Green for Life July/August 2017

A Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association member publication

Unleash your Ambition The Landscape Awards Program

July/August 2017 Vol. 5, No. 4

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MANAGING EDITOR | Joel Beatson PRODUCTION & EDITING | Kyla Hardon ADVERTISING | Erynn Watson Landscape Alberta Green for Life is a professional publication for the landscape trade in Alberta.

Editorial and Advertising Landscape Alberta 18051 107 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB T5S 1K3 P: 780-489-1991 F: 780-444-2152 admin@landscape-alberta.com Landscape Alberta does not assume responsibility for and does not endorse the contents of any advertisements herein. All representations or warranties made are those of the advertiser and not the publication. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Landscape Alberta or its members.

Material may not be reprinted from this magazine without the consent of Landscape Alberta.

ISSN No: 1929-7114 (print) ISSN N0: 1929-7122 (online) Landscape Alberta Board of Directors Brian Gibson, Green Drop Lawns Ltd., Chair Ken Ruddock, ULS Maintenance & Landscaping Inc. Cody Brown, Tree to Tree Nurseries Ltd. Jeff Oudyk, CSLA, AALA, JLG, Land Tec Landscape Contractors Ltd. John van Roessel, CLM, CLT, JVR Landscape (2006) Inc., Treasurer Keith Plowman, K Plowman Contracting Ltd.

August 14 – 17, 2017 CNLA Summer Meeting Olds College, Olds, AB www.cnla-acpp.ca

August 16, 2017 National Awards of Landscape Excellence Olds College, Olds, AB www.cnla.ca/events/awards August 18 – 19, 2017 Landscape Industry Certified Technician Exam Olds College, Olds, AB jason@cnla-acpp.ca September 17 – 22, 2017 IGCA Congress 2017 Niagara Falls, ON www.igcacanada2017.ca September 27, 2017 National Tree Day www.treecanada.ca September 27 – 28, Canwest Hort Show Tradex, Abbotsford, BC www.canwesthortshow.com November 15, 2017 Landscape Alberta Nursery Producers Auction Sheraton Eau Claire, Calgary, AB www.greenindustryshow.com November 15 – 16, 2017 Green Industry Show & Conference BMO Centre, Calgary, AB www.greenindustryshow.com

Laura Watson, Finning Canada Adam Jansen, The Jansen Group Landscape Alberta Staff Joel Beatson, CAE, CLM, Executive Director joel.beatson@landscape-alberta.com Marnie Main, Member Services Director member.services@landscape-alberta.com Erynn Watson, Events Coordinator erynn.watson@landscape-alberta.com Valerie Stobbe, Trade Show Coordinator valerie.stobbe@landscape-alberta.com Kyla Hardon, Communications Coordinator kyla.hardon@landscape-alberta.com Cheryl Teo, Bookkeeper accounting@landscape-alberta.com

For a full list of industry events, visit: www.landscape-alberta.com/?page_id=404

On the Cover Modern Earth Landscaping, 2016 Landscape Award of Excellence Winner, Donnelly Residence Unleash your Ambition, page 8 The Landscape Awards Program, page 10

Follow us on Twitter @landscapeab Like us on Facebook @landscapealberta Follow us on @landscapealberta Green for Life July/August 2017 I 3

Industry and Association News...

Team Alberta at Skills Canada National Competition Team Alberta took first place with Ray de Kok and Adrian Sinke winning Gold at the Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) held in Winnipeg, June 1-2, 2017. Both competitors work for Caliber Landscaping in Coalhurst, AB. Over the two-day event, the landscape gardener teams built a project that included a perimeter retaining wall, a deck, planter boxes, a patio and plant material, all within twelve hours. The Alberta team competed against teams from six other provinces with Quebec taking home the Silver medal and Nova Scotia taking home Bronze. Congratulations to all the competitors!

Skills Canada is a national, multi-trade and technology competition for students and apprentices. More than 500

4 I Green for Life July/August 2017

young Canadians from across the country competed in over 40 skilled trade and technology contest areas. The competition is the driving factor in attracting attendance of youth ranging from grades four to twelve from the host community. Truly, the Skills competition is in the business of growing the future of skilled trades.

