North Coast Journal CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION june is awards month for NCC
Winners from years past pictured above, stay tuned for the 2011 Achievement Awards results in the July Journal
North Coast Chapter - Events Calendar June 10th - 2011 Achievement Awards – Flamingo Ballroom – Santa Rosa
CLCA North Coast Chapter
www.clcanorthcoastchapter.org
JUNE 2011
PRESORTED STANDARD MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #105 PETALUMA, CA
CLCA North Coast Chapter P.O. Box 1621 Sebastopol, CA 95473
RESPECT THE EARTH…
RECYCLE
JUNE 2011 In this Issue PAGE 2 ………….Shady Characters PAGE 4…………..Green Roof Industry Grows PAGE 6…...........HR Alert from Larry Levy PAGE 9…………..Power of Chicken Poop PAGE 11………….Sustainable Parking Landscape Design PAGE 15……….…Outlast & Outshine the Competition – Vicki Suiter PAGE 18………….Making Time in the Office a Less Gloomy Experience PAGE 19………….Bamboo Sourcery - Re-Opens PAGE 20………....Electric Maintenance “This Publication is Printed on Recycled Paper” North Coast Chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association
CLCA North Coast Chapter Presents the 2 nd Annual
A Portion of Proceeds to benefit the LEAF Scholarship Fund
Thursday July 21, 2011 - Foxtail Golf Club North Course, 100 Golf Course Drive Rohnert Park
Best Ball Shotgun Tournament- Registration & Lunch start at 11:30 – 1:00pm
www.clcanorthcoastchapter.org/golf
Sharp Tee-off
Presented with the support of our CLCA North Coast Partners
PLEASE RSVP BY JULY 1st - PAY ONLINE WITH PAYPAL Sponsorships (check box)
Tournament Registration $110
Includes green fee, cart, range balls, balls & marker, lunch, and 1 raffle ticket! Additional Raffle Tickets $5 – Mulligans $5 Great Prizes for the Top Placing Teams! Long Drive, Closest to Pin Competitions, and More! Total Tournament Entries @ $110
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Hole Sponsors: with your company name at the tee box, recognition in the North Coast Journal, and profile in the Tournament Program CLCA Associate Members $150 Contractor Members $150 Non-Members $200 Return Sponsor Discount $125 (Save $25)
Total Mulligans
@ $5 ea. or 5 for $20 ______
Long Drive/Closest to Pin $150
Total Raffle Tickets
@ $5 ea. / 5 for $20 ______
Sponsorship Total
_________________________
Gold Sponsor $500 Golf for 4 players & Hole Sponsorship
TOTAL ENCLOSED
_________________________
Name on Hole Sponsor
_________________________
Contact Info _____________________________________ Phone
_____________________________________
Golfer Names: 1234-
Mail Registration Form & Check to: CLCA North Coast Chapter PO Box 1621 Sebastopol, CA 95473 Questions? Email: Michael O’Connell at clcawebadmin@clcanorthcoastchapter.org or call 415-720-0029
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Acer shirasawanum ‘Moonrise’
Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Inaba Shidare’
Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’
Shady Characters By Tobias Kane – Sweet Lane Wholesale Nursery Typically when you have shaded areas in need of landscaping, the first things to come to mind are broadleaf or evergreen material, leaving an absence of color, excitement, and intrigue. Thinking outside the box and incorporating some unusual and rare species can be an excellent way to spice up dim parts of the landscape. Shady areas can present a challenge when it comes to capturing interest and creating inspiration. Color can be a way add beauty and make shady areas a majestic focal point in the landscape. The challenge comes with what material will tolerate and perform in these areas and also add interest. There are the old standbys, camellia, rhododendron, and azalea. There are a number of other choices to add to your shaded plant palette. Some fun and different ideas would include Choisya Sundance, Black Mondo Grass, Pieris Japonica (several varieties), and Daphne Eternal Fragrance. The Eternal Fragrance Daphne will continually re-bloom throughout the season keeping plant a constant eye catcher. Suggestions for trees in shaded areas would be multiple Cornus varieties including Constellation, Chinensis, Celestial, Milk Way, and Stellar Pink. There are numerous other Cornus that merit exploration. Their flowering characteristics make them an excellent means for display. Japanese maple are another suggestion worthy of further consideration. Acer shirasawanum ‘Moonrise’, Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’, Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Inaba Shidare’, ‘Garnet’, ‘Viridis’, ‘Waterfall’, and ‘Ever Red’ are not as common as some other Japanese Maple varieties. These want protection from direct afternoon sun, ideally a shady area. In