CLEVELAND — Maxine O. Bush Elementary in Phoenix, Arizona, recently won the “Our Winning Green Space” contest. As a result, they earned an Exmark Lazer Z X-Series 60-inch riding mower and 30-inch walk-behind mower that will help maintain the school district’s athletic fields and grounds helping to create safer playing fields, as well as an athletic field make-over.

The mower package — donated by Exmark and delivered to the school grounds by the local Horizon distributor — are commercial grade mowers that the school will keep, even beyond the renovation.

Leslie Saulsby, principal at Maxine O. Bush, said the school’s athletic and recreation fields were barely usable and presented a safety issue due to an aging and damaged irrigation system, drainage and seeding that resulted in uneven playing surface with that was dotted with bald spots, rocks and weeds.

“On any given day, I have two to three dozen students playing soccer on what amounts to sand and rocks without goals. We go through ice packs and band aids at an alarming pace. The condition of our fields is a major reason we are losing students to inferior charter schools.”

The “Our Winning Green Space” contest is sponsored by Project EverGreen in partnership with Exmark Manufacturing, the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) and The Foundation for Safer Athletic Fields for Everyone (SAFE). The field make-over will be completed in 2022.

Briggs & Stratton LLC (B&S) has informed Husqvarna Group that B&S will only deliver a small portion of the engines for ride-on mowers that Husqvarna Group had ordered in advance of the 2022 season, mainly for North America, according to a news release from Husqvarna.

The company alleges that at this late stage, Husqvarna Group’s ability to secure an alternative supply of engines for the 2022 season is extremely limited. Therefore, to protect its customers and operations, Husqvarna Group yesterday filed a lawsuit in South Carolina to compel B&S to deliver all engines covered by its orders.

In a worst-case scenario, the lack of engine supply could result in a substantial loss of top line sales, mainly in 2022 with limited impact in Q4 2021. Given the early stage of these proceedings, and range of possible outcomes, it is too early to estimate the likely net EBIT impact of this supply dispute, the release said.

“Because this is an ongoing legal matter, we cannot comment on this filing. We continue to conduct business as usual,” a Briggs and Stratton representative said.

Unlimited Lawn Care has acquired Georgia-based Four Season Services. This acquisition reinforces Unlimited Lawn Care’s presence in Georgia, a traditional stronghold for the company.

Unlimited Lawn Care has been providing a complete range of lawn care services including mosquito defense, tree and shrub care and professional lawn services in Georgia for over two decades. The company offers lawn care services to both residential and commercial properties.

Unlimited Lawn Care’s growth and expansion strategy have led to the acquisition of Four Seasons Services, a company that specializes in fertilization and weed control. This company has been a consistent player in the industry since its creation in 1991.

“We are excited to add the resources of a reputable company like Four Season Services to our expertise,” said Scott Whitehead, the CEO of Unlimited Lawn Care. “We have a long-standing reputation for excellence in both our personnel and the quality of services we deliver.”

CHICAGO — ECHO launched a new cordless platform, the ECHO eFORCE 56V Battery System.

The ECHO eFORCE 56V Battery System will be available in early 2022 and includes 10 units, two batteries and two chargers. Each of ECHO’s key categories are included in the new lineup, including ECHO’s Pro Attachment Series with two powerheads that will run up to 15 or 16 attachments.

“As battery powered growth continues to soar, we wanted to give customers a superior option,” said John Powers, director of product management. “With a full lineup of 10 new units spanning the range of users from high-end homeowners up to professional landscapers and arborists, the 56V e-Force platform delivers the performance that users have come to expect from the ECHO brand."

Since 2017 alone, ECHO has launched 109 new products, including 20 in 2020. The ECHO eFORCE 56V cordless lineup includes the following units:

CHAINSAWS:

• 12-inch Top-Handle Chainsaw
• 18-inch Rear-Handle Chainsaw

STRING TRIMMERS

• 16-inch String Trimmer
• 17-inch String Trimmer

PRO ATTACHMENT SERIES TRIMMERS:

• 16-inch Pro Attachment Series Trimmer, compatible with 14 PAS attachments
• 17-inch Pro Attachment Series Trimmer, compatible with 15 PAS attachments

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS:

• 21-inch Self-Propelled 3-in-1 Lawn Mower
• 550 CFM Handheld Blower
• 22-inch Hedge Clipper
• 17-inch Brushcutter

CASE Construction Equipment introduces the TV620B compact track loader. The 114-horsepower, 6,200-pound rated operating capacity CTL delivers breakout forces — as well as more standardized features than previously available on any CASE CTL. This includes standard adjustable electro-hydraulic controls, high-flow hydraulics, auto ride control, one-way self-leveling, a hydraulic coupler, an auto-reversing fan, LED lights and a one-year subscription to CASE SiteWatch telematics. It also comes with a new 1.25 cubic yard heavy duty bucket designed specifically for the TV620B.