Employment Standards and Labour Relations Act Changes In June, the Alberta Government introduced Bill 17, the Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act to update the employment standards and labour relations acts. Highlights include; • Changes to how banked hours’ work. Under the new legislation hours must be banked at 1.5 times hours worked essentially removing the benefit of banking over straight overtime. Increased banked time from 3 months to 6 months.

• Enhanced protected leave status for many categories including maternity, compassionate care, and family leaves. Reduced the eligibility for leave to 90 days of employment. New Personal and Family Responsibility of 5 days per year as unpaid time off, but with protected status. This covers personal sickness, short-term care of family, or school events of a child.

• Compressed work weeks would now be called Averaging Agreements and would allow for 1 to 12 week averages to determine overtime eligibility.

• Rest periods would now be a minimum 30-minute break (paid or un-paid) for every 5 hours of consecutive employment. With employer and employee agreement, these can be split to two-15 minute breaks.

• All employees would be eligible for general holiday pay, removing regular vs non-regular work day. It

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would be calculated at 5% of wages from previous 4 weeks.

Vacation pay to be set at 4% or 2 weeks until 5 years’ employment and will rise 6% afterwards. Half-day vacation increments now allowed up from minimum of 1 day.

Termination and layoff notices will now require more notice. For 50-100 employees: 8 weeks, 101-30 employees: 12 weeks, and 301+ employees: 16 weeks.

Nurseries, greenhouses and sod farms will continue to not be considered farms under the Employment Standard Code (citing the need to not roll-back protection for workers). The definition of greenhouse has also changed to include vegetable operations.

Easing of rules/regulations around formation of a union. This includes automatic certification when more than 65% of employees sign a union card or petition and that the first contract can be arbitrated if an agreement can’t be reached.

There are several areas of concern for members. First, the change to banked hours’ program is especially impactful to seasonal (weather dependent) businesses. The removal of this option will equally effect both employees and employers. The new Averaging Agreements might provide some relief, but it is too early to tell without the exact regulations in place. The removal of secret ballot requirement for formation of a union (still applies to 40-65% of employees voting in favour) is a cause for a concern as it removes democratic rights from the process.

Landscape Alberta will be communicating with the Minister of Labour directly over the coming weeks. We will also help provide resources regarding the changes in a way for employers to best update their own policies and practices. The new rules and regulations are anticipated to take effect January 1, 2018.

AgCoalition Response to Bill 17 AgCoalition expresses concern over the Government of Alberta’s process in introducing Bill 17 The AgCoalition is expressing concern over the Government of Alberta’s process in introducing the Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act (Bill 17). Introduced on May 24 and passed earlier today, Bill 17 has the potential to seriously disrupt the agriculture sector’s unique culture of cooperation and familystyle relationships between employees and employers.

Bill 17 includes a number of wide-ranging provisions designed to make changes to Alberta’s employment standards process and labour codes, including provisions that give farm and ranch workers the right to form a union.

The introduction of Bill 17 comes only months after the conclusion of a lengthy government consultation process to develop provisions under Bill 6 – the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act – many of which are now irrelevant under the new legislation. Additionally, in many cases where subject matter does align between Bill 6 and Bill 17, the new legislation ignores several recommendations that came out of the consultation sessions.

“The Bill 6 consultation process saw many farmers and ranchers work tirelessly alongside other consultation participants to develop recommendations that would work at the farm and ranch level,” said Kent Erickson, AgCoalition Chair. “The government’s process to introduce Bill 17 is inconsistent with this work and introduces new provisions that may not be manageable for the agriculture industry.”

Without additional consultation, it is impossible to determine the appropriateness of the new provisions under Bill 17 for the agriculture industry. Changes to Alberta’s labour laws are of particular concern. The right to unionize not only jeopardizes the agriculture industry’s unique culture of cooperation, but could also result in unnecessary pressure on the employee to unionize since Bill 17 does not include the democratic right to vote using a secret ballot in some instances.

“Unionization on farms and ranches could seriously harm the viability of this sector. It’s part of the agriculture community’s culture to treat farm and ranch employees like family. But if employees feel pressured into unionizing, a strike could result in animal welfare issues and irreversible damages to crops,” Erickson added.

