Noe Loarca’s job is all about enjoying the outdoors and helping others do the same.
“I love what I do, like being outside all of the time; the fresh air, plants, getting to see things grow and seeing the before and after,” says Loarca, owner of Avanza Landscaping in Arlington, Va. “My favorite part is being able to see the possibilities and create those possibilities for folks who didn’t think they existed. It’s a good way to give people happiness and joy with something they didn’t think was possible.”
One way he ensures he continuously delivers that level of service is by learning as much as he can from others in the industry. So when he heard about the annual Landscape Management Growth Summit, he knew attending would be the perfect way to stay at the top of his game.
One-on-one connections
Loarca was one of 36 attendees at the three-day event in Orlando, Fla., last December. He met with leading supplier partners one-on-one, attended educational sessions, networked with other lawn care professionals, demoed new equipment, heard valuable business insights and more.
It was the chance to meet with those supplier partners that especially drew him to the event. He says he was particularly excited to talk with partners like Greene County Fertilizer Co. and PBI-Gordon during the LM Growth Summit. He also enjoyed testing out equipment from Steel Green Manufacturing and learning more about their add-ons and customization options.
“I didn’t have any relationship with these companies beforehand,” Loarca says. “To be able to talk to them directly and get to know them was amazing. I wanted to take advantage of that, and I always try to soak up information.”
But it wasn’t only about seeing the machines and learning about the product specs. Loarca also learned how he could use the equipment showcased at the event to cut costs and save on labor with his business, all without lowering the quality of his services.
“Even if the machinery is a little more expensive upfront, we’re looking at how much we can save knowing that labor is a huge thing,” Loarca says. “We’ll also save money on callbacks, and all of those intangibles start adding up.”
In addition to seeing how the equipment could save him resources, Loarca also learned about preemergents that would treat certain troublesome weeds and save his team from needing to put down more applications.
Always improving
Connecting with other attendees was another benefit of the event, and he has stayed in contact with several of them since. Loarca says he talked with the other owners about ways they’ve been successful, the types of chemicals they recommend and how to mix products to get better results. He also learned more about liquid aeration from them and ways he could implement it in his services in the future.
From the invaluable interactions with suppliers, attendees and the LM staff, Loarca says the event was an amazing experience. He encourages other professionals who want to advance their company to apply to attend the LM Growth Summit in the future. The event is also a great way for those who don’t attend many industry events to get connected, he says.
“If you’re looking to grow and improve your business in any way, why not be around experts and the people who know what they’re doing?” Loarca asks. “If anyone has doubts about applying, that means they don’t want to grow and aren’t serious about doing something in landscaping.”
