For these reasons and more – like getting a machine in a pinch when you’ve got equipment down – your local equipment rental provider is an important partner.

“Rental equipment can enable contractors to get jobs they might not have before,” says Nick Casale, vice president of Casale Rent-All in Clifton Park, New York.

Casale also says education is an important part of renting out equipment. Not only do rental associates consult with contractors to help them select the most efficient, cost-effective and productive tools for their jobs – they also walk through important maintenance and fueling information so the equipment can perform as expected.

There are dos and don’ts for renting equipment. And the ideal rental customer is one who owns some equipment and needs more machines for a job, says Darren Lewis, branch administrator at Company Wrench in Charlotte, North Carolina. “They know how to take care of equipment and have qualified operators to run it,” he says.

Ultimately, you should run rental equipment like you own it. Here are some pointers to be sure you’re maximizing the possibilities of rental equipment.

Plan ahead.

Last-minute jobs pop up; machines go down. You can’t always arrange rentals a week in advance. But, when that flexibility is possible, do plan ahead. “Even a few days in advance is helpful and will give you opportunities for the best options available from the rental house,” Casale says. “The more notice you can give, the more likely you are to get the best tool for what you need and to be ready to rock and roll for your project.”

Talk about the job.

Explain the project you’re tackling to the rental provider. “Our staff generally asks multiple questions before renting equipment, including what the job will be and what materials the contractor will be dealing with,” Lewis says. “That makes it easier for our sales force to match a piece of equipment for the job if the contractor isn’t sure.”

And sometimes, customers ask for a piece of equipment that might not be the best fit. “There’s no sense in renting out a massive piece of equipment if we can show them something else that will do what they need and save them money,” Lewis says.

Understand maintenance needs.

Some of the biggest mistakes happen because operators use the wrong fuel or put fuel in the wrong reservoir. “We see quite often where contractors will put diesel fuel in the after-treatment system or into the hydraulic system,” Lewis says. “That can cause a lot of damage – a lot of damage.”

Damage done to equipment during the rental period is fixed by the rental house, and the rental customer picks up the tab for service.

Another issue is allowing diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to run out, which can cause damage. This fluid is designed to trap nitrogen particles so they don’t release into the exhaust.

Casale advises customers who are renting equipment that will sit out in cold temperatures to use pre-treated fuel. “If the machine is sitting idle in winter, the diesel fuel can actually gel up,” he says. “Then, when you need the machine for a snow storm, (it won’t start).”

So, be sure to find out exactly what type of fuel the rental equipment requires. Ask about other fluids you’ll need to replace during the time of rental. A salesperson at the rental house will walk you through fueling basics because every machine is different.

“Ask the rental company if they can give you an abbreviated list of things you should and should not do for maintenance,” Casale says. “Some machines require that you grease certain points on them.”

The rental company might come to the jobsite to check on the equipment to see if needs service or maintenance. “Depending on the length of the rental, we’ll service the equipment as needed,” Lewis says. “But our customers are required to grease pivot points on a daily basis because of the wear.”

Snap a picture.

Before you leave the rental provider, Casale suggests taking pictures of the equipment to denote any wear and tear or marks and the general condition of the machine. “Just like if you were renting a car, take pictures as you are taking possession of the equipment so you have those for your records,” he says.

Treat it like your own.

“When we supply equipment for rental, it is sent out into the field very clean,” Lewis says. “It has been serviced and all the pivot points are greased. It’s full of fuel.”

When you return the equipment, it should be in the same condition as when you left the rental house with it on your truck.

The bottom line.

A rental provider can be so much more than a place to get extra equipment.

Beyond actual equipment, a rental company can be a great place to network and even find new customers, Casale says. “We get to know contractors and if they come in and are looking to subcontract out work, we can give referrals,” he says.

When homeowners stop in looking for equipment, uncertain if they can actually do the job, Casale says his team can send them to area contractors who specialize in the work they want to accomplish. “We want to be the easiest part of our customers’ day and help them solve their problems,” he says.

The increased adoption of Wi-Fi-enabled irrigation controllers is prompting contractors to sell their clients on their unique features to gain an edge on the competition, irrigation system manufacturers say.

New developments.

“What tends to be the newest and most common with what we are seeing are integrations with Google and Amazon and other companies that offer home automation,” says Joe Porrazzo, product manager at Rain Bird Corporation.

Smart controller used to mean the controller was adjustable based on weather conditions, he says.

