ŁŁH Ł ALCA examines management team dynamics BY ELLIOT MARAS Editor If you think your company has the experience under its belt to take on another $100,000 worth of work this year, you're not alone. And if you've thought this before only to find out that the expansion cost you more than it made you, you're not alone either. Landscape management firms ^JKr^i Ritchie Skelton (left) and Jerry Lankenau. that successfully move to higher ground go through very difficult pe-riods of staff reorganization. It usu-ally takes a year before they function at the same level of comfort 
and efficiency. Industry leaders have taken a critical look at the problems they faced and continue to face in climb-ing to higher plateaus. As a result, guidelines are available for growth-
oriented companies of all sizes. The Associated Landscape Con-tractors of America recently re-leased its eighth Crystal Ball Report, titled: Leadership in the Landscape Industry; Building a Management Team. The 40-page report is the second in a series that started with last year's Leadership in the Landscape Industry, the Changing, Challeng-ing Role of The CEO. That report See TEAM Page 14 L4WN GIRE NDUSTEY Serving commercial mowing and chemical lawn care professionals VOLUME 13 NUMBER 4 APRIL 1989 DOTregs take effect Trucks, drivers face inspections WASHINGTON, D.C. Trucks carrying some com-monly-used lawn care materi-als are subject to inspection 
under new federal guidelines. Forms must be filled out, pack-ages properly marked, and 
drivers will have to be licensed and tested for drugs. The regulations fall under the Commercial Motor Vehi-
cle Safety Act of 1986 which 
took effect in 1988. The Pro-fessional Lawn Care Associa-tion of America recently got a list of regulated lawn care 
chemicals from the U. S. De-partment of Transportation. "It's going to make life more complicated," says Jim 
Wilkinson, the PLCAA's di-BUSINESS How one lawn care company increased profits by reducing 
business volume. 12 INSECTICIDES Prof. Mike Villani notes importance of timing in insecticide effectiveness. rector of environmental and regulatory affairs. Wilkinson and PLCAA attorney Dave Rutledge have spent most of the last year pressing reluctant DOT officials for information on how the law affects lawn care firms. Regulated materials in-clude chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, diazinon, dicamba, pyrethrins, 2,4-D and am-monium nitrate. Carbaryl and dicamba, however, are not reg-
ulated in amounts used in lawn care. Stricter requirements apply to those of these that fall under 
the "hazardous substance" category, which include all but 
ammonium nitrate. The hazardous substances' reportable quantities are available from PLCAA. Packaging and labeling re-quirements will be enforced by See DOT Page 15 Reviving drought-stricken BY JAMES E. GUYETTE ^Managing Editor £ m A Ê hile turfgrass man-AiAM agers share their * jjmL * Ł w clients' hopes for XŽ/ c u sTomTr^e x p ext a t ions - .¿Ipi m ^rwï^ M Ł : Sto3= delivered folio Y If April showers fall as usual, clients with damaged lawns are likely to think that a spring renovation is all that is needed. On the other hand, if there is little rain this month, customers may think it best to wait till fall 
before having their lawns reseeded. "The key month is April," says John Hopko, turf specialist at the North-rup King Co. Because a lawn renovation is more likely to flop in the springŠand more likely to succeed in theTallŠa rainy April could make it tough on quality-conscious turf managers seeking to politely, yet firmly, convince their clients that fall is indeed the best time for renovation work. Turf experts in the field and at the universities agree that customers and See REVIVE Page 10 17 CLASSIFIED See what's for sale, miscellaneous items. 25 LCOs credit drought for strong renewals BY ELLIOT MARAS Editor NATIONAL REPORT Last year's extended drought was a blessing in disguise for the lawn care industry if early sea-son renewals are any indica-tion. NEXT MONTH LCOs interviewed at ran-dom say renewals are 5 to 10 percent higher than normal, and customers who discon-tinued service in the past are calling them back. The consumer media, tradi-tionally seen as a nemesis by the industry, helped by focus-ing attention on the drought. LCOs say customers whose 
lawns went dormant are blam-
ing Mother Nature rather than them. In addition, customers who have never had lawn care are 
more inclined to see if a pro-See RENEWS Page 13 LATE NEWS Industry appeals New York ruling NEW YORKŠThe New York Pesticide Coalition has appealed a federal court ruling in an effort to 
halt enforcement of the stated controversial pesticide regulations. The appeal has been filed in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Professional Lawn Care Association of America has donated $10,000 to the coalition's suit. The appeal seeks to overturn a January ruling by Judge Neal McCurn in federal court. McCurn ruled that the notification regulations, which the 
pesticide coalition claims are in excess offederal law, are a "complimentary adjunct" to federal 
law. The pesticide coaliton argued that the printed notification requirements are an attempt to 
supersede the federal government's role in this See APPEAL Page 17 THE RYES OF THE TIMES These are demanding times. Your turf has to look better than ever, but maintenance costs are rising and the pressure's on to respect the environment. Lofts has four ryes that can meet today's tough demands. Each has its own unique advantages: Ł Repell contains endophytes that repel above-ground feeding insects naturally. It needs no chemical control for insects like sod webworms, cutworms, chinch bugs, 
aphids or billbugs. Ł Palmer and Prelude feature heat and drought tolerance and excellent dark green color. Ł Yorktown II is exceptionally cold tolerant for northern areas, 
yet it also tolerates hot, humid summers. From each of the four rye varieties you'll also get many additional ben-
efits, including fine-leafed dense growth, excellent mowability and above-average disease resistance. ÎÎRElb ltïEGp turf TYPf ÜSSä': Repell, Yorktown II, Palmer and Prelude Š alone or together they meet the needs of these demanding times. Good looks with less maintenance for minimum environmental impact. nw LOFTS Lofts Seed Inc. World's largest marketer of turfgrass seed Bound Brook, NJ 08805 (201) 356-8700 Ł (800) 526-3890 (800) 624-1474 (NJ) Lofts/New England Arlington, MA 
(617) 648-7550 Lofts/Maryland 
Beltsville, MD (800) 732-3332 (800) 732-7773 (MD) Lofts/Great Western Sunbelt Seeds, Inc. Albany, OR Norcross, GA (503) 928-3100 or (404) 448-9932 or 800 547-4063 (800 522-7333 To locate the Lofts' distributor nearest you, call (800) 526-3890 (Eastern U.S.) Ł (800) 547-4063 (Western U.S.) Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY APRIL INDUSTRY NEWS L J ó INDUSTRY NEWS L J L4WN Q1RE INDUSTRY ELLIOT MARAS Editor JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor ROBERT EARLEY Group Vice President KIM SESSER Production Manager CAROL LANDSTROM Production Supervisor BRYAN VOLLMAN Graphic Design JOAN SCHUMACHER Circulation Supervisor GAIL PARENTEAU Reader Service Manager THEODORE C. MATHEWS Promotion Director JOHN PRESSELLO Graphics Manager MARKETING/SALES Midwest Office: JON MIDUCKI (216) 243-8100 ext 422 FAX (216) 826-2832 National Sales Manager 7500 Old Oak Blvd. Cleveland. OH 44130 MARSHA DOVER GLORIA COSBY (216) 243-8100 FAX (216) 826-2832 Regional Sales Managers 7500 Old Oak Blvd. Cleveland. OH 44130 Southern Office: DICK GORE (404) 233-1817 FAX (404) 261-7022 455 E. Paces. Ferry Rd., Suite 324 Atlanta. GA 30305 Western Office: BOB MIEROW (206) 783-0549 FAX (206) 784-5545 1515 N.W. 51 Street Seattle. WA 98107 Classified DAWN NILSEN (218) 723-9349 1 E. First St.. Duluth, MN 55802 Please send advertising materials to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY 120 W. Second St. Duluth. MN 55802 218-723-9192 EOOELL COMMUNICATIONS. INC PUBLICATIONS ROBERT L. EDGELL, Chairman RICHARD MOELLER, President LARS FLADMARK, Executive V Pres 
ARLAND HIRMAN, Vice Pres./Treasurer 
THOMAS GRENEY, Senior V. Pres. EZRA PINCUS, Senior Vice President JOE BILDERBACH, Vice President JAMES GHERNA, Vice President 
GEORGE GLENN, Vice President HARRY RAMALEY, Vice President LCI ADVISORY BOARD MARTY ERBAUGH RON KUJAWA Erbaugh Corp. KEI Enterprises Peninsula. OH Cudahy. Wl A. J. POWELL U. of Kentucky Lexington. KY JACK ROBERTSON Robertson Lawn Care Springfield. IL LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (ISSN 0160-6042) is published monthly by Edged Communica-tions. Inc. Corporate and Editorial offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland. Ohio 44130. Advertising Offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland. Ohio 44130.111 East Wacker Drive. Chicago. Illinois 60601 and 3091 Maple Drive. Atlanta. Georgia 30305. Accounting. Advertising Production and Cir-
culation offices: 1 East First Street. Duluth. Minnesota 55802. Subscription rates: $25 
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Office of publication: Edged Communica-tions. Inc., 1 East First Street. Duluth, Min-nesota 55802. Second class postage paid at 
Duluth, Minnesota 55806. Copyright © 1989 by Edged Communications. Inc. All rights re-served. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by 
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storage and retrieval system, without per-
mission in writing from the publisher. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. P.O. Box 6200. 
Duluth. Minnesota 55806. W VBPA PLCAA raises membership dues MARIETTA, GA.ŠThe Pro-fessional Lawn Care Associa-tion of America is raising membership dues by at least 100 percent and more, depend-ing on company sales, in 1989. The purpose is to raise money 
to support more "issues man-agement" activities, such as legislation and regulation. Minimum dues will in-crease from $200 to $400. Fees 
will rise on a sliding scale 
based on sales volume, with the largest companies paying the largest increases. PLCAA wants to raise an additional $375,000 in new revenue. All will be used to 
support an increased commit-ment to legislative and reg-Parmley ulatory ac-
tivities. The asso-ciation is hoping to hire a state government affairs spe-
cialist and a 
communications specialist. A voluntary program, the Defense Fund, raised $175,00 in 1987 and 1988 for issues management activities. The increase was suggested by the Income Review Com-mittee, which included about 15 members from all revenue levels. "We felt there was a mandate to go ahead with the plan," says Robert F. Parmley, PLCAA president. "We're hoping that the membership sees the need," Parmley adds. "It's not an in-significant increase." Beginning this year, PLCAA will increase its level of support for the Pesticide Public Policy Foundation. It will contribute 12 percent of its membership dues; $75,000. This will eliminate PPPF's need to solicit funds directly 
from PLCAA members, PLCAA announced in a recent news release. PLCAA will offer the mem-bers the option of making split 
payments, Parmley says. Renewal notices will be sent out in June and December. LCI Kujawa elected to lead ALCA FALLS CHURCH, VA. Ron Kujawa, president of Cudahy, Wis.-based KEI Enterprises, Inc., has been elected presi-dent of the Associated Land-scape Contractors of America for 1989. Kujawa is a board adviser to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY and has served on several ALCA committees. LCI Toro recalls some riding mowers MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. The Toro Co. is recalling several rear-engine riding mower 
models. Mowers made from 1972 to 1979 are being recalled because users can sit or fall on moving starter parts, according to the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission. According to Toro, such an accident can only occur if the 
user pull-starts the normally 
electric-starting mowerŠand then forgets to pull the move-
able seat back into position 
before sitting down. Some 1973 models can be started while in gear, but that has only happened after much tinkering in a Toro research lab, said Joe Newberg, service 
manager of the consumer products division. Some 1972-76 models can be bumped into gear, accord-ing to the Consumer Product Safety Division. The model numbers being recalled are 56575, 56025, 56030, 56027, 56033 and some 56044s. About 19,000 mowers are involved. Mowers can be taken to a service dealer to get a covered recoil starter in-stalled under the seat. LCI Henjum opens advertising firm FRIDLEY, MINN. Al Hen-jum, former advertising manager of Hypro Corp., New 
Brighton, Minn., has formed a consulting and advertising firm in Fridley. Hypro Corp. makes pumps and accessories. LCI Posting proposed 
in Georgia GEORGIAŠA bill re quiring sign posting for commercial pesticide appli-cations has passed the Georgia House of Repre-sentatives and is being 
studied in the Senate. If ap-proved, the bill would take effect in 1990. The bill requires turf ap-plicators to post 6- by 8-inch signs saying "Warn-
ing" or "Caution," "Pesticide Application," 
including the name and phone number of the com-
pany. One sign must be posted at the entrance of the prop-
erty or the site of the treat-ment. In addition, the LCO would have to provide cus-tomers with a list of the 
products applied, the com-pany name and phone num-ber, and the number of the nearest poison control cen-ter. The law applies to any professional applicator applying pesticides to turf or ornamentals. The sponsors are former county agents who say they 
want to prevent stricter laws. Changes being urged by the Georgia-based Profes-sional Lawn Care Associa-tion of America include letting the word "Atten-tion" (rather than Warn-ing or Caution) appear on 
smaller 4- by 5-inch signs. MEMOS Enough, is enough! Don Burton is going to the governor. Burton, president of Lawn Medic, Inc., is petitioning New York Gov. Mario Cuomo to get another pesticide bureau 
chief. He, like most green 
industry employers in New York, is fed up with Marilyn DuBois. "I think the time has come that we ask for somebody in that position to be fair and impartial," he says. DuBois, a 
former lobbyist for environmental groups, authored 
the regulations that the New York green industry has been battling in court. "It's a non-working situation with her," Burton says. The other side, meanwhile, isn't resting either. Assemblymen Francis Pordum and Maurice Hinchey have introduced a slew of hills to further regulate pesticides. They include: elimination of all non-agricultural uses of 2,4-D; mandatory pre-notiflcation of all 
customers' neighbors of pesticide applications; mandatory certification of all applicators; 
and an increase in all pesticide certification fees. Some states are considering fertilizer tonnage fees for commercial fertilizer applicators. 
