Leaders are in the “people business.” All of their other responsibilities notwithstanding, their team and its care and development are among the most critical responsibilities any leader has. Ensuring that the team is functioning at its best requires that leaders regularly spend quality time with their direct reports to help them develop and mature into […]

It certainly is an unsettled economy, but so far, business has remained strong for most landscape companies. Inflation is a definite factor, as are rising interest rates. As of this writing, the labor market has eased up a bit, probably due to seasonality rather than other factors that might be longer lasting. As I look […]

With scarcity of labor and increasing business costs, the landscape industry is facing mounting headwinds to profitability that can ONLY be countered by applying new technology and automation, especially in irrigation services.  According to Brodie Bruner, EVP of Weathermatic, “Throwing labor at operational inefficiencies is no longer a viable strategy, either from a labor supply […]

Recently I spoke on a panel at Equip to a room full of landscapers about the secret sauce of what makes companies exceptional. Company culture is one of those things that’s easier to experience than describe. But I have a story about a micro-moment on a Saturday morning in a yard in St. Louis, the […]