June 2015 Landscape Trades

June 2015

VOL. 37, NO. 5

landscapetrades.com

See the big picture on equipment costs Atlantic designers experience the gardens of Spain Stamp out fear of balance sheets

How to

succeed with SUCCESSION Putting people first in business transitions

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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, Mark Fisher, Hank Gelderman CHT, Marty Lamers, Jan Laurin, Bob Tubby CLP, Nick Winkelmolen

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 Darryl Bond, Myscha Burton, Tony DiGiovanni CHT, Denis Flanagan CLD, Sally Harvey CLT CLP, Jane Leworthy, Heather MacRae, Kristen McIntyre CHT, Kathy McLean, Linda Nodello, Kathleen Pugliese, Ian Service, Tom Somerville, Martha Walsh

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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

JUNE 2015 VOL. 37, NO. 5

FEATURES 6 Succeeding with succession

Passing the family business to the next generation requires careful navigation

BY HELEN LAMMERS-HELPS

12 The balance sheet: A ‘selfie’ of your company

A contractor takes the fear out of this essential financial tool

BY LEE ANN KNUDSEN

COLUMNS 18 ROAD TO SUCCESS

Keep your eye on the prize

BY ROD McDONALD 22 MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

Can you afford not to buy that equipment?

BY MARK BRADLEY 24 LEGAL MATTERS

Never perform extra work without an approval

BY ROBERT KENNALEY 26 MENTOR MOMENT

Paul Doornbos knows his costs, and defends them with confidence 28 DESIGNER’S NOTEBOOK

Designers group visits nurseries and historic gardens of Spain

BY CORA SWINAMER

DEPARTMENTS Green Pencil New Products Industry News Letter to the editor Provincial News CNLA News Coming Events Classifieds Where to Find it

4 31 32 34 35 36 37 37 38

JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

3

greenpencil Celebrate the physical and spiritual benefits

Appreciation for trees “

T

his is not a tree, it’s a cathedral,”

writes Catherine Porter in the Toronto Star. Her May 16 story is about a magnificent red oak under urban pressure in a suburb of Toronto. Three different arborists have put this tree at about 250 years old. Thanks to the trend to raze mid-century bungalows, and erect homes three times the size, the tree is in peril. Despite municipal laws protecting trees, Jack Radecki, former executive director of the Ontario Urban Forest Council, says, “...the homeowners eventually get permission to take them down.” A neighbour looking to save the tree phoned the journalist persistently for months; once Porter finally visited the oak, it

By Sarah Willis made a strong impression.

This story struck a chord, as 15 years ago I moved my family one city block west, just to live on a street graced with a large tree canopy that arches over the road. It might sound crazy, but when I turn onto my street at the end of my daily commute, the trees speak to my heart.

Mixing my religious metaphors, perhaps I was a druid in a former life.

Visiting Edmonton, the very first thing I noticed was the tree canopy. Those elms! Their iconic shape adds a gentle grace to the landscape, absent where I live in Ontario.

Trees connect with people unlike any other type of plant. They protect us, feed us, cool us, clean our air, and add an immeasurable presence to the landscape. Tree

4 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

sitters spend months on end living high in the forest canopy to protect old-growth trees, and develop an emotional tie to their venerable hosts.

Many groups and associations exist to protect and plant more trees. Mark Cullen is a horticulturist passionate about trees. He provided a voice and seed money for Trees for Life, a coalition of charity tree organizations working together to maximize resources. His mission is to increase the tree canopy in Canadian cities. While Cullen recognizes the physical and emotional benefits trees add, he also takes a practical approach to get people’s attention by translating the value trees provide into dollars and cents.

Over the years, my family has done our bit by planting more than 30 trees in our average-sized suburban lot (surrounding a level green space for the hockey rink in winter, of course). Every tree in our yard has a story, along with different attributes, and I look forward to spring flowers or shady summer leaves, or outstanding fall colour, or peeling bark in winter. It may not be a perfectlydesigned landscape, but it’s our personal arboretum, and well worth the hours spent raking and mulching leaves each autumn. Another benefit trees provide for us desk jockeys — exercise.

Planting or caring for trees is an activity most green trades people do weekly, if not daily. Do you ever think about the fact the tree you plant, prune or fertilize may still be growing straight and strong in 50, or even 100 years?

Not every tree is destined to become a living cathedral, but all should be appreciated and celebrated for the many ways they enhance our quality of life.

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Succeeding with SUCCESSION Green industry transitions often involve employees or family members; business owners and management advisors share some tips about the personal side of transition success

BY HELEN LAMMERS-HELPS

P

oor communication is one of the biggest causes of failure, says Lacombe, Alta., certified mediator and business advisor, Reg Shandro. According to Shandro, few of us actually know what good communication looks like. “We get very little education on how to be a good communicator,” he explains.

Shandro helps small business clients improve their communication practices. Most of us would benefit from improving our listening skills, he says. “There’s a big difference between listening and hearing,” he explains. “Most of us don’t take the time to really listen and understand. Make sure you don’t interrupt and don’t assume you know what the other person is going to say.”

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Shandro says people are so busy they can fall into the trap of working on the day-to-day aspects of the operations, but not the long-term goals of the business. “Perspectives aren’t shared, assumptions are made, and the business runs into trouble,” he says.

Assumptions are a big problem, agrees Winnipeg business coach Pam Paquet. Often the founder knows what he or she wants, but fails to communicate it to others. Other times the communication is top-down only. “Communication needs to be a two-way street,” she explains.

While experts often promote the importance of self-aware-

ness, Wendy Sage-Hayward, a family enterprise adviser with the Family Business Consulting Group and a professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business in Vancouver, says self-management is even more important. The ability to manage one’s behavior, to remain rational and calm, is essential for good communication, she says. And everyone involved must have the opportunity to express their opinions.

We tend to think that conflict is the problem but that isn’t really the case, says Shandro. “Conflict is a natural part of any relationship,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be negative; it depends on how you approach it,” he says.

Sometimes it may be necessary to get an objective third party like a mediator to help identify and change bad habits. “You don’t know what you don’t know,” says Shandro, who likes to quote Albert Einstein’s observation, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

Sometimes succession stalls because the business owner has trouble letting go. If the owner hasn’t taken the time to create a retirement plan, he may have a harder time pulling back from the business. She has this advice for business owners: “Think about what you’d like to do. Do you want to work part-time or leave completely? Do you want to resurrect an old hobby, volunteer or travel? What will your next adventure be?”

She understands this is a big shift for someone who has worked hard to build up a company. “Their identity may be completely wrapped up in the business.” But until they figure it out, the succession plan will be stuck. If the next generation wants to take over but the owner is reluctant, there will be conflict, she says.

It may help the owner to think of the transition as an exit strategy, rather than retirement. Retirement can have negative connotations for people, says Paquet. Instead she says business owners should focus on what the next phase of their life is going to look like.

Gordon Colledge, a business advisor in Lethbridge, Alta., advises people to take a couple of months thinking about what they want to do. Colledge thinks too many people don’t take the time to really think about what they want retirement to look like. “It’s important to dream, to let the ideas flow to the top.

Visioning creates a montage of facts, hopes, dreams, dangers and opportunities.” Make sure your spouse is part of this process too, continues Colledge. “After you let your imagination run free then you can figure out what it will cost, and make a plan.”

The owner’s vision and exit strategy will fuel the succession plan, says Paquet. She advises starting three years in advance, and identifying measures of success for each stage. What are the steps involved at six, 12 and 18 months? Which gaps need to be filled? How will you fill them? By hiring someone with the appropriate skills, or training someone already employed through mentoring?

It’s important to make sure everyone is clear on his roles and how the process will take place, to ensure there are no hurt feel-

ings, says Sage-Hayward. Then the appropriate structures and agreements need to be put in place to ensure everything goes according to the plan, she adds.

One way to ensure that everyone is clear on what’s happening and when, is to write it all down on a roll of newsprint and hang it on the boardroom wall, says Paquet. This will create a visual reminder to help keep the process on track.

Richard Rogers of RJ Rogers Landscaping in Manotick, Ont., recently sold his residential landscape construction company to a long-time employee, Geoff Pratt. Rogers started the company 25 years ago and built it up to a highly-respected firm with eight employees. For some years it had been understood that Pratt would take over the company someday, says Rogers.

About two years ago Pratt decided he was ready. The transition has now been completed successfully with Pratt is the new owner, but there were a few bumps along the way. Initially Rogers and Pratt started by meeting for breakfast to discuss the sale, which worked well. But at some point they began negotiating by email. “That wasn’t good,” says Geoff Pratt Richard Rogers Rogers. “It created tension. It needed to be face-to-face.”

Rogers says he was fortunate to have Hank Gelderman, former owner of Gelderman Landscaping, Waterdown, Ont., serve as a mentor during the transition.

Gelderman had been through the process himself and had some excellent advice, says Rogers. Gelderman advised Rogers to work out a deal before they consulted lawyers, and to write the deal down on a single page, using simple language. Then he recommended each party to have its own lawyer draw up an agreement, using language that was understandable.

During the two-year transition period, Rogers reviewed financial statements with Pratt to help him gain a better understanding of the financial side of the business. The company also hired an estimator to take over Rogers’ duties.

It’s been an adjustment, admits Rogers, who says he wasn’t tired of the business yet. Rogers went down to part-time hours as a salaried employee to help with the transition. He is getting involved in new interests, and has rediscovered a love of kayaking, which he now has time to do. “I needed to be able to let go, and I also needed to make sure I was okay with my financial situation,” he says.

