The Landscape Contractor — JAN.15

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three seminal names in the landscape industry — Synnestvedt, Fiore and Damgaard.

The Family Trees series continues in 2013 as we turn our attention to the Orum family. An Peter as child in his father’s nursery. ardent supporter and long-time January 2015 ILCA member, Peter Orum is the modern prototype of immigrant success and industry integration.

CONTENTS His boundless energy and enthuExcellence In Landscape Awards siasm haveProject propelled a fledgling8 company to become one of the FOCUS: New Year’s Resolutions for the Industry biggest suppliers in the landscape and nursery industries.

ILCA Honors and Awards But Orum the Midwest success story Man of the Year — Peter 10 is not simply about one man.

Many long-timeTree employees Distinguished Service — Kaneville Farm have 14 dedicated their professional ILCECO Scholarship Winners careers to contribute to its suc-16 cess.

New Year’s Resolutions for the Landscape Industry 18 Much of what is written here is the summary recollecGarden Speak 24 tion the individuals involved.

Geraniums — don’t stop atof Rozanne The Landscape Contractor has attempted verify and confirm, Old Timers Group Holds AnnualtoGathering 28 but fund in some cases cannot offer Proceeds from event help scholarships concrete evidence. If anyone Peter Orum with wife Irma and daughter Chr has been Preview excluded, it is purely31

iLandscape Complete Program unintentional.

This is not meant to be a scholarly work and is evergreens a y A complete listing of programs and speakers written solely for the enjoyment of our readers. trainee for a y Plant All-Stars 62 I hope you enjoy this view into the world of Midwest another job. F Hibiscus ‘Sweet Caroline’ Groundcovers. It is the fourth Family Trees feature about That was diffi the history and families that have helped shape the landscape I drove down industry and ILCA. RR mentor in plan

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The Landscape Contracto January 2013

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EN ESPAÑOL

iLandscape 2015 = ¡Más Educación!

50 iLandscape 2015 = Education Plus!

On the cover... Moore Landscapes received a Gold award in Commercial Landscape Maintenance for the Chicago Park District Floral Gardens (the Art Institute garden is shown).

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

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CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS

ILCA Calendar From Where I Stand President’s Message New Members Classified Ads Advertisers Index

Photo Credits ILCA Awards Program Midwest Groundcovers Kaneville Tree Farms Donna Reiners Walter’s Gardens Chicago Botanic Garden

1, 8-9 10, 12 14 24 25 25, 26

Calendar

4 5 7 52 58 61

JANUARY Contact Julie Nicoll January 21-22 2015 for more information Digital Design Workshop Google SketchUp Workshop — jnicoll@ilca.net with Daniel Tal NIU Hoffman Estates SOLD OUT Hoffman Estates

George Weyland Rick Reuland Mike Blackwell

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The official publication of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA), The Landscape Contractor is dedicated to educating, advising and informing members of this industry and furthering the goals of the Association. The Landscape Contractor carries news and features relating to landscape contracting, maintenance, design and allied interests. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit any article or advertisement submitted for publication.

Publication reserves right to refuse advertising not in keeping with goals of Association. WWW.ilca.net Volume 56, Number 1. The Landscape Contractor (ISSN # 0194-7257, USPS # 476-490) is published monthly for $75.00 per year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste. 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. Periodicals postage paid at Oak Brook, IL and additional mailing offices. Printed in USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Landscape Contractor, 2625 Butterfield Road, Ste 104S, Oak Brook, IL 60523. DISPLAY ADVERTISING SALES: Association Publishing Partners, Inc., Ph. (630) 637-8632 Fax (630) 637-8629 email: rmgi@comcast.net CLASSIFIED ADS, CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION: ILCA (630) 472-2851 Fax (630) 472-3150 PUBLISHER/EDITORIAL OFFICE: Rick Reuland, rmgi@comcast.net 6S252 Cornwall Rd, Naperville, IL 60540 Ph. (630)637-8632 PRODUCT DISCLAIMER: The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, its Board of Directors, the Magazine Committee, ILCA Staff, The Landscape Contractor and its staff, neither endorse any products nor attest to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication.

ILCA Staff

Magazine Staff

Executive Director Scott Grams (630) 472-2851 sgrams@ilca.net

Rick Reuland Publisher/Advertising Sales (630) 637-8632 rmgi@comcast.net

Education Manager Julie Nicoll jnicoll@ilca.net Membership & Events Manager Terre Houte thoute@ilca.net Administrative Assistant Alycia O’Connor aoconnor@ilca.net ILCA 2625 Butterfield Road Ste. 104S Oak Brook, IL 60523 (630) 472-2851 • Fax (630) 472-3150 www.ilca.net

Debbie Rauen Advertising Sales (817-501-2403) debbie.landscapecontractor@ yahoo.com

v Becke Davis Senior Writer treethyme@aol.com

FEBRUARY February 5, 2015 Mastering Foremanship (Presented in English) Fox Run Golf Links Elk Grove Village

Contact Terre Houte February 25-27, 2015 or visit ilca.net — iLandscape: thoute@ilca.net The Illinois + Wisconsin Landscape Show Schaumburg Convention Center Schaumburg

MARCH March 26, 2014 Hardscape Illinois Designing and Constructing with Natural Stone Lombard

Patrice Peltier Feature Writer patpeltier@charter.net Meta Levin Feature Writer meta.levin@comcast.net Panel Chairs Jim Fizzell jjfizz@aol.com Greg Pierceall pierceal@purdue.edu

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Contact Julie Nicoll for more information — jnicoll@ilca.net

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

Contact Julie Nicoll for more information — jnicoll@ilca.net

From Where I Stand...

ILCA is thrilled to announce that beginning with

this issue of The Landscape Contractor, an online version of the magazine will now be available to complement the traditional print version. For the past decade, the Magazine Committee and Board of Directors have grappled with how best to embrace the digital age. We had seen countless magazines move towards digital as a way to cut costs only to be eliminated a few years later. The Landscape Contractor is the most highly visible, highly-utilized member service we provide. We ranked all of our programs, services, and initiatives and the members identified The Landscape Contractor as number one. If and when the magazine decided to enter the rocky world of digital publishing, we knew we had to step carefully.

For 30 years, ILCA has heard the complaint that one magazine was never enough.

The day it arrived, it turned into “Leggo My Eggo.” The admin would leave it on the counter, it would get swooped up by the project manager, he would grab a cup of coffee and the designer would steal it. The designer would go to lunch and the Operations Manager would take it off her desk. Finally, the owner would catch wind of this, grab the magazine, close his office door, and it was never seen or heard from again. The best many member employees could hope for was a few tear out pages with a post-it note reading “LOOK INTO THIS.” The worst they could hope for was seeing someone walk into the men’s room with it folded under his arm.

Even former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley loved getting The Landscape Contractor. In our many meetings with his Honor, he told us how much he enjoyed seeing the trends in the landscape industry. He would tear out pages and fax them to his commissioners. They would then need to read his handwriting and get a sense of the Mayor’s vision from a few blotchy, black and white fax pages.

In addition, the magazine looks great. We receive over 50 state and national magazines at ILCA Headquarters from across the country. Many have been winnowed down to a handful of pages. Others are simply a collection of ads sandwiched around hastily written articles borrowed from the internet. The Landscape Contractor continues to push the Illinois landscape industry forward through thought provoking articles, interviews, panels, and gorgeous imagery. Annually, we receive dozens of requests to reprint content. The Landscape Contractor could easily sit on any newsstand and hold its own against industry giants.

That does not happen accidentally. That does not happen overnight. Editor Rick Reuland, his writers; Becke Davis, Patrice Peltier and Meta; advertisng associate, Debbie Rauen; the Magazine Committee, and Board have always strived for quality. The magazine cannot be junk or a collection of back-

slapping photos. It has the challenge of living within a small slice of the landscape industry. It has to plumb every depth in order to find quality content that can steal a slice of a contractor’s or supplier’s busy day.

Writing is not easy. Anyone who has ever stared at a blank page or blinking cursor can attest that words do not always flow when we need them. Author Chuck Klosterman once said, “Writing is difficult. Writing is like pounding a brick wall with a ball-peen hammer in the hope that it will evolve into a revolving door.” I have to write a monthly two-page column and there have been plenty of nights that I’ve stared at my celling waiting for inspiration to come. The magazine is not two-pages. It is 64 pages, 12 times per year. That is 768 pages that need to be filled with something. It can’t be derivative or stale or sloppy. That is the burden of The Landscape Contractor.

A frustrtation in producing only a print edition was that so much excellent content was hidden under a bushel basket. Unless you were the lucky person in the company on the mailing label, most of what happened in The Landscape Contractor was lost. The magazine is written with all levels of the landscape industry in mind. It has articles for designers, estimators, purchasers, owners, general managers, salesmen, project managers, and even Spanish-language articles for foremen and laborers. It put a lot of responsibility on the company to break apart the magazine and distribute relevant content to each stakeholder group. In the days before digital, that was done with scissors. In a new era, it seemed like ILCA owed it to our members to help solve their quandary of more efficient distribution.

The Landscape Contractor prescribes to the same mentality as ILCA: if you don’t know your members/readers, you’re dead. The Landscape Contractor is written by local writers who immerse themselves in the industry. They attend industry events. They arrive early, they leave late or only after the conversation got really good. However, before these beat writers are dispatched, the Editor and Magazine Committee provide them with a sense of direction. They forecast out an entire year of topics and stories but, at a moment’s notice, must bend the editorial content to meet the current needs of the readership.

When EAB hit, The Landscape Contractor was there. When USDOL knocked on over 50 doors, The Landscape Contractor was on the corner of the desk to act as a survival guide.

In staying true to that philosophy, we know the readers are changing. They want faster access to content. They want to be able to share content with one another. They want to read an article, see a relevant advertiser who pertains to that article, and immediately visit the advertiser’s website to review a catalog.

In order to perform effectively in a cutthroat and perilous digital and print publishing world, the magazine had to deter-

Movable Type

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

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From Where I Stand... mine who and what it was. Some argued ILCA was late to the digital party but I could not disagree more. The fundamental question The Landscape Contractor had to answer was how it viewed itself. So many once stalwart and respected magazines and publications have lost their way in the era of new media.

Publications like Newsweek dumbed down their articles to keep up with other online providers. Newsweek is essentially gone.

Other publications decided not to sacrifice quality and never talk down to their readers. The Wall Street Journal and the Economist have thrived by making their content better and less accessible to the casual reader just looking for poorly researched bubblegum. The 24-hours news cycle has harmed the media’s once treasured and divine responsibility to be accurate, truthful, and fair. The desire to be first has trumped the desire to be right.

The Landscape Contractor would not be bubblegum. I see many organizations grab headlines from other news sources and pass it off as their own. They don’t provide context, relevance, or a call to action. I appreciate someone going through the trouble of Googling for me, but I not only need access but an understanding of how information impacts me and my business. I would rather a news source waited 90 extra minutes to break news and make sense of it, than merely collect it and regurgitate it for me in my email inbox.

The Editor and Magazine Committee had discussed digital publications for many years. We wanted the reason we pushed for a digital option to not stem from cost. We wanted the needs of the reader, not the needs of ILCA to dictate when a digital option would be necessary. The readers and advertisers continued to ask for ways to share content and interact better with the publication. Business owners wanted to send articles to their entire organizations. Suppliers wanted to quickly reinforce a sales conversation with an ad or article about a new product.

