Green for Life July/August 2016

A Landscape Alberta Nursery Trades Association member publication

July/August 2016 Vol. 4, No. 4

Team Alberta Takes Silver at Skills Canada

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Advancing the professional landscape industry.

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 200, 10331 - 178 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5S 1R5 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 Chris Brown, CLM, JLG, CSO, CRS Brown Landscape Services Ltd., Vice Chair Steve Wheatcroft, B. Comm, ULS Maintenance & Landscaping Inc. Cody Brown, Tree to Tree Nurseries Ltd. Jeff Oudyk, CSLA, AALA, JLG, Land Tec Landscape Contractors Ltd. Jordan Voogd, JLG, Sunstar Nurseries Ltd. John van Roessel, CLM, CLT, JVR Landscape (2006) Inc., Treasurer

July 18 -22, 2016 Hort Week at Olds College Olds College, Olds, AB oldscollege.ca/continuing-education/horticulture coned@oldscollege.ca August 12-13, 2016 Landscape Industry Certified Technician Exam Olds College Landscape Pavilion, Olds, AB For more information or to register, contact Colin Vince at colin@cnla-acpp.ca August 17, 2016 National Awards of Landscape Excellence Coast Capri Hotel, Kelowna, BC www.cnla.acpp.ca September 28-29, 2016 Canwest Hort Show Tradex, Abbotsford, BC www.canwesthortshow.com October 5-6, 2016 Canadian Greenhouse Conference Scotiabank Convention Centre, Niagara Fall, ON www.canadiangreenhouseconference.com October 27-29, 2016 Communities in Bloom 2016 National Symposium Regina, SK www.communitiesinbloom.ca November 17-18, 2016 Green Industry Show & Conference Edmonton Expo Centre, Edmonton, AB www.greenindustryshow.com November 21-23, 2016 HortEast Conference & Trade Show www.horteast.com

Keith Plowman, K Plowman Contracting Ltd. Landscape Alberta Staff Joel Beatson, CAE, CLM, Executive Director joel.beatson@landscape-alberta.com Marnie Main, Member Services Director member.services@landscape-alberta.com

On the Cover Paul Kerpel and William Lloyd Team Alberta at Skills Canada National Competition, Moncton, NB

Erynn Watson, Member Services Assistant 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

Follow us on Twitter @landscapeab

Green for Life July/August 2016 I 3

Industry and Association News...

Nursery Producers Educational Bus Tour A one-day nursery bus tour is planned for August 12, 2016 in Kelowna, BC. The tour will include stops at Advance Nursery Co., Stewart Brothers Nurseries and Bron & Sons Nursery Co., plus a winery tour.

The cost of the tour is $135.00 (+ GST) per person, plus the cost of flights/accommodation. For more information, visit www.lanurserytour2016.eventbrite.ca or contact Erynn at the Landscape Alberta office at 1-800-378-3198, or email erynn.watson@landscape-alberta.com. Please book your hotel early as availability will be limited in August.

M

Member Referral Cards Landscape Alberta has prepared handy Member Referral Cards for potential customers looking for landscape professionals in their area. The card features the association logo and provides a link to our online member search at landscapealberta.com/findapro. The cards are intended for supplier, garden centre and nursery members that want to help their customers find contractor members to provide landscape construction, design or maintenance services.

Find a Landscape Professional in your area

www.landscapealberta.com/findapro

4 I Green for Life July/August 2016

If you would like referral cards to pass out to your customers, please contact Kyla at the Landscape Alberta office at kyla.hardon@landscape-alberta.com. There is no cost for these cards.

Member Savings Programs Update As of June 1, 2016, the administration fee for the FCA Canada program (Dodge/Jeep/Ram) will increase to $200 per vehicle letter. FCA Canada has been advised of the change in fee.

FCA Canada will generously continue to cover $100, while CNLA members will be required to pay the additional $100 via credit card, prior to the letter being released to the dealership.

Please note, that as of May 1, 2016, the administration fee for the GMC program was also raised to $200. This is the first time the fee has been raised since the program's inception in 1998.

Members are required to pay the full $200.

The proceeds from the admin fee are shared between CNLA and the provincial association that the purchaser belongs to.

To process the letter, the CNLA Member Services staff will need the year, vehicle model and VIN number. If a truck is being purchased the truck size and cab size will also be required. This information can come from either the sales representative or the member. The $200 administration fee must be paid before the membership confirmation letter can be sent.