When everything was completed, Rogers sent an email to the company’s clients to let them know that Pratt was the new JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

7

Conflicting personalities are the wildcard

Sometimes, an owner can think he has crossed all his Ts and dotted all his Is when planning to pass along his company to a child, but the deal deteriorates despite careful legal framework.

Two years after selling his family’s maintenance business to his son and daughter-in-law, Jim Woodstock* is regretfully starting legal proceedings to take the company back. “A lawyer specializing in family businesses wrote the contracts passing the business to my son and his wife. We each had our own lawyer protecting our interests.”

As the son had worked with his father for years, there was no transition period in place. The son took over the business immediately, with a payment plan laid out to provide retirement income for Woodstock.

However, once the daughter-in-law became involved in the company, things changed with a third personality in the mix, and Woodstock didn’t like the direction his former company was taking. “I respect that the children want to go in a bit of a different direction, but I built this business by cultivating relationships with my customers. After only six months, I started to see and hear those relationships deteriorating. It’s not just the business I sold, but my reputation.

The kids expected to take over the business, and make good money without doing the work.

Upset clients are calling me, but I can’t help them.”

“What I would do differently is transition the sale of the company to my son. I would sell 49 per cent interest for the first two years, letting the youngsters run the company, but allowing me a final say to help support their business decisions. This is my retirement plan, so I have an interest in the continued success of the company.”

One other thing Woodstock would do with the help of hindsight is to have his son put down at least 25 per cent of the value of the company. In trying to make the transition easier for the young family, no large down payment was required in the succession contract.

The case is pending, and it remains to be seen whether family relationships will ever been repaired. At the end of the day, Woodstock says, “It’s still family, and it hurts.” *Name has been changed

0% for 36 months

Anita Heuver, Eagle Lake Nurseries, with her father Tony, who is still involved in the day-to-day business, while the transfer of management gradually takes place.

owner. “It felt strange at first not to put my name down as a contact,” he says.

Timing is everything and sometimes the next generation wants to take over before the senior generation is ready to let go. Anita Heuver is in the process of taking over Eagle Lake Nurseries, near Strathmore, Alta., from her father Tony. She says her dad wasn’t ready to step back when her brother Eric wanted ownership twenty years ago. So the Heuvers got creative and Eric took over the sod division, establishing Eagle Lake Turf Farms in 1998.

If there are issues, you have to do something about it, says Anita. “Don’t let it ride or it can ruin the family, the business, or both,” she says.

Today, at age 80, Tony is still involved in day-to-day nursery operations. Anita is working on ways to ensure she is able to fill her father’s role when he is no longer involved. “Much of what dad knows is in his head, and not on paper,” she explains. “I’m trying to get the younger staff to learn what he knows.”

The advisors and the entrepreneurs agree; listening, respect and crafting a mutually beneficial plan can certainly help prevent hurt feelings. And those steps can actually help assure the success of a comLT pany’s ownership transition.

Helen Lammers-Helps has a degree in agriculture from the University of Guelph. She has been writing about agriculture and horticulture for more than 10 years.

8 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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Understand

the balance Part 1 of 2: Balance sheets are a ‘selfie’ of your business at a point in time; learn how to use them to advantage.

By Lee Ann Knudsen

Editor’s note: Landscape Trades interviewed Nathan Helder about using Profit and Loss Statements to manage financials in January, 2014; read that story on landscapetrades.com/PandL. Helder, of Gelderman Landscape Services and Southbrook Consulting, Waterdown, Ont., continues the discussion on financial management.

N

athan Helder has a dream. He wants

landscape business owners to move away from regarding their companies as everything: their ‘baby,’ their life, their retirement. Instead, companies should be a means to generate wealth and security for families — independent of the business.

The best financial tool to help understand and achieve that goal, according to Helder, is the Balance Sheet. But he says it is rare to find a landscape company owner that truly ‘gets’ this important piece of paper. “Many contractors look at the Retained Earnings line only; many don’t look at the balance sheet at all, because it scares them.”

The balance sheet is simply a current snapshot of your company’s finances. Unlike the Profit and Loss (Income) Statement, it shows how cash is (or is not) flowing through your business, your debt position and other indicators that have everything to do with your company’s health, as well as opportunities to make best use of your resources.

12 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Says Helder, “Businesses don’t go bankrupt because they are not profitable, but because they run out of cash and can’t meet their financial obligations as they come due. You don’t see a business that is typically slow in sales go bankrupt, but one that is booming, having fun and growing too quickly.” He cautions that profitable, growing companies can run out of cash because they need increasing amounts of working capital to support equipment and labour investments.

How does the balance sheet work?

Every balance sheet has two parts. The first is Total Assets, the second is Total Liabilities and Owners Equity. The total dollar amount for the two sections is always identical.

Assets = Liabilities + Equity l Assets: What a company owns or will receive: cash, accounts receivable, notes receivable, equipment, buildings, land, office equipment l Liabilities: are what the company owes; lines of credit, accounts payable, the portion of long term debt that needs to be repaid within one year, accrued taxes etc. l Equity: represents retained earnings and funds contributed by shareholders Step One is to get over the idea that “Liabilities” are always bad, or something to be feared. Liabilities are a

by-product of business itself. Business owners should understand which liabilities are good, and which can potentially wipe out a shareholder’s investment or put his company at risk.

To illustrate that point, Helder created balance sheets for two fictional landscape companies shown above. He cautions that the companies are not “bad” and “good,” but rather each was created to show its own challenges — which the balance sheets reveal.

Looking back to grade school math, one might be challenged to find business owners who remember enjoying the study of ratios.

However, ‘ratio’ simply means a relationship between numbers, and mining a few easy ratios from balance sheets unlocks hugely valuable insights on companies.

Can you pay your bills?

Nearly everyone in business understands, at some time or another, what it feels like to owe bills that can’t be paid. The Working Capi14 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

tal, or Current, Ratio expresses a company’s ability to pay bills with an exact number.

Working Capital, or Current, Ratio = Current Assets ÷ Current Liabilities l Company A has $600,000 in assets divided by $190,000 in current liabilities, for a Working Capital Ratio of 3.16 l Company B has $240,000 in assets divided by $345,000 in current liabilities, for a Working Capital Ratio of 0.7 This ratio is an easy way to start using your Balance Sheet, and it is important to know this number; many bankers stipulate a Working Capital Ratio level in loan agreements. continued on page 16

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Balance sheets help companies look into the future, says Nathan Helder.

A number below 1.0 indicates negative working capital; as shown above, Company B owes more than it has. Trouble paying creditors over the short term could lead to the worst-case scenario of bankruptcy. Ratios between 1.2 and 2.5 indicate a good, healthy balance of utilizing current assets. A company with a ratio exceeding 2.5 has lots of flexibility to expand operations. However, sitting on excess inventory is not always good.

This ratio can also be misleading; if a company’s current assets are high due to large inventories or old accounts receivable due to poor collections, it can give a false sense of security. You may still be running out of cash.

Are you milking your business?

The Debt to Equity Ratio is important to bankers, as they want to ensure that you leave enough money in the business. If you pull cash out, and yet have high liabilities,

HOW MUCH CASH SHOULD I LEAVE IN MY COMPANY? Sitting on cash can be an expensive luxury because it has an opportunity cost. Could that money be put to better use? Extra cash also risks exposure to lawsuits. More importantly, extra cash takes pressure away, and could lead to inefficient operations.

In Helder’s experience, excess cash creates a more relaxed attitude and sloppy habits, including poor collections, bad spending patterns and less pressure on management to perform.

Having all your eggs in one basket is also not good from an investment perspective. Contractors sometimes become so focused on their business, they lose sight of it as a tool to create cash, which could have been transferred to a holding company to create more wealth outside of the business.

By taking out cash and investing the money elsewhere, you can use the Rule of 72 to see how quickly invested money can double. The rule number (e.g. 72) is divided by the interest percentage per period, to obtain the approximate number of periods (usually years) required for doubling. If you were to invest $100 with compounding interest at eight per cent per annum, the rule of 72 shows your investment would double to $200 in nine years (72 ÷ 8 = 9).

Leaving that $100 in the company, in a savings account, is not wise, unless you are in growth mode, and reinvesting into good capital expenditures that will drive more profit, or you predict a downturn and are planning ahead.

Extra cash sometimes tempts owners to pursue “bright shiny objects” or ideas that do not follow their strategic plan or improve their bottom line.

16 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

16 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

your creditors may feel threatened and put more pressure on your business. A high Debt to Equity Ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt, rather than using accumulated profit.

Debt to Equity = Total Liabilities ÷ Total Owners Equity l Company A has $800,000 in liabilities divided by $500,000 in Owners Equity, for a Debt to Equity Ratio of 1.6 l Company B has $865,000 in liabilities divided by $225,000 in Owners Equity, for a Debt to Equity Ratio of 3.84 Helder advises those getting into studying Balance Sheets to seek out comparable examples within one’s industry — and he fully understands how difficult obtaining such sensitive information can be. He credits his peer group participation as a valuable experience in his own business journey. For the landscape industry, Helder says a Debt to Equity Ratio under 1.5 is good; extremely efficient and growth-conscious companies can fall in the range of 0.2 – 1.0.

Nathan Helder is animated and convincing when he talks about how understanding numbers really gives a business owner control. He urges those feeling unsure about where to start to reach out for help. But he is much more than a numbers guy; he truly wants his fellow landscape industry members to follow his dream about using numbers to achieve larger goals. Says Helder, “This is all about making sure your family LT is okay.”

Coming in August Landscape Trades: Nathan Helder explains how to further decode the Balance Sheet in Part 2 of this story.

Quantify how much your company relies on debt, whether your equipment investments are effective and learn how to measure your company’s profitability compared to equity.

