TNLA Working for You E-Newsletter
TNLA
January 22, 2021
Working for You
TNLA Presents the TNLA Advocacy Leadership Award to U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar
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January 2021 -TNLA Workng for You
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January 2021 -TNLA Workng for You
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Table of Contents 4...Feature: TNLA Presents the TNLA Advocacy Award to U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar 5...2021 Virtual Retail Summmit NEXT WEEK TNLA’s Women in Horticulture Zoom Call Dr.MengMeng Gu Awarded Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence Do You Know of a Business that SHOULD be a TNLA Member? 7...Membership Value Added Offerings TNLA Education On-Demand Highlight 8...Legislative & Regulatory Update Meetings & Events Calendar 9...TNLA Tailgate Topic: Planting Techniques
Ad Index
2....OHP 3...The Green Shop SPRING
6....Horizon 9....TNLA Career Center
10...TNLA Mobile Membership Directory 11...Hotchkiss Insurance
12...Member Benefit Partner: AAA
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January 2021 - TNLA Working For You
TNLA Presents the TNLA Advocacy Leadership Award to U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar
TNLA was honored to present Congressman Henry Cuellar with the TNLA Advocacy Leadership Award at HOLT CAT in Laredo, Texas. The Association created the TNLA Advocacy Leadership Award to recognize individuals for their outstanding advocacy and leadership in the public arena for our State’s Green Industry businesses. Recipients of this award have demonstrated a leadership record of contributions promoting and defending the nursery & landscape industry in Texas and Washington D.C. The Texas Green Industry is comprised of more than $27 billion dollars of economic impact and over 130,000 businesses ranging from nurseries, supplier manufacturers, retail garden centers, landscape architects, landscape contractors, and floriculture. Recipients of the award have an obvious commitment to keeping Texas as the best State to start a business in our industry, operate, and contribute to the economy responsibly. While the issues facing our industry are varied and complex, the recipients of this award have relentlessly pursued improvements in the regulatory environment which in turn allow our businesses to strengthen our State’s economic engine. These champions help to strengthen key relationships between our organization, our members, our industry and the Texas Congressional delegation and key decision-makers. “When looking for this year’s recipient TNLA did not have to look far. The TNLA chose to recognize Congressman Henry Cuellar with the TNLA Advocacy Leadership Award because of his longtime commitment to strengthen theTexas Green Industry. Congressman Cuellar has demonstrated his leadership on the Texas industry’s behalf in his roles on various committees. His steadfast leadership in directing federal resources to our State and fighting to bolster the Texas economy by supporting our local businesses has been crucial to sustaining our industry’s growth.” Amy Graham - TNLA President and CEO Congressman Henry Cuellar has been a critical ally to the Texas Green Industry. With his seat on the Appropriations Committee and as Vice-Chairman of the DHS subcommittee he is one of the first voices to advocate for resources through the appropriations process. In addition, he also serves on the Agriculture and Rural Affairs subcommittee where he has been instrumental in directing dollars toward Texas. When the Democrats control the House, Congressman Cuellar is a key ally in directing Green Industry concerns to house and party leadership. Texas prides itself on its leaders who show independence, dynamic vision and selfless service. Congressman Cuellar has proven ownership of these traits by prioritizing growing the Texas economy, supporting businesses and understanding Green Industry Issues.
From left to right: Tim Little, Irrigators Supply, Inc. & TNLA Chairman of the Board, Congressman Henry Cuellar, Amy Graham TNLA President & CEO, Bobby Solis HOLT CAT
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2021 VIRTUAL RETAIL SUMMIT: Coming Next Week January 26-28, 2021 You deserve all the ingenuity, innovation, and inspiration you can find. Register today for the TNLA Virtual Retail Summit, January 26-28, 2021! We’ve gathered a broad array of powerful presenters sure to inspire and re-energize you. 3 Days, Multiple TNLA CEUs and New Ideas to gear up for the Year! Register Now
TNLA’s Women In Horticulture Group Kick-Off the New Year with a Zoom Call!
Dr. Mengmeng Gu is Awarded The Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence
TNLA would like to thank everyone who was able to join us in kicking off the New Year during the Women In Horticulture Zoom Call. Lauren Kirchner with Spring Creek Growers provided the team of women professionals with a great presentation while sharing her journey in the nursery and landscape industry. If you were unable to attend be sure to catch up by logging into the TNLA Mobile App’s Women In Horticulture Community for the zoom recording link. (If you need your login credentials for the mobile app contact Sarah Riggins at sarah@tnlaonline.org.) The next women in horticulture call will be on April 26, 2021, at 11:15 am. Thank you to Hotchkiss Insurance Agency for being a sponsor of TNLA’s Women in Horticulture Group!
