M E M B E R S P OT L I G H T O N
JOSH LANDRETH O W N E R O F AC E O F B LA D E S
How many years have you been in this position?
What path led you to your current position?
15 years
I started a Master’s program, but realized that I did not want to do academia the rest of my life. While in grad school, I got married and wanted to earn some extra money. So I started the business on the side. That part time job grew into the business we have now.
How did you decide to pursue a career in turfgrass management? I ran track for the Razorbacks. My first year, I was a chemical engineering major. The spring track season was a nightmare, and I decided to pursue a career in something that actually made me happy versus what people expected. I thumbed through the catalog of studies and found turf management. I loved sports, and wanted to do something sports related, and thought that fit. I met with Dr. Richardson, and the rest is history.
What is the best part of your job? The flexibility I have to spend time with my family. I also love dealing with numbers, budgets, etc. What are some unique challenges of your job? Finding good employees and balancing being able to pay them well with profitability. For whatever reason, people tend to not treat people in the service industry very well. So dealing with the public is always a challenge. What inspired you to become a part of ATA and serve on the ATA board? I had not been involved with the ATA for several years. When they started giving the awards for site of the year, we were encouraged to apply to support the award. When we won, it provided a reason for me to get back involved with the ATA. The next year, Doug asked me to speak about the award. From that experience, Kyle Sanders and I became friends. We share a similar vision and motivation. He encouraged me to accept a position on the board as we try to help our industry move the right direction. What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing the turfgrass industry right now? Pre-Covid, employment issues were definitely becoming the biggest issues. It was just really hard to find people. Post-Covid, we have no idea what that’s going to look like. Is it going to be easier to find people? Maybe. But it also may be hard to find people that want to work. The other huge issue that poses challenges long term is the “Anti-Roundup” type lawsuits that are happening.
14 • A R K A N S A S T U R F G R A S S • Fall 2020