Garden Centre Benchmarking What categories are selling really well this year in your region?

How do your sales compare to the rest of the country? Get a snapshot of Canadian statistics with the new Garden Centre benchmarking program. We know this is the busiest time of

the year to get started - but it is also the best time for you to track these statistics. Sign up today at www.cnlaacpp.ca/benchmarking Inventory Clearance: Trees and Shrubs for the Prairies Get your copies today for just 99¢ each + shipping! Call Kyla at 1-800-378-3198 to place an order today.

Arbor Day Celebrations Calgary: On May 5, 2016, Calgary Held its Arbor Day celebration at St. Jerome School. Students, teachers, parents and guests were in attendance. The event kicked off with a presentation in the school gym to celebrate Arbor Day. Following the presentation, everyone gathered outside to plant the ceremonial tree, a 15-foot specimen spruce generously donated by Foothills Nurseries Ltd. We would like to thank the supportive Landscape Alberta members who made this Arbor Day special: Gerard Fournier of For Trees Company for dedicating his time to help make this annual event possible and Foothills Nurseries Ltd. for supplying the tree.

Edmonton: The City of Edmonton held their annual Arbor Day Celebration on May 13, 2016 at Gold Bar Park. 600 grade one students from across the city came for a day of fun as they learned about the importance of trees in their community.

Davey Tree volunteered their expertise and equipment, and Landscape Alberta staff were on hand to assist their colleagues from the City of Edmonton. Students had the opportunity ride in bucket trucks, slide down a zip-line and plant seedlings in the park. In addition to the seedlings planted onsite, each student was given one to plant at home. Approximately 15,000 seedlings were handed out across Edmonton for planting this year.

Bill 6 Update Landscape Alberta has been invited to participate in the consultations regarding the proposed regulatory changes to employment standards and occupational health & safety rules.

The meetings begin in mid-June and continue throughout 2016.

Industry focus groups and surveys will commence after the first

meetings. Keep an eye out for invitations and surveys so that we can be sure to include your input. This is an important chance to line the nursery, sod and greenhouse production sectors of our industry with the rest of agriculture.

Minimum Wage Consultations Landscape Alberta was invited to attend consultations on the Alberta governments intended $15 per hour minimum wage by 2018. Given the current economic state and the impact that this can have on farm labour, we are asking the government to extend the timeline for the increases. We’ve also asked for consideration of a youth or training wage (lower than minimum), or that farms be provided a separate minimum wage. There is also concern about wage inflation, which is those making near or slightly above the proposed minimum wage demanding a relative increase, thus shifting a larger portion of workforce to higher wages. There is currently no formal announcement on an increase, if any, for 2016, but employers will be given at least three months’ notice.

Team Alberta at Skills Canada National Competition Team Alberta took second place with Paul Kerpel and William Lloyd winning Silver at the Skills Canada National Competition (SCNC) held at Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, NB on June 6 & 7, 2016.

Over the two-day event, the landscape gardener teams built a project that included a perimeter retaining wall, a patio, a pergola, water feature and plant material, all within twelve hours. The Alberta team competed against teams from seven other provinces with Quebec taking home the Gold medal and British Columbia 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 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.

Green for Life July/August 2016 I 5

Welcome to our

New Members LMN Abbey Gilhula 425 Whitevale Road Whitevale, ON L0H 1M0 (888) 347-9864 abbey@golmn.com Men in Kilts Ryan Brackman 101, 1915 – 27 Avenue NE Calgary, AB T2E 7E4 (403) 291-5200 Fax: (403) 291-5155 rbrackman@meninkilts.com www.meninkilts.com

Radisson Hotel & Convention Centre Karima Suleman 4520 76 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6B 1A5 (780) 468-5400 Fax: (780) 462-5504 karima@radissonedm.com www.radisson.com/edcc

Are you Landscape Industry Certified?

The Landscape Industry Certified program is an international (Canada and U.S.) accreditation program that sets standards for job skills and best practices for individuals working in the landscape horticulture industry. The program is developed and reviewed by industry professionals, and has undergone rigorous occupational analysis to comply for recognition by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (formerly National Organization for Competency Assurance NOCA).

You can earn designations for Landscape Technician (Hardscape Installation, Softscape Installation, Ornamental Maintenance, Turf Maintenance, Interior), Landscape Manager, Landscape Designer, Nursery Worker, and Retail Horticulturist.

In Canada, the Landscape Industry Certified program is administered by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA), and exam opportunities are provided regionally.

