Companies honored at GIC

HERNDON, Va. – PLANET, the national trade association for landscape and lawn care professionals, held its annual awards presentation during the Green Industry Conference (GIC) in Louisville, Ky., on Oct. 23.

PLANET’s Awards program, the largest in the industry, recognizes the best work in commercial and residential landscape design, installation, and maintenance, as well as interior plant work, and also the best in safety and sustainability.

This year, the National Landscape Awards of Excellence (NLAE), were given to more than 100 projects in the following categories: 24 Grand, 53 Merit, and 25 Recognition. Four Judges Awards were announced and presented at the ceremony. Lambert Landscape Company received two Judges Awards – one in the Residential Design/Build Category and the other in the Commercial Installation category – and John Mini Distinctive Landscapes received a Judges Award in the Landscape Management category. The Bartlett Tree Experts received a special Judges Award for its Care for the Trees at The National September 11th Memorial and Museum project.

John Mini Distinctive Landscapes won the Audience Choice Award, which is voted on by those in attendance during the presentation. Visit PLANET’s website for a complete listing of all the NLAE award recipients.

“PLANET is very proud to honor all the amazing work that our members do,” said PLANET President, Jim McCutcheon, Landscape Industry Certified. “Being able to highlight this talent helps shine a light on our industry.”

In addition, seven companies received the Sustainable Company Award which recognizes those businesses that strive to protect and conserve resources, reduce waste and prevent pollution and that promote an ethic of environmental sustainability within their workplace. Winners included Greener Pastures Landscape, Inc., Dallas, Texas; Earth Groomers, Inc., Toms River, N.J.; E.A. Quinn Landscape Contracting, Inc., Glastonbury, Conn.; Signature Landscape Services, Inc., Redmond, Wash.; Del Conte’s Landscaping, Inc., Fremont, Calif.; James Martin Associates, Inc., Vernon Hills, Ill. and Schill Grounds Management, Inc., North Ridgeville, Ohio.

The Safety Recognition Awards, sponsored by CNA, were also celebrated at this awards dinner. A listing of those recipients and the “Best of the Best” can be found on the PLANET website.

In addition to the many awards presented at GIC this year, PLANET also had the pleasure of presenting Hank Williams of Sunscape Landscape located in Austin, Texas, with a Chevrolet Corvette as part of the 25th Anniversary GIC Corvette Sweepstakes which took place at the 1980s-themed closing party on October 24, 2014.

For more information about PLANET’s Awards program or for information about applying for next year’s awards, visit PLANET’s website or call the PLANET office at 800-395-2522.

The PLANET Awards Recognition Dinner was sponsored by Caterpillar, Inc.