Skip to content

Author: Sarah Webb

Sarah Webb

Sarah Webb

Sarah Webb is Landscape Management's former managing editor. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University, where she studied journalism and Spanish. Prior to her role at LM, Sarah was an intern for Cleveland Magazine and a writing tutor.

Specialized skill was required to lay out and dig the art structure footings. Since no engineering plan was available, all dimensions had been handset. (Photo: Urban Habitat)

Water World: Art’s the word

Location Coachella, Calif. Company Urban Habitat Urban Habitat, a firm in La Quinta, Calif., was called upon to create a park surrounding a unique, mesh-wire art piece left over from the previous year’s Coachella Music Festival and recently purchased by the city of Coachella. The art piece was to be placed near Coachella’s downtown center. […]

Crews working on a project (Photo: Carolina Colorscapes)

LM 2019 Industry Pulse: A look to the future

While no one can predict the future for certain, many green industry professionals maintain a sense of optimism when looking ahead to 2020, according to the Industry Pulse survey. For example, on average, many survey respondents said they expect revenue to be up in 2020. “The market is good, and people are spending money,” says […]

Battery-powered chainsaw (Photo: Bedell Property Management)

How landscape pros are using battery power

Environmental concerns, potential safety hazards and fuel costs — all have been cited as reasons landscape contractors make the switch over to battery-powered handheld equipment from gas-powered machines. “We are responsible for the upkeep and improvement of the cultivated landscape, and I think that is best completed with the very light touch (of battery-powered equipment),” […]

Companies in the News: Updates from Stihl, Takeuchi, Kawasaki and Kioti

The Tree Care Industry Association Foundation and Stihl named the winning schools of “Gear Up powered by Stihl,” an initiative supporting the future workforce of the industry by filling key equipment and training needs for students pursuing a career in arboriculture. The winning colleges’ submissions included: Allegany College of Maryland, Cumberland, Md. Clackamas Community College, […]

Irrigation Show touts innovation

Nearly 9,000 attendees, 600 exhibitors, 56 entries in the 2019 New Product Contest. One Irrigation Show. The 2019 Irrigation Show, hosted by the Irrigation Association and collocated with the National Ground Water Association and the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association, took place Dec. 2-6 in Las Vegas. Throughout the trade show floor, the words “innovation” […]

People on the Move: Promotions and hirings from ASV, ASLA, WorkWave and more

Frank Gangi has been promoted to national accounts manager for ASV Holdings. Gangi will be responsible for supporting and growing ASV’s customer portfolio, including OEM and national rental customers, direct national accounts and strategic attachment partners. Gangi has 23 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, with more than 10 years in the compact loader […]

The higher cost of humates and biochars is often offset by increased soil efficiency. (Photo: LebanonTurf)

Humates and biochars: Better soil, less toil

Humates and biochars have been around for quite some time, but within the past five to 10 years, lawn care operators (LCOs) have begun to recognize the value they provide in improving soil health and feeding the plant. “There’s a renewed interest because of the regulatory pressure that’s coming down in the industry,” says Jeremy […]

Companies in the News: Updates from Greenworks Commercial and Arborjet

Greenworks Commercial entered into a sponsorship agreement with ArborMaster and its internationally known arborist and cofounder, Ken Palmer for 2020. Per the agreement, Palmer will use Greenworks Commercial’s line of lithium-ion battery-powered saws as his exclusive battery-powered equipment in 2020, which also marks the 25th Anniversary of ArborMaster. In addition, Palmer will conduct private training […]

People on the Move: Updates from BrightView, HPC Fire Inspired, Gachina and Kioti

BrightView Holdings promoted Amanda Orders from senior vice president of human resources for the company’s maintenance services segment to executive vice president and chief human resources officer. Orders will serve on the company’s executive leadership team and report directly to President and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Masterman. “Mandy is an exceptional human resources executive, leader […]

Photo: Cub Cadet

Steep slope safety solutions

and

Mowing steep banks and slopes can cause serious accidents. Learn more about some solutions to keep operators safe when mowing slopes.

