Best Practices

A sustainable difference

An alternative to landscape maintenance  can confuse customers. So it’s up to you to educate them.

Balls and cones and spirals and boxes. That’s what many shrubs in greater Phoenix looked like before sustainability advocates Asset Landscaping introduced more natural techniques. Back in the day, irrigation systems ran without restriction, too. That has changed, big time.

“Water conservation has come to light in the past five years,” says Matthew Johnson, co-owner and vice president of Asset Landscaping, which has a staff of 60 and primarily manages homeowners’ associations and commercial accounts like the stadium where the Arizona Cardinals play.

Doing the right thing for the environment is a part of Asset Landscaping’s mission. And the right thing can look a little funny at first to property owners who are used to having their shrubs sculpted into perfect shapes.

“Some clients had no reaction – some kind of freaked out,” Johnson says of the way residents responded to renovation methods that involve letting a shrub mature and grow freely much of the year, then trimming overachieving branches. Serious renovation can leave a shrub naked, but only for a short time. It’s healthier to prune less often, Johnson explains to clients. “Every time you cut and shape plants, they have to regenerate and that uses more water,” he says.

Client education is a key component of Asset Landscaping’s outreach efforts. The company distributes e-newsletters, holds lunch-and-learns for HOA property managers and posts signs explaining sustainable techniques in the communities it serves.

Now, people are really starting to pay attention to these sustainable ideas, and awareness has resulted in a boon in business for Asset. “With water conservation being the right thing to do and more cities generating revenues from water bills, that has everyone’s attention,” Johnson says. “They realize they need to cut back on water and that savings can go directly back to the bottom line.”

That’s where Asset Landscaping steps in.

The Cardinal rules. The Arizona Cardinals stadium in Glendale looks different than many professional sports environments. The trees grow lush canopies and shrubs branch out and bare their natural colors.

Decomposed granite groundcover is foot-traffic friendly and has a low carbon footprint (it travels only as far as nearby mountains where it is harvested). “Ultimately, a successful partnership toward sustainability relies on the customer’s openness to a discussion toward sustainability,” Johnson says.

Read more about Johnson and his commission culture and sign up for the A Cut Above newsletter at www.lawnandlandscape.com/newsletters

Kristen Hampshire
 

Knowing both sides Matthew Johnson knows how HOAs work. It takes one to know one. Matthew Johnson understands the inner workings of homeowners association (HOA) because he once served as a vice president on an HOA board in Scottsdale, Ariz. And, he previously worked for a community association management firm, helping to manage planned condominium communities. Johnson was a property manager when Asset Landscaping’s co-owner and president Kevin Robinson was running the maintenance firm. “I became friends with Kevin, and when he eventually asked me if I wanted to invest and buy out (the partners of the company), I said yes,” Johnson says of how they came together. Landscape maintenance was a learning process for Johnson. But he brought the HOA knowledge to the table. Plus, he had been intimately involved with communities’ complex irrigation projects. Today, the bulk of Asset Landscaping’s work is in the planned community arena. Before Johnson came on board, the company focused on apartment complex maintenance. Transitioning to community-based projects required some infrastructural changes, Johnson says. “We definitely increased our customer service capabilities,” he says. This was important because of the many stakeholders involved in HOA work. There is the property manger (or several), HOA board members and residents. “You need to communicate on many fronts,” he says, adding that it’s important to have the resources to handle call volume. “You need to spend time on the phone speaking to clients, explaining things or getting back to them with their requests.”

 

Full coverage

Mike Merlesena offers installers insight after years of working on the supply side.

After having worked on the manufacturing side for five years, Mike Merlesena, owner of Environmental Enhancements Irrigation in Missoula, Mont., says it has given him a bit of an advantage as a contractor to have seen the industry from another angle. He offers some of his best tips for irrigation contractors.

Know the products. “I think that it gives you a tremendous advantage as a contractor to really know what types of products are out there,” Merlesena says. “I believe that most contractors probably don’t pay as close attention to this as they should though. They keep going to the same products they’ve always used. But it would benefit you to try and keep up with what’s new. Customers appreciate that and it makes you more knowledgeable.” 

Focus on solutions. Merlesena says that better familiarity with products will give you an opportunity to come up with solutions that other contractors may not have thought about. “You should think of every job as a clean slate – different from the last job,” he says.

“On each job you have to consider what product might work best and having familiarity with a lot of product will help you. In the 10 jobs I did in my first year, there were applications I needed that were out of the norm, so I have to imagine that most contractors are being faced with situations where they have to be able to think outside the box a little bit. The idea is to come up with a solution that nobody else is going to think of. That’s what will set you apart.” 

