Market Trends: Nov. 1997

Moving Through The Ranks

Growth for a green industry company can be something of a Catch 22. As the company grows, the need for competent managers and foremen grows, but, at the same time, it becomes more difficult to find and hire those people.

Logic would dictate that many of these positions would be filled by promoting technicians, but that’s not always the case. While 63 percent of respondents to a survey of 1,000 Lawn & Landscape readers said they “always” or “most of the time” promote technicians to fill vacancies, this number is down from 69.3 percent last year. In addition, none of last year’s respondents indicated they “never” promote technicians, while 9.6 percent of this year’s respondents said that is the case.

Manufacturers, Contractors Lead Suit vs. Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES - The ban on backpack, gas-powered blowers that the industry couldn’t stop the Los Angeles City Council from enacting through negotiation is now under legal attack.

A complaint was filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of the California Landscape Contractors Association, Golden Eagle Distributing Corp., equipment manufacturer Echo Inc., Lake Zurich, Ill., and some local gardening associations. It charges that the city “arbitrarily and unlawfully adopted the ordinance without fair consideration of the constitutional rights to (the industry’s) livelihood,” according to Robin Pendergrast, president of International Marketing Exchange, which represents Echo.

Larry Rolfes, legislative director for the CLCA, said the organization got into the fray because the ban is simply unfair to members.

“Our members have told us the backpack blower is essential,” noted Rolfes. He said the loss of the backpack blower will create serious economic consequences for Los Angeles-based contractors.

Rolfes also noted that City Council may have violated some procedural rules that may add to the industry’s complaint.

John Hurst, president and part owner of Golden Eagle Distributing, said this has been a case of a few people trying to tell the majority what to do. He indicated that contractors are holding off on buying equipment until the question of the ban is settled, which is costing his company business.

Pendergrast said that City Council’s initial reaction to the complaint has been rigid. “They show no signs of backing down,” he said. “Instead, committees are forming within Council to determine how they can make this ordinance work.”

Pendergrast estimated that the cost to the industry for challenging the ordinance could run into “six figures.”

The ordinance, which banned the use of backpack blowers within 500 feet of a residence in Los Angeles, was passed on July 1. Two weeks later, a moratorium was placed on the ordinance, effectively delaying its enforcement until after Jan. 1.

ANLA Focuses On Grassroots Effort

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Landscape and Nursery Association generated record participation at its biennial Legislative Conference in September, and succeeded in putting a national spotlight on critical green industry issues.

In all, 186 professionals from every aspect of the nursery and landscape industry descended on Capitol Hill – representing 40 states – the largest attendance out of the four times this event has taken place.

A number of distinguished speakers addressed the audience during the two-day conference, including Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and Rep. Robert Smith, R-Ore. Smith, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, introduced the ANLA-endorsed guestworker pilot program bill into the House.

The guestworker bill, H.R. 2377, was the centerpiece of three legislative initiatives that ANLA representatives were urging their legislators to support. If passed, the pilot program would allow 25,000 legal aliens to come into the United States under close monitoring to work for nurseries and growers in several predetermined states. After two years, the program would be evaluated and either expanded or replaced based on the assessment.

The second initiative was a push for a greater piece of the agricultural research funding pie for the nursery industry, which stands at about 1 percent despite this being the seventh largest agricultural commodity produced in the U.S.

The final issue was the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s efforts to pass onerous, sweeping regulations regarding ergonomics, which Congress gave them the go-ahead to do last year. ANLA delegates pushed for a delay until an impartial third party can evaluate the existing data on repetitive motion injuries to determine what, if any, rules should be considered.

Ben Bolusky, director of government affairs for ANLA, announced at the conference that 224 visits were scheduled with senators, congressmen or their aides. The result of the grassroots effort was that 14 new co-sponsors were signed on to the guestworker bill within 36 hours of the conference.

- Paul Schrimpf

Novartis Pushes Into Lawn Care Market

Nearly a year into the historic merger that resulted in the creation of Novartis Specialty Products, the company is poised to leave its own substantial mark on the lawn and landscape market.

Since the merger, the company has moved quickly to enhance its field forces, realign its distribution network, develop all-new product packaging and renew its own commitment to the entire industry.

Joe DiPaola, who heads up Novartis’ Lawn and Landscape Products group, said the company is committed to helping the industry grow. “We have established a new image based on our mission to lead the green industry through continuous innovation and the development of superior technology,” DiPaola explained. “Being mindful of our customers’ needs is what drives us.”

A united sales force of 20 representatives has been form-ed that is solely dedicated to serving the lawn and landscape market.

In addition, Novartis has expressed its support of the green industry by joining up with three of its most important organizations — the Professional Lawn Care Association of America, the Associated Landscape Contractors of America and the Professional Grounds Management Society.

Novartis also recently developed the Lawn and Landscape Partners Program, which offers cotnractors technical information and leading research to help them retain clients, increase profitability and grow their businesses. This program will be introduced at the Green Industry Expo in November.

“Our commitment goes beyond just selling products to customers,” stressed DiPaola.

Annual Dig Nets Fewer Grubs In '97

WOOSTER, Ohio - Late September is a time for the annual search for turf pests.

About 30 volunteers sampled turf for grubs and chinch bugs in test plots at the Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center.

Experiments included the use of combinations of biological controls with low rates of traditional grub control products. The hope is that the nematodes will knock down grubs weakened by a small concentration of a grub control product, thereby reducing overall pesticide input.