Voice of the Green Industry

Happy 2012! PLANET is excited about the upcoming year, and is looking forward to serving you for another year. While 2012 promises to be full of education, events, and networking, the accomplishments of 2011 have surely helped to get us where we are today.

In the spring, planning started for the inaugural PLANET Gives Back, our newest community service project. In October, during the Green Industry Conference, the months spent planning and coordinating came together as close to 40 volunteers worked to enhance four downtown Louisville sites in four hours. Everyone involved was pleased with the results, and it is our hope that PLANET Gives Back can grow to become an annual event.

In the summer, discussions started on developing a new consumer-based Web site, in addition to the existing LandcareNetwork.org. The new site will be geared toward helping consumers find PLANET members who can meet their land care needs, as well as toward answering frequently asked questions, educating them about the PLANET community, providing tips and breaking news, and promoting the importance of certification for lawn care professionals. It is our goal that this new Web site be launched in summer 2012.

In early fall, PLANET officially announced we had adopted a New York City park. Located at the intersections of Laight, Canal, and Varick streets in Manhattan, Capsouto Park is where firefighters and law enforcement officials staged their rescue and recovery efforts on September 11, 2001. At that time, the area was an asphalt parking lot. Since 9/11, PLANET (at the time, ALCA) had worked with the City of New York to build a park on this lot and had raised $86,000 to contribute to the project. After much work and design, the park now includes plantings and contemporary benches around wide walkways, and a 114-foot long sculptural fountain. The overall design won an Excellence in Design award from the New York City Public Design Commission in 2007. PLANET will assist with funding maintenance of the park for the next four years.  

Also, in the fall, the Community Stewardship Award was added to the Awards program. This award aims to inspire members to become leaders in their communities at a grassroots level, and to raise awareness and encourage others to improve the quality of life in their communities, and demonstrate the value of environmental stewardship. Details about this award will be available soon, so stay tuned!

In October, right before GIC, we were delighted to learn that our Director of Government Affairs, Tom Delaney, was named one of the eight most influential people in the green industry by Landscape & Irrigation magazine. The program recognizes those who have had an impact on other green industry professionals. Delaney was honored at GIC, as well as in the January issue of Landscape & Irrigation.

Delaney has also been influential in working toward two major green industry victories last year. The first victory came in November with the Environmental Protection Agency’s removal of the 40 percent turfgrass restriction from the WaterSense program’s landscape specifications. The second came in December with President Obama’s intent to sign into law a bill that will prohibit the implementation of the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) H-2B wage rule for the remainder of fiscal year 2012, which runs through September 30, 2012. The average increase in hourly wage costs as a result of the rule is 40 percent. Members fear that the final rule will stunt, if not reverse, the growth of PLANET’s H-2B members’ businesses and the career opportunities of their year-round U.S. workers.

Last, but certainly not least, PLANET welcomed nearly 300 new members in October alone, following GIC. We are excited to have so many more green industry professionals, students, and state associations join us, and hope that all members continue to take advantage of the educational, networking, and fun events in 2012. We are proud of what we have accomplished, and excited about what the future holds.

Several years ago, we were hearing from other companies in our industry about the Trailblazer program. They said that they were meeting great industry leaders and learning new innovative ideas from these leaders. So, we gave the Trailblazer program a try. The PLANET Trailblazer program has been immensely helpful to our company.

The Trailblazer program allows members to tap into some of the industry’s best business people. Through our involvement in the program, we have met with other great business owners, like Maurice Dowell of Dowco Enterprises, Inc., and Jeffery Scott from Landscape Success Systems.  In particular, the first year we participated in the program, we were teamed up with the former president of PLANET, Jason Cupp.   Jason was excellent to work with.  The expertise and experience he brought to the table helped change the way we hire and manage our employees. Jason’s ideas were such a success that he is now one of our regular consultants and a member on our company’s Board of Advisors. 

All of the various people and the companies involved in the Trailblazer program constantly amaze us with their willingness to share information and to provide advice in helping our company to solve our problems. This advantage is a great way to help your company grow intelligently. 

Josh Kane, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, President, Kane Landscapes, Inc.

As a member of PLANET, you probably already know about most of the great benefits that they have to offer. Most of us have attended at least a few events that PLANET has to offer, but only a few have taken advantage of what I consider the best kept secret in PLANET. So what is the best kept secret of PLANET? It’s the Trailblazer program!  If you have not taken advantage of the Trailblazer program yet, now is the time to check it out.

I have been in the landscape industry for over 25 years and I still love using the Trailblazer program. I have used the program several times now. The one thing I can say is if I never took advantage of the Trailblazer program I would not be where I am today.

