The Growing Concern January 2023

Growing Concern

The

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A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E O H I O L A N D S C A P E A S S O C I AT I O N

Central Ohio Evening Meeting

January 19, 2023 / NorthStar Golf Club (Sunbury, OH) / PAGE 7

NE Ohio Evening Meeting

February 15, 2023 / St. Michael’s Woodside (Broadview Heights, OH) / PAGE 21

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PR ES I DEN T’S COLUM N

STEPHANIE GRAY BrightView Landscape

READY OR NOT, HERE COMES 2023!

These past few years we’ve experienced equipment and labor shortages, a volatile economy, and of course a worldwide pandemic. Throw in how reliant we’ve become on the overall global economy and supply chains, along with the need to pay attention to world events more frequently, and your head must be spinning. That being said, as we turn the calendar and prepare for another trip around the sun, each of us needs to ask ourselves how we can prepare our businesses, as well as ourselves, to survive these ever-changing times?

To help answer this question, over the next year of my term as OLA President, I would like to share insights I’ve gained from spending over 20 years working in this amazing industry.

Above all else, if there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it’s that change is the only constant we have in life, like it or not.

Adapting to new technologies and ideas will be integral to our companies’ survival. With that in mind, the OLA rolled out new networking opportunities, education events and programming in 2022. We will continue to do so in 2023, in effort to serve our members the best way we know how.

To begin, I have a series of questions I’d like you to ask yourself.

How many of you perform an end of year, or seasonal business review? When is it performed, who is involved, and if there are decisions made, how soon do you implement them? Is next season’s budget prepared and rolled out to staff? Have you reached out to vendors for new pricing yet, and if so, have you decided which increases will be passed on to your clients? Are there performance reviews for staff and merit or cost of living increases? I know, that’s a bunch of high-powered questions all at once. So, let’s take a minute to break a few of them down.

In the green industry, we are always preparing for the next season. From snow, to spring, to falling leaves… something is always going on. Taking the time with your senior staff to look at your book of business and deep dive into how jobs are being performed will help guide your decision making in 2023.

My suggestion is to first make sure you have accurate job costs, as materials and labor have increased dramatically over continued on page 6 The Growing Concern | January 2023 | 3

TAB LE OF CON TEN TS J A N UA R Y 2 0 2 3 WWW. OH I OLA N D SCA P E R S. OR G OH I O’ S P R OF E SSI ON AL G REEN I N D UST R Y A SSOCI AT I O N OHIO LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION 9240 Broadview Road Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147 Phone: 440.717.0002 Toll Free: 1.800.335.6521 Web: www.ohiolandscapers.org and www.myohiolandscape.com DESIGNER / EDITOR Rick Doll, Jr. REGULAR WRITERS Michael J. Donnellan, M3 Wealth Management Dr. Jim Funai, PhD., Cuyahoga Community College Shelley Funai, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Stephanie Gray, LIC, BrightView Landscapes Sandy Munley, Ohio Landscape Association Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, Bobbie’s Green Thumb COVER: 2021 Landscape Ohio! Merit Award winner, Suncrest Gardens, for their entry in the Category of Residential Installation.

FEATURES

3 5 8 12 16 22 26 34 35

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Ready or Not, Here Comes 2023!

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS PERENNIAL FOCUS

Perennial Garden Design: Changes in Design Style

FISCAL FITNESS

Rising Rates and Forced Economic Slowdown

FOR SAFETY SAKE

The 3 Most Important Types of Safety Communication

PLANT OF THE MONTH

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Submission deadline: 10th of the month, prior to the month of magazine publication.

For advertising rates and ad specs, please call 440.717.0002, or email Rick Doll Jr. at rick@ohiolandscapers.org.

DISCLAIMER The Ohio Landscape Association, its board of directors, staff and the editor of The Growing Concern neither endorse any product(s) or attests to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Similarly, the opinions expressed in The Growing Concern are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Ohio Landscape Association.

OFFICERS President Stephanie Gray, LIC

OLA STAFF Executive Director Sandy Munley

President – Elect Cameron Maneri

Associate Director Rick Doll, Jr.

Carya: The Genus

Treasurer Ryan Drake

FEATURE ARTICLE

Immediate Past President Brian Maurer, LIC

DIRECTIONS

DIRECTORS Brandon Barker Tina Graver, LIC Matt Malone Tim McCaskey Bob Ramser, LIC Kate Stone, OCNT

9 Ways to Prevent Losing Profit on Landscaping Jobs

ADVERTISING INDEX

4 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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JANUARY 19, 2023 CENTRAL OHIO EVENING MEETING

FEBRUARY 15, 2023 NE OHIO EVENING MEETING

Rachel Shepard, Executive Chairperson and CEO at LonaRock, LLC, will discuss how your company can become an ideal business banking client, how to understand key credit parameters and what roll your bank plays in your company’s succession plan.

See page 7 for more information.

Running a business is about figuring out how you do things and getting those things done. But, as your business grows, systems might accidentally fall into place that aren’t scalable. Join us as David Gallagher (Spiritus Business Advisors) discusses how to intentionally systematize your business.

