For 36 years, Grasshopper Lawns operated out of what Michael Kravitsky IV refers to as “the dungeon.” The basement of his grandparents’ home, which was prone to flooding, was so cramped that Kravitsky’s father’s and brother’s backs actually touched while they worked at their desks. Kravitsky had to wedge in sideways just to get to his chair. But despite the... read more
A firm develops a research report to spur new customer leads. In the years following the Great Recession, many building managers have kept a tight grip on their landscape design budgets. The belt-tightening trend has given way to stale, boring landscapes, says Gib Durden, vice president of business development for HighGrove Partners. In 2013, leaders at Austell, Ga.-based HighGrove decided... read more
Smart irrigation proponents advocate for Smart Irrigation Month in 2014 and beyond. Jeremy Hunt was an early proponent of water conservation. As a student at the University of Nebraska in the early 1990s, he advised his then employer that promoting water efficiency was the only way for the irrigation industry to move forward and thrive. It’s a mindset he has... read more
An outdoor kitchen expert shares some basics of tapping into this ever-popular field. After years of frustration trying to source outdoor kitchen products, Carl Peterson quit his hardscaping business and started Outdoor Entertainment Concepts. The Hackettstown, N.J.,-based company is a “middle man” between product distributors and both contractors and outdoor kitchen retailers/dealers. Its goal it to make it easy for... read more
Q: We do a lot of maintenance work for homeowner associations (HOAs). Do you have any design advice on how to generate more revenue beyond mulching and adding seasonal color, maybe even some design/build work? A: Good timing with your question. I’m working with a landscape contractor right now who’s trying to do the exact same thing. We just finished... read more
A California firm scores new clients with synthetic sports field maintenance. With an increasing number of schools and parks installing synthetic turf fields, the leadership at Pacheco Brothers Gardening in Hayward, Calif., was looking for a way to reach those accounts and complement the sports field work it was already doing. The company knew synthetic turf installation would be an... read more
