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THE NEW JERSEY Landscape Contractor Using Metrics for Better Decision-Making Dealing with Angry Customers Organic Based Plant Health Care Approach Solid Tips for Building Raised Patios Sketching a Masterpiece with Landscape Soſtware Certification Matters...Really! e Official Publication of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association Summer 2014

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The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine - June 2014 Edition

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Page 1: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

THE NEW JERSEY

Landscape ContractorUsing Metrics for Better Decision-Making

Dealing with Angry Customers

Organic Based Plant Health Care Approach

Solid Tips for Building Raised Patios

Sketching a Masterpiece with Landscape Software

Certification Matters...Really!

The Official Publication of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association

Summer 2014

Page 2: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

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Page 3: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

Published By

The New Jersey Landscape Contractor magazine is the official publication of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Associa-tion, dedicated to the professional landscape industry of New Jersey. NJLCA was founded in 1966 as the Bergen County Landscape Contractors Association, and is today comprised of six regions throughout the state of New Jersey.

New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association465 Boulevard, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407Phone | 201-703-3600 -- Fax | 201-703-3776E-mail | [email protected] our website at www.NJLCA.org

Publisher/EditorGail E. Woolcott

Contributing WritersMark Adamson | Pete Baloglou | Mark BradleyDanielle Cormier | Barry Draycott | Jonathan GoldhillMike Ingles | Shay Leon | Michael MazzarellaJody Shilan | Gail Woolcott

NJLCA Combined BoardExecutive Director | Jody Shilan, MLAPresident | Tom CaneteVice President | Nelson LeeTreasurer | Richard Goldstein, CLTDirector | Anthony AgudeloDirector | Tom BarilloDirector | Greg Carpenter, CLTDirector | George Futterknecht, CLTDirector | Dan KinderganDirector | Luis RoseroAssociate Director | Joe Bolognese Jr.Associate Director | David GaynorAssociate Director | Shay Leon, AAI, CICAdvisor | Dr. Bruce Clarke, Rutgers UniversityAdvisor | Dr. Steven Fischer, Bergen Community CollegeAdvisor | Dr. James Murphy, Rutgers University

The New Jersey Landscape Contractor magazine is published triannually. 500 print copies are distributed to members and over 3,000 digital issues are sent to professionals in the Green Industry of New Jersey, as well as educational and governmen-tal institutions. Subscription rates: $45.00 per year; $15.00 per copy. New Jersey residents only, please add 7% sales tax.

To advertise in The New Jersey Landscape Contractor, please contact Gail Woolcott at (201) 703-3600 or e-mail [email protected].

Article and photo submissions are encouraged and may be sent to NJLCA at the above address. Publisher assumes no respon-sibility for safekeeping or return of photos or manuscripts, and reserves all rights to edit material submitted for publication.

© 2014 New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be re-produced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

PUBLISHED June 2014

contents SUMMER 2014

FEATURES 5 Dealing with Angry Customers

7 Do You Own Your Business or Does Your Business Own You?

8 Using Metrics for Better Decision-Making 10 Certification Matters...Really!

15 Organic Based Plant Health Care

20 Solid Tips for Building Raised Patios

22 Sketching a Masterpiece with Landscape Software

28 Landscape Perceptions Creates Stunning Backyard Design

29 Are You Smiling?

IN EVERY ISSUE... Executive Director’s Message

NJLCA News Briefs 6 Welcome New Members 16 3rd Annual Golf Challenge 18 Contractor Focus: Anthony Agudelo Landscaping 19 Associate Focus: York Trailers 32 Calendar of Events

Columns 5 Safety Corner 7 Get Social 9 Design/Build Sales 11 Legislative Wing 21 Plant Material 23 Your Equipment 25 Business Brief

NJLCA.ORG 3

Page 4: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

Executive Director’s MessageWhy Should I Become a Member of the NJLCA?

When you think about a landscape association, or really any associa-

tion, the concept is completely illogical. Why on earth would direct competitors want to have anything to do with each other? After all, isn’t the basic concept of

business to run a tight and profitable ship and do everything that you can to beat your competition?

If this were true, associations wouldn’t exist and I’d be out of a job. That’s why I’d like to share some thoughts and insights that I have learned working as the Executive Director of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association.

If no man is an island, then no business can be either. In other words, for any of us to be successful, we need the cama-raderie and assistance of others. We need this so that we can get varied perspectives and experienced advice. Sometimes we just need to be around other people who understand what we go through so that we can commiserate about our suc-cesses or failures and just blow off some steam telling each other stories, that all seem to begin with either, “Listen to what my guys did today”.

Time and time again, I hear our members say that they don’t mind losing work to other companies as long as they play by the same rules. Or as Sy Syms would say if he were a landscape contractor, “an educated contractor is our best competitor”. An educated competitor is one who is properly insured, has all of his required licenses and registrations, and also knows his true costs of labor, material and overhead.

He operates his business safely and legally. He maintains his trucks and equipment properly and adheres to ethical hiring and business practices. Things that cost a lot of money, rais-ing his overhead, but ultimately protecting his customers, his employees and the health, safety and welfare of the general public. These are the types of honest and open discussions that NJLCA members have at our membership meetings, in-directly through one of our professional speakers, or directly, speaking with other contractors (aka your competitors).

Now, not all of our members are contractors. As a matter of fact, 25% are associate members who provide the goods and services that our members need. From nursery stock and hardscape material, to lighting and irrigation, truck, trailer and equipment sales/service along with professional services such as insurance, banking, legal advice and landscape design services. And just like contractor members, our associates are here to help you run a safe, legal and profitable business.

In addition to the wealth of knowledge and experience available to you through our members, and the amazing edu-cational opportunities we provide for you, we can also save you money through our exclusive NJLCA member “vendor benefits program” as well as our incredible health benefits plan offered through The Association Master Trust. Join us today and see how the NJLCA can help you succeed.

Jody Shilan, MLANJLCA Executive Director

4 SUMMER | 2014

Medical • Rx • Dental • LifeAssociation Master Trust

Employee Benefits Trust

66 Morris Ave, Springfield, NJ 07081 • (800) 631-7945Visit our website: www.amt-nj.com • E-mail: [email protected]

Medical • Rx • Dental • LifeAssociation Master Trust

Employee Benefits Trust

66 Morris Ave, Springfield, NJ 07081 • (800) 631-7945Visit our website: www.amt-nj.com • E-mail: [email protected]

Medical • Rx • Dental • LifeAssociation Master Trust

Employee Benefits Trust

66 Morris Ave, Springfield, NJ 07081 • (800) 631-7945Visit our website: www.amt-nj.com • E-mail: [email protected]

Members With BenefitsMember Benefits Include:

• Participate in the NJLCA’s Employee Benefits Trust for substantial savings on your medical, dental, prescription and life insurance costs for you, your employees, and families.

• Market your company with the NJLCA logo and stand out as an active member of a statewide trade association.

• Membership meetings throughout the state two times per month allow you numerous educational opportunities at no additional cost for you and your employees (includes dinner).

• Free listing in our membership directory, a great tool to find fellow landscape contractor members, as well as associate, affiliate, advisory, agricultural agents and student members.

• Substantial exclusive vendor and event discounts, including many with allied associations.

• Additional fantastic educational programs to improve your business and increase your profits.

• Social outings that are not only fun, but allow you to network in a relaxed atmosphere. Includes Golf Outing, Holiday Gala, Pizza Night and more!

• Volunteer and community services opportunities coordinated by the association to allow members to give back to the community.

• And so much more.....!

Page 5: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

NJLCA.ORG 5

Feature Story

Protecting Outdoor Workers from Heat

Heat IllnessExposure to heat can cause illness and death. The most serious heat illness is heat stroke. Other heat illnesses, such as heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat rash, should also be avoided.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion• Headache, dizziness, or fainting• Weakness and wet skin• Irritability or confusion• Thirst, nausea, or vomiting

Symptoms of Heat Stroke• May be confused, unable to think clear-

ly, pass out, collapse, or have seizures• May stop sweating

To Prevent Heat Illness, You Should• Provide training about heat stress.• Provide a lot of cool water to workers

close to the work area. At least one pint of water per hour is needed.

• Schedule frequent rests with water breaks in shaded or air conditioned area.

• Routinely check workers at risk of heat stress due to protective clothing and high temperature.

What to Do When a Worker is Ill from Heat• Call for help. • Have someone stay with the worker un-

til help arrives.• Move worker to a cooler/shaded area.• Remove outer clothing.• Fan and mist the worker with water; ap-

ply ice (ice bags or ice towels).• Provide cool drinking water.

Captain Safety can only be contacted through Bob Hibler of Gamka Sales Co. in Edison New Jersey. Bob can be reached at 732-248-1400 or you can e-mail him at [email protected].

Dealing with Angry Customers by Mark Adamson, Douglas Dynamics

Safety Corner

IF THE WORKER IS NOT ALERT or seems confused, this may be a heat stroke. CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY and apply ice as soon as possible.

Your business reputation depends on your employees’ ability to re-cover unsatisfied customers. No one enjoys being confronted with an

angry customer, but we all understand the importance of conflict resolu-tion for positive word of mouth and the future business.

From receptionists to owners how many of your employees have been trained how to handle these sensitive situations? When confronted with these “uncomfortable” moments it is no time to be “HAP”-hazard in your approach. HAP (Handling Angry People) will provide you with a sys-tem to cool customers down because you can’t fix the problem until you fix the person. Your newly acquired knowledge and confidence will not only be effective with customers, but also coworkers, vendors, neighbors, spouses, and teenagers (well...maybe not teenagers).

The Not So Sweet SixteenDON’T...1. Debate the Facts2. Use Fight Words3. Jump to Conclusions4. Blame the Customer5. Use Sarcasm6. Bad Mouth Others7. Change the Subject8. Verbal/Non-Verbal Mismatch9. Pass the Buck10. Use Cliches11. Use Humor12. Use “Poor Me”13. Use “Dumb Me”14. Admit Prior Knowledge15. Use Technical Terms/Jargon16. Use “Gotcha” / Error Detection

The Sweet SevenDO...1. Listen2. Agree3. Remain Calm4. Acknowledge Anger5. Acknowledge Needs6. Apologize Without Blame7. Show Empathy

Mark Adamson was involved in the “green” industry for over two decades with John Deere Company before dedicating himself to the “white” indus-try. For the last 9 years Mark has been the Vice President of Sales and Mar-keting of Douglas Dynamics, leaders in snow and ice control and manufac-turers of Western, Fisher, Blizzard, SweepEx, TurfEx and SnowEx brands.

