Apply today for the 2018 Turnaround Tour

Do you find yourself spinning your wheels? At the end of the year, do you wonder where all your profits went? Have you been trying to solve the same problems over and over, to no avail?

Lawn & Landscape has again partnered with the Harvest Group and Fleetmatics to hold another Turnaround Tour to help landscapers like you get out of the weeds and solve those problems once and for all. We are seeking three landscapers or lawn care operators we can team up with Bill Arman, Ed Laflamme and their team of consultants to help them solve their most challenging problems in 2018.

“It’s fairly simple to put a plan together, but it’s the execution of the plan that is the hard part. The Turnaround Tour, with its follow-up sessions, makes that hard part a whole lot easier,” said Head Harvester Bill Arman. “It’s amazing what can happen with a little help from a seasoned landscaper who has gone down the path before you.”

Head Harvester Ed Laflamme agrees. “Let our lessons learned be the stepping stones to your success,” he said. “The landscape business is a relatively simple business. It’s spinning all of the plates that gets difficult. We will help you with keeping it simple and from dropping too many plates.”

Lawn & Landscape will report on each company throughout the year-long process, in its print magazine, and online through videos and social media. Bill and Ed and a videographer will spend two days with each of the three winners, learning about their business challenges and opportunities. They will interview employees, visit job sites and build a Harvest Playbook to help the company implement the changes suggested. After a year of consultation, Bill and Ed will revisit each company’s location to report on the improvements they’ve made.

“Our first Turnaround Tour has been a great success,” said Chuck Bowen, editor and associate publisher of Lawn & Landscape. “The three winners have done tremendous work with Bill and Ed, and have made a lot of progress toward solving some of their biggest problems. We’re excited to continue the program next year for three more lucky landscapers.”

The inaugural Turnaround Tour started in late 2016 and runs through the end of 2017. The Harvesters have worked with Jeremy and Heather Dirksen, Freedom Lawn & Landscapes, Piedmont, Oklahoma; William Gruccio, Michael D’Orazio and Jordan Gartner, Vineland Landscaping, Vineland, New Jersey; and Ira and Deborah Wade, Wade’s Lawn Service, Goodlettsville, Tennessee.

“Before we met The Harvest Group we were working in our business, not on it. We felt like we couldn’t get over the growth hump,” said Jeremy Dirksen from Freedom Lawn and Landscapes. “Bill and Ed provided direction, guidance and oversight to show us what needed to be changed to build a strong foundation for growth. Meeting with them routinely, coupled with their online ‘tool shed’ and industry experts available at a moment’s notice has been instrumental in our success. Our business has been transformed in every aspect and we’ve already seen a bountiful harvest thanks to The Harvest Group.”

Deadline for submissions is August 31, 2017. Click here to download an application and see eligibility criteria. Completed forms can be emailed to Chuck Bowen at cbowen@gie.net. Include “Turnaround Tour 2018” in your subject line.