Doing our part

Once again, John Deere is proud to support Lawn & Landscape’s State of the Industry Report. This valuable information helps all of us gain a deeper understanding of industry trends, identify opportunities and gain insight into what’s ahead for our industry.

As you review the data, you’ll find 2015 has been a significant year for many in the industry. In fact, many landscape contractors report that they are experiencing one of the best – if not the best – year since the Great Recession. Many report that customers are spending again, especially on outdoor living spaces and landscape enhancements.

This is great news for all of us, but the year was not without challenges. A lack of labor is creating a bottleneck in operations – 77 percent say a lack of qualified employees is a limiting factor to business growth. Finding quality employees also ranks as the top item on the list of concerns for contractors – 45 percent say it will have the most impact on their location’s business in the next three years.

But despite these challenges, the landscape business is a good business! Landscape contractors are generating a median revenue of $217,000, and nearly 70 percent of the contractors surveyed have been in business for 10 or more years.

Also, other indicators such as housing starts, home values and employment figures support a continued positive outlook for the industry.

After you read through this issue and examine how your business compares to those included in the survey, I encourage you to tune in to what’s happening in your community and local government.

As landscape professionals, you certainly understand the value of well- managed green space in your community. But do your customers? How about your local officials?

Turfgrass provides significant environmental benefits to our communities like stormwater management and filtration, environmental cooling, carbon sequestration, oxygen production, dust control and more.

Managed landscapes are not only important to our bottom lines, they are important for our environment. We all need to do our part to educate our customers and our lawmakers about the benefits of turf.

I also urge you to get involved with industry associations, such as the National Association of Landscape Professionals and the National Hispanic Landscape Alliance. Both associations work on behalf of the landscape industry to ensure that policies and laws are created to protect the rights of landscape professionals and their customers to create and maintain healthy, viable and beautiful landscaped spaces.

We need to work together to ensure the outlook of the professional landscape industry continues to be bright.

In addition to supporting the industry, John Deere is committed to supporting you, the landscape professional. Yes, we offer the most extensive line of equipment to meet your demanding needs, but we also support your business through the best dealer network in the industry. With GreenFleet Loyalty Rewards, Uptime Solutions and customized financing through John Deere Financial, John Deere can support you, and your business, like no other equipment manufacturer in the industry.

We’d welcome the opportunity to earn your business and provide you with the support you need to harness the positive trends we see in the landscape industry.