When Scott Thompson first started with Irrigation Management Systems two decades ago, he says copper phone lines and dial-up modems were used to remotely monitor clients’ irrigation systems. Nowadays, mobile app and Wi-Fi irrigation technology makes managing those systems much easier.

“We’ve been using the technology to be out in the field to turn things off even before the era of being mobile-ready became prevalent,” says Thompson, the project manager for the Portland, Oregon-based company. “It’s the kind of thing we’ve been doing for many years and people are starting to see the benefit of it. A lot of times, systems go in and aren’t used the way they should or aren’t hooked up just right. So, we’ll go in and get things up and running or do some consulting stuff and design help for people to figure out what one’s best for their property.”

Irrigation Management Systems doesn’t install irrigation systems, but rather monitors and regulates systems for commercial clients.

Simplifying systems.

Even for traditional irrigation installers, the Wi-Fi systems are becoming more popular.

“As a contractor, you’re coming across more of them now than ever before,” says Peter Hudson, owner of Southwest Irrigation Systems in Sugar Land, Texas. “I think with service work, we come across quite a few too.”

“I like that product because you can use it both ways. You can set it the old-fashioned way with your controller or on your phone.” Peter Hudson, owner of Southwest Irrigation Systems

Hudson says his team of 40 employees always prefers to install Wi-Fi enabled systems as it makes it easy for the client to control their system with ease.

“The product ties into the weather and makes adjustments to the system every day,” he says. “It’s by zip code so they know how much rain you’ve had in that area, what the high temperature was, what the low temperature was and it makes all the calculations for you.”

And just because a system is Wi-Fi enabled doesn’t mean you can’t still control it manually if you wish — which Hudson calls the best of both worlds.

“I like that product because you can use it both ways. You can set it the old-fashioned way with your controller or on your phone,” Hudson says. “It’ll connect either way and make the changes. I really like that function.”

In Kentucky, Craig Zumdick, owner of Expert Irrigation, says he also likes the mobile technology as it takes the pressure off his customers having to keep tabs on their systems 24/7.

“I tell homeowners, ‘You don’t have to do anything because it will automatically adjust for you,’” he says. “When you’re driving, you can tell what people have this technology because their yards typically look better. It’s putting down what the plant needs and not just putting down water for the sake of watering.

“It’s much easier to use than your standard controller, because the Wi-Fi stuff is a ‘set it and forget it’ type thing,” Zumdick adds. “You can set up parameters on it, and adjust it for certain customers, but there’s really specific parameters for our area that you can set, and it really works for everybody.”

Wi-Fi enabled systems are known for being more water efficient, something irrigation companies are saying is a growing concern for homeowners.

Thompson adds that while every manufacturer has its own mobile app to control things, Irrigation Management Systems still tends to regulate its customers’ systems from their computers or another device.

“Pretty much everything we run comes from the computers in our office,” he explains. “We can connect to those from our cellphones, or a laptop or an iPad. So, even if a manufacturer’s software doesn’t have a great app or online offering, we basically go through the computers at our office anyway, and it’s almost as fast as going through an app.”

An easy sell.

Hudson predicts that as the technology surrounding the Wi-Fi systems continues to advance, so will its popularity — that’s why SWIS now incorporates it as a standard part of their installation package.

“We use it on all our installations. We actually just started putting it in as part of our package. Now it’s standard. Every system we put in the ground actually has the Wi-Fi module as part of it,” he says. “We used to just offer it as an option, but we felt it’d be growing in demand as we go forward. We just felt like it should be standard.”

After the system is installed with the Wi-Fi module, Hudson says homeowners can opt out of enabling it but likes having it already in the ground in case they change their minds down the road. “We feel like if they don’t want the Wi-Fi module now, maybe they will in the future,” he says.

While Wi-Fi capability isn’t standard at Expert Irrigation, Zumdick says he does strongly encourage it when talking with perspective clients.

“On every new install quote that we offer, they have the option to purchase a Wi-Fi controller,” he says. “We’ve tried to push it too, because it obviously makes our jobs easier from a standpoint of being able to monitor things remotely. But even when you’re out doing service work, you’re more efficient when we can turn things on and off through our phones. We’ve really been trying to push it more over the past several years.”

And with more contractors installing Wi-Fi systems, and controlling them remotely, Thompson says it has opened up a whole new revenue stream for his company.

