The New Jersey Landscape Contractor Magazine - October 2017

THE NEW JERSEY

Fall 2017

Landscape Contractor

The Official Publication of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association

The Equipment Issue

Published By

contents Fall 2017

The New Jersey Landscape Contractor magazine is the official publication of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association, dedicated to the professional landscape industry of New Jersey. NJLCA was founded in 1966 as the Bergen County Landscape Contractors Association, and is today comprised of over 550 member companies throughout New Jersey.

New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association 465 Mola Boulevard, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 Phone | 201-703-3600 -- Fax | 201-703-3776 E-mail | info@njlca.org Visit our website at www.NJLCA.org Publisher/Editor Gail E. Woolcott Contributing Writers Joe Bolognese | John Burns | Greg Carpenter, CLT Christiana Conser, PhD | Patrick Donovan | Bill Eastman Charles Gamarekian | Kevin Gilbride | Eric Greenwald Jeff Korhan | Nelson Lee | Jan Merryweather | Matt Moskowitz NALP | Larry Paladino | Gail Woolcott NJLCA Combined Board President | Nelson Lee Vice President | Richard Goldstein, CLT Treasurer | Greg Carpenter, CLT Director | Anthony Agudelo Director | Jeff Baker Director | Joe Bolognese Director | Justin Flatow, CLT Director | John Freitag Director | George Futterknecht, CLT Director | Dan Kindergan Director | Michael McMorrow Associate Director | Tom Barillo Associate Director | David Gaynor Associate Director | Gregg Straffin Advisor | Dr. Bruce Clarke, Rutgers University Advisor | Dr. Steven Fischer, Bergen Community College Advisor | Dr. James Murphy, Rutgers University The New Jersey Landscape Contractor magazine is published triannually. 600 print copies are distributed to members and over 3,000 digital issues are sent to professionals in the Green Industry of New Jersey, as well as educational and governmental institutions. Subscription rates: $45.00 per year; $15.00 per copy. New Jersey residents only, please add 7% sales tax.

To advertise in The New Jersey Landscape Contractor, please contact Gail Woolcott at (201) 703-3600 or e-mail gwoolcott@njlca.org.

Article and photo submissions are encouraged and may be sent to NJLCA at the above address. Publisher assumes no responsibility for safekeeping or return of photos or manuscripts, and reserves all rights to edit material submitted for publication. © 2017 New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

PUBLISHED October 2017 Cover photo courtesy of Wicklow and Laurano Landscape Contractors, Flanders, NJ

FEATURES

6 Safety Fail, Three Strikes and You’re Out

9 Paint the Picture and Close the Deal 12 The Knockout Punch for Winning Landscape Awards

18 The One Thing of Measurement

20 The Right Tool for the Job

26 Plant Right

28 A Few of Our Favorite Things

34 Insurance Terms & Coverage

37 Proper Debt Collection Law

38 Using Drones in Your Landscape Business

40 Fuel Safety

41 Seguridad de Combustible

42 New Equipment

45 Is Your Face in Violation of the Law?

IN EVERY ISSUE...

NJLCA News Briefs 4 President’s Message 5 Letter from the Editor 5 The Buzz: Industry News 15 Award Winning Members 17 The Fischer Kings 19 Welcome New Members 19 Advertiser Index 23 Associate Focus: All Service Contractors Equipment 24 NJLCA/IANJ Golf Challenge 25 Contractor Focus: Battinelli Landscaping

Columns

7 Turf Talk

15 Makin’ Cents 19 Certifiable

21 Legal Ease

39 Road Master NJLCA.ORG

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President’s Message

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reetings Members,

There has been quite a bit happening at the NJLCA since May. As many of you know, and some of you don’t, we have been operating without an Executive Director since mid-July. Things are still going smoothly. Thanks to the hard work of Gail and Maria in the office, we haven’t skipped a beat!

On the blower ban front, we are still fighting the good fight and have recently filed a lawsuit against the Township of Maplewood. We are hoping to alleviate the issues that this blower ban is causing to our members in the area, as well as to prevent this from happening in other townships near you. If you see an email asking for your help, please take a moment to do so. It will benefit all of us.

We are also still working hard on the snow bill (A.3656), but with the current political climate, nothing is moving in the Assembly. We will keep you updated on this as well. See page 21 for more info.

We are happy to report that we had a small group representing the NJLCA during NALP’s Legislative Day on the Hill, where they were able to meet with our legislators in Washington, DC to discuss issues important to our industry, namely the problems with the H-2B temporary worker program.

We had a wonderful golf outing in September, where we earned money to apply to our scholarship program. We are always trying to find new ways to

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provide more in scholarships and thank all who participate. Speaking of scholarships, we are holding a Super 50/50, which we started collecting in June. The tickets will be pulled at our Holiday Gala and Achievement Awards dinner in December. The tickets are 1 for $10 or 3 for $20. If you want to be in it (which you must be to win it), contact us at the office or purchase your tickets at either of our November member meetings.

We also held a very successful Landscape Industry Certification Exam in early October. Dozens of landscape professionals came out to volunteer, as well as take the exam. We had perfect weather and a great turnout. Thanks once again to our sponsors for helping us continue to put on the exam and challenge our candidates to prove their skills and competency. Although it is not a requirement in NJ, we really believe that striving for certification will raise the bar in our industry. Plan to send your employees next year!

I hope to see all of you on December 12th at our Holiday Gala and Achievement Awards Dinner. It is always a fun event, where we celebrate some of the best in the business. But it is also a great time to relax, spend time with friends and employees and celebrate another successful year for the industry and your companies.

Wishing you all a very happy holiday season and a prosperous winter,

Nelson Lee, President

PCOMING EVENTS:

11/9/17 - Member Meeting at All Service Contractors Equipment in Pompton Plains, NJ 11/14/17 - NJLCA Third Annual Bowling Night at T-Bowl in Wayne, NJ 11/16/17 - Member Meeting at Komatsu Northeast in South Plainfield, NJ 11/30/17 - NJLCA-U Branching Out Webinar with Kevin Kehoe 12/5-6/17 - Visit us at NJ Green Expo in Atlantic City, NJ 12/12/17 - NJLCA Holiday Gala and Landscape Achievement Awards Dinner in Garfield, NJ

4 FALL | 2017

The Buzz It’s been a sad few months for the landscape and irrigation industries. We have lost a few longtime members of our community.

James “Jim” E. Dapp of Liberty, 60, passed suddenly on Tuesday, September 05, 2017, in his home. Jim is survived by his two sons, James and Tom both of Liberty, NY; three Brothers, Ed of Highland, NY, Chris of Rossville, GA and Russell of Overland Park, KS; many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Jim grew up in the Hudson Valley in Highland, NY; he was a graduate of Springfield College in Springfield, MA. He’s coached numerous sports with a lifetime goal to stay in shape and to compete.

Jim has lived in Liberty, NY for over 20 years with his sons James and Tom. He was a former scoutmaster of the local Boy Scout Troop for over 10 years and still participated as a Merit Badge counselor. Jim worked as a sales rep for Edward Ehrbar, Inc of Yonkers, NY. Prior to his position at Edward Ehrbar, Jim worked for Bobcat of North Jersey for over 12 years.

Brainard George Beausoleil, age 91, died peacefully on September 6, 2017 in Lansdale, PA at Meadowwood Senior Living.

Surviving are his loving wife of 66 years Theresa Marie (Martin), their children, Reesa Beausoleil Compton (with Michael Compton) in WA, Donna Beausoleil in MD, Judy Beausoleil in NY, Renee Mure (with Mark Mure) in NJ, David Beausoleil (with JoAnn Beausoleil) also in NJ, Robert Beausoleil (with Christine Beausoleil) in PA, sixteen grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, his sister Yvonne Gardner in FL, his brother Joseph Beausoleil in NY, and many nieces and nephews throughout the country.

George was a consummate entrepreneur and in 1969, after reading an article in the Wall Street Journal and being recently laid off as the national sales manager for Packing Products and Design (PP&D), with the “total” support of his wife, proceeded to invest all eighteen hundred dollars of his life savings into building a company. Thus Aquarius Home Products (now Aquarius Supply) was born. From their basement George sold and installed underground automatic lawn sprinkler systems parts and supplies, and is considered the father of the industry in the Northeast.

John “Jack” Caldwell, 80, died on October 10th. Jack was a lifelong Closter resident and his love for and pride in his hometown prevailed throughout his life. He graduated from Closter High School and served in the US Army and Army Reserve from 1955-61. He was deployed to Korea, where he worked as an airplane mechanic. He founded Caldwell’s Suburban Gardens and retired after over 40 years as an excavating contractor. Jack was baptized at St. Mary’s in Closter in 1938 and remained a parishioner there throughout his life. He was a member of the American Legion Leroy S. Mead Post 111 and was also a longtime member of the Closter Elks and a charter member of the Bergen County Landscape Contractors Association. He is predeceased by his parents, Hugh Caldwell and Frances Hosterman Caldwell, his brother, Hugh “Trooper” Caldwell, and his wife, Pat Brady Caldwell. He is survived by his sisters, Fran Caldwell and Cindy Ryan, his daughters, Mary Caldwell and Kathy Caldwell, and his granddaughters, Gwen Taylor and Kendall Taylor. Jack was also a cherished uncle and devoted friend to many. Visitation was held at Moritz Funeral Home in Closter. A Funeral Mass was held at St. Mary’s Church in Closter with interment following at Rockland Cemetery in Sparkill, NY.

Letter from the Editor Pardon the smaller width of my column this month, but I felt it much more important to honor the fine men beside me in this issue.

Jack, as many of you know, was a charter member of the NJLCA and has been actively involved since that time, still serving as our bartender at Pizza Night and attending meetings throughout the year. I will miss Jack terribly, as I know will many of you, as I had gotten close to him over the years. There are so many stories that I have been told of Jack’s antics, and others I was able to witness myself. But most of all, he was a straightforward, tell it like it is, very kind man.

I’ll miss most of all seeing him at the Trade Show with one of his “Jack Hats” on.

I would like to congratulate this year’s Scholarship Award winners, listed below. Each of them are exemplary in their achievements and we hope what we are able to provide will help them in becoming productive citizens.

NJLCA 50th Anniversary Scholarship: Duncan Lewis, son of Bob Lewis, Lewis Landscaping, attending the University of Rhode Island (funded by Mark Borst, Borst Landscape & Design) The Bob DeRosa Scholarship: Paul Castro, son of Fidel Castro, Lawns By Yorkshire, attending Montclair State University The Roger Dammer Founder Scholarship: Cassandra Barckett, daughter of Patrick Barckett, Bobcat of North Jersey, attending William Paterson University The Aubrey Hampton Scholarship: Anthony Agudelo Jr., son of Anthony Agudelo, Anthony Agudelo Landscaping, attending Landmark College The Walter Powers Scholarship: Theresa Fernbacher, daughter of Gary Fernbacher, Horizon Landscape Co., attending Stockton University The Fred Gallione Scholarship: Caterina Daniels, daughter of Bill Daniels, Bill’s Landscaping & Design, attending East Stroudsburg University Dr. Steven Fischer Scholarship: Jesse Cruz, attending Bergen Community College Dr. Jack Fisher Memorial Scholarship: Bryan Bang, attending Bergen Community College NJLCA Anthony Defeo Scholarship: Phillip Vines, attending Rutgers University NJLCA James Stewart Scholarship: Henry Qu, attending Rutgers University NJLCA Jack Caldwell Memorial Scholarship: Ryan Daddio, attending Rutgers University NJLCA Special Recognition Scholarship: Eric Chen, attending Rutgers University

Gail E. Woolcott Editor in Chief NJLCA Director of Operations

NJLCA.ORG

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Feature Story

Safety Fail, Three Strikes and You’re Out! by the National Association of Landscape Professionals Keep it Green Landscaping in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, has won Best of the Best for the past five years in a row. “I always tell people there’s not one single thing they can do to make their company a safe place to work,” said company president Dyle MacGregor. “Being safe is a culture. It applies to most everything you do, and everyone has to have buy in.”

With that said, he pointed to more than a few things his company does to help keep employees safe. “We require pre-employment drug tests and all our drivers are randomly tested for drugs. After we put the drug testing requirement into our help-wanted ads, the number of calls we received dropped dramatically, but their quality went up.”

MacGregor emphasized that being safe starts with the hiring process where he learns how much safety training an individual has received. “Our safety program requires all employees to read our handbook and understand our safety culture. We require them to wear PPE and warn them twice if they don’t. They don’t get three strikes and continue to work for us.

