PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Reinventing Ourselves

It’s no coincidence: As leading contractors and operators are reinventing themselves to address the challenges and opportunities of today’s market, Lawn & Landscape is doing exactly the same thing. We’ve been the undisputed leader in editorial quality, innovation and advertising support in our market for nearly three decades. Yet we’ve recently made a series of aggressive decisions to take our business to a new level.

Beginning with this issue, we’re introducing a new look, created by our award-winning graphic designer Andrea Vagas. And we’re in the process of implementing a huge expansion of our digital products and services. Cindy Code, one of the industry’s most experienced and talented journalists, has been given the challenge of taking Lawn & Landscape’s interactive business to an unprecedented level. Cindy and her content editors, Emily Mullins and Heather Taylor, are working with software developers Brian Darby and Ryan Jacobs to create the largest and best interactive media team in our market’s history.

We’ve made other changes to ensure we lead the market in every category. Trusted deputy editor Nicole Wisniewski has been promoted to business manager and editor of our rapidly expanding custom communications product portfolio. Managing editor Mike Zawacki has been promoted to take the editorial reins of our Snow and Commercial Dealer magazines. Finally, Margaret Hepp of our Folio Award-winning Golf Course Industry staff has been promoted to editor of our flagship publication, Lawn & Landscape. The issue you now hold in your hands reflects her dedicated effort and talent. Together, the team has made our vision for a new and improved Lawn & Landscape a reality.

Meanwhile, our company is doing what many of you have done or might be considering: strengthening and growing our business through acquisition. We’re very pleased to announce that we recently added Branch-Smith Publishing Company’s magazine and online services in the greenhouse, nursery and garden center markets, to our portfolio. With that acquisition, we now have leading media in the landscape, golf course, pest control, greenhouse, nursery field crop and garden center markets. No other media company in our industry comes close to reaching as many readers in as many professional horticultural and environmental markets as GIE Media. We’re equally proud that GIE remains a family-owned and operated company that constantly reinvests in the markets we serve rather than cutting costs and quality to send more profits to an investment bank. Ultimately, that makes us stronger and helps us serve you better.

Here’s a sneak preview of some of the changes you’ll see this month: 
• A new design to make our articles even more readable for busy folks like you.
• Real-world perspectives from new writers who’ve been there and done that.
• New departments, including “Briefcase,” a series of monthly case studies focused on real-life management solutions used by small, medium and large businesses.

We think we’ve taken a great magazine and made it even better. We want to hear what you think. Drop Margaret an e-mail or give me a call with your feedback. We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks again for your readership and for making Lawn & Landscape the industry’s No. 1 source for professional business information.

Kevin Gilbride is the group publisher of GIE Media’s Horticultural Group. Lawn & Landscape media portfolio was added to his management responsibilities in July 2008.