Go to the shows. The best way to know what products are out there? Go to the shows, Merlesena says. “I go to the IA show every year,” he says. “It gives me a chance to see what products are available. I understand it’s an expense, but it’s one that I believe is well worth it. And if you can’t afford to go to the bigger shows, there are always smaller regional ones. Look for shows that are available at a state-wide level. Most manufacturers will also go to those. You just have to make yourself do it because it’s really important to be out there and staying on top of the latest technology.” 

Talk to distributors. Besides the industry shows Merlesena says to pay attention to the fact that manufacturers are always going to “distributor days” and hosting other similar events.

“Manufacturers often host regional trainings all over the country,” he says. “It seems like they try to keep it off season when contractors have the time available. While those are not cheap things to attend, I really believe the more ahead of the curve you stay, the better off you’ll be.” 

Read about Merlesena’s journey from the supply side to the contracting side and sign up for the Water Works e-newsletter at www.lawnandlandscape.com/newsletters.

 

Lindsey Getz
 
 

Green solutions Where applicable, Merlesena says he’s trying to put in as much low-volume drip as possible. “I’m always looking to keep running times down,” he says. “But of course you need to take into account the whole yard including considerations like sun, shade and adjusting run times accordingly.” Having worked for a manufacturer that pushed solar powered irrigation controllers and smart controllers that self adjust, Merlesena says he is taking that knowledge to the customer. Even though the technology costs more, he says that customers are “getting it.” “People do understand that you have to invest more to save more,” he says. “These controllers will pay for themselves eventually, but I want to have hard data to show that. One of my plans is to start keeping track of customers’ data so I can reference it when talking to new clients – to be able to let them know just how much they can save.”  As the market becomes more saturated, Merlesena says it’s also important to find ways to stand out from the crowd. Knowing a lot about products and staying on top of the trends is how Merlesena says he plans to stand out. “It’s all about setting yourself apart from the competition by pushing technology and knowing enough about the products out there that you’re able to offer different applications and get creative. I want to be able to show my customers things they haven’t seen before.”

 

Community spirit

Stephen Mazelis focuses on paying it forward and has made an impact on the community where he lives and works.

Stephen Mazelis has a go-give initiative at his business, and his commitment to community service strengthens with every year, and with every completed project. The feel-good payment he gets is more rewarding than cold, hard cash. Plus, Mazelis, president of Mazelis Landscape Contracting Corp. in Nesconset, N.Y., is setting an example for employees, residents, area businesses and his young son.

Mazelis’ pay-it-forward mission began a few years ago when he was watching the news on Veteran’s Day. Mazelis, proud son of a retired New York fireman and a volunteer fireman himself, learned about a wounded soldier who was returning home to Holbrook, N.Y. Mazelis contacted the family of Army Corporal Chris Levi – a double amputee – and offered to give the family’s home a landscape makeover. 

“Seven other companies said they were going to do something,” says Mazelis. “I said, ‘I’ll be back in a few days to get started,’ and couple days later I showed up with a crew and we were there for several months re-landscaping the entire house to get it ready before the solider came home from Walter Reid Hospital, where he was in (physical) rehab.”

Mazelis felt a duty to help the Levi family. And, after the experience, the gung-ho entrepreneur made a decision. “I said, ‘I’m going to do something every year as long as I can afford it,’” he says. 

Three years, and three major projects later, Mazelis is running a profitable business that has earned a reputation in the community as the firm that cares. 

A go-give attitude. The newspaper articles and recognition for Mazelis’ volunteer landscape work are a warm fuzzy reminder for Mazelis, but that’s nothing compared to the satisfaction of completing a project that will change the quality of life for others. So when Mazelis sees an opportunity to help in ways big or small, he pitches in without hesitation. 

A local charity needs table arrangements for a gala: Mazelis says, “No problem.”

The local hospital wants to create a garden where cancer patients and families can reflect: Mazelis says, “When do I start?”

The city needs a horticulturist to supervise a land improvement project. Mazelis’ response: “I can do you one better.”

the landscaping, labor and ongoing maintenance of the plot.

Mazelis says he can’t do all this good alone. He partners with vendors, most of whom have become good friends and are willing to help Mazelis’ company with volunteer projects by offering free or discounted materials. He rallies the support of his team at Mazelis Landscape Contractors Corp. by instilling in them the ethics he believes so strongly in: Pay it forward. Don’t worry about the payback. And he works closely with the community, including the Chamber of Commerce and local politicians who support his efforts.       

To continue reading how Mazelis has grown his client base by doing good deeds and sign up for the Business Builder e-newsletter, visit www.lawnandlandscape.com/newsletters.

