The Landscape Contractor magazine NOV.24 DIGITAL EDITION
Golf Outing
LIFT
, 34-38Photo Credits
ILCA Awards Committee 1, 8-9
DeVroomen 10-12-14
Rick Reuland 16-17, 22-26, 18-20, 32-33
Kellie Schmidt 18-20
Marissa Stubler 28-31, 34-38
Nina Koziol 34-38, 61
Heather Prince 40-42, 44-54
Jerry’s Landscape Nursery 5 5-56
Mark Dwyer 6 2
The official publication of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), The Landscape Contractor is dedicated to educating, advising and informing members of this industry and furthering the goals of the Association. The Landscape Contractor carries news and features relating to landscape contracting, maintenance, design and allied interests. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication. Publication reserves right to refuse advertising not in keeping with goals of Association. www.ilca.net
Volume 65, Number 11. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is published monthly for $75.00 per year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste. 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Landscape Contractor, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES: Association Publishing Partners, Inc., Ph. (630) 637-8632 Fax (630) 637-8629 email: rmgi@comcast.net CLASSIFIED ADS, CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION: ILCA (630) 472-2851 Fax (630) 472-3150 PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL OFFICE: Rick Reuland, rmgi@comcast.net, Naperville, IL 60540 Ph. (630) 637-8632
ILCA Staff
Executive Director
Scott Grams (630) 472-2851 sgrams@ilca.net
Statewide Director of Development Kellie Schmidt kschmidt@ilca.net
Director of Events AnneMarie Drufke adrufke@ilca.net
Education Manager Melissa Custic mcustic@ilca.net
Office Manager Alycia Nagy anagy@ilca.net
Membership & Marketing Manager
Marissa Stubler mstubler@ilca.net
ILCA
2625 Butterfield Road Ste. 104S Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 472-2851 • Fax (630) 472-3150 www.ilca.net
Pruning Workshop Lake in the Hills Public Works Lake in the Hills, IL
November 14, 2024
Annual Party and Member Meeting
Joe’s Live Rosemont, IL
DECEMBER
December 10, 2024
Irrigation Workshop
Northern Illinois University Naperville, IL
December 10, 2024
Turf Workshop: Improving Turf and Controlling Weeds Northern Illinois University Naperville, IL
JANUARY
January 28-29, 2025
InvigorateU
DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington, IL
From Where I Stand —
Success is a staircase, not a door.
- Dottie Walters, Author
As I write this sentence, ILCA stands only five companies away from reaching 1,000 members for the first time in our history. I never thought I would write that sentence. Don’t get me wrong. I have dreamed of writing that sentence like NASA dreams of writing, “We colonized Mars.” It just seemed so distant and inaccessible when I assumed the role of Executive Director in 2008.
That year, I started in June and ILCA was in the throes of our dues renewal cycle. The list of non-renewals grew and grew with each passing week as the recession smashed into the industry. As a newbie, I didn’t know any better. I was calmed by the staff who told me our members were slow to renew and this was a normal occurrence. They told me it would take a few weeks to mop up the membership list and, after some phone calls and nagging faxes, the members would return. Six weeks later, as we examined a thick, multipage report of non-renewed members, my staff members’ faces turned white. We had miscalculated. This wasn’t a dip, this was a mass exodus.
Not that we don’t go down swinging. In order for a member to officially lapse, they will receive 3 invoices and 3 emails. After the renewal date, they receive a follow-up email. After that, they receive a personal call from a member of Membership Committee. After that, another email issues a final warning. After that, a letter informs them they will be officially terminated. After that, we wait. After that, we throw them back into the hopper with requests to rejoin for the next three years. Then, and only then, do we move their name to the dead letter office. ILCA does not go away quietly. Even after that, there are countless ex-members who call and ask for the membership rate for a program or are shocked to find themselves removed from them website. We don’t hold grudges. We welcome them back with open arms because this is how we grow.
Party like it’s
The panicked calls to the members went predictably. Our problems were dwarfed by their problems. Phone numbers were disconnected and websites were dark. The ones who survived were laying off staff, begging for terms from their vendors, dropping liens on clients in foreclosure, and watching the economy’s worst fears become realized. The calls we made were less about collections and more about providing psychological support to an industry in crisis. Sometimes, we didn’t even have the heart to ask for a check. We hung up the phone and worried about them
999
That year, I learned a few valuable lessons. First, forr some members, the decision to renew is automatic. Being an ILCA member demonstrates their commitment to professionalism and professional companies are members of their state trade association. For others, membership is a conscious choice that demands a value proposition. Assuming every member should just renew on principle means ILCA gets complacent and complacency is not ILCA’s jam. The second lesson I learned is that growth will be slow. Membership growth can feel like digging in sand, but you can’t find the treasure if you don’t dig. Third, if and when we reached 1,000 members, I was going to celebrate with my staff like we just won the World Series!
Association professionals know that membership attrition is natural. The American Society of Association Executives reports an average attrition of 15% for trade associations. Every year, ILCA needs to go back to our members and make the case that our benefits outweigh their membership dues. It is hard not to feel like a politician asking for your vote. It hurts to lose members. It takes years to get to a point where we even accept that an attrition rate of 8-12% is industry standard and something to be proud of. We want every member to renew, but in any given year we have consolidations, buyouts, bankruptcies, branch closings, on top of the regular crop who simply did not find enough value. It is our goal to keep that attrition number as small as possible, but there will always be a number.
Every year, dozens of member firms join. In good years, we are able to add 90 new members. In a better years, we are able to lapse only 70. That net 20 is how you grow, year after year, from 680 members in 2008 to 1,000 in 2024. The growth is slow and painstaking. Some years, it feels like we are following a star in the sky. It shifts and rotates, but always seems distant.
There is very little in trade association management more confounding than membership. There are countless industry publications on improving membership value. Some experts say to dive deep into membership as it’s the core product of a trade association. Other experts feel we now live in a postmembership era and it’s our programs and services that makes us relevant. During years of industry prosperity, membership revenue pales in comparison to program revenue. During years of belt-tightening, membership revenue gets us through it. During Covid, when ILCA could not offer events for 18-months, membership revenue kept us alive.
The Membership Committee has the massive task of trying to objectively understand and enhance membership value. Besides the fun stuff of organizing the Annual Party and running the member booth at iLandscape, they must try and crawl into the heads of over 900 business owners. Each year, they divide up a list of 100 unrenewed member companies and call each and every one of them. Mind you, until we switched the fiscal year, most of these calls were made in June and July. If we were lucky enough to get someone on the phone, it was usually in the car or speaking over the clatter of a job site.
Yet, these calls made a huge difference. Never again would we be lulled into the 2008 mindset that members would return without effort. As volunteers, the Membership Committee isn’t selling the member anything with these phone calls. The committee simply wants to understand the lack of perceived value in something they valued so much. After all, the value of membership is why they joined the committee and make 100 reminder calls over the clatter of their own job sites.
We have done every promotion under the sun. We have done surveys, deals, discounts, affinity programs, and gate keep vital information from all non-members. The Board mandates the fees for non-
members must be 50% higher than members across all programs. We use carrots, sticks, education, networking, open bars, and awards. Providing membership value is personal, elusive, and perpetual. Just when we think we have figured it out, we start all over again with a new dues cycle.