“Rutgers offers continuing education courses that stress safety practices when operating chain saws and other equipment.

Manufacturers, too, offer classes on the subject. We send employees to seminars and classes. Upon their return, they share experiences with team members.

“Machines don’t have a conscience and they will do virtually anything an operator asks of them,” he emphasized.

“It seems the people most vulnerable are younger employees who think they are invincible and will never get injured.

One way we get the message to them is to circulate articles about accidents and then discuss how they could have been avoided. Again, being safe requires everyone to have buy in, new and veteran employees alike.”

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Feature Story

Turf Talk So is it dry enough for you? By the time you read this article it may be as long as 10 weeks since it actually rained all day.

This has made your fall weed killer and turf renovations problematic to say the least. You probably got the weed killer down before the September 90 degree temperatures hit. The weather had been great for weed killer; cool and dry. No burn or so you thought. I had already begun my renovations when the hot weather hit. I actually took a week off from seeding because it was so hot. The most frustrating thing is when the customers think once the kids leave for college it’s time to stop watering. Let’s face it; you have 6 weeks, at best, to fix the whole season’s challenges.

Your fall renovations set the stage for next season. You choose the best soil possible, one that has not been made from grass clippings. This will reduce your weed seeds occurring in the soil. If you are top dressing or aerating and over seeding or slit seeding your seed choice is critical. Your safest bet is to pick a blend. Sow your seed, apply your starter fertilizer and you’re all set. Right? No! What have we been saying for two years now? Lime, Lime, Lime! Why Lime during seed sowing? If you have top dressed your soil is undoubtedly acid due to the organic matter made to create the soil. And secondly, even if you haven’t top dressed how many fertilizer applications have you made this year, 3 maybe 4…well, you need Lime. Also it releases the macro and micro nutrients in the soil these are essential for seed germination and for the viability of the seedlings.

Here is a trick you have totally burnt dormant lawn you want to bring it back put down one bag of Lime and water even a few times and you will see it will Green up very quickly for the same reasons it helps the seed it unlocks macro and micro nutrients trapped in the soil.

Good Luck and Keep Growing!

Greg Carpenter, CLT is co-owner of American Beauty Landscape Design since 1983. He attended the SUNY Farmingdale Turfgrass Program and is an NJLCA Director. Greg also serves on the Rutgers Turfgrass Advisory Board and the Bergen Community College Horticultural Advisory Board.

Peer pressure

For the last 24 years, Rich Arlington, president of Arlington Lawncare & Landscape in Lake City, Pennsylvania, has employed peer pressure to help create a safety culture buy in. “You don’t want employees hurt, and from a purely business perspective, injuries and accidents are costly,” said Arlington. “At the very least, they are responsible for lost production and insurance rate hikes. “Companies that put an emphasis on being efficient must also put an emphasis on being safe.”

Arlington’s company has seven crews, each with a safety advisor.

It’s that individual’s responsibility to ensure crew members wear PPE and follow safety protocols. “Crew members aspire to that position,” said Arlington. “It not only gives them a sense of ownership, every quarter we give out safety bonuses for crews and the advisor gets 10 percent more.”

While the safety advisor keeps the crew in line, all crew members understand it’s ultimately their responsibility to be safe and, yes, ensure a safety bonus, he added.

While Arlington gives much of the credit for an impressive safety record, one that includes no accidents or injuries for 12 years and back to back Best of the Best safety awards, to peer pressure, it’s not the only catalyst. His company has a complete safety manual and a special safety orientation for new employees. The two-day session involves both power point presentations and hands-on with equipment.

There are also tailgate meetings every Monday and several educational opportunities with OSHA safety classes. He noted his insurance company also sends safety updates twice a year.

“If there’s one thing I impress on employees, it’s up to them to be safe,” Arlington emphasized. “If they can make time to do something that’s rather unimportant, then they can certainly make time to do something that is important, to work in a safe manner. Applying peer pressure, along with other elements of our safety program, encourages them to make that all- important decision.”

Article reprinted with permission of the National Association of Landscape Professionals. Originally posted on the NALP blog in March 2017.

NJLCA.ORG 7

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Feature Story

Paint the Picture for Potential Clients and Close the Deal with Your Presentation

by Charles H. Gamarekian, Cambridge Pavers, Inc.

Each year, the National Association of Landscape Professionals gathers insight on consumer demand from its 100,000 members and marries it with current data on lifestyle preferences and technological innovations. The result — according to Fox Around the House from foxnews. com, which reports and offers tips on gardening, decorating, on buying a house and maintaining your home — came a report revealing trends in outdoor living. Here are some of trending design ideas that incorporate hardscaping and other amenities available from hardscape product manufacturers that you may want to adopt in 2017.

Reports reflected the desire to create inviting and emotionally- gratifying moods in outdoor spaces. Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) is a Danish concept centered around feeling cozy that is transitioning outside. The idea can be incorporated in your outdoor space design in numerous ways. For example, a fire pit can offer a focal point where your customer’s family and friends can gather.

Water features produce a soothing soundtrack and visual vibe. The right plants and accent lighting can also add to a cozier ambience. Note that a wood- or natural gas-burning fire pit and an outdoor fireplace like those from Cambridge can turn backyards into appealing 4-season gathering areas.

Fire pits and fireplaces reflected 71.51% and outdoor lighting 67.83%. For easy incorporation into a design, many come fully assembled and/or in pre-packaged kits in lieu of custom design/builds.

“With this movement to informality has been growth in outdoor living,” commented the American Institute of Architects in 2016. “While initially decks, patios, and outdoor grills were the focus, this trend has expanded to fully furnished outdoor rooms.” Concrete pavers and manufactured, segmental retaining walls have helped the expansion of related industries such as outdoor kitchens, pools and hot tubs. The reason being, from a designer’s point-of-view, the hardscape materials used in stationary patio components made of hardscape materials are easily coordinated both in color and style, to follow an overall design scheme. Among the most popular recreational amenities for 2017 will in fact, include

NJLCA.ORG 9

Let’s Celebrate!

2017HolidayGalaInviteB.indd 1

11/2/2017 11:59:11 AM

You are cordially invited to attend the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association

Holiday Gala, Achievement Awards and Installation Dinner Tuesday, December 12, 2017 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm The Venetian 546 RiverDrive, Garfield, NJ 07026 - Jacket & Tie Required -

Dinner, Open Bar, Soft Drinks, Dessert and Coffee Included Early Pricing Through November 22nd:

$125 per person 6 $720 to sponsor a Table of 6 6 $1350 to sponsor a Table of 12 (Sponsored Tables Include Table Sign with logo and recognition in all Holiday Dinner correspondence)

After November 22nd, add $10 per person

RSVP by December 4th, 2017

Feature Story spas (39.68%) and pools (39.23%).

In the best of circumstances, selecting a contractor can be a daunting charge for a homeowner.

If you are a relatively new installer this is a great opportunity to bring a fresh design perspective to potential clients as a selling point, and the seasoned pro who has references and experience, on the do’s and don’ts of the industry, which work in her or her favor. Balancing what strikes the potential clients fancy and what instills confidence can make or break their decision to go with a specific contractor. I’m passing along some basic lessons to guide you along the way, and be better prepared when meeting with homeowners.

When meeting with potential clients bring one brochure that you stand behind as to not confuse the homeowner with too many choices.

Show the range of colors, shapes and pattern options available from this manufacturer. Having the right equipment and materials at hand, allows a potential client to see you will do a highquality job quickly and safely. With hardscaping, a “big picture” landscape makeover can be accomplished in small phases without compromising quality and continuity, which is a comforting this for a homeowner to hear during your presentation. This advanced planning will help homeowners avoid unexpected roadblocks as you expand the space(s) and move along toward the finished project in a time frame that is friendly on their budget.

Paint the picture of a modest 100 sq. ft. patio of Cambridge Pavingstones with lasting ArmorTec® colors that will provide adequate room for backyard lounging, hosting small gatherings and/or creating an outdoor lifestyle that suits their fancy in the initial stage. Adjacent areas with an outdoor kitchen, a fire pit, a spa or pool can be added in succession in years to follow because, when properly forecasted, everything will be well-matched at later dates.

Be open and willing to follow through in phases, knowing you have secured at the very least, a start-up work order.

Always be sure to show a portfolio of your previous work and samples along with long-range details.

As part of your initial meeting with a potential homeowner, be sure to discuss your credentials, product knowledge and training. Cambridge for instance, is a nationally recognized producer of many types of hardscape materials, which comprises coordinated pavers backed by

a fully transferrable, lifetime warranty, wall systems and outdoor patio components, and by aligning yourself with this manufacturer the homeowner will feel confident about what you can bring to the table in terms of products and design options.

Think like the homeowner that you are and share what research has proven, and has been affirmed by ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Paving Institute), “the return on investment into backyard utopias is 100 percent or close to it when selling the home.” So, 100 percent enjoyment combined with 100 percent return (ROI) resonates as a sensible transaction for budget-conscious homeowners.

Consequently, the fully-transferrable lifetime warranty from Cambridge associated with a makeover project, could be a deal-closer for sellers AND buyers.

Charles H. Gamarekian is the Chairman/CEO of Cambridge Pavers Inc. He is one of the founders and a current board member of the Interlocking Pavement Institute. Organized in 1993, ICPI is the North American trade association representing the interlocking concrete paver industry and considered by peer associations around the world as the leader in development and dissemination of technical information for design professionals and contractors. Mr. Gamarekian is recognized worldwide as an expert in his field and is a frequent speaker on the proper installation of pavingstones, wallstones and many outdoor living products.

NJLCA.ORG 11

Feature Story

The Knockout Punch for Winning Landscape Awards It’s that time again to put together your entries for the NJLCA Landscape Achievement Awards. Winning can put your business on the map or take it to new heights, but making that happen requires carefully planning your entry.

Winning landscape awards requires high-quality photos of exceptional projects; but that’s not nearly enough. Sometimes even amazing projects fail because they overlook one crucial component.

The key to having your entry stand out is packaging it for the judges. This means making sure everything about it is crafted into a compelling story.

Stories are about change, progress, and moving forward. In short, they are about transformation, and that’s what landscaping companies do for their customers’ properties.

To explain how this works we’re going to go backstage to get a peek at the typical process judges follow to choose the winners.

How Awards Judges Choose the Winners Years ago I was asked to be an awards judge for the landscape association that is now NALP – The National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Four of us were charged with judging several hundred projects over two days. Keep that in mind. You have just a few minutes to wow the judges.

For each entry, the process starts when the general description is read aloud to introduce it to the group. That description should set high expectations that are deserving of an award. And what follows must deliver on those promises.

Now the photos are viewed.

As each image pops up on the screen and its brief description is read aloud a couple of things are happening. The judges are mentally reconciling the photo with the description. And they are looking for a reaction from their co-judges.

The point is, this a committee decision.

In addition to aligning with its individual description, each photo must reconcile with the project description to collectively tell a congruent story that leaves no doubt about what was included and why.

12 FALL | 2017

For example, if you plan to use a drone to show a 500-foot perspective, be prepared to explain what it adds to the story.

If you can’t do that, it should be eliminated.

Think of the project images as scenes in a movie. There needs to be a logical progression from beginning to end, with drama, suspense, and surprise from scene to scene.

If you can accomplish that, you have an excellent chance of winning an award.

However, if there is any confusion at all, the credibility of the project is now in question. Since there are other projects waiting to be judged, the outcome at this point may be a no-go.

Sorry, but it’s game over until next year.

Here’s how you can prevent that from happening.

Every Project Must Have a Meaningful Purpose Great storytellers know you have to capture and hold the attention of the audience by telling a story that stays true to a theme or purpose.

That’s what the judges are most curious about. Why was this project undertaken? That question is most likely answered by the problem it solved. Everything in your entry must be true to that theme.

Your story narrative and photos must work together to become a short film that sparks the imagination of at least one judge. And this is key.

Only one of the judges has to champion your entry. Then he or she will use your story to help the others understand why it deserves an award.

In short, when everything else is perceived to be equal, the story is often the tiebreaker that helps the judges reach a consensus.

Now let’s examine a tried and true method for telling that story.

Feature Story

by Jeff Korhan, Founder of Landscape Digital Institute Tell Your Project Story Like Hollywood You may not be informed about the technical elements of storytelling, but nearly everyone intuitively knows when something about a story is not quite right.