Such fees are presently paid by 
suppliers. States considering the fees are Nebraska, Maryland, Texas and 
Wisconsin, says Jim Wilkinson, executive director of the 
Pesticide Public Policy 
Foundation. Two John Deere blowers got high marks when such devices were reviewed by Consumer Reports. A homeowner model and a pro backpack were 
recommended for capability and comfort. The study covered 12 categories, and the Deere 
machines rated tops in two of 
them. Drought warnings have been issued for parts of the Northeast by the Delaware River Basin Commission. An early February report notes the water storage for reservoirs are at 46 percent of capacity compared to the 
normal 79 percent for that time of year. Water conservation measures could he issued if the drought 
continues, the report notes. The Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Association invites LCOs to attend its first commercial and residential services program, April 23-26 in Chicago, in conjunction with its Mid-Year Meeting, Scientific 
Symposium and CHEM MART '89. The program will include an overview of lawn care and 
pesticide regulatory issues, an 
analysis of herbicides, and the fate of fertilizers applied to 
turf grass. The meeting will be at the Chicago Marriott. For information, contact CSMA at 1001 Connecticut, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20005. Phone: 202-872-8110. LCI UPFRONT 'Formula' marketing no longer does it The cost of reaching new customers has gotten so high that many LCOs have stopped trying. The number of leads generated by direct mail and telemarketing have dropped so much that for many firms, these traditional tools are no longer cost effi-
cient. Such is life in a maturing industry. When a service is new, as lawn care was in most areas 15 years ago, a "shotgun" approach works well. Entire neighborhoods are blanketed with brochures explaining the service. Inquiries roll in. Lit-tle strategic planning is needed. But bit by bit, the returns dwindle. With more fish-
ermen in the lake, the fish 
become fewer. Eventually, a more creative strategy is 
needed. Farsighted LCOs, just as they realize the need to pro-vide more flexible service 
programs, take a critical look at their marketing practices. One conclusion is the need to strengthen customer reten-ELLIOT MARAS EDITOR tion. This need has been emphasized by consultants, industry leaders and our mag azine for the past year. But some companies in the mature markets continue 
to reap big harvests of new customers as well, without increasing their marketing 
investment. Their strategy, in a nutshell, is to capitalize on existing name recognition. They market to areas near or where a customer base al-ready exists. Not only are the prospec-tive customers already familiar with the company, they can easily get a reference on the company. And this, according to business consultant Rudd McGary, is important. Con-sumers rely heavily on duty greasable wheels, large five-quart fuel tank and shock-absorbing 
front bumper and you've got the most reliable commercial walk-
behind available. We guarantee it. So see your nearest Jacobsen Commercial Products dealer for more information and a free dem-onstration of the industry's most durable walk-behind rotary mower. Jacobsen Division of Textron Inc., Racine, Wl 53403. J-1-7 JACOBSEN TEXTRON Jacobsen Division of Textron Ine We're so sure our revolutionary new walk-behind 2-cycle crankshaft system will stand up to what you run into, that we're backing it with an exclusive two-year warranty. No one else in the industry offers a two-year crankshaft warranty on 
small trimming mowers. Because no one else has what Jacobsen has. A revo-lutionary (patent applied for) crankshaft 
protection device in-corporating an adapter and stiffener that help prevent twisting, 
bending or breakage. Thus, effectively ex-tending engine and 
equipment life, while maximizing productive cutting time. In fact, extensive testing showed this unique Jacobsen design to be STIFFENER BLADE ADAPTER vastly superior to anything in the market. At full throttle, a solid steel, one-inch shaft was placed in the path of the rotary blade. Com-
petitive crank-shafts bent on contact, yet the Jacobsen crank-shaft survived. Not once, but again and again, without damage. Combine the exclusive new Jacobsen crankshaft 
system with our durable 2-cycle 
engine, rugged lightweight alumi-num magnesium alloy deck, heavy-references when making pur-chases for home services. Take Cincinnati, Ohio, a mature lawn care market. Rick Steinau, owner of Greenlon, Inc., mails liter-ature to neighborhoods that are right on the fringes of his 
existing customer base. He gets good returns. Another Cincinnati-based firm, Emerald Green, Inc., 
had a marketing company identify the six closest neigh-bors of existing customers. Literature was mailed to these selected prospects, fol-lowed with a phone call. "It concentrated our sales effort in areas where we needed to grow our route," explains Jeff Lykins, vice president. "It's helped cut our marketing cost because 
we're not just blanketing." Name recognition is the key. Strengthening it has be-come important enough to some LCOs that they are running ads just to get their name before the public. It is something that only the large, national firms were do-ing a few years ago. (Another benefit of this "image" advertising is it rein-forces the company's identification among its ex-
isting customers.) Mentor, Ohio-based Per-fecturf, Inc. sends out a quarterly newsletter telling homeowners who are not cus-tomers what they should expect from a lawn care firm, no pitch included. It gets their name out. Another technique some companies are using is solic-iting customers for referrals. McGary the consultant recommends this to his cli-ents, but stresses three 
considerations: 1) Make sure to send out multiple appeals. (One-time solicitations are worthless). 2) Make sure the letter identifies the person that needs to be contacted at the company. 3) Offer something besides cash, such as tickets for sports and entertainment events, as a reward for refer-rals that turn into sales. Jeff Lykins at Emerald Green can attest to the value of this technique. It netted 140 new customers for him in four weeeks. Lykins gives special thanks to McGary's Point No. 3. His impressive results came when he offered movie 
tickets instead of the cash he 
offered in previous seasons. Lawn care marketing to-day is a much more 
challenging proposition than it was in the '70s. Only the 
creative need apply. You can reach Editor Elliot Maras at 7500 Old Oak Blvd , Cleveland, OH 44130 Phone: 216-243-8100 ©Jacobsen Division of Textron Inc. 1986 For rapid response, use the peel-off label from the front cover NAME TITLE FIRM PLACE COVER LABEL HERE ADDRESS PRINT PHONE NUMBER BELOW CITY STATE ZIP PHONE( ) 101 116 131 146 161 176 191 206 221 236 251 266 281 296 311 326 341 102 117 132 147 162 177 192 207 222 237 252 267 282 297 312 327 342 103 118 133 148 163 178 193 208 223 238 253 268 283 298 313 328 343 104 119 134 149 164 179 194 209 224 239 254 269 284 299 314 329 344 105 120 135 150 165 180 195 210 225 240 255 270 285 300 315 330 345 106 121 136 151 166 181 196 211 226 241 256 271 286 301 316 331 346 107 122 137 152 167 182 197 212 227 242 257 272 287 302 317 332 347 108 123 138 153 168 183 198 213 228 243 258 273 288 303 318 333 348 109 124 139 154 169 184 199 214 229 244 259 274 289 304 319 334 349 110 125 140 155 170 185 200 215 230 245 260 275 290 305 320 335 350 111 126 141 156 171 186 201 216 231 246 261 276 291 306 321 336 351 112 127 142 157 172 187 202 217 232 247 262 277 292 307 322 337 352 113 128 143 158 173 188 203 218 233 248 263 278 293 308 323 338 353 114 129 144 159 174 189 204 219 234 249 264 279 294 309 324 339 354 115 130 145 160 175 190 205 220 235 250 265 280 295 310 325 340 355 L4WN GIRE INDUSTRY APRIL 1989 This card void after J un. 15,1989 1. CHECK BELOW YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS AT THIS LOCATION: A. LAWN CARE COMPANY: Read each choice before answering. 10 Ł Chemical lawn care company 20 Ł Mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor 30 Ł Both chemical lawn care company and mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor B. SUPPLIER 50 Ł Chemical and equipment dealer and/or distributor C. OTHER (specify) 2. WHAT IS YOUR TITLE? I would like to receive (continue receiving) LAWN CARE INDUSTRY each month: Yes Ł No Ł Signature:. Date _ BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 665 DULUTH, MINNESOTA ] POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WWN GIRE INDUSTRY POST OFFICE BOX 6080 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55806-9780 IIIILIIMIIMIMIIIIIIMMIIIIIIIIMI 1.11 H r GET MORE FACTS TOP OF THE NEWS CSMA challenges Calif.'s Prop. 65, cites FIFRA LOS ANGELESŠThe Chemi-cal Specialty Manufacturers Association has filed a federal suit against California's warn-ing requirements for con-sumer, institutional and industrial chemicals. The suit, filed in U.S. Dis-trict Court in Los Angeles, charges that the requirements under California's Proposi-tion 65 are preempted by fed-eral laws. Proposition 65 prohibits businesses from knowingly discharging chemicals desig-nated as cancer-causing, and 
from knowingly exposing any-one to the chemicals without warning. The list of designated chemicals does not presently include those used in lawn care, but the governor has been pressured to expand the list. The suit names as defen-dants Clifford Allenby, secre-
tary of the California Health 
and Welfare Agency, and John 
Van De Kamp, state attorney 
general. CSMA claims that the warning requirements under 
the 1986 law constitute a de-
viation from U.S. Environ-'FIFRA expressly preempts state authority to regulate the labeling or packaging of pesticides9Š Engel mental Protection Agency approved labels, as required 
under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide 
Act. A similar argument has been used by industry groups fighting New York State's pesticide regulations. "FIFRA expressly pre-empts state authority to regu-late the labeling or packaging of pesticides," says CSMA President Ralph Engel. CSMA further claims the Federal Hazardous Sub-stances Act administered by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission requires cautionary labeling and pre-empts state requirements. Thirdly, CMSA claims the Hazard Communications Standard administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration pre-empts state laws that are not part of an approved state plan for evaluating and commun-cating workplace hazards from 
exposure to chemicals. Such a plan, as required by OSHA, has not been submit-ted by California, CSMA claims. Engel says companies which market California's listed products are in a "Catch 22" situation since they must comply with both federal and 
conflicting state rules. He says the companies are also exposed to potential tort liability in states where labels differ from California's. Consumers, Engel notes, face inconsistent warnings 
from state to state. New board formed The CSMA recently named officers for its newly-formed Commercial & Residential Services Division. The board includes: Chairman Robert C. Pea-rce, manager of the Zoecon 
Corp.'s customer-consumer division; Vice Chairman John L. Ivey, Ph.D., manager of Mobay Chemical Corp.'s spe-cialty products research and 
development; H.L. Richards, 
associate general counsel, S.C. Johnson & Co.; William D. Gullickson, Jr., president, McLaughlin Gormley King Co.; Roger Yeary, Ph.D., vice president, health and safety, ChemLawn Services Corp.; Gary Mullenix, president, Huntington Laboratories. CSMA is a 75-year-old as-sociation representing more than 400 companies engaged in the manufacture, formula-tion, distribution and sale of specialty chemicals. "The Commercial and Res-idential Services Division will be moving to aggressively pro-
tect both the pest control and lawn care industries at the fed-eral level, where representa-
tion has historically been 
weak, and before the states, which are seriously increasing regulatory activity," Pearce says. The executive board will discuss state legislation on re-
cycling of pesticide products 
distributed from tank trucks. Co-chairing the new divi-sion's membership committee 
are board member Gullickson 
and John Grunseth, vice pres-ident, public affairs, Ecolab, 
Inc. For information, contact CSMA Member Services 
Dept., 1001 Connecticut N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20005. Phone: 202-872-8110. LCI Give grubs an inch and they'll take a whole yard. Grubs feed at many levels in a yard, but it's at 1" to IVÏ' below the surface where they do their real damage. And because grubs are constantly moving from one level in the soil to the next, a single treatment of most insecticides will only get the ones closest to the surface. Oftanol is a Reg. TM of Bayer AG. Germany. ©1989 Mobay Corp. 62901 But with OFTANOL® insecticide, you have the strength to knock out those grubs closest to the surface now, and the staying power to deal with grubs, rising up from the depths, in the future. So take away that inch. And keep the whole yard. Mobay Corporation a Bayer usawc company Oftanol. Bayer Specialty Products Group Box 4913. Kansas City, MO 64120 CONVENTION REPORT Lawn Doctor dealers growing with new services BY ELLIOT MARAS Editor ATLANTIC CITY Lawn Doctor dealers are finding 
their highest profit margins in 
add-on services like coring, 
seeding, preventative grub 
control, and in some cases, liming. As a result, all dealers are being urged to market these services to all of their custom-ers. These services offer major growth potential for LCOs. 