addition, most of these varieties will stay fairly small. The best way to find information on any of these items is to call or visit your local nursery or garden center that carry some atypical products. Sweet Lane Wholesale Nursery has a broad selection of shade tolerant material that will keep designers and homeowners alike, fascinated. Feel free to call and talk with one of our professional sales staff, or better yet, stop in for a tour! If business keeps you too busy, at anytime you can quickly visit www.sweetlanenursery.com to check our online availability. You can also register for a password on our website. This will grant you access to pricing in addition to just the availability. Don’t forget to use some shady characters to enhance dimly light parts of your landscape. Cornus kousa chinensis
Pieris ‘Forest Flame’
Page 3 North Coast Chapter Board Members
Immediate – Past President Charlie Thompson Cagwin & Dorward (415) 892-7710 Charlie.Thompson@cagwin.com President Charlie Thompson Cagwin & Dorward (415) 892-7710 Charlie.Thompson@cagwin.com Secretary Lyndsey Kornmaier Coast Landscape Mgmt. (707) 332-8999 lyndsey@coastlm.com Treasurer Lisa Stratton Cagwin & Dorward (415) 798-1753 lisa.stratton@cagwin.com Web Guru & Golf Guy Michael O’Connell O’Connell Landscape (707) 462-9729 ocl@oclandscape.com
Associate Member Chair Kevin Kohl Ewing Irrigation (707) 457-9530 kkohl@ewing1.com Membership Co-Chairs Jeff Hausman Gardenworks, Inc. (707) 974-5799 jeff@gardenworksinc.com CLT State Committee Liaison Dave Iribarne City of Petaluma (707) 778-4591 diribarne@ci.petaluma.ca.us Programs Chair Ben Kopshever Sonoma Mountain Landscape (707) 695-2429 sonoma_mountain3@msn.com Legislative Chair Kjell Kallman Grab n’ Grow (707) 333-7694 kjell@soilandrocks.com
Education Chair Salvador Ledezma Jr. Gardenworks, Inc (707) 974-5800 slj@gardenworks-inc.com Chapter General Board Members Jeff Jones John Deere Landscapes (925) 595-6115 jjones@johndeerelandscapes.com Luis Lua Cagwin & Dorward (415) 720-6624 lelua99@yahoo.com Will Jenkel Lampson Tractor (707) 206-2294 wjenkel@lampsontractor.com Owen Mitchell Mitchell Landscapes (415) 717-6214 mitchland@att.net Tyler Doherty Cal West Rentals (707) 694-9108 tyler@calwestrentals.com
Awards Chair Brigid Flagerman Bertotti Landscaping (415) 720-0065 brigidf@bertotti.com
North Coast CLCA Executive Director & Journal Editor
Connie Salinas P.O. Box 1621 Sebastopol, CA 95473 Phone 707-829-5487 Fax 707-829-5487 heyconniesalinas@hotmail.com
CLCA 2010 State Officers PRESIDENT Robert Wade, CLP,CLIA Wade Landscape Phone: (949) 494-2130 WLI2006@gmail.com PRESIDENT-ELECT Eric Watanabe Majestic Pools & Landscape (818) 831-1390 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sharon McGuire Phone: (800) 448-2522, ext. 13 FAX: (916) 446-7692 sharonmcguire@clca.org
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Green Roof Industry Grows 28.5 Percent in 2010 In the Top Ten US Metropolitan Regions List, Chicago led the way for the seventh year in a row, with more than 500,000 square feet installed, followed closely by Washington, DC. Courtesy of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
The green roof industry grew by 28.5 per cent over the course of 2010, up significantly from 16 percent growth recorded in 2009! Green Roofs for Healthy Cities announced the results of its 2011 Annual Industry Survey of Corporate Members. ''Government investment in green roofs for their stormwater, air quality, green space and city cooling benefits largely fuels the growth of our industry,'' said Steven W. Peck, Founder and President of GRHC. ''Cities such as Chicago, Washington, New York, Portland, Seattle and Philadelphia continue to lead the way with incentives and regulations that recognize the many benefits from green roofs, including much needed green jobs in their communities.'' According to Peck, Chicago is proud of its progress in promoting and installing green roofs especially considering the many benefits they provide in support of the Chicago Climate Action Plan. Benefits include: stormwater capture, building insulation, local heat island reduction and new green space for people and wildlife. "It's very gratifying to see the District at #2 nationwide, but no surprise!'' said Christophe A.G. Tulou, Director of the Washington District Department of the Environment Department. ''The District government and our property owners, developers, and residents citywide have embraced green roof technology for its many benefits. And we are really just getting started!'' - Courtesy of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Ecological Benefits... Mitigates Urban Heat Island: Green roofs cool and humidify the surrounding