Staying ahead of the curve in the industry requires being forward-thinking and seeking solutions to various challenges. At ELEVATE, presented by NALP and powered by Caterpillar, you can access industry experts on the Expo show floor and learn about their latest offerings designed to advance your business.
“Exhibiting at ELEVATE allows John Deere to showcase its latest products and technologies to key customers within the landscaping industry,” says Luke Gribble, go-to-market manager – commercial mowing & CCE for John Deere Ag & Turf. “Additionally, it is a way for us to connect more intimately with these customers to understand what hurdles they are facing so that we can, in turn, come up with more solutions to help them tackle those problems and keep their business growing.”
Operational Efficiency
Landscape professionals are constantly looking for ways to better manage their overall operations. Gribble says the John Deere Operations Center is a solution for this trend.
“From being able to track your equipment locations in real-time, evaluate productivity of previously mowed areas, and keeping up to date on maintenance, the John Deere Operations Center makes it easy for landscape professionals of any size to easily manage their fleets,” Gribble says.
Roger Phelps, corporate communications manager for STIHL, says they offer the STIHL Connect platform, which allows landscapers to track the operation of their equipment, including how long it has been operation and when was the last time it was serviced. Phelps says this platform will only expand as they want to help owners understand their operations, costs, benefits and savings.
“I think the ability to put more and more information onto an app for efficiency and effectiveness to help contractors track what equipment is operating where, for how long, and what my efficiency is, is definitely a trend,” Phelps says.
Expansion of Construction Services
Another trend is the surge in landscape companies moving into construction operations. Mark Tipton, CEO of Aspire, says in a third-party survey they conducted earlier this year, of the commercially focused landscape companies looking to expand their offerings, 51% plan to venture into commercial bid-build construction services, while another 22% plan to provide residential bid-build construction services.
In response, Aspire has rolled out increased construction functionality for managing long-term, large-scale construction projects.
“With its recently expanded construction toolset, now companies are able to connect their entire business with one scalable solution for greater visibility and control,” Tipton says. “By leveraging the real-time insights in Aspire, users can make better, data-informed decisions capable of driving new revenue growth and higher profits. We’re excited to deliver new capabilities to not only empower our clients but also advance the industry as a whole.”
Battery Power and Charging Solutions
Phelps notes that battery-powered equipment is becoming more popular because it is simpler to operate and requires less maintenance compared to gas products. He says a major focus this year will be infrastructure and battery charging solutions for the companies that are transitioning.
Kress Commercial‘s CyberCapsule’s 1.5kWh of power is one example of manufacturers providing charging on-the-go as well as added power and runtime during peak season when landscapers need it most.
“Battery is a more cost-effective alternative to gas when the full picture is appreciated,” says Todd Zimmerman, VP of product development for Kress Commercial. “Gone are the daily trips to the gas pump and being held hostage by volatile gas prices. Maintenance costs also go way down with battery OPE.”
Jeff Foster, professional product support manager for Stanley Black & Decker, says he expects to see the landscape market to continue to move toward battery handheld products.
“As technology continues to improve for battery handheld products and the benefits of running battery over gas continue to improve, there may be a near future of fewer gas handheld products,” Foster says.
Rise of the Stand-On Mower
Foster adds that commercial stand-on mower market is steadily rising while the sit-down zero-turn continues to level out. He expects much of the market to continue to move to stand-ons. Leaning into this trend, they have we redesigned the platform of their Pro X stand-on model to be more comfortable and durable than their previous model based on feedback.
Deere is debuting their Q865R EFI QuikTrak™ stand-on mower with a new, wider 72-inch 7Iron Pro deck.
“Larger mower deck offerings allow landscape professionals to complete jobs much faster, which in turn allows them to ultimately take on more jobs during the day, which can translate into more revenue over the course of the year,” Gribble says. “With the new 72-inch offering on a QuikTrak stand-on mower, customers that are used to only having the option to get this deck size on a sit-down zero turn model can now opt for a stand-on.”
Responses to Labor Challenges
Mark Schneid,head of commercial operations for North America at Envu, says that as labor continues to be a problematic trend, their approach is to put the customer at the center of everything they do and work to solve their problems. Envu offers a number of products that can help control a number of troublesome weeds.
“Professionals tell us they appreciate having products that work because they don’t hear from unhappy customers,” Schneid says. “This not only improves business growth but also improves overall job satisfaction among the team.”
Looking for innovations that solve industry trends? Register for ELEVATE and we’ll see you in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nov. 3-6, 2024!