“I think that definition of ‘smart’ has adapted more of the homeowner definition of connectivity. A weather-based programming aspect is assumed in the connection,” Porrazzo says. “Today we are seeing basically every manufacturer offer that type of (Wi-Fi-enabled) product.”

What’s next on the horizon includes more advanced and accurate weather programming – such as for the specific weather conditions at a physical address – micro climates, he says.

“Another trend we are starting to see is flow sensing is becoming a very popular topic for commercial and residential,” Porrazzo says. “I think that is going to get more affordable and easier to use so that a homeowner will be more enticed to use it and monitor their property.”

ETwater controllers (recently acquired by Jain Irrigation) have a feature called predictive analytics.

“Predictive analytics for weather allows us to look forward as well as backward. And that is the latest, greatest that’s happening, I think, in smart controllers, says Richard Restuccia, vice president of water management solutions at Jain Irrigation.

Two-way programmability is also picking up in popularity, says Peter Lackner, product manager for The Toro Company.

“One-way programmability meant your cell phone or your computer could double as a remote control where you’re just turning the sprinkler manually on or off,” he says. “But with two-way programmability you’re now able to fully program the controller from a computer or a cellphone as if you were standing at the controller.”

Popularity contest.

For a long time, advancements with irrigation controllers were spurred by the needs of contractors. Today, homeowners’ needs play a stronger role, Porrazzo says.

“Homeowners are getting much more knowledgeable and are starting to dictate what products are being put in the home or in the ground,” he says. “Every homeowner wants to have Alexa tell their sprinkler to turn on.”

For contractors working with large clients, such as a homeowner’s association with a system controlling 40 zones, easy setup is vital, Restuccia says.

“What’s really important (in a controller) is to have the ability to set one of these zones up and then copy them for the rest of the properties, or the rest of the zones,” he says. “If you make an error on the programming, you’re not going to get the performance you expect.”

In that same scenario, the client, such as the HOA property manager, is likely going to demand readily available reports on the system’s performance, Restuccia adds.

“(They) want to able to share the analytics with my homeowner association boards and be able to easily show them why they use more water or why they use less water,” he says.

Another increasingly popular feature is the capability for an irrigation smart controller to control other features on a property like outdoor lighting.

“We like to think of it as controlling your whole yard, not just your sprinklers now,” he says.

Market variations.

“The adoption rate for different features in different states are different,” Porrazzo says. “California is one of the largest, if not the largest, markets for irrigation in the world. We have to design our products to meet those strong (water conservation) standards.”

Contractors in Texas, Colorado and Florida are feeling a similar push. States without as strict guidelines for water usage are following suit slowly, he says.

Lackner says the request for connectivity in smart controllers is universally demanded. The demand initially came through the commercial space, which is where a lot of innovations are born, but residential clients have followed suit, he adds.

“It has been kind of cost prohibitive for smaller, single home owners, but that’s kind of the next step in smart control,” he says.

“We like to think of it as controlling your whole yard, not just your sprinklers now.” Peter Lackner, product manager, The Toro Company

Project demands.

“The residential customer is more interested in something that is simple and intuitive,” Porrazzo says. “Commercial properties, on the other hand, want that granular control, controllers that can operate multiple valves at a time, that have advanced flow sensing capabilities, very accurate weather sensors and stations.”

It may sound simple, but it’s also important to ensure the controller, if Wi-Fi-enabled, can access Wi-Fi, Restuccia says.

“I always caution people to be sure that where they’re placing their controller, they actually get Wi-Fi. I know, for instance, at my house, if I put my controller in my garage, I don’t get Wi-Fi in my garage. That’s something they should take into account,” he says.

Marketing tips.

There are a few angles contractors can consider when marketing irrigation smart controllers to their clients and to stay out of the lowest bidder game, manufacturers say.

“(Contractors should) market themselves as water management specialists if they are,” Restuccia says. “And I think the way they prove it is with good case studies.”

For example, if the installation of a smart controller saved a client money or conserved a certain amount of water, a case study can help explain the benefit of the controller to a client, Restuccia says.

Another consideration is to create and add opportunities for reoccurring revenue from existing customers, Porrazzo says.

“Connected controllers allow contractors to oversee multiple properties from a tablet or computer. Being able to turn these systems on or off (and monitor the system) is a service they could sell monthly similar to a security system,” he says.

Unique features that not all devices offer are another selling proposition, Lackner says.