Companies in the News: Updates from Fisher, SnowEx, Belgard, Case and more

For the seventh year in a row, Douglas Dynamics’ brands Fisher and SnowEx sold raffle tickets at GIE+EXPO, Oct. 21-23 in Louisville, Ky., for a chance to win a limited-edition pink Fisher XV2 V-plow and SnowEx HELIXX polyhopper spreader. Douglas Dynamics raised a total of $11,173, with all proceeds going to Susan G. Komen Kentucky. […]

Ground ivy (Photo: Nufarm)

Eliminating ground ivy

A creeping broadleaf weed identified by its scalloped leaves, square stems and, in some cases, blue-violet flowers, ground ivy is sometimes misidentified as mallow, henbit or purple deadnettle, according to Mike Sisti, golf and lawn care market manager at FMC Corp. It tends to germinate in the spring in cooler areas with high moisture such […]

Toro mower (Photo: Toro)

Top uses for small walk-behind mowers

When determining what type of mower to use, it’s important to first look at the site, says Paul Fraynd, CEO of Sun Valley Landscaping in Omaha, Neb. Often, small, tight areas such as parking lot islands, fenced-in backyards, hillsides and spaces with a lot of obstacles call for smaller mowers. Sun Valley Landscaping uses 21- […]

People on the Move: Promotions and appointments from Turf Masters, Davey and Allu Group

Turf Masters Lawn Care, a lawn care services provider in the southeast, hired Customer Success Leader Sara Stephenson as operating systems director, a newly created role. Stephenson brings almost 20 years of experience building and maintaining relationships, both externally and internally, by creating a culture of learning, growth and creating solutions to exceed customer expectations. […]

Companies in the News: Updates from Takeuchi, Davey, ASV and more

Takeuchi-US held a ground-breaking ceremony on Oct. 11 for a new training facility set to open in spring 2020. The new center will allow dealers from North America and around the globe to gain knowledge about Takeuchi products and offer year-round service training to its growing dealer network. The company is expanding from its current […]

People on the Move: Promotions and appointments from LandscapeHub, PBI-Gordon, Walker and more

LandscapeHub welcomed Josh Chapman as the company’s first COO. With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Chapman brings valuable influence to LandscapeHub’s executive team during a period of rapid growth. As COO, Chapman will lead operations, growth, marketing and direct the company’s finance and accounting functions. Before joining LandscapeHub, Chapman was the COO and […]

Companies in the News: Updates from Gachina, PERC, Case, Stihl and Takeuchi

On Oct. 6, Gachina Landscape Management partnered with Family Connections and the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) to clean up its new neighbor, Open Mind School in Menlo Park, Calif. Five Gachina volunteers, including associate Peninsula Branch Manager Sam Anderson and Production Supervisor Rafael Avila, joined 100-plus passionate citizens to give the school a much-needed […]

People on the Move: Promotions and recognitions from Ewing and the Building Industry Association

Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply appointed Tom Childers as the executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. Previously, Childers served as the Eastern Division vice president and has been instrumental in the growth and development of Ewing in the east. “Tom has been invaluable within our executive team as a division leader, and with his […]

Paths of motion ensure no areas are skipped or maintained twice in one visit. (Photo: Ameriscape Services)

Pathfinder

Imagine performing maintenance for a homeowner’s association: You edge one tree lawn and notice a section you missed on the one across the street. While you’re there, you spot a tree limb that still needs to be trimmed. Finally, you gear back up to finish the edging job. No big deal, right? Wrong. When the […]

Before crews members step foot on a site, they know what materials will be needed. (Photo: Ross NW Watergardens)

Better efficiency with detailed planning

Ross NW Watergardens in Portland, Ore., significantly upped its efficiency just by going back to the basics in terms of planning. The new policy has alleviated a lot of pressure on the crew leaders and crew manager of the $925,000 company. It all started in early 2018 when the residential landscape design/build company designated one […]

Create efficient systems

Designscapes Colorado sure knows how to mix it up when systems become stale. “As our business has grown, we have had to change the way we do things and evolve with those changing conditions,” says Phil Steinhauer, CEO and landscape architect of the $27.5 million company, based in Centennial, Colo. To keep things fresh, the […]

Efficient education

At Maedgen’s Lawn Care in Rolla, Mo., efficient crews stem, in part, from an efficient training program. “We are solving our efficiency and quality issues by reinvestment into our employees with their learning,” says Owner Eric Maedgen. “Starting new hires on the right foot with the right knowledge leads to even more (efficiency). It is […]

Saluda Hill’s equipment is ready to go every morning so crews can get started quickly. (Photo: Sean Rayford)

Saluda Hill Landscapes: Efficient and proficient

Whether it’s at the shop, in the office, on the road or at the job site, Saluda Hill Landscapes in Lexington, S.C., leaves nothing to chance, especially when it comes to streamlining operations. “Efficiency is the difference between making a profit and not making a profit,” says Wendell Furtick, president and CEO of Saluda Hill […]

Snow mold damage (Photo: PBI-Gordon Corp.)

Smother out snow mold

There are two types of snow mold that lawn care operators (LCOs) should be on the lookout for: pink snow mold, caused by the ascomycete fungus microdochium nivale, and gray snow mold, caused by two basidiomycete fungi, typhula incarnata and typhula ishikariensis. Take a look at a few ways to spot — and control — […]

To top