STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT Industry still growing Lawn care receipts increase 23% More on... BUDGETS . Page 1 PURCHSES . Page 1 ADVERTISING ... . Page 7 EQUIPMENT . Page 8 SERVICES Page 10 More than $1.8 billion is spent annually on professional lawn care, including more than $1 billion spent strictly on chemical applications, according to the latest statistics compiled by LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. Readers of the magazine re-ported average gross receipts of $248,830 on 1,594 chemical ac-counts serviced in 1982. Expanded to the total LCI read-ership, chemical lawn care com-panies grossed nearly $1.1 billion in 1982, considerably higher than the 1981 figure of $870 million. More than 1,000 questionnaires were mailed to a random cross- section of readers. The response rate for this year's survey was 17 percent. Mowing/maintenance accounts averaged $125,297 per company on an average of 152 customers. Expanded to the total readership, nearly $755 million was grossed in mowing/maintenance accounts in 1982. Combine those two figures for a total of $1.85 billion, an increase of 23.3 percent over the size of the industry in 1981. The average LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY reader's business con-sisted of 38.3 percent chemical lawn care and 35.4 percent mowing/maintenance, according to the survey Š though no one to page 12 mm Number 6 JUNE 1983 A Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publication $2.00 HHH ^ Volume 7 Nu fi m 3 \é I ti i 191 »II!? Serving lawn maintenance and chemical lawn care professionals Money-wise 35.6 percent of gross is paid to labor force More than one-third of the aver-age lawn care company's gross receipts are spent for labor, ac- cording to the most recent LAWN CARE INDUSTRY survey. The actual figure is 35.6 percent, averaged over total readership. But, the survey further noted, chemical lawn care companies do not spend nearly as much on labor, even though their field personnel make an average of $1.41 per hour more. Chemical lawn care companies spend an average of just 27.9 percent of gross receipts on labor while those in the mowing/maintenance segment of LCI's readership spend 43.3 percent. Heavy spending The other big expenditure dis-parity the survey recognized was in the "fertilizers and pesticides" category. Chemical lawn care companies, logically, spent 25.3 percent of their gross receipts in this category while mowing/ maintenance companies spent just 8.4 percent. Chemical lawn care companies spent an average of 5.6 percent of their gross receipts on fuel while mowing/maintenance companies Š which use more gasoline-powered equipment Š spent 9.9 percent. Chemical companies also spent more than twice the amount registered by mowing/ maintenance companies on adver-tising: 5.9 to 2.5 percent of their gross receipts. Same profits There was no big discrepancy between the two segments on profit margin, however. Chemical lawn care companies reported an average profit margin of 16.1 percent while mowing/ maintenance companies reported 18.5 percent. Industry average was 15.8 percent. An interesting Š and distress-ing Š fact extrapolated from the survey, however, came from among companies that reported little profit margin. Just over 10 percent of the respondents admit-ted to making zero profit, or to losing money, in 1982. An ad-ditional 8.5 percent admitted to having profits of just zero to three percent. Lots of $$ Half a billion spent on chemicals & seed Next month: 015y J * HALL EXT AGR0N TURF VPI t r-' AGRCN3KY HEPT PIACKSPUar 31 39! VA ZïJbl Nationally, nearly a half a billion dollars is spent each year by readers of LAWN CARE INDUS-TRY to purchase chemicals and grass seed. According to the most recent survey done for its annual "State of the Industry" report, LCI de- termined that each lawn care company in its readership spends an average of $42,404.92 on chemicals and seed. Expanded over the magazine's total read- ership of 10,435, expenditures in those categories are $442.5 mil-lion per year. Chemical lawn care companies Š that is, companies whose business is predominantly ap-plying chemicals Š spend an average of $99,458.46 while mowing/maintenance companies devote an average of $22,119.45 to chemicals and seed each year. Liquid-applied fertilizer is the biggest expenditure for pre-dominantly chemical lawn care businesses: more than $31,000 per year. Chemical lawn care com-panies also spend about $26,000 on pre-emergent herbicides, ac- cording to survey results. to page 13 The energy behind the idea never runs out Good ideas come and go. Even some of the best ideas eventually fade away. Why? Because it takes a constant flow of energy to keep an idea fresh and bright. DURSBAN* insecticides are a perfect example. 17 years ago they were a good idea. But with the full energy of Dow behind them, they are among the most widely used insecticides on the market. It all started when Dow developed chlorpyrifosŠthe active ingredient in DURSBAN insecticides, and still the most effective ingredient available. Since that time, Dow has invested a lot of energy in continual research and development pro-grams to expand the uses and registrations of DURSBAN. And each new registration means more business for you. More species of insects you can control. More outdoor customers you can serve. Without Dow behind the idea, you wouldn't have all the different DURSBAN insecticides. You wouldn't have DURSBAN 2E and double-strength 4E or 50WP to control just about any outdoor insect. But there's more. When you use a DURSBAN insecticide you're plugged into all the product support and marketing expertise Dow has to offer. Dow not only backs DURSBAN products and their per-formance. it stands behind the industry. Dow contributes financial, educational and research support to the Professional Lawn Care Association and Golf Course Superintendents Association. Dow offers you and your distributor sales literature and training programs to help you manage your business better, valuable incentive programs and a whole lot more. Remember, anybody can come up with a good idea, but it takes a company like Dow to make it work for you. Agricultural Products Department, Midland, MI 48640. DURSBAN The best idea in bug control. Dow Chemical U.SA ŁTrademark of The Dow Chemical Company 3913 Circle No. 103 on Reader Inquiry Card UPFRONT w z 5 WWN GARE INDUSTRY JERRY ROCHE, Editor ROBERT EARLEY, Group Publisher JOAN HOLMES, Production Manager MARILYN MacDONALD, Production Supervisor MARIO ROSSETTI, Graphic Design JOAN SMITH, Circulation Supervisor GAIL KESSLER, Reader Service