July August 2014 Landscape Trades

July-August 2014 VOL. 36, NO. 6

landscapetrades.com

Students build African soil Transparent, and motivating, sales targets Contractors: Go by the contract!

TO

EXCELLENCE Cheers to Canada’s landscape award winners

PM40013519

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Contents

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 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS REPRESENTATIVE Greg Sumsion | gsumsion@landscapeontario.com COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Angela Lindsay | alindsay@landscapeontario.com ADVISORY COMMITTEE Gerald Boot CLP, Paul Brydges, Laura Catalano, Hank Gelderman CHT, Marty Lamers, Jan Laurin, 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, Myscha Burton, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Jane Leworthy, Heather MacRae, Allie McInnes, Kristen McIntyre CHT, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Paul Ronan, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh

JULY-AUGUST 2014 VOL. 36, NO. 6

Horticulture students from Fanshawe College make a difference in a Kenyan Community.

FEATURES 6 Praise from peers A portfolio of landscape award winners across Canada 12 Building sustainable soil in Africa Fanshawe hort students share best practices in Kenya

COLUMNS 16 SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING Eco opportunities abound in green industry

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

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Copyright 2014. 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.

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

BY MICHAEL PASCOE

BY SEAN JAMES

18 LEGAL MATTERS Follow the contract to navigate scope of work

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

20 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS How to set sales goals that actually motivate

BY MARK BRADLEY

22 ROAD TO SUCCESS Business advice from the trenches

BY ROD McDONALD

DEPARTMENTS GREEN PENCIL NEW PRODUCTS INDUSTRY NEWS CNLA NEWS PROVINCIAL NEWS COMING EVENTS CLASSIFIEDS WHERE TO FIND IT

4 26 28 31 32 33 33 34 ON THE COVER: du Paysage, JULY-AUGUST 2014Les| Artisans LANDSCAPE TRADES | Québec 3

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greenpencil

Outperforming big business during lean times

Family business rocks The federal government added another layer of bureaucracy for Canadian companies in July with the implementation of the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). While not aimed directly at smalland medium-sized companies, it is the small, familyrun businesses that will feel the most pressure from the new law. Maintaining a clean contact list is a relentless task, and CASL has added another layer of paperwork and record-keeping to a never-ending job. Family businesses tend to run lean, and compliance with CASL will be time-consuming and costly.

Frankly however, the jury is out

By Sarah Willis on the success of this initiative; my inbox and I haven’t noticed a difference in the volume of unsolicited email yet.

We hear from green industry companies that they are swamped with paperwork, government bureaucracy, regulations, permits and keeping up with technology. Updated workplace safety and transportation regs must be put into place — and keeping on top of local bylaws is a full-time job. And, all that is before they can even start to do the work that makes them money and pays their staff. Every day I see how tough it is for a family businesses to operate in Canada, yet they are a vital part of our economy.

In fact, a pair of academics recently found family businesses more savvy at weathering recession than the corporate world. A Harvard Business Review piece noted that during the 2001 and 2008 recessions, family businesses outperformed professionallymanaged companies; the family-run firms were more proactive and lighter on their feet. Family-run firms did not shy away from new product launches during the recessions. Unlike public corporations, they maintained ad spending throughout the downturns, recognizing the importance of visual presence in the marketplace when times are tough. The family businesses were also less likely to lay off workers, while maintaining an emphasis on social responsibility, through donations and other voluntary initiatives, during down markets.

Another reason for the strength of family business in a recession was concern over the prosperity of the upcoming generations, and the need to preserve the family name through the company. Or, in other words — pride. Familial pride is rooted in every action of the family entrepreneur.

So when government throws more red tape in your path, or you get lost in the labyrinth of permits or are buried in compliance paperwork, you remain in good company. You help drive the success of our country. Take pride in your kinship among the many family-owned companies in Canada, who will beat the economic odds again and again.

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Awards boost engagement from Nova Scotia to B.C.

Pride and recognition T here are many reasons for entering projects in a peer-judged landscape awards program, but a recurring theme among employers is appreciation for the hard work and creative skill of staff.

Jeff Foley of Para Space Landscaping in Burnaby, B.C., is an owner who thinks like this, saying that winning a BCLNA Award of Excellence provides welcome recognition for his staff. “They work really hard, and entering a project that might win an award is a nice way to acknowledge going above and beyond on the job site.”

Recognition in an awards program can also play a marketing function. Foley explains his company does a lot of commercial maintenance, and sometimes targets clients it would like to do more business with, and submits an award for one of the company’s properties already maintained by Paraspace. “Winning an award also solidifies our client relationship a little bit.”

For years, Joe Bidermann of Fall River, N.S., has witnessed the pride and pleasure that winning an award can bring. He has served

as a volunteer judge for the Nova Scotia Landscape Association Awards of Excellence, as well as the CNLA Awards of Excellence program. Three years ago, one of his employees encouraged Bidermann to throw his name into the ring, and enter a project from his own company, Joe Bidermann Landscaping Design (in a category he wasn’t judging).

“Each year we pick projects that are special to us, whether they were particularly challenging, or just a great experience from start to finish, or where we have a great relationship with the client.” Bidermann’s project referrals come only from word of mouth, so he doesn’t actively promote his company’s awards and peer accolades, “but they are in my email signature, and on my website, so clients see them in every communication.”

On the following pages, we present a small portfolio of award winners from Canada’s provincial recognition programs. Congratulations to all the talented and dedicated employees who worked on award-winning projects from coast to coast.

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Quebec

Rossignol, St-AndrĂŠ-Avellin

Alberta

ULS Maintenance & Landscaping, Rocky View

British Columbia

P.E.I. Para Space Landscaping, Burnaby Beyond the Garden Landscaping, Rustico

Ontario

The Landmark Group, Thornbury JULY-AUGUST 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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Newfoundland Nova Scotia

Bowering Gardens, St. John’s

Tracey’s Landscaping, Halifax

Alberta

Peter Hughes Landscape, Calgary

Quebec

Paysage Lambert, Sherbrooke

Saskatchewan

Willow Creek Landscaping, Maidstone 8 | JULY-AUGUST 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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BY MICHAEL PASCOE

Fanshawe students make a difference in a Kenyan community s an avid traveller and botanist, I have always wanted to visit Africa. Childhood memories of the movie Born Free starring Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, as Joy and George Adamson, were indelibly etched in my mind of what this great continent was and is; I had to go there.

Botanically, it is plant fanatic’s paradise with almost all the ecological zones represented coupled with some of the planet’s most unusual plants freely growing — plants that until my recent visit I had only seen in captivity, or pictured in books. Africa is known for its plants, but to an estranged few, what is walking, grazing or sleeping amongst the botanical bounty that Africa is all about. The ‘big five’ of the animal world are lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants and rhinos, all topped off with a profusely rich regional cultural diversity.

Of course you can throw in a few other incidental animals such as giraffes, baboons and giant tortoises, and you have a continent overflowing with discovery.

WIN-WIN AFRICAN ADVENTURE A trip to Africa was on my bucket list, and last summer London, Ont.,-based Fanshawe College secured a grant to take five students and two faculty members on an experience they would never forget. We headed to Kenya in eastern Africa to assist with two projects; one at a school for disabled children in Kissumu, and another in the village of Asembo Bay, working with a woman’s group to improve agricultural practices.