See page 21 for more information.

MARCH 9 & 10, 2023 CREW LEADER TRAINING DAY (Formerly Foreman Training) Crew Leaders work side by side with employees while having to direct and motivate them. They will learn how to effectively manage their team, handle tight deadlines, all while increasing customer satisfaction. Held in both NE (March 9) and Central Ohio (March 10) See page 32 for more information.

JANUARY 23 - FEBRUARY 2, 2023 SET-UP OF OLA DISPLAY AT THE GREAT BIG HOME & GARDEN SHOW

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

If you are interested in volunteering to help construct this year’s OLA garden please contact the OLA at 440.717.0002.

This is a great opportunity to work along side others in the industry, as well as contribute to the association.

Business As Usual Lawncare 28633 Hilliard Blvd.

Westlake, OH 44145 (440) 963-4008 Dave Schlunt

Jscapes Design & Installation 2909 Carrington Street NW North Canton, OH 44720 (330) 704-1719 Noah Wakser

Dave’s Landscaping, LLC 5226 North SR 60 McConnelsville, OH 43756 (740) 962-5296 David Lapp

LaCava’s Landscape LLC 1089 Christina Court Painesville, OH 44077 (440) 840-4600 John M. LaCava

Davey Tree Expert Co. 9591 York Alpha Drive #8 North Royalton, OH 44133 (440) 582-1200 Gary McBride

New Era Designs 8257 Akron Ave Canal Fulton, OH 44614 (330) 573-7715 Jared Knight

Grass Commander LLC PO Box 4215 Akron, OH 44321 (330) 990-7515 Stephen Freitag

Original Farinacci Landscape Design P.O. Box 430 Chesterland, OH 44026 (440) 313-2162 Anthony Farinacci

JLC Landscaping 8893 East Avenue Mentor, OH 44060 (216) 409-4600 Jeff Cerny

On the Other Side 10185 Gottschalk Pkwy Suite 2 Chagrin Falls, OH 44023 (216) 291-9950 Adam Wynbrandt

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

STUDENT MEMBER

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 3 - 12, 2023 OLA DISPLAY AT THE GREAT BIG HOME & GARDEN SHOW This is a great opportunity to help promote the industry, our association, and your company. If you are interested in volunteering to help staff the garden during show hours, please contact the OLA at 440.717.0002 as soon as possible. Spots fill up quickly.

FEBRUARY 15, 2023 OLA COMMITTEE MEETINGS Joining an OLA committee is a wonderful way to get involved – not only within the association – but in the industry you love. It is also a great way for a potential board member to get a feel for the association’s work and needs. Join us for our kick-off meeting, immediately before our February evening meeting. RSVP required. Call the OLA office at 440.717.0002.

REGULAR MEMBERS

Cleveland Quarries 850 West River Rd Vermilion, OH 44089 (440) 963-4008 Dave Dunn

Cuyahoga Community College James Butler

The Growing Concern | January 2023 | 5

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YE

PR E S IDENT’ S C OL UMN continued from page 3

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Y the last two years. Decide whether you are going to look at E A R overall hours, gross margin, or just how many hours a job took. For those of you who may not know, gross margin is the amount of money a company has left over after subtracting all direct costs associated with producing, or purchasing, the goods and/or services it sells, and is typically expressed as a percentage. Knowing these costs will help you realize how much markup is needed on your services offered for your business to remain profitable. If gross margins on your job are very low, it most definitely is affecting your overall business health.

In addition to knowing your numbers, knowing who is the “right” client is key. While it’s hard to walk away from a paying customer, sometimes it is necessary. As for who is the “right” client, I may delve into that in another article.

After reviewing your job costs, the decisions made should be communicated to your entire staff, as they are the reason you keep clients and stay profitable. Knowing where the company stands financially shouldn’t be a secret to your employees.

You need their buy in and support as the seasons and job duties change. Give them an opportunity to ask questions and listen to their feedback. Your employees will feel more involved and valued. This time can also be used to roll out sales goals, budgets or any big changes to be expected for the upcoming year.

Finally, with the end of one year and beginning of the next, it’s a great time to execute a performance review with each member of your team. There should be a set form for them to fill out which matches your company’s mission, vision statement, or goals and allows for written feedback from the employee and their manager. I realize everyone might not be comfortable with giving or hearing constructive criticism, but as hard as it may seem, it’s incredibly valuable for you and your employees to grow and learn as individuals. Mutually agreed upon goals should be written down, and reaching these goals can be tied to merit increases or performance incentives. This takes the guesswork out of the equation and levels the playing field.

Thanks for spending this time with me as I get to know you and you get to know me over the next 12 months.

- Stephanie Gray LIC

6 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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Becoming an Ideal Business Banking Client If you want to expand your business, pass it on to an heir, or possibly even sell it, one of the most important people you’ll need in your corner is your banker.

Building a relationship with your banker means establishing trust on both ends. Your banker trusts you to meet your financial obligations, and you trust them to meet your financial needs. The stronger the bond of trust, the more financially beneficial that relationship becomes for both parties, sometimes even opening doors to the banker’s own network in the business community. In fact, owners who fail to maximize these relationships may miss a variety of opportunities that could support their business’s success.

