July August 2013 Landscape Trades by Landscape Ontario

July/August 2013 VOL. 35, NO.6

landscapetrades.com

Who owns site photos? What you need to know Profitability, beyond job costing

Winter Management 2013

Special issue for Canada’s snow fighters

Defining the landscape design profession

PM40013519

SNOW PRODUCTS • SIDEWALK, PARKING RESEARCH • ESTIMATING BY PLAN

Visit Ariens & Gravely at GIE+EXPO in Louisville, KY Oct. 24-25, booth #7120 inside and #6262D outside

contents JULY-AUGUST 2013 VOL. 35, NO. 6

PUBLISHER Lee Ann Knudsen CLP | lak@landscapeontario.com Editorial Director Sarah Willis | sarahw@landscapeontario.com Art Director Kim Burton | kburton@landscapeontario.com Editor Allan Dennis | adennis@landscapeontario.com Web editor Robert Ellidge | rob@landscapeontario.com Graphic Designer Mike Wasilewski | mikew@landscapeontario.com Accountant Joe Sabatino | joesabatino@landscapeontario.com Sales Manager, PUBLICATIONS Steve Moyer | stevemoyer@landscapeontario.com COMMUNICATIONS assistant Angela Lindsay | alindsay@landscapeontario.com Advisory Committee Gerald Boot CLP, Laura Catalano, Hank Gelderman CHT, Marty Lamers, Jan Laurin, Warren Patterson, Gregg Salivan, Bob Tubby CLP

Landscape Trades is published by Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association 7856 Fifth Line South, Milton, ON L9T 2X8 Phone: (905)875-1805 Email: comments@landscapetrades.com Fax: (905)875-0183 Web site: www.landscapetrades.com LANDSCAPE ONTARIO STAFF Shawna Barrett, Darryl Bond, Rachel Cerelli, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Helen Hassard, Jane Leworthy, Heather MacRae, Kristen McIntyre CHT, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Paul Ronan, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh

SNOW FOCUS 2013

Special issue looks at winter risk reduction, salt rate research and new snow fighting tools.

FEATURES

6 Practical framework for controlling winter risk Salt management program cuts facility infrastructure costs BY SARAH WILLIS

8 Protecting pavement Groundbreaking project looks at salt rates for parking lots and sidewalks BY KAMAL HOSSAIN

12 Best practices for snowfighters Standardizing estimating guarantees speed, accuracy and profit BY PHIL HARWOOD

Landscape Trades is published nine times a year: January, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October and November/December.

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BY MARK BRADLEY

Copyright 2013. All rights are reserved. Material may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Landscape Trades assumes no responsibility for, and does not endorse the contents of, any advertisements herein. All representations or warranties made are those of the advertiser and not the publication. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the association or its members, but are those of the writer concerned.

1 6 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS | Take a step back and look at your firm’s bigger profit picture 20 ROAD TO SUCCESS | Practical lessons in goal setting BY ROD McDONALD

24 LEGAL MATTERS | Copyright, pictures and privacy BY ROBERT KENNALEY

26 LANDSCAPE DESIGNER’S NOTEBOOK | Act now to protect the designer’s name BY CHRISTENE LeVATTE

28 SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING | Maintenance practices that build good soil BY SEAN JAMES

DEPARTMENTS

ISSN 0225-6398 PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES AGREEMENT 40013519 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT LANDSCAPE TRADES MAGAZINE 7856 FIFTH LINE SOUTH, MILTON, ON L9T 2X8, CANADA

Green Pencil New Products Industry News Letters Provincial News

4 14 30 31 32

CNLA News Coming Events Classifieds Where to Find It

34 36 36 38

Cover photo by Sean JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADESKelly | 3

greenpencil Practicality and planning rules in a crisis

When the unimaginable happens t a stopover in Denver a while ago, I noticed a sign in the washroom proclaiming it an official Tornado Shelter. The sign caught me off guard. Unless you live in an area prone to natural disasters, chances are you, like me, have only paid lip service to real-life emergency preparedness for your family or your business. For the last month, weatherrelated and man-made disasters have dominated Canadian headlines. Unspeakable tragedy has hit families and businesses. The By Sarah Willis strength and resilience of those affected by the devastation of losing friends and family members, as well as homes and livelihoods, has been inspiring. Last week, I was touched by a hairdresser interviewed in Lac-Mégantic, Que. Her salon had been vaporized in a fire caused by the train wreck, yet she was determined to get her business up and running in another location — any location — right away. Practically speaking, she had employees who needed to support their families, and a community that still needed her services. Sole proprietors must be crisis managers. If you don’t solve an immediate issue yourself, no one else is going to step in and help. Snow and ice managers live this responsibility, as they must provide clear paths

4 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

and safe conditions when most of us are unable to get out of our driveways. According to the 2009 Deloitte study commissioned by the Canadian Ornamental Horticulture Alliance, green industry businesses support hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Owners are proud their companies provide for so many families, and that responsibility is never taken lightly or for granted. My family’s business dodged a small bullet this spring. Despite the use of high-grade surge protectors, a lightning strike fried garden centre computers and cash registers the evening of Victoria Day. Fortunately for us, the technology meltdown occurred at the end of the holiday weekend, not at the start, when we would have been unable to manually process the sheer volume of transactions during our busiest weekend of the year. We had off-site backups of all our records and data, but now we have a spare cash register waiting in the wings as well. The federal government offers guidelines on creating business continuity plans, through Public Safety Canada. Companies can create a roadmap that will guide them through a crisis, whether it be a natural or environmental disaster, power or energy disruption, accident or sabotage. Preparing for the worst thing that can possibly happen makes sure your company has the resources, information and communication plan needed to deal with these emergencies. With any luck, your plan will sit off-site in a secure location, never used, LT gathering dust and providing peace of mind.

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Salt reduction program takes a team approach to reach its goal

snow and ice management program originally created to address elevated groundwater chloride loadings is providing multiple financial benefits to contractors as well as commercial facility managers. The Smart About Salt (SAS) program takes a three-pronged approach to controlling the amount of salt used on sidewalks and roads in winter, targeting snow and ice control contractors and facility operators as well as homeowners and tenants. Originally created by the Region of Waterloo (Ont.) in 2008, the program soon found advocates in Landscape Ontario, and the Building Operators and Managers Association of Ottawa. These organizations have invested in the program and together created the Smart About Salt Council to promote SAS and its benefits. While the program is based in Ontario, snow fighters from across Canada are invited to take advantage of its training and documentation requisites.

Why should a contractor or site become Smart About Salt certified? l

To improve salt management practices and reduce the amount of salt needed to maintain winter site safety.

l To

better manage risk through proactive snow and ice control practices and better record keeping.

l To

reduce infrastructure damage from excessive salt use.

l To

reduce snow and ice control costs.

l To

potentially qualify for reduced insurance premiums.

l To

demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship.

6 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Encouraging clients to understand the science of SAS is one of the Smart About Salt Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals for 2013. Leanne Lobe, executive director of the Smart About Salt Council, note, she has heard from contractors who know they have done their job properly and managed snow and ice effectively according to SAS recommendations, Leanne Lobe, but property owner or manSmart About Salt executive director agers will still call and ask for more salt to be placed on the clear pavement. She believes that SAS-certified contractors can best do what they are trained to do if the facility owners they work for are SAS-certified as well. Lobe is taking her message on the road this summer and making presentations to several commercial building owner associations, introducing them to the benefits of being smart about salt. For one thing, she notes, it saves money by reducing the impact of excessive salt on infrastructure. Winter maintenance practices may be costing facilities more than just their snow control contracts. Excessive salt causes damage to landscape plants, concrete and asphalt, and can corrode steel and aluminum railings. Additionally, salty slush tracked inside a shopping mall or office lobby must be cleaned off floors and carpets constantly. Some of the more environmentally friendly salt options will actually accelerate damage to concrete infrastructure, so working with a contractor who is careful to apply only the right

