Syracuse, N.Y. – Plowz & Mowz, a company that helps homeowners find landscapers and snow removal contractors through an app, raised $5 million in new funding. According to The Post-Standard newspaper in Syracuse, the company plans to double its workforce in a move to downtown Syracuse, New York.
Wills Mahoney, founder of Plowz & Mowz, told The Post-Standard the new funding is coming from a “very large strategic investor” who wishes to remain anonymous. According to The Post-Standard, the funding will allow the company to enter four to six new markets next year and invest in technology that will move the company closer to its goal of being a leader in outdoor home services.
The company launched in 2013 and to date it operates in 20 markets, with its biggest ones being in Syracuse, Cleveland, Boston and Minneapolis. Homeowners use the Plowz & Mowz smartphone app to contact landscapers and snow removal companies for on-demand services.
Click here to read the full story from The Post-Standard newspaper.
Hunter HCC controller available for commercial properties
The smart irrigation controller combines Hunter's ICC2 with Hydrawise technology.
SAN MARCOS, Calif., – The next-generation HCC controller brings the multi-site irrigation management capabilities of the Hydrawise platform to high-end residential, commercial, and public-sector projects.
Further expanding Hunter’s Hydrawise controller family, the HCC is built with the same flexibility and power of the ICC2 controller and provides a range of convenient features to monitor larger projects.
The HCC combines features of the ICC2 controller with Hydrawise technology to create a smart and economical solution for commercial landscape management. HCC can control up to 54 zones and effectively operate any two stations simultaneously.
The controller’s modular design allows for rapid expandability with the same 4-, 8-, and 22-station output modules as the ICC2. Engineered with a prewired SmartPort, HCC is also compatible with Hunter’s ROAM and ROAM XL remotes, allowing for fast and reliable manual operation in the field without a smartphone. ICC and ICC2 customers can upgrade their existing systems to Wi-Fi-enabled smart control with an HCC Retrofit Kit.
“We developed the HCC to give irrigation and landscape professionals who manage larger installations a powerful tool to help save time and labor costs by utilizing the Hydrawise platform,” said Ben Sacks, associate product marketing manager. “The HCC provides unrivaled landscape protection and keeps Hunter at the leading edge of irrigation technology.”
The Hydrawise platform gives users the ability to monitor an irrigation system from anywhere in the world. With a built-in milliamp sensor, troubleshooting faulty wires is simple. Easily install an HC Flow Meter to accurately monitor flow, prevent wasted water, and avoid damaged landscapes.
Fairfax, V.A. -- The National Association of Landscape Professionals has named its 2018 Advocacy, Community Partnership and Environmental Stewardship Award winners. There are five winners in all.
Jeff Fedorchak, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at TruGreen, received the 2018 Advocacy Award for his work managing NALP’s Public Affairs Advisory Council, his work on Pesticide Preemption as well as his tireless focus on state and local regulatory issues.
LandCare received a 2018 Community Partnership for Outstanding Community Company Culture Award for their national community care day that allowed each of their 50 branches to create their own volunteer service projects in their communities.
MasterScapes received the 2018 Community Partnership for Outstanding Service Project Award for their work renovating and providing year-round maintenance for a popular local children’s park and garden.
TruGreen received a 2018 Community Partnership for Outstanding Community Company Culture Award for their national TruNeighbor campaign, which completed renovation projects across the country for people and groups in need.
Quiet Village Landscaping received the 2018 Environmental Stewardship Award for their commitment to sustainable landscape projects, including a rain scaping cost-share program, educating clients about pollinator-friendly plantings, and incorporating sustainable elements into more traditional landscape designs, including using native plant varieties, using recycled/locally sourced materials, and permeable pavers.
LandCare promotes branch manager in Tacoma, Washington
Jim Kisler joined the company as a business development manager for the NorCal region in 2015.
SAN DIEGO – LandCare appointed Jim Kisler as its branch manager for its location in Tacoma, Washington. Kisler joined LandCare in 2015 as a business development manager in the NorCal region.
Kisler has worked in the green industry for over 30 years, having worked at his grandfather’s avocado ranch in Santa Barbara, California, in high school, and then at a local nursery while attending Arizona State University. Kisler was excited to join the team to help grow the northern California market a few years ago.
“I’ve never worked with a business development manager who attended Stretch & Flex every morning and was there in the afternoon to thank everyone for their hard work,” said Karen Wilkinson, Northwest regional vice president at LandCare. “Jim truly embraces the philosophy of servant leadership, which is why he will make an excellent branch manager.”
Kisler said he looks forward to expanding his leadership skills in the Pacific Northwest.
“I have had some great mentors in my career,” he said. “I am excited to pay it forward and hopefully develop my team members into future managers.”
Plow through
Choosing the right plow attachment can get your fleet through the winter.
John Derringer, owner of John’s Lawn & Landscape outside of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has a fleet of seven pickup trucks that stay busy all year round, hauling landscaping and lawn care equipment in the summer and plowing parking lots in the winter.
The transition times are toughest, when he’s attaching and removing the plows so that the trucks can do double-duty. “That’s when you really need to make sure you’ve got the right stuff,” he says. “You can waste a lot of time in the morning since the weather can be unpredictable.”
Derringer makes sure his crews all check the weather the night before their shift so they know if they need to show up early to equip trucks with the right equipment. He used to have crewmembers show up early every day during the late fall months, but realized he was wasting man-hours.
“Everyone has a smartphone now, so I just tell them to check the weather at night before they come in,” he says. “That way they can get some extra sleep and I’m not paying them to stand around.”
Derringer just updated his fleet two years ago, and here’s what he considered when he was shopping around.
Weight: Derringer says his No. 1 concern was finding something that was the right fit for his trucks. “I use them all day every day, so I don’t want something too big that’s going to put a bunch of strain on my fleet,” he says.
Support: Since downtime is a real killer, Derringer wanted to make sure he could easily repair his plows. So he looked for a dealer that would keep him up and running. “That relationship is really important,” he says.
Blade: Derringer considered moving to V-plows this year but decided against it since he’s had good luck with straight-blade plows in the past. “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” he says. He also says that material options are important to consider. A few years ago, he decided to move away from steel blades and start using polyethylene plows. Derringer says they cost a little more, but they’re worth it.
“So far, they’ve been holding up really well,” he says. “I haven’t had the kind of wear and tear I’ve seen with steel blades.”
Derringer also has some snow blower plows for smaller jobs like driveways and sidewalks. “The snow blower plow is great for getting the sidewalk totally clean,” he says. “We have some customers that’s really important to.”
Posted by Megan Smalley