Manager LINDA WINICK, Promotion Manager MARKETING/SALES Midwest Office: JOE KOSEMPA, Regional Sales Manager ROBERT EARLEY (216) 243-8100 7500 Old Oak Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44130 Southern Office: RON KEMPNER (404) 233-1817 3091 Maple Dr., Atlanta, GA 30305 Northwest Office: BOB MIEROW (206) 363-2864 1333 N.W. Norcross, Seattle, WA 98177 Classified: DAWN ANDERSON (218) 727-8511 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802 Please send advertising materials to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY 120 W. Second St. Duluth, MN 55802 218-727-8511 A HARCOURT BRACE JOVANOVICH PUBLICATION W>A &ABP ROBERT L. EDGELL, Chairman RICHARD MOELLER, President LARS FLADMARK, Executive V. Pres ARLAND HIRMAN, Treasurer THOMAS GRENEY, Senior V. Pres. EZRA PINCUS, Senior Vice President PAT O'ROURKE, Group Vice President JOE BILDERBACH, Vice President JAMES GHERNA, Vice President GEORGE GLENN, Vice President HARRY RAMALEY, Vice President LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (USPS 397250) is published monthly by Harcourt Brace Jo-vanovich Publications. Corporate and Edi-torial offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44130. Advertising Offices: 757 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017, 111 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60601 and 3091 Maple Drive, At-lanta, Ceorgia 30305. Accounting, Adver-tising Production and Circulation offices: 1 East First Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802. Subscription rates: $16 per year in the United States: $20 per year in Canada. All other countries: $45 per year. Single copies (pre-paid only): $2 in the U.S.: elsewhere $4.50: add $3.00 for shipping and handling per order. Second class postage paid at Duluth, Minnesota 55806. Copyright © 1983 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may he reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, in-cluding photocopy, recording, or any infor-mation storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Microfilm copies of articles are available through University Microfilm, International, 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48160. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, P.O. Box 6200, Duluth, Minnesota 55806-9900. Attacking the No. 1 problem It would be very easy to begin this month's magazine by commenting on our annual "State of the Industry" report contained herein. But let's allow the figures to speak for themselves and go on to another subject of utmost importance to our industry. Instead, as we hit the height of the 1983 lawn care season, per-haps it is just as important to address the problem of pro-fessional standards Š which, for many lawn care businesses, are not up to snuff. The problem of non-professional people attempting to care for lawns (and to take away cus-tomers of professional and highly- qualified lawn care businessmen) has been around as long as the industry itself. When the subject was broached at the March meet-ing of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America's Board of Directors, many of the respected men seated at the gigantic con-ference table appeared dis- couraged, disgusted and unable to cope with even a perfunctory discussion. PLCAA comments Just one year ago, members of this same august group were asked to comment on ethics in the lawn care industry. At that time, some of the observations were: Ł "Sometimes, I see a less than professional approach on the part of some of the new entrants into the industry." Ł "This can be a very easy business to shave on." Ł "You can't pick an industry where you don't find a bad apple." Ł "I don't think real pride will come until there is some real differentiation among lawn care I read with enthusiasm your "Upfront" article in February, 1983. Your self-image is most accurate and the need for feed-back will only sharpen the skills of your staff and their sensitivity. The article which hit us in the East, like a breath of fresh air, was the June, 1982 labor and equip-ment charges article. Many who are unsophisticated in our busi-ness are not able to understand precise arts of costing and pricing. We know that computers will be able to assist us in the very near future, but most of us have little expertise. Our accountants do not really care if we make any money, and many are still going to the customer's door on bended knee to get the job. Forget the com-mercial accounts and con-dominiums! You could starve to I mSslM services. The North Carolina branch of the Professional Grounds Man- agement Society recently decided to attack head-on unethical prac- tices within the lawn care and landscape management industry. "We sent out 150 letters," said Gregory Boykin of Boyco Land-scape Maintenance recently, "but just 20 showed up at our meet-ing." (Boykin is chairman of the North Carolina Landscape Man-agement Certification Program Committee.) "We contacted a ton of people, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of interest," Boykin continued. "Many of them think we're trying to step on them, when, in fact, we're just trying to help. Basically, you don't mind competition if it's honest and professional." Guidelines The committee has established some guidelines, including these possible requirements for certification: LETTERS death, as long as you are the cheapest. Contracts mean very little, and honesty is scarce at best. What I am alluding to is the need for a structure of estimating cost, and education of the mem-bership in reasonable pricing. Ours is a profession; we are in charge of the living things around the home as well as the environ-mental future of the customer's grounds. We need more open dialogue in our press on such matters. Medical insurance programs are part of life. Why pay the high prices they have agreed to charge? We need to know what our legal boundaries are in formulating these activities, and national guidance on how to properly implement local programs to re-(1) Candidates applying for certification must be licensed pesticide applicators; and (2) Candidates may be qual-ified to be tested if (a) holding a bachelor's or associate degree in a green industry and having two years practical experience, or (b) having three years experience with one year being in a super- visory capacity, or (c) having six years practical experience. "I'd like to have something on line to present to our general membership by our annual meet-ing in October or November," Boykin said. At the initial meeting of the NCPGMS, discussions centered around: the importance of pro-fessionalism; distinguishing fea- tures of the