We are delighted to be able to provide a publication that will still produce the beautiful print publication our members have grown to expect. At the same time, our new digital option will allow the magazine to be dissected and shared without scissors, post-it notes, and scotch tape.

I love when the magazine arrives at my office and home. I am still old-school and appreciate taking an hour with a warm cup of coffee. I like the feel of the pages and the sheen of the photos.

Also, the printed magazine is part of a process. It is a process that says I am disengaging for a short while. It offers those rare moments where I switch from working-in to working-on my business. It is why many of our most calming rituals still involve reading whether the Sunday newspaper, book before bed, or a magazine on a turbulent flight.

Each month, the magazine will be posted to our new online site. The site is a digital newsstand with over 18 million publications and 80 million active readers. All members will receive an email that encapsulates the content of that issue. The magazine can be printed or read on the screen. Even better, the new service is customized for mobile devices and tablets. The online version looks absolutely stunning. The colors and photos pop. The ads leap off the page.

My favorite feature is how easily specific content can be shared via email or social media. The online version allows content to be shared on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and LinkedIn. In addition, each issue can be searched for keywords. If a member is looking for an article on liquid deicers or Pachysandra, those terms can be entered into the search feature and voila, it will list every page with results.

So yes, The Landscape Contractor is embracing the digital age. Yet, I feel we are doing more than that. This is not just interacting with a new technology we don’t understand because the kids are doing it or some marketing guru told us we had to.

This is the culmination of a process that required us to better understand our readers and how we can service our members.

It’s a new school direction stemming from an old-school thought process. Every page of the magazine is the result of hours of hard work and attention to detail. Those hours will still remain, as they always have, even if it now takes only seconds to deliver that content to our loyal readers.

Scott Grams December 22, 2014

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The Landscape Contractor January 2015

President’s Message Happy New Year! With 2014 behind us, it is now time to set our

sights on a new season. It seems that most of us in the industry had a successful year and are looking forward to continued growth in 2015. With winter settling in, we can take the time to look back on last year’s successes and failures and try to refine our goals for the coming year.

In December, the ILCA Board of Directors, staff, and a large group of committee chairs and associates attended a strategic planning summit. We spent the afternoon discussing challenges within our industry and what ILCA can do to provide timely and valuable information to our members. Topics discussed among the group included: • How ILCA can help members locate qualified employees to keep up with growing consumer demand.

• How ILCA can increase, improve, or enforce professional standards in the landscape industry.

• How ILCA can meet the need to provide current and relevant training to all levels of the landscape industry.

• How ILCA can improve the visibility, public presence, and consumer awareness of the landscape industry.

• How ILCA can help its members save money when it comes to the business challenges our members face every day such as regulatory issues, worker’s compensation, affinity programs, and the Affordable Care Act.

President

Kevin Vancina Vancina Landscaping, Inc. (815) 726-2300 kvancina@sbcglobal.net

Vice-President

Rusty Maulding Nature’s View (815) 592-7582 rusty@naturesview.info

Secretary-Treasurer

Mike Schmechtig Schmechtig Landscape Company (847) 566-1233 mschmechtig@schmechtiglandscapes.com

Immediate Past President Charlie Keppel The Care of Trees (847) 382-4120 ckeppel@thecareoftrees.com

Directors Mark Breier National Seed Co. (630) 963-8787 mark.breier@natseed.com Lisa Fiore Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply (847) 913-1414 lisa@cjfiore.com Jose Garcia Natural Creations Landscaping, Inc. (815) 724-0991 info@naturalcreationslandscaping.com Lisa Fiore Kositzki Don Fiore Company, Inc. (847) 234-0020 lfiore@donfiore.com Dean MacMorris Night Light, Inc. (630) 627-1111 dean@nightlightinc.net Tom Lupfer Lupfer Landscaping (708) 352-2765 tom@lupferlandscaping.com Maureen Scheitz Acres Group (847) 526-4554 maureen.scheitz@acresgroup.com Donna Vignocchi Zych ILT Vignocchi, Inc. (847) 487-5200 dvignocchi@iltvignocchi.com

www.ilca.net

The results of the summit will be reviewed by the Board of Directors and staff and will result in new programs and initiatives that will hopefully increase the value of everyone’s membership in ILCA. The Board of Directors and the staff of ILCA are always working hard on new ideas and programs to benefit the demands of our membership. We are currently working to rebuild the ILCA website. The plan is to provide a better web experience for both the member and customer. The member enhancements will include a more pronounced presence on LinkedIn and Facebook. We believe that these will be useful platforms for releasing pertinent business information, as well as ILCA event schedules to our members. So, if you use Facebook, please “Like ILCA”, or connect to us through LinkedIn. On the consumer end, an improved consumer portal is in the works, which will assist them in locating a qualified landscape contractor suited to their specific needs.

This month’s issue of The Landscape Contractor will be the first to be available electronically as well as in print. We think this is a pretty big deal, and will be great way for the magazine to be shared within our offices. It will also provide opportunities for our readers to share and comment on articles through social media. We hope that the electronic version will be well-received, but please don’t worry — this is not a replacement of the print version! It is simply another way to promote The Landscape Contractor, and ILCA. And finally, I need to mention the upcoming iLandscape Show on February 25-27 at the Schaumburg Convention Center. I’m looking forward to another hugely successful show and to meet as many of you as I possibly can. For it is you that makes ILCA the great organization that it is!

Best Regards, Kevin Vancina

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

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Native Landscape Contractors, LLC • Leland Chicago Botanic Garden Steep shoreline slopes, poor soil conditions and weakly rooted shoreline plantings (comprised primarily of turfgrass) all contributed to severely eroding slopes along the Chicago Botanic Garden?s Northlake. The erosion, combined with excessive nutrient loading, invasive submergent plants and rough fish activity (caused by carp) led to degraded habitat and water quality necessitating the shoreline restoration. Representing the largest perennial planting in the Garden?s history and covering 6,400 feet of shoreline, this project consisted of more than 120,000 native plugs and 1,000 native shrubs representing 197 native taxa to stabilize shoreline soils and enhance wildlife

habitat. Installed in drifts, the planting demonstrates how native shorelines can be attractively integrated within more traditional landscapes. The planting designed by Living Habitats in conjunction with garden staff included native species, some with roots more than six feet deep, carefully chosen for their ability to anchor eroding shoreline soils and withstand environmental stresses. Providing both form and function, the native plantings filter excess nutrients and enhance habitat for frogs, turtles, fish, mussels, insects, and resident and migratory birds.

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

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Contractor began its Family nursery in Denmar Trees series of articles. These ingrowing up. He gre depth features told the stories of took to make a livi three seminal names in the landbedding plants, veg ILCA Man of the Year — scape industry — Synnestvedt, to horticulture scho Fiore and Damgaard. and then I enlisted The Family Trees series conArmy Corps of Eng tinues in 2013 as we turn our could enlist or be d attention to the Orum family. An enlisted because yo Peter as child in his father’s nursery. ardent supporter and long-time choice. We built br ILCA member, Peter Orum is the bridges, built roads modern prototype of immigrant and did demolition success and industry integration. building and destro by Patrice Peltier His boundless energy and enthugood training that b siasm have propelled a fledgling very much. On my Little’s patronage was definitely company become one of thethat after the working two c Youtomight guess start of bigger things for Midwest someone who started a nursery in his biggest suppliers in the landscape the colonel, the chi Groundcovers. friend’s backyard and built it into a and multi-faceted nursery industries. regiment, said he h The way Orum remembers it, in industry powerhouse But the Midwest success story the fall of 1972, he mailed with a flierthem could be would have a lot of stories to tell. In advertising his groundcovers sevis not simplyallabout one man.ILCA’s mytocivilian life. It this—and other—regards, eral dozen landscape contractors, Man of the Year, Peter Orum, does not Many long-time employees have I wanted to get hoping to drum up a little business. disappoint. dedicated their professional the world. My fath “The only one who came out was After arriving from his native careers to contribute to its sucinInCanada, and I w Ralph Little,” Orum recalls. addiDenmark to work as a trainee at D. Hill tion to talking about groundcovers, cess.Nursery in Dundee, Illinois, the entredo something else.

Little told Orum about ILCA and connection preneurial Orum and his wife, Irma, Much of what is written nursery suggested the $50 membership fee decided to start a ground cover nursery. hereTogether, is the summary recollecworked at D. Hill’s would be a good investment. “I was they propagated 12,000 ground tion covers of theunder individuals involved. before, desperate to sell groundcovers and toD. Hill had 30 glass sashes in the West survive, so I became a member,” Orum recalls.

The Chicago Landscape Contractor haspropagator John Wilde. That That’s how I got in backyard of their friend, Little liked what he saw.

“Pete had quality plant was 1969. attempted to verify and confirm, Imatedidn’t really know rial and obviously knew what he was doing,” Little explains.

Today, that company, Midwest Groundcovers, produces but in some cases cannot offer coming over here t Until then, Little says there wasn’t a nursery that consistently more than 20 million plants—and they’re not just ground covconcrete evidence.

If anyone was going to be t with wife Irmaquality and daughter Christa. provided ground covers.

Little wanted to seeI Orum ers any more. In addition to more than 100 Peter varietiesOrum of ground succeed, so he often passed along cuttings from new plants. has been is purely plant propagator — covers,excluded, the companyitgrows more than 500 varieties of perenHe recalls a time when the enterprising Orum offered to nials and ornamental grasses, 250 species of native plants unintentional. This is not meant to be a scholarly work and is evergreens a year. I knew the basics, but the de prune a bed of Euonymus fortunei Thornapple planted and and more than 170 varieties of deciduous shrubs, broadleaf written solely for the enjoyment of our readers. trainee for a year. Their propagator, John Wilde maintained for a client. It was a good way of getting free cutevergreens, hardy shrub roses, conifers and vines. They also I offer hopetwoyou enjoy this view into the world of Midwest another job. Four months later he left and I bec tings, Little notes. branded planting systems (Midwest Solutions® and ® very was smartdifficult, and very business Little few months Groundcovers.

It is fourth Family Trees feature and forwise,” the first Garden Artistry ), athe consumer-targeted ground cover brand about “Pete is very,That says.

“He entered a market that wasn’t really being filled; he me, and be (Hocus Pocus Groundcovers™),and a local eco-type native the history and families that have helped shape the landscape I drove down to see him. He helped and his wife worked very, very hard, and they became very, plant brand (Natural Garden Natives®). industryOrum andexpanded ILCA. into other areas, too, creatingRR mentor in plant propagation. very successful.”

Midwest

ILCA’s 2014 Man of the Year Peter Orum

Trading and Midwest GROmaster. Since the days when Peter

Along the way, Orum created relationships that continue

ing more than 500 acres. The companies employ a year-round staff of nearly 100 and seasonal staff of up to 200.

“Most people don’t realize how incredibly hard Pete and his wife worked to build Midwest Groundcovers,” says Ralph Little, one of the founders of ILCA and retired owner of Thornapple Landscapes. Little had a birdseye view of the whole process.