Fix the Person....Fix the Problem

Page 6: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

6 SUMMER | 2014

NJLCA News BriefA warm welcome to our newest and returning members...Agila C. ServiceCarlos AgilaLittle Ferry, NJ

All County LandscapingAlan Hamann Sr.Wayne, NJ

All Decked OutAugust PalumboHillsboro, NJ

BiosphereWilliam BoyceSaddle River, NJ

BKS Lawn ServiceBill KloosHelmetta, NJ

Bogle Agency InsuranceMatt HuppertLyndhurst, NJ

Cahill’s FarmRob CahillAndover, NJ

Central Jersey Trailer & HitchJackie ScagliottaSomerville, NJ

Contractors SolutionsJames McDermottWoodRidge, NJ

Countywide EnterprisesDaniel DixPerth Amboy, NJ

Curb AppealLandscape SolutionsMike AquinoRockaway, NJ

D & B LandscapingBilly TommasSaddle Brook, NJ

D & J Landscape & Constr.Cindy PelusoSummit, NJ

Delgado Brothers Gen. Contr.Jaime DelgadoPassaic, NJ

DiMeglio LandscapesFrank DiMeglioSkillman, NJ

Donovan Lawn Care& LandscapingBruce DonovanHillsborough, NJ

Emerald Lawn-ScapesBryan FriedenbergerBoonton, NJ

Excel Termite &Pest ControlChris KeenanRiver Edge, NJ

Four Seasons ContractingBrian VintOcean, NJ

Fullerton GroundsScott B. FullertonLedgewood, NJ

Gary L. Smith, CPAAngela SmithSuccasunna, NJ

Greenbelt LandscapesTerry BeltraminiRamsey, NJ

Ince Landscape Construc-tion & ManagementMatt IncePittstown, NJ

Invest @ UCNBSally LawsonBoonton, NJ

JVS Landscaping/Christmas LightingJoe SoccodatoWestwood, NJ

KL ServicesRob KaiserSomerset, NJ

Lawn Pro/Leaves 2 GoKevin KretzHillsdale, NJ

Lombardi Law FirmSteven Lombardi, Esq.Millburn, NJ

M&R Landscape & DesignManny CarlinoWestfield, NJ

Marshall Farley Lawn Svcs.Marshall FarleyFlagstown, NJ

Mercedes NJ LandscapingAquilino (Elvis) MercedesHarrison, NJ

NorthEast Bowie SalesEd DuganWhitehouse, NJ

Peak EquipmentEmil PescatoreWhitehouse Station, NJ

Reed SystemsJim ReedEllenville, NY

SPS ConsultingSteve SkuropackiBlairstown, NJ

Sicilian SunscapesPete VirgaElmwood Park, NJ

Stone & Garden By DesignDavid MilesRingwood, NJ

Tazmo EnterprisesTom BradleyJackson, NJ

Terreri ConstructionRonald TerreriCedar Knolls, NJ

Top Notch Tree & LandscapeTrevor HoeckeleSaddle River, NJ

Twin IndustriesJeanne CrispinoEatontown, NJ

Ultra Lawn Services LLCJohn StanleyHowell, NJ

United One Landscaping& Design LLCMichael FabianUnion, NJ

USI Landscape & DesignAdam KestinUnion, NJ

WJR Landscapes LLCWesley RoweBridgewater, NJ

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Page 7: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

NJLCA.ORG 7

Feature Story

Two Social Media Tricks You Never Knew

Show Off Positive Custom-er Feedback on Facebook

Did you know that 35% of comments on Facebook Pages are compliments?Unfortunately, when a fan

comments on your page, it often becomes hidden under Recent Posts by Others.Luckily, there is a trick for featuring positive fan com-ments on your main timeline.

Follow these sim-ple steps:

1. Access your Activity Log by visiting Facebook.com/YourUserName/allactivity and click on Posts by Others on the left-hand side of the Activity Log.

2. Click the pen-cil icon that appears on the right side of the post you’d like to show off and a menu will drop down.

3. Check off the Allowed on Page option.4. It’s as simple as that!

Use Pinterest to find new customers

Pinterest has amazing search capabilities. While keeping your search engine privacy

turned on may be a good idea for your personal Pinter-est account, turn-ing this setting off is recommended for brands. This allows search engines such

as Google and Bing to show your Pinterest profile and boards within their search results.

Danielle Cormier is a Social Media Communi-ty Manager at Constant Contact with a passion for data, analytics & SEO. @dcorms

As a business owner, can you walk away from your business for one or two months and come back to find it operating smoothly and profit-

ably? Can you even escape for two weeks? Have you ever taken a work-free or guilt-free vacation?

If your answers are “no”, you don’t have a successful business, you have a glorified job! You don’t have an effective business system; you are the system! In a large sense, you are a slave of your own success.

Please do not be offended by these very direct and frank statements. You must realize I get paid to help my clients “face reality” and then hold them accountable for the changes and goals they desire. Facing reality is a critical step that owners must take to begin to build a better business and a better life for themselves.

Ask yourself these questions and be brutally honest with yourself:• Do I often question, “Why do I have to do every darn thing myself ”?• Am I still working too hard and making too little? • Am I trapped working “in” my business instead of “on” my business?• Do I ever wonder if business ownership is truly worth the time, ef-

fort, headaches, hassles, and sacrifices? • Do I feel trapped on a treadmill, where I am moving faster and fast-

er, but going nowhere?• Do I constantly face frequent interruptions and repetitive questions

from my staff?• Do I go home many nights feeling mentally and physically drained?• Do I crave more free time to do the

things that matter most to me?

If you answered, “yes”, to a majority of these questions, your approach to busi-ness management is broken. Your busi-ness should serve you and your dreams. It should give you greater freedom, not less. In fact, your business, properly designed, should function practically without you, not because of you. It should run predict-ably and automatically whether you are in the office or the field, on vacation or not. Your business should not depend upon your presence, personality, problem solving and perspiration for its daily survival. If so, your business does not work, you do!

Bottom line, you should run your business; it should not run you, your family or your life. Your business should be systems-dependent and not owner-dependent or expert-dependent for its success.

Jonathan Goldhill, Expert Business Coach and Consultant with The Goldhill Group, is a strategic business, marketing and sales coach and consultant to owners, managers and salespeople of growing companies in the green industry. Learn more about his company at www.TheGoldhillGroup.com. His books include “The Six Sil-ver Bullets to Growing Any Business Fast” and Sales Accelerator: Strikingly Simple & Effective Strategies for Today’s Marketing.

Get Social

“35 percent of comments on Facebook Pages are compliments”

Do You Own Your Business or Does Your Business Own You? by Jonathan Goldhill, The Goldhill Group

Page 8: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

8 SUMMER | 2014

Using Metrics for Better Decision-Making by Mark Bradley, Landscape Management Network

Feature Story

If there was one simple number that you could use to help you make better business decisions consistently, wouldn’t you want

to know it?There are thousands of numbers and indicators that give you

feedback on your company or jobs. Gross Profit, Net Profit, Sales By Month, Sales Per Customer, Sales By Salesperson, Revenue Per Hour, Overhead Ratio, and many more. They’re all worthwhile metrics, however, every company has one simple metric they should be focused on, and here’s why.

Picture a simple assembly line that makes cars. Your line has four stations:

1. Frame + Body Assembly [30]2. Paint Booth [35]3. Engine + Drivetrain Assembly [15]4. Finishing + QA [55]

In brackets, beside each station is the number of cars that can be completed per hour. The paint booth, for example, can paint 35 cars per hour.

The maximum number of cars we can build – start to finish – is 15 per hour. It doesn’t matter that we have enough finishing and inspecting capacity to do 55 cars an hour, we can only as-semble 15 engine and drivetrains per hour and therefore, we can only build and sell 15 cars per hour.

If you were the manager of this line, your job is obvious. You need to get more production out of your engine and drivetrain section. You‘d likely be ready to make a sizeable investment to im-prove station 3, since improvements would directly improve total sales, without investment required elsewhere (we could produce and sell up to 30 cars per hour before improving other stations).

Somewhere in your landscape company exists this same weak link. It’s your own “engine and drivetrain assembly” station. Pic-ture your company like a funnel. Your funnel neck will only allow so much work through at once. Your company’s production/sales are limited by the amount of work that can pass through the thin-nest portion of your funnel. It’s called your bottleneck.

Unfortunately, there is no bottleneck that applies to every company in the industry, but most companies share a common one. Skilled foremen, who can get jobs done independently on time and on budget, are the most common weak link in the land-

scape industry. Whether you’re a single owner-operator who can’t seem to pull back from daily operations, or a multi-national franchise that depends on many managers and foreman to hit sales targets, most companies’ bottleneck is skilled people who can independently manage a job through to completion.

Therefore, a single metric you could use to make better, more profitable decisions might be sales per foreman hour, or sales per owner hour if you’re managing field work. It’s nice to know how other stations are functioning, but your company’s success/failure is largely determined by your bottleneck.

Let’s take a look at how that metric would impact the way de-cisions are made in real life. Picture two landscape companies. Each have stonemasons who install 100 sq. ft of stone each day. They’ve both agreed to do 100 sq ft. of stonework for $2,000.

Company A measures success by cost savings. Rather than spend $150 to have the stone delivered by the vendor, they send their foreman to pick it up. After all, 2 hours of wages is less than the $150 delivery charge.

Company B uses the bottleneck approach. They only have a few masons who can independently run a job. They look at the cost of delivery, not based on the cost of the stonemason, but the overall cost to the company. 2 hours of their stonemason picking materials is 20 sq. ft of stone that is not installed. At $20/sq. ft, that’s a cost of $400. Company B gets materials delivered and hap-pily pay the $150 charge so that their bottleneck, their foreman, stay focused on generating revenue (finished stonework).

Who comes out ahead?

Big difference. Company A spent a little more in fuel (to pickup the stone), but saved the delivery costs. However, they lost 20% of their available production hours that day while they picked up stone. That loss of production cost them dearly. Not only are they far less profitable than Company B, but Company B will be finished and starting the next job sooner, giving them a further advantage.

Better Profit Lesson: The cost of your bottleneck working on non-revenue generating tasks, is not the cost per hour of the bot-tleneck, it is the cost of lost company revenue.

Most landscape companies could improve profit by looking at owner/foreman hours the same way. The best decisions are the ones that get the most production out of your bottleneck, even if it means it increases the cost of production (up to a limit, of course). Common examples where costs increase, but so do prof-its include:

Company A (pickup)

Company B (delivery)

Wage Costs (per day) $600 $600Equipment + Fuel Costs (per day) $225 $200Delivery Charges $0 $150Material Costs (100 sq ft) $800 $800Overhead Expenses (per day) $500 $500Production (per day) 80 SF 100 SFSales Revenue Earned That Day ($20 SF) $1,600 $2,000Profit $75 $350

Design/Build Sales

Page 9: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

NJLCA.ORG 9

Feature Story• getting your vendors to deliver• buying materials pre-processed to reduce prep time• buying/renting equipment to improve productivity• more detailed designs/project planning before the start of a job• specialized crews – so specialized foremen are dedicated to tasks that

require specialization

Some of the old adages you may have heard, like don’t buy equipment until you can pay for it in cash, are sound, conservative approaches. However, when you look at those decisions from the bottleneck point of view, they’re not neces-sarily the most profitable direction.

The examples above increase sales – the upper half of our sales per fore-man equation. But don’t stop there. You should also focus on reducing foreman hours spent on tasks that don’t drive revenue. Foreman hours are the bottom half of the equation.

In our assembly line example, you’d want to look for ways to off-load work onto other stations to improve the Engine and Drivetrain assembly’s produc-tion. Perhaps Finishing + QA could tighten the bolts, a task now done at the En-gine + Drivetrain station. If that helped Engine and Drivetrain produce 5 more cars/hour, then we’ve increased our sales capacity by 33%! Even if it cost more to have Finishing and QA do the bolt tightening, it’s almost certain to be a financially smart move, when you look at it from the bottleneck perspective.

