The future isn’t set in stone, but it is something that many ELEVATE exhibitors think about and prepare for. Knowing where the industry and consumer demand are trending can help you set your lawn or landscape company up for better success.
If you want to see the cutting edge when it comes to technology, robotics, sustainability and more, make sure not to miss out on the ELEVATE Expo experience, where you can connect with experts about their latest innovations.
“In the landscape industry, we’re scratching the surface of what technology can do for our businesses and customers,” says Gage Roberts, sales director for Aspire Software. “From automation and augmented reality to artificial intelligence, the possibilities continue to drive landscaping forward—and help us to grow and work better together.”
Digitization
Chase Tew, production system & business unit manager for John Deere Turf Care, says he sees the industry heading towards professionalism, a digitization era, and products/technologies that really solve customer problems, as opposed to just adding more horsepower.
“The industry will change more in the next 10 years than it has in the past 50 years,” Tew says. “John Deere is excited for this change and we feel really confident about leveraging technologies we already have in agriculture and construction into the landscape and property care segment.”
Coray Grove, chief revenue officer for Inova Payroll, adds that in the next five years there will be more transparency both for customers and employees, allowing for more accuracy all around.
“Companies are recognizing that in order for them to compete and make it, they really have to make sure that they understand whether they’re making money,” Grove says. “I only see the technology that our clients are using to give them better insight, better efficiency around managing their customers’ jobs.”
Technology can also be leveraged to improve communication with language learning platforms such as Babbel. Katie Love, team lead of growth ops B2B for Babbel, says that globalization is continuing every year and percentage of foreign-born workers contributing to the economy is growing.
“We know that the ability to communicate the same language is even more important,” Love says. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics actually recorded in 2022 that 44% of landscaping workers are Hispanic or Latino. As we know that language learning curriculum is different in the U.S. it’s really important for us to help equip these companies with the ability to communicate with each other.”
She notes that while AI and automation are major buzzwords, something that will never change is the need for humans to connect with one another.
Robotics
The world of robotics is also expanding in the industry, with new manufacturers offering solutions to the labor challenge many landscape companies face.
“Sensori Robots believes that robots will take on more and more of the routine work in many industries, and landscaping services will certainly be a part of that revolution,” says Brad Bush, CEO of Sensori Robotics. “We see landscapers embracing technology more and more each day. As the industry matures, software and hardware implementation will become more important to keep up with productivity. We believe that electrification is inevitable and if companies can embrace robotics as they electrify, they will be ahead of their peers.”
Bush says their technology and business model is unique as their robots can mow a lawn anywhere from complex properties with trees and flower beds to sports fields.
“We use a mixture of location techniques to make sure our robots accurately can mow in areas where our competitors cannot,” Bush says. “As a monthly subscription service, we believe that the low capital and low risk to landscapers make our robots an easy decision.”
Sustainability
Mike Dzurenko, national account manager of lawn and landscape at Envu, says they are seeing sustainability become increasingly important with products coming under scrutiny. He says the industry is also looking for a broader spectrum of products that allow lawn care operators to do more with less.
Carson Cashwell, lawn and landscape market manager for Syngenta, says their new product, Recognition, safens other herbicides, including Fusillade II and Turflon Ester, allowing for broader spectrum, fewer applications, and even control of Bermudagrass in St. Augustinegrass.
“While Syngenta is continuously working to develop new active ingredients, Recognition herbicide is the perfect example of continuous innovation, even with the products we have already launched,” Cashwell says. “The active ingredient in Recognition is the same active ingredient as in Monument herbicide, which has now been safened with for use in lawn care by developing a new formulation with the safener Metcamifne. This gives lawn care operators new options for herbicides they really need to manage weeds in St. Augustinegrass.”
These are just some of the trends suppliers expect to be prevalent in five years.
“If you have a commitment to improving your business, your people, and better serving your customers, then ELEVATE is the event,” Tew says. “The conference education, networking, and ability to stroll the display floor during breaks is a great opportunity that all landscape professionals should consider prioritizing this September.”