professional; methods by which contractors can set themselves apart from their com-petition; the necessity to help each other; consumer differ- entiation between the pro-fessional and fly-by-nighter; and the very real need of establishing a standard of quality for all landscape or lawn maintenance contractors. A commendation Though Boykin and his associ-ates have been confronted with several obstacles, they must be commended for taking positive steps to improve professionalism in their home state. It's a course of action you can all contemplate. The problem simply will not disappear by itself. search local conditions. With appropriate professional de- velopment, we could make enough money to be collateralized when we need to go to the banks for cash flow loans. Here: I've shown you the woods. Now double the sub- scription rate for the magazine and hire the guys to give us the answers. John F. Cockerill Scarsdale, N.Y. Letters to the editor should be kept brief and to the point. They should be tastefully written and bear a signature and address or telephone number for verification purposes. The staff of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY reserves the right to edit all letters for length and grammar. Circle the Reader Service numbers of those items of interest to you. Inquiries serviced for 90 days from date of issue. For those countries outside the U.S., please apply appropriate postage before mailing. READER SERVICE INFORMATION CARD 6-83 1 For more information on products or services mentioned in this issue, circle the corresponding numbers below, fill in appropriate information and mail today. 101 108 115 122 129 136 143 150 157 164 171 178 185 192 199 206 213 220 227 234 102 109 116 123 130 137 144 151 158 165 172 179 186 193 200 207 214 221 228 235 103 110 117 124 131 138 145 152 159 166 173 180 187 194 201 208 215 222 229 236 104 111 118 125 132 139 146 153 160 167 174 181 188 195 202 209 216 223 230 237 105 112 119 126 133 140 147 154 161 168 175 182 189 196 203 210 217 224 231 238 106 113 120 127 134 141 148 155 162 169 176 183 190 197 204 211 218 225 232 239 107 114 121 128 135 142 149 156 163 170 177 184 191 198 205 212 219 226 233 240 PLEASE CHECK BELOW YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS AT THIS LOCATION: A. CONTRACTOR OR SERVICES: ŁLawn care service business involved primarily with fertilization, weed, and insect control Please specify method of application: 10 Ł Liquid 11 DOry 12 DBoth 20 Ł Primarily mowing/maintenance service 30 Ł Landscape contractor/lawn service company 40 DNursery or garden center/lawn service company 50 DPest control/lawn service company 60 Ł Irrigation contractor/lawn service company I. GROUNDS CARE/MAINTENANCE AT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FACILITIES: 110 Ł Private or public estate 120 130 140 150 190 ŁSchool, college, university, hospital, or similar facility ŁCondominium housing development or industrial park ŁGovernment grounds, parks, around municipal buildings, military facilities Ł Cemetery or memorial garden ŁOther (please specify) C. SUPPLIER 210 ŁChemical dealer or distributor 220 ŁEquipment dealer or distributor 230 DSeed broker/dealer 240 DSod grower NAME BUSINESS NAME. CITY _STATE_ .TITLE . .ADDRESS. _TELEPHONE_L ) AREA CODE I WISH TO RECEIVE (CONTINUE RECEIVING) LAWN CARE INDUSTRY EACH MONTH Ł YES Ł NO SIGNATURE DATE BUSINESS REPLY CARD FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 665 DULUTH, MINNESOTA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE DEPARTMENT L4WN GIRE INDUSTRY POST OFFICE BOX 6200 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55806 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT Ł . . »;Ł -v 1 Ł it-Advertising stats Let your fingers do the walking! If prospective lawn care cus-tomers "let their fingers do the walking" through the Bell System Yellow Pages, they will find more than enough professional lawn care businesses to suit them. According to a LAWN CARE INDUSTRY survey of advertising methods, the Yellow Pages were judged most important by lawn care professionals. Nearly 75 per- cent of every business which responded to the survey said they used the Yellow Pages as part of their advertising campaign. The money is there to spend on advertising. The average lawn care company spends more than $9,590 per year promoting its product, according to the survey Š five percent of all gross receipts. Referrals, rebates Next most popular means of advertising was through referrals and rebates, named by more than 70 percent completing the survey. Larger companies and com-panies that specialize in chemical application tend more to advertise in the Yellow Pages, the survey revealed. Of chemical application companies responding, 85.2 per- cent said they use the Yellow Pages. Of companies grossing more than $100,000 per year, 87.1 percent said they advertise with Ma Bell. Popularity Referrals, rebates and direct mail also tended to be more popular among companies doing chemical application and com-panies with gross receipts over $100,000. Seventy percent of the chemical application companies use referrals or rebates, and al-most 65 percent use direct mail. Of the larger companies involved in the survey, 72.6 percent use referrals or rebates, and 62.9 percent said they use direct mail. Other popular means of adver-tising among all segments polled were newspapers and personal solicitation. Least popular was billboard advertising, though 11.1 percent of chemical application companies responding to the sur- vey named them as an effective advertising means. Overall, it was found that the average lawn care business uses 3.8 ways of advertising. Chemical lawn care applicators use 5.1 ways of advertising; businesses which gross more than $100,000 per year use 4.8; businesses that gross under $100,000 use 3.3 ways and mowing/maintenance companies are the least likely to advertise in multiple media, using an average of just 3.0 per company. 80-1 70-60-50-40-30-20-10-7 a ft HOW DO YOU ADVERTISE? 