“Pete always claimed I was his first customer, but I’m not sure about that,” Little recalls. In point of fact, two years earlier the very first customer was Steve Hagg from John Johnson Landscape Company in Skokie. But Ralph

at Midwest Groundcovers. “He only had enough money to pay me for six weeks,” recalls Pedersen who had worked as a propagator in Europe before meeting Orum at D. Hill Nursery. After that, Pedersen had to find other work to do.

“That’s how I got into landscape contracting,” Pedersen recalls with a chuckle.

About 20 years later, Orum and Pedersen started a nursery together, PP&O. Orum wanted a place where he could still do the hands-on work of growing plants, Pedersen explains.

“He needed a place where he could sit on the tractor and philosophize. He’d be out there plowing the fields until midnight

to this day.

St. 20 and Irma invested their last nickels to purchase five acres in The Landscape Contractor Paul Pedersen, a fellow Dane, was Orum’s first employee Charles, the company has grown to include five locations coverJanuary 2013

10

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

if the weather was right to prepare for planting trees.”

But all that came later. In the beginning, the work was all hands-on…and so was the worry.

“Roy Klehm was very helpful to us in the beginning,” Orum recalls. The Orums propagated shrubs for Klehm. “We delivered them in November, and he paid us by Christmas,” Orum recalls. “That’s how we survived the first few winters.”

By 1973, industry newcomer Frank Mariani became a customer of Midwest Groundcovers. “I remember driving out to St. Charles in one of my first trucks,” Mariani recalls.

“Peter would be waiting for me, and he would help me load.

I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life. I was so impressed by his professionalism and the quality of his plants. But, most importantly, I was impressed by his love of the industry and his integrity. That first meeting led to a friendship that I value to this day. Peter, Irma and their family are first class.”

From the beginning, Orum’s philosophy was that he would succeed by helping his clients succeed. This approach led, among other things, to Orum’s ongoing support of ILCA. “I support ILCA because the members are my customers. It’s really very simple,” he explains.

“Besides, you get to really like the guys, and most of them actually pay their bills,” he adds with characteristic good humor.

In 1976, Midwest Groundcovers participated in Summer Field Day for the first time and continues to do so today.

Several times, the company has hosted the event, starting in 1991. Having enough space is always an issue for hosts of Summer Field Day, according to Orum. In 1991, Midwest Groundcovers was on the brink of expanding its St. Charles site. Large areas had been prepared for erecting growing shelters, but before the shelters went up, Orum used the space for Summer Field Day parking. ILCA added a Ferris wheel for the occasion so that everyone could survey the entire site from the top of the wheel.

In addition to exhibiting at Summer Field Day and sponsoring other events, Orum has encouraged his employees to participate on ILCA committees and attend association programs. Currently, Midwest Company employees serve on the Awards Committee, Membership Committee, Summer Field Day Committee, iLandscape Experience Committee, Women’s Networking Group, Latino Relations Committee and Sustainable Landscaping Committee.

In 1979 The Landscape Contractor magazine identified Peter as someone (continued on page 12) to watch in the industry.

The Landscape Contractor 11 January 2015

ILCA Man of the Year — (continued from page 11) what you do to show your commitment “Peter is one of the most giving peoto the industry and to helping others who ple in the green industry,” says Charlie are coming along.”

Keppel, ILCA immediate past presiKelly credits Orum with instilling in dent. “He gives of himself and he has him that “giving back” philosophy. “I instilled this philosophy in his family. don’t belong to any other organizations, His daughter (Christa Orum-Keller) was but that’s part of why I joined ILCA—to an excellent addition to our ILCA board give back,” Kelly explains. during my tenure. When you look across “Peter’s example is one of joining in the committees, you will see many of and being an active part of the commuPeter’s employees there. This form of nity and energetically working to make giving back to the community starts at the top. It starts with Peter.”

ILCA Past President Barbara Rosborough worked with Orum on the Regulatory & Legislative Affairs Committee.

“Everyone in all aspects of the green industry owes Peter Orum a huge thank you for years of working tirelessly on political concerns to improve our industry,” she says. “He has been an incredibly effective fundraiser for lobbying and scholarships as well. He was also a Christa Orum-Keller learning the business at her Father’s knee. leader in helping young people enter our industry through funda difference,” says his daughter, Christa ing scholarships and internships.”

Orum-Keller, an active ILCA particiAnother ILCA Past President, Leo pant as well as Vice President and Vice Kelly, is one of the young people Chairman for Midwest Groundcovers Orum helped bring into the industry. and Chairman of the Board for Midwest Kelly, who received an ILCA scholarTrading. “He takes an optimistic ‘can ship, vividly remembers when Orum do’ approach, and it is infectious. He came to speak to horticulture students is an absolute inspiration for people to at the University of Illinois-Urbana learn and join in — not stand on the Champaign. Kelly was president of sidelines.” the Hort Club on campus. The group Orum-Keller says she is a winner in had raised money to host speakers like the “dad lottery.” “I cannot imagine havOrum, but when it came time for the ing a better father, inspiration and examgroup to pay expenses and a speakers’ ple,” she says. “He is a constant teacher fee, Orum refused. by nature and balances being realistic “He wouldn’t allow us to pay a with being optimistic. He has built the penny,” Kelly recalls. “He said that’s Midwest culture of customer focus.

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The Landscape Contractor January 2015

“Without our customers and without our focus on serving them, solving problems for them, and providing them something of value and utility, there is no purpose for our business to exist,” Orum-Keller continues. “Peter encourages us to dream and challenge ourselves but to keep ourselves grounded in reality and the practical basics of business—and that starts with our customers.”

Despite years of building relationships in the industry and supporting ILCA, Peter Orum says he was surprised when he learned he’d been named Man of the Year. “I thought it was a mistake,” he recalls. “I said, ‘I’m not even a landscape contractor.’”

Orum would be the first to point out, however, that it takes both growers and contractors to keep ILCA — and the industry — going strong. In fact, that’s pretty much his life philosophy.

“You cannot do it alone. Nobody can do a lot by themselves,” he says.

“I built Midwest Groundcovers with my wife and endless numbers of hard-working people.” He recognizes Midwest Groundcovers President Gary Knosher and Midwest Trading President Joe Hobson as well as the companies’ dedicated employees as being an essential part of the Midwest Companies’ success and their futures. “I think the same is true of ILCA: it’s a team thing,” Orum adds. “We cannot amount to much just on our own.”

ILCA’s Man of the Year arrived in the United States almost 50 years ago on a steamer with a suitcase, a footlocker and a wooden crate. His dream was to one day return to Denmark to start a nursery. Instead, seeing an opportunity here, he built that nursery in St. Charles and in the process helped build an industry. Now that’s a story.

2016 IN THE FIELD DESIGN TOUR

In the Field Design Tour CALL FOR ENTRIES

Deadline for Submissions: July 1, 2015 Tour Date: July 14, 2016

SUBMIT A SITE FOR ILCA’S 2016 DESIGN TOUR

REMEMBER

In the Field Design Tour

In the Field 2016 is an all-­‐day learning field trip that will concentrate on six successfully executed sites that offer important educational viewpoints in design, engineering, construction and maintenance.

At each of the six tour stops, designers will be on hand to discuss various features of the site. These sites have been handpicked from dozens of projects. They will provide an injection of inspiration and a new perspective on the design process.

Site should be able to handle an all day tour with as many as 100 participants on the site at one time (or two groups of 50).

Submitting company should be available to prepare the site for show the day before the tour.

Project designer and contractors involved should be available to present both the educational and technical aspects relevant to the site.

If the site is chosen, the participating firm will be asked to prepare a short description that will be part of the printed program along with photos of the site.

Deadline for submissions is July 1, 2015

Submission Process Electronic submission is the only format that will be accepted.

Selection Criteria Site should be in a 5 mile radius surrounding Hinsdale, IL. This includes: Burr Ridge, Countryside, Darien, Hinsdale, La Grange, Oak Brook, Westchester, Western Springs, and Westmont.

Submit up to five digital photos of the project.

Site should be pre-­‐approved by the property owner prior to submittal.

Photo submissions and a landscape plan (if available) can be done via the Dropbox site.

Email the submission form to information@ilca.net. The submission form is available on the ILCA website ilca.net/design/design_tour.aspx.

In the Field has been conducted in 2010 and 2014. Each tour has been sold out and hosted more than 100 landscape industry professionals.

Submission does not guarantee acceptance.

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

13

ILCA Distinguished Service Award

ILCA Selects— Kaneville Tree Farms for 2014 Distinguished Service Award

by Patrice Peltier

This year’s

in the nursery.

“I feel really good about Distinguished Service Award that,” Ron told The Landscape honors a lifetime of commitment Contractor in 2006 when he to ILCA and the green industry, was named ILCA Man of the according to ILCA Immediate Year.

“They both decided this Past President Charlie Keppel. was what they wanted.”

Actually, make that three lifeRon immediately involved times. them in ILCA. “Dad took us That’s because this year’s to all the events and meetings. recipient, Kaneville Tree Farms, He introduced us to everyone has industry roots three genand encouraged us to learn, erations deep. President Laurie network and ask questions,” Damgaard is the granddaughter Laurie recalls. “We were very of Otto Damgaard. A Danish fortunate that my dad knew so immigrant, Otto dug basements many people. He was the one by hand in Chicago before landwho really got us involved in ing a 10-year stint with the ILCA in the beginning.” famous landscape architect Jens The Kaneville management team l to r: Mark Levandoski, Soon, Laurie was on the Jensen. One of the many landSue Mikowski, Paul Guzzetta and Laurie Damgaard.

Education Committee. Later, mark projects Otto worked on Not [ictured Jose Tellez. she served on membership and was the 1933 Chicago World’s ILCECO task forces, and today she is For many years, he was a negotiator Fair. Eventually, Otto started his own involved on the iLandscape Experience for the Illinois Landscape Contractors landscape company, Otto Damgaard Committee.

Paul joined the Summer Bargaining Association.

Sons.

Field Day Committee in 1997 where he In 1974, Ron started Kaneville Tree Ron Damgaard started working in his has served ever since, even taking on the Farms almost as a hobby, Laurie recalls. father’s company when he was 17. Ron chairmanship a time or two.

At first, the nursery mostly provided started his own concrete construction Following Ron’s example, Laurie trees for Otto Damgaard Sons, but over company after graduating with a degree in and Paul have also encouraged time, it took on a life of its own as a civil engineering. When his father became their employees to attend classes, source of large, quality trees. ill, Ron took over Otto Damgaard Sons Summer Field Day, Mid-Am and “They are the go-to nursery for the and soon became involved in a young now iLandscape.

“At these events, we high-profile jobs we do,” says Christy industry organization: ILCA. take them around and introduce them Webber. “When you need big material, “Dad was a firm believer in jointo customers.

We want them to see when you need someone who knows ing and participating in both the local who’s out there and what the industry how to dig it, care for it, transport it, and national trade associations,” Laurie is all about,” Laurie explains. Grower you go to Kaneville.” recalls. And participate, he did.