BY SARAH WILLIS

amount of product at the right time, following SAS best practices, can save thousands of dollars in infrastructure improvements by prolonging the maintenance and replacement costs of large infrastructure assets. Lobe says, “If you need to replace your carpet, you can get a quote for it and know how much it will cost, but you will not be able to measure the cost of a bad impression.” Lobe’s message is that hiring an SAS certified contractor will pay off in the long term in infrastructure repairs. An important reason for building managers to become SAS certified is that the program can reduce the company’s liability for slip and fall accidents. The SAS program takes a proactive approach to ice control. It encourages facility owners to spot and fix outdoor areas that might become winter hazards and require excess salt applications. On the other hand, if a contractor can show, through record keeping, that he notified the building owner about the hazard and has done everything within his power to control ice build-up in a specific area on the property, the building owner may be liable in the event of a slip and fall claim, if he did not correct the hazard when notified. The comprehensive record-keeping requirements of the program are another reason to become SAS certified. While contractors have to track the weather and site conditions along with the amount and type of product they apply, the program encourages property owners to keep better records as well. Good record keeping is the best de-

fense against any slip and fall claim. As proof, Lobe notes that, using the program’s documentation model, some SAS certified contractors have successfully defended against slip and fall claims. The SAS website, www.smartaboutsalt.com is a wonderful resource for anyone looking for more information on the program, or how to become certified. Contractors can download brochures for their clients, or direct the facility manager to the website to see the benefits for themselves. Last year, the Smart About Salt Council released a public service piece for consumers — the Get A Grip program. The Council uses this message to promote wearing proper footwear in the winter, and that high heels and dress shoes do not provide enough protection and traction during winter storms. The possibility of being hit with a slip and fall claim is the biggest reason for the over-application of salt at public facilities. The Get A Grip program is intended to remind people they are responsible for their own safety. Lobe says that the individuals who decide how much sidewalk salt to apply are often influenced by higher levels of management looking to avoid frivolous insurance claims. By making PSAs such as Get a Grip available for posting around offices, Lobe hopes to engage all the influencers in the SAS message about the unnecessary application of salt. Get a Grip posters can be downloaded for free at www.smart LT aboutsalt.com/getagrip. JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

Pedestrian and parking areas pose real snow and ice hazards; new research identifies effective control methods

Safer sidewalks and parking lots Winter maintenance contractors, responsible for parking lot and sidewalk safety, have few guidelines on the right snow and ice control methods, materials and amounts of material that should be applied under specific winter weather conditions. Snow and Ice Control for Parking Lots and Sidewalks (SICOPS) is a multi-year research project currently being undertaken by the iTSS Lab, led by Professor Liping Fu at the University of Waterloo, Ont., to address their needs.

To achieve this goal, the project has been designed to include a number of semi-controlled field tests in a parking lot under a combination of treatment options in terms of maintenance strategy (e.g., de-icing vs. antiicing), material type (e.g., regular salt vs. magnesium chloride vs. organic), and material application rates. Data from these tests will help develop a quantitative understanding of the conditions that influence the effec-

Field experiment at the University of Waterloo parking lot.

8 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

BY S. M. KAMAL HOSSAIN

tiveness of these treatment options, and generate practical guidelines and decision support tools that can be adopted by all maintenance contractors across Ontario. The aim is to improve professionalism and environmental stewardship while reducing over salting and operational costs. The field experiments of the project started in the winter season of 2011-12. Despite the relatively mild winter season, the research team managed to conduct a range of field tests focusing on the de-icing performance of regular solid salt. The test results revealed many interesting findings that were summarized in a technical paper titled, An Experimental Study of Snow Melting Performances of Road Salt for Snow and Ice Control in Parking Lots. The paper was presented an important international conference â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board. The winter season of 2012-13 was more severe in Waterloo, and the weather conditions more varied than usual, including a total of 50 snow events with pavement surface temperature ranging from -12o C to 3o C and total snowfall from 0.2cm to 21cm. A large number of tests were conducted using five different solid materials (coarse and fine salt, Silver, Ice Melter, Thawrox, Jet Blue) and three liquid products (brine, CaliberM20, Snow Melter), applied for both de-icing and anti-icing purposes. In order to closely simulate the way parking lot maintenance is done in the real world, 75 per cent of

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the tests were conducted between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. The field tests conducted over a wide range of weather conditions have provided us with a large amount of data. The data allow us to derive statistically reliable conclusions about the snow melting performance of different materials under different application rates. For example, the test results have clearly shown the relative advantage of the anti-icing strategy compared with traditional de-icing methods. Figure 1 shows another example of the relative performance of two alternative de-icing materials compared with regular salt. These test results will enable us to develop models for predicting performance of different snow and ice control methods, materials and application rates, and recommend optimal salting rates for any given weather conditions, as shown in Figure 2. In addition to the semi-controlled field tests, the research team also worked with six maintenance contractors to collect their real maintenance operational data from 50 external sites across the province. These sites range from medium scale shopping malls to offices and emergency buildings. The collected data is

Figure 2. Recommended application rates according to specific weather and site conditions.

10 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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used to identify the key operational constraints, which will be incorporated into the recommended best practices. To better understand the current maintenance practice, two surveys were conducted, on contractors across Ontario and on municipalities in Canada and the USA. The survey results were published in another technical paper titled, A Survey of Current State of Practice for Winter Maintenance of Parking Lots and Sidewalks. The project will continue for another year. The University of Waterloo research team is currently working hard to process all data collected over the past winter season. The team will then summarize the results and incorporate them into practical guidelines for the selection of best snow and ice control strategies, materials and application rates for parking lots and sidewalks. LT

Kamal Hossain is a PhD student and research assistant on the SICOPS project at the University of Waterloo. The project is funded by NSERCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) Grants with contributions from a group of industrial partners including Landscape Ontario, Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO), GO Transit, Toronto Region Conservation Association (TRCA), Association of Ontario Road Supervisors (AORS), Region of Waterloo, Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) USA, and a number of private maintenance contractors.

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Best practices for calculating snow and ice management services

By PHIL HARWOOD

Snow businesses rely on a bewildering mix of experience, data, and processes for estimating snow and ice management services. For many, estimating is time-consuming, error-prone and a never-ending source of frustration. Over the course of my career, both as a snow contractor and industry consultant, I’ve seen everything from the “swag” method (guessing) to over-engineered estimating models that nobody could follow, not even the creator of the model. Somewhere in between these two extremes lies the perfect method — the holy grail of snow and ice estimating. In our quest for the perfect model, a look at the best practices followed by the majority of the leading firms in the industry can be instructive. Best Practice #1: Systematization Estimating is a critical process in any contracting business. Part of a larger sales process, it is an essential component that should not be neglected. On the contrary, estimating processes should be fully systematized so they are accurate, reliable and fast. Estimating is expensive. By creating an effective estimating system, costs may be dramatically reduced. In our work with contractors throughout the U.S. and Canada, we have seen savings in time up to 200 per cent by utilizing a systematic approach to estimating. The number-crunching aspect of estimating is the most critical but often the most mysterious. The complexity of working with multiple variables and many unknowns can result in an over-reliance on guesswork and assumptions. There are many different ways to implement a systematic approach to estimating. One of the most versatile programs available is Microsoft Excel. Built as a productivity tool, it is one of the most commonly used spreadsheet programs in businesses today. With Microsoft Excel, any type of estimating system can be devised. In addition, your estimate may be mapped directly into your proposal without time-consuming, error-prone data entry. For each best practice, there is a test to help you identify areas of opportunity. If you were to review the step-by-step sequence of tasks utilized for your last 10 estimates, how similar would the sequences be? Would all 10 estimates be in the same format, saved in the same place, and able to be audited by an outsider for accuracy? Best Practice #2: Delegation For many snow and ice contractors, estimating is based more on experience than anything else. This means that owners or other seasoned and high-paid employees have the skills to create estimates; but this causes estimating to be unnecessarily expensive, not to men-