Visit cnla-acpp.ca/certification for details on each of the designations.

The next test date in Alberta is August 12-13, 2016 at Olds College campus. For nearly twenty years our test event was held annually in March – the change to 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 Colin Vince, Certification Co-ordinator at CNLA: colin@cnla-acpp.ca, or call toll-free 1-888-446-3499 ext.8625.

6 I Green for Life July/August 2016

Creating Opportunity for Growth through Skills Transfer

By Joel Beatson, Landscape Alberta Executive Director At the end of April I was invited to speak about career opportunities in our industry at an event hosted by The Talent Pool, an organization that does amazing work bringing together career seekers with a variety of resources in Calgary. Called “Taking Charge 2016,” the event focused on a select group of people all seeking new career opportunities. I joined representatives from the technician and technologists association, the transportation and logistics sector, and the biomedical industry. The event was well covered in local media (Global, CTV, CBC).

the job and made the direct connections, they would be much more successful in their job search.

I would encourage members to look deeper at these second career candidates. This fits very well with the often heard, “hire for attitude, train for skill” philosophy. Simply because a person doesn’t have all the skills you are looking for, does not mean that they don’t bring a set of skills and knowledge that could benefit your company.

This got me to thinking about the process of on-boarding new hires. Does your company have an onboarding process? Does it include discussing career paths? Does it offer education and training connected to advancement? Just like I asked the career seekers to consider a job that might lead to a career, I think as an industry we can do the same thing and inform each employee how a job can become a career.

The apprenticeship program is an awesome way to transition seasonal employees into year-round career-minded individuals. While there will always be jobs in our industry, we also have rewarding and well-paying careers. We just need to tell people about them. Landscape Alberta continues to evangelize to students, employment agencies and careers seekers about our hidden gem of the Alberta economy - $2 billion in economic impact and over 17,000 employees. This downturn in the economy is a fantastic opportunity to seek talent from other sectors and to have a job for now turn into someone’s next career.

The focus of my presentation was two-fold, 1) increase awareness of our industry - we have jobs, and 2) illustrate that an amazing opportunity for skills transfer exists. In fact, that ended up being the theme from all industries represented. As you can see in the diagram below, Landscape Horticulture exists at the intersection of many other career paths and backgrounds.

With the state of the Alberta economy, specifically the energy sector, there are many people out there looking for jobs. My message to the over 100 attendees was clear, never overlook a job; it might turn into a career while you’re not looking. As well, they need to connect the dots for employers. If you have project management background or experience with CAD, it might be easy to see the connections. But many other skills transfers might not be quite so clear. If they took the time to learn about the industry and Green for Life July/August 2016 I 7

Preventing Equipment Theft Equipment theft costs us millions of dollars each year. Even if the equipment is insured, there is still a deductible to be paid, paperwork to fill out, downtime and lost productivity until the equipment is replaced. If you’re lucky and the equipment is fully insured for full replacement cost (which can vary by policy and may be extended as far as 5 years after the date of purchase), you still may end up with increased premiums on your renewal due to this unfortunate event. If you’re not lucky, the equipment may not be insured or fall out of the replacement cost window and your business will be forced to pay the difference between the depreciated value and the replacement units cost.

Ensure you monitor the value of your equipment. With the Canadian dollar at roughly 75% of its value three years ago, that $30,000 piece of equipment may now cost in excess of $40,000 to replace. The depreciated value may have risen, as well. Take an inventory of what you have and review the values annually to ensure you are properly protected. It’s up to you as the policy holder to prove the loss and the better you are at keeping records of the equipment, the easier it will be to quantify and replace what was lost. At a minimum you should record the make, model, serial number and date of purchase for larger equipment and a description and date of purchase for the smaller tools. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and taking photos of what you have is also a smart idea. Branding or logos on equipment and tools make them easily identifiable and may also deter theft. If theft of large equipment is a problem or concern, then equipment immobilizing devices, lockout devices and GPS tracking units may assist in deterring and recovery of the more valuable mobile equipment you own.

Often the theft of large equipment involves several items, which may be insured on different policies, each with its own specific deductible. The truck, trailer and skid steer combination will likely carry three separate deductibles, though there are ways of avoiding this.

Tools away from your premises are not insured as contents and will not be covered as such, should the loss occur away from your shop. Losing a rake, backpack blower or push mower due to theft won’t likely warrant a claim with your 8 I Green for Life July/August 2016

insurer, but a trailer containing all this equipment might. The trailer may be insured but the auto insurer won’t be on the hook for its contents.