Kristen Hampshire
 

The supporting cast Because of the support of generous vendors, Mazelis can take on significant charity landscape projects. “Good people attract good people,” he says, quoting the executive direct of the chamber of commerce, who said this to Mazelis when he told her, “I can’t comprehend how everyone has come together and was willing to give me discounts (on materials).” Mazelis partners with suppliers who provide him materials at no or very low cost, and this is what ultimately makes the project happen. Without these gifts, Mazelis would be taking on a much more significant financial burden in a tough economy.  The key is to develop lasting, personal relationships with suppliers. And, it’s important to align with suppliers that share your vision. Finally, focus on building a friendship – that’s ultimately what will preserve a long-term vendor relationship, Mazelis says. Buy local. Mazelis looks close to home and develops partnerships with independent businesses whose owners are hands-on and customer-focused. “I try to use smaller, more local nurseries as opposed to bigger operations because then you are really dealing with the owner, who is on site on a daily basis,” Mazelis says. Get personal. Meet up at the golf course. Go out to dinner. Ask about the family. Do more than business. “Over time, we get to know our suppliers better this way,” Mazelis says. Give credit. Go ahead and drop names. Mazelis is sure to mention suppliers that have stuck with his business throughout the years and support his charity efforts.

 

Tech Savvy

Use separate lawn care and structural pest control technicians to save time and money.

As many as four dozen types of weeds invade the lawns of the Florida Panhandle each year, and the lawn care techs at Brock Lawn and Pest Control know them all.

The front line staff of this 35-year-old, family-owned company comes well-equipped to stop interlopers like broad-leaf and grassy weeds right in their tracks.

That’s why, despite all the chatter in the lawn care industry about universal techs helping to boost efficiency, Brock Lawn and Pest Control owner Tim Brock has retained separate techs for lawn care and structural pest control.

To him, it just makes sense from a quality standpoint because of the level of specialization that is required.  

“From a strictly financial standpoint, the universal method makes a lot of sense,” Brock says. “But especially given that product selection is so much larger on the lawn care side, we just felt those techs had enough to think about.

You’ve got to think about the quality of service, and so we made a decision to stick with dedicated technicians.”

That’s not to say that Brock’s techs are not prepared to handle multiple types of problems.

The firm’s lawn care techs are cross-trained so they can recommend the right services if they identify structural pest control issues at a customer’s property, and vice versa.

Brock’s salespeople are also well-versed in selling multiple services.

What it does mean is that the $3 million company is able to offer its clients both kinds of treatments while also retaining the high-quality service it’s become known for.

“For the majority of our customers that have multiple services, they’re using us for both services,” says Brock, whose company’s geographic territory includes the entire Panhandle, with three offices in Panama City, Marianna and Santa Rosa/Destin.

Deciding to stick with specialized technicians was not easy and required some thoughtful retooling, says Brock, who grew up immersed in the family business and never seriously considered doing anything else after he graduated from college.

“During a typical service period, I’m often sending two techs out to a customer’s house, one to do pest control and termite service and one to do lawn care,” he says.

“If you’re using the universal method, you can reduce a tech’s route size, which reduces their windshield time.

“Less driving means they’re able to service more customers.”

Continue reading about how Brock educates customers and trains employees and sign up for the Growing Green e-newsletter at www.lawnandlandscape.com/newsletters.

Lee Chilcote
 

Marketing mix Marketing isn’t exactly a science, but Tim Brock has been known to treat it like one. The successful business owner, who has three offices in the Florida Panhandle, mixes and matches marketing venues each year like a mad scientist who is brewing a powerful cocktail. “I try to spread my advertising dollars over several different mediums,” says Brock, who invests about 7-8 percent of his annual revenues in marketing and advertising. “ My philosophy is that we need to be in a lot of different places, but not spread too thin. Wherever we do advertise we try to be a strong presence; if we can’t, we pass.” For Brock, it all starts with the Yellow Pages. Even though he’s cut back in recent years, he still finds the book useful, even in the age of Google and search engine optimization. “The phone book doesn’t necessarily bring the lead in, but we often find that’s how they got our number,” he says. “Oftentimes they saw one of our TV ads, heard us on the radio or saw a billboard, then went to the phone book to call us.” Beyond the phone book, Brock also invests in TV and radio. When selecting radio or TV stations to put his money into, he carefully studies their demographics and reach. When it comes to outdoor advertising, Brock’s experience has shown him that so-called “junior boards,” which are found on less-traveled roads, offer something of a bargain. Such low-priced billboards are often found on roads traveled primarily by locals.