While my Fanshawe colleague and two students headed to Joyland School in Kissumu, I trekked north to Asembo with three students; one to video the experience and two horticultural students to assist with the agricultural project. Asembo lies at the end of the paved road, a 12-hour, tortuous drive northwest of Nairobi, over what in most cases are considered barely impassable tracks. In Asembo, on the edge of Lake Victoria, electricity is sporadic, the Internet non-existent and cell phone coverage even less so. It is at the end of

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the world for my students.

Our task was to assist a group of widowed women to develop and improve agricultural practices, and at the same time to potentially help control an invasive, aquatic plant species affecting the local fishery. Eichhornia crassipes, commonly known as the water hyacinth, is familiar to most of us as a summer pond plant with attractive blue flowers. In Asembo, however, it is a different story; E. crassipes forms large, floating, transient patches of green that choke out the fish habitat, and at times give Lake Victoria

Fanshawe College instructor Michael Pascoe noted how welcoming and appreciative the residents of Asembo Bay were. There was a lot of laughter in the village, particularly when the mazungas (white people) pushed wheelbarrows of water hyacinth debris to build a compost pile at the leaders house.

the appearance of a distant golf course or pasture. Carried by the wind, drifting on the currents and enjoying perfect growing conditions, this introduced pest has become one of Africa’s main botanical thugs.

National governments have tried many approaches to rid the lake of the plant; mechanical harvesting and herbicide applica-

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tions have been the main hit men. But this sneaky little plant needs only a few offspring hiding in the reeds or riding on the waves to repopulate the nutrient-rich waters of Lake Victoria quickly, and that it does.

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The local approach to this plant was not going to be anywhere near as dramatic as the government’s. It involved a few buckets, a machete or two, strong backs and a dexterous hand. Plants were harvested along the shoreline and taken to a yard, where the bladder was severed from the leaves and roots, and then set aside. The bladders enable the plant to float, and are made of a very strong fibre.

When cut into two or three strips and dried in the sun for a day, the strips can be woven into a cord that can be used for a multitude of purposes such as baskets, furniture and mats. In Asembo, every cow and donkey was tethered using locally-made sisal rope, and thus the braided cord from water hyacinth quickly found a use.

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The Fanshawe students and residents of Asembo Bay paddled into Lake Victoria to harvest the water hyacinths that are choking the fish habitats.

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The rest of the plant was not wasted; the thin delicate roots cloaked in rich lake mud, when combined with the nitrogen-rich leaves, became a key ingredient in compost.

Composting and mulching is a completely foreign concept to the Kenyan locals, and for that matter even in Asia, where I spent several years working on a similar project.

Ease of cultivation with simple tools often warrants that the soil be laid bare, free of all interfering debris, and the Western way of chemical fertilizer applications is the intelligent option on these saturated tropical soils.

A few brave, progressive individuals use manure to side dress their corn, with demonstrated results. White corn is made into the porridge-like local staple, ugali, and thus is a very important crop. So when one or two farmers were found to be producing higher yields, villagers took note. One of the last experiences of our three-week visit was trooping through the village, pushing two wheelbarrows of water hyacinth debris, to build a compost pile at the leader’s house. A spectacle to be sure, three mazungas (white people) followed by about 20 children, trailed by our videographer. At the leader’s house we demonstrated how to build a compost pile with the local debris that would usually be burnt. Combining corn stalks, cattle manure and water hyacinth debris, we layered a pile several meters high. In the warm, humid, Af-

Women split the bladders of the water hyacinth with machetes. The tough stalks are used to make twine.

The group from Fanshawe College showed the residents how to turn the unused parts of the plant into compost to augment the local soil.

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rican climate, they would have compost in record time. In the fields close to the lake we encouraged farmers who did not have the time or resources to process water hyacinth, to harvest and put it directly on their rows of corn.

My rubber boots passed me one day, worn by a farmer riding his bike and waving joyfully. As is typical in Africa, everything is shared; possessions, company, family, food and advice. Thus after almost three weeks of living in the village and working alongside the locals, composting and mulching is

gradually taking hold with a diligent few, the occasional donkey sports a necklace of water hyacinth and famers share a pair of green LT rubber boots, size 10.

Michael Pascoe is professor and academic program co-ordinator for the Horticulture Technician and Apprenticeship Horticulture Programs at Fanshawe College in London Ont., and director of The Gardens of Fanshawe College and the A.M. Cuddy Garden.

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sustainablelandscaping

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The green(er) industry

BY SEAN JAMES

I’ve been in the business for 32 years and I think of myself as ‘green.’ As Tony DiGiovanni of Landscape Ontario said, “We are the original green industry.

We will continue to be the green industry forever.” I agree, and I also think we’ve come a long way toward doing Good. If you look down from the CN Tower in Toronto, you’ll see the HUGE urban canopy and the comparatively empty farm fields beyond.

WE did that tree planting. The cities have more trees than the country in many areas.

Take a plane ride across Canada and you’ll see the same in Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancou … well, maybe not Vancouver.

We’re changing in other ways too. For instance, CNLA and Landscape Ontario’s Environmental Stewardship Committee have kick-started many programs such as the Environmental Scorecard which lets companies follow a questionnaire which will help them self-evaluate. This shows them in which areas they’re performing well, and areas to improve. Find your score at http://svy.mk/1pjF46y.

The green industry works closely with the Compost Council of Canada to educate people about composting and soils. We’re part of the Green Infrastructure Coalition that helps assess the monetary value of green infrastructure and educates policy makers, so our cities can become more eco-friendly. We’re part of (here comes a tongue-twister!) the Ontario Invasive Plant Council’s Horticultural Outreach Collaborative, which works to teach people about invasive species and their native and non-invasive counterparts. If you’re interested, you can google Grow Me Instead to get a PDF of what’s been created in some provinces. It’s quite interesting. We’re working more and more with local green groups and horticultural societies as well.

Fuel costs and impacts are becoming a big concern, so we’re learning about ways

to save fuel and help save the environment at the same time. It’s interesting to me that many things that help the environment also save money — some in the short term and some in the long term.

Rain water handling or LID (Low Impact Development) is something that we’re learning about as well and there are huge opportunities for profit there, too. At my company, this accounts for about twenty per cent of our profit and thirty per cent of our outreach/advertising. It’s a growth sector for sure! With hundreds of millions being paid for flood remediation, we can help, and it’s money well spent.

Our customers — and potential customers — are more and more, thanks to the education efforts of our industry, seeing us as a way to not only raise property values, but also to ‘do the right thing.’ They’re realizing that doing the right thing feels good, and they’re willing to spend the money to do it. I’ve always said, “an educated customer is my friend,” and I spend a bit of time with each client showing him the possible benefits of ideas like rain gardens and plantings for pollinators. It’s all over the news. In some cases, the client is more aware than we are!

Our industry has worked with and supported the Native Tree Atlas Project, the Greening Highway Project, Trees for Life —initiated

by Mark Cullen to restore Toronto’s urban canopy — and Maple Leaves Forever, which works to bring native maples back to the Canadian landscape. All these tree initiatives help sequester carbon, reduce the heat island effect (cities heat up faster than other areas due to the lack of shade and hard surfaces absorbing and radiating sunlight) and moderate climate change by evaporative cooling.