12 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

tion that it consumes precious time from these valuable people who probably have more important things to do, like running the business or selling. With a systematic approach, estimating may be delegated to less costly administrative or junior personnel. A senior person may wish to review an estimate, but there is no value in having a senior person create an estimate that could be done by junior personnel using an estimating system. Here’s the test: Compare the cost per hour of your estimators to your selling rate per hour for labour. An owner’s time is typically valued at four to six times the hourly selling rate for labour. For example, if you sell labour at $50 per hour, the owner’s opportunity cost per hour is between $200 and $300. If your cost per hour for estimating exceeds your selling rate per hour, it’s too high. Best Practice #3: Negotiation Without a defined system, it’s often very difficult to retrace the estimator’s steps or verify the accuracy of calculations after the proposal is created. This usually occurs because the estimator’s notes and calculations were not captured in a uniform manner or saved in a logical place. Even more problematic, if the prospect wants to negotiate prices, it is extremely difficult to do so without recreating the entire proposal from the ground up. An effective estimating system will allow the salesperson to negotiate, if necessary, quickly and accurately; having this ability is a significant competitive advantage. Here’s the test: Pretend your prospect is on the phone and ready to make a decision but wants to negotiate several aspects of your proposal, including the scope of work and prices. Do you negotiate with him while he is on the phone, or do you ask for some time to review your numbers and call back? If you were using a systematic estimating method, you would be able to quickly and accurately make the changes on the phone and close the deal. But if you let your prospect go without closing the sale, he may very well call your competitor. By implementing the best practices outlined in this article, you LT will be well on your way to solving the estimating problem.

Phil Harwood is the President & CEO of Pro-Motion Consulting. He is a Landscape Ontario member-preferred coach and consultant, Certified Snow Professional, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, PLANET Trailblazer, and holds an MBA from Michigan State University. Please email questions or comments to phil@mypmcteam.com.

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Estimating program for snow and ice services Is your process for estimating snow and ice management services timeconsuming, inaccurate, and error-prone? Does it take you longer than 10 minutes to complete a typical estimate? This program, designed by Phil Harwood, CSP, industry consultant and former high-volume snow contractor, employs Microsoft Excel and is easy to use and modify for specific needs. Includes an integrated proposal template and support. Pro-Motion Consulting

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managementsolutions BETTER PROFITS: PART I

It’s not the profit of the job, it’s the profit of the whole BY MARK BRADLEY

ACCOUNTS Many owners in the landscape indus- DANSCAPING

try are in a constant struggle to reduce operating costs in order to sell work at a profitable price in this competitive industry. In my experiences meeting and teaching contactors across North America, it’s clear that successful companies have embraced some basic tools and knowledge that help their profitability. These same tools are often unknown or misunderstood by the majority. Over the next few articles, I’ll break down some of these profit-growing concepts and use real-world case studies to illustrate how they can be applied in the daily operations of a landscape company. Let’s start with Dan and his company Danscaping. (This example is based on a fictional company and is not intended to represent any companies or owners who may share the same name.) Dan tries to get $45 per man-hour to maintain his clients’ properties. Dan uses an educated pricing system; the chart below illustrates how he came up with that rate.

DANSCAPING PRICING Cost of wages + contributions $20/hr. Cost of equipment + fuel $5/hr. Cost of overhead wages + expenses $15/hr. Company profit $5/hr. Hourly rate $45/hr.

Dan’s company financials are sound, with a healthy 10 per cent profit on his bottom line. A simplified version of his chart of accounts is shown at the top of the next columm. The season is already underway when Dan is approached by a good client to do some additional mowing work on a few properties close to Dan’s existing sites. There are no material costs, just labour and equipment. It‘s about four hours of work a week 16 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

INCOME

EXPENSES

Sales revenue $500,000 Field labour wages $150,000 Equipment + fuel expenses $100,000 Material expenses $50,000 Overhead wages + expenses $150,000 Company net profit $50,000

for a three-man crew, or 432 man-hours for the season. Dan has the equipment needed to do the work, and adding a few hours to his crews’ weekly schedules is no problem. The client, however, won’t switch to Danscaping unless Dan will match the client’s current contractor’s rate of $38/man-hour. Dan knows that at his hourly rate of $45, his built-in profit is $5/hour. He declines the job. At $38/hour, Dan figures he’d be losing money. Is he right? If you just looked at this job, yes, it doesn’t seem profitable. But what if Dan pulled back to 25,000 feet and looked beyond job profit and instead focused on his company’s profits? The chart below shows what he would have seen. Just looking at numbers (there are other variables, too many to discuss here), Dan’s decision was wrong. His company’s net profit would have jumped by more than

DANSCAPING PROFITS

WITHOUT JOB

$6,000. Even more surprisingly, Danscaping’s net profit margin actually increased by almost a full percentage point. Dan’s confused. He started with a net profit of 10 per cent and declined a job at what looked like a loss but instead would have increased his overall profit margin. Instinct and experience tells us that if you have a 10 cent profit margin and you take a job at minus 5 per cent, your overall profit margin should drop. But the numbers show an entirely different story. What’s happening? Better-profits concept 1: Maximum profit on every job doesn’t always mean maximum profit for the company. Consider for a minute what you’re striving for in your business: Are you trying to make maximum profit on every job or maximum profit as a company? Successful companies, in every industry, understand that these objectives are not always one and the same. Profitability at 25,000 feet, or at company level, is too often missed when we are dealing with the day-to-day details. After all, it’s easy to assume the way to maximize company profit is by maximizing each and every job’s profit. What the “big guys” know, and exploit, is that only about 50 per cent (on average) of a job’s costs are “real”; the rest are

CHANGE

WITH JOB

Sales $500,000 Add 432 man-hours @ $38/hr. $516,416 Field labour wages expenses $150,000 Add 432 man-hours @ $20/hr. $158,640 Equipment expenses $100,000 Add 432 hours fuel @ $4/hr. $101,728 Material expenses $50,000 No change $50,000 Overhead wages + expenses $150,000 No change $150,000 Company net profit $50,000 $56,048 Company net profit margin 10.0% 10.9%

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managementsolutions simply assumed. What does that mean? Let’s look at Dan’s example again. When Dan turned down that contract because it didn’t meet his break-even price, what expenses actually changed? He saved 432 hours of extra wages for his field staff, and he saved fuel expenses. But nothing else actually changed. Dan’s equipment or insurance payments didn’t decrease because he turned down the job.

His rent, accountant fees, office salaries, advertising, cell phone bills and computer expenses weren’t affected by his decision. Am I telling you to ignore overhead costs when bidding work? To be crystal clear, absolutely not. What I am saying is there are opportunities where you can aggressively price work and improve your bottom line, and being aware of these opportunities will aid your success.

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Ever bid against a professional, successful company to have them bid the work with rates that made you shake your head? Maybe they underestimated the costs of the work, maybe they made a mistake, but maybe they got where they are by understanding that, in some cases, a “loss” on a job still improves the company’s overall profit. If the company has untapped capacity to do the work, and their selling price can cover job costs with some left over, net profit improves. And as an added bonus, they’re first in line to get higher margin enhancements and extras. It’s up to you to use common sense. There’s a time and place for bidding this way. You cannot ignore overhead recovery or you will be out of business in weeks. But, if you feel you can turn down a job and still sell those hours to someone else at your usual rate, you should execute that option. A few examples where this strategy can be effective include: l Adding a site or two to the end of a snow or maintenance route when there are available hours l Adding one or two more construction jobs late in the year l Filling idle crew time in your schedule l Utilizing equipment that’s parked at the yard l Undertaking large contracts or projects that add significant revenue without adding overhead. The key to Dan’s example is that his company had unused capacity to take on the extra work. He didn’t need new equipment or to hire an extra supervisor or expand his shop to take this job. Focusing on the true objective, maximizing company profit, can allow you to see situations differently, and is an essential LT skill for improving your bottom line.