air creating a microclimate which has beneficial effects within the immediate area. Natural Habitat for Animals and Plants: Green roofs create biodiversity, encouraging wildlife, such as birds, butterflies and insects, to remain within urban areas. Reduction of Dust and Smog Levels: Green roof vegetation helps to fi lter out dust and smog particles. Nitrates and other aerosol contaminants are absorbed out of the air and rainfall and bound within the soil Technical Benefits... Storm Water Retention: Depending on the design, a green roof can typically reduce storm water run-off by 50 to 90%. Additionally, the peak flow volume is greatly reduced and the peak flow period is delayed by as much as 4 hours, minimizing the impact on existing sewer systems. Additional Thermal Resistance: Green roofs can improve the thermal resistance of the roof assembly throughout the year, especially in summer months by helping to reduce cooling costs. Reduced noise levels: Typical extensive green roofs (3” - 4” growing media) reduce reflective sound by up to 3 dB and improve sound insulation by up to 8 dB. This is most effective with buildings near airports, factories or busy freeways. Owner Benefits... Increased Life Expectancy of the Roof: A green roof, much like a PMR (Protected Membrane Roof ) Assembly, protects the roof membrane from climatic extremes and physical abuse, thereby greatly increasing the life expectancy of the roof. Additional Usable Space: Converting or designing normally unused roof areas into green roofs, simply makes sense. Increase your property value by reclaiming the fifth elevation of a building and make it an amenity to be used by the buildings occupants.
Building Incentives: More and more municipalities and other government agencies are providing incentives that can help off-set the cost of a green roof.
Page 5 URBAN & RESIDENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF GREEN ROOFS
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H.R. ALERT April 2011 Larry Levy - Employee Relations Management
Don’t Sing Me those Paycheck Blues I recently attended an employment law briefing and was shocked to learn the liability and penalties employers face when they do not provide accurate information or omit information on the employee’s paycheck stub. Like others I assumed this is the responsibility of your payroll vendor. Not so. It’s your responsibility. Further, there is an employee-friendly California law that “deputizes” (not my term) plaintiff’s attorneys to file claims against employers who violate federal and state wage and hour laws – the Private Attorney General’s Act (“P.A.G.A.”). This is considered a Wage & Hour law. So, the following are the nine pieces of information that must be located on every employee’s paycheck stub (Remember, you must have all nine pieces of information on each pay stub): 1. The name of the employee and the last four digits of his/her Social Security number. It is illegal to print the employee’s complete social security number after January 1, 2008. 2. The name and address of the legal entity that is the employer. You must identify the actual legal name of the employer to facilitate an employee attempting to contact his/her actual employer. 3. The gross wages earned. 4. The total hours worked. Eliminate for your exempt employees, i.e., supervisors, managers, owner, etc. 5. The number of piece-rate units and the rate per unit (if paid by the piece rate). Remember you must have employees complete a time card even if they are compensated on a piece-rate basis. 6. All deductions authorized by the employee. The individual deductions and the amount deducted from the paycheck need to be itemized. 7. The net wages earned. 8. Inclusive dates of the payroll period. Note the actual days worked. 9. All applicable hourly rates and the number of hours worked in each rate, i.e., 80 hours of work at his/her regular rate of pay of $25.00 per hour and 5 hours of work subject to the overtime rate of $37.50 per hour, etc. Please do not depend upon your payroll service to provide this information. Providing information relative to an employee’s accrued paid vacation and sick leave is discretionary. Yes, everything we are discussing is in section 226 of the California Labor Code. Larry Levy – Employee Relations Mgmt. – (415) 892-1497
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The North Coast Chapter’s 2011 partners We would like to thank and acknowledge the following for signing on with our new Sponsorship Program thus far!!! DIAMOND PARTNERS Hunter/FX Luminaire Wyatt Irrigation PLATINUM PARTNERS John Deere Landscapes Ewing Irrigation GOLD PARTNERS LCIS CONTRACTOR PARTNERS Cagwin & Dorward (2) Gardenworks Inc.