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roadtosuccess

Keep your eye on the prize

When independent companies fail, the reason is often failure to focus. The person or company that tries to be all things to all people, usually winds up being very little to only a few.

Here is a blueprint to avoid that fatal mistake. There is a lumber yard in Regina that is now into its third generation. It was started in 1956 and the company has seen many changes in how business is done.

With the arrival of the box stores including Rona, Home Depot and Lowes, most lumber yards were forecast to diminish in size or to fail. Fries Tallman Lumber was in that category, yet 20 years after the arrival of the box stores, it has grown and succeeds at a very high level. Why? Read on.

This lumber yard kept its focus on its customer base, which was the construction industry. It does sell to the affectionately known weekend warriors, but they are not the main focus. The company realized that lumber is a commodity, much as peat moss bales are to a garden centre. The company also realized that time is money, and no one is more impatient than a contractor. When contractors want anything, they always want it five minutes ago, not next week. Planning ahead is not the norm in the construction industry. I won’t apologize for that statement. After 39 years in the trade, I have seen that level of impatience often.

STORY TIME: As an adjunct to the above

paragraph, there was an ‘old-school’ brick yard in Regina, and a woman worked behind the order desk for many years. Her name was Bernice and you didn’t mess with her, no matter how

18 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

BY ROD McDONALD gruff and tough you thought you were.

Bernice was tougher. Bernice had a plaque on her order desk that read, “Failure to plan on your part does not constitute a crisis on my part.” She would tap that plaque when a contractor would rush in, demanding delivery of three pallets within the hour.

We are back on track. Contractors, everywhere, are an impatient lot. Fries Tallman recognized this, and they did two things that promoted the company as front runner in the lumber business. First, they have an order desk made up of staff members who know the difference between dimensional lumber and rough cut. They know when fir is required instead of spruce, and the load strength of a two by ten. In short, the order desk staff knows its stuff.

The second element Fries developed was a strong delivery presence: Afterhours staff to load the trucks for the next day’s 7 a.m. deliveries, with drivers who know how to find construction sites that are not listed on maps, and are usually on time.

Contractors did not want the frustrating experience of a box store, where most staff members do not know the product line, or have difficulty in completing orders and ontime deliveries. Nothing makes a contractor blow up more quickly than a delivery of eight-ft. two-by-sixes, when they had ordered ten-footers. Time is money, and if you have to wait for a second delivery, the project stalls.

The focus that worked for Fries Tallman in the lumber business will also work for us in our business. First, we have to define our

customer base, and where they live. So many times I have visited a garden centre or greenhouse and asked where customers are based, I have been informed, “We sell all over.”

Often, I am told the story of how someone drives 200 km, every spring, just to shop at their operation. That is a nice, anecdotal story, but anecdotal stories do not put too much food on your table. What puts food on your table is a consistent sales program.

If you tell me, or anyone else, that your customer base comes “from all over,” you have actually told us that you don’t know, and that is not a good situation.

In the old days, (yes, Pops), I would take a weekend’s worth of cheques and mark down the areas where those customers came from.

Not totally scientific, because it left out cash customers and credit card people. When debit cards arrived, I could no longer use the addresses on cheques to ascertain my base.

What I then found worked best was to ask departing customers one quick question, and that was for their postal code. When you ask people for too much information, or what they consider to be private, they balk.

But a postal code is an easy one to get and works just fine for estimating where your customers live.

Sixty per cent of my customers came from the four neighbourhoods adjacent to my garden centre. That was not a surprise. But there was a neighbourhood next to my most loyal area, and that one provided me with only one per cent of my customers. Now, that was a surprise to me. Also, a quality neighbourhood in the northwest part of the city gave me 17 per cent of my customer base. They were not close, yet the residents found me. Of course,

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roadtosuccess only one customer per year came from other parts of the city; those areas were just not a part of my customer base.

What do you do with that information?

First, it really helps you to figure out where to spend your advertising dollars, with a rifled approach instead of a shotgun. Why send flyers into a neighbourhood where no one is ever going to come to your establishment? I don’t buy into the concept that you should try to win them over. It’s not going to happen. They have already decided that they prefer to shop at Walmart. Spend your money on the people who are willing to give your place a chance and may already shop there.

Business operators need to keep their focus on their product line and service mix.

Again: You cannot be all things to all people.

I understand expanding product lines and the need to keep your place fresh and exciting. I also understand operators who have gone off half cocked and paid a steep price for that behaviour. Whenever an item or new area is to be developed, I would strongly suggest sitting down and calculating what you can gain and what you can lose.

When concrete statuary and fountains first hit the garden centre market in the 1980s, I bought three fountains and ten birdbaths.

My staff objected and told me they would never sell. My response was that even if not

one of them sold, I had not invested so much in inventory that we would suffer. Long story short: Everything sold, and within a few years, the statuary department was worth $60,000 each season. The upside was there and the downside was not so severe that it would knock me off my game. Of course, when an independent is doing that well with a product line, it is not long before other independents and box stores jump into the fray and the original numbers diminish. You never own a market forever. Just ask Eaton’s.

Chasing the fast and easy buck does not work, at least not in the long run. All of us should be in business for the duration, not the quick dollar. I would receive phone calls from people wanting to sell me their house plants, as either they were moving or the plants were getting too large. I did not buy, as my business plan was to engage in repeatable activities. If I were to purchase a nice plant from a homeowner, sell it, and a second customer wanted the same thing, how would I procure that second item?

One day, an elderly couple from Oregon visited. They owned a Christmas tree farm, were retiring, and had no one to take over the farm. They were clearing out their Christmas trees for a low price. The product appeared decent, the price was tempting, but the question I had to ask was: What do I do next year? Do I return to my regular grow-

ers, hat in hand, with them asking where I had been the year before? Buying from this couple was not a repeatable experience and did not fit my business plan. If it is not repeatable, I avoid it.

The owner of a greenhouse/garden centre near me would buy anything from anyone, if the price was right. He jumped around from supplier to supplier a lot. He was soon bankrupt, owing everyone money. Being a jackrabbit and jumping around after the quick or easy dollar does not pay. Rather, it costs.

Often, the turtle wins the race.

ANOTHER STORY: CKCK 620 was a radio

station in Regina. It was a well-run business that owned the market place from the 1920s until the early 1980s. I had a customer who was a salesman at CKCK in the ‘70s. He told me that most days, the sales staff was finished before noon because there was nothing left to sell.

Why the popularity? They had a team of on-air personalities who had created an incredibly loyal following. In the ‘50s, our family radio was always set to 620, and the other four stations were ignored.

New owners came along and killed the proverbial ‘golden goose.’ Why pay big bucks to the well-known, on-air staff when you can hire younger staff for less money? Long story short: The station went bankrupt and their radio dial spot was taken over by a competitor. This story, had I written it 40 years ago, would have been unthinkable in our city. A loss of focus and not keeping their eye on the prize destroyed a business from within, something that no competitor achieved in 70 years of trying.

All of us have to ascertain who our market is, and what keeps us successful.

Focus keeps us on the road to success. 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.

20 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

20 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

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managementsolutions

Equip your company for success

BY MARK BRADLEY

Equipment is always a popular topic at any trade networking event or workshop. People love to see and share ideas for equipment, trailer configurations, and tools that improve productivity. But eventually, the conversation always goes in the same direction. “Sounds good, but I don’t know if I can afford it.” Contractors fear that more equipment would drive up costs, and potentially make the contractor either more expensive or less profitable.

Ultimately, the upfront cost of acquiring equipment should not be your biggest concern. The cost is certainly something that must be carefully considered, but for many contractors, it’s the starting (and ending!) point to any conversation about equipment. They are short on upfront capital, and there’s a genuine fear of risk when signing on to a finance contract.

But too many contractors worry that the cost of equipment will add to the Expenses side, and thereby reduce profit, but forget to think about the Revenue side of the equation. If your company’s revenues grow by more than (expenses + net profit), then the equipment is likely a great investment… even if you need to finance it.

To truly understand the cost of equipment, you need to make sure you understand the real cost of lost productivity, or in other cases, equipment downtime. Lost productivity is what professional owners really worry about, because with compact equipment, the most expensive cost is the operator in the seat.

In order to pin a real cost on productivity, we can use industry average rates for earned revenue per hour. Revenue per hour is not the rates you’re charging per hour for labour. Revenue per hour is the total value of all revenue a typical employee earns in one hour, including labour rates, equipment rates, materials installed, and overhead and profit earned.

Benchmarks for lost productivity To put revenue per hour in a simple example, take the total selling price of a landscape job and divide it by the number of hours worked on the job. That number tells you the job’s average revenue per hour. It includes all materials, equipment, overhead and profit built into the job… not just the hourly rate for labour.

Design/Build/Install: Design/build/install work typically ranges between $75 and $125 per hour. We’ll use $100/hr as our benchmark for our examples below. Design-build work has a higher revenue per hour than maintenance work because of the volume of materials installed. Landscape construction companies could use, on average, a cost of $100 per hour of productivity lost.

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Maintenance: Grounds maintenance work typically ranges between $50 and $75 per hour. There’s much less material revenue compared to design-build, and therefore the revenue per hour is significantly lower. On average, the cost of a lost productive hour in maintenance is around $60.

Some contractors accurately recover equipment costs in their estimates. But for every landscape contractor who does, there are eight to 10 contractors who price work having no idea what their equipment actually costs, and simply hope their guesstimates cover their costs. Or, even worse, because they own the equipment without any payments, it’s not even seen as a cost, and it’s never included in estimates. Years go by for these contractors. Their ‘paid-off’ equipment gets older. It requires more service and breaks down more often. The cost of repairs goes up, but it’s easy to convince yourself that the repairs on that old machine are still cheaper than a monthly payment.