The new CASE TV620B also features the new CASE SiteConnect Module, remote connectivity and software updates through the SiteManager App (iOS and Android), as well as connectivity to the CASE Uptime Center for collaborative fleet management between CASE, the local CASE dealer and the equipment owner.

“The industry has never seen a CTL like this, and we’re focused on delivering extreme power and performance matched with intuitive technologies that simplify owning and operating,” said George MacIntyre, product manager, CASE Construction Equipment. “The TV620B is built to simplify heavy work such as cold planing, mulching, heavy material handling and loading high-sided trucks. There’s no loader on the market today with this level of standard features and its combination of power, stability and performance — it’s here to take on the big work.”

The TV620B also features a completely redesigned operator interface, 360-degree visibility and an eight-inch LCD multi-function display that serves as the command center for the machine. It also includes a rearview camera visible in a split screen display with machine data.

The CASE TV620B features operating capacity (6,200 pounds), breakout force (12,084 pounds bucket; 12,907 pounds lift) and track length on the ground (74 inches).

MCKINNEY, Texas — PestRoutes, pest control SaaS providers, and Lobster Marketing have rebranded as FieldRoutes. This will enable expansion into new verticals, and as part of this move FieldRoutes has developed several new solutions for lawn care service providers and has unveiled a new company website: fieldroutes.com.

“As two brands and sister companies, PestRoutes and Lobster Marketing shared like-minded values,” said William Chaney, CEO of FieldRoutes. “Together, under one united brand, our mission and values remain, and we are committed to fueling our customers’ growth.

“Over the years, we’ve seen an increasing trend with the pest control customers we serve adding residential lawn care as part of their service offerings. Aligning PestRoutes and Lobster Marketing under one brand allows us to expand, and as such, it was a natural progression for us to expand our capabilities and officially enter the lawn care market,” he added.

Lawn care customers using FieldRoutes’ operations suite, on average, report growing their customer base by up to 44% within their first year using the software. And lawn care customers using FieldRoutes’ sales and marketing suite have seen year-over-year returns on their marketing investment ranging from two-and-a-half to 11 times.

“We learned that to truly serve the lawn care market, we needed to add additional capabilities, which we’ve completed. We expect continued high growth for both existing and new customers thanks to the newly launched functionality built to suit the lawn care market,” said FieldRoutes Chief Product Officer Piyum Samaraweera.

The product line-up now includes FieldRoutes’ operations suite (formerly PestRoutes), FieldRoutes’ sales and marketing suite (formerly Lobster Marketing) and FieldRoutes Payments, a fully integrated payment solution that delivers enhanced payment functionality, such as the account updater which automatically updates lost, stolen, expired or closed customer payment card information.

The software now includes service plan functionality, which allows clients to bundle multiple services into discounted packages — a practice known as “programs” for lawn care businesses and “bundles” for pest control operators — and the ability to charge customers by measurement. It also now includes property estimations and updated routing functionality to take technician skills and certifications into consideration when scheduling a service.

Another enhancement is the ability to route by chemical capacity — which allows clients to optimize routes by the amount of chemicals that can be carried by each vehicle.

“PestRoutes and Lobster Marketing have a long history of helping clients grow quickly and scale their operations. We’re excited to bring that same energy to the lawn care industry and field services as a whole,” Chaney said. “These exciting new features are just the tip of the iceberg as our team continues to craft innovative solutions to meet the needs of field service organizations looking to grow their business and do it more efficiently.”

Nature’s Turf, a lawn care service provider in Metro Atlanta, has added home pest control and termite protection to its service line.

Nature’s Turf was founded in 1977 as a landscape construction company and evolved into a specialized lawn treatment company. It’s operated by brothers Adam and Phil Jackson.

The brothers also acknowledged that other Florida companies helped them realize the consumer is interested in bundling lawn and pest with one company. Additionally, the company has hired industry expert Zack Horne to head the new pest control division.

“We knew finding the right person was critical in having success with pest control and I’m excited to have Zack and his 12-plus years of experience to lead the division,” Adam Jackson said.

“We think that adding Pest Control onto our current lawn care offerings will allow us to continue to see double digit growth going into the coming years,” Phil Jackson said.