Many of the legislative changes under Bill 17 will not take effect until January 2018. The AgCoalition has compiled a summary of Bill 17 as it relates to the agriculture sector. The summary can be viewed online at https://www.agcoalition.ca/news (Editor’s note: Landscape Alberta has been actively involved in the AgCoaltion since formation. Being part of the broader agricultural community is advantageous to our growers in many ways beyond Bill 6).

City of Edmonton Landscape Standards Update Landscape Alberta was again invited to sit on the Landscape Standards review committee for 2017. Along with members of UDI and City staff from various departments, the group reviews issues and suggests changes to the Landscape Standards. The City in the end has final say on all changes but are open to modification based on our feedback as stakeholders. This year there were very few changes to the landscape standard. There is the release of a new draft Top Soil specification that will come in to effect July 1, 2018. All other changes take effect July 1 of this year. Please note the changes take effect on projects tendered and bid after the effective date. The standards in place at the time of approval and /or work are the standards that apply to that job.

Highlights of changes include: • Identification of tree trenches on all drawings • Updated detail (LA101) for enhanced Tree Protection Zone • Increased setback to 6.0 m from field of play on sports fields and added requirement for top soil inspection at time of install for sports fields • Project Manager or consultant must now provide maintenance records for sports fields • Grasses in naturalized areas must maintain a minimum Green for Life July/August 2017 I 5

• • • • • • •

height of 100-150 mm during establishment Median are now considered a possible site for naturalization and will not require a mowed buffer strip Changed seed mix for non-maintained naturalized areas. It will be significantly more expensive with full understanding that this will be adjusted for in project bidding CCC inspection season is approximated at June 1st to October 15th, with a new clause that “considerable snow coverage will result in immediate end of inspection season” This same new wording also applies to FAC with original time lines in place Streamlined the inspection timelines to be initiated within 30 days of Parks Pre-Screen approval.

Contractors must now provide maintenance logs for the period between CCC and FAC. A contractor wishing to apply a pesticide on City property or property that is in the possession of the developer and has not yet received FAC, must first

submit a completed Contractor Pesticide Use Notification Form to the appropriate service area. This must be sent at least 48 hours (not including weekends and holidays) prior, and be acknowledged by an email confirmation before conducting the treatment. If no response within two business days, the contractor may proceed. Please submit only one site per form.

The Contractor Pesticide Use Notification Form may be found on the City of Edmonton website: http:// edmonton.ca/business_economy/sel ling_to_the_city/contractor-pesticide-use-notification-form.aspx Updated reference to current edition of Canadian Standards for Nursery Stock, available free to members at https://cnla.ca/training/cnss/

Growers of Quality Nursery Stock:

Specimen Caliper Trees Pot-in-Pot Trees Specimen Evergreens Container Evergreens Container Shrubs Perennials

403 - 934 - 3670

1 - 866 - 805 - 5007 sales@eaglelakenurseries.com eaglelakenurseries.com Located 5 kms east of Strathmore, AB on Range Road 245 6 I Green for Life July/August 2017

The top soil specifications will be undergoing a stakeholder review in the coming months with Landscape Alberta hosting a focus group session. We will also be working with the City of Edmonton on a training/standards manual for landscape and tree inspections in an effort to improve consistency of inspections.

Landscape Industry Certified Technician Exam The next test date in Alberta is August 18-19, 2017 at Olds College campus. A summer test means candidates can use the season’s field experience to build skills toward their success on test day. It also means we can offer the Turf Maintenance Technician test without mowing snow! Get the ball rolling – register today by contacting Jason Young, Certification Coordinator at CNLA: jason@cnla-acpp.ca, or call toll-free 1-888-446-3499 ext. 8620.

Olds College to See Increased Seats for Horticulture Students To stay in line with industry and student demand, Olds College is increasing the capacity of its Horticulture programs. In 2016, the program received 83 total applications with a capacity of 30 students. In 2017, student capacity will be expanded to 50 available seats.