Until, that is, you consider the productivity lost.

Case study: Real cost of breakdowns Casey runs his design-build equipment into the ground. He pays cash for his machines, doesn’t owe anybody anything, and works his equipment until it quits. It’s a low-risk strategy, but it’s low reward as well.

Casey’s (older) skid steer breaks down in the field while it’s supposed to be moving fill out of a backyard, and aggregates in. He sends one of his crew to bring the machine over to the dealer for repair. Just for a minute, ignore the cost of the wages paid to the employee while delivering the equipment. The real cost we need to worry about is this — while that employee is moving the equipment around, he’s not working on customer jobs and therefore not generating any revenue. COST: four hours of lost production time to transport the machine to the dealer, $400 The crew on site then has to work without the equipment, using a wheelbarrow and shovels to load and unload materials. What should have taken eight man hours with the equipment takes 28 man hours to complete by hand. They could have done the same work in far less time, had the machine been operational. COST: 20 man hours lost to reduced productivity, $2,000 The dealer then calls up and gives Casey a repair estimate for $1,250 to fix the problem. Casey’s got no choice but to get it fixed and, in his mind, his annual costs for repairs are still cheaper than a monthly payment. COST: Parts and labour for the repair, $1,250 The repair gets finished and Casey’s driver heads back over to the

dealer to pick up the machine and deliver it back to the jobsite where it’s needed for work the next day. Cost: four hours of lost production time to transport the machine to the dealer, $400 When you look at the real costs of the breakdown, the parts and repairs were just the tip of the iceberg. The direct financial impact of the repair was $4,050 when you consider direct costs and lost revenue to due productivity loss. That one repair alone cost Casey the equivalent of six months payment on a brand new machine.

And that’s not all... Casey’s overhead stays the same whether he works at full productivity or not. So if he loses $2,800 in potential revenue (lost productive hours), the percentage of sales that he spends on overhead goes up. His overhead didn’t change, but his sales and production are that much less. The less revenue Casey’s company earns, the bigger his overhead percentage becomes. When his overhead percentage goes up, Casey’s profit margin goes down.

You can apply similar thinking to other equipment applications: l Work tools and attachments for your equipment are investments that often pay themselves back in productivity in just a few jobs.

A $3,000 auger could pay itself back in about 30 large trees, if it could save one man hour of labour per tree. l Moving equipment from job to job is robbing your company of valuable production hours. While that driver is moving the equipment, he/she is not generating any billable revenue! If it takes four hours to get to the site, load the equipment, strap it down, inspect it, move it, unload it, and then return to shop (don’t forget the crew productivity lost in conversations every time the driver arrives on a new site!), if you’re moving equipment twice per month, you’d likely be better off just owning another piece. l Don’t be cheap when buying equipment. Don’t sacrifice reliability for upfront cost. Spend the extra money to buy reliable, dependable equipment with fast and rapid access to parts and repairs. The downtime costs (lost productivity) of cheaper equipment will be far greater than any up-front savings. l And finally, just think about the jobs and/or profit you could be missing out on if you don’t have the right tool for the job. A job that might take a three-man crew a full day to excavate could be done in a half-day with two people. The company doing work with the machine will have a significant cost savings (fewer man hours, faster job velocity, higher revenue per hour, faster overhead recovery), and the shorter job completion times will enable LT them to get more jobs done in the season.

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

JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

23

legalmatters

CASE STUDY:

Tendering, changes and common mistake

BY ROBERT KENNALEY

In 2006, the City of Kingston, Ont., decided to renovate its Grand Theatre. It awarded a general contract to Asco Construction, who in turn tendered out the concrete topping and repair work. Epoxy Solutions bid for this work, in accordance with (among other things) an elevation drawing provided by Asco as part of the tender documents. Epoxy was awarded a subcontract and (no doubt as required by the contract documents) retained a surveyor to verify the slab elevations before commencing the work. The elevations were wrong. Epoxy advised Asco that its subcontract price had to be increased by almost 50 per cent, and that it required a change in the work for that amount before starting work.

Asco refused to approve the extra and demanded that Epoxy start work immediately. Epoxy refused. Asco retained a new subcontractor and sued Epoxy for the premium costs of retaining a new trade. Epoxy counterclaimed for its profits lost on the job.

At trial, the judge found that the error was Asco’s fault, that Epoxy had provided adequate information about the discrepancy and its costs claimed, and that Asco could not require Epoxy to proceed with the work without adequate assurance that it would be compensated for the extra work. As a result, Asco’s claim for damages was dismissed; Epoxy was awarded its lost profits.

The principles at issue in the case have been well established; contractors or subcontractors who perform additional work (or a bet-

24 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

ter quality of work) without an approval will not be entitled to additional compensation.

This is true, generally speaking, even where there is a dispute over whether the work is, in fact, an extra. In Peter Kiewit & Sons v.

Eakins Construction [1960] S.C.R. 361, for example, a subcontractor believed it had drilled its piles to the depth required by its subcontract. The contractor, however, believed otherwise. The subcontractor originally refused to perform additional drilling, without an approval for a change in the work. The contractor (much as Asco did in this case) insisted that the subcontractor keep working and threatened to sue for premium costs and delays if it refused. The subcontractor, under the threat of litigation, decided to keep drilling — and to pursue its claim for an extra at a later date. The claim for an extra went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, which held (on the basis of established case law) that because the trade had performed the late work without an approval, it was not entitled to additional compensation.

Two things should be noted. First, a subcontractor who agrees to perform the work, without an extra, will not always be refused additional compensation. This is because courts can, and often will, vary the terms of the agreement between the parties based on their conduct. (In other words, depending on what is said or done by the parties, the courts might relieve the subcontractor of the harsh consequences of proceeding

— by finding the other side to have waived its right to refuse payment in the circumstances.) Second, stalemate over whether an extra should be approved is often expressly addressed by the parties in their contract.

Most standard form contracts in Canada, for example, provide that where there is a dispute over whether or not certain work amounts to an extra, (or over the amount to be paid for same), the contractor or trade can be directed to perform the work while the dispute drags on with no guarantee of additional compensation. It appears clear that in this case, no such clause existed in the contract. Had there been one, Asco would most likely have been successful at trial.

The lessons to be learned are twofold: Get the approval if at all possible, and make sure you read and understand the contract — as refusing to perform in the face of a contractually-enforceable direction will expose you to damages.

This, however, is not the end of the story.

Asco appealed and the Divisional Court on its own initiative determined that the doctrine of ‘common mistake’ applied to render the contract void. The issue of common mistake, however, was not pleaded or argued at any stage. The parties became aware of this theory for the first time when the Divisional Court released its decision. The Divisional Court’s theory was that because the sketch differed from the actual site conditions, both the contractor and the bidding subcontractor were both mistaken as to existing conditions in entering a subcontract.

You can imagine how surprising the Divisional Court’s approach was for many in the construction industry. Allowing an owner to avoid responsibility for errors in its tender documents on the basis of ‘common mistake’ would have a significant impact on both the law, and practice, of tendering in Canada. Thankfully, the Ontario Court of

Appeal overturned the decision. The Court of Appeal reiterated, firstly, that no Court should decide matters on grounds which were not advanced by the parties. The Court then found (in an approach which is consistent with the existing law and practice of tendering) that the mistake was Asco’s fault, that the tender documents represented an implied representation that the work described could be built as described, and that compliant bidders were entitled to rely upon the accuracy of the tender documents.

The second half of the story is a good example of why construction litigation can be an uncertain, and sometimes expensive, prospect. Judges are people, too. They can do unexpected things and it sometimes takes two or three levels to get it right (if at all). Parties to a dispute should keep this in mind. In this circumstance, I’m sure both Asco and Epoxy now wish they’d come to an agreement before going to trial. After all,

What we say to customers

Epoxy’s original subcontract value was only $72,500. It won a mere $25,000 at trial. The company probably spent well over $100,000 LT in legal fees.

Robert Kennaley has a background in construction and now practices construction law in Toronto and Simcoe, Ontario. He speaks and writes regularly on construction law issues and can be reached for comment at 416-3682522 (Toronto) 519-426-2577 (Simcoe) or at kennaley@mclauchlin.ca. This material is for information purposes and is not intended to provide legal advice in relation to any particular fact situation. Readers who have concerns about any particular circumstance are encouraged to seek independent legal advice in that regard.

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25

mentormoment

Two letter word, No, is a great business tool In this issue of Landscape Trades, we begin a new column, asking a few questions of industry leaders across Canada about how each grew his business. This month’s mentor is Paul Doornbos CLT CLP, of Thornbusch Landscaping in Lansdowne, Ont. If you wish to suggest a question or recommend a business leader, please email editor@landscapetrades.com.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to work in the green trades?

A. My parents owned a wholesale growing operation in the Niagara Peninsula, so I grew up working in the industry. A tight knit, hardworking group of people with a wealth of horticultural knowledge to share, whom I often refer to affectionately as the “Dutch Mafia”; because once in you’re never really out, as you’ll find from my story.

I wanted nothing to do with the horticulture business so I went to Kemptville College for dairy cattle management, and worked in the dairy industry for nearly a decade. In 2000, a marital breakdown led me to return to a job at a garden centre in the 1000 Islands area where I had worked for a season in 1995. After that, I ran the company’s landscaping division for seven years before starting my own company.

I learned the technical and Paul Doornbos, Thornbusch Landscaping Plant Health Care aspects of the landscape trades on the job. It wasn’t until I attained my Certified Landscape Technician designation in 2003, that I had any tangible proof I knew anything about horticulture or the landscape industry.