They have nearly tripled in 
their share of the total dollar 
volume for Lawn Doctor since 1984. The target for 1989 is to double the record 1988 sales of 
the assortment of additional services. "We hope you can convince your present customers that these are not 'optional' ser-vices, rather that they are nec-essary adjuncts to a full 'We hope you can convince your customers that these are not optional services...9ŠHal Zeve program of care for a healthy lawn," said Hal Zeve, director of retail marketing, at the company's recent annual con-vention in Atlantic City. The company will be mar-keting seeding more intensely due to the success of the new Lawn Doctor designed and built power seeding machine. A panel of dealers provided tips on selling additional ser-
vices for the workshop group. Dick Waite, owner of the Northfield, N.J. and Mar-gate,-Longport-Ventnor, N.J. franchises, practically doubled his add-on volume in 1988. It represented a third of his busi-
ness. Waite pointed out that not only are the profit margins higher, but payment is faster. This year, he plans to offer the add-ons at the time of the 
original sale for new customers and during the annual summer 
check-up for existing custom-
ers. Grub control option Dennis Faust, owner of the New Castle, Del. franchise, 
saw a lot of new business from a promotional grub control mailing he sent out last May. Faust pointed out that cu-rative insect damage control is part of the standard service. But preventative control is 
not. He emphasized the impor-tance of following up the mail-ings with phone calls. "If you don't follow it up, you're not going to make the sale," he Fielding questions: Neel Brown, western technical specialist, takes questions from the audience at the recent Lawn Doctor conference. Seated, left to right: Dennis Faust, Dick Waite and Ray Cormier. said. Faust also had success with liming, which is often needed on Delaware soil. Roy Cormier, owner of the Desoto-Lancaster, Tex. fran-
chise, almost doubled his add-
on billings last year. Much of this was generated from services sold during the 
mid-season courtesy check-up, a standard Lawn Doctor service. When asked what service was the best for soliciting new customers, Faust answered fall seeding. LCI Along driveways Along flower beds and planters Edging along fencelines 9 Flighty weather encourages LCOs to modify their service programs BY ELLIOT MARAS Editor Mark Twain once said everybody complains 
about the weather but nobody does anything about 
it. Obviously, he didn't know many LCOs. Cramped by an extended drought last year that sent many lawns into mid-season dormancy, LCOs are modify-ing their programs to enable turf to withstand such stress. Fertilization programs in 1989 will include a greater di-versity of nutrients: more pot-tassium and potash for strengthening roots and more 
iron for enhanced color. Pest control programs will be more tailored to individual lawns. Several LCOs are hold-ing off on pesticides except for areas known to have problems. More attention will be given to problems where they exist since they are expected to be more severe this year. LCOs aren't shy about using more pesticides on areas known to have severe insect 
and weed problems. Some LCOs intend to do two pre-emergent applications instead 
of one this year. Last but not least, the need for proper cultural practices will be expounded upon more loudly than everŠto the cus-tomers. Many LCOs feel the drought has given them a more attentive ear. Dave Murphy, president of Shawnee Mission, Kan.-based Green Valley Co., is one of sev-
eral in the Midwest concerned Catron: Watch for more bugs. about the light amount of winter snow. He says the Kan-sas City area's water level is 40 inches below last year's level. Murphy plans to use more potassium and slow-release ni-trogen to enhance drought re-Now's the time to Remember ROUNDUP® herbicide for all kinds of jobs around the customer's lawn. Remember that ROUNDUP con-trols a broad spectrum of weeds, roots-and-all. With no time wasted on retreatment, you'll have more time for new business. Remember that ROUNDUP stays where you put it...so there's no washing or leaching to harm desirable vegeta-tion. And Remember that ROUNDUP is biodegradeable and won't build up in the soil. That fact gives you the flex-ibility to use ROUNDUP just about any-where a trimming, edging or weed problem pops up. Spray with confi-dence Š Remember the ROUNDUP. Always read and follow the label for Roundup® herbicide. Roundup® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company, (c; Monsanto Company 1989 RIP-9-101 DR Monsanto For complete information on the many benefits of trim-ming and edging with Roundup, call 1-800-225-2883 Circle No. 115 on Reader Inquiry Card »7 >. h R ** / . M m à#f '.v.? Li?- fittV.» te* %>» ». *' Hit-< I- " W' ' * Ł « » Around tree bases - i 4 Ll> i <.4 Mpdttt*%áli* Along sidewalk cracks Robertson: More slow-release. sistance. Ed McGuire, president of S. Dennis, Mass.-based The Lawn Co., plans to use less ni-trogen in mid-summer. He notes that lush turf has a tend-ency to go dormant faster in drought conditions. McGuire plans to use more iron to enhance color. Dave Sek, Rochester, N.Y. manager for Monroe Tree & Lawntender, Inc., says his 
firm will go to more granular applications and use sulfur coated products with low burn potential. Such products are less stressful to the turf under hot, dry conditions. "We'll go with a higher per-centage of slow release than what we have in the past," agrees Jack Robertson, owner 
of Springfield, 111.-based Jack Robertson Lawn Care, Inc. Murphy of Green Valley also echoes a lot of his col-leagues in his concerns about 
severe insect problems this year. He will introduce a sec-ond grub treatment to lawns that have had grub problems. Phil Catron, a Damascus,-Md.-based consultant, says winter temperatures may not have been low enough to kill dormant insects. "From an in-sect standpoint, we may be in for a little more than we nor-
mally get." The drought also makes lawns more susceptible to 
crabgrass, says Dale Amstutz, president of Omaha, Neb.-based Northern Lawns, Inc. He plans to do two pre-emer-gent treatments, something he 
experimented with on a 
quarter of his lawns last year. Lewiston, Idaho-based Li-qui-Lawn Service is one of several firms planning an ad-ditional service round this 
year. President Duane Saxton wants to be able to do more spot pesticide treatments. Lawns that have had crabgrass problems will get 
two pre-emergent treatments, | Saxton says, and lawns that haven't will get no treatment. "It's a good sales point to tell people you don't blanket 
with pesticides," says Mark Schlossberg, president of Bal-timore, Md.-based Pro-Lawn Plus, Inc. He plans to provide grub control only to the third of the lawns that have had 
problems. Keith Waller, president of Mentor, Ohio-based Perfec-turf, Inc., plans to do more spot treatments. "If they need something between treat-ments, we're going to take care of it for them." LCI REVIVE from Page 1 contractors are better served by waiting until the fall. The clients need to under-stand that "if you're going to spend that kind of money, do 
it when the odds are for youŠ 
not against you," Hopko points out. "In eight out of 10 years you could get away with a spring renovation, but (previously) we didn't have the devastation 
that we had last year. It's a 
whole new ballgame out there, folks!" A hot summer and lack of LCOs and contractors need to clearly state the risks and challenges involved with spring renovations. sufficient watering combined to do serious damage to many lawns. "We had these high soil temperatures which really did a number on the grass," Hopko recalls. People who eased up on sprinkling to let the turf go 
dormant were foiled by the presence of just too much heat, says Hopko. "In 99 out of a 100 years that's good advice," but with hindsight it's become appar-
ent that even a little water "does cool the soils." Meanwhile, turf managers are faced with current and po-Richards: Track crabgrass. tential customers who want their lawns repaired this spring. It is up to the turf managers to convince them otherwise, or 
else run the risk of multiple callbacks, customer dissatis-faction and, ultimately, cus-tomer loss. "We do 90 percent of our seeding work in the fall," re-ports John T. Donovan, man-ager of Tru Green's Southern COVER STORY than open it up," Klein ex-
plains. If a customer has a bare area that "just can't wait" un-
til the fall to be seeded, Hor-
ticultural Services will lay down sodŠat a higher price. "I have (turf manager) cus-tomers who turn down seed jobs in the spring," says Alan C. Phillips, sales repre-
sentative for Fisher & Son Co., Inc. in Milluca Hill, N.J. "In rm rm 
Mrm LrS < -Łmix,*) % ' r im HSja -i i&^M «af ' % ¿ ~''¿>\. 4 * > *ÍXL i'' Lawn, Inc. in Roanoke, Va. "We have good luck con-vincing our customers that fall is the better time." Undesirable common ber-mudagrass is a problem in his area, and Donovan notes that 
a spring-seeded lawn in its first year is more susceptible to heat and drought stress, weeds, diseases and insects. "Be aware that you are working with juvenile turf," he cautions. "Irrigation is far more critical; mowing is far 
more critical." "We prefer not to treat any of ours in the spring," says Carol Klein, who does land-scape management sales for Horticultural Services in St. George, Kan. The transition zone lawns in her area are subject to lurk-ing crabgrass plants that are just waiting to compete with new seedlings. "We leave ev-erything for the fall rather ŁT V ' mmmammmmm mm warn my particular area 80 percent of the seeding work is done in 
the fall." Phillips estimates that with a spring seeding program, "50 percent of the time you'll be going back in the fall" to do it 
over. "There's really not that much you can do in the 
spring." In the fall "you don't have to compete with the weeds and the soil is warmer," plus "you 
get a three to four month shot 
to get it mature" before it faces summer heat and drought stress, according to Phillips. In the spring, "The crabgrass is germinating at the same time your seed is." Also 
at the same time, "broadleaf weeds compete for moisture and sunlight," he points out. "They're all fighting for the same sunlight." "As far as I'm concerned there's no alternative to doing it in the fall," observes North-rup King's Hopko. When you sow in the spring "that poor little grass plant is going to un-dergo stress right off the bat," he points out. Hopko urges turf managers to avoid worrying about com-
petitors grabbing up spring seed jobs that customers de-
mand: "They may have lots of problems and lots of callbacks. It may end up being a night-
mare, and he (or she) will be out of business in a couple of years." The experts are in agree-
ment that LCOs and contractors need to clearly state to their customers 
the risks and challenges that are involved with spring reno-vations. "Obviously the bottom line is education," states Rob Fil-
loramo, a sales representative at Salsco, Inc. "To get good results you need good customer participa-tion," observes Terry Stout, vice president of R.B. Stout, Inc. in Akron, Ohio. James R. Waston, Ph.D., a vice president at The Toro Co., echoes Horticultural Ser-vices' Klein in suggesting that a roll or two of sod is suitable for patching rough spots. If spring seeding can't be avoided, Watson says that "the first thing to do, early in the spring, is to police the area; 
pick up any dog bones" and other debris. Then "groom" the lawn by mowing it at a setting that is one-half-inch lower than the final cut of the fall. Use a catcher. "That opens up the area so the sunlight can get to it and warm it up quicker." If you have spots where dogs have urinated, drop a lit-tle lime on them and then flush the area with water. Watson does not favor early spring fertilization. He says it overstimulates growth at the expense of any new plants. Fertilizer should not be ap-plied until two weeks after "the first flush of growth." Cool season turf managers may want to consider in-creased use of quality peren-nial ryegrasses to repair drought damage. Borland: Control weeds later. "In Minnesota the peren-nial ryegrasses do a good job 
for us," concurs Northrup King's Hopko. He suggests that 20 to 30 percent rye be mixed with a combination of bluegrass and fine fescue. Do not use tall fescue on a bluegrass lawn. "I don't want 
to mix anything with tall fes-cue unless it's a tall fescue lawn." (Hopko adds that custom-ers should be warned about buying discount store mixes that often contain incompati-
ble tall fescue seeds. "It just 
about drives me wild.") "Use different cultivars of the same species," says Leonard Thomas, vice presi-dent of horticulture at Spring Grove Cemetery and Ar-boretum in Cincinnati, Ohio. This ensures that the best ge-netic qualities will appear. "It will enhance the continuity of the turf surface." Thomas also notes that pe-rennial ryegrass will germi-
nate quicker than bluegrass. He recommends using 10 per-cent rye to 90 percent blue-grass. The early greenup of the rye will present a green sur-face. Greg Richards, chemical product manager for Rocky River, Ohio-based LESCO, Inc., says a 50-50 mix of blue-grass and ryegrass is appropri-ate. With bluegrass, "You don't establish a deep enough root system to withstand the heat 
and drought stress," he says. "The ryegrass can withstand the stresses and come back in 
the fall." By hastening establish-ment of the turf by quicker 
maturing, ryegrass can help See REVIVE Page 19 Options, opinions vary when mulling renovations BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor Turf managers nation-
wide are urging their 
cool season col-leagues to avoid spring 
seeding work. But if it can't be avoided, several options are available. An aeration program coupled with a seeding ef-fort seems to be popular. And the use of Roundup to clean out unwanted 
turfŠinstead of just over-seedingŠcontinues to in-crease. Susan M. Shockey, a Monsanto Co. sales repre-sentative, recommends that turf managers spray, 
wait three days, then scalp 
with a mower. Aerate if the ground is compacted and 
wait two or three days for 
the cores to dry. Then use a slitseeder in two different 
directions to ensure ade-
quate seed coverage. (The customers need to understand, though, that a spring renovation is a risky venture at best.) "Aeration as a seed bed preparation is not as good as a slitseeder," maintains John T. Donovan, manager of Tru Green's Southern Lawn, Inc. in Roanoke, Va. However, aeration can be useful if you let the cores remain on the lawn. "As you get some traffic and ero-sion the core will crumble 
and it serves as a nutrient topdressing," says Do-novan. "You're incorporat-ing some soil into the thatch layer." Aeration helps loosen the soil and control thatch 
buildup, plus it "allows fer-
tilizer to get down into the root system of the plant," according to Kent S. Hahn, 
general sales manager of Hahn Agri/Turf Products in Evansville, Ind. Donovan notes that aeration can be marketed to 
customers by explaining 
that it will help conserve See OPTIONS Page 19 Shockey: Roundup old turf. Aeration and renovation fees vary by local market BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor Prices for aeration range from $5 to $15 per 1,000 square feet. Nationwide, profitability figures vary considerably. Some firms provide aeration just to please customers, while others view it as a major reve-nue generator. A business owner in the Northern Great Lakes region 
is offering aeration at $5.39 per 1,000 square feet. He expects to break even and perhaps "make a couple of bucks" this year, but the main 
purpose of the bargain rate is to induce clients to at least try the service. The contractor, who re-quests anonymity because of local competition, says other companies in town are charg-ing more than twice that 
amount. "I know that people 
get as much as $10-plus on it." At Cooper's Lawn Aeration Service in Virginia Beach, Va., 
Owner Gary Cooper charges $7 per 1,000 square feet to 
aerate, which generates a 
whopping 59 percent profit. Because he has a low over-head, "I can actually charge 
less and make more," Cooper explains, adding that the properties he serves have homes ranging in cost from $200,000 to $2 million. Consultant Dorothy F. Borland of The Turf Expert in 
Denver, Colo, reports that 
contractors in the Mile High City have found it difficult to set fees in light of local compe-tition. According to Consultant Steven J. Day of Landscapes 
Plus in Wheat Ridge, Colo., the going rate ranges from $6 
to $8 per 1,000 square feet. At Tru Green's Southern Lawn, Inc. in Roanoke, Va., aeration carries a minumum charge of $50 for 3,000 square feet. It jumps $5 for each 1,000 
square feet after that. Some firms charge accord-ing to the time involved. When crews from the Sce-nic Landscape Service in Memphis, Tenn. are on the job they try to bring in $17.50 per man hour no matter which task is being performed, re-ports Owner Mark Hughey. When setting prices at MLB Enterprises, Inc. in 
Hampton, Va., the hours spent and the cost of materials are computed, and then 10 to 20 percent is added on, says President Michael L. Brittin. Seeding and the related 
preparation continues 
to increase throughout much of the countryŠbut not everyone is buying. "People are amazed at how much it costs to seed," says Thomas E. Mann, president of 
The Caretakers, Inc. in Eagan, Minn. "You run into sticker shock there." The Great Drought of 1988 Š and its impact on 
lawnsŠhas opened up new business opportunities in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but con-sumers need to be convinced that it is worth the invest-ment, Mann notes. "In our part of the country overseeding is not routine," he maintains. "We have an edu-cation process to go through here. People say, 'I just want it 
mowed.'" Mann's firm charges $50 to $55 per 1,000 square feet for renovation work. A national chain in town charges $60, and another competitor gets $75. Southern Lawn in Roanoke offers a single pass of a slit-seeder at $30 per 1,000 square feet. A double pass is $42 per 
1,000 square feet, according to Manager John T. Donovan. Consultant Day in Denver says that seed sowing can cost about $35 an hour, plus $5 to $10 for the seed itself. The use of a dethatcher costs $23.52 for 1,000 square feet at Cooper's Lawn Aera-tion Service. That provides a 20 percent profit. Cooper charges $10.73 per 1,000 square feet to broadcast 
seed a lawn with Rebel II tall fescue at a five-pound rate. Profit is 22 percent. LCI Cooper: Profit from aeration. Mann: Clients get sticker shock. Resort. Colorado Get all the yellow nutsedge and none of the innocent bystanders. Now you can really control yellow nutsedge from sod and ornamental grass* Š without damaging the grass. It's simple. Just put down BASAGRAN® herbicide from BASF. No need for you to be selective. BASAGRAN does that for you. BASAGRAN is a registered trademark of BASF AG © 1988 BASF Corporation It's safe to grass and easy to use. And as effective against yellow nutsedge as anything you can buy. Always follow label directions. *Do not use on golf course greens. BASF Corporation Chemicals Division BASF Profile in efficiency: Granulawn cuts volume, grows profits BY ELLIOT MARAS Editor OMAHA, NEB.ŠIf you ask Ray and Rick Ostronic how to grow a lawn care business, you won't hear a whole lot about 
customer acquisition. You will hear a lot about improving customer service. Which, in their case, actually meant cutting back on cus-tomers last year. The brothers, who own Granulawn of Omaha, Neb., trimmed their customer base by more than 20 percent last year in order to focus more on customer service. The result: a 60 percent drop in service calls 
and a big gain in profits. Not bad for a duo with less than three years in the lawn care business. Cornerstones of the Os-tronics' management philoso-phy are: training, inventory control, and daily monitoring 
of employee productivity. Ray sums it up as follows: "People, goals, and organiza-tion." The brothers did have some strong business management 
experience when they decided 
to get into lawn care in 1987. Ray, the president, was a business development analyst for Enron Corp., a gas and oil concern. Rick, vice president, is an accountant with his own accounting practice. "A lot of people underplay the importance of a good fi-nancial man," Ray says of his brother. How it happened How did such a duo get into the lawn care business? Rick was a Granulawn cus-tomer when the two were thinking about buying a busi-ness, preferrably a service business. Ray's company was moving to Houston, Tex. and 
he didn't want to leave Omaha. As it happened, John Gas-saway, owner of Dallas, Tex.-based Granulawn, was inter-
ested in selling the Omaha 
branch. The Ostronics bought half in 1987 and the rest in 1988. In the first year, they took an aggressive approach to cus-
tomer acquisition. Relying mostly on direct mail, they 
netted 1,300 new customers for a grand total of 3,900. Ray then got out in the field and got a crash course in lawn care service. "We learned real quickly you can grab as many custom-ers as you want to in this in-dustry, but you'd better be able to satisfy those customers," Ray says. In 1988, they took a more service-oriented approach. To do this, they decided to dis-
continue the 200 customers 
who were 20 miles from the facility. "You were really penalizing the customer you had out there," Ray says. "We couldn't afford to keep those 
customers." Eventually, they cut the customer list to 3150, and it paid. "We made more money last year off that customer base than we did on 3900," Ray says. The training program Training holds the key to reducing the service calls. At the beginning of the sea-son, in early February, all of mgR/HMUUW/IM the 12 or so employees attend 
daily training sessions on top-ics such as office procedures, weed identification, insect identification, and proper product handling. Product distributors con-duct some of these sessions, Ray says. "Product distribu-tors have been very good to come in and educate us on the do's and don'ts of their prod-ucts." Part of the training in-cludes inventory control. All materials are accounted for as they are loaded onto the trucks. The volumes are mea-sured again at the end of the 
day to see if the technician met projections. The managers know how much square footage was ser-viced by each truck at the end 
of the day, Ray says. This pro-gram helped trim product costs by 13 percent. November is spent on equipment repairs and main-
tenance. Almost all the employees are given December off as a full month paid vacation. Ray says this is made possible by careftil financial planning and moni-toring. "We know where we're going to be in December." New directions Like many of its com-petitors, Granulawn will be expanding into mowing this year. It recently acquired Looking Good Landscapes, which brought about 40 mow-ing accounts. Granulawn has signed up VIDEO .SERES MAINTENANCE VIDEO SERIES! The Associated Landscape Contractors of America is proud to announce the availability of the Maintenance Safety Video Series. These maintenance training programs are designed to promote sound safety procedures. The videos were produced in an attempt to help reduce the growing number of unnecessary accidents occurring each year among power equipment operators. The programs provide basic training in the care and preventive maintenance integral to equipment dependability and longevity. The seven individual programs consist of reference guides, with the exception of "Safety - Everyone's Concern" - and all programs have a Program Retention Test. The seven programs are: Ł Safety - Everyone's Concern Ł Stringtrimmer/Brushcutter 
Ł Trim Mower Ł Power Hedgetrimmer Ł Mid Mower Ł Backpack Power Blower Ł Power Edger These in-depth programs cover essential points such as: equipment familiarization, proper safety precautions, machinery operation, capabilities and maintenance, as well as injury prevention, and basic yet effective accident prevention. PRICES: Set of 7 Videos Individual Videos Members $400 $65 Non-Members $600 $95 ORDER FORM YES. I would like to order the set of Maintenance Training Video Series consisting of 7 programs, reference guides and employee retention tests. Number of Sets ordered @ = $ Add 5% for shipping & handling TOTAL OF ORDER YES. I would like to order the following videos: 1. 2. 3. 4. Number of Videos ordered @ NAME: COMPANY: STREET ADDRESS: CITY: STATE: ZIP: . TELEPHONE: ( I am paying by check made payable to "ALCA" Charge this order to my: Mastercard or _ Account* Expiration Date: Signature: or .Visa Add 5% for shipping & handling TOTAL OF ORDER Mail this form with payment to: ALCA 405 N. Washington Street, #104 Falls Church, VA 22046 (703) 241-4004 Ray Ostronic 30 of its own customers for the new service, meaning the two-to three-man mowing crew will be responsible for servic-ing about 70 lawns. They solicited customers with 10,000- to 14,000-square-foot lawns who were close to the existing mowing opera-
tion. Ray expects the mowing 
will more than double the bill-ings on existing lawn care ac-counts. Ray feels he could have signed up 300 of his customers for mowing, but that's not his 
style. "We're controlling the 
growth," he emphasizes. Total customer growth will be 5 to 8 percent for 1989. "Most small companies are mismanaged," says Ray, him-
self a business graduate of the University of Omaha. His major competitors are ChemLawn, Barefoot Grass 
and Shur-Lawn. LCI RENEWS from Page 1 fessional can do something to 
restore their lawns. Response to early season marketing has 
been better than average. Early spring weather to date has been helpful through-out much of the Northeast and Midwest: the lack of snow has kept homeowners well aware of the sad condition of their lawns. Tim Doppel, president of Sterling Heights, Mich.-based Atwood Lawncare, Inc., has been pleasantly surprised by the load of inquiries for esti-mates. "People are responding to the need for lawn care," says Keith Waller, president of Mentor, Ohio-based Perfec-turf, Inc. He notes that many homeowners who had been serviced by an LCO some time in the last two years are calling 
for estimates. LCOs with strong renewals deserve much of the credit 
themselves. Many, in response to the drought, took greater pains than normal to educate their customers about their services. For many, the drought was a lesson in the value of cus-tomer communication. "We informed the people we were doing what we could," says Jack Robertson, owner of Jack Robertson Lawn Care, Inc., Springfield, 111. As a re-sult, there were fewer cancels 
than last year, though he ex-pected more. "We did a pretty good job of communicating to people" about the drought, says Dale Amstutz, president of North-
ern Lawns, Inc., Omaha, Neb. Cancels were 10 percent this spring compared to 18 percent last spring. John Loyet, president of Greenscape Lawns, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., called every cus-tomer during the dry period in addition to sending them the monthly customer newsletter. 
