The Illinois Professional Lawn Care Association (IPLCA) will dissolve Sep. 12, according to the association. The association cited slow growth and an inability to attract new industry members to leadership positions as the reason behind the dissolution.
The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) will become the professional home for IPLCA members. The ILCA Board voted unanimously to accept IPLCA members, and the IPLCA touted ILCA’s advocacy efforts regarding regulations on the local, state and national level.
“The IPLCA Board strongly encourages all members that are not currently members of the ILCA to join the association and support their efforts,” said IPLCA President Mark Opal.
To welcome IPLCA members, ILCA is offering a discounted first-year membership to IPLCA members who are not currently members of ILCA. The ILCA Board also made the following promises to “ensure the turf industry still has representation and grows its influence in Illinois:
- A standing Turf Committee will be created to handle the development of Turf Education Day (TED) and other turf-related initiatives, programs and resources.
- The Turf Committee will be open to former IPLCA members, joint members and existing ILCA members.
- TED will be continued on an annual or biannual basis.
- Former IPLCA members will be invited to serve on ILCA’s Regulatory and Legislative Committee to help combat negative and advance favorable lawn care legislation.
- Former IPLCA members will be invited to serve on the Future Landscape Industry Professionals Committee (FLIP) to make sure lawn care is included in the messaging.
