio

Equipment for Sale Sauter Landscaping West Chester, Ohio

Garden Center Store Manager Bremec Garden Center of Concord Concord, Ohio

Planting Technician Joseph Tree Dublin, Ohio

7463 West Ridge Road P.O. Box 189 Fairview PA 16415 800.458.2234 Fax 800.343.6819 e-mail: info@FairviewEvergreen.com FairviewEvergreen.com

THE BUCKEYE | May/June 2022 |29

HUMAN RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

Immigration Updates

DREW PETERSON

HR Solutions Coordinator

COVID Temporary Policies for I-9 Documents to End

Remote Workers I-9 Flexibility Extended, but only Until April 30, 2022

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have also announced an extension of I-9 Verification flexible requirements for fully remote workers.

The Department of Homeland Security has announced that beginning May 1st, 2022, employers will no longer be permitted to accept expired “List B” documents from employees during the I-9 Verification process. Originally in 2020, the temporary policy was put in place by DHS due to COVID-19 delays in document renewal and has continued. What does this mean for you? If you are an employer that accepted an expired “List B” document from an employee for completion of their Form I-9 between May 1, 2020, to April 30, 2022, you will be required to update that employee’s Form I-9 with an unexpired “List B” document by July 31, 2022. If the employee’s “List B” document expired on or after April 30, 2020 and they are still employed, you will need to collect an unexpired document from “List B” that establishes identity. Have the employee provide an unexpired document that establishes identity. Employees may present the renewed List B document, a different List B document or a document from List A. In the “Additional Information” field of Section 2, the employer enters the document: • • • • •

Title; Issuing authority; Number; and Expiration date. The employer initials and dates the change.

If you collected an expired “List B” document during those dates, BUT that employee is no longer employed with your organization, then no action is required from you. Finally, if the “List B” document that you collected was automatically extended by the issuing authority, no further action is required from you as the employer as the document is unexpired. To read more about the updated guidelines and identify what steps you may need to take, visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website.

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Originally in March 2020, DHS announced flexibility with employers who were working fully remote to be able to accept virtual documents during the I-9 Employment Verification process due to the inability to view physical copies. The extension continues to apply to all employees and organizations who are exclusively working remote. DHS has advised they are continuously monitoring the situation and will update the guidelines as necessary. Learn more about this extension on the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement website.

E-verify Records 10 Years or Older to be Deleted The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that on May 6th, 2022, they will erase E-verify documents that are more than 10 years old. This scheduled disposal of documents comes from the records and retention scheduled of the National Archives and Records Administration. The scheduled disposal of dated records is done in an effort to reduce security and privacy risks associated with documents kept by the government and the included identification information on them. Employers have until May 5th, 2022, to download relevant documents within the E-verify system. Documents can be downloaded via the Historic Records Report. USCIS has provided a fact sheet on this records disposal on their website. They have also provided detailed instructions on how to retrieve and download documents from the e-verify website. Please take the time before May 6th, 2022, to download necessary documents if you believe this would affect your organization. Visit the USCIS site for instructions on downloading records.

OGIA EVENT CALENDAR Subject to change. Visit ogia.org/events for more information. June 8

Member Facility Tour 4:30 p.m. | Groovy Plants

July 14

The Schedel Arboretum & Gardens Diagnostic Walkabout 9:00 a.m.

July 28

Franklin Park Conservatory Diagnostic Walkabout 9:00 a.m

ADVERTISER INDEX

Cascade Lighting, Inc.

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Diagnostic Walkabout 9:00 a.m

Contree Sprayer & Equipment

September 13

OGIA Golf Classic Safari Golf Club - Powell, OH

D a v i s Tr e e Fa r m & N u r s e r y, I n c .

September 22

Sunset Memorial Park Diagnostic Walkabout 9:00 a.m

Ernst Conservation Seeds, Inc.

August 11

October 12 - 13

Ohio High School Landscape Olympics Ohio State ATI

November 1 - 3

Midwest Green 2022 Greater Columbus Convention Center

OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST September 15

NGLCO Field Day Losely Nursery - Lake County, OH

E v e r g r e e n S e e d S u p p l y, L LC

Fa i r v i e w Eve rg re e n N u r s e r i e s , I n c . 2 9

G r e e n Ve l v e t S o d Fa r m s L t d .

M i l l c r e e k G a r d e n s L LC

N o r t h B r a n c h N u r s e r y, I n c .

S p r i n g M e a d o w N u r s e r y, I n c .

A D R AT E S & I N F O Contact Sara Cantees sara@ogia.org

THE BUCKEYE | May/ June 2022 | 31

Ohio Green Industry Association P.O. Box 518 Dublin, Ohio 43017-9998 Address Service Requested

DIAGNOSTIC WALKABOUTS Discuss how to find, diagnose, and control landscape pests during early mornings walks in a variety of public parks and green spaces. These interactive, hands-on, in-themoment experiences provide a unique alternative to traditional classes or passive reading. Attendees are invited to ask questions and take pictures for future reference. It’s an informal and comfortable learning experience. Discussions are tailored to the audience, weather and time of year, and characteristics of the location—no two walkabouts are ever the same. For more information, visit ogia.com/walkabouts