Stink bug spread worries growers across nation An insect with a voracious appetite, no domestic natural predators and a taste for everything from apples to lima beans has caused millions of dollars in crop damage and may just be getting started.
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Power of chicken poop Did you know that more than two million local Sonoma County chickens can produce enough poop to produce 1.4 megawatts of power and a large volume of clean biogas for local gas users - that's enough to meet up to 33 percent of the Sonoma County Water Agency's total energy base needs. FARMS TO FUEL PROJECT Project Overview A proposed project to generate power through the digestion of manure from nearly 2 million Sonoma County egg laying chickens. A 1.4 MW fuel cell will convert some of the biogas to clean electricity while the remaining biogas will be sold for use elsewhere. Environmental Benefits
Represents up to $55M direct capital investment in the business park. Assists in developing a technology and innovation industry Reduces Water Agency’s dependence on fossil fuels by producing 1.4 MW of power meeting 25 – 33% of Water Agency’s total base needs. Nutrient rich byproduct of anaerobic digestion will be used as organic fertilizer. Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 4,000 tons/year, by creating a clean source of power generation for the Water Agency. Reduction of pollutants in waterways due to runoff of excess nutrients from the land application of chicken waste as fertilizer.
Environmental Impacts
5 covered trucks per day entering the facility with chicken manure. 21 additional vehicles for employees and operations. Air drawing from the processing buildings would be passed through odor scrubbers to eliminate odors.
Economic Benefits
Represents up to $55M direct capital investment in the business park. Assists in developing a technology and innovation industry in Sonoma County. Provides 36 permanent jobs and 94 temporary jobs during construction.
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Wholesale
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Sustainable Parking Landscape Design By Buck Abbey, ASLA and Robert Reich, School of Landscape Architecture, Louisiana State University This “green parking lot” is in Mandeville, Louisiana. “Green Parking means parking areas that do environmental work, parking areas that incorporate energy efficiency, water conservation, waste minimization, pollution prevention and the use and recycling of resource efficient materials and outdoor environmental quality in respect to air, water, soils, wildlife and visual quality.”— Buck Abbey, ASLA
Much has been said and quite a bit written about green building, which is changing the way communities are designed. LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design), started by the USGBC less than a decade ago, centers on designing and constructing high performance buildings. LEED design standards are being adopted into local building codes. A good example is Cal Green (California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 11), aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of buildings. Many think the old building technology partially impacts global climate change. Among the principles that lead to a high-performance building are those that reduce the use of indoor water, reduce the use of outdoor water for irrigation and repurpose or recycle construction waste to keep it from going to landfills. There are also mandatory reductions in energy use for heating, air conditioning and mechanical equipment. CalGreen even requires the use of low-pollutant emitting interior finish materials in paint, carpeting, flooring and particle board, i.e., materials containing volatile organic compounds (VOC). Even manufactured products used in these buildings must be constructed to meet certain green standards to reduce energy usage and to make healthier environment for people. Cal Green includes some code changes that will affect the design of parking areas. These changes include car sorting, which gives preference in location to eco-cars. Parking locations will be signed in a manner similar to ADA accessible parking spaces. (Editor’s note: Should ordinances be concerned with saving healthy drivers of hybrid cars a few extra steps in the parking lot?) Parking lots are also to be designed to encourage the use of alternative transportation. Bicycle parking and storage become an element of parking lot design. (CALGreen Section: 5.106.5.2) These minor actions have been used in local jurisdictions, but for the first time have been included in state law. These small steps can be seen as changing the way parking lots are designed, perhaps for the first time since the 1940s. Chicago is quite interested in green building. This is most evident in the Chicago Climate Plan that is making changes to urban design, waste, stormwater, transportation and public landscapes and the urban forest canopy of the city. From this plan a Green Urban Design Plan has emerged which is aimed at making the city more sustainable. The Chicago policy rests upon several principles. Chicago’s environmental agenda includes three main goals: conserving and protecting natural resources, promoting environmentally-friendly lifestyles and leading by example by incorporating healthy environmental practices into the everyday work of government. Much is being done to promote the development of green roof technology for a variety of building types.