“For our products specifically, we actually use proprietary radio technology that gets us three times the range that Wi-Fi gets us,” he says. “We like to use that as an upsell over just a traditional Wi-Fi controller.”

The author is a freelance writer based in Ohio.

Before he was setting records for most shots blocked in an NBA season, Mark Eaton swore he’d never play basketball. At over 7 feet tall, it was the question he loathed most, and the one he always got asked.

He tried his hand at the sport in high school and spent most of his time on the bench. His body wasn’t designed for speed and the drills his teammates were running didn’t work well for someone as tall as Eaton. It wasn’t until a persistent coach approached him at his job as a mechanic that he really started to consider what he could bring to a team.

At the 2018 Irrigation Show keynote address, Eaton shared his four commitments with attendees, and the importance of making team members (whether on the court or in an office) feel invaluable.

1. Know your job. Eaton struggled to keep up with the quick runners on the court. He said it wasn’t until he got some advice from Wilt Chamberlain that he realized he wasn’t doing his job. Chamberlain told Eaton his job was to stand in the paint and guard the basket. “You need to narrow your focus and intensify it,” Eaton said. “Find your most valuable trait and learn how you can leverage it.”

2. Do what you’re asked to do. If you’re not completely sure what you’re supposed to be doing, don’t just hope you’re doing the right thing. “Take it from doing your best to being your best,” he said. Relating his lessons to business, he said doing what your customers ask you to do will already exceed their expectations, and sometimes you might find yourself achieving something you once thought was unrealistic. When Eaton’s first coach recruited him for the junior college basketball team, he was told to work out six hours a day, five days a week, and that’s what Eaton did, though he never thought he’d learn the skills he needed.

3. Make people look good. Provide others with the recognition they deserve. “When they look good, your entire team looks good,” he said. When he was on the court playing with the Utah Jazz, Eaton helped the team achieve a win by blocking 19 shots in one game. The attention was on the teammate who scored the most points, but without Eaton’s blocks, the team wouldn’t have won. In business, the internal competition that goes on can prevent colleagues from cheering each other on or giving each other a leg up, but Eaton stressed that when your coworkers look good, you look good too.

4. Protect others. “If you want to be invaluable, be the person others can count on,” Eaton said. He recalled when he would stand at the end of the court waiting to guard the offense. “This is my house,” he would say to himself, “and no one can get in.”

His team knew he had their back, which allowed them to make riskier plays. In business, you may have to give up some opportunities to protect your team, but you can take pride in knowing you’ve helped others succeed.

PEORIA, Ill. – Caterpillar demoed its newest products – including mini excavators, UTVs, backhoe loaders and compact wheel loaders – in November during its year-end press event.

Though the equipment was first revealed at GIE+EXPO in October, the company invited media to its headquarters in Peoria to get an up-close look at the new products. Among other products, project managers also revealed Caterpillar’s new Cat App, the Cat GRADE with 3D and the C13B engine.

For the event, Caterpillar flew in customers who helped conceptualize the new models and who have tested these products for several months. Greg Worley, a senior product engineer, said his team received input from hundreds of clients as they designed, particularly with their new line of Next Generation mini-excavators.

“An engineer can design anything in the world, but it might not be of any value to the customer,” Worley said. “It’s not just a group of customers that have been here to test products. It’s every customer who’s come to a dealer and complained, ‘Why can’t my machine do this?’”

Caterpillar’s lineup of Next Generation hydraulic excavators includes the 1-2 ton 301.5, 301.7 CR, 301.8 and 302 CR, as well as the 7-10 ton 307.5, 308 CR, 308 CR VAB, 309 CR VAB and 310. All of the models can change from conventional lever/foot-pedal steering controls to joystick control at the touch of a button. They all feature a tilt-up canopy or cab for easier servicing and maintenance.

Comfort was also one of Caterpillar’s focuses, as the cab is pressurized and sealed to reduce dust intrusion, and it includes heating and air conditioning. The front window slides upward and stores overhead, and larger glass areas on the side, top and rear of the cab increase visibility. The operating consoles feature adjustable wrist rests, and a suspension seat is available. The excavators also all have expandable undercarriages across the range.

UTVs and more.

Caterpillar launched a two-seat UTV model last year, marking the first time the company dabbled in utility vehicles. Now it has the gas-powered Cat CUV82 and diesel-powered CUV102D models. They both have five seats and the same bed size as last year’s UTVs. Both vehicles tout a 1,000-pound total rear cargo capacity, 2,000-pound towing capacity and a long swing-arm suspension. Cat UTVs can be adapted with more than 50 accessories.