ILCA has not raised membership dues since 2005. I view dues like taxes — yes, they need to get raised, but no one is going to like it and it should be done as a last resort. Since I joined ILCA, I have done everything in my power to not raise dues even as the association transformed itself and grew. The number of committees has tripled. The number of annual programs has quintupled. We have an online resource library. We started a tradeshow. We have a statewide office and an employee in Springfield. We have absorbed four different trade associations and have opened our doors to irrigation specialists. We are no longer the same organization we were in 2005. With that said, we still need member support every year and that support is dues.
I am not asking for violins. We undergo the same process that any landscape business, lawn care company, snow and ice contractor, irrigation company, or any other business with recurring revenue has to deal with. We mirror the suppliers in our industry from growers to hard goods to equipment to insurance. Every year, they need to retain the same customer base while attracting new ones. ILCA is not unique. We get you because we are you.
That is why 1,000 members is such a big deal for the staff and the Membership Committee. It is one of my personal milestones at ILCA and I am so proud to be on the precipice. The journey to 1,000 members is not marked by months or years. It is marked by decades of industry growth and setbacks, trial and error. I’d love to arrogantly tell you that I have figured out the secret to growth and 99% retention. I’d be lying. Membership value is like riding a bull. Just when you get comfortable, you get bucked.
In reality, the secret to membership growth does not belong to the ILCA. We are not the ones who receive that renewal invoice in the mail and revisit the value proposition. ILCA is not the one who writes that check. The reason we will finally reach 1,000 members is because of the other 999 members. The loyalty shown by our members is what has built this organization. The thanks belong to you, not us. 1,000 is just an arbitrary number set by people like me in charge of the counting. I know, full well, that 1,000 is another mile marker, not a finish line.
With that said, that drive will not stop us from celebrating. Our Membership Manager Marissa Stubler created a 1,000 member sign with a paper chain. Each time a new member joins, we cheer, and rip off a piece of the chain. We have a countdown clock on social media. We stand ready with a “Golden Ticket” for that 1,000 member to give them free events for a year. We will recognize them at the Annual Party along with the next crop of 25-year and 50-year members. Kellie Schmidt, Membership Chair Aaron Zych, Marissa, and I stand ready to barnstorm the 1,000th member’s shop for a welcome and photo-op. I have also promised my staff dinner at a steakhouse, champagne optional.
ILCA thanks the other 999 candles on this cake. With your support, we have become the largest trade association for the landscape industry in the State of Illinois. We cannot wait to reveal what we have in store for our members in 2025. It is going to be huge and the next step in our evolution.
As the old saying goes, “We didn’t come this far, only to get this far.” Buckle up.
Sincerely,
Scott Grams, Executive Director October 18, 2024
President Ashley Marrin
Bret-Mar Landscape Management Group, Inc. (708) 301-2225 ashley@bretmarlandscape.com
Vice-President
Kim Hartmann Rosborough Partners 847-404-7669 hartmannkim@comcast.net
Secretary-Treasurer
Kevin McGowen Kaknes/SiteOne (630) 416-999 kevin@kaknes.com
Immediate Past President Jeff Kramer
Kramer Tree Specialists, Inc, (630) 293-5444 jwkramer@kramertree.com
Directors
Adam Bellas Bellas Landscaping (309) 827-5263 adam@bellaslandscaping.com
Jim Cirrincione Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc. (630) 323-1411 jcirrincione@hinsdalenurseries .com
Ryan Heitman
The Fisher Burton Company (847) 566-9200 ryanheitman@fisherburton.com
Becky Thomas Spring Grove Nursery, Inc. (815) 448-2097 bthomas@springrovenursery.com
Mark Utendorf
Emerald Lawn Care, Inc. (847) 392-7097 marku@emeraldlawncare.com www.ilca.net
President’s Message —
Thisfall, the New York State Nursery and Landscape Association hosted the Great Lakes Leadership Conference, a meeting of green industry members and association staff from every state and Province that touches the Great Lakes. Scott Grams, Kim Hartmann and I participated in the conference, which helps strengthen ILCA’s relationship with other professional organizations and allows us to share ideas about how to best support our members
Many timely topics were discussed. The group examined mergers and acquisitions—and how we can support ILCA members in the future. We also explored development opportunities for volunteers and board members. We are fortunate to have an amazing group of volunteers at ILCA—they help develop creative ideas and do the work to accomplish many projects and programs for our members.
The group explored many other issues, such as diversification of education, time management, artificial intelligence, electric equipment requirements, and professional certifications. All of these things are changing and will have an impact on our industry and ILCA must continue to be at the forefront—managing issues and providing resources to members to help them excel in their careers and grow their businesses. We are thankful to have a large, growing group with volunteers from different parts of the landscape industry who bring their experience and expertise to the table.
Participants discussed how they train their board members and volunteers, and the time commitment resources needed. We discussed ways we can all improve communication between staff, board, committee members—and our members. We also talked about how to keep all of the volunteers feeling excited about their role and not overworked.
We also explored gardens, visited the Monatauk Point Lighthouse, and saw a NYSLA member’s brewery and hop farm operation. With Thanksgiving upon us, I want to share how thankful I am for ILCA. We are very fortunate to have such talented, dedicated staff, wonderful volunteers, and Scott Grams as our executive director. Happy Thanksgiving! Stay Positive!
Ashley Marrin
Esteotoño, la Asociación de Viveros y Paisajismo de Nueva York fue sede de la Conferencia de Liderazgo de los Grandes Lagos, una reunión de miembros de la industria verde y del personal de la asociación, provenientes de todos los estados y Provincias que tocan los Grandes Lagos. Scott Grams, Kim Hartmann y yo participamos en la conferencia, que ayuda a fortalecer las relaciones de ILCA con otras organizaciones profesionales y nos permite compartir ideas sobre cómo apoyar mejor a nuestros miembros.
Se discutieron muchos temas oportunos. El grupo examinó fusiones y adquisiciones —y cómo podemos apoyar a los miembros de ILCA en el futuro. También exploramos oportunidades de desarrollo para voluntarios y miembros de la junta directiva. Tenemos la suerte de contar con un asombroso grupo de voluntarios en ILCA —que ayudan a desarrollar ideas creativas y realizar el trabajo necesario para hacer realidad muchos proyectos y programas para nuestros miembros.
El grupo exploró muchos otros temas, tales como la diversificación de la educación, gestión del tiempo, inteligencia artificial, requisitos de equipos eléctricos y certificaciones profesionales. Todas estas cosas están cambiando y tendrán un impacto en nuestra industria e ILCA debe continuar estando a la vanguardia —gestionando asuntos y proporcionando recursos a miembros para ayudarlos a tener éxito en sus carreras y hacer crecer sus negocios. Nos sentimos agradecidos de tener un grupo grande en constante crecimiento, con voluntarios de diferentes partes de la industria paisajista que aportan su experiencia y profesionalismo. Los participantes discuten cómo capacitan a los miembros de sus juntas directivas y a los voluntarios y los recursos de compromiso de tiempo que se necesitan. Discutimos maneras en que podemos mejorar las comunicaciones entre los miembros del personal, de la junta, del comité —y nuestros miembros. También hablamos de cómo mantener a todos los voluntaries entusiasmados con sus respectivos roles sin sentirse sobrecargados de trabajo. También exploramos jardines, visitamos el faro de Montauk Point y vimos la operación de la fábrica de cerveza y granja de lúpulo de un miembro de la NYSLA. Estando cerca el Día de Acción de Gracias, deseo compartir lo agradecido que estoy con ILCA. Somo afortunados de tener miembros del personal tan talentosos y dedicados a su trabajo, maravillosos voluntarios y a Scott Grams como nuestro director ejecutivo. ¡Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias!
