PLANET had approximately 75 volunteers that spent the day installing more than 25 trees, adding dripline irrigation to those trees, cleaning up and planting cold crops in raised planter beds, cleaning up a butterfly garden and mulching the playground. Here are some photos from the PLANET Gives Back event. Photos courtesy of Nobile Photography.

Visitors to Kawasaki Engines and Power Products Outdoor booth at this year’s GIE+Expo have an opportunity to show off their skills driving a Kawasaki-powered mower through the POWER THROUGH IT obstacle course. While supplies last, riders who complete the course and answer a few questions (easy ones, we promise) will receive a cool Kawasaki POWER THROUGH IT water bottle. Even better, they can also sign up to win 1 of 4 Sony PlayStation Vita game consoles*! Check out Kawasaki’s Outdoor Booth #7422D. Show everyone how you Power Through It!

There are more happenings at the Kawasaki Indoor booth (#1064) too. You can check out a special presentation, every half hour (check the sign for the next presentation time). You will learn why no one else delivers power quite like a Kawasaki Engine (Did you know that our engines are SAE certified for horsepower? How about our Heritage of Power? Or how every last detail of our engines from the cast iron flywheel to the three-radius chamfer rods is engineered for long-term performance?).

Learn why Kawasaki was ranked #1 by lawn care pros in power, torque, dependability, performance, maintenance ease and overall value**Not only will you have the knowledge, but you will also receive a sweet Kawasaki POWER THROUGH IT T-shirt. While you’re there see our various engines on display, chat with our staff, watch some cool videos and see what other swag we have for you.

Inside, outside or both, don’t forget to stop by the Kawasaki Engines and Power Products booths and find out why robust power is in our DNA. We would love to see you at the show.

If you aren’t attending the show this year, go to Kawasaki Engine and Power Products on Facebook or Twitter and let us know what you Power Through everyday to make your business a success.

* No purchase necessary. To see complete rules, please check our website at http://kawpower.com/GIEExpoQuiz2013.

** Survey conducted in June 2012 by Isometric Solutions, an independent research firm commissioned by Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA.
 

Here's a recap of the latest news and product announcements from the GIE+EXPO

Select Outdoor Source announces buying group

Select Outdoor Source announced a new buying group specifically aimed at the outdoor contractor, as well as a focus on training and education.

“What we’re trying to do is focus on volume to get good prices for contractors,” says Ken Warren, co-founder. “But one of the things we’re promoting is education, helping contractors understand how the appliance fits in, how it works.”

The buying group can save contractors between 20-30 percent per job, says Warren, and the products include entries from “who we think are the best manufacturers in the business,” including more than 25 partners.

Along with the catalog of products is accredited coursework through proprietary training and continuing education, with focuses on design, presentation, sales, pricing, promotion and installation.

To join Select Outdoor Source, a contractor must be in good standing with licenses within their community. Membership fees are $99 per month.

For more information, visit the Select Outdoor Source booth at 4164.

OPEI kicks off E15 education campaign

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute unveiled the first phase of its Look Before You Pump education campaign aimed at alerting consumers to the danger of misfueling small engines with E15 gasoline.

The campaign starts the conversation with dealers and landscape contractors about the fuel that can contain up to 15 percent ethanol, says Kris Kiser, OPEI’s president and CEO. The initial phase includes educational materials for dealers and contractors, who will be informed enough to talk with consumers about the available fueling options.

OPEI will also be pushing the campaign out via other equipment associations, like boats and snowmobiles. As of today, they have also announced agreements to work with big box retailers as well to get the word out.

“The fact is, it’s all about the consumer,” says Todd Teske, CEO of Briggs and Stratton and chairman of OPEI, “delivering the value to them that they paid for.”

Dealers and landscape contractors can use the Look Before You Pump web portal to access educational materials at tinyurl.com/EthanolEducation.

For more information, visit the OPEI booth at 11146.

Mean Green Mowers unleash the Stalker

Joe Conrad, owner of Mean Green Mowers, showed off the new Stalker mower, the newest in his line of lithium-powered commercial mowers. The 48-volt, 24 HP “Stand on wALK behind mowER” is designed to run quietly and still have the power to tackle inclines.

It comes in 48- and 52-inch floating decks, each powered by lithium iron phosphate batteries that can run the mower for 2 and 1.8 hours on a charge from one battery, respectively. It also boasts the ability to provide auxiliary power from a 110-volt source, and even has a USB port near the controls to power a phone or mp3 player while mowing.

It’s built from a 7 gauge steel chassis and welded steel deck, with lightening holes to keep the weight down and provide a low center of gravity while cutting at a 5-inch height.

The Stalker runs at 76 decibels, about half as loud as a gas engine, and releases zero emissions. Each battery recharges in two hours to overnight, and have been tested to hold their capacity for 1,500 charging cycles.

The mower is available with a night camouflage pattern, black or green finish.

For more information, visit the Mean Green Mowers booth at 11203.