Join us, January 19, 2023, as Rachel Shepard - Founder and CEO of LonaRock, LLC and LonaRock Capital Group, LLC - discusses how your company can position itself as an ideal banking client by: • • • •

Understanding the key credit parameters used by banking institutions.

Recognizing the bank’s expectations regarding documentation and communication.

Learning how to proactively discuss capital expenditures and upcoming equipment purchases.

Knowing when to involve your banker in the succession planning process.

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RACHEL SHEPARD / FOUNDER & CEO LONAROCK, LLC & LONAROCK CAPITAL GROUP, LLC

GOLD SPONSORS

As Founder and CEO of LonaRock, LLC and LonaRock Capital Group, LLC., Rachel’s mission is to empower investors, executives and business owners by providing business debt solutions and macroeconomic research. Rachel has an ability to spot important economic trends and potential systematic risk and has merged fundamental analysis with technical analysis in order to obtain the highest returns for her clients while managing risks and maintaining a reasonable margin of safety.

Prior to LonaRock, Rachel spent 17 years in the banking industry working in various lines of business including Commercial Banking, IRE, Private Banking and Small Business. Her work focused on credit underwriting, risk management and deal structuring.

Rachel holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Akron and an Executive MBA from Kent State University. She currently resides in Northeastern Ohio with her husband and her two children.

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PEREN N I AL FOCUS

BOBBIE SCHWARTZ, FAPLD Bobbie’s Green Thumb

Overview of Sissinghurst.

PERENNIAL GARDEN DESIGN CHANGES IN DESIGN STYLE Some things never change. Landscape designs are either formal, informal, or a mix of both. What I do see in today’s designs is a loosening of the application; in other words, not rigidly one or the other but much more mixing of the two.

The epitome of such mixing is the gardens at Sissinghurst in England (photo above), the result of the bed lines being drawn by the landscape architect Harold Nicolson and the plantings being designed by his wife Vita Sackville-West, avid gardener.

A modern interpretation of this is this Dallas garden (photo right) of sheared hedges within which Perovskia, a perennial with very loose structure, is planted. It is both formal, yet informal in comparison to earlier standards. continued on page 10 Italianate house - Dallas.

8 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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PEREN N I AL FOCUS continued from page 8 I’ve also seen much more use of curvilinear design, or designs formed from continuous flowing lines using the circumferences of adjacent circles and/or ellipses. It, too, was usually very formal in the past, but modern interpretations are much more informal.

A much more modern take on the curvlinear design would be this small backyard (photo below) featuring a narrow rectilinear concrete path intersecting both the curvilinear gravel path and planting beds.

Traditional curvilinear design would echo house lines in the hardscaping, such as these brick steps (photo below) which echo the fanlight over the French doors of this Buford house.

Cotoneaster, Clematis tangutica, ivy, and Corydalis adorn this home’s entryway.

Traditional curvilinear design.

Modern curvilinear design.

When I first started designing, most clients when queried about color preferences, wanted colors like blue, purple, pink, and white in pastel shades (photo below, left). Today, I have many more clients who want intense colors. And, although many clients express a dislike of orange, I find that they don’t necessarily reject the pastel shades of orange, like apricot, peach or salmon (photo below, right). Ultimately, I am finding that it’s more fun to design now that the guidelines aren’t so rigid. Are you?

Traditional pastel color.

Modern vibrant color.

Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, owner of Bobbie’s Green Thumb in Shaker Hts., Ohio, is a landscape designer, consultant, freelance writer, and lecturer whose specialties are perennial gardens and four season landscapes. In addition to being an Ohio Landscape Association (OLA) member, she is an active member of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) and Perennial Plant Association (PPA). Bobbie is a Past President of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD).

10 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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F I SCAL FI TN ESS

MICHAEL J. DONNELLAN M3 Wealth Management

RISING RATES AND FORCED ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN As central banks across the world simultaneously hike interest rates in response to inflation, the world may be edging toward a global recession in 2023.

Investors expect central banks to raise global monetary-policy rates to 5 percent through 2023—an increase of more than 3 percentage points over their 2021 average and more than double the five-year average before the pandemic.

Historically, economies typically grow until interest rates are hiked to cool down price inflation and the soaring cost of living.

Often, this results in a recession and then cycling back to cutting interest rates to stimulate growth.

likely to decline as the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank cuts rates to support the economy. This could be different this time around, as the Federal Reserve is looking to cool off the economy by raising rates rapidly in 2022. I don’t think they are going to be too keen on lowering rates too soon. The government’s budget deficit widens as tax revenues decline, while spending on unemployment insurance and other social programs rises. The hope is a “soft landing” and possible shallow recession to rein in the inflation and reset the labor market.