“It’s much easier to use than your standard controller, because the Wi-Fi stuff is a ‘set it and forget it’ type thing.” Craig Zumdick, owner of Expert Irrigation

“On the monitoring side, now more and more maintenance companies are adding in the service that we used to uniquely provide for years,” he says. “So, it’s kind of opened up our training and troubleshooting work. It gave us some new opportunities.”

Thompson says they’ve been called upon to help several companies learn the ropes when it comes to monitoring these systems en masse, which can be daunting. “Usually, there’s not a day that goes by where we don’t find something wrong somewhere,” he says.

Making mobile mainstream.

Out of the 800 residential customers Expert Irrigation has, Zumdick says about 130 accounts are using Wi-Fi controllers. “And five years ago, that number would have been zero,” he says.

While there are plenty of reasons for its increase in popularity, Zumdick says water consciousness and a move toward reducing water waste are really at the forefront of it.

“It all stems from the need and want to control water use. That’s why all this Wi-Fi technology came out, because it gives you the opportunity to tune into your local weather station,” he says. “For our purposes here in the Midwest, I think the Wi-Fi technology is really nice because our weather changes so frequently. So, when we have 20 degree shifts in weather, it’s nice to have something that will make adjustments automatically.”

Rising water rates are also a contributing factor for his commercial clients, Thompson says.

“With the cost of water going up, I think a lot of companies have bought in to the technology and like to have supreme control over their systems,” he says. “When it comes to watering in the rain or other common problems, I think people are more aware that there are ways to prevent that from happening now.”

Additionally, as more millennials are buying homes, and thus installing irrigation systems, Hudson says they expect the technology.

“The younger generation is all on board,” he says. “People are thinking more about water, water waste and the simplicity of it. It’s really easy. You’re on your phone and you can just sit there at night on your couch and do your settings. You can be wherever and run it.”

Yet, Hudson says there are still plenty of people who aren’t on board with the app-based lifestyle.

“There still are a lot of customers who don’t want anything to do with it. They look at it as a complication issue that causes problems and costs them more money,” he says.

“You still have your people who say, ‘If it’s not broken don’t fix it.’ And then you have others who are up on technology and want to do anything they can to save money on water, and anything that can make their lives simpler,” he adds. “You have two different groups of people there.”

Connections and other confusion.

Despite the technology making the process easier for irrigation companies and customers alike, there are still come common challenges caused by the Wi-Fi enabled systems.

“There are some connectivity issues when it comes to Wi-Fi if you’re not close enough,” Thompson says. “We don’t have a ton of Wi-Fi systems because a lot of these commercial sites we take care of don’t have Wi-Fi out there. If we did have the ability to connect with Wi-Fi, we would probably do it more. For homeowners, it’s a great way to connect because there’s no ongoing cost — you’re already paying for your Wi-Fi.”

Connectivity concerns also creep up with residential systems.

“Depending on where everyone has their router in their house — that can be an issue,” Hudson says. “A lot of times, they need a booster because they have the router on one side of their house, and you can’t connect outside. So, that has been an issue we deal with. But we let the customer know upfront there may be a connectivity issue, but it’s able to be fixed. We can work through it.”

“More and more maintenance companies are adding in the service that we used to uniquely provide for years. So, it’s kind of opened up our training and troubleshooting work.” Scott Thompson, product manager with Irrigation Management Systems

User error is always something irrigation companies come across, but Zumdick says it’s especially prevalent with the Wi-Fi systems.

“For that, it’s nice to make adjustments remotely and not have to go out and fix it,” he says.

Hudson says that when crews do have to go onsite to fix an issue, it can be uncomfortable to request access to a homeowner’s phone or tablet to check the system.

“They just have to make it simple for someone who is servicing the system,” he says. “It can be kind of awkward to have to get on their iPad or smartphone to service the system. But companies have worked through a lot of that. Now, (customers) can just send (access) to you and you can accept it and get on their system and run it.”

Thompson says there’s one other common hesitation when it comes to Wi-Fi systems, and it’s been the same for some time — the price. He adds he expects that as the technology advances, the price will decrease.

“Anything we can do to make it easier for people to use and bring the cost down, I think that will help,” Thompson says. “Cost is just a big factor right now.”