It turns out that whether it’s a novel, Broadway show, or Hollywood film, they all follow a predictable formula. Each has three acts, better known as the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

Here’s generally what happens within the respective acts.

1. The beginning hook - It pulls in the audience and propels the story forward.

2. The middle build - Complication and conflict hold the audience’s interest.

3. The ending payoff - This is the resolution of conflict and story climax.

What’s interesting about this simple but reliable formula is that you probably use one like it to sell landscaping projects. Your sales story is one of transformation from a beginning landscape reality into something remarkable, which is the ending payoff for your customer.

That will win over the judges too.

In the film Rocky, the hook is when Apollo Creed picks Rocky’s photo out of the book of contenders and proclaims, “I’m going to give this chump a shot at the title.” This is when the film really begins.

Now you know there is going to be a fight to the finish, and everything in the middle builds up to it, with plenty of challenges and anticipation about that climactic moment.

Conflict raises the stakes, and the higher the stakes for failing the bigger the payoff for winning. Everything was on the line for Rocky, just as it is for the customer that chose you over your competitors.

Your better idea is the hook that sold that customer. That’s where your story truly begins. Did everything about that

Scenic Landscaping - 2016 Landscape Achievement Awards Winner - Drone Shot

project come together perfectly? Doubtful. Quantify your challenges with data and you’ll have the judges eating out of your hands.

What you encounter and resolve along the way to delivering your amazing solution makes the payoff that much sweeter for everyone involved, including your delighted customer and the awards judges.

Now go out there and win more awards by telling a story that delivers a knockout punch.

Kapow! Just like that.

Jeff Korhan is the author of Built-In Social and founder of Landscape Digital Institute. He helps green industry owners, marketers and sales teams create distinctive customer experiences that ignite sales growth. Learn more at www.landscapedigitalinstitute.com.

Battinelli Enterprises - 2016 Landscape Achievement Awards Winner - Before and After Photos

NJLCA.ORG 13

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News Briefs

Award Winning Members

by Gail Woolcott, Director of Operations Duke’s Landscape Management • Overall Safety Achievement – GOLD • No Vehicle Accidents • No Days Away from Work Farmside Landscape and Design • Residential Design/Build - Merit Award • Overall Safety Achievement – SILVER • No Vehicle Accidents Good Earth Landscaping & Maintenance • Overall Safety Achievement – SILVER • No Vehicle Accidents • No Injuries or Illnesses • No Days Away from Work

The National Association of Landscape Professionals awards many contractors each year, not only for some of their out of this world projects, but also for their proactive safety programs.

On October 19th, in Kentucky, I was lucky enough to be able to sit at a table with multiple award winning companies, one of which was our own member, Chris Raimondi of Raimondi Horticultural Group.

At this event, Chris was being honored with the Decade Award, for his Borgata Casino and Spa entry. To win the award, a landscape professional must have received a Grand Award and have managed their project continuously for 10 years or more after receiving the Grand Award. Chris also won a Silver Safety Award at the event.

Earlier this year, Chris was honored to be inducted into the Interiorscape Hall of Fame for his lifetime of dedication and commitment to the interior landscape industry, nationwide.

Congratulations Chris!

Many more of our members were also honored at the NALP’s Awards Dinner this October. Congratulations to all of the winners (but especially our members!).

Town and Gardens, Ltd. • Commercial Landscape Contracting 2 Merit Awards • Commercial Design / Build - Merit Award • Special Events Landscape - 2 Grand Awards • Residential Landscape Contracting 2 Grand Awards • Resident Design/Build - Merit Award and Grand Award

Horizon Landscape Co. • No Vehicle Accidents • No Injuries or Illnesses • No Days Away from Work Jacobsen Landscape Design & Construction, Inc. • Overall Safety Achievement – BRONZE • No Vehicle Accidents Keep It Green Landscaping • Overall Safety Achievement – SILVER • No Vehicle Accidents • No Injuries or Illnesses • No Days Away from Work Majestic Lawn Care & Landscape, Inc. • Overall Safety Achievement – SILVER • No Vehicle Accidents • No Injuries or Illnesses • No Days Away From Work Young’s Landscape Management, Inc. • Overall Safety Achievement – BRONZE • No Vehicle Accidents

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News Briefs

The Fischer Kings: Bergen Community College Horticultural

Department Celebrates 40th Anniversary

by Joe Bolognese, Kindergan Landscaping, NJLCA Director and Past Vice President

A

small entrance path off of Paramus Road in Paramus NJ, will take you past the main part of the college campus and bring you to a quaint building named Ender Hall. There you will find connected to it, a greenhouse filled with germinating plants, flowering hanging pots and more. And if you’re lucky, you might happen to run into its caretaker, and the head of the Horticultural Degree Program, Steven “Doc” Fischer PhD. Dr. Fischer started with the program as Assistant Professor in 1977. Over the last 40 years, the program, first called Ornamental Horticulture started by Biology Professor Jack Fisher back in 1975, has blossomed into a rich and vibrant teaching institution for Bergen Community College. Students, faculty and friends of the department gathered to celebrate this milestone and re-live those memories of becoming a part of a diverse history. I myself am honored to lend my expertise to a part of the program as an adjunct professor teaching the basics of irrigation. With my behind-the-scenes

look at the program, it’s abundantly clear that this is a lifetime of dedication and passion for horticulture, with the desire to teach and prepare the next generations of specialists to care for and nurture the beauty around us that we sometimes take for granted. Celebrating the first graduating class in 1977, and seeing even to this day the numbers of graduating students for the current 2017 season, it is a huge testament to the programs longevity and commitment to continue the work of both Jack Fisher and Steve “Doc” Fischer, for the next 40 years and more.

The NJLCA is proud of its long-lasting partnership with Bergen Community College over those 40 years and is honored in having it as our official testing site for the Landscape Industry Certified Technician exam (LICT, formerly called Certified Landscape Technician or CLT). It was a pleasure to meet an extraordinary woman at the celebration that evening. We were all so grateful that Mrs. Marie Fisher, wife of the late Jack Fisher, was able to join us. As she stood with us in the very greenhouse her husband helped formulate a program for, she told stories of life with her biologist husband and of their son, now trauma surgeon, Dr. Chris Fisher. The Horticultural Lab was not only filled with the most decadent display of desserts, fitting for the occasion, but sprawled out on the students work area were black and white photos of those memorable moments with Jack, Steve, members of the NJLCA and students, planting trees for Arbor Day, as well as teaching students, both young and old. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the late Professor Jack Fisher, Dr. Steve Fischer and everyone involved with the Bergen Community College Horticultural Program for the lifelong commitment and dedication to the education, growth and continued success of this fantastic program. Here’s to another 40 years!

NJLCA.ORG 17

Feature Story

The One Thing of Measurement

by Bill Eastman, GreenMark Consulting Group Introduction After many years implementing the concepts of quality, I learned the concept of the ‘one thing of measurement’ - what to measure. When you look at the cause-and-effect relationships that generates margins - there’s one thing that matters based on your level in the business. You have 3 choices: scheduling, efficiency, or waste.

What You Need to Know 1. Scheduling. 80% of a margin is based on your ability to achieve 2 outcomes - maximizing resources while keeping production balanced. This is the role of managers and executives.

2. Efficiency. 15% of a margins is based on your ability to keep projects, jobs, tasks, etc., on budget while delivering the customer promise. This is the role of first line supervisors, crew leaders, and foreman.

3. Waste. 5% of a margin is based on your ability to complete tasks the first time without rework or scrap.

This is the role of people doing the work.

What You Need to Do 1. Scheduling. This might seem contradictory but the goal is to maximize resources while keeping the dayto-day workload even. Processes only produce a margin when operating near or at capacity. What does this look like: scheduling minimizes windshield time, scheduling has the right people at the right location at the right time, and scheduling places jobs in the same location to share resources. Given our the earlier article on compensation - this is how you bonus executives and managers.

2. Delivering on schedule is based on each project, job, or task being performed on budget (material, people, time). Poor management of work makes it impossible to maximize your resources. What this looks like: you have a budget for every job, the jobs begins and ends when scheduled, it uses only the resources planned, and the customer is happy with the job. Bonus your first line supervisors on how well they meet the budget.

3. Waste is another way of saying quality. I prefer using waste because results from poor quality - failing to do it right the first time is the real metric. This is where the people doing the work have the greatest impact on margins. But also is a trap. If your scheduling is off or jobs are badly run, the employees have little influence on whether you made money on this job. Most quality initiatives fail because it starts by beating on

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the workforce when their impact is only significant if everything else is running right. Look at it this way if scheduled to maximize resources and managed to efficiently deliver that was sold, their 5% contribution goes to the bottom line and is called profit.

Where You Can Get Help Your best choice between now and the end of the year is to join our closed Facebook Group NJLCA “Growing Every Day”. Ask to Join and once inside you will receive real-time help and support for your landscape and business issues. Additionally we will make parts of our Best Practices Library available for download. I am looking forward to seeing you inside the group. A better choice is to attend our BootCamp sponsored by the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association on January 24 2018.

Summary The most important thing to consider is to make the business as easy as possible to understand. When looking at the positions directly engaged with the customer you have three measures: scheduling for executives and managers, efficiency for supervisors and foreman, and waste for employees.

Bill Eastman is a Business Management Consultant with GreenMark. Bill is also the Managing Partner of Intellectual Property at the GrowthWorx - a business research and product development company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

Bill brings to GreenMark 36 years in the consulting and training industry. Bill over his career has assembled a library of best practices for growth oriented companies looking to build a model of organizational excellence.

The gWORX team in collaboration with GreenMark Consulting Group and It’s Landscape Business Success™ platform have developed a suite of business best practices.

News Brief

A warm welcome to our newest and returning members...

A&D Property Maintenance Darren Rizzo Dover, NJ

Alpine Home Media John Vitiello Tappan, NY

The AquaGurus Sarabjit Sawhney Edison, NJ

Benchmark Payment Networks Michael Della Terza Cold Spring Harbor, NY

BMJ Landscaping Michael Samuel Manalapan, NJ

BrenCo Equipment & Technology Danielle Savage Hillsborough, NJ

County to County Landscape Contractors Thomas Venezia Jr. Springfield, NJ

Ensight Merchant Services Brian Fuchs Paramus, NJ

Full Service Aquatics Mike Gannon Summit, NJ

Harvest Lawn Care Dave Wyka Franklin Lakes, NJ

Prostak Property Management Tom Prostak Phillipsburg, NJ

Trees Now, Inc. Sharon Harrill Cream Ridge, NJ

Wayside Fence Company Alyson Bruu Bayshore, NY

Weston Site Services, LLC Keith Krauser Bound Brook, NJ

MOWtivated Lawn Care Timothy Snyder Manasquan, NJ

National Lawn Equipment Diane Boylan Mahwah, NJ

Advertiser Index All Service Contractors Equipment.......................................www.allservicerents.com....................................................................................14 & 47 Association Master Trust...........................................................www.amt-nj.com..............................................................................................................6 Bergen Brick Stone and Tile.................................................www.bergenbrick.com................................................................................................36 Citi Card.................................................................................www.exxonmobilbusinesscard.com..........................................................................27 DaveSternTires.................................................................................www.davesterntire.com...........................................................................................................46 Nursery Stock 2Go.................................................................www.nurserystock2go.com........................................................................................10 PrecisionCompanies...................................................................973-697-0900...........................................................................................................................2 Proven Winners / Color Choice............................................www.provenwinners-shrubs.com................................................................................8 Schoenberg Salt......................................................................www.gosalt.com...........................................................................................................48 SCIW Fence...........................................................................www.hometownvinyl.com..........................................................................................16 Salt Depot...............................................................................www.saltdepotusa.com................................................................................................22

NJLCA.ORG 19

Feature Story

The Right Tool for the Job

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by Eric Greenwald and John Burns, Cliffside Body Corp.

When it comes to providing a high quality service for your customers, having the right tool for the job is crucial. Unfortunately, having the right tool for the job usually requires purchasing a number of highly specialized pieces of equipment. Nowhere is this more relevant than when it comes to buying trucks and truck equipment. All too often, a choice of vehicles must me made because of financial restrictions.

Sure, everyone would love to have a different truck for every scenario; but is it really worth investing $50,000+ on a new truck that isn’t being used all the time? Now imagine you could have a work truck that could do all of these specialized jobs. The next generation of chassis mounted hooklifts are changing the way managers procure and maintain their fleet. Instead of purchasing 5 trucks to do 5 different jobs, business owners are purchasing 1 truck to do 5 different jobs.