Cancels were only 10 percent, in spite of the drought and a price increase. Jeff Lykins, vice president of Emerald Green Lawn Care, Inc., Milford, Ohio, points out that many of last year's can-
cels hit before the end of the season. However, many of the customers that cancelled in 
the late summer are now call-ing back. "If they stayed with you through the drought, then 
they're going to stick with you this year," Lykins says. Renewals at Wilsonville, Ore.-based Pro-Grass, Inc. are 8 to 10 percent higher than last season, says President Paul Bizon. He credits this to the harsh winter in the North-west. "We for once have brown lawns in the spring," Bizon 
says. "People are going to have 
to do something with their lawns." In the South, spring sales are 15 percent ahead of last year, says Gordon Crenshaw, 
vice president of Atlanta-based Orkin Lawn Care. "This 
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Prices subject to change. Quantity rates available on request. Questions? Call 218-723-9471 or 9472 (postage & handling) Total Enclosed LCI TEAM from Page 1 defined the roles of the owner, CEO and COO (Chief Opera-ting Officer). "As a firm grows, more management functions must be shared," writes Tom Lied, chairman of the Crystal Ball Committee, in the introduc-tion of the new report. "More managing employees are added or more of the existing 
employees are assigned man-
agement functions. "As these changes are made, the dynamics of the management teams change dramatically, sometimes trau-matically." The Crystal Ball Commit-tee discussed its findings at ALCA's recent annual meet-ing in Kauai, Hawaii and 
fielded questions from atten-dees. Many found the report helpful in that it enabled them to realize their problems are shared by other business owners. The key issues discussed were: Ł What actually happens to a company as it "climbs" to a new plateau? Ł What choices does the chief executive face during 
this process? Ł How are these issues dif-ferent for small companies as opposed to large ones? Ł How does the chief execu-tive's role change as the firm grows? Ł What are the different management teams? Ł How does a company re-cruit and train middle man-
agement? Committee members pres-ent were: Tom Lied, Lied's Nursery Co., Inc., Sussex, Wis.; Richard Schroeder, Schroeder's Nursery, Inc., Grayslake, 111.; Joe Skelton, Lifescapes, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; Gary Thornton, Thornton Landscape, Inc., Maineville, Ohio; Joe Carpenter, Land-
masters, Inc., Gastonia, Ga.; Michael Currin, Greenscape, Inc., Fayetteville, N.C.; Tom 
Garber, Colorado Landscape Enterprises, Inc., Arvada, Colo.; Ritchie Skelton, Lied's Nursery, Co., Inc., Sussex, Wis.; and Jerry Lankenau, Lankenau-Damgaard and As-soc., Inc., Plymouth, Mich. Issues with paraphrased comments from the commit-tee are as follows: Ł Growing to a new plateauŠ LIED: Managers know how to teach production skills. Production departments grow as opportunity becomes avail-
able. But management teams have to grow in steps (slowly). GARBER: If the organiza-tion grows, a stressful period is necessary for the owner/man-ager. There will be lower pro-fits, insufficient manpower, and people doing two or three jobs. Ł Growth from a small firm's perspectiveŠ CURRIN: In expanding the staff to handle more business, the manager elevates people 
and hires more people to take the pressure off himself. He 
thinks in doing this that he's 
getting things under control. Plateau #2 But these new people are at the bottom of the learning 
curve. The owner has to spend more time with these people in their new roles. All of a sudden he's not making as much 
money. That's the investment in people. But eventually they learn their new roles. The good news is that you can get through it all if you have a good concept of what you're going through. As you delegate work, you assume it'll make life easier, 
but at first it makes it harder. And once you're done, your job is different than it was. Ł Growth from a large firm's perspectiveŠ LANKENAU: A larger firm is more segmented to be-gin withŠyou have more per-sonalities involved. As you 
expand, new personalities are interacting. These can be complex and take a while to Climb #2 / \ Reduced Profit \ y work out. Adding more overhead at this level (of business volume) is a major investment. THORNTON: It's impor-tant to communicate down the (management) line why you truly are in business. Ł Different manage-ment teamsŠ SCHROEDER: In a ma-ture firm (one that plans its 
business strategy four to five 
years in advance), you have different levels of manage-Woodbine Ave., Keswick, DD/^I I1AICD Ž 7320 Ha99ertY Rd > Ont., Canada L4P 3E9 Dlrv/UVVIIn Canton, Ml. 48187 Tel. (416) 476-4311 TURF EQUIPMENT LIMITED Tel. (313) 459-3700 Fax. (416) 476-5867 An Outboard Marine Corporation Company FaX. (313) 459-8778 The Brouwer difference... "dollar for dollar there is no better triplex mower on the market today" BROUWER TRIPLEX-376... designed from "the grass up" for the professional. Compare the high quality engineering, rugged reliable performance, and you will be convinced that in the long-run your 
equipment investment should include a Brouwer 
Triplex-376. It is the perfect mower for a wide range 
of applications where grass requires the best in routine maintenance. SOME OUTSTANDING FEATURES: Ł 5.8 m.p.h. (9.4 Km/h) transport speed Ł 74 in. (188 cm.) width of cut 
Ł Rear reel can be operated independently 
Ł Height of cut: 1/2 in. to 3 in. (1.3 cm. to 7.6 cm.) Ł Transport width only 69 in. (175 cm.) 
Ł Low center of gravity Ł Differential lock your Brouwer dealer for more information... TODAY ment teams. The executive teamŠthe CEO, the COO and the branch managerŠshould be looking way into the future. The senior management teamŠthe funtional (geo-graphic) managers and the profit center managersŠare the people planning for one 
year into the future. The middle management teamŠthe department mana-
gers, superintendents and of-fice managersŠsupervise the actual work. The production teamŠthe foremen, laborers, secretaries and bookkeepersŠdo the ac-
tual work. LIED: The middle manage-ment team are the people who have responsiblity for a por-tion of some area while a sen-ior manager is somebody who has total responsibility for an area. Ł The Rule of ThreeŠ LIED: The CEO should have three people reporting to 
him directly. He must always ask himself what sacrifices must be made to make a changeŠthe investment in time and how his job will change. The Rule of Three can be stretched to four or five, but 
beyond that you'll have prob-lems. As you go down the man-agement ladder, you can manage more people. GARBER: Growth causes complexity of operations. The CEO must maintain the sim-plicty where he is only dealing with three people. Ł Recruiting mana-gersŠ SKELTON: Most owners are ill prepared to recruit and hire managers. In the beginning, don't ex-pect too much of new mana-gers. Allow them to move 
through the organization on 
an informal basis. They must 
gain an understanding of what 
their functions are. LIED: It can take a mana-ger a long time, sometimes a year, to be fully effective. It's also important not to motivate people beyond what they can do. SCHROEDER: As soon as you've filled the position, be prepared to replace it imme-diately. The Crystal Ball Report is available for $3 to both mem-bers and non-members of ALCA. For information, con-tact ALCA at 405 N. Wash-ington St., Falls Church, Va. 
