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

The GrowingAPRIL 2016

And The Winners Are...This Year’s Landscape Ohio! Award WinnersPAGE 19

The OLA Scholarship Golf Outing Registration is now open!PAGE 7

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The Growing Concern x April 2016 x 3

PRES IDENT ’S COLUMN

April is an exciting time of year for the senses; the sight of beautiful spring flowers, the smell of fresh cut grass, and the sound of the crack of the bat. Yes, in addition to all of us being in the full swing of spring operations, it is also the start of baseball season! I always look forward to the start of another season, not just because I’m a sports fan, but because it means warmer weather and longer days are right around the corner.

I remember watching the movie Field of Dreams, which came out in 1989 and starred Kevin Costner as a novice, Iowa farmer. In the movie, there is the line, “If you build it, they will come,” referring to the building of a baseball field to attract people who have a love for the game. Well, I believe the same concept applies to companies. Build a great company and not only will you attract better customers, but good talent as well. They will come.

Now, we all tend to build our businesses in a similar way. Most of us start out small in scale and then slowly grow by adding customers, equipment, and staff along the way. And for the most part, when we add staff, it is usually out of necessity. There just comes a point where we need to add a foreman, office manager, or

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

BRYAN TAYNORHidden Creek Landscaping, Inc.

sales position, and have to fill it with the first “qualified” person we find. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t, but in both instances it usually comes down to “Was it a good fit?”

A company’s culture is something we have been hearing a lot about for some time now, but what is it really? We have all seen examples of companies, especially in the tech world, doing things differently, or out-of-the-box, to make their company more attractive to potential employees, such as flexible schedules, casual dress codes, game rooms in the break area, etc., all of which make the work day more fun. And while this creates an enjoyable and interesting place to spend the day, it really only addresses atmosphere – not culture.

…the behavior of leadership is what sets the tone for the rest of the organization

continued on page 6

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FEATURES

3 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Cultural Differences

8 PERENNIAL FOCUS Arabis Caucasica Rockcress

12 FOR SAFETY SAKE On the Road

16 PLANT OF THE MONTH Zelkova Serrata Japanese Zelkova

24 FISCAL FITNESS Negative Interest Rates

28 THE 5 MOST POWERFUL MUST DO’S IN BUILDING YOUR SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL

32 DIRECTIONS You Can Do It!

INSIDE EVERY ISSUE

5 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

33 ADVERTISING INDEX

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A P R I L 2 0 1 6 W W W. O H I O L A N D S C A P E R S . O R G

OHIO ’S PROFESS IONAL GREEN INDUSTRY ASSOC IAT ION

OHIO LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION9240 Broadview RoadBroadview Heights, Ohio 44147Phone: 440.717.0002, or 1.800.335.6521Fax: 440.717.0004Web: www.ohiolandscapers.org and www.myohiolandscape.com

EDITORRick Doll

REGULAR WRITERSMichael J Donnellan, King Financial, Inc.Jim Funai, LIC, Cuyahoga Community CollegeShelly Funai, Stan Hywet Hall and GardensSandy Munley, Ohio Landscape AssociationBobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, Bobbie’s Green ThumbBryan Taynor, Hidden Creek Landscaping, Inc.

ADVERTISING INFORMATIONSubmission deadline: 10th of the month, prior to publication month. For advertising rates, please call 1.800.335.6521

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

OFFICERSPresidentBryan Taynor

President-ElectCathy Serafin, ASLA, RLA

TreasurerMarie McConnell

Immediate Past PresidentSteve Moore

OLA STAFFExecutive DirectorSandy Munley

Communications and Events ManagerRick Doll

Membership CoordinatorNoreen Schraitle

DIRECTORSEric Brubeck, ASLAAdam CapiccioniJames FunaiJacob GrimmNathan KowalsickDomenic Lauria

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

U P C O M I N G O L A M E E T I N G S , E D U C AT I O N S E M I N A R S A N D O T H E R G R E E N I N D U S T R Y E V E N T S

The Growing Concern x April 2016 x 5

JULYLegislative Day on the HillJULY 10-12, 2016This is a three-day experience in Washington, D.C. that educates landscape industry professionals about legislative issues currently affecting our businesses and provides an opportunity to participate directly in the political process by meeting with legislators. For more information contact the National Association of Landscape Professionals (formerly PLANET) at 1-800-395-2522 or visit landscapeprofessionals.org.

Landscape Industry Certified Technician Test –Written OnlyJULY 20, 2016Held on the campus of OSU ATI in Wooster. For more information, contact Jan Elliott or Kim Sayers at the Ohio State ATI Business Training and Educational Services office at 330-287-7511 or 330-287-0100, or visit LandscapeCertifiedOhio.org.

Landscape Industry Certified Technician Test –Full TestJULY 21, 2016Hands-On and Written Test. Held on the campus of OSU ATI in Wooster. For more information, contact Jan Elliott or Kim Sayers at the Ohio State ATI Business Training and Educational Services office at 330-287-7511 or 330-287-0100, or visit LandscapeCertifiedOhio.org.

AUGUSTOLA Scholarship Golf ClassicAUGUST 4, 2016Join us for a fun day of golf, networking, food and liquid refreshments at Mallard Creek Golf Club in Columbia Station. For more information contact OLA at 1-800-335-6521, or visit OhioLandscapers.org.

NGLCO Field DayAUGUST 9, 2016This year’s field day will be again hosted by Chalet Debonne Vineyards in Madison, Ohio. For more information, contact Annette Howard at 440-241-7969, info@nglco.com, or visit nglco.com.

OCTOBERLandscapes 2016OCTOBER 19-21, 2016Formerly known as the Green Industry Conference (GIC), this is a large landscape and lawn care industry educational conference held in Louisville, Kentucky in conjunction with the GIE+EXPO and Hardscapes North America trade shows. For more information contact the National Association of Landscape Professionals (formerly PLANET) at 1-800-395-2522 or visit landscapeprofessionals.org.