Page 12 Parking lots are one of the most dominate urban land uses, yet ecologically sterile, with very low levels of productivity. They merely store cars for part of the day. This one also “stores” water. What was not mentioned, and is seldom mentioned in green building strategy is green parking. I have not found policy that leads to the design of green parking lots. In fact, one of the little secrets of the green movement is very few people, including many landscape architects, do not know exactly what green parking is, or can be. Even when your search for definition, little information is available. No one seems to be working to define green parking as anything more than porous paving, which is a definition created and used by the EPA several years ago. Green Parking Lots Several months ago I crafted a story about the LSU AgCenter Sustainable Landscaping initiative, often referred to as Louisiana Yards & Neighborhood Program. In that story I challenged the reader to assess their Sustainability I.Q. I wanted to know if the green industry in Louisiana is embracing the green movement that is spreading across the United States. You won’t have much luck in identifying green parking lot design strategy in the South. Since we are teaching sustainable landscape design at LSU, I wanted to take the time to write about one of my favorite subjects, or should I say one of my pet peeves: parking lots. Parking lots are one of the most dominate urban land uses, yet they are ecologically sterile with a very low level of productivity. They merely store cars for part of the day. At lectures around the country I note that parking lots and teenagers have one thing in common: They both lay around without doing any work. The comment is usually received with a chuckle, except when I make the comment at a university. The students are silent. I guess they don’t see the humor in being compared to a parking lot. But the raw fact remains, parking lots in cities seldom do anything but store cars.
A Definition of Green Parking Green parking is a concept not well understood in the United States at this time, even though great ideas to form the concept are available. Few people write about green parking. The literature is scant. Few green parking lots have been constructed. But what do we know about this idea? We do have several definitions of what green parking is thought to be. EPA definition: “Green parking lot is a term increasingly used to describe parking lots that may incorporate a variety of environmentally preferable features, including a minimized footprint and/or impervious surfaces, stormwater best management practices (BMPs) and alternative parking surface materials.” This definition just a few years ago only mentioned porous paving. We are making progress. Stormwatercenter.net: “Green parking refers to several techniques applied together to reduce the contribution of parking lots to the total impervious cover in a lot.” City of Seattle: “Green parking lots reduce runoff that is discharged into local water bodies by using permeable paving and natural drainage landscapes such as bio-swales, rain gardens and bioengineered planting strips.”
San Mateo County: “There is a lot of variability in how a ‘green street’ or ‘green parking lot’ is defined. They include streets and parking lots designed with a landscape and or paving system that capture, slows, filters, and potentially infiltrates stormwater runoff. Green streets and parking lots provide stormwater reduction and water quality benefits to runoff before discharging to local creeks.”