22046. (703-241-4004) LCI 'Allow them to move through the organization on an informal basis. They must gain an understanding of what their functions are.9 89-106P Copyright 1989 Brouwer Turf Equipment Limited. Deep thought: Ritchie Skelton (left) and Jerry Lankenau listen to Tom Garber. As I was saying: Jerry Lankenau answers a question from the floor. DOT from Page 1 DOT officials, says Rutledge. Enforcement has already be-gun. The driver training require-ments will be enforced by the states. Rutledge says states 
will either come up with their own driver training require-ments or adopt those outlined by DOT. Rutledge offers the follow-ing overview of the regs. Packaging required Regulated materials must be marked by DOT-desig-nated shipping names. Labels are available from DOT-ap-proved vendors. In addition, shipping names and identification 
numbers must be attached to the packages. Liquid sub-stances must have a sticker reading "This end up" or "This side up." Trucks carrying am-monium nitrate fertilizer must be labeled with the proper identification number or the chemical concentration. Con-
tainers with more than 1,000 
pounds of ammonium nitrate must be placarded. A special shipping form must be filled out for every reg-ulated material. The forms are available from the DOT. Trucks carrying more than 110 gallons of a regulated sub-stance must have the proper identification number on each end and side of the tank. Driver training All drivers of trucks carry-ing regulated materials must be 21 and pass a test admin-istered by April, 1992. It will 
include both driving and writ-ten sections. Drivers must also be tested for the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines and phencycli-dine (PCP). They must be 
tested prior to and during em-
ployment, and after any acci-dents. Information on compliance will be provided by PLCAA. Rutlege can be contacted at 2222 Arlington Ave. South, 
Birmingham, AL 35255. (205-933-7111) LCI CHIPCO 26019 fungicide stops more lawn diseases... for more days.. .for more satisfied customers. In today's lawn care industry, you've got two ways to make more profit. Go out and get more customers. Or get more business from the customers you already have CHIPCO 26019 fungicide helps you do both. CHIPCO 26019 fungicide controls most major lawn diseases, including Helmintho-sporium Leaf Spot and Melting Out, Fusarium Blight, Brown Patch, Dollar Spot 
and Red Thread. And unlike some other fungicides, CHIPCO 26019 fungicide stops 
these deadly diseases before they get started. Better yet, CHIPCO 26019 fungicide provides the month-long protection it takes to get you from one scheduled round to the next. That cuts down on customer complaints and costly call-backs. You'll also like the fact that CHIPCO 26019 fungicide now comes in a con-venient flowable formulation as well as wettable powder. Plus, CHIPCO 26019 fungicide is low in toxicity, for added protection to applicators and homeowners. So don't stop with just feeding and weeding your customers' lawns. Discover how better disease control can add up to bigger profits with CHIPCO 26019 fungicide. Rhone-Poulenc Ag Company, CHIPCO Department, PO. Box 12014, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. FUNGICIDE ÌPRHÒNE -POULENC AG COMPANY Please read label carefully and use only as directed CHIPCO® is a registered trademark of Rhone-Poulenc Circle No. 118 on Reader Inquiry Card MANAGEMENT TOOLS Flexibility in preparing cash flow chart The cash flow statement is a periodic (weekly, monthly or quarterly) summary of each type of in-come received and cost incur-red by the lawn care firm. It traces all cash in and out of the firm. For example: Cash receipts include: 1) Cash operating in-come; 2) Cash from the sale of operating items; 3) Borrowed money; and 4) Other cash re-ceipts. Cash expenses include: 1) Cash operating expenses; 2) R.K. Reynolds W.R. Luckham About the Authors Robert Reynolds and Richard Luckham are associate professor emeritus and extension marketing specialist, respectively, in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Virginia Tech. Cash purchases of capital items; 3) Debt repayment; and 4) Other cash outlays. The cash flow statement can be arranged to show when each enterprise, profit center, 
or type of service produces re-
ceipts, and how much. Similarly, it lists the cash expenses, their amount and timing, as well as debt prin-
cipal payments, family living expenses, cash capital pur-chases and sales of capital items owned by the lawn care firm. Thus the complete schedule permits a manager to know when the cash outflow will be greater than the cash inflow, whether an operating loan must be obtained, the size of the loan, and when repayment can be made. It makes cash management easier to handle by showing 
when to anticipate a surplus of 
cash that can be used to reduce 
current loans, buy needed equipment, or be put into sav-ings or other investments. The sample cash flow state-ment in this article is prepared on a quarterly basis, but could 
easily be made monthly. An annual cash flow state-ment, with minor adjustments for borrowed funds, principal payments, family living with-drawals, etc. and the non-cash 
depreciation allowance, is an 
operating statement. Grouping the income Note that the operating re-ceipts section provides for the various sources of cash income to be grouped into major cate-gories. These are then added to produce total operating re-ceipts ($114,000 in the exam-
ple). The next category permits segregating the income from the sale of capital items, a sel-
dom occurring transaction, from the income earned by the on-going business. Operating expenses are treated in a similar fashion, as are capital expenditures or purchases. The total operating ex-penses ($96,104 in the exam-
ple) are identical to those on the example operating state-We are. When your livelihood depends on your equipment, you can depend on Maruyama. Whether pest control, landscape maintenance, nursery or greenhouse operating, produce growing or farming, you can count on Maruyama equipment for durability, quality and performance. A Complete Line of Equipment: Ł Sprayers Š Manually or gas engine oper-ated; backpack, cart, or frame mounted. Ł Brushcutters - 5 models to choose from Š 18.4cc to 40.2cc Š low vibration, lightweight. Ł Trimmers Š Dual reciprocating blades 15.9cc or 24.1cc Mitsubishi drives, clean cuts. Ł Water Pumps Š Three models, 32gpm to 132gpm for irrigation or moving murky water. Ł Mist Dusters - Handles liquid spray, dust, or granules. Ł Granule Spreader - 18 ft. range, dry chemical or seed, with tank agitator to bust up clumps. Ł Blowers - ibwerful air blast makes cleanup jobs easy. Ł Soil Injectors Š For precise injection of chemicals. Ł And much more. Choose an International Leader. Maruyama Š producing the very best since 1895. U.S. Office: Maruyama U.S. Inc. 15436 NE 95th St. Redmond, WA 98052 (206) 885-0811 Head Office: Maruyama Mfg. Co. Inc. 4-15 Uchi-Kanda 3 Chome Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 101, Japan MARUYAMA. The very best. ment used in the preceding ar-ticle, except that interest expense ($7,453) is pulled out so that it might be associated with the debt principal pay-ments on the summary cash flow sheet. Also, charges for deprecia-tion that are reported on an operating statement, are not included in a cash flow analy-
sis since they are non-cash ex-penses. Tracking other income The summary statement includes the total business in-come ($114,300) and also pro-vides an opportunity to include incomes not directly associated with the lawn care business (other income, in-
vestment income, etc.). Cash operating expenses are added to cash capital ex-penditures, as are principal and interest payments, to de-
termine the projected total for this year's obligations ($113,348). Should the lawn care firm be a family operation where 
there are no salaries or family wages included in cash opera-
ting expenses, estimated fam-ily living expenses may be included on line 35. The difference between total receipts and total obliga-
tions ($952) represents the 
projected annual cash surplus (or deficit) position of the lawn care firm. The same pro-cedure permits the lawn care See CASH Page 20 CASH FLOW STATEMENT Period Covered: Jan. 1 ,1988 through Dec. 31 OPERATING RECEIPTS | 1 Total 1 Jan-Mar|Apr-June|July-Aug 1 1 1 Sept-Dec 1 1. Contracts $105,600 I$14,780 1 1 1$34,850 1 1*41, 1 ,180 $14, ,790 1 2. Misc. Services | 1 8. ,700| 1 6, ,525 1 2, 1 ,175 1 1 -0--0-3- 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4. Total Operating | Receipts $114. 1 3001521. ,305 1 1 $37, ,025 1 1 $411 , 180 $14, ,790 1 1 CAPITAL SALES 5. S 1 1 IS 1 1 1$ 1 1 IS S 6. Ill 1 1 1 1 7. Total Capital | Sales $ 1 1$ 1 IS 1 IS $ 1 OPERATING EXPENSES | 8. Salaries S 23, 1 1 ,4141$ 5 ,853 1 1 IS 5, ,853 1 1 IS 5, .853 $ 5, ,855 1 9. Labor+oerauisite1 43, .5401 6, ,995 1 13, ,933 1 11. Ł 320 12 , . 192 1 10. Repair & Maint. 1 5, ,6101 1, ,066 1 842 1 1. .627 2, .075 1 11, Seeds & Plants 1 3001 -9-1 100 1 200 -0- 1 12-Fertilizer -Limel 4, ŁŁ01 -0-1 -9-1 1, .952 2, .928 1 13, Chemicals 1 3, .9901 880 1 280 1 1, .640 1, Ł 190 1 14. Supplies - 1 1, .3201 1, ,320 1 -9-1 -0--0- 1 15. Advertisina 1 1501 -9-1 150 1 -0--0- 1 16. Gas. Fuel. Oil 1 5, .0601 910 1 1, , 520 1 1, .310 1, .320 1 17, , Professional Feel 7001 300 1 175 1 125 100 1 18. Taxes l, .4701 -9-1 -0--0-1, Ł 470 1 19. , Insurance 1 3, .5201 2 
,460 1 490 140 430 1 20. , Utilities 1 6201 100 1 175 1 80 265 1 21. Dues. Subscript.1 2801 210 1 -9-1 -0-70 1 22. Office Supplies 1 4001 50 1 150 1 140 60 1 23, Other 1 8501 200 1 
480 1 100 70 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 24.Total Operating | Expenses S 96, 1 .104 1519, ,444 1 1 $24 , ,148 1 IS24, ,487 $28, ,025 1 1 CAPITAL EXPENDITURES! 25. S 1 1 IS 1 1 
1$ 1 1 IS S 
1 1 1 1 26. III! 1 1 1 1 27. Ill 1 1 1 1 1 1 28. Total Capital | Expenditures $ 1 IS 1 
IS 1 IS S RECEIPT? Operating (line 41 CASH FLOW STATEMENT I Total I Jan-Mar I Apr-June IJulv-AuaI Sept-Dec 30. Capital Sales (line 7) I I I I I S114.300IS21.305 IS37.025 IS41.180 IS14.790 31. Other Income -IS-I -IS_ I _Li_ I _Li_ -Li-I _li_ 32.Total Receipts I I I I I (lines 29+30+31) S114.30QIS21.305 1S37.025 IS41.180 IS14.790 THIS YEAR'S OBLIGATIONS 33. Operating Exp. | (line 241 S 96.104IS19.444 IS24.148 IS24.487 IS28.025 34. 35. 
36. Capital Exp. (line 281 I I Family Living Expenses I I I l Debt payment on previous year's obligations I I I I principal I 10.1031 4.598 I 1.835 i I I 
I ft Interest I 7.1411 5.190 1 I 550 I 1.835 I 850 I 1.835 551 37. 38. I I I I I Total this years obligations | j (lines 33 - 36) S113.348IS29.232 IS26.633 IS26.972 IS30.511 I Cash deficit or Surplus (lines 32 - 37) I I I I 39. Balance, beginning of period | I I 2.000 I I I I I (7.927)1 10.392 I 14.208 1(15.721) I I 
40. Total available dollars j I (lines 38+39) L I I I I (5.927)1 1.000 I 4.153 I 18.351 I I I 
I I I I 11.392 I 18.351 I 2.640 I I I I I 41. Borrowing necessary to maintain S 1,000 minimum balance I I I I I I I 6,927 I -0- I -0- I -0-42. 43. I I I Debt payment on this year's obligations I I I principal I I -0- I 6.927 6 interest Balance end of period I I -0- I I 312*1 I I I -0- I I -0- I I Accumulated borrowing this year I I _S 1$ 6,927 IS 1.000 IS 4,153 I$18.361 1$ 2.640 I * $ 6,927 $ 18% for 3 months li -0- IS -0- IS TODAY'S TURF Insecticide must be incorporatedŠat the right time BY ELLIOT MARAS Editor ROCHESTERŠMinimizing insect damage on turf isn't as easy as in the chlordane and 
dieldrin daysŠthose products remained active for long peri-ods of time in the soil. Now that products with smaller windows have become the staple tools for control, 
turfgrass managers must be 
well versed in the insects' feed-ing habits to control them. Mike Villani, Ph.D., assis-tant professor of entomology at the New York State Agri-
cultural Experimental Sta-tion, Cornell University, Geneva, spoke on using insec-ticides at the recent Turfgrass Management Seminar in 
Rochester. Turfgrass managers must monitor their applications to 
know how well they are work-ing. "If you don't look to see if you have grubs before you treat, you don't know how well your insecticide is working," Villani says. Signs of grub feeding are brown turf areas, masses of 
birds feeding in an area, and sometimes predators such as moles, skunks or raccoons. The presence of adults can be an indication too, Villani says, but not always. To find out if there are grubs in the soil, dig up a square-foot area of both healthy and damaged turf. If there are at least eight 
to 10 grubs in that square-foot area, there is a grub problem. APPEAL from Page 1 area, as spelled out in the Fed-
eral Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The New York law, enacted in 1987, and additional re-quirements from its Depart-ment of Environmental 
Conservation, require cus-tomer contracts, 48-hour and 24-hour pre-notification, and the posting of signs of specific sizes with specific wording at 
specific space intervals. The appeal was filed by Al-bany attorney Thomas West, 
who filed the original federal challenge. "PLCAA is ready to chal-lenge unreasonable regulation 
and legislation on a case-by-
case basis and to put both dol-lars and people behind that 
fight," says Robert F. Par-
mley, PLCAA president. "Our mission is clearŠwe have to put a high priority on issues management." Legal costs are approaching $55,000, PLCAA says. LCI Questions about Pesticides? Call 1-800-858-7378 National Pesticide Telecommunications Network The next step is to identify the species. This is something your cooperatiave extension service can help you with. "It 
can save you money in decid-ing which insecticide to use if you know what species you're trying to treat," he says. Timing is crucial Since grubs come to the surface to feed in August in the northern regions, that is the best time to apply insecticide. Villani says grubs in the North feed from Aug. 15 to Sept. 15. He recommends checking again for grubs in the spring. Applications should not be made in June and July since the heat will cause the insec-ticide to volatize in the soil. Choosing materials Once the species has been identified, consider the dif-
ferent products available. The products differ in re-sidual activity, solubility, and ability to penetrate thatch. The less soluble products can't be washed off leaves into the grass as easily. As for thatch, "Generally, the more thatch you have, the more difficulty you're going to 
have getting the material down into the soil," he says. Another factor is pH Š which affects the product's re-sidual activity. The pH of the product in the tank mix should offset whatever pH defficien-
cies may exist in the soil. Villani recommends rotat-ing different products to re-duce the chance of enhanced 
degradation. "You have to keep track of how you are do-
ing to see if activivation of soil 
is a problem," he says. LCI Home lawn two months after overseeding with Turf-Seed ryegrass and bluegrass products. Quality Turf Products Green-Up Your Bottom Line Lawn renovation can be a profitable addition to an LCO's services, but like other programs, satisfied customers are the key to continued success. Along with professional tech-nicians, proper equipment and timely service, the grass 
seed used make the long lasting impression that creates referrals. And Turf-Seed, Inc. has the premium quality seed 
for your program ... in your region. Ask for these products by variety name ... because it's really your name that's on the line. Northern Turf Renovation Perennial Ryegrasses Citation II Ł Birdie II Ł Omega II Ł Manhattan II Ł CBS II Blend Ł 246 Ł 2DD 2HH 'Charger5 Kentucky Bluegrass Midnight Ł Challenger Ł Columbia Ł Galaxy Blend Southern Turf Renovation Tall Fescues Olympic Ł Apache Ł Monarch Ł Silverado Ł Eldorado Ł Triathalawn Blend Perennial Ryegrasses Citation II Ł Birdie II Ł Omega II Ł Manhattan II Ł CBS II Blend Ł 246 Ł 2DD Ł 2HH 'Charger' TURF-SEED, INC. PO Box 250, Hubbard, OR 97032 FAX 503-981-5626 TWX 510-590-0957 1-800-247-6910 Use ROUNDUP® herbicide to kill undesired turf. ROUNDUP® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. Circle No. 120 on Reader Inquiry Card Villani: Rotate products ^m^mmm BUSINESS SENSE Avoiding burnout during sales transfers More and more lawn care companies are 