Olds College has offered programs within the Horticulture field for over 50 years, exploring the production and management of plants, the management of pests, landscapes, soils and water systems to achieve productive and sustainable systems.

“Olds College has a history of offering programs that reflect the importance that we place on the world around us,” explains Dr. Jason Dewling, Vice President of Academic and Research.

“Sustainability, water management, production horticulture and urban agriculture are all areas that are seeing significant growth in interest, and as experts in the field it is our responsibility to ensure that we have enough spaces available to students to meet industry demands.”

The College offers three Horticulture designations – a Horticulture Technician Certificate, presented after the first year of study, a Horticulture Technologist Diploma after the second year of study, and a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree after four years.

“Olds College’s Horticulture program is unique, with a blended curriculum of online delivery, face to face inquiry based learning, hands-on learning, to go along with industry field schools,” explains Dalin Bullock, Dean of Animal Sciences and Horticulture. “Graduates will be prepared to apply their knowledge and skills in the areas of horticulture crops, landscape design, construction and maintenance.”

The decision to increase the capacity of the Horticulture program comes on the heels of the College’s announcement of the establishment of an increase in the College’s Agricultural Management program, reflecting the increased need for skilled and knowledgeable in these key programs.

“Sustainability, water management, production horticulture, and urban agriculture are vital elements of the world in which we live,” explains Bullock. “Increasing the availability of seats in these programs reflects the growth in the Agriculture and Horticulture industries, and we will continue to see this growth as the demand for food continues to escalate due to population growth and potential environmental factors.”

Applications for the 2017 intake for the Horticulture Technician Certificate are still being accepted, but space is limited, so students interested in the program are urged to apply early.

Your complete source for landscape supplies CONTRACTOR ORDER DESKS Fort McMurray: (780) 799-3757 Edmonton: (780) 466-5216 Red Deer: (403) 309-0600 North Calgary: (403) 274-7466 South Calgary: (587) 227-3231 (403) 305-7450 Lethbridge: (403) 327-0808 Bulk Products | Paving Stones | Retaining Walls | Natural Stone Outdoor Furnishings | Lighting | Packaged Products Pond Supplies | Tools | Landscape Fabric Green for Life July/August 2017 I 7

Unleash your Ambition

By Jim Paluch

Through the years I have worked with a lot of companies on sales and coached several sales teams along the way. It is always an exciting mixture of inspiration, action and the ability to help others remain accountable to their goals that energizes me when I become fully engaged in the process of selling with a group of professionals. I was reminded recently of a company I worked with years ago in the role of "Interim Sales Manager."

That particular experience brought about my first real awareness of what ambition contributes to sales success. The following scenario and the lessons that came from it could help us all unleash our ambition to get better results.

goals, positive healthy habits, an enthusiasm for their product, and the involvement in trade and civic organizations that helped associate them with other professionals.

I had just finished the last one-on-one interview with the group of 15 salespeople. Being asked to coach the sales staff for a large service-oriented business, I had one goal: to increase their sales production in the upcoming year. Considering all I'd heard from these individuals in two days of continual listening, I knew there were similarities and differences to be compared. Spreading the notes across the conference room table, I discovered some very interesting correlations. The four top sales producers were much more likely to make positive comments that focused on the opportunities in their field, a continuing effort to surpass

The group that interested me the most was the seven middleof-the-road producers who all made comments that seemed to focus on a "lack" of something. "I'm lacking the time to get everything done," "I'm lacking the motivation to push myself to reach higher sales goals," "I lack a true understanding of our product," and "I'm working hard; I just lack good leads and a little luck to make a few big sales fall." I concluded that what this group was lacking was ambition. Lack of ambition will always produce mediocre results in individuals and organizations. I knew with a little direction and focus, the quickest and

8 I Green for Life July/August 2017

The bottom four salespeople in terms of production had a completely different point of reference. They focused more on the company and its "inability to service and produce quality," as well as the lack of marketing, poor communication, unfair compensation, and a need for higher expense accounts. There were very few comments made by this group on themselves and what they needed to do to produce results.

most measurable results could be brought about in this group of mediocre performers.

As a group, we decided a brainstorming session was needed.