A recession is a significant, widespread, and prolonged downturn in economic activity. A common rule of thumb is that two consecutive quarters of negative gross domestic product (GDP) growth mean recession. Economic output, employment, and consumer spending drop in a recession. Interest rates are also

The declines in economic output and employment that recessions cause can become self-perpetuating. For example, declining consumer demand can prompt companies to lay off staff, which affects consumer spending power, which can further weaken consumer demand. continued on page 14

12 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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continued from page 12 Similarly, the bear markets that often accompany recessions can reverse the wealth effect, suddenly making people less wealthy and further trimming consumption.

Recessions are usually clearly identified only after they are over. Investors, economists, and employees may also have very different experiences in terms of when a recession is at its worst.

Equities markets often decline before an economic downturn, so investors may assume a recession has begun as investment losses accumulate and corporate earnings decline, even if other measures of recession remain healthy, such as consumer spending and unemployment.

Conversely, since unemployment often remains high long after the economy hits bottom, workers may perceive a recession as continuing for months or even years after economic activity recovers.

Are we entering recession? The signs are certainly there. One of the most reliable indicators is an inverted yield curve.

When the yield curve is normal, short-term yields are lower than long term yields. This is because longer-term debt has more duration risk. For example, a 20-year bond usually yields

14 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

more than a 2-year bond. So, in this case the yield goes up over time, creating an upward yield curve.

The yield curve inverts if yields on longer-dated bonds go down while yields on shorter term bonds go up. An inverted yield curve has come before each of the ten U.S. recessions since 1955, although not every period of inverted yield curve was followed by recession.

The rise of near-term interest rates can tip the economy into a recession. The reason why the yield on long term bonds drops below that on short term bonds is because traders anticipate near term economic weakness leading to eventual interest rate cuts.

A recession is a significant, pervasive, and persistent decline in economic activity. Economists measure a recession’s length from the prior expansion’s peak to the downturn’s trough. Recessions may last as little as a few months, but the economy may not recover to its former peak for years. My prediction is that this likely recession will be shallower than most, with a longer time for the Federal Reserve to act by lowering rates. The U.S. consumer will have to endure a little bit of pain in the next couple years and then we’ll get more comfortable spending our way back out to economic growth again.

That said, stocks can still be a good place for investors, but important to pick good sectors and avoid broad exposure to the whole market. Another positive is that now that rates are higher, investors can buy bonds and U.S. Treasuries with much higher yields than we have seen in over a decade. So even in a recession, there can still be places to invest wisely.

As always, talk to your financial professionals and tax advisors, to determine your specific needs and goals.

Scenarios illustrated are hypothetical in nature, results may vary. Investing is subject to risk which may involve loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

The M3 Wealth Management Office does not provide legal or tax advice. Consult an attorney or tax professional regarding your specific situation. The information herein is general and educational in nature and should not be considered legal or tax advice. Trust services are provided by third parties. Neither our firm nor our financial professionals can serve as trustee Michael J. Donnellan specializes in stock selection and retirement planning. Feel free to contact him with any questions or comments at the M3 Wealth Management Office at 17601 W. 130th Street – Suite 1 in North Royalton, Ohio.

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The Growing Concern | January 2023 | 15

F OR SAFETY SAK E

THE 3 MOST IMPORTANT TYPES OF SAFETY COMMUNICATION Did you know that safety and health information can be more effectively shared with your employees?

There is an important, complementary role for safety briefings, safety training and safety education in your lawn and landscape business.

SAFETY COMMUNICATION NO. 1 Safety Briefings: First, let’s look at safety briefings and how they can be used to manage hazardous conditions that could expose workers to serious injury or illness. For many firms, safety briefings are a daily occurrence between crew managers and crew members. They are often reminders about company safety policies on topics like vehicle seat belt use, cell phone use while operating equipment or the wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) at work sites.

A safety briefing can also be a warning about the potential for severe weather conditions during the work day. These would

include storm warnings or the possibility of excessively warm weather, such as the onset of heat stress symptoms and how workers can prevent heat-related illnesses.

Safety briefings are short and concise. It is often a one-way form of communication between the supervisor and their crew members.

SAFETY COMMUNICATION NO. 2 Safety Training: Differences between safety briefings and safety trainings are significant. While a briefing is a mostly one-way, crew manager-directed initiative, training should be continued on page 18

16 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

The Growing Concern | May 2022 | 17

FOR SAFETY SAKE

continued from page 16 interactive between the trainer and the trainee(s). Trainings should encourage hands-on activities, demonstrations of safe work skills and a commitment to behavioral change targeting safe work practices.

• • •

Other differences between safety briefings and safety trainings involves the timing of the information transfer and the person who coordinates the activity. A briefing is usually the job of a crew manager and may only take minutes, while training is generally much more intense. Experienced safety traineremployees of your firm should deliver training on a regularly scheduled day of the week or month.

Plan safety training topics in advance of the training date and relate them to seasonal safety and health hazards. These are those you identify with input from insurers and employee safety committees. Training will also review recorded “close call” incidents.

SAFETY COMMUNICATION NO. 3 Safety Education: Perhaps the most important information transfer component that closes the loop is safety educating.

