2014 State of the Industry Report: All’s Well That Ends Well

Though the spring of 2014 was basically nonexistent and many feared the worst for retailers in the landscaping business, this State of the Industry Survey, located in this GardenCenter article, reported that 72 percent of stores experiencing increased sales in 2014.

Garden Center Magazine, 2014

Record cold temperatures. Severe snow and rainstorms. A delayed start to the season for much of the country. Things weren’t shaping up for many retailers quite as they would’ve liked them to earlier this year. However, by the time summer was through, our research painted a different picture. More than 540 retailers weighed in on our State of the Industry Survey, and the season ended well for most, with 72 percent of stores experiencing increased sales in 2014.

When it came to what was selling and what wasn’t, there were a few notable departures from last year’s results. Tree and shrub sales showed marginal increases despite a flat housing market, a phenomenon we can attribute at least in part to the harsh winter weather that destroyed many well-established trees and shrubs, even in southern locales. Perennials also made a strong showing this year, with 68 percent of retailers reporting an increase in sales, in contrast to 51 percent in 2013.

As we attended trade shows, visited garden centers and chatted with others in the industry, the vibe has been more positive than in year’s past, with hope for the future. Over the following pages, you can take a look at how your peers did this year, compare that with how your business fared and keep it in mind as you plan for next year. Managing editor Michelle Simakis and I share our commentary throughout the section.

Survey says...


To read the full article and view survey results, follow this link.

OSHA Launches Summer Campaign To Prevent Heat Illness

As the summer months arrive, OSHA is taking a stand to raise awareness against heat illnesses. This CleanLink article details how they are educating employers and employees on preventative measures and cautionary actions. 

Kirrus, Flickr.com

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced the launch of its annual Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers. For the fourth consecutive year, OSHA's campaign aims to raise awareness and educate workers and employers about the dangers of working in hot weather and provide resources and guidance to address these hazards.

Workers at particular risk are those in outdoor industries, such as agriculture, construction, landscaping and transportation.

However, cleaning professionals may also be at risk of overheating while performing regular cleaning tasks such as emptying trash, sweeping parking lots, or washing windows outdoors — or during duties in facilities with inadequate air cooling systems.

"Heat-related illnesses can be fatal, and employers are responsible for keeping workers safe," said U.S. Secretary of Labor, Thomas E. Perez. "Employers can take a few easy steps to save lives, including scheduling frequent water breaks, providing shade and allowing ample time to rest."

Thousands of employees become sick each year and many die from working in the heat. In 2012...

Click here to read the full article.

How To Develop Your Own Safety Program

This Total Landscape Care article focuses on the fundamental building blocks of developing your own safety program. Of course, writing a safety program and implementing it are two different things entirely, but with the help of these tips, you can be on your way to creating a well-working safety program. 

Total Landscape Care

There are many small landscapers out there looking for safety training information on a daily basis, which leads one to believe their company safety programs might not be as up-to-date as they would like.
If you’re using an inadequate or outdated program, it’s time to step up and develop your own – one that’s specific to your business that mirrors your scope of work. So, how do you go about creating and implementing a new safety program? Depending on the resources available to you, there are several paths you can take.

Outsourcing
If you have the budget, you can have a safety consulting firm build a custom program for you. They’ll take input from all levels of your firm, develop simple-to-follow work procedures and conduct periodic evaluations. You can also work with your insurance carrier and with local associations to develop a semi-custom program for your firm.

Adapting
If you’ve inherited or purchased your company, there was probably already a program in place. Perform an objective assessment of the program, determining what areas are workable for your firm today, and what areas need to be updated. If you need help, consider OSHA’s free onsite consultation program. The services are separate from the enforcement division and will not result in penalties or citations. As part of the consultation, OSHA will identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance and assist in establishing injury and illness prevention programs.

To read the full article, visit totallandscapecare.com. 

On Contractors' Minds

Have you ever had business concerns regarding personnel, government regulations, industry professionalism, staying price-competitive, pursuing the best opportunities, building a consumer base, or managing growth? According to this article on GreenIndustryPros.com, landscape contractors are struggling with the same issues. Know that you're not alone as you learn what you can do to ease your worries. 

USACE, Flickr.com

The market for landscaping services is much improved, but this business is still rife with challenges. According to a survey of landscape contractors subscribed to Green Industry Pros magazine, three primary issues remain foremost in the minds of landscape contractors:

1) Finding, training and managing employees
2) Government policies and/or regulations which impede the ability to maintain acceptable profit margins and grow
3) Dealing with "fly-by-night" competition

Actually, according to the survey, a couple dozen issues where brought up by contractors. Some are interrelated, and each tie back to one of the three main issues listed above. For this article, we'll break it down just a little further into seven topics of conversation, while also providing possible solutions as recommended by landscape contractors themselves.

To read the full article, click here.

5 Questions Landscapers Hate to Hear

by Ryan Milani, via flickr.com

This article on TotalLandscapeCare.com makes it clear that potential landscaping clients sometimes misunderstand the process of hiring a landscaping professional. How do you handle client expectations, or try and educate them about what the process involves?

Are there questions you dread? Here are landscaper Ben Bowen’s top five inquiries he doesn’t like hearing:

1. Are you guys expensive? I don’t know. “Expensive” is totally relative, and I have no idea what you are using as a reference. I can’t honestly say “Yes” or “No”.

2. What does something like this cost? First of all, I am horrible with ballpark figures. Second, I know you say you won’t hold me to it — but you kind of will.
Read the full article on TotalLandscapeCare.com. 

Make Fall the New Busy Season

This is an excerpt from a Total Landscape Care article.

For many landscapers, their workflow starts to slow down when the leaves hit the ground — but why?

Of course, there are areas of the country that have already seen snow, but for many, the weather still works in their favor, making fall a great time to add new features and plants.

Plant, trim
Fall is the perfect time to cut down perennials, clean up flower beds, plant new trees and seed lawns, says Dean Savarino, owner of Dean’s Landscaping, to The Times Media Company.

“Anything you plant does a lot better when you plant it in the fall, before everything goes dormant,” he tells the publication.

To read the full article, visit Total Landscape Care's website.

ARA Adjusts U.S. Rental Forecasts but Remains Positive

This is an excerpt from an International Rental News article by Murray Pollok.

The American Rental Association (ARA) continues to make bullish forecasts for the U.S. rental market with 7.0% growth expected this year followed by increases of 9.2% next year and 12.9% in 2015.

The 7.0% figure is slightly lower than the 7.3% estimated by the association in May this year, reflecting a modest slowdown of the economy, but it remains an extremely high rate and in stark contrast to Europe where rental market growth this year is expected to be around 1%.

The ARA figures come from its quarterly Rental Market Monitor produced by consultant IHS Global Insight.

“The U.S. economy slowed more than expected in the first half of the year, but equipment rental demand has remained strong”, said Scott Hazelton, a senior partner with IHS Global insight, “We have lowered our growth expectations for 2013 modestly to reflect this, but rental growth will still handily outperform the overall economy.

“The path ahead still looks promising with employment growth continuing and housing data coming in strong, which implies an improving commercial construction market to follow. Industrial markets, especially those tied to energy exploration and production, also should see growth”.

The full article is available on the International Rental News website.