We’ve worked with several groups to reduce water use and use irrigation more efficiently. Sixty per cent of the water we purify for drinking (a VERY expensive process)

goes onto the landscape in an inefficient manner. Xeriscaping — drought tolerant landscaping — saves water. Smart irrigation systems monitor the environment and minimize water use.

Our industry groups have worked hard for many years to help us to be more ecofriendly while saving money and increasing profit. These improvements can be used as marketing tools to increase business, upsell existing customers (many parents and kids would love to plant a veggie garden or butterfly garden) and working in the community to educate them while getting your company out in front of the public. Creating gardens at schools is a great way to softly promote your company. It also helps foster a generation that will value landscaping more, as well as possibly attract future employees who’ve been inspired by the work you do.

Doing the right thing feels good. Working with environmental projects gets you more business. Planting trees and creating more permeable landscapes makes our future brighter.

All this makes you more valuable to potential customers. Don’t look at it as a challenge or a burden. Look at it as an opportunity!

(Thanks to Tony DiGiovanni for reminding me how much our industry does to ‘green’ the world.)

Questions about how to do more green landscaping? Email Sean James at sdjames LT @on.aibn.com

Sean James is owner of an Ontario-based environmentally-conscious landscape design/build/maintenance company, an eco-consultant and a popular speaker.

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legalmatters

A case study:

Whose work is it, anyway?

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

In a debacle we are in the middle of, an owner decided to build a retail mall in a small town. In doing so, he lined up a prime tenant to rent two-thirds of the space. The lease between the owner and the tenant set out how the construction costs, including the build-out of the tenant’s space, were to be divided between the two. It provided that the owner would pay its contractor for this work and then seek reimbursement from the tenant for its share of the costs.

Rental rates between the two were agreed upon, based on concept drawings. Unfortunately, the concept drawings provided little detail of how the spaces were to be built out.

The Lease, however, required the owner to provide the tenant with detailed construction drawings for the tenant’s approval. The tenant committed to leave its current space, based on the occupancy date set out in the lease. The owner’s contractor started work on the building, but no construction drawings had been issued for the build-out of the tenant’s space by the time the contractor was ready to move into these areas. Also, delays had been encountered. Accordingly, the tenant (who was under pressure to move in) had its consultant prepare the construction drawings for the build-out of its space.

These provided the details, finishes and components of the build-out.

Owner not focused on work Although the owner was somewhat missing in action, it was generally copied on what the tenant was selecting by way of details, finishes and components. The contractor built the work to the tenant’s consultant’s specs and everything seemed fine until it came time to reconcile the cost of the work.

The owner said the cost of the work ex-

ceeded his budget for a standard build-out by over $500,000. The tenant relied on the lease and said it had only agreed to pay for certain specified items of work. The tenant flatly refused to reimburse the owner for the cost of any other items. The tenant said that, if the owner or contractor believed that any specified detail, finish or component was to be an ‘extra,’ the owner or contractor should have made that clear. Because the owner did not object, the tenant said it proceeded on the basis that everything was fine.

The contractor, who had not been paid for the last $500,000 of work, just wanted his money. His contract was with the owner; however, he had taken instructions from the tenant and the tenant’s consultant. Now, the owner was telling him he would not be paid until the owner managed to collect from the tenant. Alternatively, the owner suggested that it had not requested or contracted for the ‘extra’ work — and that the contractor should thus pursue the tenant or tenant’s consultant directly for these amounts, pursuant to a separate contract to which the owner was not even a party.

Contractor performing work outside contract The contractor, of course, had a problem.

He had proceeded with work on the instructions of someone who was, essentially, a stranger to his construction contract.

Cases going back to ‘old kings in England’ say the contractor isn’t entitled to be paid for work not approved in accordance with the contract. On the other hand, there are lots of cases that have nonetheless required the owner to pay — on the basis of unjust enrichment (because the owner shouldn’t get work for free) or on the basis of an

implied approval.

The owner had a problem in that the Lease said the tenant only had to pay for specified items of work. The owner had sat back and let the tenant order more and better details, finishes and components without raising any objection. To make matters worse, the tenant took the position that, if it was dragged into litigation over the construction costs, it would make a claim for the impact of the delay in obtaining occupancy (it had to pay for other space for a time) and a claim to be reimbursed for the cost of having its consultant do the designs in the first place (given that these were the owner’s responsibility).

The tenant, of course, also had a problem. If the owner did not contract for the work, then the tenant or his consultant did.

A judge might be reluctant to let the tenant have a premium design without paying for it. A judge might also make the tenant pay for components that were not shown in the concept drawings.

Making the problem even more difficult — and impossible to assess with any degree of accuracy — was the fact that no clear dividing line could be drawn between what the owner had agreed to pay for and what the tenant had instructed the contractor to build, over and above that standard. In addition, even with $500,000 at sake, litigating the issues would be extremely expensive and hardly worthwhile. There were literally tens of thousands of emails amongst the parties dealing with the work and the leasehold issues — because it was a work in progress that took almost two years to design and build.

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Simple fix: Follow contract terms All of these problems could have been avoided, of course, had the parties adhered to a basic principle: parties need to follow the contract in terms of who is entitled to direct work or approve ‘extras,’ and must ensure that the proper contractual channels are followed in determining the scope of work.

Contractors need to refuse to do work that is not authorized as required under the contract. Owners need to be uncompromisingly firm in demanding that all work-related inquiries be directed through its representatives under the contract. Consultants or

third parties need to be vigilant in ensuring that nothing they do will somehow create a contractual relationship between them and the owner’s contractors.

Had this principle been followed, by even one of the parties, there would be no problem. Instead, everyone proceeded on their own (incorrect) assumptions about what was understood by all, and in the meantime $500,000 of work was performed for whom no one was willing to take responsibility. In the end, we all know what they say about the word ‘assume’ — and here the donkey will come with quite a price tag.

LT

Robert Kennaley has a construction background and practises construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ont. He speaks and writes regularly on construction law issues. Rob can be reached at 416-368-2522, 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.

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managementsolutions

Profitability:

A rewards-first approach

Making consistent profits is critical. That’s not to say profit is everything. If you don’t have some passion for this industry, you’re not going to last. But, on the other hand, if your business isn’t making a consistent profit, then over time your passion will give way to frustration.

As a very small business — just you and a few helpers — it was much easier to exert control over destiny. You work hard, you work late, you know how much your jobs sell for and you have a good idea of how much time you can afford to spend before you need to move on to the next one. But as your business grows in size and staff, more and more owners lose touch with that connection to bottom-line results. Staff are paid hourly or by salary, and not by company success. Many have no idea what they should be selling and/or producing to be worth their wages. They put their head down and go to work. There’s little incentive to work harder, and there are very few quantifiable, objective goals to work towards.

If you want better staff, that has to change.

Working without clear goals is like teaching someone to play the piano with earplugs in his ears! He hears muffled sounds, but he is never going to be any good. He can’t hear what it should sound like, and he can’t hear whether he is producing the right sounds, either. Without clear sound, it’s just banging the keys hoping it sounds good.

