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Solutions Center: Implements reduce labor
1 Jun, 2005 By: Carl Williams Landscape ManagementAfter several years of mowing lawns as a youth in Mequon, WI, Brian Deppisch realized that with just a few more clients he could make a pretty good living in the landscaping business. In 1993 he founded Deppisch Maintenance. He committed himself to providing exceptional service. His plan was to compete against bigger firms by pleasing customers.
The problem: lack of reliable help
As Deppisch grew his company he found it tough to find employees willing to work as hard as he did to please clients. Deppisch purchased landscape equipment to reduce his dependence on labor. But it had to deliver quality results, too.
The solution: multi-tasking mowers
Deppisch decided upon mowing equipment that would accept a range of attachments. He purchased two Grasshopper Model 722D2 mowers. He's never regretted opting for labor-saving equipment over labor. Most of the help he now uses is seasonal and part time, making it easier to match jobs with particular person's abilities and strong points, he says.
For maximum productivity, he's equipped each of his Grasshopper units with a PowerVac collection system. He also bought a turbine blower and a bed shaper. Either implement can quickly and easily trade places with the mower's 61-inch cutting deck. He also bought a dethatcher that can be mounted in front of the mowing unit.
"Almost a fanatic." That's how Deppisch explains himself when it comes to leaving a perfectly manicured cut.
"With our customer base 40% commercial and 60% residential, we provide almost every landscaping service except tree trimming," he says. "Our customers are flattered when visitors compliment the appearance of their home or business and enthusiastically share our name with friends. This generates 'word of mouth' advertising that has generated the majority of our new business growth."
Cutting perfectly sculpted flowerbeds with the bed shaper implement is another way Deppisch Maintenance delivers quality service. The bed shaper adds another esthetically pleasing nuance to the company's delivery of a manicured appearance, and the deep cut around a garden delivers the practical benefit of preventing grass roots from entering into the garden mulch.
He says he's especially pleased with the utility of the turbine blower. "Given that my biggest challenge is finding workers who are as committed to quality service as I am, the turbine blower helps me solve that problem by cutting the number of employees I need," he explains.
"There is no question that investing a little more up-front in a high-quality grounds maintenance system with the versatility of interchangeable implements has significantly added to our bottom line," Deppisch says. "In this business, it's all about dependability."
To maximize his mowers' dependability and worry-free operation, Deppisch follows factory-recommended maintenance schedules and also trades in one of his two mowers for a new model every year. "Trading for a new mower each year not only guarantees that I receive the highest trade-in value," he says, "but it has the added benefit of giving us the very latest upgrades and new features that come every year. Those improvements inevitably make the work easier and more profitable.
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