All Service provides pest control and termite services to the Gwinnett and North Fulton County areas. The joining of the two companies further expands Massey Services’ presence in the Georgia market. Massey first entered Georgia in 1998 and now has 15 service center locations throughout the state.

Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Massey Services provides service to over 700,000 customers throughout Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina and Oklahoma.

“We are pleased to welcome the All-Service Termite and Pest Control team members and customers to the Massey Services organization,” Tony Massey said. “All Service is a family-owned organization that has been providing service to customers for more than 50 years. We look forward to carrying on their legacy of total customer satisfaction for years to come.”

As we move into late fall, companies are setting their renewal and pricing strategies for 2022. Failure to raise prices could severely hamper the ability of companies to maintain service levels and effectively compete in an already tight labor market. While the general belief is that prices will begin stabilizing in 2022, direct costs like fuel and material will likely not retreat to their pre-COVID levels quickly, if at all. Meanwhile, higher wages are here to stay.

Here are six steps to help ensure outstanding service while maintaining profitability in 2022, even in the face of uncertainty.

1. Raise prices. This may seem like a no-brainer, though many companies worry higher prices could lead to client turnover. While a valid concern, not raising prices virtually guarantees reduced service levels, higher customer frustration and lower profitability. Price changes require thought leadership and analysis from your operations and financial staff to answer the who, what and how much questions related to customers and services impacted. Do this analysis before sending renewals out. It is impossible to recoup the increased costs for improperly priced contracts that have already been signed.

2. Talk honestly with your customers. They are usually willing to pay more for services if they understand the benefits to them. Don't apologize or blame the economy; instead, explain service, support, or quality improvements they can expect because of increased investments in training or technology. When possible, meet in person and go prepared; this is an opportunity to show them they matter. Relationships are strengthened through difficult conversations. Finally, be creative if a blanket price hike isn't in the cards. Offer discounts for payment in advance or longer-term contracts.

3. Determine what impact rising costs for direct inputs such as wages, materials and fuel are likely to have. Don’t forget to factor in headcount changes. Planning now for the increased cost of direct inputs is a critical first step in proper pricing decisions for renewals and service pricing for next year. Gross margin analysis may provide high-level impacts.

Don't apologize or blame the economy for raising prices; instead, explain service, support or quality improvements they can expect with an increased price.

4. Verify current contract pricing matches required performance. Crews often spend more hours servicing properties than required. Determine if hour overruns are the result of "scope creep" versus requirements specified in the original agreement, incorrect bidding or performance issues. Then, adjust pricing and performance expectations accordingly.

5. Evaluate your customer portfolio to eliminate unprofitable accounts or adjust pricing. Just like shrubs need annual pruning, customer lists are no exception. Jobs that made sense in the past based on route density or portfolio considerations may need to be re-evaluated to verify pricing, contract scope and overall fit. Evaluate customers based on total value to your organization — maintenance, enhancements, snow, etc., not just one service line. Cutting unprofitable work frees up resources for more fruitful endeavors.

6. Use available data in your accounting and job costing systems to drive analysis of customer and service line profitability. Data is one of the most powerful and effective tools available to help ensure companies make the right decisions regarding hiring, asset purchase and allocation, routing, and a whole host of other factors that influence and drive what customers are charged.

These are critical steps, but they are not simple. Get help and advice, if necessary, about how to best use available resources to make good decisions now. Focus on a plan to improve current systems and people for even better results in the future.

It sounds so glorious to have your own business, be your own boss, pursue personal and financial independence and live the American dream. Often, we sort of slide into being a business owner — an entrepreneur, if you will. Because the barrier-to-entry in the green industry is so low, it seems to just happen.

It seems like a good idea. You have the necessary skills. You have a truck. You’re willing to take the chance. So, you hire a couple of your buddies, hold your nose and jump. One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand…splash.

Not for the faint of heart.

That’s how most of us got into the business that we’re in. We simply took advantage of an opportunity that was in front of us. That’s how it happened for me. The U.S. Marine Corps gave me an education in finance and aviation logistics. A stint at the General Dynamics Electronics Division in San Diego motivated me to obtain an MBA in finance and start my own general consulting business. A propitious meeting with the late Charles “Chuck” Vander Kooi led to my working with him in the late 1980s for three years consulting specifically in the green industry. 35 years later, I look back on it all with fond memories.

The faces and the opportunity may be different, but I bet you have a similar story. It’s how many of us do it in America — the land of opportunity. And it often works…for about one in five of us. “In 2019, the failure rate of startups was around 19%. Research concludes 21.5% of startups fail in the first year, 30% in the second year, 50% in the fifth year and 70% in the 10th year,” according to Investopedia.