using a full-time salesperson for the entire year, particularly those that are branching into multiple ser-
vices or those that are expand-ing into the the commercial side of the business. But even with the use of full-time salespeople, most find that using technicians for sales early in the season is ef-fective. There are two issues. First, how do we prepare the techni-cians to work as a sales force, and second, how do we prepare 
them to go back into produc-tion work? Oftentimes, technicians are put into the sales role with lit-tle or no training. Any person, when con-fronted with a task for which he/she is not trained, is hardly 
likely to do well, or think highly of the management. The training should be done in a fairly short time pe-riod before the selling takes place. During that time the management can assess which technicians are the best at sell-ing the service. As the leads start to come in, those with the better skills 
should be sent out first. Management should look closely at the closing ratios generated by the salespeople 
and make sure a general stan-dard is upheld. For instance, a salesperson with 27 percent closing ratio shouldn't be sell-ing, no matter how loaded the company is with leads. The problem with having technicians sell is the burnout that occurs when they do both sales and service. Although the time period is fairly short, six 
to 10 weeks, the stress is se-
vere. It is management's task to be certain that the personnel don't work so hard that they 
either quit at the end of the first round or become so burned out that they don't 
produce. The technician must be compensated for sales work, above and beyond the base pay. If this is not done, it is unlikely that the sales force is going to be highly motivated 
to work at a high rate. A simple paycheck is not motivational, and in order to get the force to do extra work, you must be aware of this. Without additional com-pensation you will find that the closing ratios will drop as 
the selling period goes on. Each sale must be compen-sated, but you might also con-
sider compensating for a certain closing ratio. For in-stance, an 80 percent closing ratio. The key is to be inventive with the types of bonuses you 
offer and to make sure that these bonuses are directly tied 
to work done in the sales area. Returning to service Once having trained, moni-tored, and managed the salespeople/technicians, the 
transfer back to a strictly ser-vice mode needs to be consid-ered. There are several key actions that need to be man-
aged. First, the ability of the op-erations force to finish the first round on time is ex-tremely important. The com-
pany cannot afford to be de-layed in going into the second 
round. Second, the manager must look at the production capaci-ties of the personnel just as the sales closing abilities were tracked and assessed. If one technician is capable of 30 percent more effective produc-tion, then he/she should be one of the first to be put back on the production side. The preceding assumes that management has tracked 
the production capabilities of past employees and that the new employees will be watched very closely during 
the first days of the new season to assess their capacities. If this isn't being done, it should be. Third, management has to determine the point at which production begins to outweigh the need for sales. The monitoring of incom-ing leads is easyŠwhen they begin to drop off. The fact that the techni-cian is back in production should not indicate that all 
sales responsibility is gone. This is a common mistake. The technicians, and in fact About the Author Rudd McGary, Ph.D., is a senior partner with All Green Management Associates, Columbus, Ohio. PHONE * Mail to: M Horgan i te Ł 735 N. Water St Ł Milwaukee, Wl 53202 NATURAL ORGANIC Milorganite FERTILIZER America's Number One Natural Organic Fertiliser Ł Many of the finest parks and grounds in America are fertilized with Milorganite. Ł Non-burning, cost-effective, turf fertilizer Ł Rich in organic iron Š 4% minimum guaranteed. Ł 90% Water Insoluble Nitrogen (W.I.N.), slow release nitrogen promotes vigorous growth. Ł Supplies humus and improves water holding capacity of soils. Ł The golf course choice. Circle No. 112 on Reader Inquiry Card FREE LITERATURE Mail in the coupon below for further information or call 414-225-2222. Please send me further information Ł Milorganite's Specialty Fertilizer Program Ł Milorganite s Iron Š Technical Bulletin LAWN CARE INDUSTRY APRIL 1989 WttttMHSSHBBHHNHHH^ all people in the organization, are responsible constantly for sales. They should be apprised of this fact and compensated all 
during the year. Outside sales force? Oftentimes, management finds that the best sales person 
is also the best technician. This causes problems when 
the sales push is still on but the 
production is becoming more and more important. Some companies are now using temporary outside sales forces for the peak spring sell-
ing period. These people are told that they will not be needed after the season and that this is truly a part-time position. This type of sales force can be found in several places, but 
two make the most sense. First, you can look at un-dergrads in various types of schools, particularly those in 
marketing or communication. Second is the retired person with sales experience who might want to have some aux-
iliary income without making a long-term commitment. By hiring from the outside, you eliminate the need to switch your personnel be-tween sales and production, although it isn't always easy to find competent part-time peo-ple. The switching of personnel between the sales and the pro-duction mode is a necessity in most companies. The key factors are the edu-cation given to the personnel, 
the ability of the management 
to monitor the performance of the personnel, and the com-
pensation plans designed to help motivate the personnel. Companies that deal with these three issues will find that switching between sales and production can be done. LCI REVIVE from page 10 prevent erosion, Richards says. Controlling crabgrass is a major concern during a spring renovation, but the experts warn against using pre-emer-gent crabgrass killers that will also zap the new desireable seedlings. Check the label first. Several people suggest using siduron. "Tupersan (siduron) is the only product you can put down on the day of seeding, which is what I rec-
ommend," says Hopko. The material tends to be ex-pensive, he says, and it lasts about 45 days, but by then you may already have an estab-
lished stand of turf. Turfgrass managers should recall the amounts of 
crabgrass that they faced in 1988, says LESCO's Richards. "Put it down if you had lots of crabgrass last year," he ad-
vises. If you can't remember and didn't keep records, check with your county extension agent. If you decide to use it this year, Richards says it should 
be put down two weeks before 
the crabgrass germinates. Broadleaf weed control agents should not be applied until mid-summer at the ear-liest, maintains Consultant 
Dorothy F. Borland of The Turf Expert in Denver, Colo. Tom Melton agrees. Melton, sales manager at Olathe Manufacturing, Inc., 
says, "Come back and take 
care of the weeds later when 
the grass is established." Don't dawdle when con-templating a spring renova-
tion program. "You need to get started early," says Robert Magda, a vice president at 
Lawn Doctor, Inc. in 
Matawan, N.J. LCI OPTIONS from Page 10 water. "They can appreciate the fact that when they water it perks into the ground in-
stead of running off." The use of a slitseeder should not eliminate customer desire for an aeration pro-gram, according to Robert Magda, a vice president at 
Lawn Doctor, Inc. in 
Matawan, N.J. "You have to let them know that the slight aeration that 
comes from a slitseeder is not that beneficial to the plant," says Magda. However, aeration at seed-ing time could cost you about 
half your seeds. "In many cases core aeration is too deep 
a hole to grow seed in," he says. Because quick germination is a must during any spring 
renovation, the seeds should be sowed one-fourth-inch deep, a half-inch deep at the most, Magda explains. Leonard Thomas, vice president of horticulture at Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum in Cincinnati, Ohio, has similar thoughts about aerating when seeding. "I don't think it's necessary. Your seed is going to be well below the depth needed for germination. I'd rather see it 
done later." The warm and moist atmo-sphere of an aeration hole can be a plus, notes Gary Cooper, 
owner of Cooper's Lawn Aera-
tion Service in Virginia Beach, Va. He says the seed in the holes sprouts first, "Just like a 
hair transplant." Cooper, who only does seeding in the fall, uses broad-cast spreaders and pull-behind aerators. "You can go seven 
times faster on a tractor than you can with a walk-behind." To break up the cores "we take a piece of chain link (fence) on a small tractor and drag it all over." "You can leave (the cores) on the ground or come through with a dethatcher raised high," suggests Rob Fil-
loramo, a sales representative at Salsco, Inc. in Cheshire, Conn. The same technique can be used with a verticutter. "All they have to do is nick the (dry) core so it doesn't have to look bad" on the lawn, Fil-
loramo adds. "We pick up the cores," says Bo Hepler, turf agron-omist at Senske Supergreen in Yakima, Wash. They use an older conveyor belt-type ma-
chine for that task. They'll either topdress the lawn or distribute a mulching material. "There's a lot of pro-tection for the seed in case it doesn't get watered as well as it 
should," Hepler explains. He favors the use of a lawn roller to increase the seed-to-
soil contact. "Everytime we do 
seeding, we roll it." Mark Hughey, owner of Scenic Landscape Service in Memphis, Tenn., uses a roller to repair lawns that have had a car driven across them, and he rolls out "frost heaves." Now's a good time to get started, states G.J. Brouwer, president of Brouwer Turf Equipment Ltd. in Keswick, 
Ont., Canada. "If there's un-evenness in the lawn correct it in the spring when it's soft. Don't wait until the summer when it's hard." LCI Your business can be more efficient and profitable. Thanks to our new computer program Š SERVICE PRO The most efficient hilling/management system ever designed for your lawn care business: Ł Up and running in no time Ł Simple, single entry Ł Produces invoices by service performed, and lets you choose from three invoice forms Ł Provides recurrent billing for monthly contracts Ł Open format billing allows generation of custom landscape invoices Ł Prints customer statements Ł Retrieves data by route, service or customer for MTD or YTD totals Ł Posts entries to A/R and gives up-to-the-minute reports on sales, cash flow, customer aging and more Ł Works with DOS, UNIX, XENIX and most multi-user systems Ł Interfaces directly with American Business Systems General Ledger and other accounting modules The Program pays for itself. Includes a 90-day money-back guarantee, one hour of phone support and updates for a full year. Now only $1,695.00. To order, or 10 get more information, contact: R DEI E"pr,ses 526 Route 206. Trenton. NJ 08610 Ł (609) 298-8112 Circle No. 105 on Reader Inquiry Card Call Now to See perfco'S Full Line of 4-C0L0R LAWN CARE AND LANDSCAPING BROCHURES NOW YOUR COMPANY CAN AFFORD BEAUTIFUL, 4-COLOR BROCHURES... AT 2-COLOR PRICES! Ł Lawn Care & Landscaping, Many different styles and sizes to choose from. Ł 4-Color Aeration & Disease Doorhangers. Ł Project a professional image. Ł Personalized to fit your company's needs. Ł Large order custom designs. Ł Eliminates costly agency fees! PLCAA Booth # 825, 924 FOR FREE SAMPLE PACKACE CALL OR WRITE TODAY 1-800-543 0900 Ohio 1-513-845-3897 OH 45344 ONLY THE PRICES ARE UNBELIEVABLE! Model 400 Model 500 Model 600 24,000 sq. ft./hr. 26,000 sq. ft./hr. 36,000 sq. ft./hr. Classen Mfg. Inc. 1403 Pine Industrial Road Ł Norfolk, NE 68701 Ph. 402/371-2294 GRAVITY Ł SELF-PROPELLED -QUIET RUNNING Ł STRAIGHT UP-AND-DOWN MOTION FOR BETTER PENETRATION Ł EASY MANEUVERING Ł LOW MAINTENANCE Ł ROLLER BEARINGS-CASE HARDENED SHAFT Ł THREE MODELS: Circle No. 104 on Reader Inquiry Card Circle No. 117 on Reader Inquiry Card MAINTENANCE METHODS Full serviceŠa chance for more balance Late last summer I visited 12 residential and com-mercial properties in central Florida that were very well maintained and had un-usually good color in the turf, 
tree and shrub areas. A closer look, however, spoiled the picture. The lush, 
succulent new growth was cov-
ered with insects. The landscape manage-ment contractor explained that the tree and shrub con-
tractor was applying pest-icides three times a month and could not maintain acceptable control on the property. They were concerned about the cost of the frequent 
pesticide applications and the 
possible negative impact on the environment. The chemi-cal cure was not working. The care included spring and fall deep root fertilization for the trees and shrubs. Sup-plementary granular surface feedings were applied from time to time. There was evi-
dence that the homeowners were also supplementing the feeding. The excessive fertilization for the Landscaper ru AurnmAii un i n HiTicniuHii SPECIAL REPLACEMENT ENGINES ON SALE NOW NATIONWIDE AT YOUR LOCAL PARTICIPATING TECUMSEH SERVICE DEALER REPLACES ORIGINAL 8-10-11-12 H.P. RIDING MOWER AND LAWN TRACTOR ENGINES 812701A OVXL120 - 12 H.P. Overhead Valves Cast iron Sleeve Ultra-Balanced Recoil Start Electronic ignition 3 Qt. Rust Proof Fuel Tank Multi-stage Air Cleaner Oil Pump Lubrication 2 'N10 Year warranty $37025 & FACTORY FREIGHT REPLACEMENT FOR SNAPPER AND MANY OTHER BRANDS OF ROTARY MOWERS TVXL840 4 H.P. 2 Year warranty Electronic ignition Dual Air Cleaner $19235 & FACTORY FREIGHT 800109A ASK ABOUT THE MANY OTHER MODELS AT YOUR PARTICIPATING TECUMSEH SERVICE DEALER TECUMSEH PRODUCTS COMPANY ENGINE & TRANSMISSION GROUP SERVICE DIVISION Look For Your Nearby Tecumseh service Dealer in The Yellow Pages under "Engines, Gasoline" was but one problem. The irrigation systems were incorrectly maintained and operated by the homeowners, resulting in overwatering the turf, trees and shrubs. Growth abnormal The result of the overfeed-ing and overwatering program was abnormal growth. It could be corrected by more moderate, though more frequent, fertilization and wa-tering. But instead, the problem was being addressed by fre-quent use of the power shears. 
The properties were com-pletely sheared every 60 days to control the new growth and maintain a "formal" look. The shrubs were sheared into tight balls, irregular rec-tangles, inverted cones and some shapes that defy stan-
dard geometric description. Many of the shapes were not common or natural to any 
plant species! The landscape needs our help to survive and grow nor-mally. The natural forest envi-
ronment is destroyed during the land development process. After the construction phase is completed, be it resi-dential or commercial, the "born again" landscape is rec-
reated as part of the process of 
land development. It is impractical for us to recreate the natural forest en-vironment. The "born again" landscape will require, from the first day of the planting, 
assistance to survive and maintain normal growth. This assistance must come in the form of supplemental feedings, watering and protec-tion from diseases and insects. 