Building a lawn care business from a side hustle into a multi-million-dollar operation isn’t easy. For Steve and Shawn Bromell, the husband-and-wife team who own Pro Cutters Lawnscapes near Atlanta, growth required decades of persistence until they found their niche.

Steve first pursued lawn care as a side job with his roommate while working at FedEx. A few years later, he and his business partner went full-time, until Steve decided to venture out and start his own company. Shawn never imagined a career in lawn care while working as a television news anchor and reporter, but after marrying Steve in 2001, she decided to leave TV to help him grow his business.

Although they shared a strong work ethic and commitment to excellence, the couple struggled to strike the right pace for growth as they overextended their capital and ended up in debt.

“We thought we needed all this equipment, and the only way to get it was to get loans,” Shawn says. “It was a house of cards, and we eventually dissolved that business. Pro Cutters got the benefit of (those financial challenges) because after we got burned by debt, we knew we wanted to proceed debt-free, so we had to come up with creative ways to buy equipment without putting ourselves in a bad position.”

Now, 11 years since founding Pro Cutters in 2010, their commercial lawn maintenance company is on track to break the $20 million mark this year, thanks to their debt-free approach to growth through collaboration.

Entering a new niche.

When they launched Pro Cutters, the Bromells realized that the commercial lawn care market was oversaturated with small one-man-and-a-mower operations. Their competitors frequently underbid just to land jobs, as contracts often went to the lowest bidder. “We quickly discovered that we needed a niche,” says Shawn, Pro Cutters’ president. “We had to find something not everybody could do.”

Steve discovered their niche at a bid meeting for a large highway mowing project. When he learned that the work required specialized equipment and experience, he saw an opportunity to stand out. But since he couldn’t get roadside mowing contracts without roadside mowing experience, and he couldn’t get experience without equipment, he had to find other ways to build Pro Cutters’ infrastructure without going into debt.

He began pursuing projects that required large tractors, rotary cutters and other equipment used for roadside mowing. But he still needed to prepare his crews for dangerous roadside conditions. So, when a major storm hit Mississippi, Steve volunteered his crews to clean up debris along the highways there. Not only did it provide an opportunity to give back; it also provided the roadside experience his team needed. “That was a great opportunity for us to … at least get the safety component down,” says Steve, operations manager.

Finally, around 2012, another contractor reached out to request Pro Cutters’ support on a roadside mowing contract — giving Steve’s team the subcontracting experience they needed to break into the highway market. Today, this service accounts for about 75% of Pro Cutters’ business.

Scaling growth with subs.

The initial subcontracting agreement gave Pro Cutters 10 days to be on the jobsite with a certain number of tractors and workers. Although they’d spent years preparing for this opportunity, the rush to the finish line was exhausting. “Let’s just say I had a bottle of Tylenol nearby,” Steve jokes. As Pro Cutters began winning bids for larger projects, Steve knew he needed a more sustainable way to scale his infrastructure for each job.

That’s when he realized that the subcontractor model wasn’t just their entry into the market — it was the key to their ongoing success. Instead of buying new mowers and hiring more people for every contract, Pro Cutters began to “join forces” with other lawn care companies to supplement the equipment and experience they needed.

“We started to scale by bringing in other subcontractors,” he says. “(The benefits were) twofold: being able to disperse the financial burden and also being able to give other people an opportunity, because I knew how hard it was for us to get an opportunity.”

This approach positioned Pro Cutters to tackle even bigger jobs without leaving extra people or equipment sitting idle after contracts end, which helps optimize operations. Today, Pro Cutters supplements its workforce with about 15 subcontractors, pulling in other companies to support one-third of its projects. Some subs have partnered with Pro Cutters for several years; in fact, most of them are former employees.

Training entrepreneurs.

When it comes to other lawn care companies — or employees who dream of starting their own companies — Steve doesn’t see competitors.

“Everybody is an opportunity for a relationship,” he says. “They’re all doing the same thing I’m doing, and I can’t knock them down to get up.”

“Success for me is getting to the mountaintop and looking to the left and right (to see) someone there with me.” Steve Bromell, operations manager, Pro Cutters Lawnscapes

This collaborative mentality permeates the way Steve treats subs and staff alike. By building relationships around shared core values and looking for ways to help others advance, he sets a foundation for mutual growth.

