10 Questions: Bill Lewis, Syngenta Professional Products

Editor's Note: These "10 Questions" with Bill Lewis mark the first installment of a new Lawn & Landscape Online monthly feature. Each month, Lawn & Landscape magazine will select an industry professional to field about 10 green industry-related questions, ranging from the economy to consolidation to consumer opinion to product advancements. If you have suggestions for future "10 Questions" material and/or individuals to highlight, please e-mail them to bwest@lawnandlandscape.com.

1) Lawn & Landscape: How much more consolidation should we expect to see among pesticide suppliers?

Bill Lewis, vice president, professional products business unit and regional business group: “Consolidation won’t happen with many more companies. Yes, you’ll probably see a couple more companies consolidate, but not as many as you’ve seen in the past. It’s becoming more difficult due to concentration of consolidation that’s already happened. A lot of times, when you find markets and it seems attractive to consolidate, when it’s reviewed by government you’re not able to keep all your products.

2) L&L: Is bigger really better (in terms of basic pesticide suppliers) for the average lawn care operator?

BL: “It’s not a matter of bigger being better, but it’s about critical mass and return on investment to keep investing in the industry. In the end it’s about what is going to be good for the lawn care operator, and yes, I believe in that respect bigger is better because businesses will continue their investments to get return on them and spend on more research and development to bring compounds to the market for the LCO.”

3) L&L: How do products on the market today compare with those of 10 years ago?

BL: “The industry continues to bring new products to the market that are more efficacious and place less load on the environment. Companies such as Syngenta are committed to research to bring those products to market, and we are establishing a global basis for the professional product market, looking at opportunities in the U.S. and in other markets.”

4) L&L: How will the products be different 10 years from now?

BL: “Ten years from now, we’ll continue to see products become more efficacious. Regulatory hurdles will not become less stringent, they will become more stringent. In that way, science will move on and manage risk, continue to improve and be more efficacious, which will then add benefits for the lawn care professional. One example is the usage rates: we see them using less active ingredients, formulations that will be easier to handle – all kinds of improvement to help professionalism down the road.”

5) L&L: What is the biggest challenge facing the green industry right now?

BL: “The biggest challenge for the industry is making sure that the consumer understands what is going on in their yard. The more professionalism we have and the more we can support that, the better off we can be with consumers. Perception is reality and we need to make sure we give them the right perception and the right facts.”

6) L&L: What is the biggest challenge of developing a new product?

BL: “In looking for new chemistry, you have to be focused and find the right compound to meet the topological and environmental profile. It’s also about generating enough return to shareholders to fund that research. You have to be highly selective early on before you start moving a compound further and spend money on it. Many times in the past, if you found a compound, you’d move very quickly and then start analyzing risk. But now we do that in tandem, seeing how the product is going to stack up against regulatory issues, so we don’t go too far down the path and be disappointed.”

7) L&L: What is the bigger environmental issue facing the industry – developing more environmentally-sensitive products or getting better training/standards in place for applicators?

BL: “They basically go hand in hand… you have to not only develop a compound, you have to go to market in a fashion so you know it is being applied properly and utilized correctly. Many times here in our business we evaluate and ask, ‘If we bring this compound on, how will it be used? How do we move forward with it to get it registered?’ Proper training and handling with the LCO plays into the regulators’ hands and whether or not we want the product on the market.

8) L&L: What are your growth expectations for the lawn care industry in the next three years?

BL: “I see more and more people turning to professionals for their lawn care, because of the economic return they get on their time, since time is on shortage. When they realize the results they see when they go to the professional, you have a market today that is being untapped, especially with normal housing starts and with the way this industry is growing in U.S. The more we can play the benefits of professional lawn care and the more consumer sees the professionalism, the more they are going to use that.”

“Most of our efforts are really concentrated on the industry professionals – we don’t push below industry professional. In support of that avenue and how we play to the market, we do a lot of different Web-based programs, such as Green Cast Partners so the LCOs can focus on the consumer. If we get it right with the lawn care professional, we believe they will recommend our products, so it’s a win-win for both parties.”

9) L&L: What is the most important thing lawn care operators can do to help the industry in the future?

BL: “They can continue to demonstrate the stewardship they need to do their job properly, since they are front-line ambassadors to the general public… they represent the whole industry. A perfect example is IPM – if they utilize the thoughts and processes, even if it means rotating to a chemistry that’s not mine, at the end of the day it benefits the whole industry.”

10) L&L: What do you say to people who tell you that pesticides are bad for the industry? For the environment?

BL: “It’s not that the products being used are bad for the industry, it’s when that stewardship level slips, it causes everyone in the industry to suffer. The professionalism of lawn care operators is the key to products’ success, and their education of consumers dispels false perceptions of products. We try to do our part to make sure that people have a full understanding of the industry based on science and facts.”

11) L&L: If lawn care operators could only know one thing about Syngenta, what would you want it to be?

BL: “First thing is that we’re committed to the industry and stewardship of products in the industry. For the industry to thrive, that’s most important thing, our commitment to professionalism.

The author is Assistant Editor – Internet of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at kmohn@lawnandlandscape.com.