Read more about these NALP members and partners in the news.
Tree Equity Plays Crucial Role in SavATree’s Consulting Group Plans
SavATree is involved in several tree equity-related projects, as increasing tree equity adds significant value to a city and its citizens.
SavATree Consulting Group is collaborating on projects in Providence, Rhode Island; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Arlington County, Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; and, Woodbury, Minnesota.
“As a green company, ESG is at the top of mind,” says Mike Galvin, director of SavATree Consulting Group. It’s all about linking science and decision-making to promote an ecology for the future of city development. We are tree experts; that’s why people bring us onto their teams. Our focus is on prioritization of vulnerable populations in planning processes to support a more equitable distribution of tree canopy.”
LandOpt Shares Fuel Cost Saving Strategies
With record-high fuel prices, Andrew Dickson, a LandOpt coach and vice president of operations says contractors need to proactively manage their fuel costs.
“That begins with knowing your numbers and understanding the role fuel plays in your expenses,” he says. “We work with our contractors to prepare annual budgets, which are even more critical when unexpected events like this year’s fuel price inflation happen. Let’s say in December you budgeted $120,000 for gas this year. With prices up 50 percent, you need to plan for an additional $60,000 in expenses and adjust your budget accordingly.”
With prices expected to remain high throughout the growing season, here are five strategies LandOpt recommends:
1. Optimize routes. There are a number of tools available to help design routes that significantly reduce mileage and fuel use.
2. Improve training and team communication. Requiring drivers to turn off their vehicles when they’re not needed is one simple way to reduce consumption, but that requires consistent training. Dickson also suggests offering bonuses to crews that do the best job reducing fuel consumption.
3. Raise prices or add fuel surcharges. While you might be reluctant to raise prices after already raising them for labor costs, Dickson says waiting is a bad idea, as fuel prices are expected to stay high. Recouping costs and getting back on budget later in the year will be difficult.
4. Communicate price increases to customers in advance. Be proactive with phone calls, e-blasts and letters to let know customers come about price increases and surcharges, rather than surprising them.
5. Consider adding on-site fuel facilities. Larger contractors can benefit from maintaining their own fuel tanks. Dickson says it’s far more efficient to have one employee fill up all the vehicles and other equipment at the end of the day. Fuel purchased in bulk is cheaper too.
WorkWave Reaches 195 Percent Revenue Growth in Q1
WorkWave, a provider of software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for service businesses, has experienced revenue growth of 195 percent total year-over-year in the first quarter of 2022, as well as software revenue growth of 181 percent.
This growth was driven by their new Chief Revenue Officer, who revamped the sales team in the second half of 2021, further amalgamating its multiple acquisitions of 2021 and the continued success of its payments-related functionality.
“The success we are now seeing is just the first glimpse into the new level of performance that we will achieve as a result of intense work executed over the past several years,” says David F. Giannetto, CEO of WorkWave. “We believe that we have built a new business model indicative of how SaaS software companies will operate in the future, combining the strength of their close, mission-critical software-driven customer relationship with the power of financial solutions, so that their customers can collectively benefit in ways that they could not individually.”
Q1 also marked the release of WorkWave Financial Services, a collection of financial offerings designed specifically to help WorkWave customers grow their business and maximize their money.
PBI-Gordon Corporation Hires Two
PBI-Gordon recently hired Geoff Smith as the national key account manager on the sales team and Lyndsie Balstad as a project manager on the marketing team.
Smith is responsible for enhancing customer intimacy with key account decision-makers within the golf and professional lawn care markets. Additionally, he will help identify new opportunities for product placement and work to enhance the PBI-Gordon existing product portfolio.
“We are excited to welcome Geoff Smith to the PBI-Gordon team of employee-owners,” says Jason Manz, senior director of national accounts. “Geoff’s deep understanding of the formulation business, and his focus on innovative customer solutions, will be a huge asset as we grow the PBI-Gordon portfolio.”
As a product manager with the PBI-Gordon marketing team, Balstad will focus on the herbicide portfolio by supporting product life cycle management and driving innovation to bring new products to the market.
“Ultimately, her deep knowledge of product and program management will benefit PBI-Gordon customers as we continue to deliver innovative solutions for the golf, professional lawn care, sports turf, and consumer markets,” says Neil Cleveland, senior vice president of PBI-Gordon Corporation.
Davey Tree Expert Company Adds Vaillancourt Tree-Landscape Service, Inc.
Vaillancourt Tree-Landscape Service, Inc., based in Pittsford, Vermont, has joined Davey Tree Expert Company’s family of brands.
Vaillancourt will be joining Davey’s Eastern Utility service line. The company provides utility line clearance services throughout Vermont and has been in business for almost 50 years. They also provide residential and commercial tree services.
“The merging of Vaillancourt Tree-Landscape Service into the Davey family will be of great benefit to Vaillancourt clients and employees,” says Jon Leonard, president and co-owner of Vaillancourt. “Vaillancourt will now have the ability to support our clients with a greater range of services including the Davey Resource Group’s consulting services, storm response crews and the Davey Institute, which is a leading diagnostic and research facility dedicated to keeping its clients’ trees and landscapes healthy.”
Bill Van Cura, operations vice president, Eastern Utility services, Atlantic operations, says Vaillancourt’s emphasis on quality service made it stand out as a company that would fit in well with the Davey team.
