Operations Archives - The Edge from the National Association of Landscape Professionals

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Operations

How I Do It: Dealing with Truck Repairs and Maintenance Delays

Landscape professionals depend on trucks, mowers and other equipment to accomplish their work. But trucks and mowers often need maintenance or repairs to continue performing properly. “Not doing the work due to not having equipment is something we work hard to avoid,” says Nelson Alvarado, fleet manager at Russell Landscape Group, headquartered in Sugar Hill, […]

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Photo: Fleetio

Encouraging Equipment Operators to Use Fleet Technologies in the Landscaping Industry

Guest content Fleet technology is greatly transforming the way landscaping businesses operate. Fleet management solutions provide enhanced efficiency and operational optimization through transparent, real-time data and automated workflows. However, in an industry where autonomy plays a significant role, equipment operators may harbor reservations about embracing new tracking-type technologies. The imagery of manicured lawns and beautified […]

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Sustainability: Native Versus Non-Native Plants

“Native plants give us a sense of where we are in this great land of ours,” Lady Bird Johnson, First Lady of the United States from 1963-1969, famously said. “I want Texas to look like Texas and Vermont to look like Vermont.” More than 50 years later, the landscape industry — and many of its […]

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Photo: High Prairie Landscape Group, LLC

Caring for Plant Material During Project Delays 

Change orders, permitting issues and unsuitable weather are all possible causes of project delays that can result in the plant material you were ready to install to be put on standby for days or even weeks. Robyn Schmitz, owner and CEO of High Prairie Landscape Group, LLC, based in Edwardsville, Kansas, estimates they have to deal […]

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The Importance of Benchmarking

When you go to the doctor for a physical and your blood pressure is 120 over 80 and your temperature is 98.6, they’ll declare you’re healthy. This is because the average human has a blood pressure and a temperature that is in a certain range of healthiness. Likewise, determining the health of your business requires […]

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Business Smarts: Becoming a Snow Removal Subcontractor

If you want to break into the snow removal sector and don’t have the customer base to support the division yet, becoming a subcontractor can be a helpful solution. “I tell guys that don’t have experience if you can find a good contractor in your marketplace and become a subcontractor for them, that’s not only […]

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Photo: Kubota

UTVs: The Workhorse of the Landscape Industry

Versatility and productivity are two ideal traits when it comes to equipment in the landscape industry and UTVs are able to deliver on both. “I think more and more landscape professionals are seeing the benefits of having a UTV in their fleet,” says Maureen McCormack, go-to-market manager for Gator Utility Vehicles for John Deere. “They […]

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Photo: STIHL

Boosting Your Business: Insider Strategies to Outfit Trailers for Battery-Power Operations

Is your trailer ready for battery-powered equipment? It might seem like a cut-and-dried process to swap out your gas cans for battery packs, but reconfiguring your trailers requires careful thought and consideration to be set up for success. Research Is Key The first consideration is determining how many pieces of battery-powered equipment and batteries each […]

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Benefits and Drawbacks of Plant Growth Regulators

What started as a common tool in the golf industry has begun to make its way into the landscape industry as more companies discover the uses of plant growth regulators in their operations. “PGRs are working for you on the job site, even when you’re not,” says Andy Scott, product manager for PBI-Gordon. “They’re performing […]

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Business Smarts: Plant Growth Regulators and Their Potential

You can’t slow down time, but you can slow plants with the help of plant growth regulators. These products can be used in various settings and serve as yet another way for landscape professionals to work smarter, not harder. “PGRs are a powerful yet underutilized tool in the plant health care toolbox,” says Emmett Muennink, […]

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