Sarah PfleddererNov 3, 2023
A look at how companies approach irrigation service pricing—with a flat rate or charging on time and materials—and why they favor their method. If only irrigation professionals had X-ray vision. It would eliminate that part of the service call that…
Emily SchappacherNov 3, 2023
Thanks to a total revamp of his company’s marketing strategy, Rick Longnecker now knows his ideal clients are family-oriented homeowners in their late 30s to early 70s who have lived in their homes for at least 10 years. These clients…
Independent landscape design firms fill the role of staff designers for a fraction of the cost. Last June Patrick DuChene (left) quit his full-time landscape design/management position to offer his services as an independent designer. DuChene Design Solutions, based in…
Marisa PalmieriNov 3, 2023
Brickman’s Joe Ketterer shares five pointers for lawn care applicators to increase efficiency with landscape bed weed control. When it comes to effective and efficient application techniques for landscape bed weed control, Joe Ketterer has a few shortcuts up his…
Brian Marcus started his career as a biology teacher. So it’s no surprise the owner of Morning Glory Lawncare & Design in Holbrook, N.Y., considers educating clients one of the most important parts of business, an approach that has helped…
Jonathan KatzNov 3, 2023
Relationship building: The driving force behind Michael Lancaster’s success as a businessman in the Green Industry. "Everybody can mow grass,” says Michael Lancaster, president of Florida Landscape Consultants (FLC). That’s why he stresses the importance of building relationships. Lancaster, 54,…
A Texas irrigation company makes water conservation its top priority. The drought that hit Texas in 2006 was a wake-up call for Patty Sipe, co-owner of Heads Up Sprinkler Co. in Plano. It was time to look at some aspects…
A Michigan landscape company uses drones to capture aerial images of large-scale projects. It was a conundrum that long plagued Tom VerHage, owner of Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Katerberg VerHage Landscaping: How can we get complete, quality photographs of our large-scale…
Emily SchappacherNov 9, 2023
Company owners protect their assets with noncompete agreements. When Dennis Topo discovered a former employee of Allison Lawn & Landscape Service was trying to recruit clients from the company to start his own business, he issued a cease and desist…
Sarah PfleddererMar 19, 2021
Jerry McKay sheds light on how hiring a lighting service tech freed his team from the burden of service calls. When eight landscape lighting professionals gathered for The Lighting Summit 2014, hosted by McKay Landscape Lighting Jan. 22-23 in Omaha,…
Irrigation and landscape pros can brighten their futures by acting as resources to water quality managers. The green infrastructure movement is growing in communities throughout the U.S. as a way to manage stormwater in urban environments while having a positive…
How one lawn care company formed an R&D business unit to improve customer retention. Joshua Anderson’s residential lawn care business, Team Green Lawn, grew almost as fast as his customers’ turf. Anderson started the business in 2004 with about 30…
Georgia-based company works against the clock to deliver a dream backyard on ‘Yard Crashers.’ Providing clients the backyard of their dreams is what Oasis Landscapes & Irrigation does best—but doing it in less than 48 hours is a challenge crazy…
Cougar Irrigation staffs up with former Nordstrom employees to deliver excellent customer service. Matthew Stamm is no farmer, but he sure knows how to cherry pick—employees, that is. The president of Cougar Irrigation, Austin, Texas, has hired the bulk…
Mowing professionals share why they sharpen mower blades in-house or outsource the task. Rood Landscape has sharpened its mower blades in-house for so long the brand marker on its grinder is no longer visible. Accordingly, Maintenance Department Manager Jaron Sickler…
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