GIE+EXPO and Hardscapes North AmericaOCTOBER 19-21, 2016These two tradeshows are co-located at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY and are held in conjunction with Landscapes 2016. Indoor displays along with a vast outdoor equipment demo area make this a fun show to attend. October 19 is reserved for dealers only. For more information go to gie-expo.com.

REGULAR MEMBER:

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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!

The Ohio Landscape Association is delighted to welcome the following new members to the association:

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6 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

PRES IDENT ’S COLUMN

continued from pg 3The culture of your company is many things that, when combined together, set the overall tone for how you conduct business. Think of it as the genetic code that makes up your company. It is behavior, values, beliefs, principles; it is those things that guide you and that keep your company heading in the direction towards where you hope to be one day.

In his book, Start With Why, author and speaker Simon Sinek states “…customers do not buy our product or service based on what it is, or how we do it, they buy because of ‘Why’ we do it.” The same can be said for potential employees when they choose a company to work for.

We all want to attract the best people to our team, people who are just as passionate as we are and that will deliver the best product and service to our clients. To do so, we need to be able to give them a good sense of the type of culture we promote. Sure, a fun atmosphere filled with positive attitudes is always good for moral and creates a great work environment, but people also want to feel comfortable that they will be able to do their best work in a manner that is in line with their professional values.

Your company’s culture starts at the top, with you. Regardless of what your company handbook, or code of conduct states, the behavior of leadership is what sets the tone for the rest of the organization. Once that has been instilled, behavior, values, and principles start to become standard practice, which eventually become your culture.

We have all heard the term, “Hire slow, fire fast.” This is critical to maintaining your culture. By getting the right, like-minded people who share your vision on board, they will not only become a part of your culture, but will improve it, as well.

It’s important to keep in mind though that, if potential employees can choose a company to work for based on the culture, they will also leave for the same reason. So, step back and take the pulse of your organization. Look beyond the portfolio of work, the fleet of trucks, the new uniforms, and get a feel for what your company culture really is. If it’s not what it should be, then start building. They will come.

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PERENN IAL FOCUS

BOBBIE SCHWARTZ, FAPLDBobbie’s Green Thumb

Arabis, T. ‘Lady Jane’, Aanemone blanda

Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, owner of Bobbie’s Green Thumb in Shaker Hts., Ohio, is a landscape designer, consultant, free-lance writer, and lecturer whose specialties are perennial gardens and four-season landscapes. In addition to being an Ohio Landscape Association (OLA) member, she is an active member of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) and Perennial Plant Association (PPA). Bobbie is a Past President of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD). Bobbie currently serves as chair of the ONLA Plant Selection Committee. Bobbie can be reached at (216) 752-9449.

8 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

There is one other cultivar, ‘Spring Charm’, another rose pink – but this one is much more compact. If you want to use Arabis as a groundcover, which I usually do, ‘Compinkie’ or the straight species will be the one for you. I love the variegated foliage of ‘Variegata’ but sadly, after about five years, the variegated leaves begin to revert to all green.

All of the cultivars benefit from a bit of shearing after bloom if you want a neat look. Most of the time, I just don’t get around to it. They all grow four to six inches in height, when in flower, and the foliage is only two inches high. Zone hardiness is not a problem in Ohio, extending from zones four to seven.

Full sun and excellent drainage are musts for this perennial. Once established, it is drought tolerant and ignored by the deer and rabbits.

I use Arabis in several different design configurations. Although you might not immediately think of pairing it with Euphorbia polychroma, the bright pink Arabis and the strong yellow flowers of the Euphorbia really add some zing to the spring garden. This

In April, the north end of my driveway bed is anchored by the fragrant rose flowers of the evergreen Arabis caucasica ‘Compinkie’ while the south end is anchored by the white flowers of Arabis caucasica ‘Variegata’. The leaves of these Arabis are soft and fuzzy. The flowers stay in bloom for most of the month and the very short foliage remains as a skirt in front of other perennials and flowering shrubs for the rest of the growing season and through the winter.

combination could be softened with the addition of the pale lavender of Phlox subulata.

A more conventional combination is the white flowers of Arabis caucasica, the pink and white flowers of Tulipa ‘Lady Jane’, and the blue flowers of Anemone blanda, or Arabis, and the early blooming Narcissus ‘Mary Gay Lirette’.

I’m sure you won’t have any problem finding a place in your landscapes and gardens for Arabis.

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The Growing Concern x April 2016 x 9

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The Growing Concern x April 2016 x 11

12 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

FOR SAFETY SAKE

As your crews hit the road, make sure they stay safe with these tips.

The statistics tell the story: From 2003 through 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported 5,350 transportation-related injuries involving days away from work among landscape services workers. BLS also reports that 264 workers in the industry were killed in transportation incidents during that same period.

ON THE ROAD

According to a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), approximately one-third of all of the occupational fatalities in the landscape industry result from transportation incidents.

While it’s a given that landscape workers spend a lot of time traveling from jobsite to jobsite, the length of time on the road and the sheer number of vehicles on the road aren’t solely to blame for the high number of injuries and deaths, Jeff Graham of LaPorte & Associates in Portland, Ore., says.

BY BARB MULHERN

Trucks with trailers take much more skill to operate than a private passenger vehicle. Train and test all prospective drivers before they are allowed to take trailers out on the road.

The Growing Concern x April 2016 x 13

continued on page 15

FOR SAFETY SAKE

“A big issue is hiring unqualified drivers for the types of vehicles used. Sometimes an employer looks no further than a prospective employee’s motor vehicle record. This may show that a person has a clear record, but experience driving what? Probably not a heavy truck with a trailer full of equipment attached. This takes much more skill to operate than a private passenger vehicle,” says Graham, who also chaired NALP’s Safety & Risk Management Committee.

The high costs of a single transportation-related fatality could put a small to mid-sized company out of business. The costs of repairing a badly damaged truck/trailer also can be prohibitive, Graham says.