Our experience with the program has been nothing but positive. Whether you are just starting out or you have been in the business for years, having someone come in a look at your company from a different point of view is priceless.

Trailblazers come into your business armed with a wealth of information. They can help identify problems in your business that you may not even know about. They will then offer real world experience on how to correct those problems.

If you take the information that they share with you and use it you will definitely see improvement in your company. A day with a Trailblazer can take years off your learning curve.

The Trailblazer program is by far the best kept secret in PLANET. For more information on the program, plan to attend the Trailblazer Program 101 webinar on December 15. Veteran Trailblazer Jim McCutcheon will be providing an overview of the program, as well as answering any questions PLANET members and nonmembers have.

Don’t miss your opportunity to be a part of this program. Sign up today and keep your company growing.

Jeff Rak, Landscape Industry Certified Manager,
Land Creations Landscaping, Inc.

As the weather turns cold on the East Coast, the summer sun is just a memory. But, rather than pining away for those lazy, hazy, crazy days this year, PLANET members have the chance to soak up the sun in March at the Green Industry Great Escape (GIGE) in Nassau.

Like its predecessor, the GIGE (formerly known as the Executive Forum) is an annual destination meeting for upper-level management, owners, and key personnel. It is scheduled for March 1–4 at the Atlantis Resort & Casino, Paradise Island, Bahamas, and this year’s format will focus on informal educational opportunities and peer-to-peer education, as well as networking opportunities and interaction.

But, unlike its predecessor, the GIGE will have a greater balance of work and play. Attendees will have their afternoons and evenings free to explore the resort with their families and industry peers for a spring break they won’t soon forget.

We all know the consequences of all work and very little or no play and that some of the best learning takes place in relaxed, casual atmospheres. We also heard your request that we lighten up on the educational side. With these things in mind, we believe the Atlantis Resort, an all-inclusive island paradise, provides a great backdrop for this newly revamped event.

So, we encourage you to bring the family and escape the winter doldrums in a place where you can swim with the dolphins, feed stingrays, enjoy a wide variety of water sports and water parks, go golfing, or just relax by soaking in the sun and surf. But don’t forget, you’ll need your passport to get there.

We look forward to seeing you at the Green Industry Great Escape in the warm Bahamas.

From one Landscape Industry Certified professional to another, let’s make a New Year’s resolution to step up our promotions and make sure our customers, peers, friends, and family know that we’re certified and proud! After all, certification can make you and your company more attractive and more in demand. You’ll stand out, but not if you keep it a secret.

From e-mail signatures to on-hold phone messages, customer newsletters to advertisements, and Web sites to brochures, let’s not miss any opportunity to pump up the volume on our Landscape Industry Certified status. Our vehicles and apparel should sport the distinguished certified logo, too! Logos, customer brochure templates, bid language and more are available in our online certification toolkit.

Of course, we can’t very well promote our proud achievement and distinction of excellence if we’re not in good standing. We also don’t want to jeopardize our listing on PLANET’s new Honor Wall of Landscape Industry Certified for the entire world to see.

Remedy: Recertify by the good-through date on our wallet card. If your good-through date is December 31, 2011, you need to send in your CEU Submission Form and recertification fee to PLANET to maintain your certification and show that you’re on top of your game by recertifying every two years. If your good-through date is 2010 or earlier, you’re inactive and need to contact the PLANET certification team immediately.

By following the Recertification Requirements, completing the CEU Submission Form, and sending it in to PLANET in December or January at the latest, you can claim your recertification packet, as well as continued listing on the Honor Wall.

If you have questions about promoting your certification, recertifying, or CEU opportunities, visit the Recertification Center and please call the PLANET certification team at (800) 395-2522 or e-mail them at certification@landcarenetwork.org.

Cheers to a productive and phenomenal 2012!

Michael Becker, Landscape Industry Certified Manager

Chair, International Certification Council

For more than thirty years, PLANET with the help of its suppliers, has sponsored a semi-annual report known as “The Crystal Ball Report”. If you have never heard of this report you are in the majority and man have you been missing out! Each report predicts trends and recommends actions you can take to be more successful in your business NOW. The topic of the next report  overwhelmingly selected by planateers at the Green Industry Conference (GIC) this year was where in the world is this economy going and what’s the best way to gear up to take advantage of it.

In order to make sure that the report meets your needs, it  will be written interactively with questions, comments, the experience and best practices of PLANET members, suppliers, the Government Affairs Committee, and Horticultural schools. Stay tuned for your opportunity to pose the questions you most want addressed and to share what’s been working for you  so you can help predict the future!