Mark Bradley is president of The Beach Gardener and the Landscape Management Network (LMN) in Ontario. LMN provides education, tools and systems built to improve landscape industry businesses.

roadtosuccess

Goals chart the road to success BY ROD McDONALD

There is a landscape contractor who lives south of me. I mentor him and have done so for six years. When he was an 18-yearold student, in the 1980s, he worked for me. One of the best I ever had. He left my garden centre for a life in the church, as a pastor. He stayed that course for 15 years and then decided he wanted a change. He wanted to open his own business. The only thing he knew was the landscape/garden centre business. He asked if I would assist him getting up and running as a landscape contractor. The first thing we did was write out his mission statement, followed by a business plan. When I mentor someone, I always insist they write out a business plan, the guide for how they are going to achieve their goals. I insist they include within their business plan, specific goals. I do not accept “I want to turn a profit” as a goal. Why? Simple: If your revenue exceeds your expenses by even a dollar, then you have turned a profit. However, who can live on dollar? Who would call a dollar’s profit a success? Not many. He was starting out as a one-man band, as many of us have done in the past. I kept his goal simple. In the first year, it was to complete $100,000 in work, with a profit margin of 30 to 40 per cent. He gulped. He had not yet carried out his first estimate and now I was assigning sales goals that he perceived as being over the top. I kept going. I included in his business plan, an additional $100,000 in sales each year, until year five, when he would complete $500,000 worth of work. He didn’t gulp this time, rather his eyes glazed over. Years later, he told me when he returned home his wife asked, “How did your meeting with Rod go?” He could not remember anything I had said. All had been wiped out except for the words, “five hundred thou20 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

sand.” That was all he could tell his wife, “five hundred thousand.” This story has a happy ending. He made $100,000 in sales his first year and increased his sales by that amount each year until year five, when he punched through $600,000 worth of work. I was at his landscape yard this spring and asked him one question: If I had set a goal of $250,000 for him, would he have reached the $600,000 mark? Good question. Some would suggest it is too hypothetical to answer. I am not one of those people. I believe in goals and I am adamant those goals be written down. Without written goals, you are engaging in a floating crap game of “maybe this, maybe that.” My beloved mentor, Dieter Martin, insisted that all my goals and plans be written down. If I was planning a new greenhouse at the back of my property five years in the future, he wanted to see it sketched out on a master plan. He didn’t want to hear about it; he wanted to see it, pencil on paper. One day, I asked Dieter, “What is a plan before it is written down?” His response, “Until it is written down, you are only thinking out loud.” I have never forgotten that and the other lessons the man taught me. Until I write it down, I am only thinking out loud. A plan commits me. A plan gives me direction. A plan provides me with a goal; and how can I measure my success unless I have surpassed my goals? If I build the greenhouse in my plan, then I have reached that particular goal and I can go on to set new ones. Some people are afraid to write their goals or plans on paper. They feel that somehow this commits them to those issues and only those issues. Not true. Plans can be altered, amended, dropped or expanded. Goals do not lock us in, rather, they are our guide.

STORY #1: I was out for a bike ride

one fine, fall day. I stopped at my favourite cappuccino shop in downtown Regina. They have a few benches outside to sit on, when the sun beats down, warming the soul. (Sorry. My Irish grandfather took over my writing fingers for a moment.) There were three of us enjoying the glorious, sunny Sunday afternoon. One fellow says to the next. “Are you new in town?” The second fellow responds “Yes. I am the camera man on a feature film shoot.” The first man says “Really? I wrote a feature film script.” The film man says “Great! I would love to read it.” The first man responds, “Well...it’s not really written down, just yet. It’s more of an idea.” I love that story, albeit I had to eavesdrop to obtain it. It is the epitome of so many of life’s stories. “I wrote a film script but it’s not written down.” That line makes me laugh every time I read it. Back to my mentor’s sage advice: “Until it is written down, you are merely thinking out loud.” How important is it that you write down your plans and goals? There have been several anecdotal studies done on this very question. (By the way, if you have heard of the often quoted Yale Study of Written Goals from 1953, that study is a giant myth. It never happened.) Around 1977, a friend I went to school with interviewed several successful business people. They were a real range. Some were the hand-shaking, back-patting, chatty types. Others were reserved, saying very little. Some were calculating and conservative, others were risk-taking personalities. The one thing they had in common

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roadtosuccess was all of them were list makers. They wrote things down. They had goals and plans and they followed those plans. They were goal achievers. In my own life, I have always been a list keeper. I have one on my desk right now. Writing this column is on that list, along with picking up the native ferns from the bus depot. I need that list. It keeps me organized. It prevents me from forgetting to do the things that are important because, as you know, when you are busy it is easy to let things fall through the proverbial cracks. STORY #2: One morning, about 15 years ago, one of my friends from high school was back in town tending to her ill mother, when she dropped into my garden centre. She was in a pensive mood as her mother was not long for this world. Losing your mom makes you think about the universe in a different way. She asked me, “Are you happy?” I didn’t know how to answer.

22 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

At which level were we discussing happiness and what was our form of measurement? Sorry. I am not great at simply answering yes or no. Not knowing how to answer, I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my list. I said, “I am organized.” That’s all I could offer on short notice. She asked, “Does being organized equal happiness?” She asked tough questions. “I don’t know if being organized means being happy, but being unorganized definitely means chaos and I am not happy with chaos.” That is the only way I can explain it. Lists stop the chaos, and chaos and I do not get along. Goals give us direction. If Air Canada is flying the Halifax to Winnipeg route and the plane, due to a faulty compass, sets down in Thunder Bay, is that a success? Perhaps that appears to be too simple of an analogy, but is it? I have seen experienced operators from our trade chasing dreams that put them in

the wrong place. They were using a faulty compass. How often have you driven into the yard of a greenhouse, nursery or landscape contractor, only to feel you have entered the fictional land of Dog Patch? Junk everywhere, broken-down vehicles and tractors. If that operator had written goals, would one of them be to ensure the place looked like an eyesore? Goals keep us focused. Goals ensure that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. Goals remind us that we cannot be all things to all people, so we must pick and choose. We do LT that to stay on the road to success. Rod McDonald owned and operated Lakeview Gardens, a successful garden centre/landscape firm in Regina, Sask., for 28 years. He now works full-time in the world of fine arts, writing, acting and producing in film, television and stage.

Dump

legalmatters

Of copyright, property, privacy and advertising BY ROBERT KENNALEY

Many years ago now, when I was just starting my own construction business, I took on a subcontract to install a natural stone walkway and stairs for a contractor at the entrance to a custom home he was building in Toronto. The stone was imported from India, and beautiful. The homeowner was also willing to pay for exquisite detail in the work. I was fairly proud of the end product and thought it would be a good idea to add pictures of the work to my portfolio. I took colour pictures and (in the pre-World Wide Web days) included them in brochures that I circulated to potential clientele. If the

truth be known, I didn’t think a lot about it and, thankfully, no issues arose. The experience does, however, raise some questions in hindsight. More recent legislation in a number of areas addresses the extent to which I could have used the photographs. Obtain homeowner’s consent The first thing to keep in mind is that, in the residential context, the photograph is of a person’s home. In that circumstance, publishing a photo of the home without the homeowner’s consent might be a violation of the federal Personal Information Protec-

tion and Electronic Documents Act, under which it has been held that photographs of a person’s home can constitute personal information, the disclosure of which, without consent, constitutes a violation. In such a circumstance, then, contractors should obtain the consent of their clients to take and distribute pictures for marketing purposes. This is generally addressed in the contract between the owner and contractor. Even in the commercial context, it is wise to include such a clause in the contract, to avoid confusion and ensure the owner and contractor are on the same page. Subcontractors, of course, should obtain the consent of the contractor who hires them. This, however, would not amount to consent from the owner. Such consent might be sought directly from the owner, if practicable, or through the contractor. In addition, the contractor could be asked to indemnify and hold the subcontractor harmless in the event the owner later objected. Contractors and subcontractors should also be wary of making misrepresentations in the manner in which they publish photographs. In provinces where consumer protection legislation has been passed, such misrepresentations will be barred in the residential context, by statute. In all circumstances, however, a negligent misrepresentation about a contractor’s abilities or experience can always be used against him or her in the event a dispute over the quality of work arises. Give credit where it’s due As the stonemason for the project many years ago, I would have been misrepresenting things had I suggested, either expressly or by implication, that I had prepared the design of either the stone work or the sur-

24 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

rounding landscape elements, or that I had been involved in the installation of anything other than the stone work itself. One way to avoid confusion in this regard is to make clear in the promotional material itself what is, and is not, your work. On the other hand, the promotion of photographs can, in many circumstances, be used to enhance and further relationships between contractors. For example, many a designer would be happy to have you recognize, in your promotional material, that it is his or her design. Arrangements can be made where, similarly, the designer’s promotional materials can credit your company with the physical work. It should also be understood that the photograph itself remains the property of the person who took it. Even if it is of your work, or your design, you are not entitled to use a photograph without the photographer’s permission. This is clearly established in Canadian copyright law. If someone is incorrectly holding out your work as his own, a letter setting out the error and asking that it be corrected will generally suffice. If you took the photograph, copyright should be claimed in that regard. If someone is suggesting through a photograph that he performed your work, you should raise the issue of negligent misrepresentation and damage to your reputation. If someone is suggesting through a photograph that he prepared your design, you should also advise that you have copyright in, and ownership of, that design. In the end, if saner heads do not prevail, legal counsel should be sought to LT address the issue.