Take a hard look at your operations and see where you could off-load non-billable tasks from your bottlenecks so they can stay focused on pro-duction-related work.• Washing trucks, maintaining equipment?

Could it be done by others?• Picking up or moving materials? Can your

vendors deliver? Could it make sense to have your own dedicated delivery truck?

• Waiting for instructions or planning? Could you spend more time designing or planning jobs to reduce questions/confusion/mistakes?

• Loading/unloading vehicles/equipment? Fueling? Could you have an “evening” yard person that could do this for all the trucks?

• Could you outsource your fueling to a mobile fueling company?

Finally, to keep things interesting, keep in mind that your weak link changes over time! Imagine improving your engine+drivetrain station so it can complete 60 cars per hour. It’s no longer the bottleneck. You’ve got a new bottleneck that needs your attention. It’s time to start this process all over again.

Where do you start? Here’s a few places you can start:• Divide your job prices by estimated foreman hours. Get a feel for the rang-

es of “good” and “bad” jobs (hint: the lower the sales per foreman hour, the worse the job)

• Ensure your payroll and job costing systems are linked. Every payroll hour should be tracked to a “task” – billable or not. It’s critical that you know how much time is spent unbilled.

• When you’re estimating, take a few minutes to look at different ways to do the job. As we’ve seen, an increase to job costs doesn’t always mean less profit. We call this “value-engineering” a job and it’s a critical step to improving profitability.

Mark Bradley is the president of TBG Landscape & Landscape Management Network. For more info visit www.golmn.com or www.golmn.com/blog.

Free Plans Cost You Plenty

Design-build companies, both large and small, are still doing “free plans” to try to get installation work. Naturally, many landscape contractors feel that they can’t charge for their de-signs because their compe-

tition doesn’t. They think that it is just the cost of doing business or that they’ll recoup the money when they sign the installation con-tract. This is, and always will be, a bad busi-ness practice. It may get you some work, but those free plans are costing you plenty. I know this because I have been in the industry for 35+ years and have designed for free and for a fee. I can tell you that charging for your designs will help you sell more work than free plans. Let’s look at the traditional design/build sales process for a plan of a typical ½ acre property in New Jersey to see how much time you actu-ally spend on your free plan and free estimate (travel time is included).

Therefore, one free plan is tying up your de-sign/sales person for almost 20 hours, or half a week. If they get the job, you’ll tell yourself that it was worth it, and maybe you’re right. But what if they don’t get it? What if they close only 25% of these projects? That means that they are spending almost 80 hours (two work weeks) to sell one installation. Is it still worth it? I think you know the answer. Jody Shilan, MLA is an award-winning land-scape designer and former landscape design/build contractor. He is the Executive Director of NJLCA, the editor of FromDesign2Build.com and host of Landscape Live! He can be reached at 201-783-2844 or [email protected].

Design/Build Sales

“...charging for your designs will help you sell more work...”

Initial Consultation 1.5 HoursSite Analysis 1.5 HoursDesign 6.0 HoursEstimate 3.5 HoursPresentation 1.5 HoursRevisions 2.0 HoursProposal 2.0 HoursPresentation 1.5 HoursTotal 19.5 Hours

Page 10: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

10 SUMMER | 2014

Feature Story

Certification Matters ... Really! by Mike Ingles

It may be impossible to quantify how becoming “certified” in the landscape industry will affect your bottom line, but what

is certain is that more commercial and government accounts demand certifications by established service providers. Certifica-tion is a positive force in elevating service levels within the vari-ous segments of the green industry.

While industry professionals understand the value of con-tinuing education that leads to credentials that advertise their expertise, work remains to be done to “educate” property owners and property managers the value of hiring those who have gone the extra mile.

“Without a doubt, certifica-tion elevates our industry on the whole,” says Shayne Newman, founder and president, YardA-pes, New Milford, Conn. “It is the means by which we become land-scape professionals.”

Newman says, “We’ve had sev-eral employees achieve certifica-tion through a rigorous program administered by PLANET. To be certified means unequivocally that we are safer, more knowledgeable, more efficient & more productive.”

One of the main goals of the green industry’s national trade as-sociations is to promote professionalism and build the public’s confidence in the industry. Offering industry certification are: the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), International Society of Arborists (ISA), Irrigation Association (IA), Profes-sional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) and Snow and Ice Management Association.

Sheri and Joe Russell own/operate Russell Tree Experts, Westerville, OH, and boast having several certified ISA tree ser-vice associates. Russell attained her certification in 2008.

“I’m proud to be one of the few female certified arborists. I

was the only female in a room of over 100 people when I took my exam at Dawes Arboretum, Newark, Ohio, and am excited to see more and more women seeking certification,” she relates.

“I sought after the title because it serves as proof of my under-standing and dedication to professional tree care,” Russell says. “I’m happy to see that the public is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of the title when hiring tree care profession-als. I encourage potential customers to compare our services to other businesses with certified arborists for an ‘apples to apples’ comparison, for it has been my experience that companies that seek certified individuals operate with high standards and truly value healthy trees.”

It is equally important that service providers attain and retain certifications in their particular fields. Many industry standards have evolved into baseline criteria that state and local agencies utilize to establish requirements when considering new regula-tions and laws. Sometimes, these voluntary rules and regulations become standards for state licensing.

“Certification as a recognition of a level of professionalism is gaining momentum within all sectors of the green industry,” adds Joel Hafner, CLT, CLP, Poolesville, Md.

“Our customers are becoming more aware of its significance and, one day soon, will hopefully demand certification as a req-uisite for being on their property” he says.

Not that earning a certification is easy. Not by a long shot.“I think the test has five sections and you must pass all sec-

tions in order to pass the test,” says Michael Joseph, co-owner, Joseph Tree Service, Columbus, Ohio, of the ISA certification test. “I recommend to those thinking about taking the exam that they take the test seriously and buy the study ma-terials and really study hard.”

A serious effortWendy Connair, president, Gar-

den Girls, Inc., Mantua, Ohio, says passing the PLANET exam is no picnic either. “It’s not just an easy test that you walk in and walk out of; there is a level of skills and knowl-edge that is required to master in order to acquire a certification.”

Connair says her certifications assure the public that she knows her business inside and out and that her company is not just a fly-by-night.

“I feel that PLANET understood years ago the importance in setting a higher quality standard in the green industry needed to be established to set the professionals above those who are out to make a quick buck,” she says. “Just like a plumber is looked upon as a professional occupation and learned skill so should the landscape occupation.”

Joseph concurs with Hafner, Newman, Russell and Connair about the need for certification in the green industry.

Page 11: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

NJLCA.ORG 11

Feature Story

March on TrentonOn March 24, 2014, I had the opportunity to join several of our Board members, our Ex-ecutive Director, the Execu-tive Director of ASCA, Kevin Gilbride, and a large group of our members, as we went to Trenton, NJ to speak to our

Senators and Assemblymen about the issues facing snow and ice management contractors and the inability to get insurance at a reason-able rate or at all.

It was a great experience to see the inner work-ings of our government, as we met with Mar-cus Raynor, President of the NJ Civil Justice Institute, along with Senator Sweeney, Senator Cardinale, Senator Barnes, Senator Whelan, Jason Redd, Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel to the NJ Senate Democratic Office, the offices of Senators Kyrillos, and O’Toole, and the office of the Senate Minority.

Senator Cardinale was particularly impressed with our attendance (in all, about 30), as well as how prepared we were for our meetings.

Since March, we have been in touch with Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno, as well as heard back from Senator Cardinale’s office, who is working with us to draft legislation that will hopefully assist our snow and ice manag-ers with obtaining reasonable insurance at the end of this year.

At the end of the day, I truly felt as though our legislators are there for us, the people, and they simply need to be made aware of the is-sues that affect us. If you have the opportu-nity, do join us in Washington, DC in July for the PLANET Legislative Day on the Hill!

Gail Woolcott is the Director of Operations for NJLCA. She has been with the association since 2006 and was named “Legislative Champion of the Year” from FEWA in 2009.

“Arborist certification is very important for our industry. It demonstrates a level of education about arboriculture and a level of commitment to the indus-try,” says Joseph. “There is a continuing education requirement which helps arborist to stay up to date with the advancements and science of arboricul-ture,” says Joseph.

Anne Olmstead, ISA’s marketing communications manager, says that obtaining an ISA certification demonstrates that members have the proper knowledge and skills, as well as a high level of dedication to our profession and community.

“ISA credentials build expert knowledge and reflect the professional skills sought by leaders from the public and private sectors, including training, aca-demia and government organizations,” insists Olmstead.

Olmstead advanced several advantages to becoming certified by ISA that also applies to each discipline in the green industry: increasing income, ef-ficiencies in hiring and training, allowing the public to make informed selec-tion for the services, building upon self-image and certifications might become a deciding factor when bids are similar in cost and application, especially to those businesses seeking LEED certifications.

Karen Barnett, PLANET’s director of programs and services, says that cer-tification allows the public to review credentials and make a decision based on each service provider’s level of training and education. PLANET offers multi-ple certifications (see sidebar). Professional growth strategies, and helping the public identify competent service providers are among the association’s goals.

“Individuals who become certified increase their value to employers, pro-vide a higher standard of service to clients and help raise the professionalism of the entire industry,” insists Barnett.

PLANET, in addition to helping members earn certifications, is working to get the word out to the public.

“We are also focused on educating the public about certification. The first thing to know about landscape industry certified (LIC) is that it is an individu-al certification, not a company accreditation,” says Barnett. “Professionals who are interested in becoming certified should first choose one of the seven des-ignations and then register. All programs are self-study and suggested study materials are available for purchase.”

Continuing educationRecertification is important and stressed in the green industry because of

ever-changing laws and almost daily technical advancement in the various fields. Each discipline has a stringent recertification program designed to en-sure their members are up-to-date with changes in their industry.

“Landscape industry certified individuals stay on top of their profession and credentials by recertifying every two years,” says Barnett.

The required continuing education and optional service needed to maintain the active status of PLANET certification is measured in continuing education units (CEUs). Members are re-quired to report 24 CEUs earned during the two-year cycle to maintain the active status of certification. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies stan-dards state that certification programs must include re-certification provisions.

Legislative Wing

“Senator Cardinale was particularly impressed...”

Senator Cardinale with representatives from NJLCA

Page 12: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

12 SUMMER | 2014

Earning the right to be a PGMS Certified Grounds Manager involves acquiring technical knowledge and in-the-field skills.

Sherrie Schulte, CLIA, certification and op-erations director, Irrigation Association, also insists that certifications elevate green industry professionals over those that have not achieved the same proven level of competency. “Becom-ing certified gives individuals instant credibility, provides additional job opportunities, demon-strates individuals’ commitment to water man-agement and distinguishes them from their competition,” she says. “Certification also raises the bar within the industry, which helps the credibility for the industry in general.”

The IA also offers multiple certification programs. Each program has different require-ments in order to qualify to sit for an exam, says Schulte.