Q. What single piece of advice would you give to someone who wants to make money in this business?

A. My best advice would be to work on your business, and be very aware of your numbers as they refer to costs and production rates.

Know what your crew is able to produce in a day, and in a week.

Understanding your actual costs and production rates will stop you from taking on jobs you can’t afford to do.

When other companies want advice, I ask, “Do you have the ability to say ‘No’?”

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I see many new companies get in trouble because they are afraid to say, “This is the price I need, or no, I can’t do the job for you.” I don’t do jobs for the privilege of working for someone, I do jobs to make money.

Granted, it takes a leap of faith to turn down work. But you have to have trust in your abilities and numbers. Don’t let someone else dictate your price. As soon as you devalue your work by lowering your price to get work, you are on a slippery slope, and it’s a race to the bottom. There is always going to be someone who will do something for a lower price.

I’ve found that having the confidence to stand behind my work and my price earns respect from customers. I have fewer problems collecting receivables, as customers know I mean what I say and I will deliver what is asked.

Over the years, I have screwed up in life and on jobs — but I learn from every mistake. Track your jobs so you know where you are making errors, and turn them into learning opportunities; don’t blame others. Ask how WE can do better, NOT whose fault is it.

Know your costs and learn your pricing model inside and out. That will give you the confidence to recognize where your strengths are, which jobs you do most efficiently, and what your niche is. This will enable your ability to say ‘No’ when needed.

Again, it all comes back to knowing your costs so you can defend your price with confidence.

Q. What has been the most difficult thing for you to do while growing your business?

A. The hardest thing for me has been moving from participant to coach with my staff. As a Type A personality, this is a difficult lesson to learn. It is hard not to say, “Move over and let me do that.” But if you do, you will continue to have to do it. I recognize I need to have systems in place and trust in my staff to get the job done. My staff needs to make mistakes and learn by doing, as I did.

Letting things go isn’t easy for me, and I don’t always get it right. But knowing I need to work on this, I can keep practicing. Sooner or later we all become physically unable to keep working at the same pace, so investing in my employees, training, and equipment makes sense.

Q. How do you avoid wasting time on dead-end calls? Do you charge for estimates?

A. I prequalify all my sales calls. If it is a returning customer, or a direct referral from another customer, I don’t charge to visit their home to give them an estimate on a landscape project. Direct referrals have

had the value vs. price conversation with an existing client, so they know what to expect. However, if it is someone who has called me out of the blue, I will charge a service fee to visit the first time.

If someone is not willing to invest in me and my time, I have a great ability to say ‘No’ (see above).

Q. Where should a business owner start to look for help?

A. Business development is a lot like personal growth and development. You have to understand who or what you are. By my mid-30s I knew what I knew, and had the confidence to go and ask questions from others in this business to learn what I didn’t know.

As I said, I am extremely blessed and fortunate to enjoy family connections with the Dutch community and a vast business network in the industry as a result of where I grew up. So I’ve always known people within the industry to go to with my questions. But don’t let a lack of connections stop you from asking questions in your search for answers. Everyone has to start somewhere, and as my dad says, “What’s the worst that can happen? They say no?” You will be surprised how many people in this industry are willing to talk and share, if you ask for help.

If you don’t have access or the time to go to meetings offered by your provincial trade association, ask one of your peers whose work you admire out for coffee, or a beer. People are willing to share and help, but they aren’t going to do the work for you. You need to put yourself out there first and know which questions to ask. However,

I would strongly encourage you to get involved and make time for this. Second only to learning from the opportunities created by my mistakes, is the amount of learning from others through discussion that I have had thus far in my life. Always look for the way it can apply to your business or situation. Keep in mind that it is about correlation, not exact replication; less is more in many cases and things are relative. Remember every company is unique and reflects you or the founding partners.

If sharing your numbers is holding you back, use percentages instead — they are just as valuable for benchmarking. The volume of sales you have doesn’t matter, as it’s not the most important figure.

It’s how those sales relate to your expenses.

Also, invest in business reading. No one is ever finished learning.

I recommend anything written by Patrick Lencioni. His books are easy to read and contain lots of short chapters — like fables with a message. I enjoyed Michael Gerber’s E-Myth and read anything by Seth Godin on marketing and branding. Godin is an advocate of thinking outside the box.

Our line of work is not cookie-cutter production. Every day we do something different or run across unexpected situations, so we all benefit from thinking outside the box. Remember, in everything you do, be professional! Stick to your core values and exemplify them in everything you do — they are your brand. Believe in yourself and your business. Ask yourself, do I want to blend in or stand out? Thornbusch LT Landscaping Company will always choose to stand out!

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www.zandersod.com JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

27

designersnotebook

Designers tour gardens of Spain

BY CORA SWINAMER

The Atlantic Association of Landscape Designers (AALD) had the incredible opportunity early this spring to visit and discover the gardens, history and culture of Spain. Our group of 12 included landscape designers and their friends and partners. We met near Cabo Roig in southern Costa Blanca at the vacation home of one of our members. This area provided a good home port for day trips to Valencia, Cartagena, Elche, Alicante and Torrevieja. We each had the opportunity to explore other parts of Spain both before and after the week spent together.

The Jardin de la Sultana (Sultana’s Garden), Generalife, Granada

Back row: AALD members Bob Howard, Peggy Wright, Marion Negreira, Jane Rostek; front row: Â Catherine Deveau-Abbass, Ellen Ruddick, Cora Swinamer

Our hosts Marion and Angle Negreira provided an introduction to local nurseries, where we enjoyed exploring the plant varieties that are popular in the landscape trade. The ancient-looking potted olive trees and large cacti were particularly interesting. We recognized many plants that we are only able to use as annuals or house plants back home.

Visiting the historic gardens of Spain provided us with a look at landscape design installations vastly different than anything we would experience in Canada. With some, such as Alhambra and the Generalife gardens in Granada dating back to the 14th Century, we got to view Moorish influenced design, with its succession of courtyards and pools.

In the Islamic style there is continuity and play between internal and external space. As we walked through the varied rooms of the fortress (Alhambra translates to Red Fort), it would lead us from

one courtyard garden to another. Translating this grand and formal style to landscapes at home would be impossible. These are gardens of kings and emirs, with an army of gardeners to do the maintenance. We can however have small pruned hedges to visually divide space and provide a sense of visual movement.

We are also able to make effective use of repetition, massing and balance without the formality and corresponding maintenance requirements seen here. Mortared stone walls, that have weathered in Spain for centuries, would be more difficult to incorporate in Canada, due to our severe freeze and thaw cycles.

We took a day trip to Elche to visit El Huerto del Cura, The Jewel of the Palm Park, National Artistic Garden. Elche boasts over 200,000 palm trees, whose origin is believed to be Phoenician 2,500 to 3,000 years ago. The date palm, Phoenix dactylifera,

Huerto del Cura, Jewel of the Palm Park, Elche

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is considered the star of the El Huerto del Cura garden. The garden is only 13,000 square meters, containing approximately 1,000 palm trees. There is also an exceptional cactus and succulent garden, containing specimens from the most arid places around the world. This garden is fronted by beautiful ponds with interconnecting pathways. The resident peacocks were more than happy to pose for their admirers.

For those of us who had time to visit Madrid, we were treated to a magnificent public park spanning 300 acres in the heart of Madrid, Parque del Buen Retiro. In addition to extensive formal gardens, historic monuments, a man-made lake and a large rose garden, there was a community garden where locals were tending to artichokes, Swiss chard and numerous herbs and fruit trees. On the Saturday we visited, the park was alive with street musicians, rollerblade classes, families on bicycles and many enjoying a picnic in the many open spaces. To us it felt like a brilliant gift of city planning.

The Retiro Park is bordered by many of Madrid’s historic landmarks and the famous Prado Museum and Art Gallery.

Adjacent to the Prado is the Real Jardin Botanico, a beautiful botanical garden housing a great collection of plants from around the world. The garden was begun in 1754 by Fernando VI, and moved to its current location by King

Real Jardin Botanico, Madrid. The camellias were in full bloom during our visit.

Charles III in 1774. It is organized into three tiered terraces, with plants arranged by their botanical classification. Part of the garden’s early mission was to encourage expeditions to discover and classify new plant species. It was also considered a place to teach and study botany, while providing a beautiful display garden. During our visit in late March, the camellias were in full bloom as well as early star magnolias, a few rhododendron, daffodils and hellebores. It was a wonderful stroll on a cool and damp spring morning.

Seville is home to the gardens of the Royal Alcazar, declared a World Heritage site, and is considered to be one of the most ancient, beautiful and varied gardens in Europe. It contains close to 1,000 palm trees and almost 200 species of trees and plants including myrtle, rosemary, boxwood, lilies and acanthus.

A visit to Cordoba provided more garden thrills at The Castle of the Christian Monarchs, Alcazar Viejo, which has been the site of a

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find the Multilift hooklift systeM that’s right for your job at www.atlaspolar.com JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES | 29

designersnotebook fortress since Roman times. The series of gardens, ponds and pools were arranged in keeping with Arabic gardening traditions and included palm trees, cypresses, orange and lemon trees.

This trip provided a wonderful opportunity to share an incredible country with fellow landscape designers and invigorated us with ideas for the coming season. It has whetted our appetite for more LT travel; could Italy be next?

Garden at the Castle of the Christian Monarchs, Cordoba

View to the Ladies Garden, from the Garden of the Mercury Pond, Gardens of the Royal Alcazar, Seville

30 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

Cora Swinamer is a Nova Scotia-based landscape designer and a member of the Atlantic Association of Landscape Designers (AALD).

