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Author: LM Staff

LM Staff

LM Staff

Landscape Management's staff brings together collective experience in journalism, research, writing, and editing. Our team stays tapped into the pulse of the industry, covering a wide range topics with a commitment to delivering compelling stories and high-quality content.

Efficiency Tip: Good questions

As it gets more difficult to find qualified team members, it’s more important to focus company resources on this effort, says Andrew Ziehler, president of Ziehler Lawn & Tree Care in Centerville, Ohio. But he realized the company was spending too much time reviewing applications and interviewing candidates who didn’t meet company requirements. So, about […]

Graham unveils fertilizer gun, tiller and aerator

Graham Spray Equipment, a manufacturer of spray rigs and equipment, released three new tools for lawn and tree care professionals: the GSE Deep Root Fertilizer Gun, the GSE Tiger Tiller and the GSE Trident. The GSE Deep Root Fertilizer Gun is designed for surface spraying or root feeding trees and shrubs to a depth of 6 […]

January 2016: Editorial advisory board

What’s your advice for attracting and keeping good account managers?  Industry Consultants Kevin Kehoe 3PG Consulting Laguna, Calif. “Simple: 1.Good pay with a commission structure; 2. Opportunity to be promoted to senior status over time (the job is essentially dead end when you really think about it); 3. Good working tools: Computer information systems that […]

photo: David Preiss

Step by Step: Calculate mulch needs

When it comes to mulch, having too much can be just as bad as not having enough. By using a few simple charts and equations, contractors can determine how many cubic feet of mulch they need for jobs with beds of any shape and size. The same equations also will work to calculate needs for […]

Brownyard launches landscape insurance program

Brownyard Group, a program administrator providing specialized insurance coverage for select industry groups, established a new insurance program for landscape professionals. GroundCover provides general liability, commercial excess, business auto and commercial property coverage for landscape contractors, with additional coverage for incidental exposures related to pest control, carpentry, fencing and masonry. The program, initially introduced on […]

Jeffrey Scott, LMN & Cat partner for business workshops

Jeffrey Scott is partnering with LMN and Caterpillar to bring one-day business workshops to three cities. Designed for owners, managers and emerging leaders, the Grow Your Landscape Business Workshop focuses on helping landscape contractors succeed in three critical areas: better people, proven systems and more profitable sales. This workshop covers Jeffrey Scott’s five-step business-building process. […]

Christy’s adds new thread sealant

T. Christy Enterprises introduces Ultra Seal T-10,000, a sealant for threaded pipe connections rated leak-free to pressures as high as 10,000 psi. Ultra Seal T-10,000 works with both plastic and metal piping systems, allowing professional contractors to carry one product for all standard applications. It is compatible with copper, galvanized, iron, PVC, nylon and polyethylene fittings […]

CLCA presents awards to California landscape contractors

The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA), a non-profit trade organization of licensed landscape and landscape-related contractors, presented Trophy Awards to outstanding landscape contractors at its annual convention. The Trophy Awards were established to encourage interest in landscaping, recognize craftspeople who produce outstanding landscapes, create pride in superior workmanship and bestow public recognition on companies, institutions, municipalities […]

Stihl releases new battery-powered pro trimmer

Stihl added the professional FSA 90 R trimmer to Stihl KombiSystem line of products. The FSA 90 R features a 15-inch cutting width, a built-in hanging slot for storage and a AutoCut 25-2 mowing head loaded with .095-inch Quiet Line. According to the company, this cordless trimmer is great for professionals landscaping in noise-sensitive or […]

NALP hires Mendelsohn as vp of government relations

The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) hired Paul Mendelsohn as vice president of government relations. Mendelsohn will oversee the expansion of the government relations program at NALP, working in concert with Vice President of Public Affairs Missy Henriksen, NALP said. Mendelsohn served for 15 years in government relations positions with the American Institute of […]

All amenities come together functionally, spatially, and aesthetically in this outdoor living space.