He communicates these values using the acronym, S.T.E.W.A.R.D.S., which stands for: safety first, trust, excellence, wisdom, accountability, respect, diversity, discipline and serving. Pro Cutters’ onboarding process for employees and subs centers around these principles by explaining how the company conducts its business.

Steve expects managers to mentor new hires closely by modeling these values in action. With a dedication to “servant leadership,” Steve and his team take time to get to know the employees they mentor, frequently asking people what they need to be successful.

For example, a father and his two sons approached Steve after working for Pro Cutters for five years, explaining that they wanted to run their own business. Steve saw it not as a threat, but as an opportunity to prepare them for leadership. They worked closely with Steve for another three years before leaving to launch their own company. Steve even helped them buy some equipment to get started, and continues to mentor them as they grow their business.

“When you identify someone (with) aspirations to have their own business,” Steve says, “instead of fighting to keep them as an employee, find out how can you help them achieve their goals.”

Several former (and current) employees have launched their own lawn care businesses, and many partner with Pro Cutters as subcontractors after leaving the company. Steve has never asked anyone to sign a noncompete agreement, but he does remind them that there’s enough business to go around, and they can be more successful as collaborators than as competitors.

“If we fight over the same client, we run the risk of neither one of us having that client,” he often tells employees-turned-entrepreneurs. “I’m not coming after your customers, and you don’t need to come after mine. There’s enough grass for everybody to cut.”

Giving back.

Leveraging the lessons they’ve learned from growing Pro Cutters, Shawn and Steve seek opportunities to share their knowledge and success — not just with their own employees, but with other budding entrepreneurs in the community. The couple networks constantly by building relationships through their church and local chamber of commerce, while looking for opportunities to provide mentorship and financial support to other startups.

“We were not given the blessing of business just for us,” says Shawn, who serves on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta. “It was meant to be shared. It was meant to uplift the community, to employ people, to make our state better. We look at it as a responsibility.”

For example, the Bromells sponsor their local middle school — donating backpacks and other supplies and even buying Christmas gifts for students experiencing homelessness. Last year, they created a scholarship for “Students Who Mean Business” in Rockdale County, awarding $40,000 to five aspiring young entrepreneurs and surprising the other applicants with new laptops. Steve — who serves on the boards for the NALP Foundation, the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce and Hills Academy, a private boys’ school in Conyers — also mentors local teens through a program called Men of Distinction.

As Pro Cutters continues to grow, the Bromells measure their success not just in numbers, but through new opportunities to reinvest in their community, expand their business network and mentor those around them to make an impact that transcends their business.

“Success for me is getting to the mountaintop and looking to the left and right (to see) someone there with me,” Steve says. “Success is … helping somebody else climb the same mountain.”

The author is a freelance writer based in Ohio.

What started in a storage shed like many landscape company launches has grown into a nearly $3 million full-service firm with a satellite office, tree division and a portfolio of attractive commercial/industrial accounts — all in just three years.

Some might say this fast-lane growth approach breaks the limits. Others would wonder how a company could grow that quickly without going off the rails. Not to mention, the pandemic that squashed sectors of the economy didn’t cause a detour in Encore Landscape Management’s strategic plans.

The Phoenix-based Encore is also selective about which clients it will service, so growth doesn’t stem from a do-it-all approach — but rather, an all-in mentality.

“We want to partner with people who truly care about their properties,” says Mike DiFabbio, co-owner focused on business development with partner Juan Hernandez, who’s the operations guru. “You can tell pretty quickly after going on a property what their intentions are and what their vision is.”

From the beginning in 2019, the vision at Encore Landscape Management was to accelerate responsible growth and provide career opportunities. “For a standard landscape startup, we have grown faster than most, but we knew this would be the way we’d go with our networks and experience, so we planned for it,” says DiFabbio, who previously ran the Las Vegas branch of Integrated Landscape Management, which was acquired by Aspen Grove Landscape Group in 2016, while Hernandez oversaw operations at the Phoenix headquarters.

The two had met during training seminars and, eventually, both moved on to form Encore. Hernandez and a third partner, named Fernandez Torres, who runs a pest control business, realized they needed a business strategy arm to succeed. Torres hadn’t planned on being active with the landscape firm, and the startup was a perfect fit for DiFabbio. “I’ve always been more into growing businesses and sales, so it was a perfect marriage,” DiFabbio says.

