by Andrew Pelkey
October-November 2023

Our 2nd Annual Field Day was a success! We saw roughly 40% growth in attendee registration and 20% or so growth in vendor support. It’s certainly rewarding to see this event grow. It was nice to have numerous conversations with owners, team members, and vendors throughout the day, sharing our current approach to growing the Association. I think the time is ripe for big steps forward! Be sure to check out the full write-up on the event (pages 16,17,19) and if you missed it this year, make sure you attend next year!

Our new website has gone live, and we are working to make final edits and tweaks. The new site is the first step towards updating our approach on how we as an Association communicate our to our members and prospective members. We’re working diligently to being to have a presence on various social media platforms to enhance our reach to the green industry.

Our November Dinner Meeting is scheduled for Thursday the 9th. Jason Andrews, the president at Gallo & Associates will lead a talk on improving your sales skills and techniques. I see a great deal of value in this event. Most of us, me included, entered the landscaping industry without any formal sales training. Whether you sell work for yourself to do or for a team of people under you, it’s important to have the skills to effectively do so. Be sure to check out the event details on our website and register as seating will be limited.

As I write these notes today, it’s another rainy day. We have had an abundance of rain this season. And I am sure it’s been tremendously difficult to keep a consistent and caught up schedule. That’s a good reminder to check your service agreements/contracts with your clients that clearly indicate what you are and aren’t responsible for when it comes to weather-related issues. For example, new lawn installation washout from heavy rains, a lawn not coming in due to too much rain, or polymeric sand not setting and activating because of rain after applying. Our industry is extremely dynamic. We use the phrase “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it,” and that couldn’t be truer about all of you in the Green Industry.

Here’s to a sunny, dry fall to allow all of us to wrap the season up strong!