This article outlines the numerous benefits that come from investing in a hooklift and why some of the industries’ most successful companies are already hooked.

With this next generation of hooklifts, virtually any type of truck body can be modified to be loaded and unloaded, increasing the efficiency and functionality of your vehicle.

Dump bodies, landscaper bodies, chipper bodies, rack bodies, van bodies, containers, flatbeds, salt spreaders, liquid tanks and utility bodies are just a handful of the possibilities that can be taken on and off a chassis by a hooklift. And it’s not just heavy duty trucks that are a perfect match for this money saving piece of equipment; class 5 trucks and above, such as a Ford F550, can be upfit to support a hooklift.

Coordinating multiple jobs at multiple locations can be a planning nightmare. Hooklifts offer more versatility by allowing teams drop off containers at one site while simultane-

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ously using the same truck at another site with another body.

There’s also almost nothing your current work truck can do that can’t also be done with a hooklift truck. They can be used just as easily for towing, dumping, plowing, hauling or whatever else is needed to get the job done right. For example, landscaper bodies are great for jobs when a large area has to be cleared of debris. Unfortunately, the entire truck has to stay at the site while the body is loaded up – which could potentially take hours. With a landscaper body or dumpster container on a hooklift truck, the body can be dropped off while the truck goes off to another job. The same could be said for a chipper body. Just drop off a chipper body at a job site and use your truck for something else while the chipper is being used. This allows you to do more jobs at once, increasing your profitability.

Hooklifts can also be used to mimic trailers. Many companies will buy a trailer just for hauling small excavating equipment from site to site. This can be eliminated with a hooklift by lowering a body with the hook, rolling the skid steer onto the body, and then hoisting the body back into the chassis. Want to buy a large truck, but don’t have a driver with a Class A CDL license? Box trucks can be upfit to work on a hooklift as well. This could replace a trailer on a truck over 26,000 GVW, making the truck able to be driven by a Class B driver.

Hooklifts also make for perfect snow fighting trucks. Everyone’s seen what salt and calcium can do to a dump body after only a few years of use. If not painstakingly maintained, these chemicals can eat away at a body until it’s a rusted mess. Having a hooklift truck solves this problem. Just upfit a V-Box spreader to mount onto a hooklift, and you can

Legal Ease

As you know, it’s been an active year politically in New Jersey. Between budget discussions, government shutdowns, and campaigning for elections, the New Jersey government is still working to conduct some business.

We still have an opportunity to get this Bill passed this session. I encourage you to write in support of the Bill to the members of the Consumer Affairs Committee. At the same time, this is an election year. Look above at the friends of the snow and ice management industry, they are sponsoring this bill to help you. I encourage your support of these representatives if they are in your district.

One of two things will happen, we will get this Bill passed this session or we won’t. If we don’t get it passed this session, we certainly want our supporters back in office when we try again next session.

Kevin Gilbride is the Executive Director of the Accredited Snow Contractors Association and former editor of SNOW magazine.

keep your dump/grain body away from the elements while salting and brining throughout the winter. This could add years to the life of your vehicle.

Used trucks can be used for hooklift applications as well. Just insure that your used truck has a PTO provision, at least 15,000 GVW and a back of cab to center of rear axle length (CA) of at least 84 inches. You can even use the same bodies with different hooklift trucks. This way, if one truck breaks down, you can still use your bodies with a different hooklift as long as they have the same hook height and approximate body length.

Other designs, such as rolloffs (cable hoists), have been a popular staple in the industry for years. However, there are a number of problems with this technology. For one, rolloffs have a much longer cycle time. It can take about 10 minutes to mount a container using a rolloff, whereas it takes about 2 minutes to do the same job with a hooklift; and it can be done without ever leaving the cab of the truck.

A hooklift is also much more nimble than a rolloff. Drivers can approach and pick up the load from up to a 30 degree angle. This is a huge advantage in areas where space is a problem. Hooklifts are also much more durable and of superior quality compared to small switch n go rolloff applications.

Large companies and municipalities have seen the value in this investment for years now. Recently however, even small companies with a few employees are making the minimal up-front investment which could save themselves tens of thousands down the road. Even if a hooklift saves you from purchasing just one more truck, you would have likely saved at least double the cost of the initial hooklift investment. But it isn’t just the initial savings that goes along with purchasing one less truck. Business owners will save on fuel, insurance, maintenance and driver salaries over what would have spanned the lifetime of a vehicle. For all of these reasons, adding a hooklift truck to your fleet can be a great way to make your business more efficient and save you money for years to come.

Since 1919, Cliffside Body has been delivering the highest quality truck bodies & equipment. Our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction has made us a leader in the commercial and municipal markets. Our close working relationships with truck dealers insures the equipment will suit the application.

Cliffside Body’s extensive lineup of high quality truck equipment guarantees our customers are purchasing the best, most efficient work vehicles on the road today. Not only are our products first class, our shop employs ASE certified truck equipment technicians and we are a proud members of the National Truck Equipment Association’s prestigious MVP program.

Visit www.cliffsidebody.com to view our full lineup of truck bodies, hooklifts, cranes, liftgates, snow equipment and more!

NJLCA.ORG 21

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The snow industry continues to drive forward on our legislative initiatives in the State of New Jersey (as well as in other states). The ASCA’s model legislation continues to sit in committee in the New Jersey State Assembly.

Earlier this year, many of you joined us in Trenton to support then Senate Bill 181. The ASCA, along with the Bill Sponsor, Senator Kip Bateman, provided live testimony in committee and the NJLCA, as well as others, provided written support of this bill.

Senate Bill 181, The Snow Removal Liability Limitations Act, would make indemnification clauses and hold harmless agreements, where one party PASSES ON THEIR LIABILITY to another party null and void. IT DOES NOT eliminate liability.

It is this contract language that often puts the snow contractor on the hook for accidents or incidents that they should not be responsible for.

Senate Sponsors of the Bill are: Madden, Fred H., Jr. as Primary Sponsor Cardinale, Gerald as Co-Sponsor Diegnan, Patrick J., Jr. The Bill passed the Senate unanimously earlier this year and was sent to the Assembly for consideration.

The Bill current sits in the Assembly’s Consumer Affairs Committee. It is up to the leadership of the committee to move the Bill, A.3656.

The committee consists of: Moriarty, Paul D. - Chair Quijano, Annette - Vice-Chair Karabinchak, Robert J. Rooney, Kevin J. The Assembly sponsors of the Bill are: Lagana, Joseph A. as Primary Sponsor Singleton, Troy as Primary Sponsor Rooney, Kevin J. as Co-Sponsor Johnson, Gordon M. as Co-Sponsor McKeon, John F. as Co-Sponsor

Feature Story

News Briefs

Associate Focus: All Service Contractors Equipment

Alan Jordon, Catherine Jordan, Alan Jordan Jr. and Leo Jordan in the All Service Showroom

All Service Contractors Equipment is a family-owned business that grew out of the owners’ desire to provide excellent service and top-quality equipment to landscape contractors. This year, the business celebrates 40 years of serving landscapers in the local community. Established in 1978 by Leo Jordan, an equipment operator, and his wife, Marianne, All Service has grown from a small storefront to its current 8,000 square foot location, including offices, a showroom, featuring new and cutting-edge equipment, and a shop with experienced mechanics.

Clients recognize All Service as the ultimate destination to rent and buy specialized equipment for any size landscaping project. In particular, the company boasts a diverse stock of diamond blades, which are manufactured in the USA and offered to All Service’s clients at the best prices.

Recently, All Service has expanded its rental fleet to better serve the growing landscape construction market. The company’s modern rental fleet is in excellent condition, thanks to the careful attention given to the equipment by All Service’s repair shop. All Service’s rental offerings include compact excavators, skid steers and track loaders, wood chippers, dirt rollers and compactors, cutoff saws, concrete vibrators and more. The firm also supplies power tools for contractors, including trowels, street saws and core drills.

All Service’s owners and associates are knowledgeable about the equipment and its uses, and are happy to offer expert recommendations to customers.

At their second-to-none repair shop, clients receive professional estimates and service from experienced mechanics.

All Service stocks reliable parts for its repairs from brands including Honda Power Equipment and Diamond Products.

During its 40 years of business, they have forged relationships with trusted industry equipment manufacturers, including Stihl, Wacker Neuson, Multiquip and Husqvarna, and is the warranty service center for these brands.

Alan Jordan, the current president of the company, began working in the parts department of All Service in 1983. During his more than 30 years of leadership, Alan has facilitated the expansion of the business in all four of its major areas: rentals, sales, parts and service. Alan’s brother, Leo Jordan, has also been instrumental to the success of All Service. Leo serves as the firm’s office manager, and is often the point of contact for customers with product inquiries or looking to place orders. Now, the future of All Service looks brighter than ever as the third generation of the Jordan family joins the business. Alan Jordan Jr. and Catherine Jordan are both excited to learn more about the landscape and construction industry and continue All Service’s tradition of excellence by becoming involved in the daily operations of the business.

All Service is a proud supporter of the NJLCA, and hosts yearly meetings at its location on Route 23 in Pompton Plains.

Visit during store hours – weekdays from 7:00am to 4:00pm – and discover why All Service has been a trusted by local landscape contractors for 40 years. A full list of All Service’s offerings is available on its website, www.allservicerents.com.

NJLCA.ORG 23

News Briefs

NJLCA/IANJ Golf Challenge 2017

A warm thank you to all of our Sponsors: Aquarius Supply, Inc. Atlantic Irrigation Bobcat of North Jersey Braen Supply Britton Industries Frank’s Truck Center Inc. Hunter Industries Jesco, Inc. Meadowlands Expo Center Middleton & Co. Insurance

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New Jersey Turfgrass Assn.

Paige Electric R & J Land Care Rain Bird Corporation Scirocco Group Site One Landscape Supply Storr Tractor Syngenta Toro / Irritrol

News Briefs

Contractor Focus: Battinelli Landscaping & Garden Center

Tony Battinelli began working for his father’s landscaping company while still in high school. Eventually, he decided it was time to branch out and began cultivating his own clients.

Fast forward to 1995 and Tony, along with his wife Allison, jumped in feet first and purchased their garden center in West Milford. Tony continued to expand the landscaping business and grew it into a full-service landscaping firm, offering design/build services, along with snow and ice management and as well as tree services.

Battinelli Garden Center has also grown over the years to boast being one of the area’s largest sources of bulk materials and landscape supplies.

They also run Battinelli & Co. Shop from the same location, which provides items for shopper’s homes, garden and lifestyle.

Today, the Battinelli’s continue to thrive and recently won the NJLCA Landscape Achievement Award of Distinction in he Design/Build category for their “Rustic Log Cabin” project.

Tony and Allison’s three children are now also contributing to the family business. Daughter Paige pursued an education in interior and landscape design and currently leads all design projects at Battinelli Landscaping. Daughter Faith is the company’s in-house photographer and helps manage the Garden Center, as well

as plant installs. Finally, son Anthony pursued his studies in diesel mechanics and currently helps in managing the crews, along with Battinelli’s newest venture and sister company, B & B Organic Waste Recycling, which is an NJ DEP Approved Recycling Center/Transfer Station for Organic Material. They provide wholesale mulch and topsoil from organic materials.

Tony has come a long way since working with his father and is a proud NJLCA member.

NJLCA.ORG 25

Feature Story

Plant Right: A Science-Based Protocol to Assess Plant Invasiveness Contributors: Christiana Conser, PhD student at University of California—Davis, Department of Plant Sciences; Jan Merryweather, Senior Project Manager, Sustainable Conservation.

Iceplant Invasive plants frequently make headlines in communities throughout the United States. As more municipalities consider restrictions on what plant materials should be planted, nurseries need better tools to identify and qualify whether plants they introduce, produce, and distribute have the potential to become invasive.

To better understand the potential for a nursery plant to become invasive, the Horticultural Research Institute recently provided funding for a project to test an evaluation tool for the industry. The “PlantRight Plant Risk Evaluation (PRE) Tool” could provide the nursery and landscape industry with an accessible, practical protocol for determining invasiveness of new or existing ornamental plants and make this information available to the public.

The research project, titled “Grower-led development of PlantRight invasive-free certification program for ornamental plants,” has been very successful in meeting research objectives. With generous support from a Horticultural Research Institute grant, plant scientists at the University of California (Davis) have taken the PlantRight Plant Risk Evaluation (PRE) tool on the road to 22 states, screening 300 popular landscaping plants – half of which are ornamental invasive plants.

