Photo courtesy of Clean Scapes
It started as a casual conversation before dinner at last year’s GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Kentucky. Ivan Giraldo of Clean Scapes in Austin, Texas, was talking to Ralph Egues, Jr., executive director of the National Hispanic Landscape Alliance (NHLA) and some others. The topic: finding good employees and labor pains. “We were talking about what a tough time we have filling not only jobs that are $15 an hour, but management positions that pay $60,000 to $80,000 a year, and we said, ‘This is going to be a big problem going forward,’” Egues says.
There are white collar jobs that are sought-after and perceived to be more prestigious than landscaping. And, there are blue collar jobs that require hands-on, skills-based professionals to do the work. But what about landscaping? “These are green collared jobs,” Giraldo says.
“When you’re at a meeting at your kid’s school with other parents, or you’re at church or out in the community, people talk about what they do,” Egues says. “And, the response should be one of pride. That not only do you love what you do, but you’re one of those guys who makes the community literally work better for all of us.”
Green collared workers care for managed landscapes and work to benefit the earth every day. “We make an environmental contribution,” Egues points out.
So, the concept was born: Proud to Be Green Collared – Making America More than Beautiful. “We are trying to promote this everywhere – at college job fairs, hiring events,” Giraldo says. “We want people to know this is a true business. We’re certified, professional companies with HR directors, CFOs, marketing, salespeople, administration. For people who say, ‘I don’t want to push a mower all my life,’ we want them to know, that’s not the only thing we do.”