Robert Kennaley has a background in construction and now practises construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ont. He speaks and writes regularly on construction law issues. Rob can be reached for comment at 416-3682522, at kennaley@mclauchlin.ca, or on LinkedIn. This material is for information purposes and is not intended to provide legal advice in relation to any particular situation. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstance are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regard. JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

landscapedesigner’snotebook

Giving landscape designers a name BY CHRISTENE LeVATTE, CLP

The definition of landscape designer should be of concern to every industry sector, not just landscape designers. Think collectively, as part of the landscape horticulture industry value chain, and read on. It was while attending a seminar at Congress 2012, that I first heard about the pursuit of Practice Act Legislation by the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects. The seminar, titled What does the future hold for our industry? was presented by Ron Koudys, along with then CNLA Landscape Priorities Manager Liz Klose. In February 2013 at the CNLA winter board meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont., the Landscape Canada Committee sent out an action item requesting each provincial association member seek input from their member companies on the name, scope and definition of landscape design. Members were asked to report back to the CNLA summer board meeting, with the goal of reaching consensus on a national name and definition. In researching Title Act and Practice Act in a relevant context, I came across a Fall 2006 Design-Build Newsletter on the American Society of Landscape Architect’s website: www.asla.org/ppn/article.aspx?id=1908. Following is an excerpt from the article, Title vs. Practice Acts and the Design-Build Practice, by Joseph Pillari. What distinguishes the landscape architect from the landscape designer? This is not intended to offend or disparage, but the title landscape architect represents individuals who have fulfilled educational training and examination requirements that prepare professionals to protect the public. A title act will allow anyone to perform landscape architectural services as long as they are not identified as a landscape architect. A practice act prohibits unqualified individuals from calling themselves landscape architects and from practicing the profession. 26 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

A practice act for landscape architects establishes the landscape architect as an equal in the related design professions of engineering and architecture. Practice acts permit the landscape architect to take a leadership role in the design process, particularly in a collaborative effort among design professionals. Suggested reading as relates to this discussion can be found on the following three websites: www.apld.org, www.oala.ca/profession/history/preparing-the-act/ and www. asla.org. No question, the challenge in defining the landscape design profession is broad and varied in scope from province to province, company to company and individual to individual. There are so many variations of education, experience, application and business approach to the practice of landscape design. There is no shortage of passion. There is a common adoration of all things “plant” and an instinct for form and function — who follows whom, is site specific. I, too, believe the landscape designer to be a little bit special by virtue of that unique mix of art and pragmatism, business and pleasure; this is not the time for esotericism. This is business. Pages and pages could be written citing examples of good, better, best fit between the landscape architect and the landscape designer, but the fact remains, the crossover between both our customers and our industry is very real; the care we take with this “definition” will be directly proportional to our future economic prosperity. There are three points for our landscape horticulture industry to carefully consider as we move forward with this opportunity. POINT ONE: How many landscape designers operate off our association grid? We do not entirely know who we are nor the real number we potentially represent. I would speculate we have seen, at our

provincial and national awards, but a small percentage of the total landscape design talent operating in this country. Knowing this number is critical, should this effort come down to the strength of a provincial and national lobby. Our colleagues in the U.S. were forced to defensibly lobby state by state for exemption language to the Acts. POINT TWO: Landscape designers do not work alone. Designers are symbiotically connected to industry, being an impetus for and conduit to product and service between sectors and the consumer. If not working as part of a landscape or retail business, independent designers or design firms will, on a daily basis, typically have contact with retailers, growers, landscape contractors or suppliers. Our landscape designers are an integral part of our landscape horticulture industry value chain and any limit to what they can do and how they can do it will affect the entire industry. Everyone fights for market share, and good competition is part of a healthy and prosperous economy. We all as entrepreneurs and professionals absolutely appreciate why the landscape architects want to protect their patch. The CNLA and its provincial members work tirelessly to promote and position our members’ companies, as does the CSLA and their provincial components. Keith Lemkey of Lemkey Landscape Design in Winnipeg, Man., offers his definition of landscape design: “It’s an artistic interpretation of the utilization of space of both function and aesthetics – the combining of mass, textures and seasonal color into a practical space that enhances the lifestyle of the client’s needs, their family and friends. It’s an extension of their inner space, bringing the indoors out, and the outdoors in – creating an oasis or retreat where they can relax, play and reflect on what is important to them: family time.” This précis speaks to the challenge be-

cause, in this very definition, the blurred lines between our professions are well defined. POINT THREE: Historically, landscape

horticulture has been a business with few or no barriers to entry. In 1995 the Certified Horticulture Techniciandescription was launched in Canada to provide a benchmark level of skills competence for the landscape industry that effectively bridged the gap between education and experience. To date, there are 945 Landscape Industry Certified individuals collectively holding 1,506 designations, which include 70 Certified Landscape Designers. Of those 70 CLDs, seven are in B.C., five in Alberta, 51 in Ontario, three in New Brunswick and four in Nova Scotia. What do these numbers represent? We cannot draw strategic conclusions based on the number of CLDs; an accurate census needs to identify those practicing based on experience, formal education or other training and accreditation. The landscape design sector needs to rally. We will need a strong

provincial and national identity to define and protect the depth and breadth of market we currently depend on. At the same time, this identity and definition must be underwritten by education, accreditation and certification to truly be credible both internally, as part of the whole industry, and externally with government, allied trades and the consumer. Linda van Vulpen CLD, van Vulpen Design in Halifax, N.S., and a founding member of the Atlantic Association of Landscape Designers (AALD), speaks to this point: “I am not a landscape architect and I have not been trained as a landscape architect. So I cannot speak to the profession of the landscape architect. But, I have been formally trained as a landscape designer and I have achieved certification in this field. My clients and industry recognize me as a competent, reliable, creative and practical designer. To accomplish this status, my training at NSAC (now the Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture) and the process of acquiring certification have been essential, the accumulated years of practice in landscape design equally so.”

Designers, landscapers, growers, retailers and suppliers, do take a moment to visit the links and inform yourselves on this issue. Think about the effect any limits and restrictions will have on your business, your industry and your clients. Communicate this to your provincial association president, board and executive director. Timing is everything, and in our case could very well be the difference between staying proactive or becoming reactive. Best we remain masters of our own fate. LT

Christine LeVatte CLP, is a landscape designer and LEED Green Associate from Nova Scotia. Her family business, Landscapes for Lifestyle, which she operates with her brother David Stenhouse, CLT, has won several Landscape Nova Scotia Awards of Excellence and the 2012 National Award for Excellence in Landscape Design. Christine is currently working toward her CLD designation.

JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

sustainablelandscaping

Mulch, soil ... and inspiration BY SEAN JAMES

It’s amazing how we spend time and money trying to keep plants alive in soil by applying water and fertilizer. Yet, there are lots of business opportunities to be had with other methods that offer greater long-term gain, for both your business and the environment. Irrigation in North American landscapes accounts for up to 60 per cent of potable water use, the cost of which comes back to us on our tax bills. Mulching with two inches of a rich compost or, even better, compos-

ted pine mulch, helps preserve water in a garden. It also provides nutrients, moderates soil temperature — making it warmer in winter and cooler in summer — and keeps weeds down. Those weeds that do grow are easier to pull. More important, mulching kick starts the whole soil micro-ecosystem. If you find your customer is resisting the eco-aspect, point out that organic matter, well-broken down, will give that rich, black look most people love and will reduce maintenance costs by reducing weeding costs.