Despite this, economic constraints – in some instances – have resulted in company owners looking at their insurance policies as one place to cut costs. “There are big savings in removing coverage on vehicles or equipment, and at the very least, a higher deductible is often considered. This is good for short-term savings, but in the long run, when an accident occurs, the company’s out-of-pocket costs will be much higher,” Graham says.

A PROACTIVE PROGRAM The Acres Group, a maintenance and design/build firm headquartered in Wauconda, Ill., places a major emphasis on transportation safety. The company, which has as many as 300 vehicles on the road at one time, has a written company vehicle policy that includes motor vehicle records standards, and has standardized spotter hand signals that must be used when backing. The company also publicizes the names of managers who have been trained in the National Safety Council’s defensive driving course, and it extensively trains all of its drivers and other field staff in defensive driving.

“With the number of trucks we have on the road plus the weight of the trucks, we enforce reducing the speed when drivers come to intersections. We also enforce being alert, and we demand and enforce that nobody can back up without a spotter,” Human Resources Manager Miguel Castro says.

“We also train on the two-second rule, and on the four-second rule for trucks (to determine if a driver is following another vehicle too closely),” says Maureen Scheitz, vice president of

human resources. The Acres Group tells its motor vehicle drivers: “Always use the two-second rule. Pick a road marker. When the rear bumper of the vehicle ahead passes the marker, count one thousand one, one thousand and two. If your front bumper passes the marker before you’re done counting, you’re following too closely.”

Other key elements of the Acres Group’s program include:

• Training at the season kick-off and at new employee orientation. The company holds weekly or biweekly tailgate safety sessions. The training curriculum is different for drivers than for production crews, but both learn about such issues as following too closely, backing, slowing down at intersections, and not driving too fast for road conditions.

• Pre-inspection and post-inspection forms. A monthly vehicle inspection form must be filled out by managers. Completed forms are discussed at the company’s monthly safety meetings. The company also requires daily pre- and post-trip truck/trailer inspections.

• Drug and alcohol testing. Drug and alcohol tests are required for drivers involved in incidents resulting in damages of more than $1,000 and in all injury incidents that require treatment at an off-site medical facility.

• Charges to employees involved in at-fault transportation incidents. If the employee is found to be at fault following an investigation, the person will pay $100 for incidents resulting in up to $999 in damages; $200 for incidents resulting in $1,000 to $1,999 in damages; and $300 for incidents resulting in $2,000 or more in damages. At-fault incidents resulting in $1,000 or more in damages also require the employee to attend a defensive driving course. “This has significantly reduced our number of incidents,” Castro says.

The high costs of a single transportation-related fatality could put a small to mid-sized

company out of business.

14 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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Just because a new employee has a clean driving record does not mean they have experience operating every vehicle on your site. Make sure new employees get a full demonstration of the safety features on all vehicles.

PREVENTIVE TIPS Here are some additional tips to reduce your risk of transportation-related injuries/incidents:

• Strictly enforce rules related to riding in company vehicles. No jumping on or off trucks or trailers. No riding in the back of pick-up trucks, on bumpers, or anywhere else not specifically designed to accommodate an operator or passenger. Always use seat belts when operating or riding in a company vehicle.

• Train and test all prospective drivers. Do this before they are allowed to take a vehicle out on the road.

• Implement specific rules for working in and around roadway work zones. According to the American Society of Civil

Engineers, roadway work zone crew members sustain approximately 27,000 first-aid injuries and 26,000 lost-time injuries each year. Landscape crew members who work in and around roadway work zones shouldn’t back up vehicles if possible. Or, if they must, use a spotter and come to a complete stop if contact with the spotter is lost. Maintain visual contact with workers on foot.

• Train workers in how to properly load a trailer and how to secure the trailer to the truck.

The author, Barbara Mulhern, is a Wisconsin-based writer who has specialized in green industry safety issues for the past 16 years.This article first ran in the June 18, 2010 Lawn & Landscape Market Leadership magazine and was published with permission.

continued from pg 13

16 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

PLANT OF THE MONTH

JIM FUNAI, COLP, LICCuyahoga Community College

SHELLEY FUNAI, LICStan Hywet Hall and Gardens

After failed attempts at quarantine, Dutch Elm Disease (DED) took the nation by storm. From the onset of World War II, through the 1980s, this disease marched forth from the east coast like an early frontier settler, hell bent on taking all Elms with it.

What does that have to do with being cautious about the message we convey? Well, anytime we have a disease, or an insect goes all ‘Mike Tyson’ on our plants – biting off their ears and what have you – we immediately jump to “What’s a good replacement plant?”

Introduced to the American nursery trade in 1862, the beautiful tree Zelkova was brought to popularity as that replacement plant, helping reconcile the loss of our beloved Elm, which was taken by the destructive powers of DED.

Want to know what the real Nightmare on Elm Street was though? Thinking that we should replace an entire city street’s

Sometimes, we as an industry should be more careful about the message we send in plant recommendations. This month’s plant got us thinking about that a bit more.

Feeding galleries of elm bark beetle which spread Dutch Elm Disease, a fungal infection killing native trees in the USA and Europe.

monoculture of trees with another monoculture of trees! Bloody murder right there!

You’d be hard pressed to find a plant that the two of us don’t love, except for Yucca – Yucca is an idiot. You’d be even more hard pressed to get us to recommend planting the same thing over and over again. No matter how great a plant is, how pretty it looks, how disease and pest resistant it is, or how tolerant of extremes it may be, none of that should have us pushing a plant wholesale – no questions asked – into the arms of our unsuspecting clients.

We do it time and time again, though. Once the Knock Out Rose came along, we forgot about how great some others are, including Rugosa. Or, remember when Endless Summer Hydrangea came out? It was like all other flowering shrubs were no longer relevant. We keep seeking one plant that will lead us to a problem free wonder garden. But the truth of the matter is, the

ZELKOVA SERRATAJAPANESE ZELKOVA

The Growing Concern x April 2016 x 17

PLANT OF THE MONTH

answer isn’t one plant – it is plant diversity. Lots of plants. Lots of different plants!