Congratulations to Dr. Mengmeng Gu for being awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence. Dr. Gu is a Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Horticulture with the Texas AgriLife Extention Service at Texas A&M University. The Vice Chancellor’s Awards in Excellence (VCAIE) Program recognizes outstanding achievements by personnel of Texas A&M AgriLife. The award is the highest honor given by Texas A&M AgriLife. TNLA is proud of Dr. Gu’s accomplishment and we are thankful for all that she does for the nursery and landscape industry!
Do you know of a Business that SHOULD be a TNLA Member but is not? Now is the time to bring them in. Beginning January 1st, Membership dues for businesses are half-price. This discounted rate takes their Membership through June 2021. This is a great opportunity to see what TNLA is about and how we can help them do business better! Give them a shout TODAY. Let us know if we can help provide any information by calling Amy Prenger at 512-579-3858 or emailing Membership@TNLAonline.org. TNLA Membership
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Membership Value Added Offerings
$
Compensation Study
Purchase the latest Compensation Study to gain valuable data and help your company do business better, CLICK HERE
TNLA Endorsed Service Provider: Hotchkiss Insurance Protect. Build. Grow. We believe that by safeguarding ones’ most valuable assets, people and businesses are better able to grow and prosper. With an advisory approach, an ability to reduce complexity and an abiding care for all of those who entrust themselves to us, we deliver tailored insurance solutions that protect you from life’s uncertainties. For more than 40 years, we have protected clients of all sizes with comprehensive commercial insurance plans. Available coverages include: general liability, builders risk, commercial auto, cyber liability, surety and bonds.
Featured Member Benefit Partners Texas RX Prescription Savings Card - Prescription Savings for TNLA Members and families. Click here for details and Visit Here to print your card today. For questions contact Debra Adler at info@texasrxcard.com or call (770) 3137261. LegalShield - Legal rights protection for employers, employees and their families. Initiation fee waived. Get member perks in categories such as apparel, home services, office & business, travel, food, finance, electronics, real estate & moving services, & more! Contact George Ellison at (512) 791-8791 for more details. Click Here to view the LegalShield Member Perks. PartnerShip® –FedEx and UPS rates are going up in 2021, and it’s more important than ever that TNLA members know how to mitigate the impact to their business. PartnerShip®, the benefit provider that manages the TNLA Shipping Program, has analyzed the new rate charts so you can accurately prepare for the year ahead. Download the free white paper to see a breakdown of where you’ll find the highest increases and get a simplified explanation of the complicated changes you need to be aware of. Then be sure to enroll in the TNLA Shipping Program to save up to 40% with FedEx and offset the rising costs.
TNLA Education On-Demand Green Industry Essentials: Downloadable WhitePages From dangerous spiders to company culture, TNLA’s Green Industry Essentials are the FREE Downloadable PDFs to help add an education flare to your daily meetings. Just click and print! It’s that easy to get education for your employees. Tangible and FREE! TNLA’s Green Industry WhitePages are easy to print and share to train your employees.
Guided Web Courses: Creating a Garden Sanctuary Join author and professional landscape artist and contractor John Beaudry as he introduces the audience to the fundamentals of landscape design including the elements and principles of landscape design. These videos are self-paced and set into 4 easy-to-follow modules. Topics include: Art and crafts style, elements of design, finding space, plant choices, and more!
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Legislative & Regulatory Update Texas Legislative Session Begins Last week, the Texas Legislature convened and swore in the elected members of the state House and Senate. In addition, Rep. Dade Phelan from East Texas was elected Speaker of the Texas House in a nearly unanimous vote. The Senate have already been named to their committees including the return of Senator Charles Perry to the chairmanship of the Senate Ag, Water, and Rural Affairs Committee. Both Speaker Phelan and Senator Perry were endorsed by TNLA PAC during the last election cycle. At the time of writing, over 1,600 bills have been filed for consideration in the next 130 days.
PPP Loan “Surprise” Tax The business community was notified last week that Texas could not automatically conform with Congress’ intent on the PPP loans in not considering the forgiven portions as taxable income. TNLA, alongside our ASSET Coalition partners, will be fighting for a bill to make PPP forgiven loan totals non-taxable for state franchise taxes. Rep. Charlie Geren has already filed the bill in the Texas House and will be followed by a companion version in the Texas Senate.