Mulch in the garden helps preserve water, reduces irrigation costs and adds nutrients to the soil.

It’s obvious when soil is “thirsty” because it absorbs the new matter more quickly. The soil even “fluffs up” after the first rain because worms move up to pull the compost down. Even a lawn will become almost spongy. It’s certainly easier than aerating and the carbon footprint is much smaller. It’s quite fascinating to watch. Try it on your own lawn and garden if you doubt! It’s not something we think about often, perhaps because we can’t see it, but the bacteria, fungi and other microscopic creatures in soil are more important to our lives than the creatures we see above ground. Some nematodes are excellent predators. Fungi release nutrients and some, such as micorrhizae, are essential to plant health by helping them take up nutrients and water. Increasing bacterial action in the soil by mulching annually with compost, whether on the lawn or in the garden, actually releases important elements from the soil, making them available to the plants. Often, there is plenty of phosphorous in the soil that just needs to be freed up. All it takes is some organic matter to kick start the bacteria. With vegetable gardening, which is the fastest growing area of interest with homeowners, amending the soil is key. While ornamental landscaping can (and should)

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use plants suited to the soil, vegetables need all the help they can get since, to produce a good yield, they feed heavily and are dependent on soil that maintains an even moisture content. Mulching makes it possible to deal with all organic matter on site. No more bagging! All perennial growth from the previous year can be cut and put on the lawn and mulched with a mower. As much as you collect can be laid on the garden as mulch, and the re-

Garden prunings can be placed on the lawn and mulched with a mower.

mainder will sift into the grass. If ongoing mulching isn’t the answer, you might install a composter on your customer’s property. In the fall, leaves can be mulched into the grass instead of bagged and removed. Depths of up to 30 cm of leaves can be dealt with this way and it doesn’t hurt the grass. In fact, making all those micronutrients available and encouraging beneficial fungi actually reduces incidence of pathogenic fungal and insect infestations. It even sequesters carbon. As always, take the time through a newsletter, Facebook, or however you communicate with your customers to show them why your way of amending soil is the better way and how, by dealing with you, they can make a difference. Show them why it’s worth doing things more sustainably and make your customers feel good about working with you! LT

Sean James is owner of an Ontario-based, environmentally conscious landscape design/build/maintenance company. In addition, he is an eco-consultant and a popular speaker. JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

industrynews Best practices checklist for snow fighters To help snow fighters and facility managers plan for next year, the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) has published its first version of the SIMA’s Best Practices Checklist for Managing Snow & Ice. This checklist is ideal for organizations that outsource snow and ice management and removal services, but can be useful for those who man-

age snow and ice in-house as well. It provides a standard method of benchmarking snow and ice management plans. Following the tips in the checklist will help ensure that your snow removal process planning goes smoothly for the next snow season. The Best Practices Checklist is available for download at http://www.sima.org/bestpractices by creating a free account. For more snow and ice removal tips, visit www.sima.org.

Find it all New Ideas

Hard to Find Plants

Find inspiration at Garden & Floral Expo 2013 Garden & Floral Expo, produced by Landscape Ontario, offers novice and veteran retailers and designers access to hundreds of new products from leading vendors as well as professional development opportunities needed to operate a profitable business. The show takes place Oct. 23 and 24, 2013 in the North Building of the Toronto Congress Centre. Following last year’s success, the Destination Inspiration Theatre will be brought back for 2013. Featured workshops will include seasonal urn assembly, live cooking demonstrations by executive chef Joseph Levesque of the Toronto Congress Centre, and information on product trends relevant to garden and floral retailers and designers. Opening at 9 a.m., Landscape Ontario sectorgroup hosted events will shift from breakfast to lunch schedules. The Garden Centre Group is excited to announce Jim Hole of Hole’s Green-

Place to Connect

Expo offers great seminars, trendy products and opportunities to engage new customers.

AT FARWEST What are you trying to find? Whether it's insight on evolving industry practices and tactics, growers and suppliers who can get you what you need, or a place to connect with the people you know - and the people who know you - you’ll find it at the Farwest Trade Show.

Come to the largest green industry show in the west. Come to the source.

AUGUST 22-24, PORTLAND, OREGON 30 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

houses & Gardens as the keynote speaker. Hole is Alberta’s most articulate and knowledgeable horticulturist, and known for his business savvy. His family’s most recent venture is The Enjoy Centre, a destination multi-use facility in St. Albert, featuring his family’s garden centre and greenhouses, along with a spa, bakery, bistro, deli, liquor store, whole foods market, kitchen and décor boutiques, and event space. LO’s Interior Plantscape sector group will host a workshop on Green Plants for Green Buildings (GPGB) at the Garden & Floral Expo. Studies show the benefits of green plants — at home or in the workplace — and how they increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, minimize health problems, and create a better sense of well-being. Ultimately all this translates to bottom-line improvements for businesses. This session will be eligible for GPGB CEUs, and is the only opportunity of its kind in Canada for 2013. 30 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

The annual Welcome Reception on Wednesday evening offers a panel of retail industry leaders and innovators presenting their Top Ten Tips. Garden writers will return to Garden & Floral Expo for their annual Connect event, on a trendspotting mission. The meeting concludes with a visit to the trade show floor. Vendors, showcasing their latest products and services, strive to be “spotted” by the writers for coverage in their publications, blogs and other communication media. The first-ever Connecting Educators Summit is being launched at Garden Expo. Held on Warm-up Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013, the summit is a full day of sessions aimed at horticultural educators and affiliated professionals. To register for Expo or one of its associated events, please visit www.loexpo.ca.

New site means new opportunities for Expo-FIHOQ

In 2013, Expo-FIHOQ moves to Montreal’s Place Bonaventure. The multi-functional conference centre has room for 600 exhibitors, a new-product showcase, networking activities, association seminars and catering areas, on the show floor. This year Expo-FIHOQ runs from Nov. 6 to 8. For more LT information, visit www.fihoq.qc.ca.

letters Green Pencil, May 2013 I believe you hit some points right on the head. Social media furor can also be ‘sound and fury signifying nothing’ if it has no end game. I particularly liked the results of your reader survey. If only 17 per cent saw a return on investment, then MORE THAN HALF of those who actually use social media see a limited or no return. Poor implementation, say the social media gurus, or poor strategy. Inconceivable that the medium itself is not the right message. You wrote, “The point is, marketing exists to attract customers and drive sales,” ... you got it McGee! For me, you can ‘engage’ folks all you want, but the return is a visit to my store. Do you ‘like’ me? Great. Like me by making a purchase — not eating up social media content with no investment of time and effort to actually see and buy what I have to sell. “Local and traditional may well be what works best for your business.” Bingo! I know my website drives traffic to me (not just ‘clicking’ traffic, but actual bodies in the door), and if my father gets on the radio and says folks shouldn’t waste their time going around looking

at “inky, dinky and just plain stinky” plants at the box stores, well — that traditional and personalsounding approach brings in customers, too. Thank you for the good read. Perry J. Grobe Grobe Nursery and Garden Centre, Breslau, Ont.

The Road to Success, June 2013 Just thought I would send you a quick note regarding the article by Rod McDonald on listening to customers. Please pass along my compliments (and a hello) to him. A very thought provoking article that I have passed on to all of my staff. His article reinforces the exact approach that we continue to try and nurture with our sales staff. Many moons ago, I worked for a company called Cary’s Wholesale. As a sales rep, I had the pleasure of supplying Rod’s business with a range of products. I was always impressed with how forward thinking the culture of his business was at the time. I have since moved on, but it’s nice to see I can still benefit from his wisdom. Todd Thompson Even-Spray & Chemicals, Winnipeg, Man.

JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

ontarioupdate Landscape Trades devotes space in each issue to provincial association news. This month features Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association. Ontario’s green industry continues to enjoy the fruits of a very engaged and contribution-oriented Landscape Ontario membership. The association’s efforts are divided between providing business support and education to members and promoting the environmental, aesthetic, legacy, social, health, spiritual and financial benefits our members provide to the public through their outstanding work.

Consumer outreach Canada Blooms, our biggest consumer event, was revitalized and attendance was boosted by colocating with the National Home Show in 2012. The show now runs over 10 days in March. Over 200,000 people were treated to an exceptional landscape garden and floral experience. LO members built an amazing garden that showcased the outstanding work and creativity of landscape professionals.

One of Landscape Ontario’s members took the Green for Life branding to a new level. Gro-Bark placed the LO logo on a 50-ft. trailer, spreading the message wherever it goes.

Landscape Ontario is a founding member of the Green Infrastructure Coalition. Its purpose is to influence government to consider “leafy” green infrastructure as important as grey infrastructure. A simple definition of green infrastructure is “natural vegetation and vegetative technologies that collectively provide society with a broad array of products and services for healthy living.” In many cases,

green infrastructure can save governments millions of dollars in grey infrastructure expense. The Coalition has released a report making this case at www.greeninfrastructureontario.org/report. Last year, the Green Infrastructure Coalition added Trees for Life to its family — Mark Cullen’s initiative that protects and enhances the urban forest.

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The pesticide ban has made it difficult to control weeds and insects in Ontario. LO has begun government relations efforts to ask the Ministry of Environment to fast-track low risk products currently available in the U.S. We are also stakeholders in the Vineland Centre for Research and Innovation, where we supported the hiring of a permanent horticultural research chair, and where research on low risk pest control products continues.

LO trial gardens

Chapter members pay tribute to Canada’s veterans every fall by sprucing up Beechwood Cemetery, Canada’s National Military Cemetery. l Toronto Chapter members continue their work at St. James Park in the downtown St. James Park, Toronto core with spring clean up and turf school greening program at St. James fertilization. l Upper Canada Chapter members built High School in Guelph. l Windsor Chapter designed and installed a sensory garden for clients at a beautiful and restful garden at the Community Living Quinte West. l Waterloo Chapter completed another ambitious Hospice of Windsor.

For the last few years, the association has partnered with the University of Guelph and hosted a trial garden for new annuals and perennials at the LO site. Last year a large rose garden was created to showcase Canadian-bred roses.

Building greener communities Members of LO’s nine chapters organize inspiring volunteer projects to improve their communities: l Durham Chapter refreshed the grounds of Parkwood Estates in Oshawa, a Canadian national treasure.

Parkwood Estates, Oshawa l Georgian

Lakelands Chapter members run annual food drives to support local food banks. l Golden Horseshoe Chapter members built a wheelchair ramp for a community member suffering from a deteriorating neurological condition. l London Chapter members provide both leadership and labour, planting trees along the Veterans Memorial Parkway.

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JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

cnlanews National Plastic Recycling Event attracts 50 garden centres This year, 50 garden centres from across the country acted as drop-off points in the National Plastic Recycling Event. During the event, people took their used garden plastics to a participating garden centre, ensuring they were properly recycled. Last year, the program diverted 91,229 pounds of plastic from landfills! Watch www. canadanursery.com for this year’s total. Collecting garden plastics for reuse isn’t as easy as it may seem. Many municipalities do not offer pick-up for used garden plastics, so customers often bring an assortment of flowerpots back to nurseries/garden centres hoping they can be replanted. However, garden centres may decline such returns, in an effort to control the spread of serious plant pests and diseases, if they don’t have prior arrangements with a professional recycling facility that can ensure proper sterilization of the plastics. The National Plastic Recycling Event is important not only because it recovers thousands of pounds of plastic, but because it also generates

awareness of good environmental stewardship. More and more recycling companies are processing used garden plastics, which allows garden centres to have permanent drop-off points at their store. A list of recycling, reuse and stewardship companies that offer proper garden plastic recycling is available on the CNLA website.

our connection with ELCA. For your chance to network with the European industry, register for the NYC Study Trip coming up in October. For more information, please visit www.cnla-acpp.ca/landscapers.

ELCA Urban Green Congress

National Tree Day is quickly approaching and we want to hear how you are planning on celebrating one of Canada’s greatest natural resources! On September 25, some CNLA members will be donating their time and resources to local schools and communities group by leading tree planting demonstrations. Other members are planning on offering discounts at their stores or visiting their children’s school to talk to classes about trees and proper plant care. Whether you are leading a demonstration, holding a sale, or simply promoting the event on social media, we want to know. CNLA is committed to notifying national media about participating members, as well as posting a map on our website of member events across the country. Let us know by registering at www. cnla-acpp.ca/nationaltreeday or emailing CNLA communications coordinator, Anne Bowering at anne@cnla-acpp.ca. New for 2013! Tree Canada is holding the National Tree Day School Challenge. Schools can submit a picture showing how they celebrated, along with a brief description, for a chance to win a $1,000 Greening Grant! More details at www.nationaltreeday.ca.

In early June, CNLA president, Christene LeVatte, CLP, and Landscape Canada committee chair, Phil Paxton, CLT, CLP, attended an Urban Green Congress in Hamburg, Germany, put on by the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA). This congress was a chance to learn from European success stories, where green infrastructure has been implemented and is considered a valuable part of cities. Information was shared on the connections people have with parks and green space, and how to maintain that connection through green infrastructure. There is a lot to learn from what is taking place in other parts of the world and CNLA is now able to bring new ideas home to the policy makers in Canada because of

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The Garden Centre of the Year Award was created to better recognize the professional work of our retail members. This is the second year of the program, which is open to members only. Entries may come directly to CNLA, but only in the instance where a provincial association is not running a garden centre awards program. This new award has been designed to encourage participation from companies of all sizes. One overall winner will be selected each year, along with category winners. Companies will be judged on one or all of the following criteria: growing teams, growing connections, growing sales, growing gardeners, growing with technology, growing environments, and continuous growth. Detailed information on the entry criteria can be found on the CNLA website at www.cnla-acpp. 34 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

ca/retailers. All submissions must be received by midnight Friday, November 29, 2013.

Certification The 2013 Landscape Industry Certified tests are in full swing across the country. Landscape Industry Certified Technician tests have already been held in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and the Atlantic Region this spring and summer. As fall is just around the corner, be sure to mark down these test dates and locations: September 26-27 – Kemptville, Ont. October 10-11 – Milton, Ont. October 18-19 – Langley, B.C. November 1-2 – Truro, N.S. Note: Exams for all written designations will also be available during these dates. Already certified? Remember to keep track of your Certification Education Units (CEUs) for recertification. There are plenty of opportunities to earn CEUs at upcoming trade shows and conferences happening across the country this fall: l CanWest Trade Show: Vancouver, B.C., September 18-19 l Landscape Ontario Expo and Conference: Toronto, Ont., October 23-24 l L’Expo FIHOQ: Montreal, Que., November 6-8 l Green Industry Show and Conference: Edmonton, Alta., November 14-15 l HortEast Tradeshow and Conference: Moncton, N.B., November 19-20

2013

Save up to $14,000 on your next truck! General Motors Canada offers members significant discounts on select GMC and Chevrolet vehicles. You can save up to $14,000 on new 2014 GMC vehicles; contact CNLA for qualifying vehicle and rate details. Members are encouraged to inform their fleet manager or fleet sales person that they are entitled to Competitive Assistance/ Fleet Assistance. Members must pay a $100 administration fee per vehicle to CNLA, before a confirmation letter will be sent to the dealership. For more information on how to take advantage of this great offer, contact the CNLA Member Services Team today!

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AIPH is coming to Canada The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), an international body representing horticultural producers from more than 25 countries around the world, will be coming to Niagara Falls, September 7 to 12, to hold its semi-annual meeting and a congress, hosted by Landscape Ontario and CNLA. The prestigious Grower of the Year Awards Ceremony will take place during the event. This year, Sheridan Nurseries will be Canada’s entry. For more information visit http:// www.aiph.org. Event registration will be open LT to Canadians. The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association is the federation of Canada’s provincial horticultural trade associations. Visit www.cnla-acpp.ca for more information.