All three had previous leadership experience with fast-growing companies. “We knew we’d have to deal with getting our culture built and implemented, and living and dying by our core values,” DiFabbio says, adding that the current front-burner initiative is to establish the Encore Standard to “McDonaldize” processes and procedures.

But as businesses small and large know, the fuel to growth is not just new accounts but also talented people who can service them. DiFabbio shares how to grow smart, recruit creatively and keep feeding a firm that tripled in revenues in its first three years.

‘Net’ work

The first year, Encore Landscape Management hoped to achieve the $1 million mark, and it nearly did, ending 2019 with about $900,000 in revenue. “The first half of that year, we had two crews and Juan was running one while I was working on one part-time,” DiFabbio says. “By summer of that first year, I focused on growth and bringing in some new business.”

It helped that they scored a big homeowners’ association (HOA) account that brought in about $14,000 a month right off the bat. Torres had a previous relationship with a board member, which they were able to leverage into a deal. “That was a great anchor account for us to get launched,” DiFabbio says. “With that came a decent amount of extra enhancement work and some tree work.”

Even though this job was vital in getting the company off the ground, only about 15% of Encore’s business comes from HOAs, though DiFabbio would like to expand that in the next couple of years. Most of Encore’s business is centered in the commercial sector, where DiFabbio and Torres had a network. Hernandez brought his HOA connections to the mix.

In April of 2020, the company brought on a certified arborist, Fitu Perry, who DiFabbio worked with in the past, to run a tree division — a move that took the business “to a whole new level,” DiFabbio says.

“That has helped us scale the company,” he says. “He wanted to come over and build something that was his own and be that lead man and grow it.”

DiFabbio says Perry runs the tree division like it’s his own company. “We meet with him regularly and chat,” DiFabbio says. “We want to give our people the opportunity and empowerment to make decisions based on their knowledge and expertise and we’ve definitely done that with him. It’s his baby.”

The other growth driver is Encore Landscape Management’s Las Vegas office, which opened at the end of year two. Currently, DiFabbio runs the branch with two on-location leads, Samantha Flaherty and Victor Herrera, and a pair of crews performing maintenance work. Today, the Phoenix headquarters runs nine crews.

Ultimately, relationships have pushed the company’s pace. By the end of 2021, the company expects to earn $6 million in revenue.

DiFabbio credits mentor and former boss/co-founder at ILM, John Garigen, who DiFabbio calls “the greatest networker and sales guy I’ve ever met.” He took DiFabbio under his wing at age 23, when they met at a golf course. He guided DiFabbio on how to build a commercial real estate network by joining organizations and committees, being reliable and staying active.

“We want to give our people the opportunity and empowerment to make decisions based on their knowledge and expertise.” Mike DiFabbio, co-owner of Encore Landscape Management

“What I learned from him was the relationship is more important than the sale,” he says. “I never saw him ask for the business. Build your network. Build true relationships with people. People wanted to work with John because they liked him so much. He was just a good guy. You wanted to be around him so they couldn’t help but give him their business.”

The other lesson DiFabbio learned was to be obsessed with the client’s experience. “Really, serving your client to another level as far as how you communicate and respond to your clients and the speed in which you do that,” he says.

By speed, DiFabbio doesn’t mean give an answer immediately when it’s not entirely correct.

“But when someone sends you an email and needs something, and maybe you don’t have the answer right now, don’t wait until you have the answer to get back to them,” he says. “‘Let me work on it and I’ll get back to you by this time,’ instead of waiting two or three days and then replying back with the answer.”

Essential recruiting

A company is only as strong as its team. But recruiting is a perennial industry challenge, and DiFabbio thinks younger people’s perception of landscaping could be preventing students from entering the field. So, he and the team emphasize to younger people that landscape is a “real-life business.”

“We’ve got sales, operations, management, finance and accounting,” DiFabbio says. “It’s just like other businesses except our product is landscaping. There are a ton of opportunities.”

Usually, he shares his story with classrooms and during career days. “I fell into it, luckily, and I think that’s how a lot of people end up doing what they do,” he says. “One of our younger account managers graduated from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, and it’s the same thing.”