Investing a day away from their sales duties, the entire group discussed the habits, attitudes, techniques and direction of the top producers. Our goal in this meeting was to zero in on these positive habits and duplicate them throughout the rest of the team. The following list of directives was developed with a team conclusion that these could very well be the secret to ambition.

What You Can Do to Unleash Ambition 1. SET GOALS . . . Each of the top performers had goals written on paper and reviewed them on a regular basis. By the end of the day's session, all fifteen had their month's goals written into positive affirmations on 3 x 5 cards and a commitment to review them several times daily was made.

2. DEVELOP YOUR WHY . . . The top performers all expressed a love for what they were doing and the positive effect the product had on their customers. A list of over fifty positive statements about the company, product and profession were assembled, and later typed and distributed to each salesperson to be reviewed in sales meetings throughout the year.

3. REVIEW HABITS . . . It was concluded that the salespeople who produced the least had several habits in common that the top producers didn't have. Most hit the snooze button and got up late.

The front page of the newspaper was their morning reading. They would often meet a friend or associate mid-day for coffee or sometimes stopped at the mall in the afternoon. They would often partake in a late night during the week at a local "watering hole" making the next day seem a little "sluggish." All of these habits seemed contradictory to success. It was decided that each salesperson would review their habits and begin replacing them with more positive, result-oriented ones.

4. BE AWARE OF WHO YOU ASSOCIATE WITH . . . The top performers talked about constantly making new acquaintances and networking with people that shared ideas that helped them become more successful. The less productive salespeople talked about having the same friends they grew up with and going to the same parties and events where most of the conversation centered around complaining and negativity. It was concluded that while old friendships are wonderful and important to nurture, stretching ourselves to meet people that can create a mutually beneficial relationship may be a missing link to successful results.

5. HONESTY AND INTEGRITY . . . It was evident that the top producers held themselves accountable. Their calendars were full of appointments and their sales reports and orders were all up to date. They didn't allow themselves the luxury of excuses and didn't promise their customers something they couldn't deliver.

Again, these traits were exactly opposite to those of the other 11 salespeople. It was discussed that this may very well be the most difficult of the five steps. It means looking in the mirror every morning and asking, "Am I giving my best?" and then answering honestly.

management, or trying to be a good parent, following the above steps can remove the obstacle that lack of ambition adds to your success journey. How did it affect the sales team mentioned above? Collectively they produced 58% more per client than the year before. Remember, if you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you've got. What could unleashing your ambition do for you?

If you want to learn more about the power of PEOPLE SOLUTIONS THAT DRIVE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE, contact: JP Horizons Inc. 7245 Mildon Drive Painesville, OH 44077 Phone: (440) 352-8211 Fax: (440) 352-8225 e-mail: jim@jphorizons.com web site: www.jphorizons.com

In Memoriam

Hans Bron The Bron Family are sad to announce that Hans Bron passed April 30, 2017, following a long battle with heart failure and diabetes. Hans was 76 years old when he passed peacefully in his home, with his loving family at his side.

We have lost a loving husband, devoted father and grandfather and for many, a dear friend and valued colleague. Hans will be deeply missed.

Hans was a hard worker and a leader in the Western Canadian Nursery Industry. Hans and Rita founded Greenview Nurseries in Langdon, Alberta. The British Columbia Greenview location eventually became Bron and Sons Nursery Co. Ltd., a venture of which Hans was deeply proud.

Hans was known for his sense of humour. He loved gardening, watching and feeding birds and fishing.

Currently, there is no public memorial of life planned. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Diabetes Foundation.

It doesn't matter if a person is in sales, production, service, Green for Life July/August 2017 I 9

The Landscape Awards Program The Landscape Awards reflect the association's commitment to creating and preserving the beauty of the urban landscape.

The program is also designed to reward independent landscape contracting professionals who execute top quality landscape projects.