Our goal throughout this process is to:

18 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Provide reminders and warnings about safe work habits (briefings) Provide interactive sessions on enhanced safety knowledge and safe workplace behaviors (training) Ensure attendees retain the knowledge and adopt safe behaviors (educating)

SAFETY COMMUNICATION Safety Program Evaluation: There are several important means for determining if the information transfer cycle (briefing-training-educating) is effective at your firm. We refer to this step as the safety program evaluation. First, it is important that you document all briefing and training activities. Confirm every employee who goes through safety briefings and trainings with his/her name and date and the safety and/or health topic.

To measure effectiveness during training sessions, allow a minute or two to collect pre-training awareness and knowledge levels. Then do the same after the training. This is pre- and post-testing. Use the knowledge and skills gain at the end of the session to determine if you need additional training for all or some selected workers.

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At lawn and landscape work sites, conduct worker observations to determine if critical safety recommendations are being followed post-training. For example, you may have recently trained employees on hearing conservation best practices and proper ear plug procedures. Upon observation of several work sites, you notice no one is using hearing protection or wearing ear plugs. After observing the posttraining failure, you will likely schedule more training or deal with the PPE violation one-on-one with employees.

Remember these two important points when compiling your safety programs: •

•

Briefing, training and educating encompass a complete package that will afford your firm a legitimate opportunity at reducing safety and health workplace risks.

Provide safety and health information in a language that your employees can understand.

This article was written by Sam Steel, safety advisor for the National Association of Landscape Professionals. It appeared on NALP’s Safety blog, located at https://blog. landscapeprofessionals.org/

The Growing Concern | January 2023 | 19

OLA MEETINGS SERIES

EVENT INFORMATION

DATE & LOCATION FEBRUARY 15, 2023 ST. MICHAEL’S WOODSIDE 5025 EAST MILL ROAD BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, OH AGENDA REGISTRATION / NETWORKING FOOD / CASH BAR 6:00 PM TO 7:00 PM OLA BUSINESS 7:00 PM TO 7:15 PM PROGRAM 7:15 PM TO 8:45 PM COST TO ATTEND MEMBERS: NO CHARGE NON MEMBERS: $50 REGISTER TO ATTEND BY FEBRUARY 8, 2023

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OLA NE OHIO MEETING Systematizing Your Business

Running a landscape business is a challenging endeavor, even for the most dedicated entrepreneurs. There are many factors to consider when working to keep your business operating as efficiently and profitably as possible, from reducing costs, to making better use of your time, to improving workflow. Yet, the most effective way to streamline operations is through Systemization.

Systemization is the process of designing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure the consistency and efficiency of any organization. In other words, you are documenting and honing in the various essential functions of your business that make it run.

Join us, February 15, 2023, as David Gallagher - Principal of Spiritus Business Advisors, LLC - discusses how to systematize your company to maintain quality and efficient operations. He will be covering: • • • • •

Why your business plan needs to be more than a budget.

The types of sales plans that drive revenue and growth.

How your team structure and definition leads to accountability.

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PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH

JIM FUNAI, PhD

Cuyahoga Community College Carya (Hickory).

SHELLEY FUNAI, LIC

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

CARYA THE GENUS This month we want to explore an entire genus (well, the plants of the genus you can find and grow anyway).

Carya is the genus name for Hickories and is derived from the Greek word (Káryon), meaning “nut.” This is a very suitable name for the genus as all are large trees which produce large crops of nuts covered in a four-part, splitting husk. Traditionally, Hickories are difficult to find in the nursery trade, as they produce massive tap roots when young, making transplanting them a challenge.

There are at least 18 species in the genus across the world, with around 12 native to the United States. We can’t fully confirm, but we came across several references that the name “Hickory” is a derivative of Algonquian, likely “pocohicora,” which was their name for the tree. Interestingly enough, some of the nuts of the genus are quite delicious and sweet, while others – though still edible – are quite bitter. All are monoecious (male/ female flowers on the same plant) and are wind pollinated, yet require cross pollination to achieve a strong fruit set. The flowers are not of ornamental value (true for many wind pollinated plants). The fruits (nuts) are not ornamental and may be consider a major mess by some. All leaves are pinnately compound and can be helpful in trying to ID species.

Carya cordiformis – Bitternut or Swamp Hickory Bitternut Hickory, as the name implies, is not a sweet nut! This is one of the faster growing hickories reaching to at least 50 feet tall, with records of over 100 feet by 2/3 as wide. Leaves are up to a foot long with 7 to 11 leaflets, but mostly 7 leaflets and mostly all the same size. This tree is closely related to the Pecan (C. Illinoinensis) and looks the same with the exception that most leaves will have 9 to 11 leaflets and very few down to 7. A great winter ID on this species is bright yellow fuzzy buds, which we always call “mustard buds.”

This Ohio native is at home in swampy soils, making it a suitable choice for the lower areas you come across in the landscape. We continued on page 24

22 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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The Growing Concern | January 2023 | 23

PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH

Pignut Hickory

Pecan

Shagbark Hickory

continued from page 22 have found some dense stands in a local park with the majority of the stand flanking a stream in fairly dense and wet soils. The fruit is gross, but wildlife still love them, which can be a great selling point for particular clients.