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SNOW AND ICE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE AND EXPO Thursday, September 19, 2013 Learn at the morning conference and then enjoy outdoor displays of some of the latest equipment and technologies for the snow and ice control industry. From trucks and plows to electronics and software, you will find the tools to help improve your business!

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WHO SHOULD ATTEND? • Snow and ice contracting professionals • Municipal snow and ice managers • Commercial and multi-unit residential property managers • Snow removal business owners and managers • Technical staff • Snow and ice management suppliers and distributors

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EXHIBIT SPACE STILL AVAILABLE: Contact DARRYL BOND (800) 265.5656 ext. 366 darryl@landscapeontario.com FOR INFORMATION ON CONFERENCE: Contact KRISTEN McINTYRE (800)265.5656 ext. 321 kristen@landscapeontario.com

Hosted by the Snow and Ice Sector Group of Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association

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comingevents August 11-14, CGTA Fall Gift Show, International Centre and Congress Centre, Toronto, Ont. www.cgta.org August 18-21, Fall Alberta Gift Show, Northlands, Edmonton Expo Centre, Edmonton, Alta. www.cgta.org August 20-22, Independent Garden Center Show, Navy Pier, Chicago, Ill. www.igcshow.com August 20-23, Canadian Fertilizer Institute 68th Annual Conference, Banff, Alta. www.cfi.ca August 21-24, Plantarium, International Trade Centre, Boskoop, Holland. www.plantarium.nl August 22-24, Farwest Show, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Ore. www.farwestshow.com

August 25-28, CGTA Fall Montreal Gift Show, Place Bonaventure, Montreal, Que. www.cgta.org September 8-10, SPOGA GAFA 2013, Cologne, Germany, www.spogagafa.com September 16-18, GLEE, Birmingham, U.K. www.gleebirmingham.com September 18-19, CanWest Hort Show, Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, Vancouver, B.C. www.canwesthortshow.com September 26-27, IIDEX Canada, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto. www.iidexcanada.com October 6-11, IGCA Congress, Melbourne, Australia. www.igcacongress.com

October 8-11, IPPS Eastern Region Meeting, Chicago, Ill. www.ippseastern.org October 9-10, Canadian Greenhouse Conference, Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Falls, Ont. www.canadiangreenhouseconference.com October 23-24, Expo 2013, Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto, Ont. www.loexpo.ca October 23-26, Communities in Bloom 2013 National Symposium on Parks and Grounds and Awards Ceremonies, Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, Ont. www.communitiesinbloom.ca October 23-25, Green Industry and Equipment Expo + Hardscape Expo, Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky. LT www.gie-expo.com

classifieds BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

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ESTABLISHED MUSKOKA LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE COMPANY FOR SALE Successful, respected company, locally owned and operated, is looking for a professional and dedicated purchaser. Well-maintained fleet of trucks and equipment. Dependable staff, loyal customer base. Year-round operation. For serious inquiries only, please reply in confidence by email to: MuskokaOpportunity@gmail.com

IN HOUSE SALES REPRESENTATIVE Wholesale Nursery in Alliston looking for full time in house Sales Rep. Selling experience in the industry is required. Logistics experience an asset. Email: kim@somervillenurseries.com

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE COMPANY FOR SALE Well-established grounds maintenance company serving the York Region area for 38 years. Locally owned and operated, successful and respected company. Very loyal customer base. Owner retiring. Serious inquires only. Reply by email or phone to tacsacctg@yahoo.com or (416) 219-2027 attention Dave

CONNON NURSERIES NEIL VANDERKRUK HOLDINGS INC. Looking for Customer Sales Representatives Plant knowledge helpful. Full-time, part-time or seasonal. Starting Immediately. Location is 1155 Hwy 5, Dundas, Ontario Email resumes to mail@connonnurseries.com or Contact Jan @ (905) 523-0442 or Case @ (905) 979-4940

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ON THE ROAD REPRESENTATION Wholesale Nursery looking for on the road representation in Ontario for our Ornamental and Christmas tree divisions. If you represent a non-competing line, and are calling on Ontario Garden Centres, please contact kim@somervillenurseries.com

36 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

FINN Hydroseeders & Bark Blowers New and Used • Flex Guard FRM • Soil Guard BFM • Erosion Control Blanket Seed & Fertilizer Toll free: (888) 298-9911 • Fax: (905) 761-7959 www.fibramulch.com

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LARGEST SELECTION IN ONTARIO Wholesale supplier of quality landscape lighting products. 190 Bovaird Dr. (Hwy. 7 West) Units 53-54 Brampton, ON L7A 1A2 Toll Free: 1-877-874-1022 Tel: (905) 874-1022 • Fax: (905) 874-0095 www.estatelighting.ca info@estatelighting.ca WHOLESALE TREE NURSERY Growing caliper shade trees and evergreens. Custom tree basketing. Contact us for availability and pricing. STAM NURSERIES INC. 593836 Hwy 59, RR 2 Burgessville, ON N0J 1C0 Ph. (519) 424-3350 • Fax (519) 456-1659 E-mail: info@stamnurseries.com www.stamnurseries.com

TO ADVERTISE: Full details online at www.landscapetrades.com/classifieds Deadline: 10th day of the month prior to publication. Space limited to a first-come, first-served basis.

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Atlas Block Co Ltd 29

PAGE

800-461-0208

info@atlasblock.com

www.atlashardscapes.com

Beaver Valley Stone 38

416-222-2424

info@beavervalleystone.com

www.beavervalleystone.com

Bobcat 17

infocenter@bobcat.com

www.bobcat.com

Caledon Treeland 28

800-268-9516

treeland@treeland.ca

www.treeland.ca

Chrylser Canada 9

519-973-2000

www.chryslercanada.ca

CORE Outdoor Power 27

406-883-2673

sales@coreoutdoorpower.com

www.coreoutdoorpower.com

Cut Above Natural Stone 23

888-557-7625

cutabovestone@live.ca

www.cutabovenaturalstone.com

Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd 15

905-845-2511

www.ford.ca

G & L Group 10

888-907-7258

seany@gandlgroup.com

www.gandlgroup.com

Gravely 2

800-472-8359

info@ariens.com

www.gravely.com

Greenhorizons Group of Farms Ltd 33

519-653-7494

info@justsodit.com

www.justsodit.com

Isuzu Commercial Trucks 21

www.isuzutruck.ca

Kubota Canada Ltd 13

905-294-7477

info@kubota.ca

www.kubota.ca

L&R Shelters 35

866-216-4113

info@lrshelters.ca

www.lrshelters.ca

Munger Lawnscape Inc 31

519-738-2571

jmunger@mnsi.net

www.mungerlawnscape.com

Navascape by Permacon 5

www.navascape.ca

J. Lockwood Chrysler Ltd 24

289-644-2250

fmackenzie@lockwoodchrysler.com

www.lockwoodchrysler.com

Oregon Association of Nurseries 30

800-342-6401

info@oan.org

www.oan.org

Permacon Group Inc 40

800-463-9278

www.permacon.ca

Pro Landscape by Drafix Software 25

800-231-8574

www.prolandscape.com

Steiner 32

866-469-1242

www.steinersnow.com

Thames Valley Brick 34

905-637-6997

info@thamesvalleybrick.com

www.thamesvalleybrick.com

The Salt Depot 22

905-479-1177

info@saltdepot.ca

www.saltdepot.ca

Tillson Brands Inc 39

855-284-8508

www.tillsonbrands.com

Unilock Ltd 11

800-UNILOCK

georgetown@unilock.com

www.unilock.com

Wacker Neuson Limited 19

905-795-1661

wacker.canada@wackerneuson.com

www.wackerneuson.com

Zander Sod Co Ltd 18

877-727-2100

info@zandersod.com

www.zandersod.com

sales@prolandscape.com

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38 | JULY-AUGUST 2013 | LANDSCAPE TRADES