Big Picture: Small space, living large

Location: Chesapeake Bay Company: Walnut Hill Landscape Co., Annapolis, Md. The details: The clients wanted to incorporate a pool, spa and entertainment space for their waterfront home. The goal was privacy—a difficult task with neighbors and a driveway in close proximity. Working within the confines of the protective Chesapeake Bay regulations added complexities, as did a Memorial Day […]

AmericanHort elects officers, board members

AmericanHort elected its officers and three new members of the board of directors. Terri Cantwell of Bates Sons & Daughters in Lake Placid, Fla., was selected chair of the board of directors. Tom Demaline of Willoway Nurseries in Avon, Ohio, was elected the vice chair. Dale Deppe of Spring Meadow Nursery in Grand Haven, Mich., becomes […]

Step by Step: How to prep a landscape bed

Annual color, perennials, ornamental grasses and other plant selections can make a huge impact to your clients’ landscapes. But before you start installing them, you need to prep the bed to make sure the plants will grow and thrive. Start by mapping out where the bed will be and what shape it will have. The […]

SiteOne acquires Hydro-Scape

SiteOne Landscape Supply acquired Hydro-Scape Products, which has 17 locations in Southern California. Terms were not disclosed. “The combination of our companies establishes us as the clear market leader with convenient locations, the broadest line of products and a great combined team of talented and experienced associates,” said Doug Black, CEO of SiteOne Landscape Supply. “Hydro-Scape has […]

Hunter, Senninger make it official

Hunter Industries completed the purchase of Senninger Irrigation on Jan. 4. Senninger and Hunter have been strategic partners since 2004 through an OEM relationship, and the companies said they would combine earlier this year. “Our history of success together as separate organizations provides a solid indicator of our positive future as a unified team,” said Senninger […]

Corona releases narrow, steel shovels

Corona released the all-steel Sharp Shooter shovel. Its weight, narrow blade and long handle are designed to help drive the tool into the ground, the company said. The Sharp Shooter has two available models. The 78-inch AS 90100’s handle is 63.5 inches away from the flange and is covered with a non-slip vinyl sleeve. It […]

Gachina, green industry leader, dies

John Gachina, founder and president of Gachina Landscape Management, died Dec. 27. He founded Gachina Landscape Management in 1988 with two employees out of his home in Cupertino, Calif. Today, Gachina employs more than 350 team members, runs a fleet of 170 vehicles and operates from multiple locations in the Bay Area. The company is a long-time […]

OLA offers landscape design workshops

The Ohio Landscape Association (OLA) is offering four workshops to help landscape professionals develop and strengthen design skills. Instructed by Kathy Stokes-Shafer, APLD, and Kevin O’Brien, APLD, these workshops offer attendees the opportunity to improve design abilities, boost confidence and gain the tools necessary to create better designs. Workshops will be held at Indiana Wesleyan […]

Ecoscape expands with acquisition

Commercial landscape maintenance firm Ecoscape Solutions Group, based in Huntersville, N.C., acquired Lawns Done Right in Ladson, S.C., on Dec. 1. Terms were not disclosed. The deal expands the company’s presence in the Charleston, S.C., market and brings the company’s “in season” employee count to 160. Ecoscape also has locations in Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, […]

TruGreen donates more than $125,000 to local nonprofits

TruGreen is donating more than $125,000 to 10 local and national charities as part of the company’s Lawn Stars program. Each quarter in 2015, TruGreen awarded local branches demonstrating exceptional growth and customer service with a $2,000 donation towards the nonprofit of their choice. “After launching Lawn Stars several years ago, it has quickly turned […]

People on the Move: Kubota’s Stucke, Ruppert’s new hires

Kubota Tractor Corp’s vice president of sales, marketing & product support, Todd Stucke, was elected to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) board of directors. Stucke has been vice president for Kubota since 2012 and has more than 25 years of experience in both equipment and agriculture. AEM is the North American-based international trade group […]

Kemerling to discuss content marketing at The Lighting Summit

Ervin & Smith Chief Content Officer Katie Kemerling will be the guest speaker at the 3rd annual The Lighting Summit, a two-day conference for landscape lighting professionals. Kemerling’s presentation, “Content Marketing: Pro Tips to Attracting More Visitors and Generating More Leads,” will provide actionable items to drive traffic to your website and convert those visitors into […]

Entomologist discovers invasive tree pest

Mark VanderWerp, BCE, manager of education and training at Troy, Mich.-based Rose Pest Solutions, recently captured an invasive species new to Michigan: the elm seed bug (Arocatus melanocephalus). The insects matched others found by a Rose Pest Solutions technician, and VanderWerp suspected they were elm seed bug, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant […]

Year in Review: Top Features of 2015

Landscape contractors are no longer riding out the storm. Finally doing well, most companies looked for ways to get ahead in 2015, and reading LM’s feature stories was a great way to find tips, tricks and advice. After all, LM is your guide to growth. Here are the feature stories you, our readers, clicked on the most: “The 2015 LM150 […]

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