Cant wait a year? Get  answers now to issues like driving greater efficiency (lean), best hiring and training practices, sustainability, innovation by  visiting our Crystal Ball Web page and you can help yourself to any and all of these reports as a free benefit of PLANET membership. These reports were put together by groups of industry leaders, usually  the landscape industries most successful players, so take advantage of what’s been working for them today.

Let me start be introducing myself. I am Jeremy Thorne, from the little town of Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania. I am a student at Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, majoring in ornamental horticulture with a landscape emphasis.

Jeremy Thorne

This year, I had the great opportunity to represent my school and PLANET at the 2011 Green Industry Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. As a child, I knew that the green industry was the career path that I was going to take as an adult. I always had a passion for the outdoors and have worked in the green industry since I was 14 years old.

When I enrolled in college, I started attending green industry events, subscribed to every magazine that was related to the industry, and most importantly started learning. Last spring, I had the opportunity to attend and participate in PLANET Student Career Days. While at SCD, I learned more about PLANET and what they offer to the industry. This fall, my instructor approached me and asked if I would be interested in being nominated for the student ambassador role at the GIC. I could do nothing but accept the invitation. After hearing of my acceptance, I knew that a week in Kentucky surrounded by the most successful individuals in the industry was going to be a rewarding experience.

2011 Student Ambassadors

As I met PLANET staff, who were awaiting our arrival, and received assignments for the week, I knew it was time to step up to the plate and be a leader. While working the registration and giveaway tables, I had the opportunity to meet many successful people who were just as excited about growing that week as I was. Meeting and talking to industry professionals gave me great direction for me future in this industry. The willingness of the PLANET members to network and share their ideas with me as a student really showed that the green industry is about growing and being successful as a whole group, not just an individual. The GIC taught me how to interact with others better than I have in the past. I felt more comfortable approaching people that I normally would not because I knew we were all there for the same reason — to learn and grow.

The Green Industry Conference was a very rewarding week for me despite the long days, and sore feet and legs. In my eyes, being sore at the end of the day is a rewarding feeling. Your body lets you know that you have made a difference either in your life or someone else’s. Meeting and working with the PLANET staff was awesome. It was a great experience that I will never forget. It gave me the best opportunity to network that I will ever experience. It built my leadership and communication skills which is a vital part of the industry. It also gave me the opportunity to talk with future employers who assured me that I could get a job anywhere in the country, and the most important lesson I learned from the week was if you want something, go get it, because it’s time to grow.

With the addition of the Irrigation & Water Management Specialty Group, PLANET now represents five distinct segments of the green industry. The timing couldn’t be better. Water and water management impacts every member of the green industry, and issues regarding the conservation and proper use of this valuable resource have become a key concern, not only for PLANET members, but also for their customers and public officials.   

The fact that water and landscapes fit like hand-in-glove was not the only incentive for the PLANET Board of Directors to approve this new specialty group. More than half of all PLANET members already install or maintain irrigation systems. The new group will give them a greater sense of community, a chance to network with peers , and the platform to develop strategies within PLANET that address challenges and opportunities specific to their specialty.  

I say the timing is right because water and water management has assumed a front-burner position. This is true at the national level (with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense program for example) and at the regional and local levels where topics such as the availability of fresh water and control of water runoff have put the irrigation industry on the defensive.

Certainly, one of the charges of this new group will be to develop resources and strategies to help all irrigation contractors regain positive traction when dealing with water issues and concerns. A big part of this, of course, is helping them promote the positive message that proper use of water is a requisite for sound environmental practices that create a healthy and attractive living space. 

The operation of the Irrigation & Water Management Specialty Group will mirror that of its predecessor groups — Design/Build/Install, Interior Plantscaping, Landscape Management, and Lawn Care. The chair of the new group is John Eggleston, who, I am proud to say, is a manager of one of our sister companies in Michigan and an experienced industry veteran. Like the other group members, he shares a tremendous passion for the irrigation industry.  

Join me in welcoming this group and getting the word out to irrigation contractor nonmembers that the timing is also right for them to join PLANET.

As a side note about how important water is to all industry members, PLANET’s Lawn Care Summit, scheduled for December 7–9, 2011, will feature several sessions on the topic of water. Among them are sessions titled “Bad Lawns, Bad Water; Good Lawns, Good Water,” “Turfgrass Water Needs — Separating Fact From Fiction,” and “State and Local Fertilizer Restrictions Driven by Water Quality Impacts.”

This is our third Lawn Care Summit held in partnership with the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). The event was conceived as a means to disseminate important technical information and provide legislative briefings on developments in lawn care. It has been very successful and well attended, giving attendees tremendous take-home value.