The following are some tips and preventative measures that you can put in place to help protect against equipment and tool theft.

Records Having a current inventory and detailed records of all equipment (and tools) used on project sites, is an instrumental element to recovery and management. Records should include: Equipment • Serial numbers and product identification • Make & model • Year built • Date purchased and value/cost • Markings, logos and location of any • Details that help with identification • Photos Tools • • •

Date of purchase Description Photos

Tool inventory and appraisal service can expedite the above process.

Theft Prevention Measures An effective equipment theft prevention plan will include multilayered measures, which vary based on the theft level of the equipment. In fact, contractors with low hazard equipment can incorporate multiple measures from Layer One, which are both low cost and effective. On the other hand, a contractor with high hazard equipment may require multiple measures from all four layers.

Layer One: • Locking Doors • Removing Keys

• • • •

Parking in well-lit visible areas Store in Controlled site access Corral and secure equipment together Is the engine compartment area locked and secure

Layer Two: • Visible or audible warning devices that provide theft deterrent, including alarms • Steering Column Collars • Steering wheel and brake pedal locks • Locks (Track, cylinder, fuel caps, wheel, hitch, pin) • Wheel Boots • Hydraulic lock-out systems • Cab shields /laminated glass • Tire deflator • Etching VIN or ID#s onto windows/parts Layer Three: • Immobilizer devices • Smart keys or key transponder systems • Cab control access code systems • Fuse cutoffs /kill switches • Starter and fuel disabler switches that prevent “hot-wiring” and bypassing the ignition systems Layer Four: • Tracking systems • Geo fencing systems • Motion sensor lighting and surveillance cameras covering the storage yard

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) 650-6228 South Calgary: (587) 226-9009 or (587) 227-3231 Lethbridge: (403) 327-0808 Soils | Mulch | Aggregates | Paving Stones | Retaining Walls | Natural Stone Edging | Packaged Products | Pond Supplies | Tools | Landscape Fabric

Tool Theft Control Layer One: • Don’t leave on site • Identifying marks on tools (numbers, company logo’s) • Put away in a secure location after use, do not allow to be left sitting for periods of time Layer Two: • On site Lock Boxes with Harden Locks (hidden shackles) • Secure tools in an enclosed building with alarms • Use of etching or marking technology (microdot technology) Taking any or all of these steps can help better protect your company from theft and ultimately spend less time dealing with insurance companies, downtime and lost productivity. Landscape Alberta members have access to property, general liability and vehicle coverage as part of the HortProtect Insurance program,exclusively for association members across Canada through the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association. The representative for Alberta is Ryan Miller, Lloyd Sadd Insurance Brokers and he can be contacted at 780-930-3823 or rmiller@lloydsadd.com.

Source: Northbridge Insurance, Lloyd Sadd Insurance This article is for informational purposes only to augment your own internal safety, compliance and risk management practices, and is not intended as a substitute for assessment or other professional advice by a qualified person or entity. There are no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this document and will not be responsible in any manner for any loss, or any direct, indirect, consequential, special, punitive or other damages, arising out of your, or any other person’s, use or reliance on the information contained in this article.

Green for Life July/August 2016 I 9

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10 I Green for Life July/August 2016

Professional Development: Landscape Industry Certified Program

By Claudia Santos, CNLA Certification Coordinator

Mistakes cost. But homeowners don’t always want to believe that the old adage, “you get what you pay for”, will ring true.

Home renovations are turning into cautionary tales. Horror stories are becoming all too common of homeowners discovering that their new paved walkways and irrigations features are either cracked and crooked or leaking inside their homes.

tested on from irrigation and fertilizer application to the use of varied mowers, trimmers, blowers and aerators.

In an effort to prevent companies who pop up, seemingly overnight, with a lawn mower and trailer but no training, from thinking that they’re ready to do work on a home, the landscape and horticulture industry has made a real push toward professional development.

Landscape Industry Certified Manager (CLM): Landscape Industry Certified Managers can usually be found as the owner/operator or manager of the companies in all sectors of landscaping. By establishing a high level of professionalism at the top, excellence flows through the rest of the company and it’s operations. The CLM designation sets and maintains standards for business management in the landscape industry. By becoming a Landscape Industry Certified Manager, each individual has undergone an exhaustive written examination that tests knowledge, skills and theory required to run a successful company. The CLM is tested on seven sections encompassing business management: strategic planning, law and contracts, marketing, leadership, human resources, interior production, technical exterior production and corporate finance.