Kelly Mesaris, associate executive director, Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS), says that the certifica-tions that her association offers to grounds professionals offers tangible benefits. “With certification, your presentations, re-quests for funds and equipment and recommendations carry more weight,” she points out. PGMS members are primarily in-stitutional grounds managers and their association offers three certification programs.

“The Certified Grounds Manager program, developed and of-fered by PGMS, is the premiere program of its type in the green industry,” Mesaris adds. “To earn the certificate of completion for the School of Grounds Management (SGM), the student must complete a total of 24 credits within four years. Eighteen of these credits must be completed at the SGM in the core competencies.“

Ellen Kobach, certification and communications manager of the Snow Ice Management Association, says that SIMA’s certi-

fied snow professional (CSP) certification is the recognized standard for professionalism and excellence in snow & ice management services.

“Getting the CSP designation can build a broader base of knowledge to deliver excellence to customers. CSPs value consistent service and communication, are focused on partnership, safety and risk management and are aligned with industry best practices,” says Kobach.

To become CSP certified the student is test-ed in six areas of competence: business, human resources, marketing, subcontractors, snow and ice science, and snow and ice operations and techniques.

Kobach explains that at SIMA they renew yearly. Once an in-dividual passes the exam, they must renew and obtain continuing education credits through SIMA’s annual Snow and Ice Sympo-sium, industry trade show attendance, writing content for SIMA, webinars and more, she adds.

At ISA there are two options in maintaining certification: members can obtain the required CEUs in their three-year cer-tification period (i.e. ISA certified arborist 30 CEUs) and pay a recertification fee, or choose to retake the exam and successfully pass in order to maintain credentials.

Schulte explains the IA’s recertification process. “All certified professionals are required to submit 20 CEUs per two-year cycle to remain in good standing. Newly certified professionals will be assigned a CEU cycle. This cycle will begin the year following when the designation was earned.”

AT PGMS, after becoming a CGM, members must keep up accreditation by earning 25 CEUs every three years.

Along with industry certifications, many colleges and uni-versities offer curriculums of specialization into every facet of green industry services. Two-year technical certifications, in a variety of disciplines, as well as four-year bachelor programs in turf science, horticulture and related sciences, are becoming the norm for many contractors; advanced degrees, or comparable experience, is often required for executive positions with larger turf management companies and is a necessity in many start-up companies and often become requisites for advanced certifica-tions in many trade associations.

The International Society of Arborists (ISA) offers several certifications for contractors.

Many states have landscape associations and some offer strong educational opportunities, and certification programs.

Trade association certifications offer valuable learning op-portunities, are key in continuing education and provide the public the assurances that each science is being performed by knowledgeable and reliable professionals.

Mike Ingles is a freelancer writer living in Columbus, Ohio, who writes articles about business and the green industry. Contact him at [email protected]. Article reprinted with permission of Turf Magazine. www.TurfMagazine.com.

Feature StoryCertification Matters...Continued

Be Outstanding In Your Field...

GET CERTIFIED!National Landscape Industry Certified Technician Program

(formerly CLT)

Certification is a national hands-on testing program administered by the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association (NJLCA)in conjunction with the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET).Certification seeks to recognize proficiency in the landscape work-force, upgrade the landscape professional, and provide the public

with a means of identifying qualified landscape professionals.

Register today for the Landscape IndustryCertified Technician Exam

Upcoming Exam:

Saturday, September 27, 2014Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ

For more information, contact NJLCAat (201) 703-3600 or email [email protected]

Page 13: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

Be Outstanding In Your Field...

GET CERTIFIED!q Full and Retake Exams - September 27, 2014 - 6:15 amBergen Community College, 400 Paramus Rd., Paramus, NJ

2014 National Landscape Industry Certified Technician Exam(Previously the CLT Exam) is administered exclusively by the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association

Registration Form

Year you entered the Green Industry: To become Landscape Industry Certified, PLANET recommends that you have a minimum of 2,000 hours work experience. Please check your work experience:

q 1 year (2,000 hours minimum) q 2-5 years q 5-10 years q 10+ yearsDo you need an on-site Spanish translator? q Yes q No Study Guide to be sent in: q English q SpanishDo you have a disability that requires special accommodations? Please explain: _______________________________

Name: ___________________________________________ Company: ______________________________________________

Company Address: _________________________________ City: ____________________________ State: _____ Zip: ________

Home Address: ____________________________________ City: ____________________________ State: _____ Zip: ________

Phone: __________________________ Fax: __________________________ E-mail: _____________________________________

I am a member of q NJLCA q Other ____________________ To pay by credit card: q MasterCard q VISA q Amex q Discover

Card number: _______________________________________ Cardholder’s Name: _______________________ Exp.: __________

~ Registration also available online at www.njlca.org/cltexam ~Make all checks payable to NJLCA. Payments are due with this application form. No refunds will be given!

(Retakes: Please contact the NJLCA to find out which modules you need and/or fill in module numbers below)NJLCA or Other Landscape Association MemberMaintenance Exam for Members: q Turf Maintenance or q Ornamental Maintenance...Installation Exam for Members: q Softscape Installation or q Hardscape Installation...Retakes for Members (1 - 2 modules)................................... Module #(s): _____________________________Retakes for Members (3 or more modules).......................... Module #(s): _____________________________Manual for Members................................................................Refresher Course for Members (Date TBD).........................

Non Association Member:Maintenance Exam for Non-Members: q Turf Maintenance or q Ornamental Maintenance...Installation Exam for Non-Members: q Softscape Installation or q Hardscape Installation..Retakes for Non-Members (1 - 2 modules)......................... Module #(s): _____________________________Retakes for Non-Members (3 or more modules)............... Module #(s): _____________________________Manual for Members..............................................................Refresher Course for Non-Members (Date TBD)..............

q$250

q$250q $85

q$185

q $70q $50

q$300

q$300q$110

q$210

q $80q $75

You will receive a study guide upon receipt of your application; however, the training manual is strongly suggested!This form must be signed in ink by the authorized person in the company.

No refunds. Substitution of candidates is permitted up to 2 weeks prior to test date. A $25 fee is assessed for substitutions for administrative costs.

Signature: __________________________________________________________________ Date: ____________________________

Return this completed application form to:NJLCA, 465 Boulevard, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 or fax to (201) 703-3776

For more information please call (201) 703-3600or visit www.njlca.org/cltexam

Page 14: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

Attention Landscape ContractorsTo make the best decisions you need to know what’s available. NOT what you are used to. Please look at SNAPPER PRO before you buy your next mower. Features include heavy duty construction, excellent quality of cut, best in ease of operation, a 2 year warranty and factory DIRECT pricing. Looking forward to serving you.

OAKLAND MARINE & EQUIPMENT206 West Oakland Ave

Oakland, NJ 07436201-337-7741

Page 15: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

NJLCA.ORG 15

Organic Based Plant Health Care Approach by Barry Draycott, Tech Terra Environmental

Feature Story

During the last fifty years, the landscape industry has be-come more and more dependent on the use of pesti-

cides as the first choice of dealing with many problems. So much so that many of us have never learned other methods of creating and maintaining a healthy landscape.

When I started out working for tree care companies in the mid 1970’s, gypsy moths were the major pest, and we would spray all trees and shrubs on the properties with the most powerful insecticides available. That approach certain-ly killed many caterpillars and saved many trees, but it also killed many beneficial insects and caused en-vironmental concerns. Many clients would ask us to also spray their crab apples for disease, cherry trees for scale, and hemlocks for mite. We were very efficient and added fungicide, other insecticides, and miticides to the mix and sprayed ev-erything.

By the mid 1980’s those cover sprays evolved into spot treatments based on calendar dates, which helped reduce the amount of pesticides used. In the 1990’s some companies were adding integrated pest management (IPM) services for their clients. As defined by the Southeast PA IPM Research Group, “IPM is a pest population management system that utilizes all suitable techniques (biorational, chemical, cultural, fertilization, irrigation, monitoring with sex pheromone traps, resis-tant plant varieties, etc.) and information to reduce or manipulate pest populations that are maintained at tolerable levels (meaning a few pests will still be around) while provid-ing protection against hazards to humans, domestic animals and earth’s environment.”

In reality, many landscape IPM programs just include monitoring and spot treatments as required, usually with traditional pes-ticides. This technique is focused on pest control by reacting to the pest. It certainly is an improvement and has reduced pesticide usage even more, but we are treating the symptoms without addressing the cause of the problem. However, times are changing, and due to public demand as well as new regulations we have to become knowledge-

able in other techniques to care for plants. In fact, those who continue with business as usual may find themselves out of the business before long.

We have more tools now!In the past couple of decades, science has provided us

with new insights into the biological workings of plants that are helping to reduce the amount of pesticides and salt-based fertilizers that were considered necessary for land-scape maintenance. A great deal of research and fieldwork

has demonstrated that, just as in humans, when stress factors are reduced plants become healthier, and more energy can be devoted to defensive measures. Programs that address these issues have been called plant health care (PHC). This is a proactive program that comes from a completely different mindset. The Southeast PA IPM Research Group defines PHC as “a process of scheduled preventative maintenance based on monitoring and use of cultural and chemical tactics, to enhance plant vitality. The plant and its requirements become the central focus

of our activities, rather than responding to symptoms caused by pest presence, physical agents, or nutritional deficiencies. A plant health care practice addresses the basic causes of the reduction in plant health and provides corrective measures to promote plant health.”

Continued on Page 21

Page 16: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

3rd Annual NJLCA/IANJ Golf Challenge to be Held at Galloping Hill Golf Course

The 3rd Annual NJLCA/IANJ Golf Challenge will be held on September 9th, 2014 at the Galloping Hill Golf

Course in Kenilworth, NJ. Since producing the golf outing along side our allies in the irrigation industry, the golf out-ings have been nearly selling out, but we will continue to make room for all who want to attend!

The Galloping Hill Golf Course was chosen by the Golf Committee for many reasons, but mostly because it offers a challenging, yet enjoyable day on the green. Galloping Hill Golf Course sprawls across 271 acres in Kenilworth and Union. Characterized by its natural terrain of rolling hills and valleys, the course often referred to as “The Hill”, has a reputation as one of the most challenging courses in the area. The 18 hole course features 6717 yards of golf from the lon-gest tees for a par of 71. The course was designed by Willard G. Wilkinson and opened in 1928. Most recent renovations were completed by Stephen Kay in 1998.

The course has partnered with the NJ State Golf Asso-ciation, who now hold their headquarters at Galloping Hill. They will also be hosting the NJ Open Championship in 2016, the first time in the event’s 112-year history at a public, county-owned course.

In addition to the 18 hole facility, Galloping Hill offers a state of the art learning center and 9 hole practice course - The Learning Center at Galloping Hill. This facility opened in October 2009 and has 52 stalls (20 of them are covered and heated) and a 45,000 square foot practice area. The Learning Center is also home to the TaylorMade Performance Lab at Galloping Hill. The Performance Lab contains state of the art club fitting technology, video instruction and a TaylorMade Master club fitter. The 9 hole course with 2348 yards of golf

from the longest tees for a par of 33, is a great place to reinforce the lessons and instruction you just re-ceived at the Learning Center.

In January 2010, KemperSports began managing Galloping Hill and The Learning Center. KemperS-ports is recognized as a leader in the golf course man-agement industry and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the facility.