This simple elegant property is stunning, yet subtle in its elegance. The stormwater runoff as part of this project was executed with excellence in function and high-quality design. Carefully designed tree boxes allow the London Planetrees to appear as if they are emerging from the stone terrace. The active growing family appreciated the ample yard space made
possible by stone slab steps which complement the architecture. The full outdoor kitchen area is perfect to accommodate parti es of a few close friends or the whole neighborhood. Sophisticated lighting accentuates the landscape and allows the outdoor spaces to be enjoyed at all hours. The plant palette is an understated elegance, and its texture creates year-round
DeVroomen Turns 100!
by Nina A. Koziol
When 30-year-old Jacobus Theodorus de Vroomen of Scandanavia started a business in 1925, he was a oneman show. It’s unlikely he mused about where the firm would be in 100 years. If only he could see where the business is now as it celebrates its centenary as a successful international entity. This fall alone, DeVroomen Garden Products is shipping more than 6.6 million bulbs, tubers and rhizomes to landscapers, retailers, the Denver Botanic Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden, and for planting along Chicago’s Mag Mile and at both Chicago airports.
Angela Schultz joined DeVroomen 18 years ago as a receptionist, worked customer service and is now the general manager. “It’s a great company to work for and it’s like a family. The industry is phenomenal and I think it’s the best one to be in.” When we spoke in September, she was monitoring three ships on the Atlantic Ocean and waiting for 11 containers that held 54,000 tulip bulbs in each along with many other little gems that will make people very excited come spring. “Everything is grown in Holland with the exception of some grown Israel and Costa Rica.”
The company does not sell to big box stores, preferring to distribute top-size, true-to-name bulbs and other plant products to independent garden centers. “Big box stores tend to do smaller bulbs,” Schultz said. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, the company introduced “The Centennial Peony,” which has very large pure white, double-petaled fragrant flowers. And, this past April, Bart Twaalfhoven, the Consul
General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, came to Chicago to honor the company’s new “Magnificent Mile” tulip. In a ceremony on Michigan Avenue, he poured champagne, baptizing the new tulip—a tradition from his homeland.
Many DeVroomen customers don’t realize that the company services the entire U.S., Schultz explained. “People think we shut down when the cold comes, but there’s a lot more going on than you might realize. If we’re shipping to California and the shipment is sitting in Utah where it’s freezing, I have to reroute.”
Bulbs are pre-cooled, which is especially helpful when they’re going to southern states like Texas.
Tulips are consistently the number one seller, followed by daffodils, but more landscapers are using ornamental onions because they not only look good, the deer and rabbits ignore them. It’s not just tulips and daffodils, however. This year’s catalog features 24 pages of dahlias in all their splendor. Caladium, calla lilies, elephant ears, cacti and succulents along with edibles like seed potatoes, onions, rhubarb, shallots and asparagus have joined the catalog for retailers. The firm also brokers plugs and sells to several large growers. After visiting the production facilities in Holland, Schultz came away enlightened at the intense process of selecting, planting, growing, harvesting and packaging. “It’s mind blowing when you see the production alone—it’s a lot of human hands and there’s so much that goes into it.”
(continued on page 12)
Special Feature
(continued from page 10)
Landscape contractors make up the largest chunk of customers and the company goes over and above when it comes to packaging bulbs for specific projects. Besides creating custom blends, “Every box is labeled with the project name and we do a lot of palletizing for landscapers.” When the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society ordered a blend of 20,000 bulbs, it was all hands on deck from the office and warehouse staff to midwest sales staff and Chief Operating Officer Roland VanDenBergh, who recently retired.
Things have changed since Schultz came on board. “It was a lot slower back then. I randomly started calling customers and I’ve built a lot of relationships with people. I’m not an email person. The most important thing to me is being hands-on with my customers. If there’s a crop failure or substitutions needed, that’s big and it’s almost personal.” Those close relationships have extended to the bulb brokers, people working with container shipments and many others in the supply chain. “In our industry, everybody’s here to help and we all just want to teach. It’s a breath of fresh air.”
Visit them at https://www.devroomen.com/
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Special Feature
(continued from page 12)
DeVroomen By the Dates
1925 Jacobus Theodorus de Vroomen starts the business
1946 First color pictures in catalog
1949 Sons Hugo, Dick and Ben join the firm; expand to the U.S. and Canada
1961 Acquisitions in US and Canada
1966 First airfreight shipment
1974 New office/warehouse in Lisse, Netherlands
1980 First bare-root perennial order shipped
1986 Added 10,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Russell, IL
Ranking the Top Sellers
1. Tulip
2. Daffodils
3. Muscari
4. Allium
5. Crocus
6. Hyacinthus
7. Chionodoxa
8. Scilla
9. Camassia
10. Iris
11. Fritillaria
12. Anemone
13. Eranthis
14. Pushkinia
15. Leucojum
16. Corydalis
17. Ipheion
1992 Won Gold Medals at Floriade
1998 Launched the DeVroomen website
2014 Purchased Simple Pleasures line
2014 DeVroomen Canada doubled in size
2016 Added 80,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Gurnee, IL
2017 Added 80,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Florence, KY
2019 Simple Pleasures packaging 100% recyclable
2021 Miffy Program featured at Keukenhof in Holland
2024 The Magnificent Mile Tulip introduced
Focus — Fall Events 2024
by Meta Levin
September 11, 2024 was the 16th Turf Education Day (TED), an annual event put together by ILCA and held at the NIU Conference Center in Naperville.
Once again the ILCA Turf Committee assembled an All-Star lineup of speakers, featuring: Dr. Ed Nangle of Ohio State University; Dr. Paul Koch, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Trent Ford, the Illinois State Climatologist and the
always-entertaining Dr. Fred Whitford from Purdue University.
Employing attendees from the audience, Dr. Whitford staged his reenactment of “What to do if you have a chemical spill on the road.”
This well attended event has been an ILCA staple for 16 years.
Focus — Fall Events 2024
Growers Tour 2024
The ILCA Growers Tour Brings Together Nurseries,
by Kellie Schmidt
WLandscape Contractors and Architects
e had record-breaking attendance for this year’s Growers Tour on September 19, 2024 with 148 attendees. The weather was picture perfect.
The tour began early at Fox Ridge Nursery. From there it was on to Mariani Plants where the group enjoyed lunch and heard more from the event sponsors. The day concluded at Doty Nurseries with networking, fresh-picked apples and a cool beverage.
