North Carolina-based GrowinGreen takes advantage of Quali-Pro’s early order program.

Figuring out how much product a lawn care company will need the following year might sound like a difficult task. But even more daunting is dealing with product outages, delayed deliveries, price increases and knowing the company missed out on major rebates if only they’d ordered sooner.

That’s why lawn care operators looking to maximize their savings and efficiency are turning to Quali-Pro’s early order program (EOP).

How the program works

Beginning Aug. 15, owners can begin taking advantage of Quali-Pro’s early order program. Their first order period runs through October, with the second beginning in November. The rebate values are then cut in half for end users who wait until November to place their orders, says Jake Wylie, Quali-Pro Mid-South area manager.

One thing that makes Quali-Pro’s program stand out is that all of their brand’s products have rebates. The products are then broken down into two tiers: base and platinum. The platinum products are newer technologies, combinations or exclusives.

LCOs can also qualify for multipliers on those rebates, increasing the savings. If 50 percent or more of their order are platinum products, they will also receive three times the rebate on the included base products.

“They’re putting money back in their pockets by buying early,” Wylie says.

In addition to the savings, the early order program also helps owners ensure they have the products they need — which has proven difficult during the past year and a half with product outages and shipping delays.

“This year is more important than ever to look at doing an early order program,” Wylie says. “That allows you to have the product you need when you need it, instead of pulling on demand. If you need to make an application and can’t, that’s time wasted. The price may also increase over the year. That’s a big reason it’s important for the lawn care market to jump on board with the program.”

After users submit their orders, they will receive either a gift card or credit on their account by the distributor within six to eight weeks — which is more than a year earlier than rebates with some manufacturers.

Florida distributor WinfieldUnited helps LCOs understand how much they can save on products through an EOP program. (Photo: Quali-Pro)

Combine offers

Lawn care operators appreciate the simplicity of Quali-Pro’s EOP, says Ken Gagne, Central Florida territory manager LCO/PCO at WinField United in Orlando, Fla.

“From the customer standpoint, there’s an ease to using Quali-Pro’s program. It will show you product, point values and how much you can save,” Gagne says.

When customers go through a distributor for the early order program, they can qualify for additional perks. For example, Gagne’s customers lock in pricing and don’t pay for their order until the following June.

They also try to deliver everything the customers purchased from the early order program to them before the end of the year. Distributors may offer percentage-based rebates, as well, allowing the customer to take advantage of both.

“If you buy something in October and there’s a shortage come March, you won’t be without product,” Gagne says. “You don’t have to spend as much time ordering, allowing you to spend more time with your customers. For managers who had been spending three to five hours a week putting in chemical orders and going from one manufacturer to another, it saves them a lot of time.”

When customers are interested in the early order program, he talks with them about how much they spent on the program last year, how much inventory they have left and what needs they will have for the next season.

They also look at how much they could have saved if qualifying purchases had been done through the EOP. He sees a range of order amounts from $10,000 on up, so the program isn’t only designed for larger companies, he adds.

“Companies that have a finger on the pulse of their business don’t see any negatives to the early order programs at all,” Gagne says.

Support meets savings

Jonathan Rigsbee, owner of GrowinGreen, has been using Quali-Pro’s products for about a decade, initially turning to the brand to find alternative products to those offered by larger brands.

“They were in our backyard working with NC State University,” says Rigsbee, whose company has offices in Kernersville and Cornelius, N.C. “We were also impressed with the efficacy of their pre-emergent and how well it mixed in our tanks.”

They provide athletic field management, lawn care and tree and shrub care services, and their customers are about 90 percent residential and 10 percent commercial.

With the majority of his early orders being Quali-Pro products, Rigsbee says one reason for that decision is because of the manufacturer’s dedication to the lawn care industry.

“They’re the first company that’s really given lawn care an even footing in the industry,” Rigsbee says. “A lot of companies and their products are more focused on the golf industry.”

Quali-Pro has listened to their feedback and needs as well, he says, which has helped his company in its day-to-day operations. That includes having a good relationship with all of the reps, knowing they were only a quick phone call away.

“I’ve always had one-on-one support from my rep and been able to call them and get things taken care of when we’ve had a problem. Even when I’ve had issues that were my own fault, they’ve still backed it up,” Rigsbee says. “The product is one thing, but having the support to back it up when we need it and being able to have input and getting questions answered without having to go through an 800 number is invaluable.”

Having a local rep who is involved in the industry and available to look at issues within a day has been hard to beat, he adds. So, it only made sense that he would turn to his trusted Quali-Pro reps to purchase through the early order program. They help ensure all of Rigsbee’s products are ready well before the season gets underway, which helps prevent possible issues once it begins.

The majority of GrowinGreen’s early orders are Quali-Pro’s products because of their dedication to the lawn care industry.(Photo: Quali-Pro)

“It runs smoother during the busy times of the year,” Rigsbee says. “I encourage all business owners to take advantage of the early order program so they aren’t wasting time chasing down products when they need to be out making money.”

He sits down to look through his numbers and figure out how much product he will need for the projected square footage they will cover. That allows him to plan for the next year and save the most money.

“We might buy a product with Quali-Pro versus another company because it might make the rebate and multiplier go up. That allows us to bundle more together to get other products cheaper,” Rigsbee says. “We want to take advantage of as many discounts and bundle as much as possible. Then we know we will have the needed product on the shelf. I’m not chasing 50 pounds of product at a time.”

His company has gotten to the point where they know their numbers pretty well, which has helped them limit the chance of over-purchasing and needing to store until the next season.

“It’s somewhat of a learning process in the beginning,” Rigsbee says of EOPs. “You’re constantly growing, so your numbers are always changing. You’re trying to anticipate and add enough on every year so you don’t get to the end and see you didn’t order enough.”

For Rigsbee, his distributor’s terms and savings are the main benefits to using Quali-Pro’s early order program. That allows him to lock in the previous year’s price, which typically increases at the end of the year. He also doesn’t pay for the products until May or June of the next year.

“We’re able to use the product and bill the customer before we have to pay for it,” Rigsbee says. “I don’t have to tie up my capital. We can get the cash flow moving for the year before we have to pay the bill.”

He encourages other LCOs to work with a rep to understand the program and maximize their savings. Not knowing how to fully take advantage of the program is often what keeps owners from using EOPs, he says.

“It can get a little complicated with how the tiers work until you’ve done it a few times because it changes every year,” Rigsbee says. “That’s why it’s important to have a local rep who is accessible and will sit down with you to go over the program.”

Receiving not only competitive pricing through the early order program but also reliable support continues to provide value to LCOs and their businesses throughout the year.

“Quali-Pro has as good, if not better, products and customer support as any company in the industry for a better price,” Rigsbee says. “I own my own company, so those dollars come out of my pocket. You get more bang for your buck with Quali-Pro. They have done a great job with their products, pricing, value and listening. We’ve been very pleased with Quali-Pro.”

For more information on Quali-Pro’s early order program, visit Simplygrowtogether.com

This page was produced by North Coast Media’s content marketing staff in collaboration with Quali-Pro. NCM Content Marketing connects marketers to audiences and delivers industry trends, business tips and product information. The Landscape Management editorial staff did not create this content.

Header photo: Quali-Pro; Graphics: LM Staff