So, this month, while Zelkova is a different plant that is a good option for a street tree, it’s not the only one. When in a species rich ecosystem, Zelkova is nearly pest free. But, plant a bunch of them down the sidewalk/street/parking lot, and you will begin to see issues.

Zelkova is related to the Elm and are in the same family of Ulmaceae. They have a very similar growth habit, upright vase-shaped, which helps them spread a nice shade canopy higher up in the air and suits the site of urban settings.

If planting this tree in a larger area, go for ‘Green Vase’, which will reach into the 60 feet plus height range and stretch about 40 feet or so out. This is a long favorite “replacement plant” for the Elms of the past and is still a very viable option for just that.

We planted a ‘Musashino’ at our house and have really enjoyed watching it over the past several years. This cultivar is very tightly columnar and can reach heights of 45 feet without reaching past 15 feet wide. This could be a great way to add a strong vertical element in the urban landscape, without needing to give up as much square footage as we normally do to reach that height.

‘Goshiki’ offers a variegated leaf, speckled at random with creamy white margins. While quite unique and pretty, it is something

that is best reserved for a client who is a bit more ‘plant nerdy,’ as opposed to being use in broad urban settings.

In general, Zelkova is a medium-fast growing tree, when young. It is not uncommon to see a new tree throw out a few feet of growth per year. Over the long range, it will likely average 12 inches of new growth, per year. And although it is found in its native Japan on colluvial soils – loose soil that eroded down a slope (aka, “moist well-drained”) – this plant is remarkably adaptable to drier conditions, higher compactions, salt, and higher pH – for those of you on the west side of the state.

Take a closer look at this great tree, if you haven’t used it much. Its adaptability and strength won’t let you down. But remember, switch it up and improve the diversity of your landscapes. This is the 65th different plant we have written about. All of them are great for diversifying your landscape, except for our February 2012 entry – Yucca. Yucca is still an idiot!

Jim Funai is full-time faculty at Cuyahoga Community College, a NALP accredited associate of applied science in horticulture degree program offering many paths to higher education in the green industry. He is pursuing a PhD in Landscape Engineering and Forestry and is a Licensed Arborist. Shelley Funai is Grounds Manager at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron, Ohio that offers a historic estate designed by Warren H. Manning and a beautiful manor house museum. She is Landscape Industry Certified in Ornamental Plant Care. Both are graduates of The Ohio State University. Contact Jim and Shelley via email at hortsquad@gmail.com.

The leaves of Zekova serrata (Japanese zelkova) Medium/large. Leaves are toothed at the edges, giving where the Serrata part of the Latin name comes from.

18 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Green Thumbs Agree.

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– Tom Arcoria, Sagamore Soils

“Botson Insurance has saved me well over 20% on my premium.”

– Frank Dedon, Abraxas Snow Removal

Over 160 satisfied Green Industry Professionals in our

proven program

Call me today at 440.934.1603 to see if a 10 minute meeting can keep you working and put more money in your pocket.

Visit us at botsoninsurancegroup.com

Born in Bellville, Ohio in 1930, Van Ross Wade is the only son born to Martha Wade and Cye Wade. On July 23, 1950, Van married Shirley Varner. Van and Shirley had three sons and one daughter, Steven, Thomas, Brian and Linda. Van & Shirley have 10 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

Throughout Van’s teenage years he worked alongside his father operating Christmas tree lots in Columbus as well as assisting with landscape design and sales for the nursery. He then worked for his father, Cye, in the nursery until Cye’s accidental death in December of 1962. Van inherited his father’s interest in the nursery and went on to purchase the other remaining shares.

Today, Van is the sole owner of Wade & Gatton Nurseries. The nursery has been in operation since 1928 and consists of approximately 1,200 acres. It is planted with thousands of evergreens, shade and ornamental trees. At this time, Van operates the nursery along with two of his sons, Steve and Brian, and his grandsons, Daniel and Mark.

In 1979, Van and Shirley moved from their first home to the ‘Big House’ at the nursery and have continued to live there throughout their 65 years of marriage.

After a couple years at the nursery, Van and Shirley began to refurbish Van’s grandmother’s, Nell Wade, and his Aunt Adelia Gatton’s gardens. Both Van and Shirley were greatly interested in Hostas. With the towering shade trees being the perfect location for Hostas, they began to plant the Wade Botanical Gardens. The gardens now include more than acres of Hostas, Daylilies, Perennials, Conifers, etc. Garden clubs, master gardeners and plant lovers from all over the United States make trips yearly to view the gardens.

Many articles have been published on the gardens, in publications such as Fine Gardening Magazine, Ohio Gardening Magazine, Ohio Magazine and many newspapers throughout the states.

Van is very generous. As such, he has received the ‘Big Bucks Award’ at the National Hosta Convention for many years - an award which is given to the person that donates the plants that bring in the most money during the annual auction. Daily, Van works in his gardens, finding new Hosta varieties and naming them accordingly. Van has several varieties that he has registered.

Van has been chairman of the Bellville Shade Tree Commission for more than thirty years. He has been active in the beautification of the Village of Bellville by spearheading the planting of shade and ornamental trees throughout the village.

Van is also very proud that Wade and Gatton Nursery provided forty-six Swamp White Oaks for the World Trade Center Memorial.

Our sincere congratulation to Van Wade for his dedication to the industry that has earned him the Ohio Landscape Association’s highest award - the Lifetime Contributions to the Landscape Industry Award. He received this award at the Landscape Ohio! Awards Dinner and Presentation on March 24, 2016 at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.

THE 19TH ANNUAL LANDSCAPE OHIO! AWARDS

THE LIFETIME CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY AWARDVAN WADE

GrowingConcernLOAwardsInsert.indd 1 3/23/2016 3:38:33 PM

Green Thumbs Agree.