UTV marketing manager Norma Aldinger said Caterpillar always knew it wanted to start with the two-seat UTVs and get those right before expanding to a five-seat model. She said there’s an increased demand for larger UTVs that correlates with an increase in landscaping jobs.

“I’ve run into a lot of landscapers who say they want versatility. They have UTVs for work and for play,” Aldinger said. “(They) are carrying rocks and more of that material from jobsite to jobsite. People want to get more out of their vehicles.”

Caterpillar also exhibited its new line of backhoe loaders and compact wheel loaders. The 440 backhoe loader boasts a 25 percent lifting improvement over the previous 430F2, plus revamped single tilt loader arms that provide parallel lift and versatility in a multitude of applications. The 450 BHL offers 15 percent higher lifting capacity than the 450F and introduces an all-new cab for increased operator comfort. Meanwhile, the 903D and 918M compact wheel loaders boast a higher pay load per pass, improved ground speed and more attachment capabilities than previous models in Caterpillar’s CWL family.

Lawn & Landscape magazine is once again looking for the best employees in the industry and we need your help. If you have an employee who has gone above and beyond in their position and should be acknowledged, now is your chance to have them publicly recognized in our publication.

Send us two to three paragraphs explaining why your employee should be chosen. Your entry should include concrete examples/stories of how this person has improved your company either culturally or financially, and how they have set a good example for other employees. Please include the employee’s title and number of years at the company.

We will choose a few winners from the entries we receive and interview them for stories in a future issue of Lawn & Landscape.

You can nominate any employee who works for your company – crew members, office workers, foremen, etc.

Email submissions to Editor Brian Horn at bhorn@gie.net. Please use Employee of the Year as the subject of the email. For more information and to see past winners, visit bit.ly/eoy2019.

Deadline is March 1, 2019.

CHICAGO – The industry has one more choice when it comes to truck options.

International Trucks, a unit of Navistar, re-entered the medium truck market with the launch of the International CV Series.

The company launched the truck at an event in Chicago on Nov. 7. It will be available this month and was developed in partnership with General Motors.

According to David Majors, Navistar vice president of product development, landscapers were involved in the development of the trucks and there are a number of components that contractors will find beneficial.

“It’s a lot of the little things,” Majors said, citing the aluminum cab access steps as one example where the truck can benefit landscapers, especially those who plow snow. Contractors can also attach plows and spreaders to the truck.

“We see it as a growing market,” Majors said of the landscaping industry.

Beyond those little things, Majors said the truck is designed with many components that fit landscapers who are focused on growing their businesses.

The CV Series has a gear-driven transfer case, a low-alloy steel frame rail and a painted chassis for enhanced longevity and corrosion resistance.

The CV Series includes a commercial-style forward-tilting hood, which provides easy access to the engine and to routine maintenance points. Under that hood is the International 6.6-liter, 350-horsepower engine with 700 lb.-ft. of torque. Equipped with that engine and two Allison transmission options, the CV is capable of handling up to a maximum GCWR of 37,500 pounds.

Upfitting options.

Straight frame rails with no rivets on the top flange provide a clean area from cab to axle, making it easy to mount bodies for commercial-grade applications. Like other International trucks, the CV Series is outfitted with HuckBolt chassis fasteners that provide clamping force without re-torqueing and won’t come loose in extreme environments, the company says.

Accommodating the configuration options required by different bodies, the CV Series offers a dual battery box mounted under the cab. The CV Series also includes multiple fuel tank options, optional exhaust outlets to suit the vocation and body and multiple wheelbase options that can suit almost any application.

Custom options.

The network’s dealership salespersons specialize in commercial transportation sales and spec’ing, allowing a customer to pick the configuration and specs that are right for any vocational application. In addition, International’s Application Engineering Team offers access to vocational engineering experts who can help customers design a custom configuration geared to their application.

The International dealer network’s 700+ service locations feature more than 7,600 ASE-certified commercial diesel-trained technicians in the U.S. and more than 1,900 in Canada.

“Our network is committed to providing the expertise needed to keep your business moving,” said Michael Cancelliere, Navistar’s president, truck and parts.

“No matter the location, if a customer needs service, help is likely to be nearby.”

On top of its commercial-grade configurability, the CV Series was also designed with comfort, safety and drivability in mind.