44.9 43.1 26.4 18.6 Ł 15.0 3.3 I 8.4 M 34.1 24.0 15.6 Phone Direct News- Bill- Door to Radio T.V. Yellow Referrals Door Personal Home & solicitation mail paper board door pages rebates hangers solicitation garden solicitation show Services offered Keying in on thatch, disease Thatch-reducing cultivation and disease control are becoming more important aspects of the lawn care business, according to the most recent LAWN CARE INDUSTRY "State of the Indus-try" survey. Nearly 70 percent Š 69.6 per-cent, to be exact Š of the busi-nesses surveyed said that they offered thatch-reducing cul- tivation, and an additional 82.3 percent said that they offered disease control. The two extra services are especially becoming more im-portant to the mowing/ maintenance sector of LCI's read-ership. Among mowing/ maintenance companies, response to the question "Do you offer thatch-reducing cultivation" was 83.8 percent affirmative, and answers to the question "Do you offer disease control" were 80.6 percent affirmative. Among chemical lawn care companies, the figures were 56.6 percent for thatch-reducing cul-tivation and 81.8 percent for disease control. References It must be pointed out, how-ever, that reference to "mowing/ maintenance companies" implies companies responding to the sur- vey which indicated that they were more than 50 percent into mowing/maintenance, and like-wise with "chemical lawn care" companies. Many businesses en-gage in both types service. Fifty-eight-point two percent of the companies surveyed said that they offered both thatch-reducing cultivation and disease control: 45.5 percent for chemical lawn care companies and 67.6 percent for mowing/maintenance companies. Just 9.4 percent said that they offer neither: 9.1 percent for chemical lawn care companies and 8.8 percent for mowing/ maintenance companies. The survey results were based on 1,000 questionnaires sent to regular readers of LCI. > £ z n > m Z D C C/3 H sC c Z m STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT W ' Equipment research s Computer popularity grows rŠ CO D § What kind of and how much equipment does the lawn care businessman keep in stock, and u how does he take care of it? § Those were the subjects of no < less than five questions on the ~ 20-question 1983 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY "State of the Indus-try" survey. By far, the most extensive area of investigation was equipment, and some of the results were surprising. For instance: Ł Chemical lawn care com-panies are much more tech-nologically advanced than their mowing/maintenance counterparts. Ł There is no clear preference between types of pumps on spray equipment, but a clear preference does exist concerning how the equipment is powered. Ł Most of the maintenance done on equipment is by members of lawn care crews. It should be pointed out that Heat up your business this year with small engine spark plugs from the world's leader in advanced spark plug technologyŠNippondenso. These ND plugs are made to fit all the major small engine applications: tractors, chain saws, tillers, leaf blow-ers, lawn mowers and more. Yet they have all the terrific features of the larger ND automotive and motorcycle plugsŠthe same spark plugs which come as Standard Factory-Installed Equipment in millions of Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Subaru and Mitsubishi cars, and Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki motorcycles. And there's another feature guar-anteed to make them one of the most popular items in your inventory: some of the best pricing programs in the business! In addition, you'll benefit from an aggressive, high-profile national advertising campaign designed to maximize consumer awareness and demand. So if small engines are a big part of your business, call your Distributor* todayŠand get the spark you need to heat up your profits this summer. SPARK PLUGS. The Fastest Growing Spark Plug in America. *lf your Distributor is out of ND plugs, call us toll-free at 800-421-1400. In California, at 800-421-6821. Ask for ext. 263. We'll put you in touch with America's fastest growing spark plug. references to "chemical lawn care companies" include more than just ChemLawn-type companies which basically apply fertilizer and pesticides only. Likewise, references to "mowing/ maintenance companies" do not exclude companies which do some chemical application. As the statistics indicate, many com-panies are doing both chemical lawn care and mowing/ maintenance. One of the most interesting statistics derived from the equip-ment study is the fact that one of every four lawn care companies uses a business computer. But exactly 50 percent of pre-dominantly chemical lawn care companies has a computer, while just 10.4 percent of pre-dominantly mowing/maintenance companies has one. The industry average for com-panies using business computers is 25.8 percent. Most popular And overall, the most popular type of equipment among lawn care companies is a spray tank. Businesses subscribing to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY average 5.5 spray tanks, with chemical lawn care companies accounting for an average of 11.7 and mowing/ maintenance companies having an average of 2.1. The most popular type of equipment among mowing/ maintenance companies is the walk-behind mower with an aver-age of 10.3 per company. But the total readership average drops to 5.15 because companies that spe-cialize in chemical application average just 1.07 walk-behind mowers. Here are readership averages for other types of equipment: (a) tractors, 1.6 per company; (b) riding mowers, 1.3 per company; (c) hedge trimmers, 2.4 per com-pany; (d) string trimmers, 4.6 per company and (e) aerators, 1.0 per company. Of those companies which use spray equipment, most popular type of pump was the piston, named as being used 46.6 percent of the time. Centrifugal pumps were named by 37.9 percent of the respondents. Auxiliary engines as power for spray equipment far outnumbered power take-off engines (PTOs) as the most popular type, 65.2 per-cent to 7.8 percent. Crews busy And, finally, it was found that 45.8 percent of the companies answering the survey let their crew members do at least a portion of the equipment main-tenance themselves. Among chemical lawn care companies, that figure was 60.4, compared to 37.3 for mowing/ maintenance companies, whose owners tend to do more main-tenance themselves. Here are complete statistics to page 13 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT Readme respond: What is the biggest problem facing the industry today? "Lack of professionalism" was the one most common re-sponse when LAWN CARE INDUSTRY readers answered the question "What is the biggest problem facing the lawn care industry today?" Of the people replying to that question, nearly one-third (32.5 percent, to be exact) used the words "lack of pro- fessionalism" or a response to that effect. Here is a list of the most-mentioned problems plaguing the industry today, according to the anonymous survey, which was conducted earlier this year: Lack of professionalism 32.5% Low-balling 21.1% Govt, regulations 16.3% Salaries, Personnel .... 15.4% Consumer education ... 