First Tour Stop
Fox Ridge Nursery, is one of Illinois’ premier wholesale producers of field-grown, specimen trees, shrubs and evergreens. Every item grown on their 400-acre farm is meticulously grown, pruned and dug specifically for the client, which include re-wholesalers, landscape contractors and garden centers. They ship throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Colorado and the Eastern half of the United States. During this tour, attendees heard about the following:
• Receiving/Planting Liners
• Field Organization in relation to pest and disease control/chemical application
• Liner Growing timeline-Planting and general maintenance
• Inventory and Quality Control
• Order Processing/tagging/digging
• Shipping orders/loading semis
• Container tree and shrub production in grow bags
Tour Guides: Kevin Backus, Jimmy Origer, Brooke Kampwerth
Second Tour Stop
Mariani Plants was established in 1992, as a wholesale grower of trees, shrubs, and perennials located in Grand Prairie, Illinois. This location features the innovative Accelerator® container tree program and 120-acre container/ propagation facility. Mariani Plants delivers ‘Better Plants –Better Service – Better Selection’. The tour guides covered the following:
• The evolution of our propagation and production practices
• Move from B&B to Accelerator container tree production
• Inventory management tools and philosophy
• Influences on our plant pallete – Branding, Trends and Custom Grows
Tour Guides: Mike Mennenoh, Jonathan Stickels, Krystal Flogel, Joel Davidson
(continued on page 20)
Growers Tour Sponsors—
Focus — Fall Events 2024
(continued from page 18)
Third Tour Stop
Doty Nurseries is a wholesale operation with two locations dedicated to providing a variety of proven, strong cultivars of trees, evergreens, shrubs and other plants to best serve the landscaping needs of their clients. They have locations in Maple Park and Huntley, and a marketing partnership with Kaneville Tree Farms to offer their customers even more material, simplifying the purchasing process. During this tour, participants learned about the nursery’s:
• Pruning practices for plants in the field
• Soil and Plant Care management
• Equipment use and Management
• Maintenance practices in a B&B holding yard
• Managing inventory across multiple locations
• Operations overview – what we’ve learned
Tour Guides: Andy Ward, Ken Doty, Ryan Doty, Bob Tures
The First Annual Jim Bilinski Memorial Hole flag is presented to Josh Bilinski by ILCA Executive Director Scott Grams.
1st Place — Josh Doherty, Josh Brantner. Dave Rambo
Jonathon Lestarczyk
2nd Place — Jason Postma, Darrick Postma, Joe Menzione, Matt Trowbridge
3rd Place — Aaron Postma, Alex Bommer, Mike Kessler Mike Barcelos
Booby Prize — Kila Hardwick, Lauren Ogle, Cemantha Brown Gretchen Kirchmer
50/50 Winner — Bob Bertog, Bertog Landscape
Yes!
It was a birdie putt on the Jim Bilinski Memorial Hole.
A hearty toast to Jim Bilinski, Former Golf Committee Chair and long-time Committee Member.
Whether you've been in business for over 50 years or are just getting started, having reliable equipment is crucial to your bottom line. Ditch Witch® Stand-on Skid Steers are engineered for demanding jobsites and built to deliver unmatched performance. Contact us today to discuss how Ditch Witch® stand-on skid steers can bene t your business.
Focus — Fall Events 2024
COMMUNICATE CREATE
L FT
Women’s Networking Committee program gets rave-reviews
“I keep returning to one inescapable truth — your power goes beyond your accolades and accomplishments, your network and net worth. The change I invite is not cerebral. It involves your head, your heart, and your gut. I believe you know what is best for you.”
— Lola Wright
by Nina A. Koziol
Autumn had recently arrived and change was in the air. Not just in the landscape, but in transformative energy when the Women’s Networking Group Committee hosted an amazing day-and-a-half summit at Eaglewood Resort and Spa in Itasca. It proved to be lifeenhancing for many of the 45 attendees.
The facilitator, Chicagoan Lola Wright, is a thought leader, speaker and coach who is intimately familiar with the green industry. She’s married to landscape architect Nathan Wright of Nathan Wright Landscape Design in Chicago, and leads the business, Nuluum, among three others. The summit was poised to give attendees a chance to elevate their self-awareness and to instill confidence to help them professionally and personally.
The program did not disappoint. “It started as a journey — where we’ve been, what’s held us back, our current mindset,” said Brenda Ward, vice president, business operations for Beary Landscaping and chair of ILCA’s Women’s Networking Group. “People shared and Lola gave us a different perspective — sometimes advice, sometimes encouragement. We spent the whole first day getting deeper into it.” Discussions followed on how to visualize something different, whether it was career-related or personal life. “Higher, lighter and something you really want. It’s not what was holding us back, but opening your mind to what you want. Lola gave us the time, energy, space, encouragement and guidance.”
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Focus — Fall Events 2024
(continued from page 28)
Ward found the program truly beneficial and timely — especially after working many weekends in a row without a day off. “Our company was bought out this year and I’ve been going nonstop. The night before the event I thought it was irresponsible to take a day off to do that — I was apprehensive. The week after the event was probably the easiest week I had in so long. I just came away with a lightness to myself. Everything doesn’t feel so heavy now.”
Besides locals, attendees came from Michigan, Indiana and southern Illinois. “LIFT was really good,” said Marissa Stubler, ILCA’s marketing and membership manager. “People said it was life changing,” The vision for the workshop was ignited six years ago.
“I thought it was amazing and being on the Women’s Networking Group and subcommittee for LIFT, it far exceeded my expectations,” said Carrie Hancock, seasonal color manager for JMR Landscaping in Libertyville. “Lola did an amazing job facilitating conversations and helping us grow personally and professionally. She created a safe place for self reflection and our growth.” And it didn’t involve “male bashing.”
Before the program, “People were saying they had preconceived notions about what the program would be, but afterwards they said it was way better than their expectations,” Hancock said. “You could get out of it as much as you wanted.”
Kila Harwick, business development manager at Green Soils Management in East Dundee, was a Women’s Networking Group committee member who worked on the summit with other volunteers. “In addition to knowing that I would be around my peers in the landscaping industry, I was very excited that it was going to be all women! To get 40 to 50 people together is tough enough, but to have them be all women, well — in this industry, it’s just unheard of. Lola Wright’s vibrant personality and tenacity was refreshing.”
This was the first ILCA event for landscape architect Dena Chandler of Arcadia Gardens in Bridgman, MI. “A colleague of mine in Chicago really praised the ILCA and started sending me newsletters about events. This one sounded so unique and powerful, I decided to give it a try. I was really impressed with the program—everything was seamless and well thought out.” Chandler had high praise for the speaker. “Lola gave us some very simple tools and we all practiced them together. She is an excellent facilitator. It was one of the best networking events I’ve been to. I think the way we broke down the issues that we were having at work or personally into a digestible way, they weren’t so insurmountable and it was something I could work through,” Chandler said. “In our fast-paced professional lives, you just go go go. But sometimes we have to slow down and take into account how we’re feeling.”