The goal of this study, led by Ph.D. student Christiana Conser, is to test the accuracy of the PlantRight weed risk assessment model for use within the nursery and landscape industry nationwide, as a method to proactively prevent invasive landscape plant introductions.

The PRE model was first developed in 2008, for Sustainable Conservation, by the University of Washington’s Lizbeth Seebacher, a former doctoral student of UW Professor and Botanic Garden Director, Sarah Reichard. Since 2011,

26 FALL | 2017

Conser has led PRE tool research at UC Davis, for Sustainable Conservation.

In California, the PRE tool has already demonstrated a 98 percent and 95 percent accuracy rating for predicting invasive and noninvasive behavior, respectively. PRE can also screen at the species and cultivar levels (no plant material required, just the name. By screening in the Midwest, Northeast, and Deep South, Conser hopes to replicate this accuracy rating nationwide.

Conser is working with two nursery owners and a nursery and landscape trade association to cull the list of 300 popular regional plants. By testing PRE tool findings against the results of known invasive plants, the tool’s accuracy throughout the United States can be determined.

Why is it important to the green industry? Historically, less than one percent of new plant introductions result in invasive problems. That’s the good news. However, that one percent can wreak havoc on biodiversity, local economies, recreational options, business reputations, and land management budgets. In California, 48 percent of the all known invasive plants were introduced via the nursery supply chain, not with malicious intent but simply due to lack of information and knowledge.

Many state and regional industry associations and industry professionals are proactively addressing the invasive plant issue. Industry leaders throughout the United States are working in partnership with regulators and the nursery industry. For example, the New England Nursery Association recently volunteered to phase out plants with invasive traits in that region.

The creation of a science-based tool can assist the horticultural industry in assessing plants, preventing invasive or-

Arrundo donax and ivy

Feature Story namental plant introductions, and educating and collaborating with local stakeholders and regulatory groups.

The PRE tool is expected to provide the industry with multiple potential benefits, including: • Giving plant developers the ability to identify problem plant behavior early in the evaluation process before making a significant economic investment; • Avoiding lengthy import delays (the PRE process takes two hours, on average, for a trained user of the tool to complete a screen); • Providing a voluntary process for certifying noninvasive plants.

In addition to helping the industry prevent invasive introductions and develop more non-invasive ornamentals, the PRE tool provides a variety of information on taxonomy, reproductive characteristics, medicinal uses, patent information and more.

If you are a propagator or breeder of ornamental plants interested in beta testing the PlantRight PRE, please email PlantRight@suscon.org.

Photos courtesy PlantRight. © Horticultural Research Institute, www.hriresearch.org

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Save money for your business. Apply by 11/30/17.

*Subject to credit approval. New business and commercial accounts only. Rebates will appear as an account credit on the billing statement with your qualifying purchase and will not be applied at the time of purchase. Gallons purchased will be considered for a credit in the billing cycle they are posted to your account. When calculating the amount of the credit, we will multiply the number of gallons purchased by twenty-five cents ($.25) and round to the nearest cent for the first two billing periods. After that, we will multiply the number of gallons purchased by five cents ($.05) and round to the nearest cent for ten billing periods. In the event gallon information is not available for a specific transaction, we will determine the number of gallons purchased by dividing the total purchase amount by an average price per gallon amount obtained from the U.S. Department of Energy.

NJLCA.ORG 27 Account must be open and in good standing at all times to earn rebate. Activation is required to begin earning rebates. The ExxonMobil Business Card is issued by Citibank, N.A.

Feature Story

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A Few of our Favorite Things

When I started writing this article and sent out the call for everyone’s “favorite” piece of equipment, I was stunned by the response. You guys and girls love your equipment and love to talk about it. Which I love! It is interesting to see the variety of equipment that each of you use and how loyal you can be to that favorite piece, once you have been served well by it.

Equipment is a keystone to our landscaping and snow removal businesses. And over the years, it simply continues to become more advanced. However, some of the preferences seem to be older model, trusted equipment. Equipment allows us to be more efficient, reduce the labor burden and increase our services. The hope for this article is that you will read the following thoughts of each of your contemporaries and possibly find something that will help your business continue to grow and prosper.

“One of my favorite pieces of equipment is the Stihl pole chain saw. It’s so useful. With the 12” bar, I can cut up to 6” limbs. It can reach up to 12’. I can prune a tree safer and faster than I did before. The guys started putting the hedge trimmer attachment on it to shear big hedges.”

Bob Pedatella, CLT, Kodiak Landscape

installation per yard went from around 60 yards per day to 90 yards per day.

We purchased the several attachments, which have increased our productivity greatly. Pallet forks help us move material, including trees up to 3 inches in caliper. Auger bits for 3, 5 and 15-gallon shrubs and smaller B&B trees like Arborvitae, makes planting a breeze. With two Dingo’s on a project, the first machine can continuously auger holes, while the second machine moves the tree into the holes with the pallet forks, then switches to a bucket to backfill. However, be cautious, because the bits can do damage to underground pipes, wires, and roots. During the winter, we use the snow blower and broom attachments.

We use both the wheel and track Dingo, based upon working surface. When mulching, we find the wheel option is the best match, mainly because we are loading and moving mulch from point to point on a hardscape surface. The wheel option is also excellent for moving soil or materials on roof tops. The best option for soil or gravel surfaces is of course the tracks.

It is really easy to operate, and with a little practice, you can become very efficient with a vast amount of applications.”

Jason Sponzilli, Sponzilli Landscape “Our favorite mowers are the Ferris because they cut well and are inexpensive, for the most part, to fix.”

Jeff Baker, R & J Land Care

“I have two favorite pieces of equipment. These Stihl Pole Chainsaw are greatly appreciated by myself and the employees.

1) The Hurricane (35hp stander) ground blower.

2) Finn bark (mulch) blower.

Both are highly productive and efficient, as well as providing great labor relief. They are a win/win!

Costly items but I believe good long-term investments considering the labor issues we face.”

Bob Shuppon, Vernon Lawn Care, LLC “Toro Dingo is by far our favorite piece of equip- Ditch Witch V252 ment we use today. There are so many uses that we “Ever hear the saying that nothing fits didn’t realize, until we started incorporating the Dingo into like an old shoe? Well these two Ditch Witch V 252 vibratoour operations. Our main goal was to use it for small plant- ry plows owned and operated by Raffiani’ s Automatic Sprining projects or getting into backyards that have limited ac- kler Service in Fair Lawn are both 30 years old and run like cess (where a large skid loader could not fit). Before long, we new! Each one has more than 4000 installations under their tried it on a large mulching project. Rather than using scoop “belts” (and drive chains). Maintenance is the key-these shovels or pitch forks to fill wheelbarrows, with the larger workhorses get anything they need and will be performing size bucket, it only takes 1 scoop to fill a wheelbarrow. Our for years to come. Remember our motto: “If you take care

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Feature Story

by Gail Woolcott, Director of Operations swing, so there is no need to worry about hitting anything with the counterweight. The hydraulics are easily switched from Cat controls to John Deere. The machine never calls in sick, it’s always on time and I don’t need to pay time and a half for overtime!”

Thomas Flint, Thomas Flint Landscape Design & Development LLC

of them, they will take care of you!””

John Raffiani, Raffiani’ s Automatic Sprinklers “Monello’ s favorite piece of machinery to use is, hands down, the Bobcat machine. These skid steers are multi-versatile, from scooping aggregate to scraping soil, with many attachments we use, such as the snow brush, snow blower, forks, bucket and tree spade. Attached is a picture of a bobcat skid steer and mini excavator inside an interior courtyard which we craned in (another great attribute of a Bobcat).”

Gregg Imhoff, Monello Landscape

“Our favorite and most used piece of equipment is our U55 Kubota mid-sized excavator. It weighs about 14,000 pounds, so it is large enough John Deere 544H Wheel Loader to lift bulky boulders and move soil quickly, while still fitting into tight spaces. It is a 0-tail is something that cannot be done with any other tool. No computer can figure out the best routing for each crew or the best way to get to a job or the best way to estimate a job.

Taking the time to study and think through how to make a job productive from the estimate to production can only be done with an excellent mind. One that hones its skills and exercises itself every day.”

Michael Kukol, CLP, Horizon Landscape Co. “With the wet and mild Spring/Summer this season, the weeds have been out of control in the region. Our teams have been spending more time removing weeds, even with the help of chemical assistance/remediation. We try to spend Kubota U55 mid-sized excavator

Continued on next page

NJLCA.ORG 29

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Bobcat equipment

“John Deere 544H Wheel Loader: This tool enables us to be efficient at our yard with loading materials, along with high production in the field, whether it is for the Maintenance, Landscape or Snow Departments.

For both our Landscape and Maintenance Departments, we have driven it out to job sites to assist with moving bulky or heavy materials and relocating products to different elevations on terraced yards.

The second was different but I thought very insightful. It is perhaps our most important piece of equipment.

Our Mind: Thinking through the logistics of a project

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whatever precious time we can spare speaking with, and interacting with our vendors for the most advantageous solutions available to our teams. One of our closest vendors, MRI Services, based in Linden NJ, has been instrumental in helping bring the most current solutions available to our company. Mike at MRI asked us to demo some new, innovative string trimmer heads. He felt it would increase our production and maintain our profitability. The prodGator Speedload Trimmer Head uct is manufactured by Oregon (link provided below). They are called Gator Speedload Trimmer Heads. These are a departure from your standard heads that require reloading throughout the course of the day and all of the struggles that come with having to constantly tap the heads on the ground to have the line feed and continue working. As we all know, there are times when they are stubborn and you must open the heads to release more line, to continue in your mission to remove the weeds on your properties for beautification purposes. With this new innovative device, the line feeds with simplicity. No more struggling with the line, which saves time in the field. In addition, the line is thicker so you get more output and end up using less product overall, which helps conserve costs in an ever-competitive industry. We started with a small pilot and

CAT 262 Skid Steer

30

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now all our trimmer heads have been upgraded. And the result has been fantastic. Please try them and it will help all of our partners be more productive and profitable in the field!”

J&A Landscape and Snow Services “I like to operate the CAT 262 Skid Steer, which is my most favorite piece of our landscape equipment. This machine is used in many phases of our business during Spring, Summer, and into the Winter storm season. The machine is used for loading mulch in the Spring and lifting of hardscape materials at job sights all season long. It saves a significant amount of time, not having to carry materials to and from trucks. During the Winter months, we utilize the machine, with its heated cab, for snow removal. The CAT Skid Steer is a cost saving blessing for our landscape business.”

Eric Jepsen, CLT, Wayne Jepsen Landscaping LLC “I chose the Ferris SRS-Z2 stand up ride on mower as my favorite piece of equipment. We equip this mower with mulching blades so that it mulches the clippings back on to the lawn, which is highly beneficial for the grass. Because it’s a ride on mower it increases efficiency and boosts time management.

It benefits the employees because it is less physically taxing and doesn’t create extra fatigue, especially during hot, humid Ferris SRS-Z2 Stand Up Ride On Mower summer days.”

Mark Borst, Borst Landscape & Design “My favorite piece of equipment would have to be our Ventrac’s. They are such an amazing piece of equipment that helped solve our sidewalk management problem. Before our Ventrac’s, we would be under a great deal of stress when a large snow event was predicted. Now knowing we have our fleet of Ventrac’s, we know we have it under control at all times. Peace of mind is a huge value added during a snow event.

The size of the Ventracs, with the amount of power they pack, is a real selling point to us. They have fully heated cabs with all the different attachments, such as brooms, v-blades and snow blowers, along with a salter off the rear. Having

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and efficient machine, with very few breakdowns. We use two Walkers in our lawn maintenance division.”

Al DeMuro, Al D. Landscaping & Tree Service

Ventrac machine with plow, blower and salter

all of these gives us the option to match the correct attachment to the event and lets us handle whatever mother nature throws at us.”

Chris Marino, Xtreme Snow Pros “At Tanz Inc. our most valued equipment is the MaxiSneaker Series C Astec. The vibratory plow allows us to pull pipe at an efficient rate and makes a seamless cut that leaves our customers amazed. The trencher attachment allows us to move through our Maxi-Sneaker Series C Astec large commercial jobs with ease. This why we own five Maxi-Sneaker Series C Astec, as they are absolutely outstanding!”

Tanz Inc.