JCB shows new mini excavator

JCB unveiled to the North American market for the first time at the 2013 GIE+EXPO the 8026 CTS mini excavator. The 2.7-ton 8026, also previewed internationally at Intermat 2012 and introduced to the European market at the 2013 JCB Global Dealer Conference, provides a conventional tail swing (CTS) option that complements the similarly sized JCB 8025 zero tail swing excavator (ZTS).

The new excavator features short pitch tracks and auto kick-down, with an 11 percent increase in travel speed. It also has a new valve block with 17 percent longer spool stroke for increased precision in control, and a redesigned undercarriage for durability and stability with a swing turret that is 1.3 inches lower.

The 8026 runs on a three-cylinder, 24hp engine, driving a 'Nachi' variable displacement hydraulic pump.

The 8026 has a lower center of gravity, and with its conventional tail swing design, delivers increased lift capacity and stability.

The open turret design and angled track legs allow the material to fall more easily from the undercarriage and help prevent build-up within the track frame. This makes the 8026 far easier to clean and maintain.

For more information, visit the JCB booth at 7196.

IQ Power Tools new cutter takes down dust

The PC912 is IQ Power Tools’ new Dustless Power Cutter, capable of dry-cutting concrete and masonry products while capturing up to 90 percent of the dust.

Its 93cc, 6 HP engine runs with an integrated dust collection system made of 6 square feet of silica formulated filter media, providing more than 800 square inches of surface area to trap hazardous dust on the job. The unit uses a 1.5 HP vacuum fan, and can hold as much as 5 pounds of dust before emptying. The dust is collected with a Quick Spin Filter Cleaning System under the filter and can be released through a dump door without powering down.

The cutter runs at 35 pounds, and the filter is warrantied for 90 days or 100 hours of operation.

For more information, visit the IQ Power Tools booth at 4228.

Billy Goat Industries unveils new sod cutter

Billy Goat Industries introduced the SC180H hydrostatic drive sod cutter today, featuring a “Set and Forget” blade depth adjustment controlled by a single lever from the operator station. The unity comes with a rear caster wheel to allow for curved cuts and handle isolation mounts to absorb vibration.

The sod cutter’s variable speed hydrostatic drive allows the unit to be transported at 3.5 mph, and includes reverse controls.

For smaller cuts, a 12-inch blade option is available and the unit runs with a 5.5 HP Honda motor.

Billy Goat Industries revisited their Outback Brushcutter series to also release the new BC2600HM and BC2600ICM mechanical drive, fixed deck models this year. The new series features a wider 26-inch deck, higher tip speed, rubberized rear deck trim for added stump clearance in reverse, improved shifting at the control panel and heavier spindle assembly.

The new Outback is also designed to cut brush as high as 6 feet and saplings up to 2 inches in diameter. It runs on either a 11.5 HP Briggs or 13 HP Honda engine, respectively.

They also showed a newly enhanced OS901SPS overseeder, including a new blade design that reduces thatch and improves blade life. Conversion kits are available to retrofit the OS900SPS with the new enhancements.

For more information, visit the Billy Goat Booth at 10168.
 

Chris Helier, founder and president of Landscape Leadership, spoke on the topic of “How to use inbound marketing to convert website traffic into qualified leads and customers.”

The main focus of Heiler’s talk was how companies can be more purposeful with their marketing strategies, especially when it comes to online marketing. Heiler said that today, companies need to use inbound marketing, not ‘outbound’ marketing, because people are turned off when they’re bombarded with advertisements. Inbound marketing is all about attracting potential customers to you; putting your business in a position to be found when potential customers are looking.

Another tip Heiler highlighted was how to make your company website more appealing. He said 75 to 90 percent of people visiting your website are not ready to buy. They’re in fact-finding mode, meaning they are not ready to pick up the phone and call, or fill out a consultation form.

Most people make the mistake of only appealing to the people ready to buy, and their websites end up being a turnoff. If someone comes to your site and feels to pressured to speak to someone, they’ll leave the site and when they do decide to look more seriously, there’s a slim chance they’ll come back to look at your company again.

Heiler also said it is important for companies to put their URLs everywhere: shirts, vans, invoices, etc, in order to make their company more visible to potential clients.

Recruiting. Bill Arman and Ed Laflamme of the Harvest Group delved into the deep end of the recruiting process, highlighting the 10 steps to recruiting successfully: look into retention versus recruiting, build and shape your culture, take stock and good care of what you have, identify the needs, identify the target, get your recruitment tools ready, practice the recruiting “best practices,” go to the source, screening and interviewing, and hiring and on boarding.

Halfway through the talk, the audience was asked how many were currently looking for employees. Around half of the group raised their hands, with some saying they knew they would be looking soon. Arman and Laflamme said you always need to be on the lookout for potential hires, whether it be in an elevator or by looking up local colleges that offer courses for students with English as a second language. Instead of expecting potential employees to come to you, reach out and find them on your own.