Richey Plemons, owner of Plemons Lawn and Landscape, spends a lot of time thinking about the future of the industry. “If you’re not prepared, you’re going to be sitting at the station and the train’s going to be two miles away,” Plemons says. “It’ll be gone. You always need to look ahead and see what’s coming at you.” One specific topic that occupies a lot of real estate in his mind is battery-powered equipment. In Plemons’s neck of the woods — Chatsworth, Ga., — there isn’t currently a ban on gas-powered equipment. But Plemons looks to places like California, New York and New Jersey, which ha ..read more

Location: Dublin, Ohio Company: Landscapes by Terra Before starting work on this project, this property sat dormant for more than 10 years, says Jeff Stroupe, owner of Landscapes by Terra. The property featured a 5,200 square-foot driveway fitted with 30-year-old pavers, a 170-foot-long dry creek bed, deteriorating hardscapes and dying plants all around. To address these challenges, Landscapes by Terra proposed reducing landscape beds in favor of more green space. The client wanted to reuse the existing pavers, which caused extra work for crews as they needed to clean the dry concrete off and ..read more

Compared to their ride-on counterpart, stand-on mowers haven’t seen the same level of development over the last several years, according to experts. That said, mower manufacturers have been listening to what the contractor wants and taking notes. “Landscape contractors are looking for more productivity,” Chris Lammie, director of product marketing for Exmark, says. “How can they cut more grass better and faster without breaking down? We’ve focused on adding horsepower, deck width, durability and reliability, making them easier to maintain and repair.” Lammie and Gavin Dobson, product specialis ..read more

A multi-time LM Growth Summit Attendee, Chris Joyce, president of Always Green of Cape Cod in Marston Mills, Mass., knows all about what to expect from the three-day event in Orlando, Fla. Joyce was a member of the LM Growth Summit’s first class of lawn care operators in 2013. 2023 marked Joyce’s third time attending the LM Growth Summit, which brings lawn care operators from across the country together to network and learn about the latest products the industry has to offer. Joyce — a 30-year green industry veteran whose company provides lawn care, tree and shrub care, aerification and pest c ..read more

Fireweed, a rapidly spreading weed, requires annual management by lawn care operators (LCOs). Its emergence in spring poses a threat to lawns, leading to potential takeovers. Also referred to as American burnweed, this weed started appearing sporadically in lawns and turf areas in the late 1980s, according to Cullen Beard, owner of Personal Lawn Care in Brunswick, Tenn., which offers lawn care services to mostly residential customers. The outbreaks raised concerns among clients, prompting questions about LCO’s programs. This caused considerable distress among many service providers. “Fireweed ..read more

Photo: Drafix Software Inc. PRO Landscape is the premier choice in landscape design software, catering to the needs of modern landscape professionals. With PRO Landscape seamlessly integrated into their landscape design process, designers quickly recognize its advantages in boosting sales, enhancing design precision, and elevating overall client satisfaction. This powerful tool empowers you to quickly craft captivating visual concepts for clients, precise site plans for your crews, and polished proposals that comprehensively convey every single detail of your project.  For thirty years, P ..read more

It’s no secret that I’m bullish about owner-operated businesses. At the Herring Group, we have a passion for serving them and helping them find success. Private equity (PE) investors also are not shy about seeing opportunities in owner-operated businesses. PE firms have entered the landscape industry and created a lot of liquidity for owners, providing an opportunity to cash out and exit in some cases. PE investors bring the following to owner-operated companies: Money. Smart people. An “outsider’s” perspective. A high-growth mindset. An understanding of how to grow and develop businesses. A ..read more

Tree pruning is a serious business. Safety is always the top priority. This is why, when it comes to purchasing the right tools to be effective and safe, price is just a number. Whenever a tree care professional can stay on the ground as opposed to climbing the tree, that’s a major bonus. “If you have a good, sharp head with 23 feet of reach, you can make clearance cuts on the second story of a home without having to climb (the tree,)” says Levi Vogt, plant health care route manager, Ryan Lawn & Tree. “It’s a common problem throughout the Midwest: too many river birches planted too close t ..read more

Photo: Albaugh Specialty Products Quintessential® with H Value® Technology alters the formulation of quinclorac in a way that improves absorption of the product into the plant. That means faster activity and higher rate load in the targeted weed, as well as unparalleled performance in conditions that limit absorption – like untimely rains or irrigation. And unlike any other herbicide on the market, Quintessential demonstrates vastly improved control of crabgrass particularly in the challenging 3-5 tiller stage. Quintessential is the essential tool for combatting crabgrass and other troublesome ..read more

It’s that time of the year when strategic plans are tested. Now that peak season is on the horizon, team members may be losing faith. This is a problem when you need everyone fully committed to a unified strategy. Most strategies fail for a couple of reasons: They aren’t strategies at all but are instead tactics or plans with no strategic basis. For example, increasing sales calls to boost revenue is merely a tactic based on hope. The success criteria or conditions have not been identified. How can you hit a new target when you don’t know how to get there? A strategy assesses market conditio ..read more