The all new 45,000 square foot clubhouse will of-fer all players and dinner attendees a fantastic view of the course itself and fine dining at the awards dinner.

The NJLCA/IANJ Golf Challenge is always a great time, with both lunch and dinner included in the price per golfer. Attendees even have the opportunity to shoot for $10,000 cash and a $1,000,000 annuity!

This year we have so many great sponsors, includ-ing Bobcat, Scirocco Group, Atlantic Irrigation Supply, Toro/Irritrol, Hunter, and Aquarius Supply, that attendees are go-ing to walk away with a bag of goodies like never before! We even have a few more sponsorships available like the Golf Tees, Towels, Special Contests and more. So those vendors out there that want to get in on the action should call or sign up right away!

Some of the proceeds of this years golf outing will go to the NJLCA Scholarship, which funds 10 scholarships per year. Three are given to Rutgers students, two to Bergen Community College students, two to Community College of Morris students, all in green industry programs, and three to students that are children of NJLCA members, regardless of the field of study they choose. Therefore, attending the golf outing also helps our members, as well as the future of the industry! An equal portion of the proceeds goes to the Irrigation Association’s educational foundation, which also provides support to the industry’s students.

It is an excellent day of socializing with others in the land-scape field, as well as allies in the irrigation industry. In ad-dition, the networking opportunities at both meals, as well as out on the course, provide contractors the opportunity to spend time with each other and their vendors.

Finally, we end the evening with a spectacular dinner and awards ceremony, with a multitude of prizes for First, Second and Third place winners, the Most Honest Team, Longest Drive, Straightest Drive, Closest to the Pin, and more! So join us on September 9th at Galloping Hill Golf Course (see registration form for deadlines) and spend a great day on the greens, followed by food, fun, and prizes!

News Brief

16 SUMMER | 2014

Page 17: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

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Page 18: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

News Brief

18 SUMMER | 2014

Contractor Focus: Anthony Agudelo Landscaping

New Jersey based Anthony Agudelo Landscap-ing has been in business for over a quarter of a

century, serving Randolph, Mendham, Morristown and neighboring NJ towns.

Anthony acquired his love of plants from his mother. As a young boy growing up in Colombia he didn’t have a big yard. His mother made up for that by surrounding he and his brother with house plants. She had a passion for growing plant after house plant in every single empty container she could find. This appreciation for plants and being self employed was instilled in Anthony at a young age and blossomed into his career of maintaining beautiful, efficient landscapes. In addition, he grew up in a farming town in Colombia, which further fueled his enthusiasm in the landscape industry in the US.

His dedication to excellence sets his company, AALNJ, apart from others. Anthony is committed to having his cus-tomers for life by bringing them the safe, beautiful and cost effective lawn and pest strategies for the health of their land-scapes. As part of his strategy, Anthony says, “All decisions we make about the maintenance of the property has to be in the best interest of the customer in the long run”. To attest to that, one of AALNJ’s customers says, ““I found Anthony originally through Service Magic and used his company for the intended project. His service was great and I have brought him back in 1-2 times each year since for other projects and spring cleanups.”

Anthony is also an avid learner of new technologies, stating, “We try to be on top of any new technology that can help us provide a more efficient service, allow us to be in contact with the cus-tomer or let us know where the crews are, and what they have accomplished so far for the day.

Recently Anthony added snow and ice management to his lineup of services of-fered, which he says have made the past few years quite successful financial and cer-tainly have helped him continue to grow his company.

Several years ago, Anthony also added organic lawn care as a service stating, “The idea of learning about organic lawn care started a couple of years ago after taking a class over the

winter at NJLCA. I found that I can provide my custom-ers with a great looking lawn, with the use of a minimum amount of pesticides, as long as they we willing to make a few changes in the way the lawns were being maintained.”

Anthony continues to learn and be of service in the re-gion. He is a Director of the New Jersey Landscape Contrac-tors Association, received his 2014 Certificate from Rutgers Cooperative Extension in Organic Land Care and a Found-ing Member and Director of the New Jersey Organic Land-scape Association.

Anthony says that he gets quite a bit out of being part of associations. “You get to know people that have faced the

same issues you might be facing right now and can guide you on how to solve them. Associations also bring to you a lot of classes that would not be available anywhere else,” he says.

When asked what he would tell someone just entering the landscape in-dustry, Anthony says, “It is a good industry if you are willing to stay educated about the new trends in the industry. There will always be maintenance that needs to be done. Most impor-tantly is the understanding

of the cost to run a professional operation. It is just good for the owner, employees and customers.

Visit www.aalnj.com for more info or call 973-895-7725.

Page 19: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

News Brief

Associate Focus: York Trailers

York Trailers, established in 1964 as a used car dealer-ship, was on York Street in Paterson, hence the name.

The dealership moved to Wanaque in the late 70’s, where the owner at that time began selling small aluminum boats and trailers, which grew to include utility and car trailers. The

facility moved to its current location on Rt. 23 North in the early 90’s. York currently sits on 3.5 acres with two build-ings, giving them nine bays. After working with the previous owner for some time, the Straffin family bought the business about 12 years ago.

A decade ago, everyone was building, and customers were replacing old trucks, trailers and equipment. The hardest part for manufacturers was to get materials fast enough to keep up with demand. Then the bottom dropped out. Sales came to a screeching halt, even service and parts numbers were down. As with many industries, this hurt York, but helped by thinning the herd. Weaker competition was eliminated and the marketplace changed. The waves have died down, but the ripples can still be seen. Manufacturers have much smaller running stock. Years ago, you could purchase a unit that was already built. Now manufacturers offer incentives for you to pre-order units. Dealers and customers alike have to plan ahead or be willing to wait for the product that they want. York bases their builds on industry trends and sales experi-ence. If a trailer on their lot is not what the customer needs, they can make changes onsite or order one custom.

York Trailers is best known for trailer sales, but have much more to offer. They install trailer hitches and wiring, ladder racks, toolboxes, fuel tanks, lighting, truck caps and covers, and vehicle accessories. The dealership has recently picked up a line of aluminum truck beds. They have installed mod-els from pickup bed replacements to mason dumps and land-scape bodies. Their newest offering is the Boss Snow and Ice lineup. Says Gregg Straffin, “We were approached by several lines, but feel that Boss is the best fit for our dealership and is a product that we can stand behind.”

Jon Straffin states, “One of the most important things that

contractors need to keep in mind when buying equipment is the cost of maintenance. I tell customers to build a trailer based on a worst case scenario. You can’t just take the op-erating weight of a piece of equipment and figure a trailer’s payload. If there is open space in or on a trailer, it will get filled. Maintenance trailers don’t just have a few mowers and trimmers on them. They have bags of fertilizer and seed, jugs of fuel, tools for repair, spare parts and other miscellaneous items.” He continues, “Even if your mower weighs so much now, you may replace it with a heavier one down the road. Keep this in mind and plan ahead.” Equipment trailers too should be built to handle the equipment and attachments.

When asked what sets York apart from their competi-tion, Gregg replies, “Rather than telling you things we do that others don’t, I would like to concentrate what we pride ourselves on. York Trailers is a family owned and operated business. We provide quality service at a fair price. One of us is involved with every job that goes through the shop, many times being hands on, which allows for quality control. We try to offer advice and education to customers. If a customer was to bring us a part that they need, we will inspect said part and advise potential causes of wear or failure and what else should be serviced or inspected while making that repair.We make great efforts to keep on top of new technology and products in the industry.” He continues, “We are members of

several associations to keep up to date with regulations and laws. Manufacturers have used as a sound-ing board for the research and devel-opment of new prod-ucts and real world testing.”

The Straffins feel it is important to stay involved with associations like the NJLCA. Jon says, “NJLCA is very pro-

active with development of legislation to protect its mem-bers. Without this protection, government can easily overrun small business. Being part of the association has also allowed us to develop relationships with other small business owners. This provides us with feedback from the end user and allows for insight into the landscape industry trends.”

York Motors can be reached at www.YorkTrailers.com or call them at 973-492-0110.

NJLCA.ORG 19

Page 20: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

Solid Tips for Building Raised Patios by “Paver Pete” Baloglou, Techo-Bloc

Why have raised patios consisting of SRW’s and ICP be-come such a hot topic? Maybe the inherent safety and

maintenance issues with a wooden deck? Maybe the aesthet-ic and structural advantages of today’s concrete hardscape products. The versatility of SRW’s and ICP in raised patios has given rise to a new problem, “what is the right way to build it?” With the NCMA and ICPI (Industry Governing Bodies) crossing paths on the subject we have had to rely on blogs, “I heard they build them this way…”, and on-the-job training to figure it out. Questions such as: house founda-tion prep, over excavation of house, elevated ingress, steps to grade, drainage, and accessories/fall protection can be over-come with the best life cycle cost and quality; reputations are built on.

Problems around the homes foundation include unbal-anced fill, water proofing, poor construction practices, liabil-ity, and drainage just to name a few. Unbalanced fill is defined as a foundation wall made to withstand a given load then increasing it exponentially with an exterior raised struc-ture. The raised structure can also trap moisture (and con-densation) against a naturally wicking, porous wall com-posed of ready-mix concrete or CMU’s. Concrete foun-dation walls combined with poor construction practices in most slapped together forms with questionable concrete curing and drainage you’re looking at potential liability. “How am I liable?” Who do you think will be blamed (i.e. sued) for cracks, mold, water in basement, etc… the sub-contractor who poured the wall, the builder or the landscape contracting firm who leaned 70 tons of aggregate against the foundation?

To further complicate the case is the transition to pres-sure treated sill plates and vinyl siding, masonry veneer, or stucco and over excavation of the foundation. How was this transition from concrete to veneer water proofed, drained, etc? Remember a good carpenter is one who hides his mis-takes! How about the over excavation of the foundation foot-print? Was the foundation properly backfilled with drain tile (positive gravity flow) and clean stone or was dirt, stone, construction debris (i.e. insulation, roof tile, 2x4’s, plywood, etc.) pushed in and allowed to “naturally compact”? These

are our obstacles, let’s look at some solutions.

With an elevated ingress to the back of the house and code restric-tions on step downs building a land-ing is our best option. To resist settlement in this minimum 6’ x 6’ landing, pin and pour a steel reinforced concrete base to code below frost line. Once inspected build a 4 sided box gaped 1” to 2” from foundation using SRW units. This box negates any unbalance fill problems. Fill box with AASHTO # 57 (3/4” clean…poorly graded) stone maximum every 8” and lightly compact to within 8 ¾” of top of cap or land-ing. AASHTO # 57 stone is 95% compacted when dumped so only minimum effort is needed to ensure consolidation. Regardless of this fact bi-axel geogrid every 16” or to engi-neer spec’s is cheap insurance against failure. Install non-woven soil separation geotextile fabric over #57 stone (and

up walls) and build a base of ASTM C2940 (3/4” w/ fines…well graded) compacted to 98% SPD to within 2 ¾” (for 60mm/2 3/8”) paving stones of the top of cap. Contour base into a drain that al-lows for bedding and surface drainage…daylight or plumb into sub-base. Screed ASTM C33 (WCS-Washed Concrete Sand) to 1” loose thickness and lay paving stones and cut in. Compact with protective buffer on textured units with minimum 4000-5000 lb. cen-trifugal force vibratory plate

compactor. Three passes with compactor should leave paving stones ¼” higher then cap to compensate for minor differen-tial settlement.