The after-hours sessions of networking, bowling and a pizza party enhanced the camaraderie. “Through large group discussions and small group interactions, I was able to embrace my inner emotions, fears and ambitions,” Harwick continued. “I was able to recognize that I had a lot in common with the other ladies in the room and that they all wanted to talk more about how they could improve their behaviors rather than change others. Lola kept her messages conversational and fun. The sharing of some of her experiences made her relatable. The biggest takeaway for me was that we all have the ability to distinguish between facts and stories and that we can use this in our approach to get us out of our own heads to manage situations in both our professional and personal lives—for the betterment of everyone involved.”
Don’t miss another valuable ILCA event: ilca.net/ilca-events
ILCA Hosts Foremanship & Crew Leader Workshop
The two-day event was held October 1 and 2, 2024. The Tuesday class was conducted in Spanish. The Wednesday class was given in English. The class was once again taught by long-time ILCA member, Professor Armando A. Actis.
Production and maintenance landscape foremen have unique needs as they have to wear two hats: a worker and a leader. Foremen have to walk the fine line in working side by side with the employee and having to direct, motivate and critique at the same time. Managing former peers and friends can be especially difficult, dealing with problems and obstacles can take skills that only can be developed by stepping out of the work environment for a few days, learning best practices, applying it in a learning environment through role play, and then going back and applying it on the job.
In this dynamic seminar, participants learned how to more effectively handle tight deadlines, tight margins and increase customer satisfaction. Also, participants were energized when they saw the class was prepared and designed specifically to meet their unique needs and not just another cookie cutter seminar.
Key components of the program included—
• The central role of the “worker-leader”
• How to properly supervise friends, peers, and former equals
• How to effectively communicate with your boss and superiors
• To generate 100 percent accountability from your team
• How to motivate and delegate at the same time
• To require accountability for all work (both bad or good)
• How to implement and follow daily & weekly work schedules
• How your team can produce quality work that stays within the budget and is completed on time
• The effectiveness of the work team
• How to deal with challenges and personal problems that occur outside the workplace that impact productivity
• To manage problem behavior
• How to produce client focused work using a moral compass
• To understand that mannerisms and values are as important as technical abilities
Professor Armando A. Actis
Young Professionals Fall Event at Techo-Bloc Exceeds Expectation
by Nina A. Koziol
Minooka—a native American word for “good earth.”
It’s also an Illinois village with just under 13,000 residents. Where is Minooka, you north-siders and down-staters might ask. It’s in the greater southwest Chicago metro area. And, it was a great place for hosting ILCA’s Young Professionals Committee fall event in early October.
For those not familiar with the Young Professionals (YP) group, they are landscape professionals who are ages 35 and younger. “We had 105 people registered for the event,” said Marissa Stubler, ILCA’s marketing and membership manager. “We were really excited because this was our first time hosting in a south suburb and we had a lot of new attendees.”
The event was held at Techo-Bloc (techo-bloc.com), a Montreal-based manufacturer of hardscape and masonry products ranging from concrete pavers, blocks, slabs, and walls to steps, edging and other outdoor features. The company offered five educational stations that ranged from permeable pavers and project estimating to trends in materials, selling and social media. One spokesperson told the group, “We’re a very young company and a very green company—using less plastic—and solar panels on all of our plants.” It was four hours of education and networking followed by drinks, food and raffles. “These events are always fun for attendees,” Stubler said.
It was the first time attending a Young Professionals event for landscape designer Marti Hernandez of Rolling Landscapes in Lemont. “I was interested in hearing abut the products and the workshops at the stations.” Hernandez and other attendees were glued to a presentation by TechoBloc’s Kris Mengle who discussed color, texture, scale, shape and other design aspects. But he also focused on selling the design. And the design trend, apparently, is not what grandma had on her patio. “The big thing right now is the client saying, ‘I want something more modern’,” Mengle said. He focused on the ever-increasing scale of today’s pavers. “We’re making 4’ x 4’ slabs. As you design jobs, by changing the scale, you have something different and unique and it’s not cookie cutter.”
When asked about sales meetings with potential clients, Mengle advised, “When a client calls, you want to pre-qualify them so you don’t waste time. You can send them a quick questionnaire about what they want and their budget. It’s not obnoxious and you’re not insulting anyone by doing that. It’s budgetary.” He also recommended the book, “The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation,” by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson. “Sales is a skill and you can get better.”
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Focus — Fall Events 2024
(continued from page 34)
“Most of our [event] locations have been central to Chicago, but now with the Unification with IGIA, we wanted to pick a more diverse location,” said Meghan Kohlmann, account manager for Midwest Ground Covers. Kohlmann co-chairs the YP Committee with Zachary Abear, founder and owner of MAEK Landscapes. “Techo-Bloc reached out and offered the space and we were very pleased with the turnout,” Kohlmann said.
This was one of many Young Professionals events for committee
member Adam King, senior landscape coordinator for King’s Landscape Design in Hinsdale. “It’s great to see what’s out there and to catch up and network.”
His cousin, Braden Gross, flew in from Denver to attend. “It’s really interesting and I liked it.”
Anthony Morales is an account manager for Alan Horticulture in Bartlett. “My first event was ILCA’s Fire and Ice. I’m really fascinated by the landscaping industry and being able to expose how great the industry is to others is really important to me.”
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Focus — Fall Events 2024
(continued from page 36)
Jessica Gardner, greenhouse manager at Platt Hill Nursery, serves on the Young Professionals Committee. “This is my second year and I wanted to be more involved with young people in the horticulture industry.” At age 28, “I’m a young manager with 10 years experience. I love it—it’s a lot of fun.”
You, too, can love an upcoming event that may help your career and expand your circle of peers. There are plenty to choose from. ilca.net/ilca-events
Shingle Oak
Autumn Blaze Maple 2” – 4”
October Glory Maple
Bur Oak
Red Pointe Maple 2” – 4”
Worplesdon Sweetgum
Princeton Elm
Willow Oak
Armstrong Maple 2” – 4”
Tulip Poplar
Heritage Birch, Single Stem
9 pequeños árboles nativos para un paisaje
by Heather Prince
Los árboles pequeños ofrecen una capa importante en el paisaje, desde el punto de vista del diseño y como hábitat. Piense en los árboles pequeños como aquellos entre 15 y 30 pies de altura. Se encuentran en los bordes de las tierras cubiertas de árboles, adornando patios pequeños o creando un soporte para un seto mixto. Cuando se colocan reflexivamente, los árboles pequeños pueden anclar una casa, convertirse en punto focal de un espécimen u ofrecer protección.
Aunque más pequeños que nuestros robles resistentes o tuliperos de gran altura, los árboles pequeños ofrecen lugares de refugio y anidación a las aves. Muchos producen flores para polinizadores y frutas para la fauna silvestre. Tienden a ser adaptables al sol o a la sombra parcial y prosperan en nuestros suelos arcillosos. Algunos tienen un color excepcional en el otoño, así como semillas y corteza interesantes.
Exploremos algunos árboles pequeños que pueden ser menos conocidos en nuestros terrenos ajardinados que el ubicuo ciclamor (árbol de Judas). También abordaremos algunos super-arbustos que son casi tan grandes como árboles y ofrecen muchas de las mismas cualidades y beneficios. Estas especies son todas nativas de Illinois y el Medio Oeste y están disponibles de cultivadores miembros.
