Online contents

Tweets and treats

We thought it’d be a great idea to recognize those in the industry who serve as great examples when it comes to promoting the industry on social media. So, we created the Lawn & Landscape Social Media Awards sponsored by STIHL. The L&L team invaded the STIHL booth at the GIE+EXPO to present the winners Jason Cupp (@jasoncupp), Lakeridge Contractors (@Lakeridgecon) and ValleyCrest’s Alan Harris (@h2oMatters) with plaques. STIHL also gave away an iPad and chainsaw to two lucky winners. Search #expotweetup on Twitter to get a recap of all the fun. We’ll see you there next year!

Happy trees, happy homeowners

While it may seem that any tree could be planted in any location, it really takes much thought and consideration to make sure that the right trees are planted in the right areas in order to cultivate the most attractive and healthiest landscape possible.
bit.ly/treeshappy

Sell yourself

Christopher Noon was meeting with a consulting client when he asked the client, “What is your company’s value proposition?” The client, who had a very successful business, was stumped. In this article, Noon helps company owners verbalize what they do well and what they bring to the industry.
bit.ly/noonvalue

Traffic Jam

Here are the top five most viewed stories on our website from October through early November.

Toro to acquire BOSS
The $227 million-deal is expected to close in early 2015. bit.ly/bosstoro

Scotts acquires structural pest control company
This is Scotts’ first purchase of a home pest control business. bit.ly/scottspest

Terracare Associates acquires VMC Landscape
Terracare jumps into one of the fastest-growing markets for landscaping in the country. bit.ly/terravmc

New Jersey landscapers killed
Two men were caught in a trench when it gave way. bit.ly/njkilled

EAB may have spread to different tree
The invasive pest appears to be attacking more than ash trees. bit.ly/eabspread

The place to be

And speaking of GIE+EXPO, if you weren’t able to make it, or unable to attend every educational session and visit every booth, we’ve got you covered. Turn to page 11 for coverage from the event. We also took plenty of photos, which you can find on our Facebook page by visiting bit.ly/lawnface. Just click on “albums” and find the two albums titled Thursday at GIE+EXPO and Friday at GIE+EXPO.