A PROVEN EXPERT IN LANDSCAPE INSURANCE PROTECTION

“Greg Botson has helped our company grow significantly over the last 20 years.”

– George Hohman, Turfscape

“Greg knows my business and he knows me.”

– Tom Arcoria, Sagamore Soils

“Botson Insurance has saved me well over 20% on my premium.”

– Frank Dedon, Abraxas Snow Removal

Over 160 satisfied Green Industry Professionals in our

proven program

Call me today at 440.934.1603 to see if a 10 minute meeting can keep you working and put more money in your pocket.

Visit us at botsoninsurancegroup.com

AWARD WINNING PROJECTSTHE 19TH ANNUAL LANDSCAPE OHIO! AWARDS

RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE SPONSORED BY ALVORD’S YARD & GARDEN EQUIPMENT

AWARD OF HONORLifestyle Landscaping, Inc.The O’Brien Residence

RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION, CATEGORY IISPONSORED BY MEDINA SOD FARMS

AWARD OF MERITYard SolutionsThe Roush Residence

RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION, CATEGORY IIISPONSORED BY PREMIER PLANT SOLUTIONS

AWARD OF HONORRice’s Nursery & LandscapingThe Van Tyne Residence

RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION, CATEGORY IVSPONSORED BY LAKE COUNTY NURSERY

AWARD OF HONORRice’s Nursery & LandscapingThe Kefalas Residence

RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION, CATEGORY VSPONSORED BY DAVIS TREE FARM & NURSERY

AWARD OF HONORRice’s Nursery & LandscapingThe Caghan Residence

AWARD OF MERITYard Solutions The Kubatko Residence

AWARD OF MERITMoscarino Outdoor Creations The Sofish Residence

AWARD OF MERITRice’s Nursery & Landscaping The Leffler Residence

VISIT WWW.MYOHIOLANDSCAPE.COM TO VIEW THE PROJECTS

AWARD WINNING PROJECTS

GrowingConcernLOAwardsInsert.indd 2 3/23/2016 3:38:37 PM

RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION, CATEGORY VISPONSORED BY VALLEY CITY SUPPLY

AWARD OF HONORLWB Designs, LLCAn Aurora Residence

COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION, CATEGORY ISPONSORED BY R.A.K.SALES, LTD.

AWARD OF MERITAmerican Beauty LandscapingThe Youngstown Country Club

COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION, CATEGORY IISPONSORED BY KLYN NURSERIES, INC.

AWARD OF HONORAngelotta Landscape AssociatesB’nai Jeshurun Linden Courtyard

WATER FEATURESPONSORED BY BEDFORD GLENS GARDEN CENTERS

AWARD OF HONORLifestyle Landscaping, Inc.The Meredith Residence

SPECIALTY GARDENSSPONSORED BY THE GREAT BIG HOME & GARDEN SHOW

AWARD OF HONORLifestyle Landscaping, Inc.The Kellum Residence

AWARD WINNING PROJECTSTHE 19TH ANNUAL LANDSCAPE OHIO! AWARDS

AWARD OF MERITMoscarino Outdoor Creations The Bihn Residence

AWARD OF MERITRock Bottom Lawn & Landscaping The Lake Forest Country Club

AWARD WINNING PROJECTS

GrowingConcernLOAwardsInsert.indd 3 3/23/2016 3:38:39 PM

VISIT WWW.MYOHIOLANDSCAPE.COM TO VIEW THE PROJECTS

GARDEN STRUCTURES / PAVEMENTS - CATEGORY II SPONSORED BY UNILOCK

AWARD OF HONORSasak Landscaping, Inc.Patio in the Woods

GARDEN STRUCTURES / PAVEMENTS - CATEGORY III SPONSORED BY BELGARD HARDSCAPES

AWARD OF HONORRice’s Nursery & LandscapingThe Shearer Residence

BEST USE OF COLORSPONSORED BY ART FORM NURSERIES

AWARD OF MERITBrickman Legacy Village

AWARD OF HONORRice’s Nursery & Landscaping The Fairhurst Residence

AWARD WINNING PROJECTSTHE 19TH ANNUAL LANDSCAPE OHIO! AWARDS

AWARD OF MERITDeck Creator The Rohr Residence

AWARD OF MERITAmerican Beauty Landscaping The Ghossain Backyard Oasis

AWARD OF MERITAmerican Beauty Landscaping The Rumble Terrace & Autocourt

This awards program was created to increase awareness of quality landscaping and how it improves our environment. The annual competition recognizes designers, installers, and property owners. The program is open to all Regular member companies of the Ohio Landscape Association. Project sites must be located in Ohio or in a state that borders Ohio, and a major portion of the project must be the work of the entrant. Projects are eligible for up to five (5) years after completion. Project previously entered may be reentered, as long as the project has not received an Honor or Judge’s Special Award in the past.

GrowingConcernLOAwardsInsert.indd 4 3/23/2016 3:38:44 PM

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Each year, the Ohio Landscape Association has scholarship monies available for selected

students who are interested in pursuing horticulture in college.

The OLA’s Annual Scholarship Golf Classic was created to help generate funding for this program, targeting qualified students interested in a vocation within the green industry.

Eligible students include high school seniors who are enrolling in a horticulture program, as well as college students currently studying horticulture.

Applicants must also be either an OLA Student Member, an employee of an OLA Member firm, or a child of an employee of an OLA Member firm.

To register for this year’s Annual Scholarship Golf Classic, visit our website at: http://www.ohiolandscapers.org/olagolf.html

We are pleased to announce this year’s scholarship recipients.

Forrest Dorsey $2,000 Scholarship

Forrest is in his second year at Cuyahoga Community College, where he has a GPA of 4.0 and is President of the NALP Student Chapter. He is described by his instructors as a leader with true passion for the industry. Forrest has been a top competitor at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition.