• •

The Landscape Awards program has four main objectives: • Encourage landscape contractors to be the best in their field • Provide a marketing opportunity to those companies that receive an award • Encourage a company’s employees to aspire to excellence • Provide an opportunity to compete in the National Awards of Landscape Excellence

•

Members can enter projects into nine different categories covering construction, maintenance and design. Each entry is evaluated using a set of criteria; the submissions are not judged against each other. There are two award levels: a Merit Award goes to an entry that earns 70-84 points, and an Excellence Award goes to an entry earning 85 or more points. Entries that achieve Excellence status are eligible to be selected for the National Awards of Landscape Excellence, a Canada-wide program developed by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.

Helpful Hints for your Award Entries • The judges determine the quality of materials (both plant and hardscape), complexity, completeness of installation, workmanship, and horticultural correctness in the project, using only the photographs and the written description submitted with each entry.

Remember, first impressions count both for judges and for future clients.

• Plant material should be properly selected and welladapted to the site.

10 I Green for Life July/August 2017

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Sweep mulch that has spilled onto hard surfaces.

Make sure plant material is well-pruned and free of insects or disease. Remove all tags and flagging.

Remove all weeds from shrub beds.

Candid pictures of people using the landscape can show use and demonstrate scale.

Photos that portray compatibility of materials and show textural qualities are helpful.

Elevated/overhead shots taken from a normal vantage point (i.e. from a deck, upstairs window, etc.) can be helpful.

Include before, during and after photos of your work as it helps the judges see your whole project.

Do not show your company name and/or logo in any photos.

Photos submitted should be the ones that you would be proud to display for your most discerning clients.

Submit photos taken during the summer or early fall.

Lawns should be green and if photos are taken in the autumn season, some leaves must be retained on trees and shrubs.

Take photos from a variety of angles and points of interest.

Include close up photos of the beds, edges, shrubs, etc. that you maintain so the judges can evaluate work.

Do not submit photos that are out of focus, too dark (underexposed), or too light (overexposed).

Photos are best taken during early morning or later in the day, or with an overcast sky.

Distracting objects should be removed before photographs are taken. Hoses lying across walkways, stray tools, litter, etc., have no place in a successful entry photo.

Include before, during and after photos of your work as it helps the judges to see your whole project.

Company Tip: Win With Certification

By David Hupman, Landscape Industry Certified Manager & Technician I heard some recent comments on certification that stopped me cold. In essence, credentialing has no sales value to the company. It’s a wonderful individual achievement and that’s it. And, unless PLANET gets consumers to demand certification it will never truly garner ROI (return on investment).

I’ve heard these statements before and, unfortunately, we often forget that we’re the solution. They underscore the importance that certification must be embraced at the owner-manager level, encouraged, and incorporated into business plans, in-house training, and promoted in all company communications and advertising.

campaigns, and customer newsletters, just to name a few obvious places? Until we all communicate that our teams are certified will we recognize sales value to the company.

I live and breathe the quality and value of our certification programs, particularly in my volunteer role as chair of PLANET’s International Certification Council (ICC). I achieved my Landscape Industry Certified Manager & Technician status several years back. I believe in certification so much that I’ve dedicated countless hours as Technician-Exterior exam

FREE Landscaping Workshop Please join us for a FREE workshop on FireSmart approaches for landscaping in Fort McMurray on Thursday July 13, 2017.

Learn from national FireSmart experts about landscaping approaches that can help reduce the FKDQFHV WKDW ZLOG¿UH ZLOO VSUHDG WR SURSHUWLHV DQG buildings.

TIME: 8:30am to 12:00pm, with optional SRVW HYHQW ¿HOG SUDFWLFXP LOCATION: Keyano College Fort McMurray, Alberta ATTENDEES: This workshop is aimed at profressional landscapers providing services for private and public clients in Fort McMurray and surrounding regions.

All attendees will be given a CERTIFICATE OF ATTENDANCE, provided by the Executive Director of FireSmart Canada.

Certification is an individual honor and it’s a savvy CEO that turns the qualifications of his or her team into successful sales goals.

Education and certification of your crew can help boost a company’s profits and bottom line only if promoted. Not to mention boost team morale and longevity in the process.

