Why—and how—some landscape companies are recruiting workers from Puerto Rico. Late last year, William Merkler was on vacation in Puerto Rico, thinking about how he would reconcile his landscape firm’s contracts with the new prevailing wage the Department of Labor told him he must pay his H-2B guest workers this year—a 17 percent increase. “We contacted our clients and told... read more
How (and why) smart landscape pros are getting the most from business and design software. It’s hard to imagine a time without current technology—when there weren’t apps or programs to create designs, make estimates or manage client services. When combined with solid business practices, software can help expand team capabilities and grow sales. There are dozens of software options to... read more
Jon Cundiff President Weed Man Kansas City Lee’s Summit, Mo. Education Raytown South High School Raytown, Missouri Class of 1978 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, Missouri Business science/marketing Class of 1982 Work Experience 1976-1981 Kansas City Royals Grounds Crew “(George Toma, now a Super Bowl consultant) taught us that it wasn’t enough to do your job. If you’re going to... read more
Irrigation manufacturers offer details to help contractors become more comfortable with Wi-Fi-enabled irrigation controller technology. Irrigation technology continues to evolve rapidly. And while this trend ultimately improves systems’ efficiency and performance, technological advancements can leave some contractors in the dark about how to best incorporate them into their businesses. A recent Irrigation Association (IA) webinar focused on the growing popularity... read more
A fertilizer spreader is used to apply fertilizer and other granular products to surfaces. When properly maintained, the machine will spread products evenly and consistently over the surface of the ground. Before fertilizing a lawn, fill the hopper and take the following precautions: Make sure the spreader is on level ground, with the shut-off lever in the closed position; Fill... read more
A year and a half ago, Cody Stickle’s desk was piled high with paperwork, his crews’ trucks were cluttered with receipts and the accuracy of his books was questionable. “We really didn’t have a good way to track things,” says the owner of Stickle Landscape Management in Hampton, Va. “It was primarily just me taking all the receipts and field... read more