AALD unites individual designers while promoting excellence in design services through industry support, networking and professional development. Field trips are planned each year; they have visited MUN Botanical Garden in Nfld., Annapolis Royal Gardens gardens in N.B. and Les Jardins de Metis in Quebec.

newproducts Commercial electric tools Oregon has added a blower and a second-generation chain saw and a corded electric chain saw, geared toward professionals looking for an alternative to gas-powered tools. The company claims its BL300 blower will be one of the most powerful battery-powered blowers on the market, providing 495 cfm at 132 mph on turbo and 394 cfm at 105 mph on high. Oregon’s cordless chain saw has been re-engineered with 40 per cent more power and a 16-in. bar. With tool-less tensioning and a brushless motor, the CS300 offers a powerful cutting experience.

Oregon www.oregoncordless.com

Sod cutter The new Classen HSC18 Pro Sod Cutter is designed for top-of-the-line transport and cutting speeds, easy operations and maximum versatility for any application ranging from repositioning or relocating sod for golf course or landscape use. The new compact cutter comes in two size options.

The integrated, rear swivel wheel ensures ease of turning and can be secured in place for straight-line cutting. This allows the operator to make quick work of cutting sod in tight areas.

Classen www.classenturf.com

Sign posts MetroVanes has introduced Wayfinders — custom design directional signs for residential gardens, patios, decks and lawns, each providing accurate compass points and aerial distances in mileage or kilometers to favorite destinations anywhere in the world. Mounted on six or eight-foot galvanized or powder-coated steel posts bolted to decks or set in the ground, personalized signs measure 24 by five inches. Each post can hold up to eight of the 3 mm aluminum-composite signs.

Metrovanes www.metrovanes.com

Liquid injector for soil The EZ-Ject is for tree and shrub pesticide and fertilizer application beneath the soil surface. The injector accurately delivers ½ oz. (15 ml) or liquid per injection. The injector is easy to operate: push the probe into the soil using the foot pad and then push down on the handles to inject the liquid mixture. EZ-Ject is simple to transport and adjustable for injection depth and operator height.

Rittenhouse www.rittenhouse.ca

Fence post protector Fence Armor protects wood fences and other landscape structures from the ravages of power grass and weed trimmers. Designed from G90 galvanized steel, stamped by a 55-ton press, its design incorporates radial corners that gently divert the trimmer’s cutting line. Fence Armor comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. It can be installed on new or existing fences, on everything from ornamental, vinyl and wood in a variety of sizes from 2 x 2 to 6 x 6 in., as well as rounds.

Fence Armor www.fencearmor.com

Hedge trimmer

Stihl’s new HS 82 R/T hedge trimmer features a 2-Mix engine offering high power delivery over a wide range of speeds and up to a 20 per cent reduction in fuel consumption and 50 per cent reduction in exhaust gases. Double-sided, sharpened blades and the innovative blade shape guarantee a clean, high-quality cut. Stihl’s anti-vibration system minimizes vibrations that would otherwise be transferred to the handle, allowing for comfortable work, even over long periods of time.

Stihl Limited www.stihl.ca JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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industrynews Changes to Plant Breeder’s Rights The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association welcomes the changes to Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) legislation in Bill C-18, An Act to Amend Certain Acts Relating to Agriculture and Agri-Food, which received Royal Assent this spring. As the largest users of this Act, the ornamental horticulture industry will benefit from the changes, as international breeders will have confidence in our breeder protection rights and be willing to ship new products into Canada for propagation and distribution.

Plant breeding is time consuming and expensive, however, plant cultivars can be quickly and easily reproduced. There is a potential risk for plagiarism and use of someone’s intellectual property without permission. PBR is a form of protection for breeders of new plant cultivars.

PBR allows breeders to take legal action against unauthorized propagation and sales. Breeders can license growers and have some control over propagation material. Royalties collected can be invested into breeding programs.

Additionally, under the old Act, no prior sales of a newly developed plant were allowed in Canada before applying for PBR protection.

The revised Act allows up to one year of sales in Canada prior to application. This encourages breeders to test market before filing for PBR protection. Protection has now been extended from 18 years up to 20 years and 25 years for trees and vines.

Canadian honoured by ICPI In February, the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) recognized industry leaders David Bender of Canada and Chris Ross of the U.S., at its annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, for a

David Bender and Chris Ross.

32 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

life of significant contributions to the segmental concrete pavement industry.

The ICPI Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes life-long, high-impact contributions to the industry through knowledge, technical innovation, and advocacy. The award recognizes noteworthy public service activities at the local, regional, state, national or international levels that bring honour to the industry or to ICPI. David Bender’s career began in the ‘60s with his company B& B Concrete Products. In 1980 he moved to Texas and established Pavestone Company, now one of the largest paver manufacturing companies in North America. Seven years later he returned to Canada to establish Pavestone Plus (later renamed Navastone), where he worked for the next 20 years. Finally, in 2007 he completed the sale of his company to Hanson Building Products.

Bender’s company is a charter member of ICPI. Soon after its establishment, Bender served as chairman from 1995-1997. He is attributed with the development of the ICPI Certification Program, which today has had more than 25,000 participants. The establishment of this program helped to overcome one of the six barriers to selling pavers Bender outlined in 1986, lack of skilled installation contractors. Bender also directed several marketing efforts to help overcome other barriers to paver sales success.

These included the development of the product certification program, a multi-national public relations campaign, municipal products slide show and a video on mechanical installation.

CFIA revamps import permits

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is implementing a new approach to issuing import permits for commonly-traded plants intended for planting and propagation. Importers may now apply for permission to import all the plants on a new Horticulture Plant List (HPL), from all countries, with a single entry on their import permit application form. The HPL is available on the CFIA’s website at inspection.gc.ca/plantlist.

Updates to the HPL will be communicated via a new e-mail notification service (listserv) for all notifications related to import permits for plants and plant products. Importers of these products are strongly encouraged to sign up for this notification service. To do so, please check the box marked “Centre of Administration – Plant Import Permits” under the heading “Plant Health policy updates” and click the “Submit”

button, on this page, inspection.gc.ca/english/ util/listserv/listbunsube.shtml For more information (including contact information for any questions), please consult the Frequently Asked Questions at inspection.gc.ca/ plants/horticulture/imports/horticulture-plant-list/ faq/eng/1419022153910/1419022198238

Karl Stensson receives alumni award

The University of Guelph Alumni Association (UGAA) has recognized Karl Stensson, BLA ’73, as a recipient of its Alumni Awards of Excellence.

Exceptional alumni are selected for their outstanding achievements and commitment to excellence.

As an Alumnus of Honour, Karl Stensson has been recognized as an innovative industry leader and respected ambassador of the Canadian green industry with more Karl Stensson than 40 years of service to the horticultural sector. Stensson is president of Sheridan Nurseries, Georgetown, Ont. Stensson has served as both Board Member and President of Landscape Ontario (LO), Board Member and President of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA), and President of the Canadian Garden Council. He received the President’s Award from the CNLA and is an honourary life member of LO. Through his leadership, Sheridan Nurseries has supported many community initiatives including the Children’s Wish Foundation, Kids’ Health Links Foundation and raised money to provide medical care for a 14-year-old boy in Jamaica. Stensson is recognized as a committed volunteer, community supporter and a mentor.

Manderley earns management award Manderley Turf Products of Ottawa, Ont., has maintained its Canada’s Best Managed Companies designation for the fourth consecutive year, making it a Gold Standard winner.

Manderley has six distribution locations in Canada, and provides lawn and garden products including sod, seed, fertilizer and lawn and garden soil. ​Established in 1993, Canada’s Best Managed Companies is the country’s leading business awards program, recognizing excellence in Canadian-owned and -managed companies

with revenues over $10 million. Every year, hundreds of entrepreneurial companies compete for this designation in a rigorous and independent process that evaluates the calibre of their management abilities and practices. Canada’s Best Managed Companies program recognizes overall business performance and sustained growth, and measures more than financial performance.

Minor Use expansion for Acelepryn The Pest Management Reguatory Agency (PMRA) recently announced the registration of Acelepryn insecticide (chlorantraniliprole), PCP#28,980, for the control of Japanese beetle larvae on greenhouse and outdoor field- and container-grown ornamentals in Canada. This is an important management tool for this regulated pest in Canada and provides growers with an alternative and appropriate rotational product to the currently registered pesticides. Approved rates are 0.56 - 0.88 L/ha or 5.6 - 8.8 mL per 100m2. A single application at the high rate and two at the lower rate (7 - 14 day interval) are permitted per growing season.

and will divide his time between London, Ont., and Rocklin, Calif., as part of his new position.

Name change for industry association The organization representing the professional landscape industry in the United States has rebranded itself the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). Formerly called the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), the change signifies a reinvigorated vision and recommitted focus on national (U.S.) representation of the professional landscape industry.

The National Association of Landscape Professionals will continue to provide business and safety education to its members, certification through the Landscape Industry Certified designation, as well as lobbying on behalf of the industry with lawmakers and promoting the industry to the public. But, it also will now focus on a reinvigorated commitment to advocacy, spotlighting the professionalism of its members, providing the public with the best, most trusted source of landscape and lawn care information, and promoting the value of using professional landscape industry services.

LT

September 9 & 10, 2015 | Tradex, Abbotsford

Google View expands to retail interiors Business View has been described as the indoor equivalent of Google Street View. With Business View, retailers can showcase the inside of their stores on Google Maps.

Go to google.ca/intl/en/maps/about/partners/ businessview/ for details on how to book a photographer to create 360 interactive panoramas inside your store and yard.