14.6% The economy 9.0% Competition 5.7% Cost of materials 5.7% Profitability 5.7% Of those responding to the open-ended (essay-type) ques-tion, some of the comments were particularly interesting. A general overview of the tone in some areas of concern, along with selected comments, follow. Professionalism Companies abounding in the industry which hire unskilled cheap labor, which do not offer workman's compensation or do not carry other forms of insur-ance are the bane of the business, according to most of the responses. Many suggested some kind of national legislation whereby lawn care companies would need a license in order to legally operate. Many also mentioned the prob-lem of low-balling (price under-cutting) in the same paragraph, relating the two problems. "Some so-called landscape companies are cropping up which carry no worker's compensation insurance, pay personnel 'under the table,' and more than likely are not declaring their gross receipts as well. All of the above undermine the professional firms. "Perhaps there should be some way legitimate landscape com- panies can group together and commence a program of sorts that can eliminate this type of prob-lem. Any suggestions would be appreciated." "Too many people start in the industry without having the slightest knowledge of turf. The average person has no idea a state license is needed and, to our knowledge, nobody checks to see if a license has been issued. These 'fly-by-nighters' damage our in-dustry's image." "With the economy the way it is, 'fly-by-night' companies are very abundant and can price you out of business. Without li- censing, everybody and his brother is jumping in when their plant shuts down." "Many people in the industry do not know what they are doing. Their pricing is poor, because they are not aware of costs. They need more knowledge for the products,' 'magic potions' and 'secret blends' that promise every-thing but are not backed by scientific research, etc. These people are a blight on the indus- try and everyone suffers Š in-cluding little, honest businesses like ours. "The public can't be expected to sift intelligently through all the ads; if something isn't done, then the government will do it for us." "Too much energy is spent continually signing up new ac-counts, then allowing the cus-tomer to become disenchanted with the service provided. "People in service businesses such as the lawn care industry would be wise to concentrate a greater effort to accommodate the clients they already have. Service ... Quality Material ... Pro-fessionalism ... Knowledge." "We see so many people each PROFESSIONALISM! ! problems that arise through a growing season. Educating them in bids and estimates is a problem because with unemployment the way it is, there are many first-timers in the business who are not knowledgable enough to the cost of maintenance." "There are too many inde-pendents with a mower in a truck and no overhead. We need a professional image, because people still relate to the 'boy who cuts grass.' " "There is a total lack of pro-fessionalism with misleading in-formation and gimmicks used by many in this business. In Illinois, a large amount of contractors use illegal labor, unlicensed chemical applicators and lack tree experts license when pruning trees. "At times, I think the whole business is a fake. When will we form an exclusive organization that will monitor its members and make them live up to professional standards?" "There are unscrupulous oper-ators selling 'snake oil,' 'miracle year entering the lawn service field, cutting prices, giving poor service, and altogether lowering the standards we have strived so hard for many years to build." "There are too many fly-by-nighters whose overhead is smal-ler because they are doing things illegally. Therefore, at times, it is hard to be competitive with these firms. "In the past seven years, there have been a lot of firms come and go because they under-price themselves. In the long run, it catches up to them. A lot of them try to make all the money in one year, but in this type of business it takes a long time, hard work and a lot of dedication before you be-come successful." "There is a proliferation of new companies which think, 'easy money, little work, little knowl-edge required.' This gives those of us who do good work a tarnished reputation. After they have under-bid us, then done second-rate work, people are leery about hiring our services." "The inexperienced and un-employed are cutting into both quality and price stability in the industry." Low-balling Rather than price-cutting being a problem in itself, many of the people who responded to the question cited lawn care "busi-nessmen" who under-cut prices as being the main problem. This related directly to some of the comments made in the pre- vious section on lack of pro-fessionalism. Also interesting to note is that the most popular possible answer to the problem of profess-ionalism/under-cutting seemed to be establishing some federal regu-lations to keep undesirables out of the industry. Witness the following responses: "Many of us are more qualified and are concerned about people who low-ball not charging a sufficient amount to pay for professional service and get a return on their investment." "Some cut-throat practices in-clude misrepresentation, using cheap fertilizers, using less ferti-lizer than represented or billing for material never used. There is under-cutting to get the job done, and then bringing up over-priced extras or using loads of chemicals to run up the bill." "Low bidding is not only where it's at. We must work together as a professional organization or group." "I find too many unqualified low-ballers in our trade, and would like to see people in the business be certified by the state." "There's under-bidding by the 'wishful thinkers' in our industry. Our industry average labor/ machine-hour billed is too low to really justify entering this business. "I think LCI should write front page articles every month to make sure everybody understands that this industry really desperately needs an overall upgrading in our profit structure. Too many are pricing their work in an irrespon- sible fashion, and it's depressing the industry." Government regulations Most of the people citing > z n > to m Z a c CO C z m to page 10 SIATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT w X 5 oc F c/3 D P z w a: < u z £ < PROBLEMS /rom page 9 government regulations as a problem had a gripe with either the treatment of pesticides by our legislators, or the problem of too many taxes "taxing" the profits of small businessmen. One respondent had this simple answer to the question of the biggest problem facing the industry: "EPA!!!" Salaries, Personnel There is no doubt that one of the most recurrent problems of the lawn care businessman is trying to find inexpensive help willing to face layoffs each win-ter, and yet willing to return to work in the spring. Other factors cited under this general sub-heading concerned the problems with labor union wages. Here is a smattering of various philosophies: "The biggest problem is the labor situation. Being of seasonal nature, we have a hard time keeping help on hand from year to year. Also, we cannot compete with factory-type wage scales and benefits." "Training managers to hire the right people for the job is a problem. Managers are not personnel-conscious enough, and we need to get better at hiring the right people for the job; e.g. interviewing, evaluating and con-tinuous public relations with employees. "The seasonal nature of the business also does not lend itself to hiring and paying for qualified help. The college turf students who enter the field are finding that their education is not going to help them find a job in the green industry that pays a wage that is competitive with many other jobs college grads can get." "Cost of union labor is too high." "When you are doing work in different union labor districts, you have to sign up men from the particular office you are located at. This means that you have to give crash courses in the fol-lowing: raking, handling and planting of shrubs and trees, operating a hydroseeder, proper usage of seed and fertilizer, hand-ling of heavy equipment. "On top of all this aggravation, management or owners aren't allowed to work unless they hold a union book or card. "Need I say more? Union labor can definitely hurt profits and should not be allowed in our profession." "The biggest problem is finding and retaining good help. This can be a big problem because the wages aren't high enough to demand quality help. I think reliable mature helpers are worth 'We have a hard time keeping help on hand' paying for, because when your back is turned they continue to produce." "I don't find this a problem personally because I'm still small." "Laborers aren't paid well enough and as a result are not dependable and jump from com-pany to company." Consumer education Consumers must be educated in many ways, according to one out of seven people answering the questionnaire. Most important ways, apparently, are by letting the customer know what the professional lawn care business can and cannot do for lawns, and that the industry is one in which "you get what you pay for." Here are some typical responses: "The people are not educated enough to select the best. The customer is still looking for the perfect product at the lower cost. "You have to educate home-owners and clients to property needs and the costs involved. The low bid will not always get the proper results." Jacobsen's versatile Turfcat II System introduces three new Jacobsen Turf cats. > Introducing the GA180, the DW 220 and the GA 200. All come with hydrostatic drive which keeps the cutter speed independent of the ground speed. Offering single pedal forward and reverse control to eliminate clutching. All feature a two-speed transaxle and a foot operated hydraulic implement lift system for easy transport. And all give you a wide range of implements. Implements to match the job to the season. A system to match your budget. The New GA 180 Our 18 h.p., twin-cylinder, air-cooled, gas-driven GA 180 is an easy match for your seasonal jobs. With its large 8.5 gallon tank and a separate hydraulic reservoir for cooler operation, the GA 180 is ready to go a long way and last a long time. 50" side discharge mechanical rotary 48" mechanical snow thrower 60" mechanical broom 54" plow Grass pick-up R.O.P.S. Cab/Wiper and lights The New DW 220 The only rotary on the market with hydraulic drive to the decks. Offering a 22 h.p. diesel engine completely ducted and screened for longer engine life. Plus hydraulic drive to the decks for less vibration and fewer alignment problems from shock or impact and easier maintenance. 60" side or rear discharge hydraulic rotaries 72" side discharge hydraulic rotary 60" hydraulic flail 48" hydraulic snow thrower 60" hydraulic broom 54" plow R.O.P.S. Cab/Wiper and lights. The New GA 200 Our twin cylinder, 20 h.p. gas driven air cooled 50" side discharge mechanical rotary workhorse. Featuring a completely ducted and 60" side and rear discharge mechanical rotaries screened cooling system and full pressure 48" mechanical snow thrower lubrication for longer engine life. All of the 60" mechanical broom implements listed below are quickly mounted 54" plow via a simple three pin system Grass pick-up, R.O.P.S. Cab/Wiper and lights. SIATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT "In spite of our efforts to attempt to educate, many cus-tomers do not read and/or com-prehend the material and feel all their problems are automatically solved when they hire a lawn care company." "There must be a public ac-ceptance of the pesticides that are safe, useful and effective in im-proving their standard and qual-ity of life." "We have to make the prospect (homeowner) aware of the value of professional lawn care. Lack of 'People don't seem to have enough money' industry promotion and market-ing activity is the main problem in my area (western U.S.)." "There is a squeeze between the necessity to apply chemicals to control pest/weed/turf deficiency problems versus the environ-mental impact of those chemicals and the inability of the green industry to get its message to the public versus the headline-grabbing sensationalism of a large segment of the media." W 'i 'v ... Í '.is 'Vf Ai» i"'#, 'y.Hy W. z n > ?0 m Z a c <*> H /0 C Z m STATE OF THE INDUSTRY RECEIPTS from page 1 company reported those exact figures. Moreover, the remaining 26.3 percent of the average reader's business dealt with an allied field of lawn care Š such as landscape construction, seeding, aeration, tree spra;ying, pruning, irrigation and others. The average lawn care business employs 8.5 persons during the entire year and 15.5 persons during the peak season. Chemical lawn care companies average 11.9 year-round employees and 17.7 peak-season employees, com-pared to respective figures of 5.4 and 11.8 for the mowing/ maintenance segment of LCI's readership. Which means that, nationally, more than 160,000 persons are employed in the industry. Average wages for field per-sonnel amounted to $5.87 per hour, a slight decrease over the 1981 figure of $5.94. Broken down into the industry's two main segments, it was determined that chemical lawn care field per- sonnel average $6.75 