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(707) 792-5008 ed@sweetlanenursery.com
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Outlast and Outshine the Competition! Five Secrets for Landscape Contractors to Come Out on Top when the Competition, Prospects and Clients are Trying to Knock Them Down By Vicki Suiter If your prospects and customers are pinching pennies, and you feel the competition breathing down your neck, it's easy to think the only way to get business in the door is to cut your prices. Think again. Take these five steps to clear out your competition, gain control of the selling process and keep your profits up too! Secret 1: Get clear about what you can cut in costs before you consider cutting prices. Reducing prices without reducing costs will bankrupt you. Before you reduce your prices, look for ways to cut your costs. Then, if you do cut your prices, it will not be at the cost of your profits. Here are some key ways to do that:
Increase production inefficiencies. Increasing efficiency in job production will allow you to bid more competitively. Fewer trips to Home Depot are a good start! Reduce labor costs. Make sure your field people are clear about the hours you've budgeted for a project by phase and task . Manage them to keep to the budget. Cut material costs. Negotiate better prices on materials with vendors. Remove duplication and confusion. Make sure everyone involved in your process, from suppliers to staff and customers, are on the same page. Being clear on scope and schedule are two critical drivers for keeping costs under control.
Secret 2: Give prospects a good reason to do business with you. People like to do business with people they know and trust. The best way to build trust is to behave in ways that show people they can count on you.
State what you will do and do it. By doing this, you will build credibility and a reputation for reliability. That includes showing up on time to meetings and following through with the agreements you make. Tell the truth—even when you make mistakes. Being up front with people and being willing to ”have the hard conversations” at the front end makes for less painful and resentful conversations at the back end. Tell the whole story. Don't just tell prospective clients what you think they want to hear, or what sounds good. Make sure they understand the short- and long-term consequences of their decisions.
Secret 3: Have a clear plan when you go into a meeting with a prospect. The more prepared you are when you walk into a meeting with a prospect, the more in control you will be of the meeting. This helps build confidence with your prospect.
Be prepared. Find out as much as you can about your customer before the meeting. It will reflect your professionalism and they will appreciate that you did not walk in cold.
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Know their issues. Plan to have a phone conversation with them before the first meeting, so you can get out their concerns and what they have in mind about a project they want to do with you. Create a written meeting agenda and follow it. Making this part of your sales process and asking good questions (see Secret #4) will allow you to get clear on what the prospect wants and give you information that will support having a competitive edge. Honor their time. Arrive on time. Complete on time. Let them know you know their time is valuable.
Secret 4: Ask questions that will give you and the prospect greater clarity about scope and desired outcome
Asking questions that elicit what is not working for a prospect and finding out what they would like before you offer a solution can set you apart from the competition and put you heads above the rest. Find out what's NOT working that got them to call you. Ask what they would like to happen. Always do this before you start to offer a solution to their problem. In this way, you can customized your solution (see next step) so it addresses what they don’t want and what they do want. Offer a compelling solution. When you are clear about what the prospect wants, tell them how you can provide the solution they have just asked for, and then ask them if they would like you to proceed with helping them implement that solution by giving them a quote or bid. This gets them in the ‘yes’ mindset with you – always a good sales strategy.
At the end of the meeting, ask when they would like to get the bid from you. Let them know your process includes meeting with them face-to-face to go over the bid. It is a fact that contractors who deliver bids in person, review them with a prospect and follow up have a higher close rate.
Secret 5: Make it clear how much people love you! Let your customers do the talking about how great you are. This will carry much more weight than if you tell them.
Have a current list of satisfied clients willing to talk about you. Ask past clients what you did right; then, ask them to put it in writing. Ask happy customers to introduce you to people they know. Feature testimonials in all information packets you provide prospects in your first meeting. (Don’t have an information packet? Start providing one.)
These five secrets for outshining and outlasting the competition will help you build trust in business relationships, sustain profitability and become the provider more customers choose. You will gain greater control over the sales process and see your close rate go up! About the author: As a business consultant and coach to the construction industry for over 20 years, Vicki has helped hundreds of contractors realize an appreciable increase in profits and cash flows. She does this by developing solid strategic, financial plans and feedback systems that get results. She works with owners and managers to create alignment in teams and to build cultures of accountability – which is key to building a sustainably successful company! As a business coach, Vicki’s straight-forward style helps business owners and managers maintain clarity and focus on what they need to do to reach their goals. Vicki earned her degree in business and finance from Dominican University and is a certified business coach and trainer. Visit Vicki’s website and get a FREE CD on “Increasing Your Bottom Line. . . NOW!” – www.suiterfinancial.com. You can also email Vicki with questions at vicki@suiterfinancial.com.