VISIT WWW.MYOHIOLANDSCAPE.COM TO VIEW THE PROJECTS

AWARD WINNING PROJECTS

Josiah Grimm$1,000 Scholarship

Josiah is a high school senior at Knox County Career Center where he has a 3.88 GPA. He made the decision to drive 62 miles each way to attend KCCC when the horticulture program was discontinued in his home town. He has excelled in the state and national competitions.

Brian Malin$750 Scholarship

Brian is a sophomore at Clark State Community College where he is enrolled in the Parks and Recreation Operations Program and has a GPA of 4.0. Brian left another career to pursue his passion for the green industry while working part time for Five Rivers MetroParks in Dayton.

Traci Parks$750 Scholarship

Traci is a freshman in the Landscape Design Program at Columbus State Community College. Traci is described at exuberant, passionate and positive by her instructors. Her vocational goal is to design and create gardens that heal.

GrowingConcernLOAwardsInsert.indd 5 3/23/2016 3:38:46 PM

24 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

F I SCAL F I TNESS

MICHAEL J. DONNELLANKing Financial, Inc.

Imagine a bank that pays negative interest. Depositors are actually charged to keep their money in an account. As crazy as it sounds, several of Europe’s central banks have cut key interest rates below zero and have kept them there for more than a year. Now, Japan is trying it, too.

For some, it’s a bid to reinvigorate an economy, with other options exhausted. Others want to push foreigners to move their money somewhere else. Either way, it’s an unorthodox choice that has distorted financial markets and triggered warnings that the strategy could backfire. If negative interest rates work, however, they may mark the start of a new era for the world’s central banks.

Currently, about a third of the debts issued by Euro Zone governments have negative yields. That means investors holding to maturity won’t get all their money back.

NEGATIVE INTEREST RATESOver $6 trillion worth of bonds around the world have a negative yield. Central banks are adopting negative interest rates. Global growth forecasts are being downgraded. For investors, it’s been one of the most volatile starts to a year in recent memory. The instability sweeping through markets this year has been as aggressive as it has been widespread.

continued on page 27

Negative interest rates are a sign of desperation, a signal that traditional policy options have proved ineffective and new limits need to be explored. They punish banks that hoard cash instead of extending loans to businesses or to weaker lenders. Rates below zero have never been used before in an economy as large as the Euro area. Europe’s central bank chose to experiment with negative rates before turning to a bond-buying program like those used in the U.S. and Japan. Policy makers in both Europe and Japan are

If banks make more customers pay to hold their money, cash may go

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trying to prevent a slide into deflation, or a spiral of falling prices that could derail the economic recovery. The Euro Zone is also grappling with a shortage of credit, and unemployment near its highest level since the currency bloc was formed in 1999.

We’ve seen the market’s reaction to a low interest rate environment over the past couple months. Investors dumped U.S. equities in January and February and world stocks fell for the fourth month in a row, amid fears of a global recession.

Equity allocations shrank by 1.6 percentage points, to 46 percent of global balanced portfolios, according to a Reuters poll of 44 asset managers in Europe, Britain, the United States and Japan. Exposure to bonds worldwide rose by 2.4 percentage points, to 39.2 percent, the highest in at least five years.

The move reflects a major sell-off in global stock markets in January, with $55.7 billion pulled from global equity funds, according to data from Bank of America Merrill Lynch. This represents the longest outflow streak since 2008.

Worries grew about how the financial sector would cope with the negative interest rate policies adopted by central banks in Europe and Japan, which in turn sent sharply down shares of the large global banks.

It seems investors have also been nervous of issues such as the Chinese economic slowdown, the collapse in the crude oil price and uncertainties surrounding the next move by the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve hiked interest rates in December for

continued from pg 24the first time in over nine years, with anticipation of more rate hikes in 2016. Now with the market correction, uncertainty about the future of interest rates has crept back in the markets, which causes investors to sit on the sidelines to reduce risk.

The problem is that low or negative interest rates and further loosening of monetary policy cannot create growth or inflation on its own. In theory, interest rates below zero should reduce borrowing costs for companies and households, driving demand for loans. In practice, there’s a risk that the policy might do more harm than good. If banks make more customers pay to hold their money, cash may go under the mattress instead.

Make sure your portfolios are diversified and adjust your risk depending on your objectives. Discuss your risk tolerances and investing goals with your financial advisor.

Michael J. Donnellan is President of King Financial, Inc., with offices in Strongsville and North Royalton, Ohio specializing in stock selection and retirement planning. Feel free to contact him with any questions or comments. Phone numbers (440) 878-9676 and (440) 652-6370Email: donnellan@m3wealthmanagement.com

Securities and advisory services offered through L.M. Kohn & CompanyRegistered Broker/Dealer Member FINRA/SIPC/MSRB10151 Carver Rd. Suite 100 – Cincinnati, Ohio 45242(800) 478-0788

27

28 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

This past December, I celebrated forty years in the green industry. This milestone has brought a culmination of memories to my mind. It has also brought forth many thoughts on what has worked – and not worked – during my career. I would like to share one of my company’s greatest successes, what I call the “5 Most Powerful ‘Must Do’s’ In Building Your Service Delivery Model.”

Early on, I knew that being different was all about distinguishing myself from the competition. While price is, and will always be, a driving factor in consumers’ buying habits, there is one thing that should remain a constant, and that is your service delivery model.

Happy customers mean repeat business and referrals. Unhappy customers can harbor feelings of betrayal, which can lead them to engage in vengeful behaviors, such as venting via social media that they are unhappy with a business. And as you know, we live in a very ‘on-line’ world.

That said, it is imperative that you build a successful service delivery model. You MUST design and maintain a culture-centered workforce, because it is this workforce that is fundamentally responsible for the happiness of your customers.