At the beginning of last year, the company had made plans with a couple of area high schools to make presentations to students about the company and the industry. The plan is to get to students who don’t want to go to college, or pursue other post-college opportunities, and explain what they can achieve at Encore. That’s been tabled temporarily because of COVID-19 restrictions, but recruitment is still a daily effort.

“It’s no secret — we post ads every day and we have a network of people we know here that we pull from,” DiFabbio says, referencing their involvement in local organizations, relationships with HOAs and other construction and realty professionals.

“But if we want to get to the next level, we have to get to the young people out there and get the message out to them that this career can be long-term.”

Another message DiFabbio shares — one that resonates given the recent pandemic and how jobs were considered essential — is how landscaping is sustainable during extremely difficult economic times.

“I tell people that I started landscaping in 2009 in Las Vegas, when the world seemed like it was falling apart,” he says. “Everyone was telling me, ‘You’re taking a job with a new company in Vegas?’ and, ‘You’ll be looking for another job soon.’ We grew our company through that financial crisis. There were ups and downs, but a few years later, (ILM)was one of the largest landscape companies in the area.”

Property managers realize their commercial sites still need to look good during tough times. And during COVID-19, “whether people are officially in buildings or not, owners still need to invest in their properties,” he says, adding that the company exceeded its budget by 10% in 2020. “It’s a reliable industry.”

Sweet-spot accounts

Back to intention and vision, DiFabbio says some red flags that a prospect is probably not a fit are if the property is pristine.

“If we go to bid it and it looks phenomenal, we think, ‘O.K, it could be a relationships issue, or maybe something is going on with the budget,’” he says. “We have to figure out what is going on. Why are they getting rid of the current company? That is a process we go through with new bidding to make sure we are getting into a relationship that will be a long-term partnership.”

Along those lines, another warning sign is if Encore Landscape Management asks the prospect how many landscape companies have serviced the property in the last five years and there is significant turnover. “Maybe they just had bad luck, but usually if you are cycling though companies in a short time span, that tells us there may be some other issue from an expectations standpoint,” DiFabbio says.

The sweet-spot client for Encore Landscape Management ranges from large HOAs to industrial properties and boutique management companies.

“We work with owners of these properties hand-in-hand to improve their landscapes, which is super fun for us,” he says. “They are obsessed with providing value for their clients, and we get to play a part in helping to achieve that vision.”

Some landscape professionals might find the revenue opportunity in industrial landscaping a surprise. But not DiFabbio and the Encore team.

“The way they are designing buildings now, there is a ton of landscaping and they have budgets for improvements and a tremendous amount of extra work,” he says of his Arizona and Nevada markets.

Scaling up is what Encore Landscape Management will continue to do because it allows the company to give back what’s most important — a meaningful career.

“The only way we can provide opportunities is to grow the company responsibly,” DiFabbio says. “We are focused on growing in other markets, and what we are most looking forward to is keeping this thing going so we can give people a good home.”

The author is a freelance writer based in Ohio.

Jonathan Guarneri remembers a time when operating aerators was so brutal, it was often a dealbreaker.

“You couldn’t find a guy who would do a day’s worth of aeration before they’d quit,” he says, joking that employees used to draw straws to see who would have to go out and aerate their clients’ lawns.

Now, Guarneri speculates people are drawing straws to see who gets to operate the new aerator units. The product manager at Exmark Manufacturing believes the machines — whether they’re stand-ons or reciprocating aerators — take much less of a toll than the aerators of two decades ago. Brandon King, now a product manager at Billy Goat Industries, says the same thing: When he jumped into the green industry as a contractor in 1996, aerating lawns was grueling.

“Back when I started, if you wanted to go aerate somebody’s yard, your only option was a drum-style aerator that just beat you to death,” King says.

Experts who have dealt with aerators for several years acknowledge the machines have come a long way since they were first introduced to the market.

Service while shorthanded.

George Kinkead, the president at Turfco, believes the improved aerators are essential in helping navigate the well-documented labor shortage. Making it easier on employees in any ways possible helps keep them on board for the long haul.

“I think all the LCOs need to look at the equipment they have because now, more than ever before, if you don’t have the equipment to meet their fatigue expectations, they’ll quit the next day,” Kinkead says.