There’s more to running a landscaping company than just maintaining properties. Being prepared for the unexpected can keep you from getting hit hard when it happens.

How it works in the field (real life).

Going into the fall with hundreds of thousands of dollars of work to get done, a client in Wyoming was down to 11 total people in his company. He needed 19. Instead of running his company, he was mowing grass. The stress was almost unbearable.

The office manager of a client in Idaho was poached by her previous employer. She was offered double what my client could afford to pay her. As a signing bonus, the poacher paid off her new truck to the tune of $30-40,000. The morning that my client told me his story, four of his field crew (family members of the office manager) quit.

Because he wasn’t going to get his H-2B workers, a client in the Midwest had to trim his annual budget from $12 million to $6 million. It’s one thing to reduce your sales by 50%, but it’s almost impossible to reduce your general and administrative overhead by that much in such a short period of time.

Another $6 million-plus full-service landscape contractor in New England is focusing on building the chemical side of his business so that he can eliminate the headaches that come from the people-intense maintenance and installation part of his business.

Labor issues for a $3 million full-service landscape company in the Boston area have become so bad that this contractor is building his commercial real estate portfolio so that he can get out of the labor-intense landscape business.

Smart entrepreneurs.

The life of an entrepreneur isn’t for the faint of heart. That’s why so few people become entrepreneurs and why fewer still succeed at it. Chuck Vander Kooi once mentioned to me that to be a successful green industry contractor, you had to love people and love problems (challenges). He was right. You have to be able to build a team and build the systems to direct them and hold them together. Your role is more that of a college football coach than that of an engineer or manufacturer of widgets. You not only have to understand the game, but you also have to understand the people. Add to this the supply chain, truck and equipment shortages today, combined with the unparalleled demand and expectations of customers, and you better have the internal fortitude of Superman or Wonder Woman.

Do you often wonder why some salespeople always seem to outsell the competition? They are not doing it with some magical formula as some would assume. The main reason is that they have become adept at dealing with budget issues in a professional manner.

Salespeople who are uncomfortable (and even timid) when it comes to dealing with budget matters struggle with gaining the respect of their clients. If they don’t gain their client’s respect when dealing with money, they will ultimately struggle closing sales.

It’s not your money!

What is the “real budget?”

The other key thing to keep in mind when determining what a client’s budget entails is their budget may be much higher than what the salesperson thinks it might be. For example, if a client says that they don’t want to spend a lot on the project, the salesperson should avoid attaching an arbitrary figure to that comment. They need to find a way to get to the client’s “real budget.”

The best thing to do is to be upfront in your budget discussions. Take the lead in this discussion. You cannot be afraid to talk money. The sooner you can be sure that you have pre-qualified the prospect and their budget, the less time you waste dealing with a prospect that will most likely say no after you have gone through the entire design and budgeting process.

Being upfront in budget conversations ensures you’re not wasting your time with a client unwilling to spend on the projects you’re selling.

Three Ways to Determine Your Client’s budget.

1. Ask. You may think that this seems too simple. You don’t want to ask, “What can you afford to spend on your project?” You never want to put a client in a position to have to say, “I can’t afford this.” The better way to ask is, “How much are you comfortable investing in your project?”

First, it underscores the fact that this is an investment; second, it gives the client a comfortable way of telling you what they would like to spend on their project.

2. Give ranges. On the initial consultation, the prospect may tell you what the scope of the project they are considering. For example, they may say they want a bluestone patio to entertain up to eight to 10 people, a fire pit, a pergola and outdoor kitchen. As the prospect talks, you should be tabulating in your head the total potential cost of the project using past actual budgets. You would then say, “based on similar project we have designed and constructed, the project you described could cost between $50,000 and $80,000. Is this a comfortable budget range for you?” Typically, they may say, “That looks like a good budget range, but I would prefer to be at the low end or middle of the range.” You now have a good budget number if you’ve given the prospect a realistic range.

More than likely, you have a portfolio of completed projects to show the client, or pictures on your laptop or iPad. As you go through the pictures, show them projects similar in scope to what the prospect is interested in. You can say, “These projects that we are looking at are all in the $50,000 to $80,000 budget range. Is that what you were thinking of investing in your project?” They may respond, “Those are certainly beautiful projects, but I would never spend that on my property.” Or, they might say, “These projects are definitely in line with what we are looking for.”

Finally, always keep in mind that you are the expert. That is why clients are calling you. By assuming the expert role, you become a consultant rather than a salesperson. Approach your presentation with that in mind and the hesitancy to talk budget should disappear. Your ability to close on all types of projects, especially larger ones, will go up exponentially.