Mark Levandoski also helps teach the In the mid 1990s, both Laurie and In addition to serving on the ILCA Spanish-language pruning classes. her brother-in-law, Paul Guzzetta— board, Ron served on numerous comAlthough Laurie grew up in the now vice president of Kaneville Tree mittees including Prevailing Wage and business, her education and work Farms—were both considering career Fair Practice Review, Summer Field experience were in food science and changes. Ron was delighted when each Day, Federation Exploration ad hoc, and nutrition. Paul, too, had experience expressed an interest in being involved Association Coordination Committees.

14 The Landscape Contractor January 2015

outside the industry. When they joined the nursery, both turned to ILCA to help get up to speed in the green industry.

“I’m a really strong supporter of education—both formal and informal,” Laurie says. “There’s a lot of knowledge in our industry that you don’t get out of a book.”

Laurie found that getting involved in ILCA programs and working on committees gave her access to both formal and informal knowledge.

“I’ve gained a lot from networking with the old timers. They have a lot of knowledge. And I’ve also learned a lot at seminars and programs about the latest in technology, how to run your business more efficiently and best management practices,” Laurie says. “You can also learn a lot by brainstorming with people at ILCA functions. That happens a lot when you’re involved in committee work, too.”

Improving the quality of the industry through education was a special interest of Ron’s. He was chair of the fundraising task force for ILCECO and was a founding ambassador of ALCA’s Educational Foundation.

Laurie, too, has been involved in ILCECO although to a lesser degree than her father. In fact, she would love to see industry organizations reaching out to ever-younger audiences. Although programs exist for college students, Laurie would like to see more done to give elementary and middle school students some exposure to the industry. “I strongly believe we need to keep working to attract the next generation to our industry—not only as future business owners and employees but also as appreciators

of landscaping and plants,” she says.

Like her father, Laurie believes education and professionalism are essential. “That’s what lends credibility to a company, an individual and the whole industry, and credibility helps give you a seat at the table with people working on the big projects,” she explains.

“Professionalism and education is what makes people want you on their team.”

Christy Webber was certainly glad to have Kaneville Tree Farms on her team when she was working on the Millennium Park installation. Kaneville Tree Farms provided the large trees for phase 1 of the project.

“It was a very stressful time. There was all kinds of craziness going on. I needed some calmness and expertise and just some love,” Webber recalls. “They all came down—Ron, Laurie and Paul— and walked around with me and put it all in perspective. I was so comforted because they had so much expertise. I was so grateful they took the time to come down there and make sure everything was being done correctly.”

These are qualities Webber continues to appreciate in the Kaneville Tree Farms team. “Things change so quickly in our business, and having a supplier that’s a solid, reliable, old-school business feels really good to people like me who are running around in a million directions,” Webber says. “They are a rock in our industry.”

Frank Mariani agrees. “Ron and his wife were so extremely dear to me, such first-class people…the whole family is. They were—and are—always so supportive and helpful,” he recalls.

“Everything they do is with integrity as a rule and with a win-win goal as a result.

I will always treasure my time with Ron and Sarah as they simply don’t come any better. We could all learn from them.”

“As a young landscape contractor, I looked up to the Damgaards as an example of how to do things,” recalls Scott Byron. “They were my mentors in how to be a part of this industry. They’re good people, reaching out to help, doing the right thing.

“It’s more than quality materials, it’s quality service from good people. In our industry, it’s more than getting a good tree at a good price,” Byron continues.

“That’s one of the things I learned from the Damgaards. I hope we do as good a job of being stewards of the industry as the Damgaards have been.”

As Laurie and Paul look to the future, they hope the various disciplines within the green industry will form ever-closer ties. Strong advocates of the merger of ILCA and IGIA, they were disappointed when that effort failed. “I think it’s important for all the different parts of the industry to work together closely,” Laurie says. “Whether that happens through a merger of associations or in less formal ways, I think working together helps to make our industry even stronger.”

Like a mighty oak, this year’s winners of the Distinguished Service Award, are drawing strength, stability and sustenance from their roots, providing service to those beneath their canopies and planting acorns and ideas to promote healthy growth in the future. That’s the work of several lifetimes.

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

15

Education in Action

Congratulations Scholarship Winners!

Wes Krug UW-Platteville

Tim Murphy College of Lake County

$2,500 Award Schwantz Family Charitable Foundation American Endowment Foundation - Acres Group

$1,000 Award Ronald R. Damgaard Scholarship Otto Damgaard Sons, Inc.

Ryan Ochs Wabash Valley College

Daniel Pignato College of Lake County

$2,500 Award

$750 Award The Theodore Brickman, Jr. Scholarship The Brickman Group

John Martin Memorial Scholarship James Martin Associates, Inc.

Kenneth Fiantago Jr. University of WisconsinPlatteville $1,500 Award Corey D’Ancona Scholarship Bertog Landscape Co. Scholarship

The Illinois Landscape Contractors Education and Charitable Organization (ILCECO) was established to create a perpetual fund for ILCA’s annual scholarships. The ILCECO mission statement is “To promote higher education in horticulture and green industry-related courses by funding an endowment.”

Each year, the ILCECO Board of directors determines the number of scholarships and amounts awarded out of the fund that was established.

2015 Scholarship Applications Available Now www.ilca.net 16

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

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Focus — Business Issues

New Year’s Resolutions for the Landscape Industry ILCA members offer their own insights

By Patrice Peltier

Exercise more. Eat less. Save money. Call

Mom more often. These are just a few of the resolutions many of us make each new year in our personal lives. But what about in our professional lives? As one year ends and another begins, many successful people set goals for their careers or their businesses. Several ILCA members shared their 2015 resolutions with The Landscape Contractor.

Donna Vignocchi ILT Vignocchi, Inc.

“I predict 2015 will be a year we hit the ground running and never stop,” says Donna Vignocchi of ILT Vignocchi, Inc. Like most landscape contractors ILT Vignocchi has slimmed down and become more efficient to survive the economic downturn. Now, as business picks up, everyone in the company will be pushing hard to keep pace, she says.

“My resolution—and my stump speech for 2015—is all about discipline,” she says. “When you’re busy, you can lose focus on the small details that are so important.” Donna will be reminding staff to be disciplined about attending training sessions, doing daily safety checks on vehicles and equipment, keeping the trucks washed and maintaining the monthly management and team meetings.

A second resolution for 2015 is to operate the business in a more environmentally friendly way. In the fall of 2014, the company replaced the turf at one of its facilities with fescue and native plants. In the spring, they’ll do the same at their second facility. “After that, we won’t need mowers at either of our sites,” Donna says proudly.

In 2015, the company will try its first lithium-powered mower. If that’s a success, they’ll look at converting all their mowers, according to Donna. The company will also stop supplying paper goods and plastic utensils in the lunchroom, encouraging employees to bring their own washable dishes— and to wash them, of course.

Donna plans to highlight a couple new practices each year that will help the company become greener. Doing so is one of the ways Donna will keep her 2015 resolution to be disciplined.

18

Rusty Maulding Nature’s View, Inc.

Rusty and Corrie Maulding are taking on a big issue: creating a pipeline of quality seasonal employees.

Since establishing their company, Nature’s View, four years ago, Rusty says one of their biggest problems has been finding good employees. Last year, he and Corrie realized they weren’t alone. The problem was both industry wide and nationwide.

“Looking at this problem as something long term, we’ve decided to start our own grass roots effort at improving the chances of both hiring a better quality employee and elevating the perception of our industry. We hope that in years to come the people we touch will be better consumers even if they decide not to work with us,” Rusty explains.

Their solution? Start young. In 2015, the Mauldings are making a commitment to spend an hour a month with a local junior high school class. “The teacher of this class started out building a butterfly garden that her students could watch and learn from, but the project has evolved to be so much more,” Rusty explains. “We hope to discuss not only how the plants improve the aesthetic of the space, but also illuminate how beneficial it is to the environment and our communities in a very fun and hands-on way.”

In 2015, the couple is planning to speak to several high school horticulture programs and to foster relationships with two community college programs in their area. “We hope that through these relationships we will open the door to the green industry for students who may not have been aware it was a career path as well as support those that are making a commitment to it,” Rusty explains. “We also hope to be better positioned to hire the right candidate when they are ready.”

The couple acknowledges that their efforts may not bear fruit for several years, so what will they do to meet their labor needs this year? “In the short term, we plan to seek the help of a temp service to help fill the void when vacancies occur,“ Rusty says, adding, “And then of course, we plan to attend the iLandscape education session “Labor Pains” in hopes of gaining some additional ideas!”

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

— Special Announcement — Beginning with the JANUARY 2015 edition

Joe Scopelliti Guy Scopelliti Company, Inc.

“In 2015, we want to concentrate on becoming more efficient in all aspects of our business,” says Joe Scopelliti of Guy Scopelliti Company Inc. For starters, the company is focusing on its two biggest issues: fuel cost and labor availability. To address the first issue, the Libertyville-based company has established a new staging area in Highland Park where the company was once located. “We’re moving some of our trucks to Highland Park to be closer to the job sites,” Joe explains. The roundtrip from Libertyville to Highland Park is approximately 34 miles, he says. “Multiply that by six or seven trucks, and you’re burning a lot of fuel.” Joe estimates creating a more centrally-located hub will save the company about 15% on fuel costs.

The second issue, labor, is a bit trickier to address, according to Joe. Like many others, the company is concerned about labor shortages in the coming year. “We don’t see the number of applications each spring that we once did,” he notes. He thinks fewer young people are willing to put up with the challenges of outdoor work. “The work force is more transient. It seems as though the landscape industry isn’t a destination any more, it’s a stepping stone,” he says.

The company strives to retain its good employees; now it will have to also become more efficient in recruiting new ones, Joe explains. This year, he anticipates focusing on recruiting through word of mouth and referrals from existing employees, but he doesn’t have any magic bullets for addressing this problem.

“It’s going to be challenging,” he predicts.

Ashley Marrin Bret-Mar Landscape Management Group, Inc.

Ashley Marrin of Bret-Mar Landscape Management Group, Inc. is taking on technology in 2015. “My new year’s resolution is for everyone at Bret-Mar to understand the technology available to us and use it to its full potential,” she says.

“Just last week we brainstormed the idea of having something called “iTTuesday.” (continued on page 20)

ILCA will also publish a fullyinteractive, digital version of The Landscape Contractor.

Each month, a link to the digital version will be sent to ILCA members along with a brief synopsis of the that issue’s contents.

The magazine will be posted at issuu.com. Here, members can choose to follow the publication, and in doing so, be notified of all future editions as they are published.

The digital edition will provide direct access links to advertisers and email links to the ILCA Board of Directors, Staff and authors, where noted.

The digital version does not replace the print edition. It is designed to enhance reader experience and broaden the overall readership of the magazine.

It is an easy-to-use format that will be be available in desktop format or for any of the common mobile devices.

Please let us know how you like this member enhancement and how you plan to utilize it in your business.

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

19

Focus — Business Issues (continued from page 19) During 2014, the company updated its technology, but business was so brisk they didn’t have time to fully master the technology’s potential. This winter, Ashley plans to teach key employees how to use technology for better efficiency. Her goals include: Teaching foremen to take before, during, and after photos of a project they are working on with their smart phone or iPad. These photos could be shared with the project manager if he is unable to be on site that day or automatically upload to a Dropbox account for the office to file in the customer’s folder and even use for marketing.

Teaching drivers to use their smart phones for navigation and to use the Bluetooth for communication while driving.