Walker Tractors

cat Model 418 super compact mini-excavator. This tiny machine allows us to access many small places that larger-sized machines simply cannot go. It is typically these tight places that require much of the hand-labor that can kill job profitability. The machine itself can enter in spaces as tight as 3’ or

“This Kubota 520 articulated loader is a huge favorite.

It’s so versatile, it can hook up to many attachments. But most of all it has great visibility.”

Shelly Hewson, Hewson Landscape

Kubota 520 Articulated Loader

“We like to use the Walker Tractor. It is a very good, reliable

Bobcat 418 Mini-Excavator Continued on next page

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“Like most landscapers, our team at Castle Point uses a large variety of equipment to efficiently get our work done and minimize unnecessary abuse to our guys. In the landscape construction/installation side of our business, we would have to say that mini-excavators are one of the most effective tools to help us make easy work of many tasks and really allow us to be productive.

While we use several different sized excavators, depending on the project application, one of our favorites to talk about is the Bob-

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less in width, so when we have narrow points of entry (such as small backyard gates that can’t be removed), we can still utilize a machine to dig drainage trenches, excavate for a paver patio or retaining wall, or even dig holes for large tree root balls.

The power and breakout strength is surprising, considering the machine almost looks like a toy, but anyone who uses the machine once will quickly realize the labor-saving potential at hand. Another benefit is that the machine has very low impact wherever it travels, since it weighs so little and is a rubbertracked machine. Even more, a thin ½” sheet of plywood laid lengthwise will allow the machine to enter and exit a property with absolutely no trace, and no need to clean up an access path after our job is complete. That allows us to provide our clients with a neat job, minimal collateral damage, and only serves to ensure we keep our professional appearance we try so hard to maintain.”

Steve Graul, President, Castle Point Landscape Design

Echo Pro-Extreme Series

Toro Dingo

“If I had to pick one piece of equipment to call my favorite, it would be my Toro Dingo. We love our Toolcats, skid loader, excavator and backhoe, but the Dingo is always the “Go To” tool for us. It’s not too small to do big stuff and not too big to do small stuff. It makes any work we have easier and more productive. I consider it a labor reduction device.”

Patrick Donovan, Classic Landscaping “Any tool that provides the advantage of multiple uses, and does so at the click of a button, “presto-chango” is an important part of my arsenal. To be able to save time and space is what it’s all about, trying to turn a profit. And if one tool serves several uses, it’s less training I have to do.

The Echo PAS-2620-25.4 cc ProXtreme Series™ PAS

Power Source is reliable, strong enough to run all the attachments with the strength I require of it, and if my men “manhandle it”, it stands up pretty well to the abuse. Gone are the days of “Little Wonder Trimmers”, that used to be my favorite tool years ago. Edgers, trimmers, a pruning saw, even a power broom and an articulating trimmer attachment. Even though we are design and build, not lawn maintenance, the occasional client might “need a favor”, to edge a bed for a party, etc. This tool allows me to be able to maintain that relationship without buying a large scale, standalone tool that I don’t need on a daily basis. For three or four hundred dollars for the power head, it opens the window of opportunity in several arenas.”

David Freeman, DC Freeman So there you have it! Some of our member’s favorite pieces of equipment. I’m sure many of you have your own as well. It was fun to hear from each of you and is always inspiring to hear you talk about the work you obviously enjoy. Our associate members provide such a wide array of solutions to everything we do in the industry, there is a great piece of equipment for everyone!

Don’t forget to join us on February 28th at the Landscape New Jersey Trade Show to have the opportunity to see new and exciting equipment next season has to offer!

NJLCA.ORG 33

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Insurance Terms and Coverage

A requirement for business owners today is to wear several hats. In business, you are required not only to be the best in your particular industry, but also understand how to deal with employees, regulations, taxes, contracts, and insurance requirements. Insurance is more than purchasing a policy and thinking that you and your business are totally covered.

Below are various terms used in a contract or an insurance policy that could affect how you and your business is protected that an employer must be aware of and understand are:

Subrogation

An insurance policy is a contract between the insurance company and the person that wants protection. When a policy involves liability coverage, the contract means that the insurance company will handle losses (injuries to other people and/or loss or damage to property that belongs to others).

However, eligible losses are restricted to those that are the policyholder’s legal responsibility. There are many times that a loss is settled under a liability policy; but actually someone else may be responsible.

The effort to recover payment made from the responsible party by your insurance company is called “subrogation”. It is a legal right that allows the insurance company to take over a right held by their policyholder. Once an insurance company claims this right, it can pursue recovery from another person or entity who is responsible for a loss.

Subrogation is an important process. When it is used, it helps to keep everyone’s insurance costs down and it also makes sure that liability insurance policies work as intended – by making sure that those parties who cause losses are held accountable.

There are times you might be asked to waive your subrogation rights.

By waiving subrogation you are restricting your insurance company from seeking reimbursement for claim damages against the responsible party.

This could be detrimental to you and your business since it puts the liability solely on you and does not allow the insurance company to spread the risk or be reimbursed on a claim payment.

This could affect your future insurance premium costs or it could limit the amount of insurance limits

34 FALL | 2017

by Larry Paladino, Bogle Agency Insurance

applicable that apply to a particular claim. Before you agree to waiver of subrogation as it is usually called make sure you understand the full scope of any potential consequences that could arise.

Hold Harmless Agreements

One method that tries to decrease the likelihood of being sued involves hold harmless agreements.

Hold harmless agreements are typically in writing and involve one party agreeing not to take legal action against another party. These agreements can come in many forms. They can be separate contracts or, often, they are statements added to other contracts. They are also called different names, such as disclaimers or waivers.

There are several issues to keep in mind with such agreements including: • Are they necessary • Are they enforceable (state laws often control this issue) • Are they valid (if not worded properly, they may be useless or may have unintended consequences) • Are they fair (this depends on the level and nature of risk involved) • Are they part of a business or strictly a non-business transaction In some cases, it may make a lot of sense to use a valid hold harmless agreement. In others, giving up the right to sue or pursue compensation in case of a loss may be too valuable and the better choice may be to, rather, give up participation in a hazardous venture. Be aware that it may not be valid to hold another party harmless. It is important to be aware

Feature Story of which risk you are assuming when you enter into a hold harmless agreement with another business or individual, be careful with the agreements you make.

Certificates of Insurance

Business transactions frequently require the protection provided by insurance. A Certificate of Insurance is a document that is often requested as proof that adequate insurance exists. A certificate is not the same as a policy and certificates do not affect the coverage provided by a particular insurance policy. Therefore, requests to “endorse the certificate of insurance” are inappropriate and misleading. A certificate is a separate document that is used to comply with a common contract requirement to verify certain types and amounts of insurance.

Certificate holders, the entity or party requiring the certificate, often demand that they appear as “additional insureds.” This requires an endorsement (change) to the policy and it gives them coverage for injury or damage resulting from the contract.

A certificate of insurance can confirm that the appropriate policies were issued and that other requirements were also met. It is important to have a system for monitoring receipt of certificates BEFORE any sub-contractors are permitted to begin work. If certificates are not obtained or kept up-to-date, when the contractor’s Workers Compensation and General Liability policies are audited, the payroll for the sub-contractors without Certificates will be included with the contractor’s resulting in an additional premium charge.

Ask your insurance agent to help determine if you should be obtaining or providing certificates of insurance in conjunction with your business. In addition, when you’re required to provide a Certificate, send your agent a copy of the contract. The contract allows the agent to assist you in determining what liabilities you are accepting and what can be done to modify your insurance program to best protect your financial well-being.

Contractual Liability

A business that harms another party or damages/destroys property that belongs to another party may be sued or prosecuted. Larger businesses protect against their liability to third parties with a Commercial General Liability (CGL) policy. An insurance company provides a CGL under some assumptions about the type of losses it is willing to cover.

One issue that can undermine a CGL is contractual liability.

Contractual liability involves responsibilities that a covered

business voluntarily agrees (in writing) to take over from another party.

A CGL’s is design and cost are based on the assumption that it only has to protect the party that is listed on the policy.

Taking on some other business’ liability means that the policy is being asked to either defend or pay for the injuries or damages caused by an entity that it doesn’t “know”. Further it is being asked to do so without any additional premium. Therefore, CGLs exclude most instances of contractual liability.

A company that decides to step-in for another company must make careful arrangements to handle a loss it has assumed. It may try to take care of the situation by endorsing (changing) its CGL by adding the name of the other party as an additional insured. Or, when the insured company is a property owner and the other party is a contractor, the property owner may buy a special form of coverage called Owners and Contractors Protective Liability.

Regardless the coverage arrangement, not every situation will be covered. You need to read the CGL or Owners and Contractors Policy language to determine what situations are insured. It’s imperative that the loss be a type that is eligible under the CGL or OCP. Further, the contractual arrangement must be related to the type of operation insured by such policies.

A smart move is to discuss your business relationships with an insurance professional. It’s a solid way to be sure that your business liability is handled efficiently and economically. This often means that the best strategy is to have every party take care of their own insurance needs.

Larry is Vice President / Account Executive at Bogle Agency Insurance. He can be reached at: 201-939-1076 or via e-mail at: lpaladino@bogleagency.com.

NJLCA.ORG 35

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Do you know if you are following the proper debt collection laws?

by Matt Moskowitz, American Profit Recovery

Well you made it through the 2017 season…congratulations!. There is nothing like starting a New Year fresh, inspired and ready to build your business and make more money. Whether you have been in business for many years or just hitting your stride, you have taken your time and resources, and risked many things to be and stay in business.

You have cared for each and every customer, worked through good times and bad and tried very hard to make each of them happy and loyal customers. But, you know very well that even with all of that, there comes a chosen few customers that just will not pay you for your services. For whatever reason, payment comes late, or in some cases, not at all.

You call, send a letter and still no payment.

But have you ever asked yourself or your team if you are following the laws when trying to collect on those late payments? It’s a question you should be asking, because regulations that protect the consumer are not only getting tighter, but in some cases, more complicated. Breaking any of these state or federal regulations that protect consumers can land you in court and cost you thousands of dollars in fines.

Some of these laws are pretty much common sense, but there are a few that might surprise you. And as a business, you need to be aware of these, because it can cost you if you’re not careful. Keep in mind that every state can have varying laws on consumer protection, but what I have outlined below are the general guidelines that are recognized by The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).

Now, the FDCPA was established primarily for debt collectors. However, but it is a very good business practice for you, as the business, to follow these laws as well. This will protect your business from any legal fallout from your collection efforts.

Calling Consumers:

The FDCPA states that calls are only allowed between 8:00am-9:00pm. in the time zone where the consumer is located. However, there are further restrictions. You cannot call that consumer if they indicate that the time is inconvenient for them. For example, if you call on a delinquent account and the person says his or her child generally naps at this time so it is not a good time to call, you cannot call at that same time again.

If they say that they work nights, and they sleep during the day, you cannot call them at that time. Calling them at work when they tell you not to will also get you in trouble.

And, causing a telephone to ring or engaging any person in telephone conversation repeatedly or continuously with

intent to annoy, abuse, or harass any person at the called number is strictly prohibited by the FDCPA.

Contacting Anyone Other Than the Debtor:

If your customer indicates they are being represented by an attorney, you cannot contact that consumer any longer. You must now deal with their attorney. You should also refrain from communicating with any other family member, such as a spouse. In some cases, it is alright to discuss a debt with a spouse but to be safe, it makes sense to deal with the responsible direct consumer or his or her attorney. And never discuss their debt or situation with anyone else, such as an employer or friend. That will land you in court in record time.

Be Ready to Verify:

Consumers have the right to have their debt validated.

This can be in the form of their last invoice, a statement or a letter outlining the money they owe you. Verifying the debt is in your favor because it is one step closer to in proving they owe you the money. If you cannot verify the debt, you’ll be in a difficult situation moving forward.

Collecting Interest or Other Fees:

Be careful when adding interest and fees. It is always best to have a signed contract spelling out any additional charges that may be added. In fact, it is illegal to turn additional fees over to a collection agency to collect if it is not signed off on or allowed by state law. It can’t just be written on the bottom of an invoice.

Harassment Of Any Kind:

Just keep your cool. Do not swear, use obscene language, Continued on Page 46

NJLCA.ORG 37

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Using Drones in Your Landscape Business Drones, also called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are much more than high-tech go-fers. They’re some of the most exciting things to come along since talking smartphones. With applications across all kind of industries, more and more companies are using drones in their business.

