In this month's issue, we focus on specialty chemicals and zero-turn radius mowers, two tools that allow us to maintain customers'
properties professionally and efficiently. Safety is the subject of our mower coverage. Today's zero-turn mowers are
shiny, fast and can literally mow circles around the commercial mowers we counted on just a decade ago. Manufacturers entice
us with their colorful paint jobs (OK, forget lavender and pink) and with names promising toughness and speed. The Tank. Dixie
Chopper. Warrior. Tiger.
These low-slung machines give the maintenance business a measure of sex appeal, and young men look at showroom floor models
with the same admiring eyes that my buddies and I used to reserve for, say, a cherry '57 Chevy.
But zero-turn mowers aren't kids' play. They're big-time work machines, and operators have to realize this.
In this issue, some of the best professional mowing operators in the country tell longtime safety editor Barbara Mulhern about
zero-turn mower safety. Her report is a must read; you'll learn something new that you can use in your safety training immediately.
Basic manufacturers bullishIn this issue, I also get a chance to do some writing after interviewing some of the top minds in the specialty chemical business.
We think it's vital that you know what's going on here. Consolidation, ever-tighter government regulation and activist agitation
over so-called "cosmetic use" of chemical pest control products keep this segment of the industry bubbling.
Find out how the biggest players on the chemical side bring important products to the landscape market, including some of
the newest molecules showing promise against landscape and turf problems. We think you'll be encouraged.
What we learned - and what you'll discover when you read our coverage - is that, while there are fewer basic manufacturers
than a generation ago, the survivors are more committed than ever to our industry. They say the Green Industry, in particular
landscaping and lawn care, will continue to grow, and they see themselves continuing to develop and bring out new products
to meet the demands of this growth.
Toronto battle continuesAnd while we're on the subject of special chemicals, keep abreast of what's going on in Canada, specifically the situation
in Toronto in our "In the Know" section. The debate over a controversial bylaw to severely restrict the use of chemical control
products that went into effect April 1 there has been taking some strange twists lately. A battle between the professional
lawn care industry and the bylaw's supporters is underway to gain the public's attention and support there, and it's not clear
yet which side will prevail. Or whether a compromise can be reached.
This is a huge issue for the Green Industry. What happens in Toronto can happen in your town, too.