Teaching the design and sales team to use the iPad to remotely access the company’s system to create an invoice or estimate on the spot, look up customer contact information while in the field, and show a customer pictures of completed projects or examples of plant material. She’s also looking forward to exploring the possibilities available through the company’s new design software that helps create perspectives and even movies for presentations.

“Technology can do so much for us and the possibilities are never ending,” she says. “Each day new ideas are created.”

Katrina House Xylem, Ltd.

At Xylem this year, Katrina House plans to focus being more goal-oriented.

“In the past, it’s always been a matter of ‘Get it done,’” she explains.

This year, she will communicate the company’s goals verbally and in writing and ask employees to set their own goals for the year. With 50 employees in four locations, managing the goal-setting and communication process could be challenging, Katrina says. The process will vary depending upon the job title and location, she explains.

Goal-setting might even be a challenge for Katrina who says “I have a thousand things I would like to implement, but I just can’t get to everything.

That’s why my New Year’s resolution is to have more hours in a day, but I don’t think I’m going to make that happen.”

Tom Lupfer Lupfer Landscaping

Tom Lupfer of Lupfer Landscaping is both diversifying and streamlining in 2015.

The diversification is actually something Lupfer’s wife, Gretchen, is heading. She is starting a new company named Lupfer Land Stewards that will specialize in natural areas, forest preserves and roadways, Tom says. Between the two of them, they’ll be diversified across the scope (continued on page 22)

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Focus — Business Issues (continued from age 20) of the green industry—from traditional design/build/maintenance to restoration and stewardship.

Two income streams is a big plus, according to Tom. He also likes the way the new company will help the couple deal with competitive pressures and the anticipated labor crunch. “You can’t just get a lawnmower and a truck and get into the stewardship business,” he says.

“It takes some technical expertise. The labor force is trained, college educated and plentiful. “I can take my experience and my business structure and transform that into a new service area very quickly,” he predicts.

Meanwhile, at Lupfer Landscaping, Tom plans to streamline the design process so that he can sign clients at the first meeting. He plans to present sketches and a high-tec bid sheet on a tablet when meeting with prospective customers for the first time. “I’ll either leave with a check, or I’ll say ‘Call me when you’re ready to proceed,’” he explains. “My

22

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

focus is going to be to move from the initial phone call to the start of construction within two weeks.”

Given the cost of labor, Tom is trying to avoid the scenario where a designer attends several client meetings, provides multiple drawings, and then the prospective client decides to bid out the job. “If you have three big designs go down the drain, that’s thousands and thousands of dollars you can’t recover,” he notes.

Between streamlining the design process and diversifying into land stewardship, Tom hopes to make his traditional business more profitable while expanding into a potential growth area.

“Besides,” he says with a chuckle, “with my wife running this new business, it’s bound to succeed.”

Kim Hartmann Countryside Flower Shop & Nursery Kim Hartmann wears a couple of hats

at Countryside Nursery and Garden Center. In addition to being a landscape designer, she is responsible for providing educational programs for adults and youth about gardening, landscaping and green practices.

“I’m passionate about education, so my New Year’s Resolution is to continue to develop my knowledge so I can continue to share my passion for growing things with others,” Kim explains. One of her goals is to exceed her 2014 record of completing 100 hours of continuing education.

She calls the diversity of education available through ILCA “top notch“. In fact, she serves on the ILCA Education Committee where she hopes to influence and involve colleagues in keeping their skills fresh.

Kim believes attending ILCA and other green-industry education programs has been a great benefit to her professionally. “I’m more likely to take advantage of new plants and techniques after attending educational

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Bob Hursthouse Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors

In 2015, Bob Hursthouse of Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors will continue to look for new ways to pursue an ideal he’s been stalking for quite some time: being intentional.

This year, the pursuit promises to be more pleasing than it has in the last few years.

“The business climate is finally improving. We’re all busy,” he points out.

“We’re not asking ‘How do we survive’ but ’How do we grow, make the next improvements, add to what we’re doing,’” he says. “It’s way more fun to be intentional about forward progress.”

This year’s quest is being shaped by the book Drive in which author Daniel

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In team meetings, the staff has been exploring time management, use of technology to improve critical thinking, skill sets where individuals have—or are acquiring—mastery and how those can be used to best effect for the company’s benefit as well as how each team member’s personal sense of purpose aligns with that of the company.

“We’ve generated some fabulous lists, details and answers to those questions, and we have eight to ten really strong takeaways that we’ll be working on over the winter,” Hursthouse says. “The strength of this is that it didn’t come from me.

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The Landscape Contractor January 2015

23

Garden Speak — Practical Plant Evaluations

Geraniums don’t stop at

Editor’s note— Richard Hawke of the Chicago Botanic Garden offers his insight into some new geraniums worthy of your consideration. Hawke is also a speaker at iLandscape 2015.

By Patrice Peltier

For some years now, when it

comes to hardy geraniums, all the buzz has been about Rozanne. Certainly, the acclaim is well deserved, but there are a number of other exemplary geranium species and cultivars to add to your plant palette. Just ask Richard Hawke, plant evaluation manager at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Hawke has trialed more than 180 varieties over 17 years.

Of these, seven have received the highest rating based on heavy flower production, strong plant habit and good health, cultural adaptability and winter hardiness. Here’s what Hawke has to say about the top performers.

If you’re looking for pale blue flowers, two geraniums — ‘Blue Cloud’ and ‘Brookside’ — are superior to the old standby, ‘Johnson’s Blue.’ “In our trial, ’Brookside’ had a compact, wellmannered habit that was far superior to the floppy ‘Johnson’s Blue,’” Hawke notes. In the more competitive environment of his home garden, Hawke says ‘Brookside’ can mix it up a bit more, but he doesn’t mind. “The pretty, pale-eyed flowers are delightful as the stems weave and wind through their neighbors,” he says. In midsummer when the plant stops blooming, Hawke cuts it back to encourage new leaves. In fall, he appreciates the red and burgundy foliage color.

24

G. ‘Blue Cloud’ also has lavender-blue flowers, but these are etched with magenta veins. The 1 ¼-inch wide flowers are produced in profusion on robust stems.

Although the plant maintains an upright habit throughout the bloom period, the stems begin to fall in midsummer.

Hawke recommends cutting the plant back at that point to produce a new flush of deeply dissected leaves and to maintain a tidy habit. Fall foliage color is red.

You might be familiar with the G. x cantabrigiense cultivars ‘Cambridge’ or ‘Biokovo’ (the 2015 Perennial Plant of the Year), but the top performer in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s trials was ‘St. Ola.’ From mid-May through early July, 80% of this plant was covered in 1-inch, pure white flowers. The lowspreading habit, makes ‘St. Ola’ a good ground cover.

The plant did not require deadheading. Unlike many hardy geraniums, St. Ola’s fragrant foliage did not develop fall color.

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

Rozanne Although many hardy geraniums grow well in sun or shade, G. ‘Moran’ is a violet-blue-flowered hybrid that performs best in full sun. Growing 24 inches tall with a slightly wider spread, ‘Moran’ is covered with 1 ¼ -inch flowers from early to late spring. Hawke particularly likes the way this plant’s flowers open purple and change to iridescent blue in early May. If Hawke had to pick just one geranium for his own garden, he says it would be G. macrorrhizum, aka bigroot geranium. “It’s one of the easiest plants I know of to grow.

It’s adaptable to sun or shade, is drought tolerant, doesn’t need shearing, and it’s beautiful, too,” he explains. The best-performing bigroot geranium in the trial was ‘Lohfelden,’ which is abundantly covered in 1-inch, soft pink blooms from midspring to early summer.

G. macrorrhizum’s slightly sticky, fragrant foliage turns red, orange and burgundy in fall.

“Everything about ‘Orion’ is supersize,” Hawke says of the largest geranium in the trial. This variety grows 30 inches tall and 6 feet wide with purple-blue flowers that measure nearly 2 inches wide.

That brings us to Rozanne (G. ‘Gerwat’), which not only was a top performer in this trial, but was named 2008 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association and received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. “The plant is perpetually in bloom,” says Hawke, who especially appreciates the iridescent flowers in autumn when little else is blooming. In his own garden, Hawke has paired Rozanne with Clematis ‘Mrs. Robert Brydon’. He calls the

combination of Rozanne’s white-eyed, purple-blue flowers with the lavender and creamy white clematis flowers “sublime.”

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

25

Garden Speak — Practical Plant Evaluations

7 Four-Star Geraniums Name

Exposure

Height

Spread

Flower Color

G. ‘Blue Cloud’

Full sun to partial shade Full sun to partial shade Full sun to full shade

26’’

40”

24”

38”

Pale lavenderblue Lavenderblue

10”

43”

White

1”

Full sun to full shade

8”

18”

Very pale pink

1”

Full sun

24”

26”

Violet-blue

1 ¼”

Full sun to partial shade Full sun to partial shade

30”

72”

Purple-blue

1 ¾”

20”

60”

Purple-blue

1 ½”

G. ‘Brookside’ G. x cantabrigiense ‘St. Ola’ G. macorrhizum ‘Lohfelden’ G. ‘Moran’ G. ‘Orion’ G. Rozanne (‘Gerwat’)

Three to watch

Hawke hates to say too much about plants that are fairly new to the trials. But here are three that show promise.

G. soboliferum ‘Starman’ blooms later in the season than most hardy geraniums— waiting until late summer for its 1 ½-inch wide purple flowers with darker veins and a prominent starburst at the center.

‘Starman’ grows 16 inches tall and 36 inches wide.

G. soboliferum ‘Butterfly Kisses’ blooms a week or two later than ‘Starman’ and continues well into fall. Its 1 ½-inch wide flowers are light purple-pink with prominent red-purple veins. The plant grows 20 inches tall and 50 inches wide.

26

Flower Size (Diameter) 1 ¼” 1 ½”

Bloom Period

Flower Coverage

Midspring to midsummer Midspring to late summer Midspring to early summer Midspring to early summer Early spring to late spring Midspring to late summer Early summer to late fall

Good Good Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Good

‘Perfect Storm’ has what Hawke calls “an exuberant look” that comes from its magenta-pink flowers with dark purple veins and a black eye. In its first year in the trial, Hawke reports “Perfect Storm was in constant bloom from spring to late fall with handsome, downy, gray-green leaves complementing the eyecatching flowers.” ‘Perfect Storm’ grows 8-inches tall and 24 inches wide with trailing stems.

More information on the geranium trials at Chicago Botanic Garden can be found at http:// www.chicagobotanic.org/research/ornamental_ plant_research/plant_evaluation.

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

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More Highlights from Fall Events

Old Timers’ Group Holds Annual Event The 8th

Annual ILCA Old Timers’ Gathering was held at the La Villa Restaurant in Chicago, October 18, 2014. Long-time members, past and present, enjoyed the afternoon of ILCA fellowship and memories.

Over the past seven years, this event has donated more than $3,000 to the ILCECO scholarship fund. A check was presented to ILCA Executive Director Scott Grams at the Annual Membership Meeting on November 9, 2014.

The event is the idea of, and singlehandedly organized by ILCA historian George Weyland. George deserves a sincere round of thanks for keeping ILCA’s memory alive.