Workshop Overview • FireSmart concepts, aimed at reducing the likelihood WKDW ZLOG¿UH ZLOO VSHUDG WR private homes and properties • Key FireSmart concepts for property managers and ownwers • Key FireSmart solutions for landscaping professionals • Opportunities to discuss key FireSmart practices with national FireSmart experts • Viewing and discussing FireSmart vegetation and landscaping materials For more information and to register, please email: Mikaela Comella Insitute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction mcomella@iclr.org

Partners:

Do you highlight your crew’s credentials on business cards, website, advertising Green for Life July/August 2017 I 11

volunteer in Ohio and auditor for the ICC’s Authorization Panel.

I’m not alone. Certified individuals tend to become passionate about their achievement.

Even those that don’t see the sales value to the company or the ROI unless consumers demand it. Talk is cheap. Action is essential. Take action by including certification in our everyday business operations, marketing and communications.

As Landscape Industry Certified individuals, we all have a toolkit to help us promote our credential – as individuals and at the company level. When was the last time you opened your certification toolkit and used the samples, templates, ideas and more to make certification a revenue generator?

Not all customers are demanding or asking about certification of our crews now but they will be if we start telling them about how we commit to having the technicians and managers at our companies certified. And, why it’s important to hire certified pros to take care of their property.

Let’s follow this example in our company promotions.

Certification is one of those items in your toolbox that can really propel your company to the next level and beyond. Once certification was achieved, we marketed it throughout all of our advertising and company info. We would specifically use phrases like: • • • 12 I Green for Life July/August 2017

You would not go to court without a certified lawyer; You would not send your kids to a school without certified teachers; and You would not go into surgery without a board certified surgeon.

Why would you trust one of your most expensive investments (i.e., your home) to anyone other than a certified landscaper? - Richard D. Arlington, III, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, Arlington Lawncare & Landscape, Inc., Erie, Pa. Are you ready to really make certification your company’s competitive slam dunk? Take up the certification challenge now. Get certified, get your staff certified, and promote your achievement all the way to the bank.

The next test is August 18-19, 2017 at Olds College. Contact Jason Young, Certification Coordinator at the CNLA. jason@cnla-acpp.ca or 1-888-446-3499 ext. 8620 to register.

Reprinted with permission by PLANET.

Welcome to our

New Members Aris Landscape Design Michelle Dominique-Aris 281130 Township Road 230 Rockyview County, Ab T1X 0H9 (403) 816-9651 michelle@arislandscape.ca www.arislandscape.ca Arbor-Tech Utility Services Ltd. Barry Rothel Box 448 Turner Valley, AB T0L 2A0 (888) 660-4440 Fax: (888) 509-1726 info@arbortechservices.ca www.arbortechservices.ca

Green for Life July/August 2017 I 13

1975 Green Survival Picnic at Gem Sod Farms

L-R: Hands Bron, unknown

A look back at our association

Lifetime Member Award presented to John Wallace.

1997 Lifetime Member Award, L-R: Garry Greenfield, Brendan Casement, Murray Quinn

1981 Northern Chapter BBQ at Pollock Nursery

Murray Munro, Kiwi Nurseries with “friend�, August 1993

1975 Northern Chapter Landscape Awards 14 I Green for Life July/August 2017

The people in these photos have been identified to the best of our ability. If we have made an error or if you are able to identify someone in a photo, please email admin@landscape-alberta.com, so we can update our records.

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*Some restrictions apply, including but not limited to the following: promotion applies only to purchases of new units from Finning or from a competitor, as approved by Finning in its reasonable discretion; available only to customers who have not purchased a new Caterpillar machine from Finning in the previous three years; applicable only to purchases in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan; to qualify, customer must schedule a demo with a Finning sales representative and attend the full demo session on the date scheduled; applicable to BCP machines only (Skid Steer, Compact Track Loader, Compact Wheel Loader, Multi-Terrain Loader, Mini-Excavator, Small Excavator or Small Wheel Loader); one $750 reward available per customer.

Promotion ends September 30, 2017 or earlier, if announced by Finning; quantities are limited; purchase must be made within 90 days of the demo date; if a competitor’s machine is purchased, customer must contact the Finning sales representative within 90 days of the demo visit and present original competitor’s sales invoice showing full price build-up, proof of delivery and any other information required by Finning.

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