Now that ingress is solved and we’ve built our landing be-yond area of over excavation we can build some steps down to the raised patio. The reduction in elevation will create in-terest and character, save on landscaping and fencing needs, and provide privacy. Steps can be built monolithically into wing walls from the stoop using either solid treads like Röcka from Techo-Bloc or segmental units matching surrounding walls.

Once on the raised patio consider at least one grade

Feature Story

20 SUMMER | 2014

Continued on Page 30

Page 21: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

NJLCA.ORG 21

Feature Story

Tried, True and New

As tastes and needs change in the landscape, it is important to keep up with the latest trends in landscape design as well as the newest culti-vars in plant mate-rial. Not to say that you shouldn’t still work with your tried and true se-lections but adding a new plant or two

to your palette each year will keep your plant-ing layouts fresh and eye catching.

Here are some plants to consider on your next project. The are all hardy in Zone 6 so they are perfect for any landscape in the garden state. All of them are deciduous, flowering, attract butterflies and birds and are deer resistant.

While all of you should be familiar with the traditional Cornus kousa ‘chinensis’ (Kousa Dogwood), you may want to look for Cor-nus kousa ‘satomi’ which is similar but a pink flowering variety. Another tree that fits the above criteria and is surely underutilized is Laburnum x Watereri ‘Vossi’ (Golden Chain Tree). It has beautiful yellow flowers that bloom in the spring.

Although Syringa x chinensis (Chinese Lilac) is a staple plant in many landscapes why not try Syringa vulgaris ‘Ludwig Spa-eth’ (Ludwig Spaeth Lilac), ‘Charle Joly’ (Charles Joly Lilac or ‘Sensation’ (Sensation Lilac) that also has a variegated purple flower.

If you’re looking for some yellow in your landscape throughout the year why not try Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spring Glory’ (Spring Glory Forsythia) for spring; Hypericum pala-tum ‘Sungold’ (Sungold St. John’s Wort) for summer; or like Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ (Yellow Twig Dogwood) to brighten up your landscape all year round.

On paper there are many similarities between IPM and PHC programs; the game changer is shifting the emphasis from pest management to plant health. Healthy strong plants are better prepared to withstand many pest problems. As stated before, when plants are stressed due to environmen-tal and/or cultural pressures they divert energy from growth and defense to survival. In many cases, pests are able to detect these chemical changes in the stressed plant and move in for the attack. Some common examples include the following:

•Stressedbirchtreesaretargetedbybronzebirchborers.•Kentuckybluegrass,whenfertilized,closelymowed,andimproperly

irrigated, encourages that buildup, which is idea for infestations of bill-bugs, chinch bugs, and sod webworms.

In cases like these, the pests are secondary problems and only treat-ing for them is a band-aid approach. Good PHC programs may begin by treating emergency problems and then are followed up by actions to rectify the cause.

Landscape contractors always ask me, “How can I kill pests organical-ly?” My answer surprises many of them: “Let’s start at the beginning and talk about the importance of soil health.” Understanding the associa-tions between soil health and plant health is the key to setting yourself apart from your competition.

In my case, I had become profi-cient in IPM and kept many pests under control while using much fewer pesticides than in the past. But, many plants still did not look vital and healthy even when tradi-tional fertilization was part of the program. I knew enough about soil compaction to realize it is a major part of the problem, but I knew of no economical way to improve soil structure in existing plantings or turf areas. I began to learn more about soils and what grabbed my interest the most was the dynamics of soil biology. Good, healthy soil is teeming with life, not just earthworms and insects, but also billions of mi-crobes. Many of them promote root growth, nutrient and water uptake, and will defend plants against diseases and other pests. You can almost say that the soil is the digestive and immune systems for plants.

When we use salt-based fertilizers, we bypass this system. It’s almost like someone being fed intravenously; he’ll get the basic nutrients and will survive but in a weakened state. Now, he needs antibiotics because his immune system is not working as it should be. When plants are weak, we need more pesticides to control more frequent disease and insect attacks.

Microbes in the soil provide plants with more than basic nutrients. They also deliver enzymes, proteins, and hormones that are necessary for plant vitality. They help improve soil structure and increase water reten-

Plant Material

Continued on Page 27

Organic Based Plant Health Care (Continued)

Credit: Hort Printers.Courtesy of Monrovia

Credit: Doreen Wynja.Courtesy of Monrovia

Page 22: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

Feature Story

22 SUMMER | 2014

There’s an old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” So when you’re creating a design for a landscape,

you want your thousand words to be good ones. Well, with computer design software, it’s easier than ever to compose your landscape.

Forget about the pens, the paper, and having to go to a blueprint shop. Now, all you need to make a stunning design, plans, and an estimate, is a laptop—or a tablet—a software program, and your imagination.

Going from digital photo to design photoThe computer age has brought about many changes, as far

as what people can do with photographs. Probably the best-known program that has made it possible to add or remove things from a picture is Photoshop. It can make a photo ap-

pear like it is forty years old, or add a person into the picture, or it can change backgrounds; it can do a myriad of things. Then, you can print or send that image, and no one knows that it isn’t an original image.

Landscape design software has capitalized on this ability with photo imaging. If you were called in to see a potential client, or a client that you had worked for in the past, and they want to renovate their landscape, now you can take a digital image of the client’s house—front, back and sides—go back to your office or truck, and start the work right there.

To begin a design, download a photo of the property. Your client would probably like to keep the grown trees surround-ing the property, but would like to remove the overgrown shrubs and turf that make it look like it was landscaped 30 years ago. You want to bring it up to date.

Most programs offer collections of images, accessories

and plant material that allow you to put together a visual de-sign of the new landscape in no time at all. All you have to do is simply drop and drag flowers, grass, mulch, hardscapes, and various other elements into your design, and you can create a digital image of what the house might look like.

This also means that there’s no need to spend time ex-plaining what each of the plants will look like. The client can just take a look at the image, and have a clear sense of the finished product. And when your clients get a sense of what their new landscape is going to look like, that’s when they’ll get excited.

Editing and adding onBeforehand, discuss with your clients what they would

like to see and what they don’t. Based on that meeting, you begin to design. But what happens when you show them the landscaped picture and they don’t like it?

Don’t sweat the details; it’s easy to change. In fact, psychologically it would make sense to have some pieces in the design that would need changing. When you start talking about addi-tions you would like to bring in, or when your clients see something they are not crazy about, it’s easy to make it right.

In the past, that would usually mean going back and redrawing from scratch. But when you are using design software, changing elements of a design becomes much less of a chore.

You can change elements of a design very easily when working with a computer image. If there is anything in the design that the client doesn’t like, or if there’s another option you’d

like to consider, all it takes is a few clicks (or a few swipes of the finger, if you’re on a tablet) and you can display what the landscape will look like with the modifications.

As a contractor, this gives you a big advantage. You can create exactly what a client wants. This will save you from costly problems due to miscommunication down the road.

“If you put in purple flowers, and they don’t like purple flowers, well, then you can address that up front,” says David Sloan, sales and marketing director for Drafix Software, Inc., based in Kansas City, Missouri. “You not only find out what they like—but more importantly, what they don’t like—be-fore you start digging holes in the ground. You want them hands-on enough to know just what they want.”

“A client can say, ‘I like this, but let’s change this over here. I’d like to put the fireplace over here and I’d like to add a spa over there.’ In the old days, with a pen and ink drawing, you’d

Sketching a Masterpiece with Landscape Software by Michael Mazzarella

Page 23: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

NJLCA.ORG 23

Feature Story

A Clean Machine is a Happy MachineAccording to Greig Lutz of Oakland Marine Equipment, there are some simple mainte-nance jobs that landscape contractors can do in-house to keep their lawn maintenance equipment running stronger and longer. The following tips will also save you from some costly repairs and keep your equipment in the field and in production.

His first tip sounds so easy, but is so often overlooked. According to Lutz, you should check your oil every morning and if it is low, top it off. Even though you should always change your engine oil and keep it clean, it is better to be full and dirty then clean and low (up to a certain point). As he told me, “Some-how that Friday oil change seems to turn into next Friday, then next Friday, then …”

Next on his list of money-saving tips was to make sure to blow the grass clippings out of your fins and cylinder head by removing the blower housing at least once a month. The en-gine will run cooler and breathe better, mini-mizing breakdowns and extending its life in

the long run.

Another easy tip is to clean the filters and grease all fittings once a week.According to Greig, clean-ing an air filter weekly

is probably one of the easiest things that you can do to keep your equipment running. A clean filter captures dust and particles, which prevents them from getting into the carbure-tor and, ultimately, the engine. Unfortunately, the filter can become clogged up in less than a week, preventing not only dust from get-ting into the engine but air, which the engine needs to run properly.

One last, but less common maintenance tip is to adjust your rocker arms every six months to increase the life of your starter. Lutz said that it really is a simple procedure that requires very few tools. Once you see someone do it, you should be able to do it yourself. Naturally, if you would like him to do it at Oakland Ma-rine, I am sure he’d be happy to.Greig Lutz is the owner of Oakland Marine Equipment. You can reach him at 201-337-7741 or visit www.OaklandMarine.com.

have to erase everything, or you’d have to redraw,” says Steve Secondo, owner of Steve Secondo designs in Santa Ana, California. “With the com-puter, you can easily make lines and features disappear. It makes changes and revisions easier, and makes it simple to put an image together that can be shared with the clients.”

Not only is it easy to factor in the clients’ input, but because they are right there with you, they feel involved in the design itself. Here is where the psychology of this comes into play. They can see a finished image of a design, and think to themselves, “I helped design that. This is just what I want, and I’m looking forward to seeing this when it’s done.”

Working with lightsIf your company also does landscape lighting, guess what? You can

design the landscape and put in the lights where they belong as well. It’s quick and easy to create a lighting design for your clients’ needs that can be clearly shown to them.

Even better is the fact that the soft-ware can show your clients what the landscape will look like at night. There’s no need for them to imagine what it might look like at night; you can show them what it will look like, right in front of their eyes! Remember that old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words?”

Simple to work withBut what about the contractor who doesn’t have the desire to design?

What can he do with this? Well, contractors who don’t have the vision or the desire to design usually outsource this work to professional designers.

Fortunately for us all, technology keeps getting easier to use, even for technophobes. Today, you can do a design with your laptop or your tablet, right on the site, while meeting with the client. With a little imagination, using design software could not only be enjoyable, it can save money, too.

It also saves you the time wasted on repetition. One big annoyance with drawing a design by hand is the need to continuously pencil in the same plants over and over again to fill in a bed. Or having to sketch flow-ers in a front yard and try to make each one appear unique. But with a collection of images to work from, putting together a row of plants or adding a pool in the backyard is a piece of cake.

“I was doing it by hand previously, and I went to software to increase productivity,” says Patrick Duchene, owner of Duchene Design Solutions, based in Branchburg, New Jersey. “Your accuracy greatly improves, and now, thanks to the software, I’m probably doing about three to four times the work. Also, your presentation is superior to anything you do by hand, in my opinion.”

