H-2B: Shortage Expected
Design/build contractors and others in the landscape industry are expecting a tougher labor situation than normal in 2008. As of press time, Congress has not passed a provision that would allow returning workers in the H-2B program to be exempt from the federally mandated cap of 66,000.
That means about two-thirds of H-2B users won’t get their workers, says Libby Whitley, president of MAS, an H-2B labor consulting firm. The landscape industry is the largest user of the visa program.
Congress could pass the cap-relief provision in 2008, but H-2B supporters are uncertain about the chances of that happening in time for workers to arrive by the start of the landscape season. “It’s unlikely Congress will do anything substantive until February, and then they have a week off in February,” says Whitley. “If they wait until March or April, it’s basically irrelevant for the landscape industry.”
Exacerbating the impact of Congress not passing a returning-worker exemption, the caps filled up quickly this year. The government permits 33,000 workers for each half of the fiscal year (October through March and April through November). The caps were reached on Sept. 27 and Jan. 2 this year, compared to Nov. 28 and March 16 for fiscal year 2007. –Marisa Palmieri
PUBLIC RELATIONS: Getting Exposure
If there’s one thing to remember when pitching design/build projects to magazine editors, it’s “Be relevant.” That was the message when seven garden editors convened during a roundtable session at the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Annual Meeting & EXPO in October. Do some research to understand the trends of the time and, more importantly, understand the magazine’s audience, they say. And then plan your pitches accordingly.
Before pitching a project to a magazine, understand the magazine’s niche and its approach to landscape and garden features. For example, don’t pitch a commercial rooftop garden to Cottage Living. If possible, obtain the magazine’s media kit and editorial calendar and sell the idea of using one of your projects for a specific story or magazine department. But remember, consumer magazines work at least six months in advance, so get holiday or winter-themed pitches in editors’ hands no later than June 1.
In terms of what projects to submit, editors encouraged landscape design professionals to think like editors whose priorities are usually to find the “next best thing.” Bill Marken, former editor-in-chief of Garden Design pointed to consumers’ current interest in sustainable design and green living. “There’s a trend for contemporary solutions that are comfortable and sustainable,” he says. Other editors emphasize their audiences’ regional needs. For example, Southern Living’s readership is currently concerned with caring for landscapes and gardens amid severe drought conditions and water restrictions, garden editor Gene Bussell says. –Marisa Palmieri
MARKETING IDEAS: Truckscaping
The problem with most advertising campaigns is the message is never seen, says Jamie Berger of Riverside, Ill.-based Pottering Around, a design/build firm.
His solution? Go guerrilla. In 2006 he built a full-fledged garden in the back of his pick-up truck – an eye-catching marketing display complete with a brochure dispenser that he could drive anywhere. “We created a lot of awareness – that’s what guerilla marketing does,” says Berger, a former advertising executive. “I can park in the middle of these specific affluent neighborhoods where there’s not exactly billboard space.”
Berger knows the landscaped truck bed generated at least two $6,000 to $7,000 jobs for the 5-year-old firm, but more importantly, it created buzz. “Why the truck concept was so effective is it’s still working,” Berger says. “I’ve spoken to several people since who know about it. The thing about landscaping is people don’t buy off the page. They think about it for a long time. So maybe they’ll call us two years later.” –Marisa Palmieri