THE 5 MOST POWERFUL MUST DO’S IN BUILDING YOUR SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL

STEVEN COHENGreenMark Consulting Group

In an informal study conducted by my consulting firm in 2013, we found accountability to be one of the biggest problems within our landscape clientele. In fact, we determined that 30 to 50 percent of employees were not held accountable for their performance, despite key performance indictors being in place. This can be, and is, an industry wide challenge for many companies.

While the steps for ensuring accountability are not new, they are sometimes challenging. Steps towards improving accountability amongst your TEAM include;

• Setting and communicating clear expectations. Be transparent with organizational vision, goals and expectations.

• Aligning individual and team goals with departmental and organizational strategies. Everyone must work together, towards a common goal of customer centricity. ‘Together Everyone Achieves More’ (TEAM).

• Providing time, training, tools, and resources. If you do not make the time, you will never have the time. TEAM members must be trained, coached and mentored in order to deliver their best.

continued on page 30

28 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

The Growing Concern x April 2016 x 29

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30 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association30 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

• Empowering people to succeed. Empowerment is driven by trust and accountability. Empower your TEAM to think, act and deliver.

• Providing recognition and feedback. The hardest words are actually the easiest. ‘Thank You,’ ‘Great Job,’ and ‘I Appreciate the Effort’ are just a few. Feedback, even when there’s a problem, can be positive. Say things like, ‘Next time we can do better,’ or ‘What did we learn from this experience.’

MINDSET MATTERSMindset is nothing more than a set of assumptions, or methods held by one or more groups of people. It is so ingrained that it creates a powerful incentive within these groups to continue to adopt prior behaviors.

The difference between leaders who inspire and those from whom employees merely trade time for money has less to do with strategies and techniques than it does with the mindset with which they approach their responsibilities. The best leaders are guided by the following beliefs: • Employees want to do a good job and succeed. • Discipline should be taught and sustained, rather than used to

mandate compliance.

• Relationships are the ultimate tool for influencing the performance of others.

• ‘Does It Work?’ always must be a two-way street. • Leadership is not defined. It is SHAPED.

Once an organization becomes aligned, and these values are understood, success increases. This is because: 1. The TEAM with the best coaches, and the most aligned

players, has the best chance of reaching its fullest potential. 2. People will continue to be inspired by what they have now

become.

KNOW THE ‘THREE P’S’ – PURPOSE, PASSION & PRIDE. If you are not inspired each day with these values, there is no reason for you to be employed at our company. EVERYONE should come to work with a purpose – other than a paycheck – and go home feeling happy and satisfied. Sunday evenings, employees should look forward to going to work the next day.

DEVELOP A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS LEARNINGWe always had a mantra: Leaders lead, managers manage, supervisors supervise and EVERYONE trains, coaches and mentors. This helps

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The Growing Concern x April 2016 x 31

develop a culture of continuous learning. Quality work should be a daily expectation – not an exception.

ACCOUNTABILITY IS KINGWe learned that the managers who fostered our culture, our values and our desire to exceed customers’ expectations – at all levels – were unstoppable. These managers consistently created great results and were empowered to remove the obstacles before them. They challenged the status quo, challenged themselves, and challenged each other.

It really is about the mindset of being powerful and having a ‘Bring-it-on Attitude!’

To succeed in the landscape industry today, you must be flexible and have reasonably good planning and organizational skills. Many people start a business thinking that they will turn on their computers, open the doors and just start making money – only to find that making money in a business is much more difficult than they thought. Avoiding costly mistakes is done by taking your time and planning all the steps necessary towards achieving success and delivering excellence to your client.

Our culture and our managers lived by five steps – what we dubbed our ‘Five Steps to Success.’ Not only were these steps the operational standard, but each time we had a problem, we would go back, identify any steps that were missed, and why. While missing the step was less important to me, learning how to not miss that step again was paramount (See sidebar).

Follow these five steps and you will find that your daily routine becomes more organized, and that the results achieved will help improve your service delivery.

You MUST ask yourself this question all the time, “How do you drive expectations and accountability?” Every move you make as a manager is tied to the customer service experience and can eventually be calculated in revenue – earned, or lost.

If you approach each customer relationship with a positive, can-do-attitude, and with the mentality that ‘the buck stops here,’ you are in the right frame of mind. In addition to this mindset, you must take action. Without a positive attitude AND action, your level of service will be satisfactory at best.

History has shown us, over and over, that by creating these types of customer centric experiences you will often exceed the emotional expectations of your customers. In turn, the time, resources, and commitment you make will be well worthwhile.

Steven Cohen, Principal of GreenMark Consulting Group is a business management and operations consultant with more than 25 years of landscape/snow industry experience. Steven has an extensive background in managing cross-functional business operations, business strategy and market growth projects. He prides himself as being both an analytical and a conceptual thinker who effectively partners with business owners to assess opportunities, facilitate strategic decisions, and drive successful implementations. GreenMark Consulting Group specializes in helping growth-oriented companies see through challenges and map out operational and growth strategies. www.greenmarkgroup.com/www.greenmarkbootcamp.com

FIVE STEPS TO SUCCESSSTEP I: ORGANIZE• Organize your mind.• Organize your daily start-up.• Organize your job plan.

STEP II: MANAGE• Manage by being ‘in control.’• Manage your TEAM members.• Manage your projects. Do not let your projects manage you.

STEP III: EXECUTE• Execute the project based on the estimate. Exercise financial

control.• Execute the project in accordance with the client

expectations. Show them what makes you different.• Execute the project based on proper management and best

management practices. Access your performance.

STEP IV: OBSERVE• Observe the overall performance of the project.• Observe the performance of your crew(s).• Observe the end-result.• Observe how to improve.

STEP V: DELIVER• Deliver what you sold.• Deliver services that exceed the industry and market

standards.• Deliver services that exceed your customer’s expectations.

Overachieve.

Furthermore, your organization’s business goals will almost always be met, allowing you to leverage your market for an increased share – and revenue.