Aesculus pavia o castaño de Indias rojo
Notas: El castaño de Indias rojo es típicamente un árbol redondeado de tallo múltiple apreciado por sus flores vistosas que atraen las primeras oleadas de colibrís. Se encuentra ocasionalmente en la región sur de Illinois y es resistente hasta en Wisconsin. Plante este árbol encantador como un espécimen que florece en primavera y hará que los vecinos quieran uno también. Alnus incana var. rugosa o aliso avellano/moteado
Notas: Un árbol redondeado aglomerado, al aliso moteado le gusta el agua y es una excelente solución para lugares húmedos. Embellece con hojas de textura rugosa con enveses pálidos, con fascinantes amentos y conos y corteza atractiva. Las aves cantoras se dan un festín con las semillas y anidan en las ramas. Especie en peligro de extinción en Illinois, prospera en temperaturas frías y puede crecer muy rápidamente.
en capas
Amelanchier arborea o amelanchier velloso
Notas: El amelanchier velloso (o baya de “Servicio”) se distingue de otras especies de amelanchier por sus hojas jóvenes excepcionalmente vellosas que tienen márgenes dentados. En el otoño, este elegante árbol aglutinante adquiere color naranja calabaza. Las flores son favoritas de una larga lista de abejas nativas, mientras que las Satyrium liparops y mariposas moradas con manchas rojas las usan como huésped larvario. Esta es una baya de “Servicio” más adaptable que se adapta a una gama más amplia de tipos de suelo que algunos otros derivados de plantas y especies.
Asimina triloba o pawpaw
Notas: Sus clientes podrán pedirla por su deliciosa fruta, pero no dude de incorporar este árbol pequeño acomodadizo, aunque sea solo por su follaje. Hojas tropicales grandes proveen textura de capas gruesas para el paisaje antes de adquirir tonos dorados brillantes en el otoño. Pawpaw producirá serpollos en condiciones ideales, pero tiende a ser una planta de un solo tallo en la mayoría de los casos.
Mariani Plants se enorgullese en su attencion al cliente. Tenemos expertos ajentes de ventas de habla hispana en nuestras dos localidades, Kenosha Wisconsin y Garden Prairie Illinois. Mariani Plants esta aquí para proveerle mejores plantas, mejor servicio y mejor selección.
Llámenos a Mariani Plants: 866-627-4264 / marianiplants.com
TODOS JUNTOS MEJOR.
Carpinus caroliniana o haya azul, carpe americano, árbol musculoso
Notas: Este árbol pequeño y resistente se puede encontrar como de un solo tronco o multitronco. Es increíblemente flexible en su tolerancia al sol y el suelo, lo que lo hace un candidato ideal para grandes coberturas si se guían con regularidad. Por sí solo, tiene una agradable forma redondeada. Es hospedante de larvas para la mariposa cola de tigre y muchas mariposas nocturnas. Se están introduciendo más variedades concentrándose en colores otoñales encendidos y formas más estrechas.
Chionanthus virginicus o laurel de nieve
Notas: El laurel de nieve crece y echa hojas lentamente en la primavera. No obstante, al florecer, puede perfumar toda una esquina. Sus hojas grandes y brillantes proporcionan una textura tropical. Asimismo, es asombrosamente tolerante a la contaminación, por lo que prospera en entornos urbanos.
Cornus alternifolia o cornejo de hojas alternas
Notas: El cornejo de hojas alternas puede ser un espécimen impresionantemente elegante en parques y jardines con color otoñal purpura rojizo. También alimenta la fauna silvestre, siendo preferido por abejas y polinizadores en flor y las aves consumen la fruta. También es hospedante de larvas de las mariposas denominadas celastrina ladon y una larga lista de mariposas nocturnas.
Halesia carolina o árbol de campanilla de nieve
Notas: El árbol de campanilla de nieve se planta mejor protegido de los vientos fuertes. Es una visión impresionante con luz de fondo en una mañana primaveral cuando las abejas visitan las flores. Introdúzcalo en una plantación mixta para una sorpresa primaveral.
Malus ioensis o manzano silvestre de pradera
Notas: Este manzano silvestre es para clientes dedicados a plantas nativas al no ser resistente a las enfermedades. Con un programa regular de pulverización, será un bello espécimen redondeado. Los manzanos silvestres no son solo favorecidos por muchas abejas y polinizadores, también son hospedante de larvas de la mariposa cola de tigre y la mariposa Satyrium liparops, así como de una larga lista de mariposas nocturnas.
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Nine Small Native Trees for a Layered Landscape
by Heather Prince
Small trees offer an important layer in the landscape, both from a design standpoint and as habitat. Think of small trees as those between 15 and 30 feet high. You’ll find them on the edges of woodlands, gracing small yards, or creating the backbone of a mixed hedge. When thoughtfully placed, small trees can anchor a house, become a specimen focal point, or offer screening.
Although smaller in stature than our mighty oaks or sweeping tulip trees, small trees offer important shelter and nesting spots for birds. Many produce flowers for pollinators and fruits for wildlife. They tend to be adaptable to sun or part shade and thrive in our clay soils. Some have outstanding fall color and interesting seeds and bark.
Let’s explore some small trees that might be lesser known in our landscapes than the ubiquitous redbud. We’ll also dive into some super shrubs that are nearly as big as trees and offer many of the same qualities and benefits. These species are all native to Illinois and the Midwest and are available from member growers.
Aesculus pavia or Red Buckeye Zone: 4 to 8
Size: 12 to 15 feet
Sun: full sun to part shade
Soil: average to moist, preferring a moist fertile soil
Flower: stunning panicles up to about 10” tall of red to orange-red tubular flowers in May
Fruit: 1 ½ to 2-inch fruits with typical buckeye seeds of dark brown with a tan eye
Bark: smooth with a greyish cast
Notes: Red buckeye is typically a rounded, multi-stemmed tree prized for its showy flowers that attract the first waves of hummingbirds. Occasionally found in southern Illinois, it is hardy up into Wisconsin. Plant this charmer as a springblooming specimen that will have the neighbors asking for one, too.
(continued on page 46)
Special Feature
(continued from page 44)
Alnus incana var. rugosa or Hazel/Speckled Alder
Zone: 2 to 6
Size: 15 to 25 feet
Sun: full sun to part shade
Soil: average to wet and mucky soils
Flower: Attractive purplish-brown male catkins become noticeable in April as they elongate and release yellow pollen.
Fruit: Clusters of reddish-brown cones that persist into winter, creating winter interest.
Bark: Smooth grey to burgundy-brown bark features interesting large white warty lenticils which give it its common name.
Notes: A rounded clumping tree, speckled alder loves water and is an excellent solution for a wet spot. It rewards with rugged textured leaves with pale undersides, fascinating catkins and cones, and attractive bark. Songbirds feast on the seeds and nest in the branches. Endangered in Illinois, it thrives in cold temperatures and can be a very fast grower.
(continued on page 48)
Special Feature
(continued from page 46)
Amelanchier arborea or Downy Serviceberry Zone: 4 to 9
Size: 15 to 25 feet
Sun: full sun to part shade
Soil: average to moist, but very adaptable
Flower: Clusters of starry white flowers in spring.