Goal-setting for sales and design In a recent visit to a friend’s company, I found there was a disconnect between what the owner believed his sales staff needed to sell, and what his sales staff believed was realistic (and even possible). All parties are

BY MARK BRADLEY

good, smart, talented people. They are going to go places. They just have different instincts on what they could realistically sell in a year.

So how do you bridge this gap? If you start from a rewards or profit-first mentality, the answers are as black and white as the text on this page. With some simple numbers that any company can get its hands on, we can make sure the sales goals directly correspond with the rewards for the individuals.

For the owner, it’s net profit; for the designers, it’s their wages.

Let’s use our imaginary friend Dan to put some real numbers to this example. Dan would like to finish up the year doing about $1.2-million in design-build sales. He has two design/sales people. Dan sells some of the work, but he’d like to transition out of sales and is hoping his design staff can pick up the slack. One is more experienced than the other, and is better paid, so Dan assigns the following sales goals: POSITION

ANNUAL SALARY SALES GOAL

Senior designer $60,000 $600,000 Junior designer $45,000 $400,000 Dan’s sales (owner) $200,000 Company total $1,200,000 The figures look reasonable and add up to $1.2M, but are they right? Before we dive right in, we just need a few more (very) important numbers.

The senior designer looks at Dan’s goal and says “Dan, I’ve never sold more than $500K before. I can’t do $600K.” Dan didn’t have a great year last year and he knows that’s never going to change unless his company sells more work. If anything, he thinks,

it should be even higher! But neither one knows for sure. Until they turn to the facts.

Let’s start with the senior designer’s sales goal and figure out who’s got it right.

Note: the numbers used in this article are realistic averages, but are intended for example purposes only. They should not be considered applicable to all companies. Know your company’s numbers.

STEP ONE: Budget the overhead to be covered by the senior designer Dan’s company has $300K of overhead expenses for his design-build division. That’s a pretty realistic overhead budget for a company of his size. His designer’s sales goal is $600K, or exactly half of his total designbuild sales goal of $1.2 million. It’s logical then to assign exactly half his overhead, $150K, to this senior designer’s jobs.

STEP TWO: Estimate cost of goods sold expenses Dan’s costs to do the work (the costs of labour, equipment, materials, subs), on average, consume about 67 per cent of the selling price of the job. This is also in the normal range; 60-70 per cent Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is typical of a successful design build company.

For a successful maintenance company, 45 to 60 per cent is a typical COGS range.

You can estimate your own COGS percentage by dividing your total job costs (field wages + equipment + materials + subcontractor expenses) by your total sales. Note that different divisions can have very different averages.

With these numbers alone, we can easily determine if this design/salesperson is overpaid or underpaid, using our rewards-first process.

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Start with: Senior designer’s sales goal $600,000 Subtract: Company reward (net profit at 10 per cent) -$60,000 Subtract: Senior designer’s salary -$60,000 Subtract: Estimated job costs at

67 per cent of sales -$402,000 Subtract: Share of overhead MINUS the designer’s

desired salary (since we already included

it above) $150K - $60K -$90,000 Result (amount left over) -$12,000 Uh-oh. We’re $12,000 short. Who’s going to eat that? Overhead is fixed, there’s nothing we can do about that. We can’t just cut job costs — we need those workers and materials. The company has to make a fair profit or we might as well close the doors. So what gives?

The answer is simple. Using a rewards-first approach, this designer is worth an annual salary of $48,000. That will offset the $12,000 shortfall and everyone will be happy.

Except, of course, the senior designer! He will insist that he needs to make $60K! He’s got a family, kids and a mortgage. So, using our rewards-first approach, let’s set a goal that works.

In the example below, I assume overhead remains fixed. Overhead costs won’t necessarily change if we increase our sales by a nominal amount, but they should be recalculated each year at a minimum.

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Start with: Senior designer’s new sales goal $650,000 Subtract: Company reward

(net profit at 10 per cent of sales) -$65,000 Subtract: Senior designer’s salary -$60,000 Subtract: Estimated job costs

@ 67 per cent of sales -$435,000 Subtract: Share of overhead MINUS the designer’s

desired salary (since we already included

it above) $150K - $60K -$90,000 Result (amount left over) $0 Perfect. If our sales/designer wants to make $60K per year, his sales goal and the reasoning behind it is crystal clear, and it took about five minutes to get on the same page. The math does not lie. Hopefully, the very next thought in this designer’s head is “Wow. If could sell $900K, I could make $90K!” Now, repeat the same process for the junior designer so he understands what he is worth, and the sales he needs to generate to reach his desired income potential.

Of course, we need to make sure these estimates are accurate, and that the jobs are finished on budget. Next month, we’ll take a look at how to set production goals for foremen, with the same clear accountability to simple facts and numbers — and not gut instincts. LT

Mark Bradley is president of TBG Landscape and the Landscape Management Network (LMN), based in Ontario.

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roadtosuccess

What works ... and what doesn’t

Over a period of years, I have tried many approaches to business. Here are the things I have found that worked. Your observations and outcomes may be the opposite or modified to mine, and that is to be expected.

I have mentioned this before and I still choose to lead with it: Seminars. I ran twentysix a year, every year, and they are something I advocate. Seminars put you out front in the community, as a leader in horticulture, the go-to people for gardening products.

First rule of seminars: Be consistent. Run the seminars regularly, at the same time, on the same day and do so, every year.

Second rule: The seminar leaders should be staff members. If seminar leaders are staff members, then customers can find those people, easily. Let people know that your seminars are led by people who work at your place. I had no qualms about letting people know that I had no ‘hired guns’ at my place. A ‘hired gun’ was often brought in by chain stores and sometimes, even by independents, to lead seminars at their garden centres. Once the ‘hired gun’ leaves, so does the credibility that was paid for. Don’t be afraid to let people work on seminars who are not great speakers. They usually improve

with time and experience, and they are there before, during and after the seminar. Audience members are coming for information, not for the slickness of the presenter.

The third rule: This one is very easy to break, but resist all temptation to do so. Never, and I repeat, never allow your seminars to be anything but educational. Do not sell.

If someone asks a question about a fertilizer that you do not carry, nod your approval and say that it is a good one. If you insist that your fertilizer selections are the only ones that people should purchase, you turn off your audience. People know when they are being hustled; they also know when you treat them fairly. If you mention that you use and recommend a fertilizer or a soil amendment, they usually heed your advice and purchase that product. There is no advantage in doing a hard sell of a product. You may recommend one, or mention that you use it all of the time, but the mentions and recommendations must be discreet, if that is possible.

Rule number four: Keep the seminars under an hour. Forty-five minutes is best.

Rule number five: Always have a handout. Assume that 90 per cent of what you tell someone during a seminar will be forgotten by the time they pull out of your parking

Put yourself in the place of your customers; offer them seminars by knowledgeable staff and inspirational ideas.

BY ROD McDONALD

lot. Handouts keep your message in front of those who attend. Handouts also reduce the number of phone calls and mistakes. It is our job to protect customers from themselves.

I have had people quote to me, something that I said the exact opposite of to do. Auditory dyslexia is not as uncommon as we might believe.

Seminars, I found, vary in size with the lowest turnout being six and the largest being 140. Early spring seminars, prior to planting season, are usually the most well attended, as people are itching to get going. If they can’t plant, at least they want to talk about planting. Not everyone who takes in your seminar will be converted to a customer, but most will. I had a Dutch customer and his elderly mother stay behind a seminar to thank me for offering “this public service.” That was the way they saw my program of seminars, and I am certain most people shared their view point.