The natural environmental systems that provide adequate 
nutrients, hold or maintain water levels, and provide pro-
tection from diseases and in-sects have been destroyed. But the supplementary ef-forts should not exceed the level needed to sustain good health and natural growth in the landscape. When our supplements do exceed the natural require-ments, the landscape goes out of balance. We must then ac-
cept the negative con-sequences of it being out of 
balance, or resort to chemical 
cures. The plant material should be allowed to grow at its nor-mal growth pace. The shrub 
should be allowed to assume 
its natural form. Open up the 
canopy so that the sunlight, 
air and water can penetrate 
the shrub. Accelerated growth? Chemically induced, accel-erated growth does produce improved color in the land-scape. But it also increases the plant material's vulnerability to disease and insects. The four- and five-round programs that are offered to-day may not be adequate to provide a balanced, supple-mentary program for the "born again" landscape. If we stop blanket overfeed-ing of the plant material, could we reduce or eliminate the need for blanket applications of herbicides and pesticides? We canŠby feeding more fre-
quently in lower amounts. About the Author Phil Christian was formerly in charge of ChemLawn's 
commercial services. He presently serves as a consultant to the landscape Industry. Increasing the feeding fre-quency means more rounds 
per year and an opportunity to spot treat disease and insect 
activity. Perhaps eight- to 10-round programs are in the fu-ture. The trend toward full ser-vice offers some help in devel-
oping a more balanced landscape program. The mow-ing crew must visit the prop-erty 25 to 30 times per year. They could be trained to spot problems and deliver sup-plementary feeding, insect and disease control applications. A balanced fertilization program combined with im-proved cultural practices can save us from the trap of chemi-
cally-induced excellence. It worked in Florida, and it can work in all landscapes in all markets if everything is done correctly. LCI CASH from Page 16 manager to project the cash surplus/deficit position for 
each period (weekly, monthly 
or quarterly) within the com-ing year. Thus, in the example, a cash deficit of $7,927 is antici-pated for the first quarter, sur-
pluses of $10,392 and $14,208 are projected for the second 
and third quarters and a defi-
cit of $15,721 for the fourth 
quarter of the year. Projecting borrowing Overall, the lawn care busi-ness will just barely finish the year in the black. The re-mainder of the summary statement is used to project 
accumulated borrowing neces-sary (or surplus cash avail-ability) as the business moves through the year. Thus, the manager can de-termine when, how much, and for how long he will need to borrow funds, and when they can be repaid (or invested if surplus). The keys to this section of the analysis are: 1) to deter-mine the minimum amount of cash that you wish to maintain in the checkbook ($1,000 in the example); and 2) to com-plete the table by working ver-tically down the table rather than horizontally across the 
table. For example, the antici-pated deficit of $7,927 in the first quarter is partially offset by the beginning balance ($2,000) at the beginning of the period, leaving a net deficit 
of $5,927. However, the stated as-sumption was to maintain a 
$1,000 balance in the check-
book. Consequently, it would 
be necessary to borrow $6,927 to cover the net deficit and to leave an ending balance of 
$1,000. This then becomes the be-ginning balance for the next 
quarters obligations. In this case there is a surplus of suffi-
cient size to pay all expenses, retire the operating loan and pay the interest charges of $312 (18 percent interest on $6,927 for three months). In actual practice, one would not be so precise, but 
would either establish an oper-ating loan of sufficient size to 
cover the anticipated cash shortfalls, or would borrow 
short term capital in round 
dollar amounts. Projecting the cash flow for the lawn care business is a must if business and personal goals are to be achieved. These must be actively planned for, and aggressively pursued. The cash flow procedure forces the manager to become more familiar with this side of the business, and to develop plans to overcome any finan-cial difficulties before they have a chance to cripple the business. Getting started Where do you begin? A cash flow schedule for a previous year shows when cash was re-ceived and expended. Going through the business check-book, bills and contracts will 
provide valuable information that can easily be assembled into a calendar format. This will show you where the income came from and how it was spent. It can pro-vide a basis for preparing a cash flow chart. LCI NEW PRODUCTS fr -Application rates are staying steady with kit The MT-3000/JDH sprayer control kit, made by Micro-Trak Systems, Inc. in Man-kato, Minn., allows the oper-ator to maintain the target application rate regardless of 
ground speed. In addition to a GPA read-out, the unit shows total gal-lons applied, area covered, MPH and feet traveled. The device is made ex-clusively to fit the John Deere 1500 and Hahn Multi-pro 
Sprayers. The kit bolts to the side of the sprayer, and it uses quick 
couplers without having to cut 
or adapt any hoses. The unit takes about one hour to install, according to the company. LCI Circle No. 125 on service card. Clear snow away with 
clear 'See Thru' plow The Sno-Way Model L2380 "See Thru" Plow is now avail-able in units that fit all com-pact four-wheel-drive trucks, including Toyotas. The plow is 80 inches wide, and it weighs less than 325 pounds. The Sno-Way, made by STW Corp. in Hartford, Wis., 
is constructed of clear Lexan plastic with a metal frame finished in orange powder paint. The electrical and hy-draulic components are in-
stalled on the swivel sector of the plow. The plow assembly is one integral unit, and the hydraulic lines are perma-
nently attached to the angle and lift cylinders. Under the vehicle, a uni-tized sub frame attaches to the existing frame. The plow as-sembly is attached to the sub 
frame via three pins and an electrical disconnect. LCI Circle No. 126 on service card. Natural Magnum spray cleans pesticide stains Spectrum Technologies, Inc. of Plainfield, 111. is introducing 
a new non-toxic, biodegrada-
ble stain remover specifically designed for use on pesticides. Magnum removes the yellow stains exhibited by 
pendimethalin, Prowl, Treflan and Surflan, as well as 
other difficult-to-clean mate-rials, according to the com-pany. The thickness of the ready-to-use product allows it to cling to vertical surfaces. It penetrates on contact as it softens and liquifies the of-fending stain. Magnum is formulated with a natural, safe, citrus sol-
vent, according to Spectrum. The nice-smelling product can be used on metal, glass, enamel, painted surfaces, con-
crete and carpet. LCI 
Circle No. 127 on service card. H. Price introducing new mid-sized mowers Howard Price Turf Equip-ment of Chesterfield, Mo. is introducing a new line of mid-sized walk behind mowers. Model WB48K offers a 48-inch deck, and Model WB36K 
has a 36-inch deck. Both mowers are powered by a Model FB460V Kawasaki 12.5-hp air cooled engine. Standard equipment in-cludes several features. LCI 
Circle No. 128 on service card. Brouwer 130, 224, 235, big numbers in turf rolling. For more information, a live or video demonstration of This or other fine turf care equipment Call your Brouwer dealer... TODAY BROUWER TURF EQUIPMENT LIMITED An Outboard M an ne Corporation Company 7320 Haggerty Rd./Canton, Ml. 48187 Telephone (313) 459-3700 Woodbine Avenue/Keswick, Ontario, Canada L4P 3E9 Telex 065-24161 Telephone: (416) 476-4311 88-91 Copyright 1988 Brouwer Turf Equipment Limited. Circle No. 102 on Reader Inquiry Card TR130. the walkbehind model that is ideal for smaller areas. Its compact size and maneuverability let you into those confined 
areas, between buildings and around obstacles Ł 5 H.P. Honda engine Ł Hydrostatic transmission Ł Large rear support roller Ł Special rounded edge roller to prevent turf damage area" TR235. for those heavy duty 6 4 larger rolling jobs this rider model features a extra large steering wheel for driver comfort, easy operation and less fatigue Ł 8 H.P. Honda engine 
Ł Heavy duty hydrostatic transmission Ł Dual fill/drain plugs in each roller Ł Rounded edge rollers to prevent turf damage TR224 y is the ideal rider model when access may be a problem, its 32 inch width 
allows it to roll almost anywhere Ł 5 H.P. Honda engine Ł Proven single lever clutchless F-N-R transmission Ł 24 inch rolling width Ł Lever assisted steering for exceptional maneuverability 22 THE LAST WORD ^ LAWN CARE INDUSTRY APRIL THE LAST WORD Gadget giveaways kindle cooperation Giving away gadgets and other promotional mate-rials has helped Jack Robertson cope with the drought. Jack, who owns Jack Robertson Lawn Care in 
Springfield, 111., gives away Jack Robertson Lawn Care cups, Jack Robertson Lawn Care can holders and Jack Robertson Lawn Care rain 
gauges. The nifty rain gauges can be a fun method of encourag-ing customers to properly water their lawns, and that helps Jack do his job better. The stick-in-the-ground gauges are high quality items above the scope of most pro-motional giveaways, but Jack believes that the money spent is well worth it. "I think they're cost effec-tive for the way we use them," he says. "We use the rain gauges on a complaint call," he ex-
plains. "It was a natural idea. It works great at the time of a complaint." Not only are the clients delighted (and maybe feeling JAMES E. GUYETTE MANAGING EDITOR a little guilty) to get a nice "free" gift during a gripe, but the item also helps them help Jack. "They understand how much water they need to put down. After last year's drought, we all know what the problem was," Jack muses. Rain gauges are also a welcome gift to current cus-
tomers who make referrals that result in new clients. "We do everything first class," says Jack, and to him that means concentrating on keeping the customers happy. "After the drought last year, forget the hogwash about the lawn. The main part is customer satisfaction." The Jack Robertson Lawn Care can holders help provide customer satisfacton, as do Scon Jacobs, Jim Lutz, John Ripp Sales Reps It's a Way of Life at Tyler. "Our daily "Hands On" sales approach with our customers has developed the practical expertise necessary to anticipate and solve our customers' turf problems." "Problems don't have office hours ... that's why we impress on our customers that they can call us day or night for solutions." says Tyler Sales Representatives Jim Lutz, Scott Jacobs, and John Ripp. This sales staff brings over 35 years of agronomic and technical expertise to the marketplace. This experience allows Tyler to bring you practical insight into the sometimes difficult problems the turf professional faces. We at Tyler can: 1. Set up specific programs and recommendations for individualized lawn and turf needs. 2. Identify specific disease, insect, and other miscella-neous turf problems. 3. Evaluate and recommend specific solutions to both the Turf Professional and the Golf Course Superintendent. 4. Analyze tree and shrub fertilizer needs and recommend proper nutritional solutions. The Tyler Sales Staff is committed to serving you with the 
best technical support available. We also have university support available to us to help solve your individual turf problems. Tyler offers Greensward^ Custom Formulated Fertilizers in liquid or dry, large or small quantities, in bag or bulk. Ask us about our grass seed and chemical control products for your turfgrass program. If you want the very best in technical support, quality products and service, write or call us today. Enterprises, Inc. Quality Ł Service Ł Convenience P.O. Box 365 Ł Route 53 Ł Elwood, IL 60421 Telephone (815) 423-5551 © 1989 Tyler Enterprises, Inc. r i 
i 
i i L Please send me information on the Tyler products checked below: Name Company Name Area Code & Company Phone_ Address City . State . Zip Ł Tyler Greensward custom formula fertizlers. Ł Chemical control products for turfgrass programs. 
Ł Grass seed blends. Ł All Tyler products. i i 
i 
i the Jack Robertson Lawn Care cups. Just like the gauges, though, the plastic cups serve a useful agronomic purpose. This year's message urges the cup's user to water at least one inch per week-more during drought periods; to mow frequently and re-move less than 40 percent of the grass blade; to balance and sharpen the mower blade, and to consider annual aeration treatments. The promotion is a suc-cess, Jack reports, noting 
that customers are "more likely to (follow the advice) if you put the information in front of them." The cups also serve as high-visibility advertising-
even during the winter. "I 
want them to have something 
to hold in their hands every day. I want (the Jack Robertson Lawn Care name) to be there when they open the kitchen cupboard," he comments. "The cups show up in a lot of different places," Jack adds. "People take them with 
themŠI've seen people walk-ing down the street with them. They're kind of a trademark around here." (LCOs or contractors in-terested in utilizing cups at their own operations can con-tact Jack at (217) 787-5877.) The idea for the cups came about nine years ago as Jack 
was attending a Kansas City Royals game. He noticed that instead of stomping on paper cups after the contest, the fans scoot between the seats picking up the official Royals cups to take home. "Every kid, including me, goes out of there with a stack of about 15 cups." (Indeed. Yours truly checked out the Royals' home 
opener last year, courtesy of Corporate Care's Joe Sweeney, and you can bet I cruised out of there with a souvenir cup or twoŠor threeŠtucked under my 
elbow.) Jack's existing customers get their cups at the summer 
application. Potential clients get them, too. "At the esti-mate, I want to give them something other than paper work." Often the cost of bro-chures exceeds the cost of the giveaway gadgets, Jack points 
out, "and you know what happens to the printed mate-
rial. .." Jack's client surveys are short and simple to prevent them from being tossed. "I've seen surveys with 50 ques-
tions on them and nobody fills them out." His customers check a box saying they are: impressed, pleasantly surprised, satis-fied, a bit annoyed, or, mad as hell. PLACE COVER LABEL HERE PRINT PHONE NUMBER BELOW Ł 101 116 131 146 161 176 191 206 221 236 251 266 281 296 297 311 326 341 I 102 117 132 147 162 177 192 207 222 237 252 267 282 296 
297 312 327 342 I 103 118 133 148 163 178 193 208 223 238 253 268 283 298 313 328 343 \ 104 119 134 149 164 179 194 209 224 239 254 269 284 299 314 329 344 J 105 120 135 150 165 180 195 210 225 240 255 270 285 300 315 330 345 I 106 121 136 151 166 181 196 211 226 241 256 271 286 301 316 331 346 J 107 122 137 152 167 182 197 212 227 242 257 272 287 302 317 332 347 J 108 123 138 153 168 183 198 213 228 243 258 273 288 303 318 333 348 109 124 139 154 169 184 199 214 229 244 259 274 289 304 319 334 349 110 125 140 155 170 185 200 215 230 245 260 275 290 306 320 335 350 111 126 141 156 171 186 201 216 231 246 261 276 291 306 321 336 351 112 127 142 157 172 187 202 217 232 247 262 277 292 307 322 337 352 113 128 143 158 173 188 203 218 233 248 263 278 293 308 323 338 353 114 129 144 159 174 189 204 219 234 249 264 279 294 309 324 339 354 115 130 145 160 175 190 205 220 235 250 265 280 295 310 325 340 355 APRIL 1989 This card void after Jun. 15,1989 1. CHECK BELOW YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS AT THIS LOCATION: A. LAWN CARE COMPANY: Read each choice before answering. 10 Ł Chemical lawn care company 20 Ł Mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor 30 Ł Both chemical lawn care company and mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor B. SUPPLIER 50 Ł Chemical and equipment dealer and/or distributor C. OTHER (specify) 2. WHAT IS YOUR TITLE? I would like to receive (continue receiving) LAWN CARE INDUSTRY each month: Yes Ł No Ł Signature: _ Date GET MORE FACTS BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 665 DULUTH, MINNESOTA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WWN GIRE INDUSTRY POST OFFICE BOX 6080 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55806-9780 I.I,I—I.I.I..I.II..MII..I.I..I...II..I.II I.II NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE | UNITED STATESl CLASSIFIED RATES: $1.00 per word (minimum charge, $35). Boldface words or words in all capital letters charged at $1.25 per word. Boxed or display ads charged at 1X $85; 3X $80; 6X $75; 9X $70; 12X $65 per column inch (one inch minimum). (Frequencies based on a calender year). Agency commission allowed only when camera ready art is provided by agency. For ads using blind box numbers add $15 to total cost of ad. Send ad copy with payment to: DAWN NILSEN, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802. (218) 723-9505. Fax Number (218) 723-9615. BOX NUMBER REPLIES: Mail box number replies to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Classified Ad De-partment, 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802. Please include box number in address. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES CURBMATE-THE MONEY MACHINE. Patented, electrically driven and self-propelled machine pro-duces beautiful continuous concrete landscape edging. Simplifies the installation of concrete bor-ders between lawns and flower beds, along driv-
eways and sidewalks, etc. Applications for residential and commercial settings, golf courses, 
etc. Turn $5,000-$10,000 equipment purchase into 
$50,000-$100,000 potential annual income. (801)273-3938. 4/89 300 plus chemical application accounts for sale. Union County, New Jersey location. Established 1974. $30,000 FIRM, also spray truck, 5 ton van, 
aerators, misc. eqpt. Will sell all or part. Call (201)276-1919. 5/89 CURB KINO: Curbing machine that lays continu-
ous concrete landscape borders. Low investment, high returns. For information call 303-434-5337 or write PO Box 40567, Grand Junction, CO 81504. 9/89 FOR SALE SPRAY TRUCK: 1985 Ford 350 XL 600 gal tank. Hannay Reel with 300 ft. hose. 14 H.P. Kohler engine. Excellent condition. 28,000 miles. $13,500. 
(205)351-1919. 4/89 HANNAY HOSE REELS: New in the box. E1526's 
and E1530 s - $349.00 We will ship and pay freight 
anywhere in the U.S.A. and Canada. Immediate delivery. Other size reels and parts available at fabulous savings! Call 313-543-2200, in Michigan. 
Outside Michigan - 1-800-843-LAWN. TF SPRAY TRUCK 1984 Great Northern Spray Truck, 
600 gallon stainless steel tank. Complete. 1984 F-350 Ford diesel 1 ton truck. Excellent condition. Low mileage. Call 219-583-8238, ask for Jim. 4/89 Four Chevrolet tank trucks; two 1983 s, two 1984 s West Heffer units assembled with 1000 gallon low profile stainless steel tanks. Meyers 2C95 cen-trifugal pumps, electric motor driven reels recon-ditioned work ready. Price negotiable. Phone 
(703)550-7177 ask for Bill or Jay. 4/89 Bowie Hydromulcher 1100: Trailer mounted with extra duty suspension and extra wide tires, Kubota Diesel powered with heavy duty clutches and powertrain, centrifugal pump and electric hose reel with hose. Well maintained. No rust. $14,500. Call Gary at (317)873-5231. 4/89 FOR SALE: 1986 Howard Price Hydro 180. Rebuilt Hydraulic and Electrical Systems. Many new parts and new paint. Low hours. MUST SELL. Asking $15,500. (203)828-8640. 4/89 USED CHIPPERS, BUCKET TRUCKS, BOOM TRUCKS: Stump grinders, stake bodies, tree trucks and dumps. New Morbark and Woodchuck Chippers. Rayco stump grinders at discount prices. We also buy trucks and equipment. Op-dyke, Inc., Hatfield, PA (Phil, area) 215-721-4444. 7/89 SPRAY TRUCK, 1981 CHEVROLET C30, 1 TON. 650 GAL. TANK, HANNAY REEL W/300' HOSE, 
CHEMGUN, BEAN PUMP, HALF-TON DRY FER-TILIZER BIN. $6,200. CALL 1-419-729-0436, 
TOLEDO, OHIO. 4/89 FREE PARTS CATALOG - If you own a 32-36-48-52-61" walk-behind or riding mower and 
feel you're paying too much for your parts and 
equipment call PRECO DISTRIBUTORS today. We have BELTS, BLADES, WHEELS, GRASS CATCHERS. Replacement parts that fit Bobcat, Bunton, Kees, Exmark, Scag & others. Engines and Parts for Honda, Kawasaki, Briggs & Stratton and more. Order your free catalog 24 hours a day. TOLL FREE 1-800-428-8004, US. in Mass. 1-800-421-3900. Preco Distributors, 97 Center St., Ludlow, MA 01056. TF REEL MOWERS: Toro Parkmaster 9-gang, 9/16" reel stock; 5 blades, ready to mow at $11,500. Jacobsen F-10 7-gang, 3/4" reel stock, 6 blades, ready to mow at $5,500. Call John in Rockford, IL 1-815-654-4777. 4/89 SPRAY TRUCK: 1978 Chevrolet 3/4 ton, automatic transmission, 500 and 40 gallon tanks. Equipped with John Beam pumps, Hypro agitation, hose reels, new paint and rubber, well maintained and clean. Call Jim at (507)532-7313. 4/89 1986 International Harvester Tree & Shrub Tanker For Sale. Model S1600, 6.9 Liter Diesel. 800/400 Gal. Steel Tank with 120 Gal. side Torpedo Tank, 3 Reels including 1 Tall Tree Reel, 2 D-25 Hydro Cell Pumps, 20,780 mi., 2,279 Hours, Very Good to 
Excellent Condition, $14,995. Call Don Genung (607)722-2155. 4/89 SPRAY TRUCK. 85 F-30 DIESEL WITH 750 GAL-LON STAINLESS STEEL TANK WITH NEW MYERS PTO PUMP, 2 ELECTRIC HANNAY HOSE REELS. CALL: (402)571-0450. 4/89 HELP WANTED SALES MANAGER Turf Ornamental supply business seeks a mo-tivated person to direct sales in the Mid-Atlan-tic area. Applicant should have sales training and market planning experience. Competitive salary, benefits, with opportunity for profes-sional growth. 