Your Equipment

Illustration courtesy of DynaSCAPE

Page 24: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

Feature Story

24 SUMMER | 2014

“If you can turn a project around quicker, people are a lot more inclined to buy and to sign on the dotted line, because you’ve deliv-ered something in a timely and professional manner. It sets a precedent for later on, for when you do a project and you say you’re going to finish it on time,” explained Duchene.

There’s also a far greater clarity as to what’s actually in the design. Unless your client hap-pens to also be a contractor or designer, odds are he isn’t going to know how to interpret a blueprint. But with a colorful image of his home, there’s nothing to interpret. When you insert a tree from the image library, it will look like a real tree when someone other than a de-signer looks at it.

“This software is a very big benefit to the client,” said Joe Salemi, marketing manager for DynaSCAPE Software, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. “They instantly have much better clarity as to what they are getting.”

Design software allows the contractor to work with his clients better, so that they can find out precisely what they want. The clients have a better grasp of what the finished product is going to look like. This leads to less hassle for you, happier clients and fewer problems down the road.

“When I add water, it looks like real water. When I add in trees, they look like real trees,” says Secondo. “The clients understand that what they’re looking at are trees. This is all about communicating an idea, visually, in two dimensions.”

Features of the system:Transferring

Computers are valued for a lot of reasons. For one thing, they make transferring ideas and projects much easier. A design created on a computer can be sent from person to person with ease. A design developed online can be put into a PDF, and can then be sent out anywhere you want. Or, you could print out that PDF and hand it over to a client, so they can have a picture of what their future project will be like; a nice reminder of what their yard will look like.

It also means that you can send your thoughts and ideas to clients even when they’re not in town. They can be away but you can still keep them informed of what is happening. The software has completely revolutionized how you can communicate with your customers.

More perspectives, more possibilitiesBut your ways of wowing the customer don’t end there.

Remember, people don’t look at a landscape from just one perspective the whole time. They’re going to walk out into the middle of it, or look at it from the sides. So wouldn’t it be smart to have your design display what it will look like from these angles as well?

If you really want to wow them, turn that photo imaging design into a full 3D image. That way, you can allow the cli-ent to see their potential landscape from a variety of angles and directions. Let them see it from the corner of the prop-erty, or let them stroll through it from one end to the other, or even let them see what it looks like as they are walking out from the house onto the landscape. These multi-angled views give buyers a better sense of what the finished product will look like.

Sketching a Masterpiece (Continued)

Page 25: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

NJLCA.ORG 25

Feature Story

Properly Insuring Your EquipmentWhen was the last time you reviewed your equipment schedule with your insur-ance professional? The last thing you want is an equip-ment loss which interrupts your ability to work and

complete scheduled projects. Equipment cov-erage is one of the least expensive, broadest coverages available. With little effort and the right insurance program, you can make sure your equipment is properly insured.

There are three categories that a landscaper’s equipment fall under: scheduled equipment, miscellaneous unscheduled and leased or rented. Scheduled equipment should be those larger items which have a higher value, typically over $2,500. Replace-ment cost maybe avail-able for items 5 years old and newer. Understand the coverage and know if you are insuring for replacement value or actual cash value. This makes a big difference on the valuation and the limit you chose. Miscellaneous unsched-uled equipment includes smaller items, such as weed wackers, back pack blowers, trim-mers, hand tools, etc. Review your per item limit, as well as the maximum amount avail-able per loss. Leased or rented equipment coverage can be set up on a per item per limit basis with a maximum coverage amount, de-pending on the type of equipment you lease or rent and for how long.

Make sure you keep a complete up-to-date list of all items you own and review it with your in-

surance professional. I review the equipment schedule with my clients at least once a year. It’s easy to do and can save you a lot of time and money if a claim occurs.

Shay Leon specializes in insurance for Land-scape, Lawn Maintenance and Snow Manage-ment contractors and has been a member of the NJLCA since 1993. He is currently an Associ-ate Director on the NJLCA Board.

Creating a detailed mapBut there are times where you need that detailed, 2D site plan. When

you need a detailed model of what a design may look like, fear not, be-cause landscape software designers have your back here, too.

Most of the big names offer easy-to-use computer-aided design (CAD) software. CAD allows you to easily create a 2d site plan that accurate-ly represents the installation of plantings, sprinkler systems, and hard-scapes. The result is an image of the landscape that has color, but also contains details on what’s going in the design.

Better measurements and better estimatesThere is something else that computers can do that make a contrac-

tor’s life easier: they can make calculations far faster than any human can. When operating with design software, there can be no doubt that a mea-surement of a backyard can be spot on, saving you the hassle of measur-ing by hand. And as a result, the amount of material that you are going to need is also going to be right for the job.

“I don’t do anything without the software,” says Cassie James, chief designer for James Landscaping in Grapevine, Texas. “It makes it possible for me to create a bid without guessing at the square footage. The hedge lines are always accurate; the placement of plants is always correct. It just decreases all the time and effort. So I never go to a project without it.”

When the time comes, you can also generate blueprints, and then you can create a take-off sheet.

The software comes in just as handy for that. Many programs offer built-in bidding capabilities that can help you create an estimate that is ready to print out.

What this means for a contractor is that he can bring everything he has worked on together into a professional-looking sales presentation, with a cover sheet, an estimate, and a list of materials that will be used. You can even give information about the plants you’ll be using. All that makes you look like the landscape professional that you are.

Now, it is easier than ever for landscape contractors to create their own landscape designs. Businesses that are already making use of design-ing with software have found that it saves them time, it saves hassles and provides an even more professional approach to the client.

Reprinted with permission from Irrigation & Green Industry magazine.

Business Brief

“...keep a com-plete up-to-date list of all items you own...”

Page 26: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine
Page 27: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

NJLCA.ORG 27

Feature Story

tion while improving drainage. Microbes also form protec-tive layers around roots to defend against pathogens. Science is just beginning to understand the millions of biological ac-tivities that occur in the top six inches of good soil and their impact on plant health.

Key Components of PHC ProgramsWhether your business is a nursery, landscape contract-

ing, or maintenance, the following aspects need to be under-stood in order to implement successful PHC programs.

Client expectations need to be defined not only to offer the best service but to achieve the best results. Client edu-cation is essential, as many people do not have horticulture backgrounds and may have unrealistic expectations. Using your knowledge in a professional manner to help clients meet their goals is the sign of a successful businessperson.

Site considerations such as hours of sun, temperature range, soil type, slope and drainage, irrigation, plant types, site usage, and many other factors come into play when de-signing a PHC program. When you understand the site you are working with, you will have a much greater impact on preventing pest problems.

Cultural control strategies will greatly reduce stress fac-tors. It’s really sad to have to tell a new client that their trees were planted too deeply, the wrong grass seed was used, or the plant they just installed should never have been planted there in the first place. Proper pruning, mowing height, irri-gation, and nutrient management are additional procedures that will improve plant health.

Pest Control Even with best management practices there will be times

when pests will cause problems and have to be controlled. There are many options we can choose from. Do we need to exterminate the pest or manage an acceptable balance? There are times when extermination may be the best option and a strong pesticide may be required to remedy the situation. An

organic-based PHC program does allow for this. But bring-ing out the big hammer should be the exception rather than the rule.

When soil health and sound cultural practices are main-tained, there is little need to pull the pesticide trigger. When this is necessary, consider using EPA minimum risk pes-ticides and/ or biorational controls. In 1996, the EPA ex-empted pesticide registration on products containing only ingredients listed by the EPA as posing little or no risk. Man-ufactures of these products may legally claim pests that are controlled by the product. Depending on state laws, an ap-plicator license may or may not be required to apply these products professionally.

Biorational controls are designed to have little or no im-pact on beneficial insects and the environment. They may include horticultural oils and insecticidal soap, bacteria such as Bt, the attraction and release of predators, and other op-tions. Some are EPA-registered pesticides requiring an ap-plicator license.

The benefits of an organic-based PHC program are numer-ous. We, our work-ers, and our clients are exposed to less pesticides, and nutri-ent runoff into our waterways is reduced. At the same time, we are able to provide vibrant lawns and landscapes at com-petitive pricing. Pub-lic pressure, govern-ment regulations, and good business prac-tices are all telling us to go green. Now is the time to get seri-ous about promoting our profession as being environmen-tal stewards. We take pride in the work we do to enhance the beauty of outdoor spaces for our clients. Take the lead and separate your business from your competition by imple-menting an organic-based PHC program.

Barry Draycott is President of Tech-Terra Environmental. He shares his nearly 30 years of knowledge and direct experi-ence in the field with the landscape industry. Tech-Terra edu-cates on integrated pest management solutions, both organic and non-organic.

Organic Based Plant Health Care (Continued)

Page 28: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

Feature Story

Landscape Architect Josh Hampton of Landscape Percep-tions located in Oakland, NJ was challenged by Craig Ba-

gin, of B&B Pool and Spa, to design a custom gunite pool in this elegant backyard located in Northern New Jersey. The client requested a number of advanced amenities, such as fire bowls, sheet flows, and automated controls to be incorpo-rated into the traditional, formal layout of the pool, cabana, and surrounding landscape. These amenities add flair and excitement to the formal design of the project, while allow-ing the client to control the pool with ease.

The pool measures 22’ x 45’ and was sited on gently slop-ing topography in the backyard, facing the house that was still under construction while the pool was being built. The sloping topography allowed Hampton to create the raised beam and spa with sheet flows that cascade down into the pool below. At either end of the raised beam, Hampton de-signed two circular stanchions that rise up 8” past the beam, hold 24” fire bowls that frame the cabana behind the pool, and create a dramatic scene for the client and guests to enjoy in the evening hours. Stacked stone steps along side each circular stanchion provide access to the raised spa and spec-tacular cabana behind the pool. Thermo edged bluestone coping and a unique tile layout adds an element of interest to the raised beam. The dry-laid natural stone patio mate-rial, Norwegian Buff, compliments the Bluestone coping and provides a long lasting walking surface for the client to enjoy for years to come.

The pool itself was designed to be a “Play Pool” says Hampton. There are shallow ends at either end of the pool that pitch toward the middle to a maximum depth of 5 ½ feet, allowing users to stand and play in the entire pool. Another

unique feature are the extra long steps opposite the raised beam that allow guests to sit or wade in the water along the perimeter of the pool. Patio spaces around the pool are functional for large gatherings providing plenty of space for outdoor dining, pool parties, and access for guests to enjoy

all the unique elements of the project. Planting spaces were incorporated within the patio and pool area to provide sea-sonal interest to the landscape and further accentuate the formality of the design.

Mechanically this pool is very advanced. It uses salt to create chlorine within the filtration system and a chemical monitoring system to allow for a healthier and more refresh-ing swimming experience. Also, automated controls are lo-cated in the home and on the side of the spa so the client can control the pool and spa functions, heater, lights, and fire bowls with ease from inside the home or while relaxing in the spa. Color changing LED lights installed in the pool complement the fire bowls, lighting on the cabana, and land-scape lighting to create a remarkable lighting display after sunset. Logistically this project was very challenging. The pool, cabana, and landscaping had to be built while the pri-mary dwelling was under construction. Working together with other trades and contractors on site was a must on this project. Without the collaboration between contractors, this project would not have been possible.