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Ewing’s Ghilardi and Veltri to Support NorCal Contractors Green Industry professionals have two new resources for solving turf andlandscape challenges. Northern California landscape contractors will receive increased service, support and solutions with the addition of two turf and agronomic sales representatives. Ewing has charged Doug Ghilardi, turf and agronomic sales representative, and Steve Veltri, residential and commercial sales representative, with helping Green Industry professionals efficiently run and grow their businesses. With over 25 years of experience in various facets of turf and agronomy, Doug Ghilardi will serve as an information resource and solutions provider for landscape professionals in the South Bay area. “I look forward to utilizing my experience to assist customers in making product choices that will increase project efficiency and improve their agronomic practices,” says Ghilardi.
Presidio on Schedule to be “First Self-Sustaining National Park” According to a residential leasing site, the Presidio features 21 distinctive neighborhoods. The Baker Beach neighborhood, across the street from the Pacific Ocean and coastal bluffs, was constructed in 1953. The refurbished military housing here is 4, 6 and 8-plex apartment structures with 2, 3 and 4-bedroom units. A minimum monthly rate for 3-bedroom, 1-bath unit (840 sq. ft.) is $2, In 1846, the Presidio in San Francisco became a U.S. Army post. In 1994, the Presidio was transferred to the National Park Service as the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Presidio is a National Historic Landmark, with 470 structures classified “historic.” It also has 300 acres of forests. In 1996, Congress created the Presidio Trust to preserve the former Army base facility at the footsteps of the Golden Gate Bridge, and to make the Presidio the first self-sustaining national park by 2013. To do that, all that old Army housing needed to be overhauled and occupied with civilians. In 1996, residential tenants began moving in. To date, 1,072 of the former Army housing units have been overhauled. Ninety-five percent of the housing administered by the Presidio Trust is occupied, and 85 percent of the commercial space leased. Homeless advocates envisioned a lot of the refurbish housing going to put a roof over the heads of homeless people, a population that abounds in the heart of the city. Eighteen percent of the residential housing is earmarked for lowerincome residents, but to quality, they must work in the Presidio. The park housing has mostly gone to mid to highincome residents. One home of a former general costs $25,000 a month.
The Trust reportedly has revenues of $90 million each year: $40 million in residential rents, $20 million in commercial rents, and $20 million from federal appropriations.
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Making Time in the Office a Less Gloomy Priority By Jonathan Goldhill You undoubtedly went into landscaping partly because you wanted to work outdoors rather than be stuck in an office behind a desk all day under fluorescent lighting doing paper work. You probably resented school because it kept you from being outside working with your hands. You’re a visual person that finds beauty being outdoors and in nature. Going inside to do the record keeping side of your business gives you that same feeling of having to do homework. You probably resent that this is part of running your business. You’d prefer to be in motion. The unfortunate part when you’re trying to run your own business is that you do have to spend some time indoors. The homework never goes away entirely. Unless you can afford to have all that done for you, you have to find time to not be in motion. Even if someone else is taking care of the record keeping, you still need to check in from time to time to make sure everything is being done correctly. As a business coach, I’m the first to tell you how much I appreciate being outside and not in the office doing administrative work. Unless I’m inside doing actual phone coaching or leading a webinar, I’d rather out on the road meeting with clients and prospects. I also like to be in motion. Over the years I’ve found ways to create incentives for myself so that sitting at my desk doing paper work is not the worst thing in the world. I’m going to share with you some techniques I use to make myself stay inside and do my homework. 1) Reward yourself for taking the time to sit down and focus on the paper work. Sit down with a cup of coffee, beverage or snack so that you’re getting a little extra boost of dopamine to the brain. 2) Place photos of your loved ones at your desk. Remind yourself visually of why you’re in business for yourself. The people in the pictures may be depending on you to do the paper work so that you keep bringing in money to pay for the things you all enjoy doing together. 3) Bring some of nature inside to your office area. Have plants near or on your desk. Place your desk near a window if possible. Get a fish aquarium. 