Market Trends: April 1998

More Money In Money

Lawn maintenance contractors regularly lament the fact that anyone can put a mower in a truck and call themselves a contractor. Well, it’s easy to see why someone would be interested in doing so after 35.4 percent of the respondents to a recent Lawn & Landscape survey listed mowing services among the three most profitable services their company offers.

Mowing was followed by landscape construction (31.2 percent), physical maintenance (15.5 percent), landscape construction (14.6 percent), fertilization/chemical lawn care (14.1 percent) and pruning (13.3 percent).

EPA, Carb Emissions Rules Focus On Bigger Engines

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The next 12 months will be critical to the future of engines larger than 25 horsepower. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board are beginning the process of formulating rules for the design of these engines to reduce emissions.

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Alexandria, Va., indicated that EPA and CARB plan to propose "extremely stringent emissions standards based on the application of catalysts and other improved systems such as electronic fuel injection," according to an OPEI release.

Member manufacturers working through OPEI will engage in discussions and work closely with the two agencies to develop achievable and fiscally and environmentally responsible solutions to the emissions questions, according to Bob Tracinski, business communications manager, John Deere Commercial & Consumer Equipment, Raleigh, N.C.

"The industry has specific concerns about catalytic converter technology as it applies to grounds and turf equipment," Tracinski stressed. "From a safety standpoint, we’re concerned about exhaust heat near clippings and dry leaves that could create a fire hazard. Members, through the participation of the association, will be looking at this carefully."

Dean Podevels, senior design engineer, commercial division, The Toro Co., Minneapolis, noted that Toro will also work with OPEI in discussions with CARB and EPA about new emissions rules.

Manufacturers are also concerned about the cost vs. benefit of some of the potential emissions reduction solutions, and these factors will be closely monitored.

"Questions about the viability of high-pressure fuel injection and catalytic converter technologies under field conditions remain unanswered," stressed Podevels.

Tree Sales Show Substantial Growth

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Americans are becoming more environmentally conscious, which has spurred the purchase a record number of trees in the country.

A recent national survey found that from Oct. 1, 1995, to Sept. 30, 1996, nursery growers shipped more than 122 million trees to retail centers, said the American Nursery & Landscape Association, which cosponsored the survey. That total is nearly six million more trees than was shipped the previous year, and it is the fourth consecutive year that tree shipments have increased, the survey said.

"As more people become familiar with the multiple benefits of trees, homeowners, municipal planners and residential and commercial developers are making the planting of trees a higher priority," stated ANLA president Carl Meyer.

Not only homeowners but municipal planners and developers are also making tree planting a higher priority, according to the survey.

OPEI Guidelines Set Computer System Standards

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A growing worry among industry dealers and distributors is computer communication standards between them and manufacturers.

There is concern that each manufacturer will decide to use a different system, thereby forcing dealers and distributors to purchase multiple computer systems. In response, the Board of Directors of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute announced that manufacturers have signed a commitment to comply with OPEI guidelines.

The standards will make it possible for dealers and distributors to communicate electronically with the manufacturers they represent and allow them to begin automation of their administrative process.

Teacher's Turfseed Research Is Out Of This World

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State University Assistant Professor Dr. James Pawelszyk took three ounces of grass seed with him April 2 when he blasted off into space on the shuttle Columbia.

Turfgrass has never before flown in space, and Pawelszyk, assistant professor of physiology and kinesiology, took experimental lines of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass with him. David Huff, assistant professor of turfgrass and genetics at Penn State, made the seed selections. Genetically identical seeds were kept on Earth to provide a basis of comparison so that students and researchers can search for any mutations resulting from the space flight.

After Pawelszyk returns, one square foot of "space grass" will be installed in each of the 24 campuses in the Penn State system.

In Business ...

Century Rain Aid, acquired Gulf Coast Pump, and TurfAid Irrigation...Reading Body Works is adding 60,000 square feet to its Pennsylvania facility... Valley Crest Landscaping changed its name to Valley Crest... Miramar Wholesale Nurseries acquired Vista Hill Nursery... Woods Equipment acquired Wain-Roy...BlueBird International released a new line of products under the BlueBird EasyScape brand name with maintenance products from EasyRake that was acquired last year...Mesa Sprinkler purchased Horizon Turf, as well as Horizon Turf de Mexico and Evergreen Pacific.