Think like a customer This is a rule I learned from the late Burt Rutman from Minneapolis, back in 1987.

Burt told me (and I swear by it), once a till has more than three customers lined up, open another till. He said it best: “Customers will spend two hours picking out their seeds, but when it comes time to check out, they want to leave as soon as they can.” Sadly, I have heard more than one operator brag, “they were lined up almost twenty deep at the till.” That speaker needs to have his head examined for bragging about a disaster that he has no intention of fixing.

Too many of us enter and exit by the staff door and we never walk through our own place as a customer does. Periodically, I would follow a pair of customers into my garden centre and trail behind them, listening to their conversations. The beauty of the

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roadtosuccess Make sure your signage offers answers to basic questions, without overwhelming your customers with information they don’t need to know to make their purchase.

cent of the paper work.

The question I have to ask is: Why did I allow an employee, who generated numerous phone and letter complaints, to remain with me? Any benefit received was not worth the hassle. I should have acted, but I didn’t. I kept hanging on, hoping that person would change. He didn’t. eavesdropped conversation is the hearing of honest comments. I know that it is difficult, but often, our customers are our best teachers, even when they are complaining. One little old lady bawled me out because we treated the stairway she was climbing as an opportunity to display a product. The staff was told, “never do that again. Stairs are for climbing and walkways are for walking.” Do not block a customer’s path.

Ron Mercial had a rule: If asked the same question three or more times in a day, you need another sign. I hate places that are loaded up with signage so omnipresent that you are not certain if you are allowed to breathe. However, there must be enough simple signage to answer peoples’ basic questions such as: How tall does this grow? Will this survive deep shade? Why is a perennial in B.C. not a perennial in Alberta? All valid questions, and all need answers. I found that when it comes to signage, you must include at least two reasons to purchase the product, and no more than three. Two or three, that is it. No more, no less. Sometimes we get carried away, wanting to communicate everything we know, and we fill up time and space with information that is irrelevant for most customers.

Another tip I found for signage was to personalize an item. A simple suggestion is to use the equivalent of ‘Rod’s favourite’ or ‘Tracy recommends.’

Set signs so that people can read them. A typical garden centre/greenhouse customer is between 40 and 80. She is female and values good products and information ahead of low price. Keep those information signs high enough so that she can read them. That is providing good information. Keep the print large enough so she can read them, as well! I actually read in a national magazine, a complaint of signage being too low and too

small in greenhouses. We need to pay attention to that complaint.

Cut difficult people loose This topic is always a difficult one for me to write about, so you can accept this as a ‘true confession.’ I hated firing people. I absolutely detested it. If caught with their hand in the till, it is easy to fire someone. But an attitude, a smirk, is not as easily definable of a situation. To cut to the chase, I hung onto people, long after the evidence suggested I should have cut ties with them. Little things that you pass off as being an oddity often become a habit. It might even be something as simple as an employee who is the youngest of the family, demonstrating her birth position, by throwing a hissy fit. There will be people in your employ who think they are the boss and you have essentially two choices: Correct them of that notion or cut them loose.

You are in charge. It is your company, and no disgruntled person in your employ will be there to hold your hand if you go bankrupt.

A friend of mine worked for the Consumer Branch of the federal government for many years, as a field investigator. He told me that after all those years, his conclusion was that when there are customer complaints regarding a company, most times the complaints are aimed at one or two employees or managers. How many times have you seen the same thing happen outside of your company? For me, the event occurred while I was sitting in the Golden Mile Lab, in south Regina, waiting to have my blood tested. There were five staff members working, four were decent and one was beyond rude. As I waited my turn, I watched as this one person alienated patient after patient.

Had there been a complaint box, that one staff member would have generated 99 per

Shop for your bank Last but not least, is financing. It is beyond important, it is mandatory, that every operator’s financing be solid and in place at the beginning of the season. Here is a tip that should not be a great surprise to most, but it often is: Shop around for a financial institution. They are not all the same. I did and it paid dividend after dividend. The Big Five banks all took a run at me and my business, as did the FBDB and the Ag Bank. None of their rates were even close to my local credit union for the services that I required. The Bank of Montreal sucked me into paying four percent on my Master Card purchases my first year in business. When I found a lower rate and wanted to jump ship, I got the old, “we can match that.” My question has always been — why did they wait until I found a better rate to lower theirs? Treat your bank or lending institution as you would any other supplier. Find out what they can do for you and what it will cost.

A small credit union, down the street from my garden centre, gave me lines of credit, letters of credit, mortgages and chequing accounts that were at times one half the rate of The Big Five banks. In short, they treated me well, which is not always the story told by other operators.

Stay on the road to success. It is worth it. LT

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.

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newproducts Hi-torque auger Bobcat Company introduces the Bobcat 35PH and 50PH planetary drive augers, which are compatible with approved models of Bobcat skidsteer loaders, compact track loaders, all-wheel steer loaders and compact excavators. These units offer a hightorque gearbox that Bobcat says will allow them to deliver more power for difficult installations at deeper digging depths, and for working in tough conditions such as rock, clay, and frost.

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Water pump The new Echo Bear Cat water pumps are intended for general purpose, high performance water transfer and flood recovery applications. Powered by Honda GX engines and equipped with a recoil start and low oil alert, these pumps come with a powerful max suction lift of 26 feet.

The centrifugal aluminum pumps have a cast iron impeller for durability and are made with tubular steel framing with orange powder coat finish for strength and safety.

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Spreader

The Flex-Select series of spreaders offers extremely accurate application rates and an interchangeable tray system, which is tailored to different materials such as seed, fertilizer or rock salt. Two hopper sizes are available: 80- or 130-lb. capacity. The spreader is designed with user comfort in mind and all controls are within an arm’s reach. Rittenhouse says the quality construction ensures these spreaders will stand up to commercial use and provide long-lasting service.

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Sub-compact tractors The new Mahindra eMax tractors are available in three configurations: eMax 22 Gear, eMax 22 HST and eMax 25 HST. The sub-compact tractors feature powerful and reliable 22 and 25 hp Tier IV-compliant diesel engines; lower-rated engine RPM for better fuel economy, longer life and less noise; 900 lb. loader lift capacity; 1,320 lb. three-point lift capacity; as well as larger tires for better traction, stability and all-around safety.

Mahindra www.mahindrausa.com 26 | JULY-AUGUST 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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Pervious finish Bevcon Construction has created Aquatere, a new finish for Hydromedia, Lafarge’s pervious concrete, providing both beauty and increased functionality to paved surfaces.

Aquatere maintains a permeability rating of 25 -35 per cent. The system can also provide variable surface traction levels, in different colours with polished, gloss or matt options.

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Compact stand-on mower The Stander Intensity is the newest mower from Wright Manufacturing, and is available with 36-, 48- or 52-in. decks. Engines range from 18.5 to 22 hp. Operators will appreciate the deck’s improved airflow, cut quality and anti-blow out features. The floating deck on the Stander I tilts side-to-side and front-to-back, allowing the mower deck to better follow terrain contours, and improves weight distribution for better handling on hills. The floating standing platform absorbs rough terrain through elastopolymer bumpers that provide a dampened feel similar to a car.