Carya glabra – Pignut Hickory Pignut is another great Ohio native, but very rare to find for sale due to massive tap roots on seedlings. It’s perhaps slightly shorter for Hickory – in the 50 - 60 foot range – yet still a great shade tree. We find this tree more commonly higher up on slopes in drier soils that contain higher organic matter (forest soil) but can also be found in wetter conditions at times. The nut is not as bitter as Bitternut, but not fully sweet in our experience, though it is another nut loved by wildlife.

ID tips for this species is five leaflets with the top three being larger (just like Shagbark), though not quite as wide. The bark is smooth on younger trees, eventually forming an irregular diamond pattern of splits, but not peeling off in plates like some. Hands down, this is the best Hickory for fall color with bright yellows making this tree just glow among the rest.

Carya illinoinensis – Pecan This tree is not native to most of Ohio, being found typically around the Mississippi River watershed. It is the source of the edible nut, Pecan, and as Midwesterners we typically call it a Pah-kon, rather than the more southern Pee-can. This species is the king of the genus, reaching into the 100 foot range, and is more of a bottomland/floodplain species. It is cold hardy in zone 5, though you will want to make absolutely sure your source has vetted the provenance of their plants to a more northern site.

If you purchase from a southern provenance, your pecans will not survive Ohio winters (save for perhaps the Cincinnati area).

Leaves are finer in texture, with 9 or 11 thinner leaflets up to 20 inches long. Buds in winter are dark brown and fuzzy with a point to them. The bark is almost Oak-like, with ribbons/ridges extending along the trunk but rarely peeling off in plates.

Carya laciniosa – Shellbark Hickory or Kingnut Shellbark has the largest nut of the genus and is not as sweet as some, but still quite tasty. This tree is native to much of Ohio except for parts of counties touching PA. This species can be very difficult to ID from Shagbark, especially in the winter. Leaves of this species will tend to have 7 leaflets with the top 3 being wider, the next two slightly thinner, and the last two being the smallest. Bark is similar to Shagbark, but not quite as “shaggy.”

Typically, you will find this species in lowlands and floodplains, as it is quite at home having the root system submerged through the spring rainy season.

Carya ovata – Shagbark Hickory One of the easiest trees to ID in our forest, the Shagbark has large recurving plates of bark peeling away from the mature trunks of the trees. This tree is native to all of Ohio and has a surprisingly sweet nut that is great to collect and roast in the fall.

The leaves have five leaflets, with the top three being larger than the bottom two. In contrast to Shellbark, these will be more common on very well drained soils of slopes and ridges. These trees grow large in our forest, reaching into the 80 foot range.

Brown bats love to nest under the plates of this species, and therefore, we should be very careful about removing Shagbarks and Shellbarks through the spring.

Jim Funai, PhD, is full-time faculty at Cuyahoga Community College, a NALP accredited associate of applied science in hoticulture degree program. He has a PhD in Landscape Engineering and Forestry and is a Licensed Arborist. Shelley Funai is Grounds Manager at Stan Hywett Hall and Gardens in Akron, Ohio, which offers a historic estate designed

by Warren H. Manning and a beautiful manor house museum. She is Landscape Industry Certified in Ornamental Plant Care.

24 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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FEATURE ARTI CLE

9

Ways To Prevent Losing Profit On jobs

Many landscape businesses are burning through cash quicker than they realize. Lean is a concept that originated in the manufacturing industry to help keep businesses profitable. Incorporating Lean thinking is used to identify and minimize wasteful processes that reduce efficiency within a business. The landscaping industry can easily adopt Lean to identify where certain operations can become more efficient. It all starts with eliminating wasteful functions that eat into potential profits on future and current landscaping jobs. The following are 9 different ways, through Lean thinking, that your landscape business is possibly burning profits through wasteful processes and systems, and what you can do to minimize the damage.

WASTE #1: OVERPRODUCTION

WASTE # 2: WAITING

If your landscape business needs to excavate 12 feet for a pool installation job, you should not be over-excavating a few feet past what it needs to be. It’s a waste of time, effort, and you’re not getting paid any extra for something you weren’t asked to do. Overproduction like this is a major culprit of common financial waste in landscaping businesses, and can take chunks out of your budget in any given landscaping, design/build, or even lawn care job. Being over-prepared and overproducing will not be rewarded no matter how well your intentions are. Make sure your landscaping crews have what they need and when they need it through a combination of proper training and effective design.

The easiest way to lose profit on a landscaping job is to have your staff just standing around waiting. It’s obvious that waiting is a complete waste of time, but have you considered how much money is being burned after you add the value of every minute across every crew? A slight hiccup in operations can eat hundreds of dollars a minute depending on the size of the job, and because time is money, profits decrease by the minute when labor or resources are waiting for the next step to begin. It’s jaw dropping to see the wasteful effects of waiting when you check out what landscaping costs per hour in labor alone.