This spectacular pool and landscape project is truly one of a kind. Formal design and modern amenities blend togeth-er seamlessly and provide an extraordinary outdoor living space for the client and guests to enjoy. “It’s an oasis in your own backyard” says Hampton. “The project provides a place to escape the stresses of everyday life in their own backyard”.

Landscape Perceptions Creates Stunning Backyard Design

Photo credit: Chris Nelson

Photo credit: Chris Nelson

28 SUMMER | 2014

Page 29: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

NJLCA.ORG 29

Feature Story

There are a many reasons why a business may be success-ful. They may provide goods and services at a very low

price like Hyundai, provide an excellent value at a moderate price like the Ford or are best of class and provide an incred-ible customer experience at an extraordinary price like Mer-cedes. Maybe their success comes from having a unique and innovative product that can’t be found anywhere else, such as Tesla. Or maybe they have a product known for something unique, such as extraordinary safety like Volvo.

Now what about you and your company? What type of customer experience do you provide and at what price point? For example, does one of your maintenance crews give your customers the red carpet treatment, while another crew treats your customers as if they’re doing them a favor each week? What about your salespeople? Is salesperson “A” always low-

ering his prices and giving great deals, while sales-person “B” beats them up for every penny they’ve got? Hopefully it’s not this bad, but still, being consistently inconsistent is a recipe for failure.

Whenever I discuss these kinds of topics, I always rec-ommend that you think about your own experiences. Every single day we are consumers ourselves, whether we are buy-ing coffee in the morning, filling up with gas or purchasing materials for our customers. When you go to your favorite coffee shop in the morning, is it perfect some days, cold on others or burnt? Is the cashier always courteous or some-times rude? Does it depend on the day? What about when you purchase plant material at the nursery? Do you get some plants that are lush and perfect while others are on their third re-burlapping? I think you get the idea.

When you buy a Big Mac from Mickey D’s, no matter what state or country you are in, those two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun, it will taste exactly the same. Make it a combo and you get French fries and a soda of your choice. If you really think about it in terms of your own business, delivering this kind of consistency is not an easy task.

How can you deliver this kind of consistent product or service? It all starts with developing standard operating pro-cedures (SOP’s) and Best Management Practices (BMP’s).One of the easiest procedures to start with is a phone script,

so that anybody who calls your office gets the same consis-tent message and initial customer experience. As the saying goes, “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impres-sion”. This saying is just as true, regardless of whether you are meeting someone over the phone or in person.

Your customer’s first call to the office and their initial cus-tomer experience sets the tone for everything. While you may be the king of “Search Engine Optimization” and spend-ing big bucks to be ranked #1 on page 1 with Google, your in-vestment will be completely wasted if the person answering the phone turns off your customers as they answer the phone and say, “Yeah, hello. Listen, we’re really busy right now, can you call back later or maybe tomorrow? We’re really getting slammed.” This, as opposed to “Good morning. Thank you for calling Bill and Ted’s Excellent Landscape. This is Laura, how may I help you this morning?” Your script doesn’t have to be long, just professional.

Here is one last Trade Secret. As ridiculous as this might sound, you need your people to smile when they answer the phone. Yes, smile! People “sound” happy when they smile as they talk over the phone. It’s true. I actually used to play a bedtime game with my son, Jake, called “Am I smiling”? I would sit in the rocking chair and he would turn his back to me and say, “Am I smiling”? I would have to guess from the sound of his voice whether he was smiling or not. No matter how hard he tried to change his voice, I was right 100% of the time. Try it with your employees or your kids.

Start with one process at time and before you know it, you will become consistently consistent with everything that you do. Please follow this YouTube link for even more help http://bit.ly/areyousmiling. Although I can’t see you, I’m going to guess that right now you’re smiling.

Smiling is a Best Management Practice by Jody Shilan, Executive Director

Page 30: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

30 SUMMER | 2014

Feature StorySolid Tips for Building Raised Patios (Continued)

Advertiser IndexAl D. Landscaping & Tree .................................www.aldlandscapingandtreeservice.com ...........Inside Back CoverBrock Farms .......................................................www.brockfarms.com ..........................................Inside Front CoverEvergreen Valley Christmas Tree Farm ..........www.evergreenvalleychristmastrees.com .......................................6Oakland Marine Equipment ............................201-337-7741 ....................................................................................14Tech Terra Environmental ..............................www.techterraenvironmental.com .................................................14Wallace Trucking ................................................www.topsoilstone.com ....................................................................26

change. Grade changes add a vignette feel, for example a place for water, planting, fire features or grilling station.

The raised patio walls should be level and outside of the area of over excavation. With a level perimeter surface drains will be placed in the pavement in aesthetically unimportant points (i.e. not in the flow of traffic and not necessarily in the middle of the patio). The cross section of the raised patio includes:

1. Sub-grade excavation with positive flow away from house(minimum 3/16”/foot) amended and compact-ed (SRW trenches level, amended and compacted)

2. Geotextile separating sub grade from sub-base. Mini-mum 12” overlap and shingled with flow of water

3. Geotextile in SRW trench if aggregate base. If flow-able fill (self-leveling concrete) is used fabric isn’t nec-essary.

4. Sub-Base of AASHTO # 57 stone installed in maxi-mum 8” lifts and lightly compacted. Flowable Fill and ready-mix concrete not recommended because of cost and 8” rule for backfilling without affecting wall batter

5. Base of ASTM C2940 over geotextile fabric, mini-mum 6” thick (3” lift maximum) to 98% SPD prop-erly graded to drains. Ensure no movement of SRW during compaction.

6. Bedding of ASTM C33 1” loose (5/8” after compac-tion). Only pre-compact bedding in slab installation.

7. Techo-Bloc paving stones after compaction ¼ “ high-er than cap.

Steps to yard and walkway to doors at grade/driveway tie raised patio into the landscape. Unlike wooden deck re-

strictions similar to a child playpen raised patios flow with the environ-ment. Take advan-tage of contrasting and complimen-tary paving stone patterns, colors, textures, and scale for walks, vi-gnettes areas, and step treads for creating caution on grade changes and interest. Don’t forget stepping stones like Maya from Techo-Bloc for natural transitions.

Accessories and fall protection (per local codes) are an-other place raised patios with SRW’s and ICP shine. Using double sided structural walls keep the ordering of material simple and color matching sitting/parapet walls to structural walls seamless, for ex. Mini-Crete Plus 3” and 6” wall from Techo-Bloc allows battered walls for structure and vertical install for sitting. Pillars also add visual wall breaks and if filled with galvanized fence post or concrete are great rail-ing starts and stop points. Pillars also create caution at steps and architecturally carry the height of the house down to the ground. Built in grills using SRW units can be bookended with pillars and flat caps for food preparation and placement. My last and favorite is the Valencia feature, a versatile raised circle with complimentary color and texture to surrounding walls. Valencia can be purchased with dish and spark shield, converted to a re-circulating water feature (bubbling urn), or used as a planting bed for season appropriate color. With some pond liner and grating or geotextile and top soil the transition is quick and fun.

For complete instructions on SRW’s and ICP please refer to a current Techo-Spec guide, ICPI, NCMA, or your local supplier. But regardless of what you read, have built, heard, etc…remember raised patios can be built affordably, func-tionally, and with personality that a wood deck with its rusty nails and maintenance never could. Keep and open mind, look at problems as opportunities and go out and advertise raised patios to your market …they will thank you for the consultation.

Page 31: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

Palm Sunday...EaStErPalm Crosses • Artificial CrossesArtificial Hearts • Artificial Vases

lawn announcement Signs & Specialty ribbons Printed

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Scan this QR Code with your smart phone.

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Palm Sunday...EaStErPalm Crosses • Artificial CrossesArtificial Hearts • Artificial Vases

lawn announcement Signs & Specialty ribbons Printed

Call for Details

SErVICES aVaIlaBlEPlanting • trimming • Pruning • treesshrubs • fertilizing • stump removalsod • land Clearing • storm Damage

rubbish removal • Clean UpsNo Job too small • Competitive rates

References • Fully InsuredProperty/Parking Lot Maintenance

Year Round Service • Free Estimates

Scan this QR Code with your smart phone.

174 sedore avenue • fairview, NJ 07022

201-945-0069www.aldlandscapingandtreeService.com

Certified Landscaping Technician On Staff

AL DemurO, Owner

DeLivery ServiCe AvAiLAbLe • Open pALm SunDAy & eASTer SunDAy

$5.00 OFFAny Purchase of $60.00 Or More

With this coupon. While Supplies Last.

SPrInG PlantInG SuPPlIESWholesale/Retail

Top Soil Bags & BulkMulch Bags & Bulk

(call for colors available)Potting Soil • Peat Moss

Chicken & Cow Manure • Organic SuppliesAnD mOre

rEntal EQuIPmEnt aVaIlaBlEAir Compressor • Power Rake

roto tiller • Power Washer • aeratorGenerator • Post Hole Digger

Lawn Mowers • EdgersWeed Wackers • Blowers

Hedge Cutters • Log SplitterCALL TODAy TO reServe

Facebook.com/ALDLandscapingAndTreeService

Page 32: The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine

[email protected]

2014 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Membership MeetingShemin Nurseries

100 Weyerhauser RoadMahwah, NJ 07430

Topic: Drainage

July 10, 2014

All member meetings are heldfrom 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Membership MeetingThe Terre Co.

206 Dellawanna Ave.Clifton, NJ 07014

Topic: Effective Pesticide Use & Op-tions & New Plants for 2014-15

August 14, 2014Membership Meeting

Van Dines Truck Center135 Railroad Ave.

Hackensack, NJ 07601

Topic: Effective Pesticide Use & Op-tions & New Plants for 2014-15

August 21, 2014

Membership MeetingCondurso’s Garden Center

96 River Rd.Montville, NJ 07045

Topic: TBD

NJLCA Landscape Industry Certified Technician’s Exam

Bergen Community College100 Paramus RoadParamus, NJ 07652

September 18, 2014

September 27, 2014

Membership MeetingBobcat of North Jersey

201 Maltese DriveTotowa, NJ 07502

Topic: Snow & Ice Technology

October 9, 2014

Membership MeetingKrehel Auto Repair955 Paulison Ave.Clifton, NJ 07011

Topic: Roundtable Discussions

September 11, 20143rd Annual NJLCA/IANJ

Golf ChallengeLocation: Galloping Hill Golf

Course, Kenilworth, NJ

September 9, 2014

Membership meetings are free to NJLCA members. Non-members may attend one free meeting.Please call NJLCA at (201) 703-3600 or e-mail [email protected] to RSVP before attending events.

Membership MeetingGarden State Bobcat

45 Route 22Green Brook, NJ 08812

Topic: Snow & Ice Technology

October 16, 2014

NJLCA Annual Holiday Gala

and Landscape

Achievement

Awards Dinner

at Macaluso’s in

Hawthorne, NJ

December 2, 2014

All Service Contr. Equipment770 Route 23

Pompton Plains, NJ 07444

Topic: Equipment Maintenance

November 13, 2014County College of Morris

214 Center Grove RoadRandolph, NJ 07969

Topic: TBD

November 20, 2014

Van Dine’sFour WheelDrive Center