Landscape Industry Certification exists across Canada and is administered by the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association to provide technical and hands-on learning as well as formalized testing. The goal is to ensure that professionals across the country comply with current standards and industry best practices. The benefits are twofold; for members of the industry it means a certifiable professional credibility and competency, while for homeowners it means having confidence in the fact that work is being completed by a professional, not an amateur.

As an employer you should be aware of who you’re hiring.

Here’s how you can distinguish between the different levels and modules of certification, and determine who is a good fit for you.

Landscape Industry Certified Technician (CLT): The Landscape Industry Certified Technician program is designed for employees in the horticulture industry who are involved in the technical application of skill and knowledge on job sites.

It is strongly recommended that candidates have at least 2,000 hours (1 year) of landscape industry experience. The Technician designation or CLT designation is composed of both written and practical testing components, with variations in testable content based on the candidate’s module of choice. There are four relevant modules for Landscape Architects hiring new staff.

Softscape Installation: A CLT with a background in Softscape Installation would have been tested on plan reading and its practical installation, aspects of irrigation, tree planting and plant identification, tilling and sod installation.

Hardscape Installation: CLT’s with a focus in Hardscape Installation are tested on just that: grading and drainage, installing pavers, correct and efficient use of a skid-steer, chainsaw and survey instrument, hardscape plan reading and calculations.

Turf Maintenance: Candidate’s who have challenged the Turf Maintenance module have an array of areas they’ve been

Ornamental Maintenance: Finally, a CLT who’s specialized in Ornamental Maintenance would have been tested on irrigation, plant identification, tree planting, and the correct use of power equipment.

Landscape Industry Certified Designer (CLD): A Certified Landscape Designer has the expertise to fill several roles in the landscape design, planting and construction process.

Many CLD’s work independently and can represent the needs of their clients. A Landscape Industry Certified Designer is qualified to ensure accountability and construction quality.

The CLD assists clients in determining a budget, choosing a suitable landscape contractor, resolving any on-site disputes and the management of construction costs. In order to become a CLD, an individual is required to challenge a written exam with six areas of focus: communications, design, grading and drainage, landscape construction, plants and horticulture, and practice. In addition, they must also submit a portfolio for review by a committee, composed of three projects that adhere to a template outlining all pertinent project components.

There are volunteer opportunities for individuals who are certified, to either take part in the CLT designation as a judge on a practical test day, or as a portfolio reviewer when prospective CLD’s submit their work. If you are interested in learning more, please contact either Colin Vince or Claudia Santos at the CNLA at certification@canadanursery.com or at 1-888-446-3499. Volunteers are integral to maintaining the professional standard of the green industry through the available certification programs.

Up for the challenge? The next test dates are August 12 & 13, 2016 at Olds College. Contact Colin at the CNLA to register: colin@cnla-acpp.ca.

Green for Life July/August 2016 I 11

Finish the Year Strong

By Jeffrey Scott

Having a profitable year is ultimately determined by how much in sales you produce and bill out in the 4th quarter.

Succeeding at business is akin to winning a long distance sprint. You have to get a quick jump off the starter-blocks, accelerate quickly to your top speed, and sprint through the finish line. It is the final sprint that wins the race. Here are 14 ways to sprint through the finish line and end on a profitable note.

Weekly Throughput: The main driver of net profit in the fourth quarter is measured by your company's Weekly Throughput i.e. the amount of billable production work your company can produce ("put through") each week.

Here is why this is so important: Even though you estimate for net profit with each and every sale, starting with your first sale in January, the fact is that all the profit from those sales goes towards covering your overhead (OH), until all your overhead is paid for. Once your overhead is covered, you have reached what accountants call your breakeven date.

Breakeven date Once you hit your breakeven date - all the profit you then make from every sale goes straight to your bottom line. Not only the net profit, but also the operational profit (that previously went to pay for overhead) now goes straight to the bottom line. This date is generally hit right before or in the 4th quarter.

12 I Green for Life July/August 2016

Operational Margin My high performing clients are able to achieve an Operational Profit Margin in the upper 30's up to 45% depending on the type of business they are in (and how long they have been working with me.) If your operational margin is, for example, 40%, then after you hit break even, every dollar that gets produced will put approximately 40 cents towards your bottom line!

To this end, the more sales that your team can produce and bill in this final quarter (called: Weekly Throughput), the more net profit you will ultimately earn. Conversely, if you have too many hiccups in the fourth quarter, you put your net profit at risk.