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The Landscape Contractor January 2015

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iLandscape

TM

the illinois + wisconsin Landscape Show

iLandscape 2015 =

por Meta Levin

Escuchar. Eso es lo que ha estado haciendo

el Comité de Educación de iLandscape. Ha revisado detenidamente los comentarios de las personas que asistieron el año pasado al evento, prestando atención especial a lo que les gustó, lo que no les gustó y lo que les gustaría en 2015.

El comité analizó quiénes asistieron, encontrando que el año pasado, además de los contratistas, asistió al increíble programa, un público diverso compuesto por arquitectos paisajistas, diseñadores y propietarios de negocios.

Recorrido

“El año pasado, muchos de los asistentes aprovecharon las sesiones educativas ofrecidas con tarifas económicas”, afirma Steve Raczak, co-presidente del comité de educación.

Las respuestas de los participantes mostraron que prefirieron las sesiones prácticas participativas, como el recorrido (walkabout), que les permitió visitar varios despliegues y viveros junto con un

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experto, que señaló y describió con muchos conocimientos las plantas y materiales. Roy Diblick, proponente del uso de plantas sostenibles — también populares entre los asistentes — dirigirá el recorrido este año.

El comité identificó de cinco a seis temas amplios que despertaron el interés de los asistentes, incluyendo: horticultura, tendencias, negocios, elementos sólidos en paisajismo y eventos participativos como el recorrido.

Comprendiendo que las personas aprenden más de programas que además de enseñar, entretienen, el comité se empeñó en planificar sesiones educativas que hicieran ambas cosas. También se aseguró de que al menos una sesión en cada bloque ofreciera unidades de educación continua (CEU, por sus siglas en inglés) para arquitectos paisajista.

una rosa es...

Las ofertas son variadas y dinámicas. Ping Lim, experto y cultivador de rosas de renombre mundial, presentará una tarde de rosas seleccionadas especialmente por él, en base a su resistencia y maravillosa fragancia. “Hay una explosión de rosas”, afirma Raczak. “Esto deberá despertar el interés de contratistas, arquitectos y

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

= i¡Más Educación! diseñadores”. Educado en horticultura en la Universidad Nacional de Taiwán, el interés de Ping Lim en el cultivo de las rosas comenzó en los viveros DeVor, Mt. Eden y Bailey, después de inmigrar a Estados Unidos. Sus esfuerzos de hibridación se concentran en variedades “eco-positivas” que también se cultivan por su resistencia a las enfermedades, fragancia, forma compacta y floración durante toda la temporada.

Desde 2012 ha estado estableciendo y dirigiendo el programa de cultivo de rosas y otras plantas de floración tropical en Altman Plants de Vista, CA. Desde que inmigró a Estados Unidos ha producido más de 30 variedades, actualmente disponibles comercialmente por todo el país, Europa y Asia.

DNA empresarial

“AND Empresarial: Cómo distinguir a los generadores de negocios y ganancias de los depredadores de ganancias y los quejumbrosos (antes de contratarlos)” ayudará a los contratistas de paisajismo a verse ellos mismos, a su gente y sus estrategias comerciales bajo un nuevo enfoque. Esta sesión está diseñada para proporcionar a los asistentes medidas practicables para impulsar el crecimiento sostenible de sus negocios.

Presentado por Dean MacMorris, miembro de ILCA y vicepresidente de Night Light, y Barry Saltzman, parte del equipo de BOSI Global, el programa está diseñado para mostrar cuántos problemas en los negocios están ligados con su “AND empresarial”. MacMorris

tiene una experiencia de más de 25 años en ventas, mercadotecnia y gestión de proyectos. Ha hablado en Mid Am, la Universidad de Illinois, Purdue University, la Sociedad Estadounidense de Diseñadores de Interiores, la Illinois Turfgrass Foundation, el Arboreto Morton y el Simposio de Expertos Arbóreos de Bartlett y sus artículos han aparecido en una variedad de publicaciones.

Saltzman cuenta también con sólidos antecedentes en ventas. También ha servido como estratega y coach y ha ocupado puestos de liderazgo superior en diferentes compañías. Para la cartera de compañías BOSI diseña sistemas de ventas para crecimiento escalable y ayuda con el reclutamiento, la capacitación y el coaching de profesionales de ventas y gerentes. (continued on page 52)

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a la manera italiana

elementos sólidos

Diviértase un poco durante su aprendizaje en “A la manera italiana: Cómo los negocios de éxito se desarrollan en base a la lealtad y el respeto”, que hará un reconocimiento a las familias italianas que han manejado con éxito negocios de contratación de servicios de paisajismo y actividades conexas durante generaciones.

El panel, que incluirá a Don Fiore, Charles J. Fiore, Harry Vignocchi, Rocco Fiore y el moderador Tony LoBello, se sentará alrededor de una mesa de comedor simulada.

“Hemos convocado a una generación de líderes empresariales que desarrollaron sus negocios tratando a su clientela correctamente y hacienda las cosas correctamente”, dice Raczak.

que nieve

Para más consejos sobre negocios, consulte “Cómo licitar trabajos de remoción de nieve sin afectar las ganancias”. Rich Arlington, de Rich Arlington & Associates, es un veterano con 30 años de experiencia en el negocio de la remoción de nieve y hielo.

Guiará a los participantes ayudándoles a comprender las tácticas estratégicas necesarias para hacer ofertas ganadoras y obtener ganancias durante la temporada de nieve. Incluyendo: Conozca su mercado

cuatro estaciones de belleza

Apilamiento

La remoción es su líder en pérdidas Precios de la sal

Equipos

Desencadenantes de nevadas Estrategias para hacer ofertas Operaciones de preparación, materiales, personal y contratos. “Él conoce el negocio”, asegura Janice Guiborat, co-presidente del Comité de Educación.

“Probablemente el 60 por ciento de los miembros de ILCA remueven nieve durante los meses de invierno. Para todos los que trabajan con la nieve y necesitan producir más dinero, esta sesión es imprescindible”.

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La sesión sobre elementos sólidos en paisajismo también se concentrará en el ángulo comercial, con “¿Cuánto debo cobrar por ese patio?” Dirigida a dueños y estimadores, la clase, presentada por Greg Ambrose. de Vander Kooi & Associates, guiará a los asistentes por los elementos básicos de los cálculos de materiales y mano de obra, además de cómo computar los gastos generales de la compañía y los aumentos de precios de los materiales. Este programa práctico incluirá la oportunidad de desarrollar una oferta completa para un proyecto y practicar cómo venderlo.

Un profesional con experiencia en el campo de los elementos sólidos, Ambrose es Instructor de Primer Nivel del Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (Instituto de Pavimento con Adoquines de Concreto / ICPI), que ha impartido más de 100 clases y certificado a más de 3,000 estudiantes.

También da clases de Nivel 2 en el ICPI y tiene certificados de la National Contract Management Association (NCMA) y de la Escuela de Pavimentación Segmentada Avanzada, donde también es instructor.

Si le interesan los negocios, la horticultura y las tendencias, iLandscape también tiene algo para usted. Galen Gates, de Gates Landscape Garden Design, presentará un programa sobre “Cuatro estaciones de belleza en Chicago (realmente)”, que se concentrará en celebrar los cambios estacionales en jardines. Galen identificará algunas de sus plantas favoritas, que añadirán interés, color y drama, incluso color y fragancia, durante las estaciones.

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

deleites coníferos

Las coníferas de hoja perenne son parte de la paleta paisajista en un área que puede experimentar inviernos muy fríos. Para tratar este tema, Dave Wanninger de Boerner Botanical Gardens en Hales Corner, WI, presentará “Coníferas para la región superior del Medio Oeste”. Las coníferas con frecuencia se usan como plantas protectoras que proporcionan cobertura y alimentos para la fauna y flora durante todo el año. Wanninger recomienda superar la mentalidad de “plantar tejos si hay sombra y enebros si hay sol” y aumentar la diversidad, belleza y salud de las plantas de hoja perenne con algunas nuevas ofertas.

el aroma de los lúpulos

El Comité de Educación está configurando una sesión que incluye información sobre el cultivo de lúpulos de calidad superior para uso en la elaboración de cerveza, así como quizá una breve sesión de degustación (de cerveza, no de lúpulos).

Matt McCarroll, PhD, director del Instituto de Ciencias de la Fermentación y profesor del Departamento de Química y Bioquímica de la Southern Illinois University (Universidad de la Región Sur de Illinois), discutirá los diferentes tipos de lúpulos, cómo cultivarlos mejor y la relación entre lúpulos, cerveza y paisajismo.

cultivos industriales

Y si realmente quiere estar en la vanguardia, verifique la sesión sobre el cultivo de la marihuana para el nuevo mercado de la marihuana medicinal. “El potencial económico es asombroso”, dice Raczak. Chris Ragan, de Dynamic Growth LLC, guiará a los participantes a lo largo de su recorrido que incluirá lecciones que ha aprendido en el camino. Su presentación incluirá: Asesoramiento comercial Cómo manejar el ángulo comercial Cómo lidiar con los problemas untos clave para inversores en P la industria de la marihuana “Cubrirá puntos clave para los que deseen involucrarse en este negocio”, afirma Guiborat.

buscando el futuro

Por primera vez habrá una sesión diseñada para estudiantes. Brian Clement y Judy Burgholzer del College of DuPage hablarán a los estudiantes sobre oportunidades de trabajo dentro de la industria y los guiarán por el piso de exhibiciones, presentándoles a varios expositores y orientándolos acerca del tipo de preguntas que deben hacer a los empleadores potenciales.

También habrá un tablero de trabajos disponible.

“Los asistentes saldrán de de 2015 iLandscape con muchos conocimientos útiles para mejorar sus negocios”, asegura Guiborat.

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ILCA Business Library Cyber-Security Expert Offers Tips to Safeguard Your Information By: Gary S. Miliefsky

711 S Material Road, Romeoville, IL 800-762-5738 * 815-836-0086 RocksEtc@ATT.net

VISIT OUR BOOTH #534 AT THE

ON FEBRUARY 25-27. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

We’ve all lost our identity at least three times, with more than 930 million records breached, lost or stolen to hackers and cyber criminals, says consumer advocacy non-profit Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

Why don’t we do all we can to stay safer online?

According to StaySafeOnline.org, more than a quarter of Americans say they lack the information necessary.

So, here it is – everything you need to know to enjoy the shopping experience without losing your privacy and identity or putting your children’s safety at risk: • Assume you’ve already been compromised. Whether it’s your baby monitor, your SmartTV, the Webcam on your laptop or apps you installed on your smartphone or tablet, your antivirus is not enough protection. It’s time to take those devices’ and apps’ privacy policies, and the permissions you grant them, much more seriously.

• Change your passwords – all of them. Now. And do it as frequently as you can tolerate. Also, if you don’t want to change it often, then use any unique characters you can think of, such as a dollar sign ($) or exclamation mark (!), or replace an “oh” with a “zero” (0). This goes a long way in preventing attacks against your password.

• Turn off wireless and geolocation services. Protect your smartphones and tablets by turning off WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and GPS, except when you need them. That way, if you are at a local coffee shop or in a shopping mall, no one can spy on you using nearby (proximity) hacking attacks and they can’t track where you were and where you are going on your GPS. • Assume most of your apps are creepware. Do you really need them?