Patrick McCusker owns and operates Conserva Irrigation of Southeast Pennsylvania in Garnet Valley. According to him, drone-made videos are a great way to get in front of both current and potential clients, to show what he does and how he does it. He says that the impact registers much more quickly on people than articles, blog posts or still pictures.

Recently, he used his drone to fly across a property where he was installing an irrigation system. “I decided to film the whole process, including all the trenching, and the pipes being laid down into them. Now a potential client can look at that video and say, ‘Oh, that’s what’ll happen when it’s installed on my property–I understand now just what I’ll be paying for.’”

He has no regrets about spending $1,000 on a drone, because he sees more than $1,000 of value resulting from it.

“When I see the page views of my jobs going from 200 to 2,000, I know that people outside of my typical client base are looking at them. It’s put me in front of new people, and that’s a win-win. To me, it’s powerful advertising.”

One of the most obvious uses for drone technology is advertising. Lebo Newman, owner of Signature Landscapes in Photo courtesy of Thomas Flint Landscape Design & Development

38 FALL | 2017

Reno, Nevada, recently bought one, and has been using it to shoot videos and still shots of completed jobs. He then puts the visuals up on his website, and uses them in his print and TV ads.

“The videos are really neat, kind of like those real estate walkthroughs you see on TV,” said Newman. “We’ve also done other kinds of shoots. One day, we gathered all the guys for a safety meeting, had them do the whole ‘Hi, Mom,’ thing to the camera. We posted it to our website, and later used that footage as part of a TV ad for us.”

Eric Arneson, ASLA, a landscape designer at Antonia Bava Landscape Architects in San Francisco, California, uses drones and mapping software to conduct his own site surveys. They used to have to hire an engineer or professional land surveyor to create a base map. This isn’t cheap; for a large property, it can cost as much as $10,000.

He finds UAVs very exciting. “They give you real-time views of sites from new perspectives,” he said. “It’s very helpful that the photos you get are very high quality and high resolution. That allows us to overlay 3-D models, and create renderings with real context. It creates a very nice effect.”

To process the data, the company uses a program called DroneDeploy. “It allows you to create a site survey of any property,” said Arneson. “It draws a very accurate topographical map that we can then use to design a landscape.”

“With the mobile app open, we can easily locate trees, so

Road Master

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If you want to save some money on your next work truck purchase, consider buying the chassis and body separately. There has been an increasing amount of both businesses and municipalities purchasing their equipment this way.

Competition It has become much easier over the past several years for customers to compare vehicle specs and prices from different vehicle manufacturers. Many truck dealers will put completed trucks on their lot, often with “bare bones” equipment in order to advertise a low price. For the less sophisticated buyer who views the truck as a necessary evil as opposed to a required tool the price is the only factor. For the buyer who has a plan and understands the requirements that need to be met the advertised special is not a workable solution.

Do your homework and understand your needs. Talk to the salesman, ask questions, and get the options required for the job. It is important to purchase the correct truck. It takes a little extra effort, but visit the body distributor and build what you need.

One More Link in the Supply Chain Things sometime get lost in translation. The chassis dealer specializes in his side of the vehicle, and the body guy specializes in his. Deal directly with the specialist to avoid misinterpretation. Get your quote directly from the body vendor, and bring it to the chassis dealer. Let the chassis dealer know what equipment works best for your business, and make sure that the chassis is sent to the body company of your choice. Many body vendors encourage the end user to drop by on occasion to monitor the equipment installation process. By having access to the production process, the end user is able to make changes or locate equipment to where it best suits its purpose.

Article provided by Eric Greenwald and John Burns of Cliffside Body Corp.

we can measure their diameters and breast heights. We plug in the data, and when we get back to the office, it’s there in the Cloud. It’s much better than the way we used to map trees, by holding up large sheets of paper and marking everything by hand.”

Even if you don’t want to get into the drone business, you can still reap some of the benefits. There are companies now that own and operate drones solely for other businesses; buying their services once will give you an opportunity to see what they can do for your company.

If you like what you see, take heart. Drones have gotten a lot cheaper in recent years, and a good professional one, with camera attached, costs around $1,000 to $2,000. You probably already own a smartphone; that’s your control device. You just need to learn to pilot it.

Some companies will let you rent both a drone and someone to fly it; others can teach you or your employees how to be pilots. It doesn’t take very long to learn, and it’s a blast. If pictures are mainly what you need, you’re set.

But as we said, drones are capable of so much more. You can also get a complicated survey and analysis of a site’s topography. For that, you’ll need a GIS mapping program to interpret the data. Fortunately, a lot of the companies that rent drones and pilots also have that software, and can crunch the numbers for you.

If you purchase a drone, you should be aware of the fact that you now need to be licensed; the FAA recently changed the requirement.

When you buy a drone, they are obligated to tell you this. You can prepare yourself, take an exam of about 60 questions and if you pass, you will receive a drone pilot license from the FAA. One tip: although drone piloting isn’t hard to learn, you still might want to practice with a cheaper model; say, a $100 toy version. Newman bought one just for training purposes. Why? McCusker says the first time he flew his UAV--a $1,200 model--he crashed it into a tree.

This new technology is potentially game-changing. As McCusker said, “The exciting part is, you just don’t know how some of this stuff is going to affect things.” A drone may look like something out of Area 51, but it may be that one day, it’ll be as commonplace a landscape tool as a lawn mower.

Will you be on the cutting edge when it does?

Reprinted with permission from Irrigation & Green Industry magazine.

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Buy what best suits your needs The end user knows what equipment best meet the needs of the business. Don’t settle for a “cookie-cutter” off the shelf vehicle if it doesn’t exactly meet the requirements of the job. The truck is a high end, necessary tool.

It is a purchase that needs to be done right the first time.

Do not under spec the truck. It is in the business owner’s best interest to meet with a professional to discuss available options and proper performance characteristics.

The truck may have a higher price initially, but the overall cost of ownership will be reduced over the life of the truck if properly built. Think long term. You are not buying a price, you are buying a money making tool.

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Fuel Safety: What You Need to Know

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As a landscape professional, safety is always important.

Working with outdoor power equipment and handling flammable fuels every day can be a dangerous combination and the last thing anyone wants is an unfortunate accident. That’s why the fuel professionals at ExxonMobil have put together a list of key safety tips and precautions on how to handle and store gasoline properly and safely.

Safety precautions when handling gasoline • Gasoline should only be used for its intended purpose, as a motor fuel, not as a solvent, cleaner, barbeque starter or for any other non-engine use.

• If you get gasoline on your skin, mix vanilla extract with water and rub it on your hands until the mixture reduces or removes the smell. You can also substitute rubbing alcohol or lemon juice for the vanilla extract.

• Once the gasoline odor is gone, wash your hands with soap and water.

• Do not smoke or light a match until you are sure all gasoline has been removed.

• If you get gasoline in your eye, immediately flush your eye with clean, lukewarm water. Do not rub your eye or put anything in it (such as eye drops). Seek medical assistance as quickly as possible† • If you get gasoline on your equipment or vehicle, wipe it with a rag or paper towel. Do not smoke or light a match until you are sure all gasoline has been removed • Never use gasoline in kerosene heaters or lamps • Do not mix gasoline with kerosene or diesel • Handle gasoline outdoors where there is better ventilation

Safe gasoline storage • Gasoline should only be stored when absolutely necessary • It must be stored in an approved fuel can or tank (usually 5 gallons or less) • Leave room in the container to allow for some expansion • Keep containers tightly sealed and handle them gently to avoid spills • Store gasoline at room temperature when done using, away from potential heat sources like the sun, a hot water heater, a space heater or a furnace • Store gasoline in a detached shed or garage, at least 50 feet away from ignition sources such as pilot lights.

(Gasoline vapors are heavier than air and can travel along the floor to ignition sources) • Do not smoke where gasoline is stored • Check with your local authorities for any additional regulations regarding fuel storage • Use gasoline within a month of purchase. If your lawnmower or gas-powered tools will not be used for an extended period of time, it’s best to drain the fuel tank then run the engine until it stalls. If you choose to store gasoline and follow proper storage guidelines, the gasoline can be expected to remain of good quality for at least six months.

• Proper gasoline disposal procedures vary. Check with your local government or hazardous waste disposal center to determine the preferred disposal method for your area. Place recovered gasoline and cleanup materials in approved, labeled containers for proper disposal. To avoid fires or seepage into streams, bays, lakes or groundwater, spilled gasoline or cleaning materials should never be left on the ground or put in your garbage, drains, toilets or sewers.

Safety precautions when purchasing gasoline at a station • Never smoke anywhere near where fuel is handled, especially at the pump • Refrain from using your phone while walking across the station For more fuel tips, visit www.exxon.com/en/fuel-efficiency Source: “Tips for Safe Storage and Disposal of Gasoline.” Tips for Safe Storage and Disposal of Gasoline. American Petroleum Institute (API), n.d. Web. 06 Apr. 2014. †Source: “Chemical splash in the eye: First aid” Mayo Clinic, 30 Jan 2015.

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Feature Story

Seguridad de Combustible: Lo Que Usted Debe Saber Como un profesional del paisaje, la seguridad siempre es importante. Trabajando con equipos motorizados para exteriores y manipulación de combustibles inflamables todos los días, pueden ser una combinación peligrosa y lo último que alguien quiere es un desafortunado accidente. Es por ello que el profesional de combustible en ExxonMobil han reunido una lista de precauciones y consejos de seguridad clave como manejar y almacenar la gasolina adecuada y segura.

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Precaución de seguridad al comprar gasolina en una estación • Nunca fume cerca de donde está el combustible, especialmente en la bomba de gas • No usar el teléfono mientras este caminando a través de la estacion Para más consejos de combustible, visite www.exxon.com/ en/fuel-efficiency

Almacenamiento seguro de gasolina • Gasolina solo debería ser guardada cuando es absolutamente necesario • Debe almacenar en un tanque combustible que esté aprobado (generalmente 5 galones o menos) • Deje espacio en el contenedor para permitir expansión • Mantenga el contenedor cerrado y manéjelos suavemente para evitar derrames • Almacene la gasolina a temperatura de ambiente cuando termine de usarlo, aléjelo de posibles fuentes de calor como, el sol, calentador de agua, calentador o un horno • Almacene la gasolina en un cobertizo o garaje, por lo menos 50 pies de distancia de la ignición tales como pilotos, (el vapor de gasolina es más pesado que el aire y

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Precauciones al manipular la gasolina • Gasolina debe ser usada para su propósito, como un combustible para motor, no como un disolvente limpiador, arrancador de parrilla o cualquier uso sin motor.

• Si usted tiene gasolina en la piel, mezcle extracto de vainilla con agua y frotar las manos hasta que la mezcla reduzca o elimine el olor. Usted también puede substituir el extracto de vainilla por el alcol de frotar o jugo de limón.

• Una vez que el olor se haiga eliminado, lávese las manos con jabón y agua.

• No fume o encienda un fosforo hasta que usted este seguro que toda la gasolina haiga sido eliminada.

• Si se le entra gasolina en el ojo, inmediatamente lávese el ojo con agua limpia y tivia. No se sobe o ponga cualquier cosa en el ojo (como gotas para el ojo). Buscar asistencia médica lo más posible.

• Si tiene gasolina en su equipo o vehículo, límpielo con un trapo or papel de tualla. No fume o prenda un fosforo hasta que este seguro de que toda la gasolina a sido eliminada.

• Nunca usa gasolina en los calentadores de kerosene o lamparas • No mezcle gasolina con kerosene o diesel • Manejar gasolina en aire libre donde haiga mejor ventilación

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puede viajar a lo largo de la planta a fuentes de ignición No fume donde la gasolina ha sido almacenado Consulte con las autoridades locales para cualquier regulación adicional en cuanto a almacenamiento de combustible Use la gasolina dentro de un mes de compra. Si su cortadora de césped o herramientas es de gas electrica y no lo va utilizara por un largo periodo de tiempo, es mejor vaciar el depósito de combustible, que haga funcionar el motor hasta que se detenga. Si decide almacenar gasolina y seguir las pautas correctas de almacenamiento, la gasolina se espera que siga siendo de buena calidad durante al menos de seis meses.

Procedimientos de eliminación apropiada de combustible varían. Consulte con su gobierno local o entrar en disposición de residuos peligrosos para determinar el método de disposición preferido en su área.

Colocar gasolina recuperada y materiales de limpieza en contenedores, etiquetados para su eliminación adecuada. Para evitar incendios o fugas en arroyos, bahías, lagos, o aguas subterráneas, derrame de gasolina o materiales de limpieza, nunca deben ser dejado en el suelo o poner en su basura, desagües o inodoros.