4) Remember how great it will feel to know that you got job costing, budgeting, work estimates and proposals behind you. This feels better than to be in the field, knowing that your business is suffering because of poor record keeping. 5) Have a priority list in your head so that your office work takes less time. You can go in, do what needs to be done and get back in the field. 6) Remind yourself that sometimes that for your business to move ahead in an organized fashion, you can’t always be in motion. 7) Be grateful for the office work. It’s always amazing what gratitude can do for your perception. The occasional office work is part of what allows you to keep the business going so that you’re not forced to go look for a job. You can’t guarantee that the job you might have to take wouldn’t keep you inside all day everyday. 8) Remember you can always stand and not sit when at your desk. If you’re desk isn’t high enough, then find a desk or flat surface area that it is. This way you feel less confined. Maybe confinement is why you resent going into the office in the first place. Effective business owners evaluate what provides them with long-term meaning and short-term happiness. They don’t spend all their time avoiding the underpinnings of what keep their business running smoothly. Taking some time to work “ON” your business and not just “IN” it will save you time and aggravation in the long run. You owe it to yourself, clients and employees to make some time for the office. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Jonathan Goldhill, The Growth Coach, coaches the owners and managers of privately-held, family-owned businesses. His webinar groups, company retreats for owners, managers and salespeople help landscape and service businesses grow their sales, profits and build better teams. Jonathan can be reached at (818) 716-8826 or Jon@TheGrowthCoachLA.com. To learn more about his unique coaching programs and services, visit www.TheGrowthCoachLA.com
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Bamboo Sourcery Nursery and Gardens, Sebastopol, CA
YES! WE HAVE RE-OPENED! Same location – Same ownership…
New Office Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday 9-4. Customer Hours: By Appointment. Phone 707-823-5866 - Fax 707-829-8106 Check our website for new services and developments: www.BambooSourcery.com
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Electric Maintenance According to the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, there are now reliable alternatives to the traditional gas-powered lawn mowers and other yard maintenance equipment. With the cost of gas rising and more homeowners and commercial bussinesses concerned about reducing emissions, the timing is right for these greener machines. Well-known manufacturers like Toro, Green Works, Black & Decker and Stihl have all introduced batteryoperated models of lawn mowers and other outdoor equipment. Benefits: No emissions Quieter operation No maintenance No more changing oil or replacing spark plugs or air filter No worries about gas getting stale and clogging the carburetor No E15 gas worries When you add up the cost savings on maintenance alone over the lifetime of the equipment, battery powered is more cost effective. When you add up the time you save not doing maintenance chores, battery powered is time productive. The length of the charge is the only real downside to battery-powered equipment. But improvements in battery life are increasing. Once charged, most equipment will run long enough to mow the lawn on a quarter-acre lot. With several manufacturers now selling this equipment, there are options to choose from. Some mowers are mulching mowers. Some are self-propelled and there are push mowers. Other traditional maintenance equipment is also available now as battery-powered machines. Blowers, hedge trimmers and grass trimmers all come in gas-free models. They typically use either lithium-ion batteries, which are light-weight and hold a charge well or NiCad batteries which tend to perform best in extreme temperatures-either hot or cold. It's good to know the battery pros and cons based on your own needs when you select equipment. Heavy-duty equipment that must run all day to mow expansive areas like ball fields and office parks is still in the research and development stage. Toro, for example, has introduced a batter-powered golf-green mower that holds a charge up to 3 hours.
4-H Projects Funded Through a Gift From CLCA Through a gift from the California Landscape Contractors’ Association (CLCA) through The California 4H Foundation, the State 4-H Office is pleased to fund local projects that combine water quality/conservation with landscaping, gardening, environmental restoration, reforestation, and other environmental areas of study.
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Russ Clarke Sales Representative
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Photo by Steve Hewett
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LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED NURSERY 4330 Bodega Avenue, Petaluma, CA 94952 Phone: (707) 778-0136 Fax: (707) 778-0633