Delete all of the apps you aren’t using too often. Replace apps that ask

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Your native plant nursery Bioswales • Basins • Shorelines • Stormwater Phone 608.223.3571

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The Landscape Contractor January 2015

Fax 608.884.4640

ecosolutions@agrecol.com

for too many permissions and take advantage of too many of your privacy settings -- like GPS, phone and sms logs, personal identity information – with similar apps that don’t.

• Opt out of sharing your information. Opt out of every advertising network that you can. Visit the National Do Not Call Registry and register your smartphone and home phone numbers at www.donotcall.gov. If you use a Google email account and have an Android phone, even with your GPS off, it’s tracking your every move. (Log in to maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/0 and see for yourself.) Go into your smartphone or tablet settings and turn this feature off.

In your Android phone, go to Settings, then Location, select Google Location Reporting and set Location History to off. The same holds true for the Apple iPhone, iPad and iTunes. You need to find the location and privacy settings and turn off access under Settings, then Privacy then Location.

• Your browser is a double agent – keep it clean. It is spying on you for advertisers unless you block and remove cookies and

delete the cache frequently. In your web browser settings, delete your history, all cookies and passwords and the cache. You should do this frequently so you don’t leave personal information sitting around on your computer, smartphone or tablet.

• Remove third-party Facebook plugins.

Third-party plugins are mini applications designed to eavesdrop on your behavior in Facebook and possibly grab information about your habits within that social network. Some websites you visit will require you to log in using Facebook, and then you have to trust them to connect to your Facebook account. This is very risky. Read their privacy policy and make sure they are a legitimate business before you risk doing this.

• Only shop on the websites of companies you already trust. If you don’t know where the merchant is located, don’t shop online there. If they don’t have a corporate address or are located in another country, it is risky for you and you may never see the goods you think you purchased. Also,

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ILCA Business Libra if their shopping cart experience is not an HTTPS browser session, then everything you type in, your name, address and credit card information, is going over the internet unencrypted -- in plain view.

BARTLETT. BECAUSE FULL, HEALTHY TREES MAKE FOR FULL, HEALTHY LIVES. The trees and shrubs that shade us and grow along with us are valuable assets that deserve care and protection. For over 100 years, we’ve led both the science and services that make landscapes and customer relationships thrive. No matter the size or scope of your customers tree and shrub care needs, our experts provide you with a rare mix of local service, global resources and innovative practices.

Trees add so much value to our lives. And Bartlett adds even more value to trees.

For the life of your trees.

NORTHBROOK

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CALL 877 BARTLETT 877.227.8538 OR VISIT BARTLETT.COM

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The Landscape Contractor January 2015

• Turn off geotagging – your photos are full of information. Twitter and Instagram as well as your iPhone will give away your location. Most people don’t realize Twitter and Instagram both use geotagging for everything you send out. Geotagging stores the latitude and longitude of your tweet or image. Pictures you take on an iPhone usually store geotagging information, as well. The less information you give out about where you are located, the safer you are.

• Don’t use cash or debit cards – use credit cards, wisely. Credit cards allow you to travel with less cash, and if you’re purchasing online, it’s safer to give your credit card than your debit card information. The same holds true when you visit

Greg Pierceall

ary

Consulting Design Educator, Landscape Architect Professor Emeritus, Purdue Landscape Architecture pierceal@purdue.edu — 765-427-9326 cell

your local retail outlet. The reason? If you experience identity theft, credit card laws allow you to keep all of your credit, with no responsibility during an investigation.

With a debit card, your bank can tie up your money in the amount equivalent to the fraudulent transactions for up to 30 days.

L

andscape, site and garden design coaching/ critiques Educational experience that’s individual, directed, experienced, and practiced. Landscape design educational understanding of information, organization, critiques, with resources. “The key to good site and landscape design is asking the right questions and finding the appropriate answers” Designers are space organizers, thus design should distill the complex to the basic functional parts while finding the forms and fun in the fundamental.

About Gary S. Miliefsky Gary S. Miliefsky is CEO of SnoopWall (www.snoopwall.com) and the inventor of SnoopWall spyware-blocking technology. He is a founding member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and serves on the advisory board of MITRE on the CVE Program, and is a founding board member of the National Information Security Group. He’s also the founder of NetClarity, Inc., an internal intrusion defense company, based on a patented technology he invented.

Why? : Design foundations “Design is invisible until it

does not work”, present design solutions that identify design seeking and problem solving. Utilizing design and its process to illustrate the “value added” to a “designed project” by your organization. Critiques, get a fresh eye on your past and current projects, process and designs reSources have an individual contact to question, get responses and feedback that’s personal. Professional and directed to your situation and practice Communications , graphic, written and verbal dialog of landscape vocabulary, design understanding, all an investment in your projects, clients and career. Growth what’s old can be new, new views and options looking at “space, place, case, taste, time and individual-personal project needs”© as the design process drivers.

Who? Individuals, teams, companies, organizations and communities

Delivery options: face to face, on-line/phone discussions, presentations, workshops or what ever is needed to fit your needs, location and career/company situation.

Contact: Greg Pierceall at pierceal@purdue.edu or phone 765-427-9326 for topics, calendar, location availability and fees.

Now scheduling for Winter 2015 as well as selected open sessions.

Have you considered propane?

Are you purchasing a new mower?

It is a cleaner and less expensive fuel than gasoline or diesel. You could receive rebates up to $4,500 for purchasing new propane mowers, or converting new mowers to propane. If you have an older mower you would like to convert to propane you could receive a rebate of up to $1,000 per mower.

Call your propane provider for details or Illinois Propane Gas Association at 800-727-6207.

Additional rebates are available at www.usepropane.com

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

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Classified Ads HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

***ACRES GROUP CAREER OPPORTUNITIES***

Wingren Landscape, Inc. is an award winning full-service landscape company for both residential and commercial properties. Our outdoor services are virtually limitless and include fullscale landscape design, construction, maintenance, lighting, and irrigation. We are all things outdoors.

Founded on a commitment to excellence since 1957. We are seeking experiencedcandidates for the following full time positions:

Clesen Wholesale, a leading grower and distributor of seasonal annuals and winter decorations is looking to hire an Account Manager and a Purchasing Manager. We have three commercial greenhouses in Evanston, Lake Villa and Grayslake IL, with our corporate offices in Evanston. If you are a motivated professional with proven results and are looking to join an industry leader with an enjoyable work environment, we are the place for you.

Acres Group, one of the top 20 landscape contractors in the nation, has the following open positions.

MAINTENANCE PRODUCTION: *MANAGER in Plainfield-Manage multiple crews, equipment and materials during landscape and snow seasons. Assure quality service & customer satisfaction while monitoring job costs & crew safety. Provide ongoing training and development. Fluency w/Spanish highly preferred.* SALES: *ACCOUNT MANAGERS (junior & senior levels) Plainfield & Roselle- Manage a portfolio of accounts in lawn and snow providing high levels of customer service, make horticultural recommendations & sell property enhancements in lawn and ice melt in snow, sell new contracted lawn & snow accounts.* FLEET MAINTENANCE: *MECHANIC in Roselle-Perform preventive maintenance service on all vehicles and equipment to ensure proper working function during both landscape and snow seasons. Repair brake, engine, electrical, fuel, hydraulic, transmission, ignition, computer, air, exhaust, drive line, axle assemblies and all other related systems.* Join our industry leading team! To view full job descriptions and apply online visit us at www. acresgroup.com or contact Amy@ 847-487-5071 ***PROJECT MANAGER*** Walsh Landscape-in Plainfield seeks a Project Manager to coordinate and manage multiple crews for residential design and build division. Actively participate with planning, scheduling, budgeting, safety, training and customer service.

Please visit our website www.walshlandscape.com and apply online or contact Amy@847-487-5071 Beverly Environmental is a South Chicago based landscaping company. We are seeking an experienced landscape manager. This position will focus on landscape maintenance and snow removal as well as pursuing new business opportunities. This is a salaried position with benefits. Please email resume to: astraughn@beverlyenvironmental.com

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Residential Architect / Designer This person will be responsible for managing all phases of residential design projects of varying types and sizes from initial client outreach to project managing the job to completion. The position involves design, sales and project management.

• B.S. Landscape Architecture or demonstrated experience • Ability to produce high-quality creative designs, estimate and sell jobs.

• Intermediate to advanced skill level in Autocad, Sketch Up, Adobe Photoshop, and MS Office • 5 plus years of experience preferred, Licensed in Illinois a plus Residential Superintendent/Project Manager This person will be responsible for field managing all phases of residential design projects of varying types and sizes.

• Demonstrated experience managing high end residential jobs and multiple crews

Account Manager: Job Responsibilities and Qualifications • Establish new accounts and develop long-term business relationships • Service and grow an existing portfolio of accounts • Achieve yearly revenue targets • A minimum of 3 years of horticultural industry experience • A minimum of 3 years of sales/account management experience • Purchasing experience is desirable but not necessary • Proficient in MS Office • Bachelor’s degree preferred Purchasing Manager: Job Responsibilities and Qualifications • Manage a team of purchasers • Program development • Vendor management and negotiations

• Extensive hardscape construction experience

• Product specifications and pricing

• Plant identification and layout

• Purchase product utilizing a purchase order system

• Bi-lingual a plus Please send resume and work sample to Matt Thumm at: mthumm@wingrenlandscape.com Commercial Maintenance/ New Business Development Applicant shall be a highly motivated and creative professional who is looking to work in a team environment.

Please send your resume and salary history to Brian Dolwick, General Manager of Maintenance at: briand@wingrenlandscape.com

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

• Schedule vendor shipments • Quality control on all products • Maintain inventory accuracy • Meet order fulfillment goals • Achieve yearly gross margin targets • A minimum of 3 years of horticultural industry experience • A minimum of 3 years of purchasing experience • Proven leadership skills

Classified Ads HELP WANTED • Strong analytical abilities • Proficient in MS Office • Bachelor’s degree preferred Send a cover letter, resume, and salary history to Careers@clesen.com RYCO Landscaping Commercial Sales / Business Development-Chicagoland Area With a focus on prospecting, business development, account management, and building long term business relationships, we are seeking a highly motivated, creative, professional who can sell sustainable, profitable work and to completely satisfy our customers. If you have 3-5+ years successful landscape sales experience, are proficient with basic MS software, have industry credentials, and have the confidence to cold call potential customers, we want to talk to you. This full time position offers a company vehicle, competitive salary with a production bonus structure, vacation, retirement, and health benefits. Please email your resume to Debbie Bartsch: DBartsch@rycolandscaping.com Woodland Commercial Landscape, INC. Looking to fill positions in our Naperville office.

-We are looking for a commercial construction estimator specializing in take-off work.

-We are looking for an office admin assisting our bid team. Must have expert computer skills. Come join a growing landscape construction team today. We are offering great pay and benefits.

Apply today with your resume at dan@woodlandlandscape.com.

Thornapple Landscapes Inc is seeking a highly motivated and experienced landscape professional to design, estimate and sell landscape installations full-time.

Applicant must have CAD experience in addition to general computer skills and sales experience in the landscape construction field. Strong plant and construction knowledge is required. Bi-lingual a plus.

