 Chuck Bowen |
When Georgia faced one of the worst droughts in its history, Jim McCutcheon started a program to audit irrigation systems. Bob Grover has used a noise ordinance in Portland, Ore., to showcase what his company is doing to have less of an impact on the environment. And Benton Foret takes a proactive approach to contractor licensing laws in Louisiana.
All three have taken a potential liability – watering restrictions, blower bans and government licensing – and turned it into a positive for their business. You can read how they did it in this month’s cover story, “Regulatory Response,” on page 28.
Regulations are a tough pill for any business to swallow, but it often seems like landscape companies face more than their fair share of restrictions. Everything from chemicals to labor to equipment to water is limited or banned or under attack from some sector.
And it doesn’t stop there. Even as Georgia recovered from the drought, communities started to have another problem – too much water. Stormwater runoff was flooding in and causing problems, so the government stepped up its enforcement of those laws. And McCutcheon expanded his services again.
“As I started looking into this, I realized that not only are the (stormwater and runoff) laws being enforced more aggressively, but many municipalities now see them as a means to generate revenue,” McCutcheon says. “This is a chance to extend our services further and really provide customers with an outlet to find an expert where, in my opinion, there isn’t one (in our area) that exists.”
The problems McCutcheon, Grover and Foret face are the same as those contractors across the country deal with every day. But they responded to increasing regulation not with exasperation and defeat, but with proactive thought and profitable ideas. How will you respond to the problems you have in your city, state or region?
As you click through this month’s magazine, you’ll find some new departments and features. We’ve updated some areas and introduced new ones to bring you the best information possible.
Research – This department following news highlights business and industry research to give you a better, broader picture of what’s going on.
Ask the Experts – We’ve partnered with PLANET to bring you the questions – and answers – fielded by the experts in their Trailblazers program. You can send your questions in to llexperts@gie.net.
Lessons from Leadership – Catch up with past Lawn & Landscape Leadership Award winners as they update us on their latest work.
Formulas for Success – This feature focuses on three companies and how they approach common business problems
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