Fruit: Sizeable edible purple berries in summer that are beloved by birds and wildlife.
Bark: Smooth pale bark that is attractive in the winter season.
Notes: Downy serviceberry is distinguished from other species of serviceberry by its exceptionally hairy young leaves that feature toothed margins. In fall, this elegant clumping tree turns pumpkin orange. The flowers are favorites of a long list of native bees, while striped hairstreak and red-spotted purple butterflies use it as a larval host. This is a more adaptable serviceberry that will handle a broader range of soil types than some other cultivars and species.
Asimina triloba or Pawpaw Zone: 5 to 9
Size: 15 to 30 feet high; 8 to 10 wide, but may sucker
Sun: full sun to part shade
Soil: average to moist well-drained
Flower: Cup-shaped, leathery purple flowers appear before the leaves in early spring.
Fruit: Large edible soft green fruits taste like banana custard. Wildlife will often beat you to the harvest.
Bark: light grey and speckled with lenticils
Notes: Your clients may request it for the delicious fruit, but don’t hesitate to incorporate this easy-going small tree for its foliage alone. Huge, tropical leaves provide coarse layered texture for the landscape before turning shades of rich gold in the fall. Pawpaw will sucker in ideal conditions but tends to be a single stem plant in most cases.
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Special Feature
(continued from page 48)
Carpinus caroliniana or Blue Beech, American Hornbeam, Musclewood Zone: 3 to 9
Size: 20 to 30 feet
Sun: full sun to full shade
Soil: average to wet
Flower: Attractive long green papery catkins often turn shades of orange in the fall.
Fruit: Papery catkins develop seeds favored by birds and wildlife.
Bark: Pale grey bark that becomes fluted and muscular with age.
Notes: This tough small tree can be found as a single trunk or multistemmed. It is incredibly flexible in its sun and soil tolerances, making it a great candidate for a large hedge if regularly trained. On its own, it has a pleasing rounded shape. It is a larval host for tiger swallowtail butterflies and many moths. More cultivars are being introduced that focus on consistent fiery fall color and narrower forms.
Chionanthus virginicus or Fringe Tree Zone: 3 to 9
Size: 12 to 15 feet
Sun: full sun to part shade
Soil: average to moist well-drained
Flower: Large airy panicles of fragrant white flowers in June resemble fringe.
Fruit: A deep blue fleshy fruit is formed, usually when more than one tree is in proximity.
Bark: Attractive pale grey
Notes: Fringe tree is slow growing and slow to leaf out in the spring. However, in flower, it can perfume an entire corner. Its large glossy leaves provide a tropical texture. It is also remarkably pollution tolerant, so will thrive in urban situations.
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NORTH POLE ®
Thuja occidentalis ‘Art Boe’ PP#22,174; CBR#3912
Native Species | Evergreen | Fast Growing
20’
Evergreen USDA 3-8 10-15’ tall + 3-5’ wide
Frese Ornamental Nursery Quincy, IL • 217-222-0977
This narrow, columnar selection of ‘Wintergreen’ has excellent hardiness and dark green winter foliage color. Fast growing, with a handsome, dense habit, this native arborvitae is very hardy and adaptable to various soils and conditions.
Available from Proven Winner s ® ColorChoice® growers www.provenwinners-shrubs.com AVAILABLE FROM THESE SUPPLIERS
Ivanhoe Nursery Mundelein, IL • 847-566-8001 Midwest Groundcovers St. Charles, IL • 847-742-1790 Stoneleaf Nursery Eureka, IL • 309-261-7008
SCAN TO LEARN MORE
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Cornus alternifolia or Pagoda Dogwood Zone: 3 to 7
Size: 15 to 25 feet high and will widen with age Sun: full sun to part shade
Soil: rich, acidic, moist well-drained
Flower: Clusters of creamy white flat umbels in late May to June.
Fruit: Clusters of blue-black berries are devoured by birds.
Habit: The horizontal branching habit gives this small tree a distinctive layered architecture. Notes: Pagoda dogwood can be a stunning elegant specimen in the landscape with reddish-purple fall color. It also feeds wildlife, being beloved by bees and pollinators in flower and birds consume the fruit. It is also a larval host to spring azure butterflies and a long list of moths.
Halesia carolina or Carolina Silverbell Zone: 4 to 8
Size: 15 to 25 feet high, 10 to 15 feet wide
Sun: full sun to part shade
Soil: average to moist well-drained
Flower: Elegant clusters of showy belllike flowers bloom in April to May along the twigs
Fruit: Four-winged brown nut-like fruits often cling through winter for seasonal interest.
Bark: Rough gray bark with paler furrows lending it a striped appearance.
Notes: Carolina silverbell is best planted in a bit of protection from high winds. It is a lovely sight backlit on a spring morning as the flowers are visited by bees. Tuck it into mixed plantings for a spring surprise.
(continued on page 54)
Special Feature
(continued from page 53)
Malus ioensis or Prairie Crabapple
Zone: 3 to 8
Size: 20 to 30 feet
Sun: full sun to light shade
Soil: average to moist well-drained, although drought tolerant once established
Flower: Large showy fragrant white flowers from rosy pink buds.
Fruit: Greenish yellow 1 to 1 ½ inch fruits enjoyed by wildlife and traditionally used in jelly, cider, and vinegar.
Bark: Lightly shaggy with age.
Notes: This crabapple is for clients devoted to native plantings as it is not disease resistant. With a regular spray program, it will be a beautifully rounded specimen. Crabapples are not only favored by many bees and pollinators, they are also larval hosts to tiger swallowtail and striped hairstreak butterflies as well as a huge list of moths.
Member Profile Snapshot
Jerry’s Landscape Nursery LLC
13122 Stolletown Road
Breese, IL 62230
(618) 526-7961
Jerryslandscapenursery.com
by Meta L. Levin
Breese, IL is a small community on Highway 50, due east of St. Louis, near O’Fallon, IL. It is home to 5,550 people and Jerry’s Landscape Nursery LLC, which grows and sells field grown container trees, shrubs, grasses, conifers, broadleaf evergreens and perennials.
In the early 1970s Jerry Jenne started a strawberry patch, which gradually expanded into a small, local landscape outlet and garden center. Now owned by Terry Purcell, it sells to municipalities, landscape contractors and garden centers.
Mike Endres, who had worked for Jenne, bought the company in 1993, along with Kurt Ripperda, a local landscaper. They started building cold frame greenhouses and offered fullservice landscaping and lawn care. Endres now serves as the horticulture consultant.
When Purcell bought the company in 2021, he quickly identified two employees, Joe Becker and Patrick Endres, as key to the company’s success. “It would have taken me years to learn everything they know,” says Purcell. The two now are cogeneral managers. Becker also is a director of operations and a horticulture specialist, while Endres is director of production and a horticulture specialist.
Becker began working for Jerry’s in 1995, as a high school student. He has worked in the yard, loading trucks, which he
later drove, meeting and working with customers. He moved into the office. Married, he has two daughters.
Endres describes himself as a “jack of all trades.” His background includes production, truck driving and sales. He has a degree in horticulture from Southern Illinois University and worked for Monsanto for a while before returning at the behest of Mike Endres. He, too, is married with two children.