Meeting & Events Calendar January 26-28, 2021
TNLA Support Bill Strengthening Landscape Pesticide Applicators Rep. Cody Harris has introduced a bill to re-enforce the ability of landscape contractors with a TDA commercial or non-commercial pesticide license to use “direct supervision”. Over the last several decades, state law has been interpreted to allow for direct supervision which means contractors can train and utilize affidavits of label compliance with unlicensed employees. This saves companies from costs and overly burdensome regulations while providing reasonable safeguards for public health. Rep. Harris’ bill would ensure that this interpretation continues and cement our industries ability to continue to operate in this way.
TNLA Legislative Priorities With the legislative session now underway, TNLA will be working on a wide array of issues impacting the Texas green industry. Among the bills filed or soon to be filed TNLA will be working to pass: • • • • •
New funding for plant disease detection and surveillance Strengthening “direct supervision” under TDA pesticide licenses Tort reform on commercial vehicle liability Preemption of local employee ordinance regarding benefits and scheduling Improving the Industry-Based Certifications list at the Texas Education Agency
Texas Fiscal Outlook Not All Gloomy Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced the Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) for the State of Texas last week and the outlook was not as bad as once projected. In the current year, the state appears to have fallen short by nearly $1 billion dollars, a far cry from the multi-billion dollar shortfall expected. With CARES Act funding the state should be able to finance the difference. Looking ahead at the next two-year budget, the state will have just .4% less than the prior budget. With some minor cuts, the state should be able to balance its books. The outlook is evidenced by strong sales tax numbers in recent months and projections of a more open economy in the coming year.
2021 Virtual Retail Summit
See the Full Schedule & Register Here!
January 28, 2021
CHAT WITH GREEN AGGIES WEBINARS: Its Time To Prune the Roses with Dr.Miller An Update on Rose Rosette Disease with Dr. Ong POW: Earth Kind Roses with Dr.Winski
Register Here!
August 5-7, 2021
Nursery/Landscape EXPO 2021 San Antonio, TX More Info Here! On Demand
Creating a Garden Sanctuary Guided Web Course More Info Here!
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TNLA Tailgate Topic: Planting Techniques
Objective: Participants will be able to correctly plant a specimen by using the best techniques for the specific plant type.
APPLICATION: : The planting technique will depend on the type of plant that is being planted. Tackle this topic from the beginning – how to safely get the plant to the site, determine what kind of planting technique you need to use, and how correctly make a planting hole. The easiest way to get the objective across is to show how to correctly plant a specimen and then allow participants to practice. Transporting & Handling: Even though we’d like to believe that plants are indestructible, we know, deep down, they aren’t. The care we put in getting the plants to the planting site in one piece is the first step in guaranteeing proper planting. Always: • protect roots, stems, and foliage during transport • shield plant tops from wind by using a tarp or burlap • lift plants from underneath the rootball with the appropriate equipment • always handle container grown plants by the container • lay containers on their side during transport • secure containers so they will not slide, shift or fall while in transit • take care of you! Use proper lifting techniques when transporting and handling. The Planting Technique: • Begin the planting process by making sure your soil is ready to be planted in. Soil amendments should only be used if the soil requires them to be used. Amendments will vary depending on what you are working in and what plants are being planted. • Most plants do not want to sit in water. When planting, make the needed adjustments to keep the plants from getting too wet, but make sure your root ball is planted at the appropriate depth. Soil may need to be added to accomplish these goals. • Planting depth is the most important consideration with planting trees and shrubs. Although tree planting techniques differ slightly from most shrub planting techniques, below are general guidelines to consider when planting: 1. Dig a hole wide enough to be able to backfill, but not too wide where soil can sink exposing the root ball. 2. Be sure to place the root ball on solid ground and in a manner where no air pockets are trapped under the root ball. 3. For field grown trees, it is recommended to remove the burlap from the roots UNLESS this process causes soil or root loss from the existing root ball. 4. Always remove plastic liners or synthetic burlap. It is best to risk loosing roots in the planting that to have then restricted from growing post-planting. 5. Backfill the hole with the original soil. If soil amendments are needed, be sure to incorporate more natural soil than amended soil if possible. “What goes out, goes back in!” 6. In some cases, an earthen dam can be created around the dripzone of the plant, although not recommended with all plants or on all sites. 7. When planting trees, be sure the root flare is visible after planting. DO NOT CREATE A MULCH VOLCANO! 8. Always use safe digging and lighting techniques when planting.
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