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Feature Story Toro Launches GrandStand® MULTI FORCE® Power Broom Attachment

Briggs & Stratton Launches InfoHub for Commercial Cutters

Adding to the versatility of the Toro® GrandStand® MULTI FORCE® stand-on mower, Toro is introducing a power broom attachment for multi-season use. The power broom is designed for clearing snow off sidewalks and driveways, as well as clearing debris or dethatching grass.

The 55-inch-wide power broom attaches to the awardwinning GrandStand MULTI FORCE stand-on mower. It is perfect for clearing snow down to the pavement, especially for properties that require zero snow accumulation.

The power broom is the latest addition to the line of MULTI FORCE attachments, which includes a 5-foot BOSS® snow plow and an EZ-VAC Powered Bagger.

Across the commercial landscape sector, business owners are increasingly seeking ways to monitor both equipment and crews in order to reduce downtime and drive more revenue.

InfoHub for Commercial Turf gives landscape owners and managers the intelligence they need to be smarter about scheduling jobs, preparing bids and even deploying crews and equipment.

InfoHub for Commercial Turf, launched at GIE+EXPO, gives landscape owners and managers the intelligence they need to be smarter about scheduling jobs, preparing bids and even deploying crews and equipment. The data is fed from a cloud-based platform to the InfoHub portal. Armed with this real-time data, owners can drive more efficiency and profitability to the bottom line and make dynamic decisions to respond to uncertainties like weather rescheduling.

Briggs & Stratton worked with more than two dozen cutters in 2016 and 2017 to test InfoHub and validate features and benefits. The top two benefits pilot users found with InfoHub was their ability to track their crew and equipment, and the ability to understand profitability and productivity by crews and jobs. And since the number one expense cutters have is labor, InfoHub helped pilot users manage their labor resources more efficiently and ultimately, grow their businesses.

“Labor is very expensive. In any lawn care maintenance company, it’s the most expensive thing that you pay every year,” said Buddy Delong of Bluegrass Lawn Care, St. Louis.

“Making sure that labor is efficient, and on task is very important. Using a system that tracks your equipment and your people allows you to use fewer people. And understanding utilization of labor cost is critical when labor can represent up to 40% of a cutter’s expenses.”

The GrandStand MULTI FORCE product line features two models that come standard with the TURBO FORCE® cutting deck, as well as a snow-only model without the cutting deck. All models feature a powerful Kohler® Command PRO® EFI engine as well as a pump and wheel motor transmission. The GrandStand MULTI FORCE is also equipped with a Power Arm with a two-inch-square receiver for connecting attachments.

“The new power broom helps contractors be more productive and gives them more options to tackle winter storms,” explains Chris Hannan, Toro senior marketing manager. “They now can choose between either a snow plow or a power broom, depending on the type of weather system that comes through or the type of property they maintain.

Multi-season flexibility is created with enhanced hydraulics and a patent-pending movable front caster design, allowing for optimal machine balance and power transfer for each productivity-enhancing attachment.

For more information about the new GrandStand MULTI FORCE power broom attachment, please visit http://www. toro.com/GrandStand or contact your local Toro dealer.

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Tracking equipment and helping cutters understand labor costs is only part of the InfoHub offer. InfoHub offers route optimization based on crew location, efficiency and availability. This permits cutters to add customers and routes, driving more revenue into their business. InfoHub also provides visibility to profitability by job and by crew, so cutters can determine whether they are making money, or losing money, on a job. “InfoHub is truly a unique business solution that helps cutters grow their business by monitoring their fleet, regardless of brands, and increasing profitability by job.”

For additional information on InfoHub, visit BriggsInfoHub.com.

Feature Story Cat unveils its first tablet: Windows 10-based T20 introduced alongside two new rugged phones

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Caterpillar is again expanding its mobile technology lineup with the introduction of two new rugged smartphones and a first for the company: a tablet.

The Cat T20 features a rugged design that is IP67 certified, making it waterproof for 30 minutes at a depth of more than 3 feet and able to withstand moisture, sand and dust. Plus, it can survive a drop from a height of nearly 6 feet.

The tablet runs Windows 10, has an 8-inch display and features a quad-core Intel Atom Z8350 processor clocked at 1.44 gigahertz. The processor is paired with a relatively paltry 2 gigabytes of RAM, but has a huge 7,500 mAh battery.

In terms of connectivity, the tablet supports WiFi and LTE connections and has both USB 3 and mini HDMI-out ports. You probably won’t want to use it for taking photos or video very often as the rear camera is only 5 megapixels and the front camera only provides Cat has introduced its first rugged tablet, the T20.

2MP of output. battery. The 5,000 mAh battery provides so much power that There’s definitely a sizable market for a rugged and fairly portable Windows tablet. The inclusion of the USB and you can actually connect other devices to the S41 and charge HDMI ports is a nice touch, but it remains to be seen how them and still have enough battery to power the phone for useful a Windows device with such a small amount of RAM the rest of the day. For some, that feature alone may make the and processing power will be. And it won’t be exactly cheap phone’s ~$530 price tag worth it.

The S41 has such a big battery it can actually charge your at around $760. other devices.

Moving on to the new phones, after introducing the S40 The S41 holds an IP68 rating and is water- and dustback in 2015, Cat has delivered that phone’s successor in the S41.

When I reviewed the S40 two years ago, I found the battery proof. It can also survive drops onto concrete at nearly 6 life and display brightness to be impressive. Performance was feet. The phone will run the current version of Android, not as impressive, but with the S41, Cat may be delivering a Nougat and features a fairly stout (for the price) eight-core 2.3GHz processor paired with 3GB of RAM. It features better phone in every way.

The standout feature of this device is once again its massive 32GB of storage, which is expandable up to 2 terabytes via the microSD card slot.

The display is 5 inches and can be used with wet fingers or gloves. The S41 packs a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP shooter in the front.

The final device Cat announced is the S31. Priced around $386, this one is even more budget friendly but still features the IP68 ruggedized rating. It boasts a 4,000 mAh battery, 4.7inch screen, Android Nougat, a quad-core 1.3 Ghz processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. Don’t expect much from the cameras however, as they’re specced at only 8MP in the rear and 2MP in the front.

The S41 is available for order now through catphones.com.

The S31 will be available later this year while no timeframe has been announced for availability of the T20 tablet.

Wayne Grayson is the online managing editor of Equipment World, a Randall-Reilly publication. Article reprinted with permission of Total Landscape Care. Original article posted at The S41 has such a big battery it can actually charge your other devices. www.totallandscapecare.com on September 8, 2017.

Landscape Business Bootcamp Wednesday, January 24, 2018 8:30am-5:00pm

University With Your Presenters Steven Cohen and Bill Eastman

During the one-day Landscape Business BootCamp you will evaluate your business in the 4 CORE’s of Landscape Success: • Guiding the Business • Running the Business • Getting the Business • Doing the Business SO, WHY SHOULD I ATTEND? If you own a landscape or irrigation business with an annual revenue between $350k and $2 million, this one-day comprehensive and interactive work session will help you plan and implement business strategies to take your business to the next level.

Each CORE comes with a self-assessment to identify your areas of pain and a Tool Kit for next day application. In one day you will receive more insight and how-to do’s than 6 months of consulting on the latest mind trash so prevalent in our industry.

You'll come away from the GreenMark Bootcamp with a renewed sense of energy, ready to stay the course and keep building your business. You'll gain the essential foundation needed to improve the overall vitality of your business.

•Renewed Business Mindset •Company Culture •Systems and Processes •Talent Management •Business Branding and Marketing •Service Delivery Processes

REAL-WORD SOLUTIONS • Obtain a better understanding of what it really takes to build, manage and sustain success • Improve team performance, attitude and loyalty • Increase your customer loyalty • Expand your market or service offerings • Increase your revenue growth profitability • Learn how to develop a competitive dominance within your market

Register Today!

Visit http://bit.ly/NJLCA-UBootcamp or call (201) 703-3600 and Join Us at NJLCA, 465 Mola Blvd, Elmwood Park, NJ on January 24th!

Feature Story

Is your face in violation of the law?

by Patrick Donovan, Classic Landscaping

Here are the violations I see: • Bald tires • Loading so as to spill • Failure to cover load • Missing mud flaps • Blocked license plate Now that this driver and company have made a point of getting the attention of law enforcement, lets investigate fur-

ther and see what other violations surface. I see the following as potential violations at first glance. I say potential because I have not had the opportunity to inspect this vehicle and speak to the driver. I should mention, I am familiar with this truck and have seen it before. I know, this gives me an unfair advantage. Suck it up buttercup and go with the flow here.

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No DOT Number Hanging and exposed wires under CFR 49 No permit for flashing amber lights Overweight No GVWR displayed on either side of the vehicle No Commercial Vehicle inspection No Smoke Test sticker Underinflated tires I’m going way out on a limb with this one, operator has no medical card operating a vehicle over 10,000 lbs.

This is how I see it. If I arrive at a restaurant and the grounds at the establishment are unkept, under or not maintained, I usually turn around and walk away. Same goes for a hotel, service center, fast food, dentist, gas station, and most any facility I visit. My opinion, if the outside of your facility looks dirty and uncared for, what does your kitchen look like? I don’t want to eat there. Any establishment or entity that demands a premium price for their product or service, better project a positive image. Like it or not, we are in the image business. I consider our trucks our storefronts, the face of our business. But there is a big difference between the dentist’s face and ours, our face is regulated. If you don’t like the appearance or presentation of a service or a facility, you can walk away. If law enforcement observes your appearance as unsafe or unlawful, walking away is not your option.

The moral of the story is this. If your trucks are wearing a happy face, meaning in compliance with the law, you and your company will likely be wearing a happy face. If your trucks and equipment are ugly as sin and they look like they got hit with the ugly stick, you’re only date may be with law enforcement. Put a happy face on your company. Comply with the law!

Pat Donovan is the owner of Classic Landscaping and is a retired Port Authority of NY/ NJ Police Officer. He is also the Chairman of the NJLCA Safety Committee.

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I had occasion the other day to be driving behind one of our industry member’s vehicles. Unfortunately, it reminded me of a segment from one of my presentations. It goes something like this: Boy, you in a heap of trouble!

I challenge you to look at the photo below and find as many violations as you can. Some are blatantly obvious, others not so much. I also see some potentials we will discuss.

If I see them, the Police are going to see them at some point.

Moral of the story, do you really want this to be the face of your company? It is one thing to be so busy you just can’t find time to make a repair. Its another thing to be put OUT OF SERVICE for driving an unsafe vehicle. Never mind your worst nightmare, an ACCIDENT! If you are the guy that is so busy you don’t have time to make necessary and mandatory repairs, HIRE SOMEONE TO MAKE THEM! In some circumstances, you are not, by law, qualified to make the needed repairs. You’re making money, spend some of it before you lose all of it!

Feature Story

Proper debt collection laws...continued from Page 37 threaten to take their property, threaten to call the police or any type of harassment whatsoever. Do not let your emotions get the better of you. And never threaten to sue or do anything unless you have the means to do so and are prepared to carry out that plan of action. This includes saying that you will turn them over to a collection agency and then don’t. Not to mention you might end up looking bad in your community if you lose your temper. That word will get around real fast.

Train Your Staff:

It is vital that you train any staff that will be responsible for communicating with late and nonpaying customers. You may know the laws, but your staff needs to be equally up to speed on what not to do. Your staff may in fact, not even be aware of breaking the law, so it’s best to make sure they are fully aware of what they can and cannot do with your customers.

Your best bet as a business trying to collect on debt is to review the FDCPA website. Go to https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/plain-language/fair-debt-collectionpractices-act.pdf or https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/ and do

your homework on FDCPA on the site. There are many examples of what not to do when trying to work with your customers to resolve a debt. There are also many examples of harassment that you might not have even thought of, so it is time well spent for you and your staff. In short, stay compliant and you’ll stay out of court.

Matt Moskowitz is one of four partners at American Profit Recovery, based in Farmington Hills, MI. Mr. Moskowitz is a seasoned professional with over 21 years’ experience in the collection industry with a strong background in new market growth.

He opened APR with his partners in hopes of building a business that will be known for its outstanding customer service and putting its people first and Mr. Moskowitz works hard to achieve those goals daily. American Profit Recovery currently serves around 3500 clients nationally and just over 1100 lawn care and landscape professionals. Visit www.americanprofit.net.

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