Back to Basics

Daniel Dye is looking at the 2009 season as a time for his pest control and lawn maintenance company to overcome current economic challenges by providing great services and paying attention to the customer.
They are facing these tough times by “getting back to good old basics,” says Dye, an associate certified entomologist and training coordinator for the Gainesville, Fla.-based business.

Providing lawn maintenance that can add value and service for existing customers is important to Florida Pest Control & Chemical Co. That is why Dye added aeration to the company’s menu of services in 2003.
The 55-year-old company is primarily a pest control organization and provides advanced pest management training. However, they also offer a wide range of customer lawn, tree and shrubbery applications to take care of pest, disease and fertilizer needs.

According to the 500-employee company, “aeration is one of the best things you can do when it comes to lawn care and landscaping ... it’s an essential step in lawn care maintenance.”

Dye says aeration is a great add-on to any company because it basically sells itself. If you “show the customer the need, they usually buy the service,” he explains.

For his customers, Dye prices aeration by the square footage of the turf. Then aeration is done when the turf is actively growing in spring and early summer.

For other contractors looking to add this easy-selling service to their repertoires, Dye suggests doing a good amount of research and trying out several products before making a final purchase, if possible.

In his case, Dye did online research and looked at various university studies. “We tried several aerators and performed aerations on numerous lawns before making our final purchase decision,” Dye says.

Once this initial research and testing process was complete, the company decided on the Turfco TurnAer 26 to fit its needs.

Dye’s favorite feature and a big reason for the purchase was that the machine could turn much more easily than others he tried. Turfco offers several TurnAer machines direct to customers, and they range in cost between $3,000 and $4,000. Landscaping contractors typically look for a machine with a deep coring ability, and these aerators offer a core depth of up to 2.75 inches.

If he could make any changes to aerators on the market, Dye says he would like to see them have more tines per square foot. And to keep aerators running smoothly and get the longest life out of the machines, he says normal routine maintenance is required.

To build a satisfied customer base when offering aeration, Dye says contractors should follow some simple start-up rules, which include paying attention to proper water requirements before and after service – and keeping an eye on sprinkler heads.

“Make sure the lawn is properly irrigated before performing aeration,” he advises. “And flag sprinkler system heads, and run the irrigation system before and after aeration.”

The author is a freelance writer based in Valley View, Ohio.