ED EXPAND W SHO NEW N LOCATIO

WESTERN CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURE TRADE SHOW

New! Outdoor Demo Zone for Small & Large Equipment

Zynomirski new VP for Echo Echo is pleased to announce that Ed Zynomirski has been promoted to the position of Vice President of Corporate Distribution. Zynomirski became President of Echo Power Equipment (Canada) in 2005, and has since led the company to record-breaking sales growth year after year during his tenure.

In his new role as Vice President of Corporate Distribution, Zynomirski will be Ed Zynomirski responsible for overseeing the operations, sales and marketing efforts of Echo’s company-owned distributors across North America. He will also develop a strategic distribution platform for the company, based on optimizing sales, improving scalability and managing costs. He will continue in his role as President of Echo Power Equipment (Canada), JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

33

Horticulture Expo

New! Greenhouse Zone Featuring the Latest Products and Technology Industry Focused Clinics New Product Showcase RESERVE YOUR BOOTH SPACE NOW! CONTACT SUVAN BREEN AT SBREEN@BCLNA.COM OR 604.575.3516

Local Nursery Tours Food Trucks, Tailgate Party and Networking!

WWW.CANWESTHORTSHOW.COM JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

33

lettertotheeditor

Green industry challenged to clean up its language

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Over the past few years, from various sources, I have often heard the lament: Our industry has a problem attracting and retaining employees. Sarah Willis wrote, in her Green Pencil editorial from Sept. 2014, that the “lack of skilled labour is the biggest industry challenge for the owners of hort companies.”

More recently, Landscape Ontario magazine (March 2015), published an article with the title, “Minister announces funding to help women succeed in green industry.” An accompanying provision to this funding could have been that our green industry clean up its language, and I don’t mean the colourful words.

Our industry may be one of the last to use sexist language so liberally. Women are a minority in this industry, but we have enough representation to dispel any notion that our participation is not valuable. The language we use should reflect both genders.

Trying to attract young people to landscaping as a great summer employment opportunity is difficult enough, but then we have trouble retaining these same employees, who may not consider landscaping and horticulture as a long-term career. Our industry cannot complain about the lack of skilled employees and continue to use language that ignores half the population. Do we only want to attract men to the industry, or men and women?

Language reflects attitudes, and how we communicate within and outside of our industry, is vital to demonstrating mutual respect and understanding. One landscape company, a much-admired leader, provides excellent presentations on all aspects of the industry. This company routinely uses “Dan the foreman” as an example of an on-site supervisor. This reference discredits women and their role in the industry. Maybe women as on-site supervisors are a minority, but not using inclusive language to reflect the poten-

Karin Banerd Garden by Design, Kitchener, Ont.

www.starrosesandplants.com 34 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

tial is blatantly hostile to women. Referring to your company’s sales team members as “salesmen,” when some are women, ignores the contribution women currently make to the industry, as well as not welcoming women to become more involved.

Our industry needs talented women and men, and using language that is genderinclusive may make a difference in attracting and retaining new employees. Maybe “Dan the Foreman” can be alternated with “Danielle the Site Supervisor.” And, if images of Dan show him in appropriate and safe, clothing and gear, Danielle needs to be similarly attired — no stilettos.

While the field work can be physically challenging, there are many women who love to work with their hands and prefer field work outdoors to working behind a desk.

There are also many roles in the horticulture industry that are less physically challenging.

Ingenuity and creative thinking can often make up for any perceived lack in brawn.

Another related issue is that we should also be thinking of how to do things better, so that both men and women can participate fully in the landscape industry well into their senior years. Working smarter, not harder, benefits everyone.

Personally, I enjoy both, spending time outdoors, challenging myself physically, meeting clients, solving problems, and researching and designing on the computer. I like to think that I am reversing the trend for post-menopausal women to lose bone and muscle mass as we age.

I am sure we can embrace the challenge.

We are leading the way as a green industry.

Let’s make sure we also become leaders with gender-inclusive language or at least catch up.

34 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

newbrunswickupdate Landscape Trades devotes space in each issue to provincial association news.

This issue features an update from Landscape New Brunswick.

Normally on the last Saturday of March, Landscape NB and PEI puts a wrap on winter and opens the window to let spring drift in. Although we had that same intent this year, it was hard to even pry that window open without shoveling it out first. At our office in Saint John, we had snow that exceeded the height of your average bookkeeper. At least our average bookkeeper. The same was true all over the Maritimes. Go ahead and google Monty Python’s “Four Yorkshiremen,” and you’ll gain an idea of what most conversations evolved into; one-up-manship with snow and cold and wind as the central theme.

However, on that last Saturday we convened in a cheery hall in Moncton, and regaled in memories of the recent summer. Our 12th Annual Awards of Landscape Excellence was more than just an awards ceremony. It was a chance to take a break from the elements and forget about snowplowing for a few hours.

One of the evening’s highlights was the awards themselves ... or the plaques, if you will. One of our most precious and multi-talented members, Bob Osborne, handcrafted the plaques, using a variety of woods from his nursery in Cornhill; sumac, butternut, walnut, oak and cherry, all carefully chosen, polished and labeled. All sported a “live edge” and all were stunningly beautiful. Bob received the honorary

Bob Osborne holds his Honorary Lifetime Member award, with presenter Nigel Bayliss holding a gag version of the same award.

LNB President David Milburn presenting to Jason Thorne of the Town of Sussex, the Green for Life award.

lifetime achievement award, in recognition of his leadership, passion, support and commitment to the landscape horticulture industry in New Brunswick. This decision was made even before he offered to make the plaques! To make things right, Theresa Landry quilted a totally unique plaque for Bob that was presented later.

Other award winners included J.K. Fraser and Son Landscaping, Best Commercial Construction Project; Urban Landscaping, Best Residential Construction Project Under $35,000; and Earthform Landscape Professionals, Specialty Award for Pavers, reflecting the fact they operate in PEI. Price Landscaping Services received five awards: Best Residential Construction Project Over $35,000, Best Commercial Lawn and Garden Maintenance, Best Residential Lawn and Garden Maintenance, Specialty Award Community Spirit and Specialty Award Design.

ried away with rejoicing and gladhanding, and forgot to take a group photo. Congratulations to Jeremy Snodgrass, Lisa Gardner, Robert Pitre, Roy Sherman, Sean Perry and Shirley Gautreau ... all successful.

Sweaters emblazoned with the logo of the Landscape Horticultural Training Institute were handed out to the class. Special recognition was given to Lisa Gardner and Shirley Gautreau in the form of an award dedicated to the memory of Jakab Duncan, that goes annually to the Block 3 Apprentice who shows enthusiasm and dedication to the trade program.

The Green For Life award went to the Town of Sussex. It was awarded in recognition of the Jakab’s Toolshed Project, that was constructed at O’Connell Park last year as part of Family Fun Day. This will be an annual event with the purpose of remembering the young son of one our first apprentices, and showcasing the talents and skills of our members to help Sussex continue to shine brightly on the Communities in Bloom national stage.

LT

We also celebrated another successful Red Seal block training year, harvesting our third crop of graduates. Unfortunately, we got car-

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www.beavervalleystone.com JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

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cnlanews Wage survey results available

Brand new savings programs

CNLA, in partnership with the provincial associations, conducted a wage survey to provide better labour market information to stakeholders. The information has been compiled online at wagesurvey.ca and allows users to search by region, province, company size, years employed and job category.

You can add your own regional data by visiting the website and completing the survey.

This spring, CNLA added two new Member Savings programs to its roster.

The first is with Kubota Canada. Members receive 18 to 22 percent off the suggested list prices for equipment purchases. There are 155 Kubota dealers across Canada; visit one in your province.

Members also receive a 20 percent MSRP discount on Echo or Shindaiwa units and accessories. There are over 1,000 dealers coast-to-coast, ready to offer members this discount. Save on power equipment, specialized commercial and professional gardening tools and accessories. Visit the CNLA website for specific details on these savings!

Missed a CNLA webinar?

If you have been reading the monthly Membership Updates or keeping up with us on social media, you will know that CNLA has been holding a number of webinars on a variety of topics. Was there a webinar that you wanted to attend, but it didn’t fit with your schedule? CNLA has you covered! All webinars are recorded and posted online at cnla-acpp.ca/webinars. Keep an eye out for upcoming presentations and plan to attend!

#WhyIGotCertified Use the above hashtag and post a video on Facebook or Twitter to share, “Why I got certified.” Landscape Industry Certification is an important step in ensuring that landscape professionals comply with current standards and industry best practices. If you are already certified, then you have first-hand experience of why it’s important! Create your video by yourself or with a group and help us spread the message of Landscape Industry Certification! Best video receives a $500 cash prize from CNLA.

Turfgrass added to Advance Payments Program Turfgrass has been added to the product listing for the Advance Payments Program (APP), administered by the Agricultural Credit Corporation (ACC), making turf producers eligible to access up to 50 per cent of expected market price annually. Please note, that at time of printing, producers must be enrolled in Agri-Stability to be eligible for the program.

Applications for an advance can be made every 12 months, with the potential to apply for additional advances throughout the year. Growers then repay the advance using a pre-authorized schedule, where they determine the amount and dates they wish to repay the advance according to their sales cycles.

For more information contact ACC toll free at 1-888-278-8807, or visit the website at agcreditcorp.ca. ACC is a not-for-profit organization comprised of nineteen farm organizations and administers the APP for crops, livestock, nursery and greenhouses.

