Weed Man’s annual brand-wide giveback initiative
Each year, Weed Man, No. 10 on the 2023 LM150 list, participates in a brand-wide giveback initiative. As part of the initiative, each location asks customers to drop off donations for their local food bank. During the holiday season at the end of 2023, Weed Man received almost 20,000 lbs. of donations from their customers.
“The support we’ve received from our valued customers and friends has enabled us to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most,” said Jen Lemcke, CEO of Weed Man. “This donation goes beyond the number of items collected — it is a testament to the power of community collaboration and the goodness of the people in the communities we serve.”
AriensCo. wraps 8,500-mile road show
To close out 2023, Ariens and Gravley dealerships completed the 2023 AriensCo Road Show. AriensCo., a 90-year, Wisconsin-based manufacturer of Ariens and Gravely equipment, visited hundreds of dealers across the nation for a series of meetings. At each stop, the company shared business updates, introduced new products, reviewed programs and launched Henry’s Parts and Equipment, a new will-fit aftermarket parts brand.
“We commit to serving our dealer customers and our end-user customers,” said AriensCo. president and COO Nicholas Ariens. “Whereas others might think of the dealer as a pipeline to the customer, our philosophy is that dealers are a customer. We give them the products and tools that allow them to provide exceptional service and positive experiences to their customers. Everyone wins in that scenario.”
Road Show locations were strategic, spreading across 11 U.S. cities in regions accessible to most dealers. Starting with Brillion, Wisc., on Sept. 21, the tour continued to Park City, Utah; Kansas City, Mo.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Atlanta, Ga.; Orlando, Fla.; Gulf Shores, Ala.; Dallas, Texas; King of Prussia, Pa.; and ended in Northborough, Mass., on Nov. 16.
“By bringing the show to our dealers, we build long-lasting relationships and provide meaningful experiences with helpful takeaways to a large population of dealers,” said Ariens. “But it’s mutually beneficial, too. Meeting with a diverse pool of dealers gives us a stronger understanding of their needs to help guide future product and program development.”
Education was also a fundamental component of the road show. New product presentations explained how new equipment addresses user needs and guests got to drive the new equipment on a demo site at each location. New sales and learning and development programs were also featured to expand awareness for resources AriensCo. offers to its dealers.
Jeff Youngblood, owner of Tools For A Time in Jacksonville, Fla., expressed how those can improve dealership efficiencies and enhance customer service.
“The huge takeaway today was probably the ability to train [dealership employees] online,” said Youngblood. “You can take someone who knows nothing of the industry and help train them through the videos on how to sell the equipment, repair the equipment, and order the equipment.”
Landscape Management Network certified as a Great Place To Work
The Great Place To Work InstituteL recently named Landscape Management Network (LMN) as a 2023 Great Place To Work.
The certification is based on an anonymous survey of more than 70 employees at LMN which measured overall employee trust in the workplace. The focal points of the survey included credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie.
“I couldn’t be more proud of our team for creating such an incredible work culture here at LMN,” said LMN CEO and founder Mark Bradley. “Whenever I talk to a landscape business owner, workplace environment is always something at the top of my list. This certification speaks to the example our team at LMN is setting for the industry as a whole.”
Kathleen Moore, director of people and culture, said that the honor recognizes the hard work and dedication of employees at LMN in creating and maintaining a positive culture while reinforcing the commitment LMN’s leadership team has to foster an impactful workplace environment.
“At LMN, we understand that a balanced life contributes to a happy and productive team. We offer flexible hybrid work arrangements and a four-day work week,” Moore added. “We also encourage team-building activities to strengthen relationships and foster a sense of camaraderie through our culture committee.”
Nancy Fonseca, senior vice president of Great Place to Work Canada, said that a great workplace is about the level of trust that employees experience in their leaders, the level of pride they have in their jobs, and the extent to which they enjoy their colleagues.
“Our data shows that great workplaces benefit from stronger financial performance, reduced turnover and better customer satisfaction than their peers. What’s more, work environments with trust at the foundation are ripe for innovation, agility, resilience and efficiency,” Fonseca said.
Yanmar celebrates 30 years of zero tail swing ViO excavators
To commemorate the ViO excavator’s 30th anniversary, Yanmar Compact Equipment produced a short video highlighting the machine’s history.
According to the company, the launch of the ViO series in 1993 popularized the zero tail swing excavator concept and revolutionized the ability to work safely in confined locations as at no stage of the ViO’s rotation did the rear of the cab/superstructure extend beyond its tracks.
The company says this meant that the machines could operate in the tightest of spaces without fear of a rear collision with nearby buildings, vehicles or people. The concept was embraced by the global industry and soon displaced as much as 70 percent of the standard models on worksites.
In traditional excavators having a protruding counterweight at the rear of the excavator is useful in balancing loads at the front, when lifting or digging, for example. With this removed, engineers at Yanmar CE needed to create similar counterweight forces by other means, while still maintaining lift capacity.
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