Here are 14 ways to increase your Weekly Throughput 1 Keep salespeople motivated to continue selling strong up through December.

Use incentives to keep up the selling momentum. Having an increased backlog puts positive pressure on the crews, so they have more than enough work to chew through.

2 Decrease the non-billable time (morning, travel, deli and gas stops, evening) so more time is spent on billable work.

3 Decrease (eliminate) the unnecessary go-backs needed to complete a job by ensuring crews are properly equipped and dispatched, with trucks and tools operating smoothly.

4 Ask crews to be flexible in bad weather, so you can hit your Weekly Throughput goals.

5 Use overtime (OT) to get your extra backlogged work done; the incremental cost of OT will be more than offset by additional operational profit that will drop straight to your bottom line. Do the math!

6 Sell more fall and winter add-on services. Remember, enhancement sales can be sold at a higher margin than your standard work anyhow, so it is a double win.

7 Take lower margin install work if you can be guaranteed that doing it will not

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

displace other high margin work.

Walk every maintenance property and sell them pruning services to be done ASAP. Find extra work that can be performed by crews already on maintenance properties.

1Sell holiday decor to be done now. For example, how about selling front door arrangements like you see in the magazine Southern Living?

Sell fireplaces and hardscapes to be done now (and during the milder winter.

Raise your 2016 hourly rate right now in 2015, and apply it to your fall work. Who says you have to wait till January to raise rates?

Deliver your christmas presents to clients early; and they will likely give you more work to take care of.

Incentivize your crews to increase their Weekly Throughput. Make crews accountable for their weekly production goals, and motivate them to be as efficient as possible.

Share the winnings when they sprint through the finish line.

Connect the dots Many employees may not immediately grasp how sprinting through the finish, and ensuring a healthy net profit, will benefit them and their family. Take the time to explain it to them by connecting the dots on how it benefits the company and how it benefits them directly. Using an incentive plan helps see directly how it benefits them.

Showcase your expertise and creativity…

Enter the 2016 Landscape Awards Entry forms and guides are available online at www.landscape-alberta.com. The Landscape Awards program is only open to active members of Landscape Alberta.

For more information, contact Kyla Hardon kyla.hardon@landscape-alberta.com 780-489-1991 or 1-800-378-3198

Breakthrough Idea Speeding up in the fourth quarter and sprinting through the finish line will greatly impact and increase your net profits.

Take Action • Pull everyone together and explain to them which day in your calendar you hit break even, and how the production during the 4th quarter will help the company hit and beat its year-end profit goals, thus benefiting everyone.

• If you want to learn more about how to use metrics to improve your business; reach out to me and we can discuss how to implement them in your business.

• The earlier in the year you hit your break even, the better your chances are of making extra ordinary profits. To this end, develop an incentive system for next year that moves up your break even date, and increases your Weekly Throughput in the Spring, Summer and Fall.

Jeffrey Scott, MBA, author, coach and Hall-of-Fame Consultant is the expert in growth and profit maximization in the landscape industry.

He grew his landscape company into a successful $10 million enterprise (15 million in today’s dollars), and he's now devoted to helping others achieve profound success. He facilitates the Leader’s Edge peer group for business owners; his members achieved a 27% profit increase in their first year. To learn more visit www.GetTheLeadersEdge.com.

Green for Life July/August 2016 I 13

Eric Heuver, Eagle Lake Nurseries L-R: 1975 Green Survival Picnic at Gem Sod Farms. L-R: Ruth & Frank Gronlund, Sheryl Wotherspoon

Early 1970s Banff Springs Convention. L-R: Nick & Aggi Dewitt, Tony & Anne Heuver, Henry and Joan Heuver.

A look back at our association

1993 Northern Chapter BBQ. L-R: Murray Munro, Mike Lastiwka, Gus Butt

1986 CNLA Summer Tour at Foothills Nurseries, James Talbot riding “slopey”

1983 LANTA Convention. L-R:Vince & Jenny Bron, Dolores Litz, Jim Wotherspoon

1983 LANTA Convention. L-R: Ted Lord, Vern Spangenberg

1988 Peace Chapter Field Day, Bob Andrews, Past President of LANTA 14 I Green for Life July/August 2016

1987, Arie with Bos Scapes (formerly Southern Drip)

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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H-pattern controls (2 hand drive, 2 hand implements)

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Hand and Foot Controls (2 hand drive, 2 foot implements)

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