The Lawn Care Summit will be held at Turnberry Isle Hotel & Resort Miami in Aventura, Florida. In addition to the aforementioned topics on water, the agenda features more than a dozen other sessions that will help attendees identify and take advantage of emerging trends in lawn care and pest management, and discover ways to work smarter and more efficiently. There will also be a product showcase, networking lounges and receptions, and an ever-popular Breakfast With Champions event on Friday morning.

If you have questions about becoming part of this new specialty group or about the Lawn Care Summit or registering for this event, please contact PLANET at (800) 395-2522.

Early in 1970, a few members of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) (now the Professional Landcare Network or PLANET) gathered together, agreeing that the green industry should become more proactive in determining its future. They believed that if landscape contractors could accurately predict future opportunities and roadblocks, they could plan to maximize opportunities, minimize problems, increase profitability and productivity, and more effectively deliver quality service to their clients.

The group, named the Crystal Ball Subcommittee, decided to gather forward looking contractors, suppliers, and outside experts in an annual topic specific brainstorming session. Each member funds his or her own expenses. The results of each discussion are published in a report/book format and shared with all PLANET members.

Soon, meeting for one day during PLANET’s annual meeting became too short to cover the topics to the extent necessary. The Subcommittee agreed that it needed three or four days of uninterrupted brainstorming to bring a discussion to a productive conclusion. Group members committed to a Wednesday through Sunday meeting at a rustic cabin in Wisconsin’s north woods. They worked together, made their own meals, and enjoyed their time together. The discussion started at 8 a.m., lasted until noon, broke until 1:30 p.m., and continued until 5:30 p.m., after which the group had dinner together. Early reports were written by committee chairpersons.

Though the group’s base is from PLANET membership, the Subcommittee decided that its visions should cover the entire industry. The association and Subcommittee should be viewed as one dynamic tool to help serve the industry.

The first report, Landscape Contracting: Today and Tomorrow, attempted to predict the future by understanding the past and present. The report, which was well received by the landscape community, predicted many roadblocks and opportunities, and suggested topics for the following reports.

Since then, the Subcommittee has discussed The Changing, Challenging Role of the Chief Executive Officer, Quality and the Landscape Contractor, Lean Management for the Green Industry, Marketing: Invent Your Future, along with many other subjects. In each report, Subcommittee members attempt to reach conclusions and share industry stories. They also try to include recommendations of specific activities for contractors, associations, suppliers, and educational institutions.

The information contained in these valuable reports can help chart the future of the green industry and propose some insightful recommendations for leading-edge business practices.

With the Crystal Ball Reports, you’ll learn about the emerging trends in leadership, productivity, and personnel; uncover what challenges the industry’s future success; explore concepts like innovation and sustainability; and become a thought-leader in areas like marketing, human resources, and client relations.

Stay tuned throughout the coming months to learn more about the Crystal Ball. We will be sharing video’s, excerpts and tips from past books, and valuable lessons that you will be able to apply to your daily business routines.

For more information, visit LandcareNetwork.org.

Growth is the theme of this year’s Green Industry Conference (GIC). So, in keeping with this theme, PLANET will provide members with an opportunity to “grow” our industry’s impact on the city of Louisville.

To do so, we’ve teamed up with Metro United Way, the local United Way affiliate, to identify a few small community service projects in the downtown area.

This inaugural event, which we’ve christened “PLANET Gives Back,” is a way for members attending GIC to demonstrate the charitable and generous nature of our industry. Participants will split their time among four organizations — Bridgehaven Mental Health Services, Heuser Hearing Institute, Engelhard Elementary School, and The Center for Women and Families — and work to enhance areas of their facilities. Although our time with these organizations is limited, we’re excited to be able to give something back to them.

PLANET Gives Back is a hybrid of our national Day of Service held in April and Renewal & Remembrance, held each July at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. I invite you to go online to GreenIndustryConference.org and select Community Service – PLANET Gives Back from the Program and Education tab for more details about the project. You can also contact MaureenAcquino@landcarenetwork.org for up-to-date information.

We’re eager to get PLANET Gives Back underway and believe it will lead to a timeless and fulfilling tradition during GIC. Enjoy your time at GIC, soak up new information, and get involved in our newest project!

 What: PLANET Gives Back

When: October 26, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Downtown Louisville

Who: PLANET members attending GIC. Note: Registration is limited to the first 50 individuals.

Why: To highlight the green industry and the importance of giving back to the community.

Sabeena Hickman, CAE
PLANET CEO