So I ask you… Are you exceeding your client’s expectations?

32 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

DIRECT IONS

SANDY MUNLEYExecutive Director

Ohio Landscape Association

continued on page 34

YOU CAN DO IT!Congratulations to all of our award recipients in the 19th Annual Landscape Ohio! Awards Program! It is exciting to see the beautiful work that our members do to improve the environment that we live and work in across the state. It is even more exciting to recognize them for these incredible projects.

I am writing this prior to our Award’s Dinner and Presentation, but am certain that the evening will be as elegant and enjoyable as it always is. We truly appreciate all of the sponsorship and support we get for this event. Without that support, it would not be possible to have such a wonderful celebration.

It is always great to celebrate our accomplishments amongst ourselves, but it is even better when we can share your successes with those who make purchasing decisions. These award winning projects will be included in the Spring/Summer issue of Landscape Ohio! Magazine, which is included in the May issue of Cleveland and Ohio Magazines. Photos are also published on our consumer website – myohiolandscape.com – and linked to from our industry website – ohiolandscapers.org. I hope that as you browsed through the awards pages in this issue of The Growing Concern, it inspired you to go online and view photos of the projects.

I also hope that you get inspired to begin thinking about entering the 20th Annual Landscape Ohio! Awards competition. The deadline will be in December of 2016, but now is the time to start taking photos! It is best to enter projects that are not freshly installed, but

rather have had some time for plant material to mature and grow in. You have a 5-year window to enter projects, so think back to some of the projects you have completed in the past several years.

While this is not a photo contest, the judges must evaluate your project by the photos you supply. Having good photos is a huge advantage. Here are some of the things to keep in mind when you are taking photos. First, pick a day when it is not too sunny. I know that a sunny day seems like a good idea, but on sunny days, you get too many shadows and sometimes colors will be washed out because it is too bright outside. Choosing a slightly overcast day will generally allow you to take photos that are rich in color.

When you get to your site – clean it up! Use a critical eye to look for and remove debris, garden hoses, garbage cans, and sometimes tacky décor that the homeowner has added. If there is an umbrella table, open the umbrella. Is the grass cut and are the edges neatly trimmed? If there are chairs that are supposed to have seat cushions, be sure they are properly in place. If there is a grill, remove the grill cover. Consider wetting down the pavement so that the color of the material looks rich and stands out.

ADVERT IS ING INDEX

25 Abraxus/Royalton Supply

18 Botson Insurance Group

30 Brecksville Outdoor

29 Boyas Excavating

34 Burns JCB Industrial Equipment

9 Davis Tree Farm & Nursery, Inc.

14 Empaco Equipment Corporation

26 Fairlawn Medina Landscape Supply

14 Irrigation Supply Inc.

9 Mason Structural Steel, Inc.

35 Middlefield MFG

6 Medina Sod Farm, Inc

11 MRLM

26 O’Reilly Equipment LLC

29 Oliger Seed Co.

29 Shearer Equipment

25 Sohar’s / RCPW

6 Three-Z

2 Unilock

10 Valley City Supply

11 Van Curen Tree Service

26 Willoway WDC

The Growing Concern x April 2016 x 33

Effective and Affordable Advertising for Green Industry Suppliers

Beautiful and full color throughout,

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CONTACT THE OLA FOR MORE INFORMATIONphone: 1-800-335-6521 email: info@ohiolandscapers.org

web: OhioLandscapers.org

September 2011

A p u b l i c A t i o n o f t h e o h i o l A n d S c A p e A S S o c i A t i o n GrowingConcernThe

OLA MeetingSeptember 15, 2011

Hosted by The Pattie Group

page 7

Snow & Ice Management Clinic

September 22, 2011

page 11

Dormant Pruning Clinic

September 27, 2011 – Northeast Ohio

October 4, 2011 – Central Ohio

page 30

A p u b l i c A t i o n o f t h e o h i o l A n d S c A p e A S S o c i A t i o nConcern

The

Drainage ClinicNovember 9, 2011 page 17

OLA Annual MeetingNovember 17, 2011 page 7

Sales ClinicFor Landscape ProfessionalsDecember 13, 2011 page 13

How To Set Goals For New Employees page 32

Growingoctober 2011

34 x Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Now, set the stage. Bring items with you that make the space look warm and welcoming. If the client has no outdoor furniture, bring some with you. If they have too much, remove some of it. A pitcher of lemonade or a bottle of wine set on a tray, or on a table, with a couple of glasses looks nice. Or set the dining table with placemats and place settings. Maybe a book, blanket/throw and reading glasses can be placed on a bench. Or what about bringing throw pillows for the chairs? Those little touches, while not a part of the actual landscape, can really make a difference in the first impression of your project.

When you are ready to start snapping photos, take shots from many different angles. If you can avoid power lines or something unsightly in a neighboring property being in your photo, I recommend it. It is also a good idea to bring a step ladder so that you can take some photos from a higher vantage point.

Again, this is not a photo contest, but if you compare two nearly identical projects – one that has been “dressed for success” against a project that has not – which one would catch your eye first? Most likely it would be the one where extra time and care was taken.

So, take some before and during shots of this year’s projects to use for future entries and go back to visit some past projects to see if they are good candidates to photograph now. If you have before shots of those jobs, try to get photos of the completed projects from the same or similar angle. These photos will be great to fill your portfolio with as well.

Additionally, when you start to fill in the entry form, explain your project and each slide. The judges can already see that “this is a photo of the patio and kitchen.” Tell them about the design details and what problems you have solved for you client or how you have fulfilled their wish list.

It isn’t just large, high priced projects that win awards. We have 18 different categories; some are delineated by value, others by special features, such as water features, structures, pavements, or lighting. There is a Residential Landscape Maintenance category, as well as a Commercial Maintenance category, so you can enter properties that you maintain as well.

Be inspired! Whether you enter your projects in Landscape Ohio! or choose not to, go out there and do award winning work!

continued from pg 32

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