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CSA safety boots Blundstone Footwear says its new UTE 165 CSA Met Guard is the company’s toughest, no-nonsense boot yet, offering safety protection at the highest level. The new boot offers the same easy pull-on, kick-off function as regular Blundstones, but also features flexible and comfortable Poron XRD foot-top met guards, extreme comfort, steel toes, protected side elastics with leather covers, bullet-proof kevlar stitching and shock-proof soles.

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Kichler has introduced a 2700 Kelvin (K) colour temperature option for some of its Design Pro LED products. The new 2700K warm-white LED light option is ideal for projects where warmer tones are desired and is made to enhance the yellow, orange and red hues in foliage or the natural earth tones found in exterior building materials.

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industrynews Anti-spam legislation causing confusion Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) came into effect on July 1, 2014. The new legislation is intended to protect Canadians, and regulates the sending of commercial electronic messages (CEMs), prohibiting their distribution unless the sender has received consent from the receiver.

There are three general requirements for sending a CEM to an electronic address; you need consent, identification and an unsubscribe mechanism.

The legislation is causing some confusion among businesses, mainly about the idea of obtaining proper consent, for which there are two types: implied and express consent.

Express consent to receive electronic communication is simply consent that has been clearly established. Consent may be expressed in writing or orally. In any case, the onus is on the sender to prove they have obtained consent. Express consent does not expire unless it is revoked. Implied consent means there is an existing relationship between the sender and recipient.

Regardless of the type of consent, CEMs must still comply with the identification and optout requirements under CASL. All CEMs must include the name of your company, a physical mailing address as well as one additional way to contact the sender (such as a web contact form, email address or phone number), and a working and clearly identified unsubscribe mechanism.

If you send an initial email to someone based on a referral, the person who made the referral must be named in the message.

Having express consent is ideal, but you can still work under the basis of implied consent until 2017. Companies are encouraged to work on converting implied-consent contacts to express, opt-in consents. CEMs sent to recipients outside Canada are not covered under CASL. Detailed information is available at the CTRC website, www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/casl-lcap.htm.

Wasps released to control emerald ash borer As of April 1, 2014, most of the areas currently regulated to control emerald ash borer (EAB)

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in Ontario and Quebec have been consolidated into a single, large, regulated area by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). This action will enable authorities to better protect Tetrastichus planipennisi Canada’s forests and www.nrs.fs.fed.us urban forest resources by preventing the spread of EAB into other parts of Canada.

Research is being conducted into the use of biological agents to control the spread of EAB. EAB is not native to Canada, so it has few natural enemies in North America. The CFIA has approved two species of wasps from China, Tetrastichus planipennisi, a member of the Eulophidae wasp family, and Spathius agrili, a member of the Braconidae wasp family. The approval of these wasps is part of a long term strategy designed to reduce the population of EAB and slow the destruction of Canada’s ash trees. Only T. planipennisi has been released in Canada, because data in the United States has indicated that Spathius agrili is not effective beyond 40 degrees N latitude.

The T. planipennisi wasps were released in southwestern Ontario by Natural Resources Canada — Canadian Forest Service. They were introduced in blocks of ash wood which already contained wasp prepupae. The blocks were suspended from trunks of EAB-infested ash trees at experimental sites on June 4, 2013. The wasps emerge from the larvae, and fly off in search of EAB to target. Populations of T. planipennisi were released at five separate times during the summer of 2013, and were all released at the same sites. The experimental sites are located in Huron County in southwestern Ontario. The wasps will not eliminate populations of EAB entirely, but it is hoped that over time they will reduce the population to a point where EAB is manageable in the Canadian environment. The release of the wasps will be closely monitored.

Researchers at the University of Toronto have also been investigating possible natural controls for emerald ash borer. A native parasitoid wasp, Phasgonophora sulcata, is being collected, transported, and released into select EAB-infested sites across the Greater Toronto Area to determine whether these population 28 | JULY-AUGUST 2014 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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augmentations can provide effective biological control and slow the spread of EAB. P. sulcata is an important parasitoid of EAB in Ontario, readily attacking and parasitizing up to 40 per cent of EAB in some sites.

In Toronto, this wasp has been released into Centennial Park, West Deane Park and Poplar Park in June 2013, and again in June 2014.

EAB and P. sulcata populations in release sites will be monitored over the next few years and compared with untreated EAB-infested sites, including Moreau Trail Park, Arkendo Park in Oakville and Dainty Forest Tract in York Region.

There is little data as of right now, but it is possible that augmenting native natural enemies, such as P. sulcata, is a safer, more cost-effective and environmentally sound approach to managing introduced invasive species, than more traditional pesticide treatments or classical biological control. This research is conducted

by University of Toronto Ph.D. students under the supervision of Dr. Sandy Smith, Professor of Forest Entomology. City of Toronto’s Urban Forestry has been supporting this research by providing assistance in site selection and sampling.

Landscape Alberta announces new Executive Director The Landscape Alberta Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Joel Beatson, CAE, has been hired as the Association’s new Executive Director, replacing Nigel Bowles, who retired at the end of June.

Beatson was previously Manager of Industry and Professional Development with the Cana-

dian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA), one of several positions he has held over the past 11 years. Prior to joining the CNLA, he was the Marketing and Communication Coordinator for Flowers Canada.

Beatson brings an extensive understanding of the landscape and nursery sectors, and he has a proven track record dealing with the industry’s human resource issues. He has also been involved with numerous political issues at the federal level, which will be an advantage when dealing with municipal and provincial officials.

Canada Blooms names new General Manager

The Board of Canada Blooms Horticultural Society is pleased to announce the appointment of Terry Caddo to the position of General Manager of Canada Blooms. Caddo brings a wealth of experience in management, marketing and sales, communications, horticulture and trade shows to provide the leadership and strategic direction to enhance the continued success of Canada Blooms.

As General Manger of Canada Blooms, Caddo Terry Caddo will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the world-class festival that connects people to the joys and benefits of nature through experience with gardens and flowers, by promoting, educating, inspiring and celebrating all aspects of horticulture.

Prior to joining Canada Blooms, Caddo spent three years as the Director of Operations at Royal Botanical Gardens. He was responsible for the RBG Christmas Train Show, the exhibit Battle of the Titans and the RBG Garden and Home Show.

Canada changing from WHMIS to GHS Canada is transitioning its hazard products classification system from Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Workplaces have about two years to get ready. GHS is being implemented into law by countries world-wide, and the Canadian government has committed to amending its current laws by June 2015. The provinces will then amend their own laws and provide workplaces with a grace period.

WHMIS is the Canadian system for classifying hazardous products and communicating information to users via labels, training and material safety data sheets. It helps workers understand the hazards posed by chemicals they work with. GHS is a global system; given today’s international economy, having a global system is essential.

The Globally Harmonized System applies the same approach as WHMIS, but introduces new classification rules, label requirements and formats for MSDSs, known under GHS as safety data sheets (SDSs). This means you will have to make changes, but won’t have to start from scratch. Workplaces will be able to use existing

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industrynews WHMIS processes to meet GHS requirements, such as maintaining a database of SDSs and ensuring workers receive the necessary training.