The truck has multiple infotainment options, including an 8-inch color touch screen with navigation and, for the first time in an International truck, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Optional air ride suspension with an engine-mounted compressor is available, which can be used to adjust height and provide a smooth ride for cargo protection and crew comfort.

“The CV Series has been compared to a field office with perks,” Cancelliere said. “Our philosophy is that driver comfort is critical to get the job done smoothly and efficiently, and the CV Series brings that philosophy to life.”

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – During the reveal of its fourth quarter and fiscal year results via webcast in December, BrightView announced it acquired Russo Lawn & Landscape.

Russo, located in Hartford, Connecticut, services 26 cities in the state and six more in Massachusetts. The commercial landscaping company has been in business since 1990. The purchase marks BrightView’s fifth acquisition this year, all of which account for an estimated $117.6 million in aggregate annualized revenue.

BrightView CEO Andrew Masterman said during the presentation that his company prefers to bring along acquisitions slowly, over the course of 12-24 months, to preserve customer relationships and to keep the companies’ crews. Fred Jacobs, BrightView’s vice president of communications and public affairs, said the company declined further comment on the Russo acquisition.

Masterman and BrightView CFO John Feenan primarily spent the presentation discussing the company’s revenue. It achieved a fiscal year revenue of $2.35 billion, an increase of 5.7 percent from 2017. This spike in total revenue was largely supported by growth in BrightView’s maintenance services and development services revenues.

The company also reported a net loss of $15.1 million, or $.18 per share, in 2018, compared to its $37.4 million net loss reported in 2017.

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Landscape Development Inc. (LDI) has opened a new Sacramento division, expanding the company's service territory well into northern California.

Dudley Mallinson has been appointed division president, tasked with broadening LDI’s service territory and client base. The new division will offer the same services provided throughout the California and Nevada company network, including construction, maintenance, landscape architecture, earth services, pre-construction and design-build services.

Mallinson holds a graduate degree in landscape architecture from Sheffield University in England. He moved to California in 2000 to work at LDI as a project manager and contributed to the growth of the company.

The new offices are located at 2255 Cemo Circle in Gold River, California, 95670.

In addition, LDI Enhanced Landscape Management maintenance division has completed the asset purchase of Las Vegas-based NewTex Landscape.

The purchase expands the operations of LDI, which has annual revenues in excess of $110 million in its California operations, into new territory.

NewTex owner Michael Martinez will join the ELM executive team as regional manager. The staff of approximately 120 employees of NLI is being retained, including field personnel and management.

PHOENIX – Jack York, son of Ewing President and Chief Executive Officer Douglas W. York, has joined the green industry wholesale distributor to open a new Ewing location in the New York tri-state area and serve as its branch manager.

In 2018, Ewing expanded into markets like the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. With Jack York’s experience in the area and with Ewing, he’ll support the company’s long-term expansion efforts while building upon the success and future of the company. With his experience as an investment banking analyst, York will also support Ewing as a national business development analyst.

York has grown up part of the company, working in the mailroom and at Phoenix branches as a service professional and truck driver. During college, he interned in the purchasing department as a buyer and in the finance and accounting departments.

After graduating from The University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Economics, with a concentration in finance, York moved to Australia as a professional import player and coach for American football for teams in Melbourne and Sydney. After moving back to the states, York joined PJ Solomon, an investment banking advisory firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in New York City. At PJ Solomon, he worked on various M&A transactions, specifically in the retail, technology, media and telecommunications and restaurant industries.

FAIRFAX, Va. – The National Association of Landscape Professionals has announced that it will host its first-ever national Workforce Summit, bringing business leaders together to strategize ways to deal with the industry’s workforce shortage.

The two-day summit held in Alexandria, Virginia, on Feb. 12-13, will identify solutions for the industry to compete in the tight national labor market. Guest speakers and peer-led discussions will round out the agenda for the think-tank event.

“The Workforce Summit is unlike any meeting we have ever held,” said NALP CEO Sabeena Hickman. “We must come together as an industry to tackle the workforce crisis. No one company can solve this problem, no matter how large they are or how creative their recruiting practices are.

“The industry needs to explore new business models; we need to examine how we can compete against industries already united in trying to attract the same workers we need and, in short, we need to identify actionable items to impact the industry’s future.”

The event also includes time for networking. Attendees are encouraged to bring their families and their key staff for a few days of team building and skills development.

Invited speakers for the event include Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter and presidential advisor, as well as current Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta.

For more information or to register, visit bit.ly/nalpwork or call the NALP office at 800-395-2522.