Kinkead says he likes the ride-on aerators because they’re easy to implement — and easy to teach — because the controls are somewhat familiar to most employees. He even taught his son to ride the unit while he was in high school, and Kinkead says his kid figured it out within a day.

“The biggest trend in equipment right now is matching your equipment to your employee base.” George Kinkead, president of Turfco

This simplicity helps employees ease their way into aeration work, which is crucial for employee retention. Kinkead says he’s heard companies say their employees have quit if using the equipment becomes too complex.

“(The ride-on) acts more like a mower. As long as they understand the critical nature…it’s really easy to train and it’s something familiar enough that it’s not confusing enough to operate,” he says. “The biggest trend in equipment right now is matching your equipment to your employee base.”

King agrees, even saying that stand-on aerators are easier on the employee’s joints than ride-on aerators. He believes when the machines take it easier on the body, then using them becomes more like a hobby than a job.

“If your labor leaves because the job is too hard to do, that’s not going to be good for you,” King says. “We (as manufacturers) have a lot of connections with local landscapers, so we get their pain points. We ask, ‘What sucks? What’s terrible about this piece of equipment?’”

A point of preference.

While King prefers the stand-on aerators rather a ride-on, it all comes down to personal preference. First thing he recommends before buying any machine: rent one and try it out in the field.

“If you’re unsure…try it before you buy it,” he says. “A rental fee is a drop in the bucket compared to buying a machine.”

King believes it can come down to client perception: Employees look more approachable on a stand-on rather than a ride-on aerator. It’s easier for them to hop off and address clients if they have questions, and it looks like they’re working hard even though the stand-on might be more comfortable than the ride-on.

Picking a type of aerator can also come down to the type of properties a company services most. Stand-on machines might be best for bigger properties, but in smaller residential spots, King recommends a walk-behind reciprocating machine.

He says selecting a reciprocating or drum aerator also comes down to hole density. King says a drum aerator can disturb 2% of the soil, but a reciprocating machine can create 4-5% disruption in a single pass.

Of course, there’s also environmental concerns. Ryan Turf’s Ron Scheffler, a senior product manager, says similar advancements with other equipment like mowers might continue to be the trend in aerators as well. “Green products and battery-powered aeration products could certainly be the future of this product category,” he says.

Considering the condition.

Guarneri says there haven’t been many major advancements in the manufacturing of aerators in recent years, but it’s been all about making refinements.

“These stand-on aerators, when they first started to hit the market, the productivity was absolutely insane,” he says. “People were willing to put up with the maintenance nuances because the machines were so productive.”

Now, Guarneri says they’ve focused a lot of efforts on eliminating grease points and cutting down on the number of chains used in the machines. Some companies, he says, have moved away from using chains entirely.

Time is money, particularly in aeration, where in most regions of the country, landscapers have a narrow window in which aerating is effective. But Guarneri says aeration is a highly profitable service to offer, and it can be incredibly healthy for turf that gets a lot of foot traffic.

“(New aerators) are so productive, but you have such a short period of time you need to use them,” he says. “Your window of aeration is dependent on the region, so customers should be aware of that. Aeration is a great service for landscapers to offer, and it’s a very profitable service for them to offer.”

Scheffler says machines that don’t require lifting tines to turn help save manual labor on the operators, and machines that emphasize easy steering are often preferred.

Kinkead says most companies only aerate in a six- to eight-week span, so some companies have also implemented the ability to drop seed at the same time they aerate, making it easier on landscapers to get the work done without making multiple passes.

“The reality of the operator: He’s running this thing every day, he’s got a very focused season,” Kinkead says. “You can’t aerify in the heat of the summer. Then there’s a time limit on how late that can be. Up north, leaves start to fall. It translates into it’s absolutely critical that the machine functions well.”

Though the focus in manufacturing has been on making it easier to maintenance, Guarneri reminds contractors that, just like any machine, there’s still maintenance to be done. The machine is designed to disturb soil, which can contain rocks or other damaging elements. He says at the very least, landscapers should be checking their tines frequently to ensure there’s no structural damage.

“Mowers have evolved so much over the last 20 years that (landscapers) just need to fill it up with gas and check the oil. Some customers assume the aerator is just like that,” he says. “Unfortunately, at this point, it really isn’t. These pieces of equipment are ground-engaging. It’s going to require a little bit more maintenance and a closer eye to stuff.”