Applications will be kept confidential. A portfolio will be expected at interview. Send resume,references and salary requirements to: Thornapple Landscapes Inc PO Box 181 Geneva, IL 60134 office@ThornappleLandscapes.com

HELP WANTED TWIN OAKS LANDSCAPING OPPORTUNITIES MAINTENANCE AREA MANAGER Supervising and helping landscape maintenance and installation crews. Serve as customer service contact, quality assurance supervisor for each job, equipment supervisor and all other on-site supervisory responsibilities.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES (other duties may be assigned): • Directly supervises several crews • Line out Enhancement Crews and help crew as needed • Hold safety meetings • Assist Project Manager with scheduling • Assign daily tasks to crew • Evaluates quality of service provided to customers and develops procedures to minimize customer complaints • Ensure proper use, care and inventory of company vehicle, equipment and tools assigned • Promote and maintain safe working conditions • Associate’s degree or four years of experience in a landscape related field strongly preferred • Two years of experience in a supervisory role are strongly preferred • Experience, knowledge, and the ability to use landscape related equipment • Customer Service skills & teamwork skills are a must MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT MANAGER Acts as the client liaison to the company through outstanding service and ensuring that the clients needs are met and that the relationship will continue. Create high customer retention while helping the company to achieve its revenue goals. Honesty and mindfulness for the company and the client’s best interest.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: • Create strong relationships with our customers through communication and service, ensuring they receive quality,

HELP WANTED timely service on their projects • Provide proactive site quality reviews and communicate assessments internally and externally • Provide proactive site improvement suggestions, i.e. enhancement.

• Network and earn referrals to help the company achieve its new growth objectives • Assist the companys team in achieving its overall objectives of quality, retention, growth and profitability PREFERRED SKILLS: • Verbal and written communication • Orientation toward team work and collaboration • Sales skills the ability to earn and ask for referrals and opportunities, estimate and format proposals, present, follow-up and close sales • Time management and personal accountability • Basic horticultural and plant knowledge related to landscape management COMPENSATION: • Generous Salary plus commission • Health insurance • Paid holidays • Company vehicle issued PURCHASING AGENT: Responsible for all purchasing.

Maintaining inventory logs E-mail to: roger@twinoakslandscaping.com or fax to: 630.554.1814 Become part of the growth and success of this well-established company, join Twin Oaks Landscaping today!

Designer/Plus Talented, enthusiastic designer able to produce high quality hand drawn designs. Must be experienced, a self starter, able to muti task in a small, fast pace office. Hardscape, plant knowledge and excellent people skills are required.

Our company has a great reputation, is well established and in high demand in the western suburbs.

Please send your resume to: office@janedilworth.com

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

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Classified Ads HELP WANTED K&D Landscape Management Want to be appreciated? Like to be associated with excellence? Want to be in an environment where your co-workers can actually spell “team”?? We may have the perfect spot for you! As a result of expansion we are hiring for the following positions: Architect/Designer: Duties include site inventory and analysis, plan development, preparation of construction documents, and rendering. Light client contact is involved, but no sales. We are looking for a self-starter with a strong sense of designing family spaces. Some experience is preferred, but not critical. CAD competency and construction knowledge are preferred. There are openings for one full-time and one part-time design position.

Commercial Construction Estimator: Duties include plan take-offs, bid preparations and communications with general contractors as well as developers. Purchasing is a routine component.

Successful candidate will understand the commercial bidding process, be able to negotiateeffectively and maintain profitability in bidding.Salary is commensurate with experience for all positions.

Please forward resumes to: jalgozzini@kdlandscapeinc.com No phone calls, please.

We are an award winning design-build firm with predominantly a five-day work week.

Account Manager Grow with us!

Balanced Environments, Inc. is looking for a full-time addition to our sales team. As an Account Manager, you would manage a portfolio of landscape and snow accounts, prepare and present site recommendations, maintain client relationships, and develop new clients through sales of new services. Our organization offers a compensation plan that includes a competitive salary/commission structure, health/dental/disability insurance, and a 401(k) plan.

For confidential consideration, please submit your resume with salary history to mbrooks@balancedenvironmentsinc.com or call Ed Reier at (847) 833-3594

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HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

***Business Development/Sales***

Premier Landscape Contractors Inc. is a full service design/build/maintain landscape contractor.

Our service area encompasses Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.

Patch Landscaping is looking to fill a sales/design position. Knowledge in Landscaping and Hardscaping preferred. Crew management experience preferred. Must have valid driver’s license. This a year round position, with salary/ plus commission compensation. Year end bonus given, amount depending on performance. Must have strong customer service skills. Looking to hire as soon as possible.

Send resumes to: Matt@Patchlandscaping.com

Premier’s primary mission is to provide the highest level of design, construction and maintenance services. This combination has resulted in a stable, growth driven environment that allows Premier to remain competitive and provide its clients with the high quality service they require.

Premier seeks to fill the following positions: • Residential and Commercial Maintenance Account Managers

Winklers Tree Service

We are currently looking for an experienced Certified Sales Arborist. Are you currently the number 2 or 3 sales person in a district? Are you putting in the time but not reaping the benefits?

We have an opening in our top district for an experienced salesman.

We are also looking for a tree worker who is an experienced spray technician.

We are also looking for a lawn technician who has experience with lawn and shrub application.

All positions have a daily production bonus and full company benefits. info@winklerstreeservice.com www.winklerstreeservice.com 708-544-1219 Landscape Designer/Sales Person Hinsdale Nurseries, Inc., a leader in the nursery and design/build industry, is seeking a landscape designer or sales person with a minimum of 3-5 years of experience to help expand our sales force.

We are seeking a highly motivated, organized professional who will demonstrate outstanding skills in all aspects of the design/build process including initial client meetings, site analysis, presenting plans and proposals to clients, and managing installation of projects.

The ideal candidate should possess a degree in landscape architecture or landscape design, must be willing to collaborate in a team environment, and retain a basic knowledge of estimating.

Industry based plant knowledge is also required.

Proficiency in AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Microsoft office is a plus.

Hinsdale Nurseries offers a competitive salary & health benefits. Please email resume and portfolio to: mdicristina@hinsdalenurseries.com

The Landscape Contractor January 2015

• Commercial Service Business Developers • Construction Project Managers Applicants must be experienced, highly motivated, organized, detail oriented, willing to work in a team environment, and have a 4-year industry specific degree or equivalent.

We offer competitive wage and benefit packages commensurate with experience as well as opportunity for growth.

Please submit resume, references and salary expectations to hr@premierservice.com or fax to 630.321.9540.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER • • • • • •

US Muddy Boots Landscaping Microbrewer of quality landscapes since 2007 Nice, sunny office in downtown Arlington Heights Mostly north shore and northwest suburban clients blog.muddybootslandscaping.com Projects - some simple, some complex, all impeccably executed YOU

• • • • •

3+ years designing residential gardens Degree Thrive under minimal direction and supervision.

SketchUp is your friend Obsessed with plants and different ways to combine them

Take what you know, what you have done, what you have seen, and what you are not yet vaguely aware of to come up with something that has not existed before.

Resumes: contact@muddybootslandscaping.com

ILCA Buyers Guide ad 9_2014_Ad Proof-2.qxd 9/10/2014 1:57 PM Page 1

HELP WANTED Landscape Sales Person Landscape Services & Management, Inc. a design/build, maintenance and snow company in the north suburbs, is looking for a full-time addition to our sales team. As a member of our sale team, you would develop new clients, maintain client relationships, the ability to cold call, site analysis, estimating, presenting plans and proposals to clients.

Necessary qualifications: 2+ years of successful sales experience, and a portfolio of past sales required.

We offer:

Year round employment and competitive wages with opportunities for advancement.

Insurance benefits and company vehicle.

Please contact Heather Alvarez Email: halvarez@lsmlandscape.com Fax: 1-262-279-lawn

• Premium Hardwood Mulch • Classic Mulch • Color Enhanced Mulches • Southern Shredded Bark • Safe T Mat Engineered Wood Fiber (Playground Mulch) • Screened Compost

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Contract Grinding and Screening • Volume Discounts Pick-up or Delivery Available

847-459-7200

21457 Milwaukee Avenue • Deerfield 3100 North Skokie Highway • Lake Bluff www.mulchcenter.com CLASSIFIED ADS CLOSING DATES & RATES January 2015 issue ads: December 15, 2014 February 2015 issue ads: January 15, 2015 PLEASE NOTE: “HELP WANTED” AD SALES ARE LIMITED TO ILCA MEMBER COMPANIES Magazine Cost is $5 per line Minimum charge $50 Optional Website Cost is $7 per line Minimum charge $70 (About 6 words/line) Call Alycia O’Connor (630) 472-2851 or use the online submission form located at www.ilca.net

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The Landscape Contractor January 2015

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Hardy hibiscus is quite an attention-grabber Hibiscus ‘Sweet Caroline’

in the perennial border. With its showy, dinner-plate-size blossoms and its impressive stature, it’s hard to understand why it’s such an underutilized plant. Although there are many, beautiful cultivars available these days, I tend to fall back on a favorite, old standy, ‘Sweet Caroline’ (1991).

‘Sweet Caroline’ has bright pink flowers with darker veins and a red eye zone. The flowers are show-stoppers: five overlapping petals often reaching 6-8 inches in diameter. Each flower lasts only a day, but multiple flowers often open in a day, followed by a succession of blooms that appear from mid summer to early fall.

One of the things I appreciate about this plant is that it blooms when other plants are fading and reinvigorates the perennial border into early fall.

Imagine all this on a plant that grows 4-5 feet tall with a spread of 3-4 feet. (For a more compact, bushier plant, pinch them back once the plant reaches about 8 inches tall.)

The deeply cut, glossy, dark green leaves are generally clean and free of insect or disease problems with the exception of the occasional Japanese Beetle splurge. It looks like quite a substantial plant even when it’s not in bloom.

Hardy hibiscuses tend to be among the last to break ground in the spring. It’s easy to think you’ve lost them to winterkill, but just wait. Once the plant is up (soil temps around 70), it tends to grow quickly. At Chalet, we apply a slow-release fertilizer in spring, although fertilizing isn’t absolutely necessary.

These plants are also easy to grow. They can tolerate more shade than most people think. I use them in partial shade to full sun. They are adaptable to many soils, and even do well in clay.

They like a lot of water and can even tolerate wet sites.

Late in the season, the plants usually die back almost to the ground. You can cut them back to 3-4” tall for a cleaner look. Mulching helps provide some extra winter protection for this Zone 4 plant.

Next time you’re looking for a show-stopper with an exotic, tropical feel, I recommend you give hardy hibiscus a try.

Hibiscus ‘Sweet Caroline’ facts— Size:

100’ 4-5’ tall with spread of 3-4’.

Culture

Clean, deeply cut, glossy, dark green.

Flowers

Sun to part shade in moist, rich soils, although adaptable to average

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Foliage:

Bright pink, 5-petaled flowers with deeper

Mike Blackwell Senior Landscape Designer Chalet Mike graduated from Pennsylvania State University with degrees in ornamental horticulture and agriculture business management. He has worked at Chalet for 29 years where he currently leads a design team. Mike also serves on Chalet’s recruiting committee and is a member of the management team.

The Landscape Contractor January 2015