26 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

continued on page 28

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The Growing Concern | January 2023 | 27

F EATURE ARTI CLE

continued from page 26 We see examples of crews ‘on stand by’ all the time. From waiting for the operation manager’s instructions and equipment arrivals to waiting in line for fuel or for supply deliveries. When it comes to your bottom line, waiting doesn’t pay.

WASTE #3: TRANSPORTATION Transportation is a necessary cost for landscaping businesses.

On one hand, it’s the cost of business to get from yard to site; on the other hand, it’s easy to waste money on transportation costs. There are times when it’s excessively wasteful, like when it’s related to transporting equipment that’s shared, old or poorly maintained. Sharing equipment between crews may seem like a way to save money but the time lost transporting equipment between sites translates to lost revenue.

When old equipment breaks down, it needs to be transported to a repair facility, a replacement needs to be transported to the job site and then both must eventually be transported back to their proper locations. Bringing it back to waiting as a colossal waste of money, consider that while the equipment is being transported, landscaping crews are less productive, labor costs are rising, and job schedules are extending. The financial waste feeds off of each other compounding into a giant money pit for your landscaping business.

28 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Poor estimates and poor planning can ramp up to unnecessary travel as well. The constant back and forth from site to hardware store because you forgot twine, a particularly sized screw bit head, or something painfully small can add up to wasting time with waiting, travel, and adding unnecessary inventory to your business. This can be avoided through proper job planning, thorough estimates, and an organizational structure that’s standardized from the top down in your landscape business.

Transportation costs can be really tough to fix sometimes, but there are steps to take to minimize their costs. Firstly, make sure you’re taking the most efficient route from site to site or yard to job. Naturally some routes are faster than others, others are less start and stop that eat into your gas, or planning your routes properly for the day from site to site can save both gas and time. Routing tool makes sure you’re getting where you need to go as quickly as possible and in the right order to help you save on time and gas. Secondly, make sure you’re making the proper equipment purchases and providing proper maintenance so that you’re not stuck with defective equipment that will put a whole job on hold, or waiting on a hardware store trip to pick up equipment you should have on site.

FEATURE ARTI CLE

WASTE #4: OVERPROCESSING

WASTE #6: JOB DEFECTS AND REWORKS

Every business needs quality control steps to make sure that careless mistakes aren’t made at the end of a job. While quality control is essential, there are such things as too many inspections or sign-offs that the foreman needs to complete for the sake of doing them. Some processes are just there for the sake of it, and provide little to no value for the landscape business as a whole.

If you’re going to do it right, do it right the first time.

Defects result from lack of training, care and/or quality control and can be very costly in terms of the following:

How many times have you seen paperwork filled out on site that won’t even get looked at later? Far too many times. So why waste your time filling it out?

Case in point: Step #1: The estimator drafts an estimate for pricing.

Step #2: Accounting creates POs or orders for vendors.

Step #3: Crews write their daily logs.

Steps #4,5,6… Accounting enters daily log info 2-3 times in 2-3 different systems, i.e. payroll, invoicing, job costing/ job tracking.

Grab your team and take a critical look through your processes.

See what could be done faster, better and as a result, more efficiently than in the past. The good news is: All of the manual paperwork and repetitive processes can be replaced with a streamlined landscape business management system that takes an estimate all the way through to job costing.

WASTE #5: UNNECESSARY INVENTORY Although your accountant may treat inventory as an asset, it’s important to realize that inventory is an operating cost.

Inventory that goes obsolete, or worse yet spoils, needs to be identified and trashed.

Chances are, you still have spare parts for obsolete tools that are collecting dust. Old landscaping tools hanging around in a trailer take up valuable space and create clutter. Plant material inventory that’s ordered to the office but isn’t properly maintained will die and turn to waste.

It’s time for some Spring cleaning. Ship plant material directly to the job site. When it comes to tools, it might be time to declutter throughout your landscaping business from yard to truck. There’s always a market to sell landscaping tools if you know where to go.

• • • • • •

Time wasted on the initial work.

Cost of the rework.

Dealing with customers regarding defects.

Costs related to replacement materials, deliveries, etc.

Damage from a lost referral, or dissatisfied customer.

Frustration of employees who have to repeat work.

Establishing a culture of safety, quality, and efficiency can greatly impact growth in profitability for your landscape business. An emphasis on training can lead to higher owner wages, higher employee wages, better equipment, and the peace of mind knowing a job is more likely to stay on budget and meet or exceed the customer’s expectations.

As important as it is to set employees up for success with proper training, it’s equally important that owners set a standard of excellence across the company. Clean trucks and trailers, crisp uniforms and organized work spaces go a long way toward encouraging employees to take pride in their work and the company.

WASTE #7: UNNECESSARY MOTION If you had a nickel for every crew member that couldn’t find a tool they’re looking for on site or in the truck, how many millions of dollars would your landscape business have? If you think it’s close to at least one million, we apologize that this revenue stream doesn’t exist. Poor workflow design, bad layouts, disorganized work stations, and inconsistent work processes all lead to unnecessary motion. The more time you spend moving around aimlessly, the less time you spend efficiently working. If you could choose whether or not you’d spend 1 minute or 20 minutes finding a shovel, strong chances are you’d rather spend 1 minute finding the shovel in the place it belongs.