Send resume to: Moyer & Son, Inc. P.O. Box 198 Souderton, PA 18964 Attn: Ken LANDSCAPE SUPERVISOR: Established Michi-gan Contractor looking for self-motivated individual with 5 years minimum experience to manage crews and oversee landscape installa-tion. Send resume and salary requirements to: DeAngelis Landscape Incorporated, 22425 Van Horn Road. Woodhaven, Ml 48183, EOE. 4/89 Management Ever-Green Lawns, a division of ADT, Inc. is seeking both Branch and Sales Management personnel for several of our major markets. Branch Managment candidates must be degreed with a minimum of 1-2 years of success in managing a multi department lawn care branch with sales of over $1,000,000. Strong management and communi-cation skills required along with a 
desire to offer a quality service. Sales Manager at branch level with full responsibilities for telemarketing effort with a staff of 15-20 inside and 
outside sales people to solicit and provide lawn analysis for both resi-dential and commercial properties. If you are seeking a responsible and attainable growth situation sup-ported by an excellent base salary and company benefit program, send resume including salary his-tory to: Corporate Recruiter Ever-Green Lawns Corp. 1390 Charlestown Industrial Drive 
St. Charles, MO 63303 ATTENTION LAWN CARE EMPLOYEES Do you ever dream of having your own lawn care business? If so, we can help make your dreams come true. We have an exciting new opportunity for ambitious people who are currently technicians, assistant managers, or branch managers. It's designed so you can easily transition from being an employee to a business owner. Spring-Green has established successful franchised lawn care busi-nesses nationwide for over a decade. With this new concept, achiev-ing your dreams is easier than it seems. For more information call: /O. SPRING Vj7 GREEN 1-800-435-4051 1-800-892-4013 (In IL) YOUR SUCCESS CAN BE THE SPRING-GREEN SYSTEM Feldmann Model 2300 Multi-Purpose Turf Care Machine. For the professional lawn care and rental industry. Walk-behind versatility for: core plug aeration, slicing/scarifying for over- i « seeding, slicing aeration; tilling/cultivation. Core aerate at pace operator chooses. Core depth is achieved by strategically placed 45-lb. quick-release weight bar. Soil scarifying penetration via the use of depth stick. 20-lb. quick-release weight bar or operator restraint applied at the handle bars. Optional accessoriesŠ20-lb. quick-release weight bar for slicing machine and a 45-lb. quick-release « weight bar for the plugging aerator. Powered by Honda 31/2-hp GX series overhead valve 4-cycle engine with oil alert feature. Easy starting, maintenance-free electronic ignition. Chain drive. Fold-down handle ^ for compact storage and transport. Lift grip. Weight 128 lbs. Feldmann MODEL 2300Š3.5 HP Honda MODEL 2200Š3.0 HP B&S I.C. MODEL 1800Š3.0 HP B&S 520 Forest Avenue, Sheboygan Falls, Wl 53085-0908 (414) 467-6167 Fax (414) 467-6169 Circle No. 110 on Reader Inquiry Card Circle No. 106 on Reader Inquiry Card SIMPLIFY YOUR PRUNING! MAIBO O The Fastest, Lightest, and Strongest Tree Trimming Equipment in the World MAIBO. INC. MANUFACTURERS Rl 1 East Stone Drive Kingsport. Tennessee 37660 1-800-331-2306 MAIBQ California aŠ 1-800-543-8694 FINANCING AVAILABLE DEALERSHIPS AVAILABLE COMPLETE SYSTEMS START AT $gggoo Our Two Year Warranty Only Applies When Sold By Our Authorized Distributors. International Patent Lawn Care t^E" Career opportunities coast-to-coast. Employer retained. Experts in personnel since 1968. USA Careers 5153942556 New Hampton, IA 50659 Excellent positions in the irrigation & landscape industry are available now. Call Florapersonnel, the international employee search firm for the or-namental horticulture industry. Completely con-fidential. Employer pays fee. Florapersonnel, P.O. Box 1732,1450 S. Woodland Blvd., Suite 201, De-Land. FL 32721-1732. (904)738-5151. Jim 
Bambrick, Jeff Brower, David Shaw, CPC, Bob Zahra, CPC. TF Experienced Foreman. Landscaping Design & Construction firm seeking an experienced Fore-man 3-5 years. Individual must be able to take total 
responsibility of products from start to finish. Plant knowledge, construction techniques and blueprint 
reading a must. Send resumes to: Vander Veen Landscape Company, P.O. Box 164, Mason, Ml 48854.517-676-1093. 4/89 CLEVELAND OHIO EMPLOYMENT OPPOR-TUNITIES We offer excellent salary and benefit package and opportunities for advancement in our design/build firm. Our expansion plans include es-tablishing a branch office. We are accepting appli-cations for people with skills in landscape 
architecture, design-sales, supervision of land-scape installation, maintenance, tree crews and 
nursery. Please send your resume or give us a call. Yardmaster, Inc., 1447 North Ridge Road, 
Cleveland, Ohio 44077. (216)357-8400. 4/89 MISCELLANEOUS WANTED LANDSCAPE TRAINING VIDEOS Intermediate mower maintenance field and shop repair; efficient/profitable mowing techniques; professional shrub trimming, plant installation, basic landscape plan drawing, etc. ENGLISH AND SPANISH. Write for free brochure. C.D. Anderson Landscape Videos 515 Ogden Avenue Downers Grove, IL 60515 1-800-937-0399 WANTED TO ACQUIRE Lawn care companies of all sizes in U.S. and Canada being sought by national cor-poration. Complete buy out or stay and grow with us. If inter-ested, please call me directly: Don Karnes Senior Vice-President TRU GREEN CORPORATION (404) 442-8700 STRICT CONFIDENTIALITY MAINTAINED | TRU GREEN "Be a partner" with Special Olympians A Special Program with Special Rewards Under a bright winter sun, an icy breeze brings roses to cheeks as skiers move along a trail, some smoothly, others struggling. It could be any cross-
country skiing event. But soon differences appear. As the athletes cross the finish line, they are greeted with cheers of encouragement and congratulations-and hugs for every skier. The contest is a winter event of the Special Olympics, patterned on the tra-
ditional Olympic games and conducted for athletes of all ages who have mental 
retardation. And while their movements 
may not be those of polished athletes, there is no mistaking the intensity of 
their effort, or the joy of their achieve-ment, wherever they finish. Dow and Industry to Sponsor. In 1989, Dow and the lawn care indus-try, through PLCAA and state asso-ciations, are Official Bronze Medal 
sponsors of the International Winter Special OKmpics Games, \A by contributing more than $100,000. To be held in April 1989 at Lake T^hoe, the games will attract more than 1400 athletes from around the wodd. Events will include Alpine and Nordic skiing, speed skating, figure skating and floor hockey. Special Olympics: a Special Program. The Special Olympics pro-gram, founded in the 1960s, is run by more than 600,000 volunteers. It provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for more than one million people with mental retardation. For many of these participants, the program is their only opportunity to take part in activities which most of us take for granted. To say that 
Special Olympics are a bright spot in their lives is an understatement. Special Volunteers. All types of volunteer helpers, from coaches and managers to trainers to fund raisers, 
pitch in to keep the program going. One unique group of volunteers are the "huggers." They see to it that all 
participants at every event get warm 
personal recognitionŠregardless of where they finish. Competition is intense, If you'd like to be a hugger, or help some other way, contactyour nearest 
Special Olympics office. Or see your Dow rep for lists of Special Olympics officials in your state, and ways you 
can support the year-round program in your area. The Partnership makes it possi-ble. Dow!s contribution, in the name of the lawn care industry, is made possi-ble by a program called The Partnership, Dow's commitment to you. The Partnership brings together all the things Dow offers you. It includes not only the products you use, but many other pluses: industry-leading research and development, training" 
for your technicians, business manage-
ment seminars, legislative lobbying and assistance at national, state and local levels, and industry-wide public relations programs. Dowls underwriting of indus-try support for the 1989 Inter-Ł ; a national Winter Special ¡+MF ' Olympics is one way of ' encouraging others to become involved in worthwhile local activities. Orkin Lawn Care, a division of the world's largest pest control com-pany, is buying lawn care com-panies in major west coast 
markets. Make your company part of an organization with a proven growth and management record. All replies confidential. Please contact: JOHN RAYMOND Director of Acquisitions Orkin 2170 Piedmont Road N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324 404-888-2802 Division of Rollins, Inc., a NYSE Company LAWNAMERICA, INC. a diverse lawn care com-pany, is seeking acquisition candidates. We are a publicly traded company making your company and personal growth potential very unique. Send information in confidence to: LAWNAMERICA, INC., P.O. Box 470445, Tulsa, OK 74147, Attn: Lee Ellis, President. 4/89 Wanted to Buy - Lawn care companies of all sizes 
anywhere in U.S. wanted to purchase by national 
corporation. If interested, please respond to LCI Box 197. Strict confidentiality maintained. TF m«ike il il Í ! i \m V f ^^ National Safety Council ADVERTISERS INDEX NO. ADVERTISER PAGE 101 BASF 11 102 Brouwer 21 
103 Brouwer 14 
104 Classen Mfg 19 
105 DataEnt 19 
122 DowChem 26 106 Feldmann 26 
107 Jacobson 4 
108 Lesco 28 109 Lofts Seeds 2 110 Maibo 25 111 Maruyama 16 
112 Milwaukee Sewerage 18 113 Mobay 12-13 
114 Mobay 7 115 Monsanto 8-9 116 O.M.C. Cushman 27 
117 Perfco 19 118 Rhone-Poulenc 15 119 Tecumseh 20 120 Turf Seed 17 121 Tyler 22 New Products 125 Micro-Trak Sys./ Sprayer control 21 126 Sno-Way/Plow 21 
127 Spectrum Tech./ Stain remover 21 128 Howard Price/ mowers 21 This index provided as an additional service. The publisher as-sumes no liability lor ommission or error. Ryan brings quality aeration from golf greens to green lawns. Introducing the new Ryan Lawnaire® 28. The revolutionary Lawnaire 28 combines the technology and preci-sion of golf course aeration with the demands of lawn maintenance. Its reciprocating, crank mounted tine arms feature a vertical coring ac-tion similar to larger Ryan aera-
tors. Tines penetrate straight in to a depth of 2V2 inches, and come straight out. The results are a more professional-looking job, better root development, greener lawns, and more satisfied customers. Make more money by the yard. Because time is money, the Lawnaire 28 is designed to cover big jobs quickly Š up to 24,000 sq. ft. per hour. But because not every job is big, it's also compact and maneuverable. Just 34 inches 
wide, the Lawnaire 28 easily fits 
through yard gates. The unique tricycle front wheel gives the unit a zero turning radius while aerating! Even the tightest spots are no 
problem. And because it's a Ryan, you can rest assured that the Lawnaire 28 will keep you on the job and out of the repair shop for years to come. Check out Ryan's reliability in your own backyard. Contact your Ryan dealer and ask for a free demonstration today. Or call toll free: 1-800-228-4444. RYAN BUILT TO LAST A CU8HMAN Product; Group 6475 Ryan, P.O. Box 82409, Lincoln, NE 68501 © Outboard Marine Corporation, 1988. All rights reserved. L Meet your new source of extra-service income. Keep Out of Reach of Children CAUTION Read All Directions Before Using PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS This product may cause eye irritation Prolonged contact with skin can also causo irritation In case of accidental eye contact, flush oyes with water Wash oxposed skin areas with soap and water. If irritation persists, obtain medical attention. DIRECTIONS FOR USE LESCO Nu-MuJch concentrale is a combination of ingredients to be mixed in a spray tank for application on ''brous wooden mulching material LESCO Nu-Mulch is 
men. water-soluble and disperses rapidly in agitated tanks Recommended Applications on Mulch: Add LESCO Nu-Muich concentrate to the spray tank af a rate of 3.0 to 4.0 fl. o* per gallon of spray material. One gallon of spray will cover 150 to 300 sq ft, depend-ng upon compaction or fluttinessof tho mulch and color deseed The lower rate can be used when only a lighter color preferred For darker color, spray at the heavy rate and Žgher spray volume per sq ft Application technique is Łmportant m order to obtain complete coverage, »t may be n«c«ssary to spray ono l.ght rate first and follow with Another hght rate applied perpendicular to the first (criss-cross pattern) Finer droplets will improve coverage. An 8002E spray tip is ideal for application. Apply as needed 
throughout the year Manufactured for: LESCO. Inc N«t64 Fl. 02. ?0005 lako Road #016030J Rocky River, Ohio Ł (216) 333-9250 Łan* v wwm Old faded mulch becomes new profitable business with LESCO Nu-Mulch.Ž £ % It's the new colorant that i quickly and easily restores original color to mulch. One application lasts two to three months and costs about half as much as putting down new material. And LESCO Nu-Mulch is an easy-to-use liquid that is applied with a backpack or handheld sprayer. No bags, no bulk. Non-toxic to plants, LESCO Nu-Mulch is an inert, water-soluble formulation that easily washes off most types of foliage. It'll put you in the mulch business all season long. Make old mulch your new source of income. Order LESCO Nu-Mulch today. (800) 321-5325 Nationwide Ł (800) 686-7413 In Ohio LESCO, Inc., 20005 Lake Road, Rocky River, OH 44116 (216) 333-9250 Always read and follow label instructions before applying any chemical product. I tia^W I Nu-Mulch Restores Color I to Old Mulch