Market Trends: Aug. 1997

"You can’t have enough skid steers." "It’s the most productive piece of equipment we own." "They’re essential to our business."

Those are just a few of the comments we heard from readers completing the Quick Reader Survey about skid steers in the May issue of Lawn & Landscape.

A particular area of interest to us was the attachments that are most popular with skid steer users. Additional buckets were the most popular, being purchased by more than 23 percent of the respondents. Fork attachments followed a close second at nearly 19 percent. Better than 12 percent of skid steer owners purchase augers for their units, while the same amount chooses not to purchase any additional tools. And Rockhounds were popular with almost 7 percent of respondents.

Threat To National Turfgrass Evaluation Program

The powers-that-be in Washington are at it again, looking to pare the federal budget by eliminating all funding for the valuable National Turfgrass Evaluation Program. The budget proposal submitted to Congress by President Clinton neglects NTEP for the second consecutive year. Last year, however, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and turfgrass research supporters were able to get funding restored at $55,000 — below the total cost of the program — in the spending bills developed by the congressional appropriations committees.

Clinton’s budget proposal is currently being examined by the U.S. House and Senate.

L.A. Blower Ban Debut Wreaks Political Havoc

It didn’t take long for the green industry’s predictions of legislative chaos to come true over the implementation and enforce-ment of a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers in Los Angeles.

Within a week of the ban’s effective date on July 1, city lawmakers were already meeting to discuss the possibility of diluting or delaying the ban for a year. Several factors have swayed the legislators to con-sider reversing the ban, including a sit-in by more than 500 gardeners at City Hall, a flood of 911 calls to report violations, inquiries from dozens of gardeners and homeowners for interpretations of the rule and meetings with exasperated police officials who have dubbed the law unenforceable.

Robin Pendergrast, presi-dent of International Marketing Exchange, Lake Zurich, Ill., representing the manufacturer Echo Inc. and the green industry’s point of view, said the implications of whatever L.A. lawmakers decide is going to be widespread.

"I have com-munities calling me every day wanting to know the outcome of this ruling," Pendergrast said.

In the meantime, California power equipment distributor Golden Eagle is contemplating legal action against the city because of the ban, but it has not determined what action, if any, it will take.

AAN votes To Change Name

The American Association of Nurserymen is no more. Following a unanimous vote of the board of governors at the AAN’s conference in Nashville, Tenn., the group will now be known as the American Nursery and Land-scape Association.

"The National Landscape Association part of our group came to the AAN board two years ago and asked us to consider changing the name to more closely reflect the landscape portion of the AAN," noted Joel Albizo, director of public relations. "This move is the result of two years of evaluation and analyzation."

The majority of exhibitors at the show, which was held in conjunction with the Tennessee Nurserymen’s Association annual convention in Nashville, said they are enjoying a profitable 1997. Much of this is credited to the overall strength of the economy, which various growers said has provided much of the country with additional disposable income to spend.

On the down side, nursery growers and distributors said landscape contractors should expect overall plant availability to remain at its current low levels, particularly for any dwarf varieties. However, they said availability should not decrease further, and it hasn’t been too great of a problem.

Most growers said they expect plant availability to return to normal levels for the spring of 1999.

Brian Vinchesi Honored By Hunter

Brian Vinchesi, president of Irrigation Consulting & Engineering Inc., Pepperill, Mass., received the 1997 Edwin J. Hunter Industry Achievement Award.

"Brian has been involved in many significant irrigation design projects across the country and has also been an industry leader in education and training," noted Charles Huston, vice president of sales at Hunter Industries, San Marcos, Calif. "His commitment to the growth and professionalism of the industry makes him an ideal candidate for this prestigious award."

It’s Snow Joke: Snow Throwers Sell

Last winter may not have brought the record-setting snowfalls that so much of the country suffered from two years ago, but that certainly didn’t dampen snow thrower sales for the 1997 model year, which is defined as March 1, 1996, through Feb. 28, 1997.

According to the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Old Town Alexandria, Va., total industry shipments of snow throwers totalled approximately 1,030,000 units during this period, a 46 percent increase over 1996 shipment levels and a slight increase over the then-record 1995 volume.

While this past season began with many dealerships reporting low inventories because of the long 1996 winter, the low snowfall levels, particularly in the Northeast, late this year resulted in higher end of season inventories at the retail level. This is expected to temper shipments next year.