Roles and responsibilities for suppliers, employers and workers will not change due to the adoption of GHS. Workers will be just as safe, if not safer. GHS will likely add eight product categories: consumer products, pest control products, explosives, cosmetics, medical devices, drugs, food, wood and products made from wood. As well, the technical bulletins will contain more information, offering workers greater protection.

While the implementation is still in early stages, there are some things companies can do to begin preparations for the transition. Watch a free pre-recorded webinar at www.ccohs.ca/ products/webinars/ghs_canada.

New paver site encourages collaboration Techo-Bloc’s new website has been remodelled into a masonry and landscape design destination, and includes new tools for both homeowners and landscape industry professionals.

The new site, www.techo-bloc.com, incorporates a tool for homeowners, allowing them to create wish lists of inspirational images by product, project and style to share with a Techo-Pro or landscape professional. On the professional side, the project planner allows contractors to be more efficient with their sales calls. By setting up a free online account, contractors can save, organize and share projects with their clients, guiding them to the right products to create their dream landscape. Other highlights of the professional side include hatch patterns, mosa-

ics, technical specs and installation guides. The events section will include up-to-date educational opportunities and online registration for Techo-Bloc-sponsored NCMA and ICPI courses.

Heritage Fund supports new plant development The CNLA’s acquisition of the ornamental breeding program from Agriculture and AgriFood Canada (AAFC) in 2010 has been a consistent source of good news stories to share with the trade and consumers alike. The successful submission of a Request for Proposal, which resulted in the takeover of AAFC’s renowned hardy rose breeding program along with some other miscel- Campfire rose laneous woody ornamental genetics, was the catalyst to a winning partnership arrangement between CNLA and Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, based in Vineland, Ont. As well as the support of a rejuvenated rose breeding program, CNLA’s arrangement with AAFC allowed the association to take on a more aggressive role in the launch and marketing of the Canadian Artists series of roses, with a special emphasis on the Campfire rose. A spectacular addition to the series, Campfire is expected to be a winner for years to come.

Perhaps the best news story to come out of the CNLA-AAFC arrangement has been the establishment of the Heritage Fund. In brief,

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industry royalties that are collected on woody ornamentals, that have over the years been developed by AAFC, go directly to the Heritage Fund, which is earmarked specifically to help fund new plant development. As the fund grows, it will help make Canada a world leader in the development of new and hardy plant varieties.

To date, the Heritage Fund has committed to providing $30,000 per year, for a total of eight years, to support the on-going rose breeding program. With the future of the rose breeding program now in good hands, and with the Heritage Fund being soundly co-managed by the CNLA board and the Heritage Fund Committee, CNLA is now looking to explore new plant development opportunities.

Some preliminary work is already underway on a potential breeding program of edible ornamentals — one of the hottest new trends to hit the retail market place in recent years. A germplasm collection has been started by Vineland’s plant breeder, Dr. Rumen Conev, supported with a $6,000 grant from the Heritage Fund to provide the industry cash commitment to secure funding from the Ontario government. Any company or organization with new plant breeding suggestions is invited to contact the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.

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cnlanews Neonicotinoid insecticides CNLA members can expect to receive questions from the general public, and even the press, regarding the possible link between neonicotinoid insecticides and bee death.

While this topic is still being researched and debated, CNLA has created some basic talking points for members who are approached about this issue. Topics include tips for the public, pesticide safety, why we use neonicotinoids and being part of the solution. Visit www. cnla-acpp.ca/growers to access the talking points and for more information on this topic as it evolves.

Nursery certification update Clean Plants Certified nurseries are key to protecting our industry and environment from the spread of unwanted pests and diseases.

These nurseries have developed a systemized process to meet stringent phytosanitary standards, and to ensure their plants are monitored for regulated and non-regulated pests.

To learn more about this important process, visit www.cleanplants.ca to see a helpful infographic developed by the Canadian Nursery Certification Institute.

Unique contest opportunity Canada Blooms 2015 is already in the works, as companies across the country prepare feature garden displays that fit with the theme “Let’s Play!” As Canada’s largest garden and flower show, it is a must-visit destination for visitors from around the world. Since it is hosted in Toronto each year, CNLA has teamed up with Via Rail Canada and the InterContinental Hotel to send two contest winners to the show and a two nights stay in the city.

CNLA member garden centres have the opportunity to hold this contest at their store, free of charge! Canada Blooms will place your logo on its contest page, which received over 39.7 million media impressions last year! Simply register your garden centre at www.cnla-acpp. ca/gardencentrecontest and promote the contest through your website and Facebook page.

Garden centre awards focus on sales If you are using innovative displays, and put a lot of focus on your garden centre’s image, you could be a good candidate to win a Garden

Centre of the Year Award. The Growing Sales category looks at your signage, as well as merchandising and promotional activities you have conducted over the past year.

This is one of seven categories that will be awarded for the 2015 Garden Centre of the Year Awards, along with one overall winner. The awards program highlights the great things that our members are doing and we want to see your garden centre in the running!

Visit www.cnla-acpp.ca/awards to download the application form.

Quebec takes trade competition gold This June saw young adults from across the country gather in Toronto for the 2014 Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC). Every year, more than 500 students from all regions of Canada come to participate in over 40 skilled

New faces in the certification department Claudia Santos and Colin Vince have recently joined the Certification department at CNLA. If you need to register for an exam, submit your recertification forms, volunteer for a test day or have a question about Landscape Industry Certification, these two are your new contacts!

Claudia will be focusing on Eastern Canada, while Colin will focus on the West. They can be reached at: Claudia Santos, 905-875-1399, ext.

8635, claudia@cnla-acpp.ca; Colin Vince, 905875-1399, ext. 8625, colin@cnla-acpp.ca.

Immigration trends The following is an excerpt from the latest industry trend report on immigration and ornamental horticulture, compiled by research and marketing partnership Marcon+ZRB. Read the full report at www.cnla-acpp.ca/trendreport.

“Immigration is an essential component of Canada’s population growth as approximately 225,000 immigrants are accepted into Canada every year. The 2011 Census revealed that 66% of the 2,000,000 people added to the Canadian population since 2006 were immigrants.

“Canada’s population is growing with skilled immigrants, many of whom have the means to own a home, or are about to enter into the housing market. This raises some important questions the landscape service provider and garden retail industry needs to answer, because this group could become an important and sustainable purchaser of value-added products and services. Simply assuming that garden-related purchases by diversity markets will follow similar purchase patterns exhibited in the past by demographic segments like Boomers and Gen X and Y, may be misleading.”

Skills Canada tests young adults on their practical skills in various trades.

trade and technology contests. It is an excellent opportunity to promote skilled trades and provide young people with the opportunity to have handson work experience in their field of choice.

Ten rising stars from five provinces took part in the Landscape Gardening competition, which included both hardscape and softscape elements. Competition was fierce as each team worked hard to comply with industry standards for both quality and safety. At the end of the twoday competition, Gabriel Lévesque and Gabriel Tessier from Quebec took home the gold, with Manitoba in a close second and Alberta in third.

Judges noted that each team did an amazing job and should be very proud of what was accomplished.

To learn more about Skills Canada, visit www. skillscanada.com LT

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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ontarioupdate Landscape Trades devotes space in each issue to provincial association news. This issue features an update from Landscape Ontario.

