For lawn care operators (LCOs) who have embraced the benefits of ride-on machines, pushing a spreader or pulling a sprayer hose is now a thing of the past. Technology has made ride-on spreaders and sprayers easier to learn and operate while helping LCOs cover more ground in less time. “The lawn care business for many years was stuck in the... read more
The following is a Spanish version of SafetyWatch from the March 2018 issue of Landscape Management. It discusses lockout/tag-out procedures. Click here for the original SafetyWatch in English or see page 16 of the magazine. Los procedimientos de cierre y etiquetado Es importante que las compañías implementen y ejecuten los procedimientos de cierre y etiquetado. Estos procedimientos son necesarios cuando... read more
It’s a repeated theme within the green industry: Everyone is concerned about the labor market. “It’s basically shifted from an employer market to an employee market,” says Steve Cesare, an HR consultant at landscape business consulting firm, The Harvest Group. With so many available positions, how can landscape pros staff up? Cesare recommends dialing up digital presences to attract top... read more
The legalization of marijuana in some states and the opioid crisis present a challenge for labor-starved landscape companies. These landscape industry pros weigh in with their thoughts on the issue. Chris Bright CEO, Seabreeze Property Services Portland, Maine The team at Seabreeze Property Services in Portland, Maine, has been touched by employee drug overdoses more than once. Sadly, one of... read more
In my line of work, I attend a lot of hearings—state legislatures, city councils, county commissions and everything in between. Recently, I traveled to Florida where a county commission was deciding whether to impose fertilizer application blackout dates during much of the growing season. The science is on our side; the judicious use of fertilizer on turfgrass is a net... read more
Employee drug abuse can threaten your bottom line in many ways. Higher absenteeism. Lower productivity. Costly accidents that spark customer lawsuits. Employers are facing a greater risk than ever from a growing culture of impairment that shows no signs of tapering off any time soon. “We are seeing a real uptick in the number of employees testing positive for drug... read more