Purcell admits that he had no background in the green industry. He was living and working in Hong Kong as the CFO/Senior Vice President for AECOM’s Asia Pacific division, which he describes as “a grinding, high pressure job.” In 2013 he began buying apartment houses as investments. His CPA, a childhood friend, introduced him to Endres and Ripperda, suggesting that he buy their business. “I ignored him for several months,” says Purcell. During COVID, however, he was stuck in his apartment in Hong Kong and began researching Jerry’s Landscape Nursery’s finances. The next day he called his CPA, beginning six months of due diligence.
He tapped his daughter, Whitney, now the firm’s vice president, to be his eyes and ears while he remained in Hong Kong. She also oversees Purcell Capital LLC, which she and her father began in 2014. Terry Purcell eventually returned to the United States.
When Purcell purchased the business, there were 48 cold (continued on page 56)
(continued from page 55)
frame greenhouses. Currently there are 66. “We have grown to the point where we now are looking for more land,” he says. Eventually, Jerry’s stopped doing landscape and lawn care to focus entirely on wholesale. The company not only grows its owns plants, but also buys from other growers to sell. “We would like to increase the amount we grow and improve the capacity to handle the demand.”
Recently, the company invested in automation, spending $200,000 to automate their plant potting machines and even soil mixture.
Jerry’s Landscape Nursery offers delivery service to customer’s yards or job sites. “Our niche is delivery on demand,” says Purcell. Their service extends from Columbia, MO to Champaign, IL, Evansville, IN and the greater St. Louis market. “About 10 percent of our customers prefer to travel to Breese for order pickup.”
They are proud of their history of personally answering the telephone, as well as responding quickly to orders via email. “Our customers appreciate that,” says Purcell. “We have strong customer service.” Noticing that customers wanted timelier information about stock availability, Jerry’s launched a weekly email newsletter. “It was well received.”
In addition, Jerry’s will soon unveil a new website with pages allowing customers to check availability, product photos and plant descriptions, as well as to place orders.
Like all IGIA members, Jerry’s Landscape Nursery LLC now is an ILCA member. He finds association membership to be valuable in keeping up on trends and market forces, as well as ways to care for the company’s nursery stock.
Classified Ads
Client Care Manager Position(s) Milieu Landscaping has immediate openings for Client Care Managers. The Client Care Manager position at Milieu performs sales and production management for residential and commercial clients. This position sells Milieu’s services in an upscale territory by providing horticultural recommendations, creative designs, proposals, and presentations. This individual will be able to grow a territory with excellent marketing and advertising support.
The ideal candidate should have knowledge in landscape design, build, and maintenance of green spaces. This experience should include design, estimating, horticulture knowledge, turf care knowledge, procurement, scheduling, and installation capabilities. College students pursuing their degree/certification in the landscape industry are encouraged to apply.
Milieu Landscaping is hiring for this season, as well as the 2025 season. Applicants will have the option for an 8-12 month position.
Milieu is an ascending organization dedicated to the growth of our staff and clients. This position will be based in our new, state-ofthe-art Lake Zurich facility.
How To Apply:
Email jobs@milieuland.com
Landscape Coordinator Join Our Team!
As a Landscape Coordinator, you’ll be responsible for supporting the efforts of the Landscape Manager with a focus on day-to-day operations, work requests, and owner landscape improvement requests. How to apply:
CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES
December 2024 issue ads: November 15, 2024 January 2024 issue ads: Dec. 10, 2024
PLEASE NOTE:
“HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES Magazine Cost is $5 per line
charge $50
is $12 per line
charge $120 (About 6 words/line)
Submit your ads online at ilca.net or Call Alycia Nagy (630) 472-2851
PLEASE NOTE:
“HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES
Submit your ads online at ilca.net
Inspiration Alley
Editor’s Note: Over time, we run across a mountain of fun, innovative, and generally creative ideas. They don’t always fit with the magazine content, but we do collect them for some future use. This brings us to Inspiration Alley, a place where we display pure creativity. It’s up to you to judge the merit of each offering. So use it, lose it or be inspired to try something different.
All Things Come to Pass
By Nina A. Koziol
Once upon a time, there was a spectacular garden in Lake Forest, IL — Camp Rosemary — and everyone wanted to experience it. Set on nearly eight acres, it embodied the penultimate English Garden. Landscaped by many well-known ILCA firms and England’s late Rosemary Verey, the property is up for sale. The end of an era, but inspirational nonetheless.
Before You Go —
Winter Containers — An Opportunity?
By Mark Dwyer
Do your clients have larger containers actively planted out in the garden or around the property? Perhaps you are involved with planting and tending those compositions throughout the year. Don’t neglect the opportunity to promote customizing these containers by offering the creative service of preparing them for that fourth season of interest. Far too many containers are abandoned, literally from November through March, as they await attention in the spring. With the right materials, technique and creativity, there are unlimited opportunities to provide the service of creating these container arrangements as additional income (time and materials?) before snow removal and other winter projects become priorities.
A beautiful, well-balanced container arrangement prepared in time for the holiday season and beyond likely has significant appeal for many clients who lack the skill, time and motivation to address this winter lapse. A seasonal, winter container masterpiece should provide striking visual impact, include seasonal accents and be both durable and long-lasting into winter. Many containers see the transition from spring to summer and summer to fall but the arrival of frost shouldn’t end the potential of the container.
Metal, concrete, wood, thick plastic, fiberglass and resin containers have an innate durability to withstand winter although concerns about terra cotta and ceramic pots are well placed as they are not ideal for the vagaries of winter. I personally empty the soil out of all of my large containers although some decide to leave it in place. My intention is providing a new and fresh soil mix the following spring and I worry about the freezing and thawing of container soil and potential damage to the pot. The empty container can then be examined to
make sure drainage is still viable and the empty space offers the opportunity to insert and prop a wide range of creative, layered ingredients to add extended impact.
Ingredients for consideration can certainly include available elements found on site (or resulting from other projects) like hydrangea flowers, ornamental grasses, dried flower stalks, clippings from pruning, etc. There is also an entire industry collecting and providing additional elements in quantity like colorful dogwood (Cornus) and willow (Salix) stems, birch (Betula) logs and berried stems like those from winterberries (Ilex decidua). Long-lasting evergreen branches from a wide range of species are also vital for these containers and can be used as prominent centerpieces or cascading elements within the other side layers. I try to source evergreen branches that include some blue and yellow conifer options as well. When I’m arranging elements in a container (emptied of soil), I’ll utilize floral foam blocks as needed to secure larger stems and centerpiece elements. Ideally, various elements, when tucked in snuggly, start to help secure themselves as well. After combining all my evergreen foliage, colorful stems and dried floral elements, I consider the use of accents like pinecones, ornaments and tasteful twinkle lighting. Spray painted stems, glittery accents and every manner of decoration exists commercially for your consideration. Your clients likely will have some input on the containers, particularly as it relates to peak interest around the holiday season. There are endless ideas in books, magazines and online for creating winter container arrangements that will shine in our Midwest climate and bring in additional revenue!
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