Kirstin Mains
Vice President, Brilliant Borders Landscaping
Des Moines, Iowa
“This isn’t really high-tech, but we’ve added accessories to our trimmers that have gone over pretty well with our team. In particular, the ergonomic double handles help the operator hold the trimmer more comfortably, saving them from straining and not gripping the traditional handles too much. Not all our operators have embraced them, but overall, it’s been very positive from our team members.”
Max Groen
Owner, Cutting Edge Lawn and Landscaping
St. John, Ind.
“There are a couple of smaller machines that have helped to improve our efficiency. One is our Vermeer mini skid-steer. It’s super maneuverable, very helpful in getting us into smaller backyards and basically our new wheelbarrow. The other is a mulch-blowing machine that we run out of our trailers. We do a lot of mulching work, and it saves us a lot of labor, especially on bigger sites.”
Mason McMurphy
Grounds Supervisor, Sports Turf, Blue Valley School District
Overland Park, Kan.
“We’ve been experimenting and demoing the Wright and Greenzie autonomous mower. It’s definitely something to look out for in the future … It’s not high-tech, but the dual-blade system from Ballard has made a real difference for us. I wish I had the staff and time to reel mow everything, but we rotary mow everything. Being able to take a 72-inch mower from one blade per spindle to two is big time.”
Michael Bedell
Owner, Bedell Property Management
Milford, Mich.
“A few years ago, Echo sent me the 58-volt push mower to try out, and it did a really nice job replacing the gas push mowers we had been using for a long, long time. I was working with some of the production team this past spring, and they were surprised I hadn’t tried out their 56-volt push mower. They said, ‘You have to try it.’ I noticed some improvements: the battery runs longer, it’s a little bit higher quality of cut and it’s smoother to push.”