Under its past president Phil Charal of Allweather Landscaping, Landscape Ontario strove to make the association and its activities relevant to members. The members of LO are divided into nine chapters spread over 800 km across the province, so more resources and staff visits were arranged to help increase the association’s relevance closer to where members live and work. Several chapters have purchased small trailers, wrapped in graphics sporting LO messaging, and taken to community events to promote the local chapter members and Landscape Ontario.

The three biggest challenges for LO members last year were the weather, seasonality and labour shortages. The weather in 2013 posed some challenges, including a terrible start to spring and an early start to winter. But members were able to make the best of things, and enjoyed some fine weather in the fall to catch up on work.

Human resource support for the green industry LO has tackled the industry’s labour shortage on several fronts by promoting horticulture as a viable career option at youth skills and apprenticeship events, as well as to secondary and post-secondary students. LO’s web-based HR Toolkit, developed by an HR consultant, is updated annually and can be used by all CNLA members. This resource can be found at www. horttrades.com/HRToolkit. It contains a policies and procedure manual and employee handbook that can be customized for your needs, as well as guide for recruiting employees and tips on how to keep and manage them.

Four Landscape Industry Certification practical tests were held across the province last year, along with even more opportunities to challenge the written test in an effort to improve access to certification for all green industry members.

Supporting educators For the first time, we hosted a Connecting Educators event, inviting secondary and postsecondary hort teachers to a one-day seminar

LO’s London Chapter shows its dedication to volunteerism with the planting of trees along the Veterans’ Memorial Parkway.

that presented all the opportunities green industry careers have to offer. Connecting Educators was held the day before Garden Expo, with all educators offered free registration to the industry trade show to network with suppliers on the following day.

LO is a stakeholder in the Vineland Centre for Research and Innovation in the Niagara peninsula, and supports a wide variety of horticultural research projects that will benefit members from all sectors within the industry. Some of the current projects include a trial on soil preparation and tree survival in harsh environments, evaluation of genetics for a breeding program for woody ornamentals and investigating functional biopesticides for the lawn care industry.

Community engagement A project undertaken by LO’s London Chapter recently won CNLA’s Green for Life Award. The Chapter members have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into the ongoing development and maintenance of the Veteran’s Memorial Parkway, a 10 km stretch of highway that connects Highway 401 with the London International Airport. Designed by Ron Koudys OALA CLD, the highway planting features trees and shrubs, along with several large stone installations, creating an enduring monument to the service and sacrifice made by the men and women of the Canadian military. Flags of all the provinc-

es fly on the Parkway, reinforcing that service men and women from coast to coast are being honoured through this project. LO members helped plant 50-60 mm trees, and volunteers from community groups pitched in to backfill, mulch and stake each tree. More information on the Veteran’s Memorial Parkway project can be found at www.treesfortheparkway.ca.

We are in discussion with organizers of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, to be hosted

by Toronto in the summer of 2015. The concept is to build an Otium Exercise garden for Canada Blooms, rebuild it outdoors on the grounds of Exhibition Place (main event site for the Pan Am Games) and then rebuild it permanently in a Toronto park.

LO is a co-founder of Canada Blooms with the Garden Club of Toronto. The Board of Directors of Canada Blooms recently renewed its agreement to co-locate Canada’s largest flower and garden festival with the National Home Show. Partnering with the National Home Show allows visitors to attend two distinct shows for the price of one admission, and provides LO members and garden builders exposure to over 200,000 visitors over 10 days in March.

LO members and staff look forward to the two-year tenure of current president Dave Braun of Braun Nurseries, whose theme for his term is Partners in Success.

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comingevents August 2-6, ISA Annual Conference and Trade Show, Milwaukee, Wisc. www.isa-arbor.com

August 17-20, Canadian Fertilizer Institute 69th Annual Conference, Ottawa, Ont. www.cfi.ca

August 5-7, IGC Show East, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Md. www.igcshow.com

August 19-21, Independent Garden Center Show Chicago, Navy Pier, Chicago, Ill. www.igcshow.com

August 6-7, Penn Atlantic Nursery Trades Show (PANTS), Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Penn. www.pantshow.com August 10-13, Toronto Fall Gift Show, International Centre and Congress Centre, Toronto, Ont. www.cgta.org August 10-15, IGCA Congress, Ireland. www.igccireland2014.com August 17-20, Fall Alberta Gift Show, Northlands, Edmonton EXPO Centre, Edmonton, Alta. www.cgta.org

August 19-21, Interior Plantscape Symposium and Tradeshow, Navy Pier Festival Hall and Conference Center, Chicago, Ill. www.piagrows.org

September 15-17, GLEE, Birmingham, U.K. www.gleebirmingham.com September 16, Snowpowsium, Landscape Ontario home office, Milton, Ont. www.snowposium.com September 17-20, IPPS Eastern Region Meeting, Niagara Falls, Ont. www.ippseastern.org

August 21-23, Farwest Show, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Ore. www.farwestshow.com

September 17-20, Communities in Blooms 2014 National Symposium on Parks and Grounds and Awards Ceremonies, Charlottetown, P.E.I. www.communitiesinbloom.ca

August 27-30, Plantarium, International Trade Centre, Boskoop, Holland. www.plantarium.nl

September 30-October 2, 11th Annual Canadian Urban Forest Conference, Victoria, B.C. www.treecanada.ca

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Beaver Valley Stone 29 416-222-2424 info@beavervalleystone.com Bobcat 13 infocenter@bobcat.com CanWest Show 14 604-575-3516 kdejong@bclna.com Chrylser Canada 9 519-973-2000 Coivic Contracting Ltd 27 905-878-9101 nursery@coivic.com Cut Above Natural Stone 23 888-557-7625 info@cutabovenaturalstone.com Ebert’s Tree Farms Limited 34 226-377-6321 anna.ebert@bell.net Echo Power Equipment Canada 21 877-324-6660 info@echo.ca Gravely 2 800-472-8359 info@ariens.com Isuzu Commercial Trucks 35 905-612-0100 tony.parravano@isuzutruck.ca J. Lockwood Chrysler Ltd. 28 289-644-2250 fmackenzie@lockwoodchrysler.com Mahindra Tractors 17 Munger Lawnscape Inc 30 519-738-2571 jmunger@mnsi.net Oregon Association of Nurseries 26 800-342-6401 info@oan.org Permacon Group Inc 36 800-463-9278 Pro Landscape by Drafix Software 19 800-231-8574 sales@prolandscape.com Stihl Limited 5 519-681-3000 info.canada@stihl.ca Thames Valley Brick 34 905-637-6997 info@thamesvalleybrick.com Unilock Ltd 11 800-UNILOCK georgetown@unilock.com Zander Sod Co Ltd 15 877-727-2100 info@zandersod.com

www.beavervalleystone.com www.bobcat.com www.CanWestHortShow.com www.chryslercanada.ca www.coivic.com www.cutabovenaturalstone.com www.ebertstreefarms.com www.echo.ca www.gravely.com www.isuzutruck.ca www.lockwoodchrysler.com www.mahindracanada.ca www.mungerlawnscape.com www.oan.org www.permacon.ca www.prolandscape.com www.stihl.ca www.thamesvalleybrick.com www.unilock.com www.zandersod.com

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