Work areas should be set up in a manner that maximizes productivity and minimizes motion back and forth. An organized tool trailer minimizes motion or a designated work station on the job site should be standardized so crew members know where to find stuff at all times. continued on page 30 The Growing Concern | January 2023 | 29

F EATURE ARTI CLE

continued from page 29 Another example is getting paver pallets delivered before you need them. This will translate to labor hours wasted moving these pallets around the job site until it’s finally time for installation. It’s better to properly schedule jobs so that there’s less clutter taking up sites or time spent shuffling materials or equipment around.

WASTE #8: HUMAN TALENT OR POTENTIAL As companies grow, so do opportunities for owners to delegate tasks and responsibility. Owners who fail to leverage the skills and potential of their employees are wasting talent. Even an entry level landscaper has the potential to lead with the right training, experience, and opportunities.

Fostering a company culture where ideas are welcomed and rewarded will lead to greater efficiencies in your business. Efficient work is profitable work. When you start tying bonuses and raises for key employees to financial improvements, you’ll start seeing less turnover and better talent joining your team. Respect on a personal and financial level goes a long way for retaining landscapers, especially in this time of a thin skilled labor pool.

If the labor pool isn’t available with seasoned contractors, then maybe it’s time to start developing them. With the right training processes and systems in place, your landscaping business can take green crew members and catch them up to speed quickly through on-demand video training for landscapers. With standardized courses, you know that completion of training will

30 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

bring consistent crew results that will drive efficient, safe, and quality work through every job.

WASTE #9: RESISTANCE TO CHANGE Fear of change is a major contributor to waste, especially in the landscape industry. The “…but we’ve always done it this way” mentality can turn into a tug-of- war, forcing companies to hang on to old, inefficient processes much longer than they should. They avoid both the risk and the investment required to implement change.

Change can be extremely challenging for both the owner, and employees of any landscaping business, whether it be reinventing work processes, upgrading equipment, firing underperforming employees, and/or implementing new technology. But when changes are designed to eliminate waste, the rewards will increase efficiencies and profitability for your business. Landscapers are in the business of making money, and work needs to be put in to make that happen, even if it’s changing the structure or processes of the landscaping business.

Opportunities to improve your business are everywhere. If you’re having trouble uncovering them, turn to others that do the work day in and day out. You’ll be surprised at the ideas they have to help your business flourish.

This article was written for the LMN Business Management Blog, located at GoLMN.com/blog. Since their launch in 2009, LMN has been helping design build companies, lawn maintenance providers and snow removal services build better businesses. Browse their online Media Center to see what’s new.

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The magazine will showcase member projects in feature stories, trend pieces and products highlights, putting you in the spotlight.

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Production and maintenance landscape crew leaders have unique needs as they have to wear two hats: a worker and a leader. Crew leaders have to walk the fine line in working side by side with the employee and having to direct, motivate and critique at the same time. Managing former peers and friends can be especially difficult, dealing with problems and obstacles can take skills that can only be developed by stepping out of the work environment for a few days, learning best practices, applying it in a learning environment through role play, and then going back and applying it on the job.

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• How to implement and follow work schedules • How to budget and complete jobs on time • How to manage problem behavior • How to produce client focused work • And more....

Cancellations made 8 to 14 days prior to the course start date will be subject to a 30% cancellation fee. NO refunds will be issued for cancellations 7 days or less prior to the course, no shows, or cancellations on the day of the course. If, for any reason, the course is cancelled, enrollees will be notified, and fees refunded in full. Register early as class size is limited and will sell out quickly.

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We have heard some of you asking for online learning opportunities. We are very excited to announce our new partnership with Greenius! Greenius offers on-demand online training for landscape crews and supervisors. There are over 150 Greenius courses in categories that include: Maintenance, Construction, Snow Management, Safety, and more. The training includes quizzes so you can see how your staff is doing!

Greenius is offering OLA Members 2 free months of training and is waiving the set-up fee of $347 for new users of the software.

What a great way to train your staff over the winter when you have some down time! To learn more about this opportunity, scan the QR code on page 20 of this magazine.

NEW MEMBER REFERRAL REWARD PROGRAM The OLA has a goal of growing the membership so that we can offer more to members! You can help us grow and we will reward you for helping!

34 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Now through December 31, 2023, any current Regular, Student, or Retired Member that gets 3 new Regular or Associate Members to join will receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card as a thank you! Current Associate Members that get 5 new Regular or Associate Members to join will be rewarded with a $100 Amazon Gift Card. (Associate Members have greater access to seeing potential members on a daily basis, so the number is a little higher.) Please note that this reward is available to employees of member companies!

Be sure to tell your peers about the benefits of membership in the Ohio Landscape Association! Then ask them to go to our website and join. When they fill out the membership application, they must include your name and company on their application. We have modified our application to include a place for them to let us know who referred them.

I am looking forward to seeing you at our many events over the coming months and wishing you a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year! Let’s grow together in 2023!

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