Written certification exam opportunities

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Japanese Yew Locusts White Cedar Chanticleer Pear Royal Red Maple Pyramidal Oak Sugar Maple Red Oak Horse Chestnut Ivory Silk Purple Beech Lindens many more varieties available

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C: 226-377-6321 E: anna.ebert@bell.net

Now there are more opportunities than ever to challenge the written sections of all certification exams. Whether you are interested in the technician, lawn care, retail horticulturist, designer or manager modules, there is a test date to fit your schedule. BCLNA, Landscape Alberta and Landscape New Brunswick are holding tests on the last Wednesday of every month. The Manitoba Nursery Landscape Association offers tests on the third Friday of every month. Landscape Ontario, Landscape NL and Landscape Nova Scotia can accommodate your written testing as requested.

Schedule your written exam today by emailing certification@cnla-acpp. ca, or calling 1-888-446-3499, extension 8625, for Colin Vince (Western Canada) and extension 8635 for Claudia Santos (Ontario and Eastern Canada).

North American Garden Tourism Conference Congratulations to all of the winners at this year’s Garden Tourism Awards.

The awards took place during the North American Garden Tourism Conference, in which over 100 delegates came from around the world to Toronto to learn about and share their experiences of the garden tourism industry. Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens in Nova Scotia won the prestigious Garden of the Year award, sponsored by CNLA. Handing out the awards was Alexander Reford, Chair of the Canadian Garden Council; Bill Hardy, Chair of the CNLA Public Relations Committee; and the Honourable Peter Kent, Member of Parliament. CNLA extends its congratulations to all of the well deserving individuals and gardens that received awards this year.

LT 36 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

comingevents June 13-15, Garden Days, www.gardendays.ca June 20, Bees to Butterflies...and Beyond, Mulmur, Ont. www.notsohollowfarms.ca June 21-24, Garden Centres of America Summer Tours, Milwaukee, Wisc. www.gardencentresofamerica.org June 24-27, 18th Annual Snow and Ice Symposium, Schaumberg, Ill. www.sima.org.

July 22-24, Sno-Motion, Ohio, www.mypmcteam.com/events/ sno-motion-2015

August 18-20, Independent Garden Center Show, Navy Pier, Chicago, Ill. www.igcshow.com

August 4-6, IGC Show East, Baltimore Convention Centre, Baltimore, Md. www.igcshow.com

August 25-28, Plantarium, International Trade Centre, Boskoop, Holland. www.plantarium.nl

August 8-12, ISA Annual Conference and Trade Show, Orlando, Fla. www.isa-arbor.com

August 27-29, Farwest Show, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Ore. www.farwestshow.com

June 25, Sixth Annual Canadian Water Summit, Vancouver, B.C. www.watersummit.ca

August 9-12, Toronto Fall Gift Show, International Centre and Congress Centre, Toronto, Ont. www.cgta.org

July 11-14, Cultivate ’15, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio. www.cultivate15.org

August 16-19, Fall Alberta Gift Show, Northlands, Edmonton EXPO Centre, Edmonton, Alta. www.cgta.org

September 13-15, GLEE, Birmingham, U.K. www.gleebirmingham.com

July 14-16, Hydrangeas 2015: An International Conference, Heritage Museums and Gardens, Sandwich, Mass. www.heritagemuseumsandgardens.org

August 16-20, Canadian Fertilizer Institute 70th Annual Conference, Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, B.C. www.cfi.ca

September 16-17, Thrive ’15, Ancaster Fairgrounds, Ancaster, Ont. www.lothrive.com

September 9-10, CanWest Hort Show, Tradex Exhibition Centre, Abbotsford, B.C. www.canwesthortshow.com

LT

classifieds BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

SERVICES AND SUPPLIES

EQUIPMENT

Two great Guelph Business Opportunities TURN-KEY GARDEN CENTRE FOR SALE: on 9 acres of owned land, with on-site luxury home for owner/manager. Established in 1988; market leader in the Guelph area; profitable with potential to become much more so in the years ahead. A true once in a lifetime opportunity for the right buyer!

NATURAL STONE Sales and Construction: well-established, excellent reputation and located just minutes east of Guelph. Sale includes business and property. Seller is willing to train the buyer and assist in the transition to new ownership. Tremendous opportunity for significant growth - built on word-of-mouth, no advertising to-date.

For details on both of these great business opportunities, go to prosper.ca or phone Steve Dawkins, Sales Representative with REMAX Real Estate Centre Inc, Brokerage Toll Free: 1-855-95-REMAX

ESTABLISHED MUSKOKA LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE COMPANY FOR SALE Successful, respected company, locally owned and operated, is looking for a professional and dedicated purchaser. Well-maintained fleet of trucks and equipment. Dependable staff, loyal customer base. Year-round operation.

For serious inquiries only, please reply in confidence by email to: MuskokaOpportunity@gmail.com

Ultra-Low Volume Herbicide Applicators • Control drift • Reduce labour costs • Reduce herbicide waste Simple, lightweight, durable sprayers 647-309-7826 • info@MankarULV.com www.MankarULV.com

SERVICES AND SUPPLIES

ONTARIO’S LARGEST LANDSCAPE LIGHTING SUPPLIER 190 Bovaird Dr. W. Unit 53-55 Brampton, ON, L7A 1A2 Tel: 905-874-1022 • Fax: 905-874-0095 www.estatelighting.ca

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: All classified ads must be pre-paid by credit card. Rates: $62.15 (includes HST) per column inch (approx. 25 words). Deadline: 10th day of the month prior to issue date. January deadline is Nov. 15. Space is limited to a first-come, first-served basis. To advertise: E-mail your name, phone number and ad to Robert at classifieds@landscapeontario.com. Online advertising also available. Minimum cost is $67.80 HST included for association members and $90.40 HST included for non-members. isit www.landscapetrades.com/ classifieds for full details.

FINN Hydroseeders & Bark Blowers New and Used • Flex Guard FRM • Soil Guard BFM • Erosion Control Blanket Seed & Fertilizer Prefilled and Unfilled Filter Sock Toll free: (888) 298-9911 • Fax: (905) 761-7959 www.fibramulch.com FOR SALE 2 fibreglass tanks, 5 feet across by 19 inches deep, suitable for garden pool, $175 each or 2 for $300.

1 gallon heavy duty ITML black pots $150 per 1000.

2 gallon ITML black pots $200 per 1000.

Phone: 519-271-9018 JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES |

37

where to find it COMPANY

PHONE

EMAIL

WEBSITE

404 Stone Limited 30

PAGE

905-887-3404

sales@404stone.com

www.404stone.com

Allstone Quarry Products Inc 38

800-263-1270

info@allstonequarry.com

www.allstonequarry.com

Atlas Polar Company Ltd 29

888-799-4422

info@atlaspolar.com

www.atlaspolar.com

Beaver Valley Stone Ltd 35

416-222-2424

info@beavervalleystone.com

www.beavervalleystone.com

Best Way Stone Limited 15

800-BESTWAY

info@bestwaystone.com

www.bestwaystone.com

CanWest Show 33

604-575-3516

kdejong@bclna.com

www.CanWestHortShow.com

Ebert’s Tree Farms Limited 36

226-377-6321

anna.ebert@bell.net

www.ebertstreefarms.com

Gravely 39

800-472-8359

info@ariens.com

www.gravely.com

Greenhorizons Group of Farms Ltd 23

519-653-7494

info@justsodit.com

www.justsodit.com

Hustler Turf Equipment 8

800-395-4757

sales@hustlerturf.com

www.hustlerturf.com

Kubota Canada Ltd 17

905-294-7477

info@kubota.ca

www.kubota.ca

info@ landscapemanagementnetwork.com

www.landscape managementnetwork.com

Landscape Management Network 10, 11 888-347-9864

Mahindra 13

www.mahindracanada.ca

Miska Trailers 19

800-306-2111

sales@miskatrailers.com

www.miskatrailers.com

Munger Lawnscape Inc 20

519-738-2571

jmunger@mnsi.net

www.mungerlawnscape.com

Oaks Concrete Products by Brampton Brick 2

800-709-OAKS

info@oakspavers.com

www.oakspavers.com

Oregon Association of Nurseries 16

800-342-6401

info@oan.org

www.oan.org

Permacon Group Inc 40

800-463-9278

www.permacon.ca

PRO Landscape by Drafix Software 25

800-231-8574

sales@prolandscape.com

www.prolandscape.com

Sikkens 21

866-745-5367

sikkens.nam@ppg.com

www.perfectwoodstains.ca

Star Roses & Plants 34

800-457-1859

www.starrosesandplants.com

Stihl Limited 5

519-681-3000

info.canada@stihl.ca

www.stihl.ca

Unilock Limited 9

800-UNILOCK

georgetown@unilock.com

www.unilock.com

Zander Sod Co Ltd 27

877-727-2100

info@zandersod.com

www.zandersod.com

WE HAVE OVER 30,000 TON IN STOCK AUTHORIZED DEALER

38 | JUNE 2015 | LANDSCAPE TRADES

RULE THE JOBSITE WITH THE ALL-NEW ATLAS JSV FROM GRAVELY.

The jobsite can be unforgiving. Unapologetic. It’s a world unto itself, with its own rules, tools and terrain. And that’s exactly why we built the Atlas. From its fabricated steel cargo bed right down to pedal spacing optimized for work boots, everything about Atlas is designed for the jobsite. It’s a smooth-riding, quick-moving, masshauling workhorse of a vehicle, with the class-leading payload and towing capacity to prove it.

THIS IS NO UTV. IT’S A JOB SITE VEHICLE. AND IT CAME TO WORK.

WWW.GRAVELY.COM

INTRODUCING REFINED AND TIMELESS DESIGN

MELVILLE COLLECTION With its smooth surface, subtle hues and sharp edges, the Melville collection has a refined appeal. Available in pavers, slabs, walls, curbs, steps and copings, the Melville collection gives that modern twist to your projects!

Visit permacon.ca for all the details.