per hour while mowing/maintenance field personnel average $5.34 per hour. Average wages: $5.87/hr. The survey also determined that more than 60 percent of all lawn care is done to homes in residential areas, including 84.8 percent of all chemical lawn care accounts. Chemical lawn care companies devote 9.3 percent of their time to commercial and industrial accounts and the final 5.9 percent of their time to apartments and condominiums. Mowing/maintenance accounts in the residential sector, on the other hand, account for just 44.3 per-cent of business. Apartments and condos result in 23.5 percent of the average mowing/maintenance company's business while the final 32.2 percent is done to commercial and industrial properties. Customer retention in the in-dustry is excellent, especially among mowing/maintenance companies, which service much bigger accounts (on the average) than chemical lawn care com-panies. Mowing/maintenance contractors reported an average customer retention figure of 94 percent, compared with a figure of 83 percent for their chemical counterparts. Overall, the indus- try averages 88.5 percent cus-tomer retention. Most lawn care companies are independent corporations Š 43.7 percent, according to the 1983 survey. This figure is slightly more than the 38.4 percent re-ported in last year's survey. The amount of sole pro-prietorships is considerably less than a year ago. The 1982 survey determined that 38.3 percent of all companies are sole pro-prietorships, while the 1981 fig-ure stood at 46.4 percent. Partnerships, though, have in-creased over the last year, from 4.8 percent to 9.0 percent. Company-owned chains are up from 2.4 percent in 1981 to 5.4 percent in 1982. Franchises have declined moderately from 8.0 in 1981 to 3.6 percent in 1982. How report was determined Statistics quoted in the LAWN CARE INDUSTRY "State of the Industry" report were derived from an anonymous study conducted during February-March, 1983. One thousand questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of the magazine's readership. Response rate was slightly more than 17 percent. Readers were first asked to identify their companies as primarily involved in chemical lawn care, mowing/ maintenance or "other." References to these segments in the report imply that a group of companies is predominantly involved in that aspect of lawn care. While information obtained in this study may not be precise evaluation of the entire market, it does indicate to some extent the averages for the magazine's readership as a whole. White grubs used to laugh at insecticides... SIATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT EXPENDITURES from page 1 Biggest expenditure for mowing/maintenance companies is fungicides, perhaps because mowing/maintenance companies are on lawns more frequently than their chemical counterparts, and see telltale signs of disease first. Mowing/maintenance companies reported annual expenditures of $8,272 on fungicides and an additional $5,161.53 on dry- applied fertilizer. Opposed to the $31,447.38 which chemical companies spend on liquid-applied fertilizers, mowing/maintenance business spend just $1,303 annually. Dry-applied fertilizer was the most popular across the board, according to survey results. Al-most 73 percent of chemical lawn companies use dry-applied ferti-lizer while just under 70 percent use liquid-applied fertilizer, though the chemical lawn care companies generally use liquid- applied fertilizer in larger quantities. Ninety-seven percent of mowing/maintenance companies responding to the annual survey reported that they use dry-applied fertilizer, compared to just 31.3 percent which said that they use liquid-applied. Taken as a whole, the survey reported that dry-applied ferti-lizer was used by 87.6 percent of LCI's readership, and that 50.9 percent of the readers used liquid-applied fertilizer. In addition, 41.8 percent of chemical lawn care companies said that they used both in 1982, and 31.3 percent of mowing/ maintenance companies admitted to the same. Overall, the average was 39.6 percent of the survey's respondents saying they used now there's OFTANOL, Heh-heh-heh. When it comes to stubborn white grubs, you get the last laugh. Apply one shot of ®OFTANOL 5% Granular Insecticide at the recommended rate at the recom-mended time and it's goodbye, grubs. All season long. OFTANOL can be applied with either drop or rotary spreaders and, normally, needs no watering in to work. Its low water solubility resists leaching, so OFTANOL is retained in the upper soil profile where it controls grubs on contact. OFTANOL can also take out existing populations of sod web-worm larvae, Flyperodes weevil, billbugs, and chinch bugs. Just follow directions on the label. With its lasting residual action, OFTANOL requires fewer applica-tions and is more economical than other insecticides. OFTANOL provides the most ef-fective control of mole crickets of any product presently registered, but such use is limited to states which have issued Special Local Need registrations. Check with your state extension office. Ask your turf chemicals distribu-tor for OFTANOL. OFTANOL is a Reg TM of trie Parent Company of Farbenfabriken Bayer GmbH. Leverkusen Mobay Chemical Corporation Agricultural Chemicals Division Specialty Products Group Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120 both dry-applied and liquid-applied fertilizer. Associations PLCAA popular In the lawn care industry, state trade association memberships number slightly more than mem-berships in national associations, and considerably more than memberships in regional and local associations. That fact was derived from a spring, 1983 study completed by LAWN CARE INDUSTRY maga-zine as part of its annual "State of the Industry" report. One of every three people participating in the poll listed memberships in state as-sociations. On the other hand, one in four listed memberships in national associations and just one in 13 listed a membership in a regional or local trade association. Many respondents were mem-bers of more than one group. By far the most popular as-sociation affiliation among LCI readers is the Professional Lawn Care Association of America. One of every seven respondents is a member of the PLCAA, according to the results of the survey. One in every 21 respondents judging by survey results, is a member of the Professional Grounds Maintenance Society (PGMS) and one in every 30 a member of the Associated Land-scape Contractors of America (ALCA). One of every 17 respondents reported an affiliation with an Il-linois state trade association while one in 28 indicated a mem-bership in a trade association from Ohio, the same incidence as those reporting from New York state. COMPUTER from page 8 pertaining to equipment main-tenance. Note that percentages do not add up to 100 because some companies named more than one way of maintaining equipment: CHEMICAL COMPANIES: 8.9 percent use a full-time mechanic; 5.1 percent use a part-time me-chanic; 7.8 percent contract an outside agency and 3.8 percent of the owners do their own. MOWING/MAINTENANCE COMPANIES: 18.0 percent use a full-time mechanic; 23.9 percent use a part-time mechanic; 37.3 percent contract an outside agency and 10.45 percent of the owners do their own. READERSHIP TOTALS: 17.9 percent use a full-time mechanic; 2.8 percent use a part-time me-chanic; 38.7 percent contract an outside agency and 0.3 percent of the owners do their own. > z n > m z a c en H 70 < C z PI This slope was cleared with Roundup-then planted with a ground cover. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS FOR ROUNDUP Roundup1 is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. © Monsanto Company 1983. RUP-SP3-104 > ù m I \v /Ł ' fi \ irZ'-f '."à; f-r. à ' / ^ ^ - /"i*-» ROUNDUP SAVED ME ABOUT 6 DAYS ON THIS RENOVATION." C arl Schiefer runs an award-winning landscap-ing business in Orange county, California. In that part of the country bermudagrass is an ex-tremely tough perennial weed problem in lawn and shrub areas. Carl solves that problem with Roundup®herbicide. "We spray Roundup, and 7 days later we can plant. That's because Roundup has no residual 'WITH ROUNDUP, I NOT ONLY SAVE TIME, I CAN ALSO DO A BETTER JOB. BIG JOBS OR SMALL ONES. EXTENSIVE RENOVATIONSŠOR JUST AN AREA UPGRADE. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, I COULDN'T BE AS COMPETITIVE WITHOUT ROUNDUP'.' CARL SCHIEFER OF CARL'S LANDSCAPING. INC., LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA soil activity. With con-ventional methods, we'd have to spend days dig-ging up the rhizomes. In some areas, that means going down at least 12 inches if you're going to do an honest job. With Roundup, we can destroy the weeds, roots and all. On this particular site, I figure I saved about 6 days with Roundup!' When you renovate a lawn or slope with Roundup you won't have to dig, disc or use a sod cutter. Just apply Roundup when the old lawn is actively growing and at the proper stage of growth. Then come back 7 or more days later to power rake, till or sliceŠ then plant. Your custom- ers will like Roundup too, because the work site can hold up to light foot traffic during renovation. Roundup can help make your workforce more efficient and your bidding more competitive. When you add it all up, that's the kind of edge you need to be successful today. Just ask Carl. FOR MORE INFORMA-TION ABOUT MAKING LAWN RENOVATION MORE PROFITABLE WITH ROUNDUP, CALL 1-800-621-5800 TOLL FREE. IN ILLINOIS, CALL 1-800-972-5858. Round up was also used for trimming and edging around new plantings, as well as follow-up maintenance. Monsanto INDUSTRY NEWS C5 00 01 rH M Pesticide bill in Washington killed A controversial pre-notification 5 bill in the state of Washington was killed after massive effort by q pesticide applicators and various other groups two months ago, according to International Pesti-cide Applicators Association 2 president Bill Harland. ^ The bill, which came before the J state Environmental Affairs Committee, never got out of the committee status, Harland said. More than 120 people were involved in the lobbying ac-tivities, most of them attending the two hearings which were held. Lobbyists from senior citi-zens, pesticide applicators, realty and restaurant-hotel factions par- ticipated, among others. The original bill would have required notification of residents within 100 feet of a pesticide's application, but that was later amended to read "reasonably affected" neighbors. When Harland himself testified, he pointed out that the state received only 10 complaints out of the hundreds of thousands of applications the previous year. Handling coordination of lobbying activities was the Wash-ington State Pest Management Alliance (WSPMA), with which the IPAA is affiliated. "We've been pretty organized in the state of Washington for quite some time," Harland said. "I know other states are having these problems, and all I can say is that the best thing to do is to get well organized." Big companies using TV more ChemLawn, the largest lawn care company in the nation, spread its advertising dollar this spring. Part of the expansion was in the television market, which expanded from 12 metropolitan areas to 32. Television got about 20 percent of ChemLawn's advertising bud-get, which was increased 48 percent to $11.7 million in 1983, according to a report in the New York Times. ChemLawn stressed its money-back-if-not-guaranteed program in the spots, which began in mid-February and ran through May 15. Some ran on NBC's "Today" show, some in early or late news shows and some in prime time across the country. Meanwhile, Arnold Industries (producers of the Power Rake) announced that its television spots hit more than 200 markets nationally, backed by a seven-figure advertising budget. "Unlike print, the impact of the television commercial is immedi- ate and visceral," said Arnold vice-president Timothy J. An-derton. "You watch the spot and instantly understand why thatch is a terrible lawn care problem, and how easily the Power Rake solves it." FMC opens new distribution site FMC Corporation's Agricultural Machinery Division has opened a new East Coast Parts Distribution Center in Auburndale, Fla. The 9,800-square foot facility, located between Lakeland and Winter Haven on U.S. 92, will serve dealers as a parts warehouse for the East Coast spray market. FMC Corporation, head-quartered in Chicago, is a major agricultural producer of ma- chinery and chemicals with 1981 sales of $3.4 billion. Planning begun for PLCAA show The Professional Lawn Care As-sociation of America's Board of Directors heard reports from committee members about plans for the annual convention and trade show at a meeting in Chi- cago March 15. At presstime, 48 exhibitors had contracted for 77 spaces at the trade show, a slight increase over the same time last year. In addition, the Board of Direc-tors passed a motion to ask Jack Van Fossen, president of Chem- Lawn, to become the keynote speaker. Last year's keynote speaker was Earl Butz, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The 1983 PLCAA Convention and Trade Show will be held at New Rubigarispel Is curtains for inOC^m (OCOmmnO trated product. Long lasting con-U Iwl I Owl I Iw. Ll^Ä^l! RubiganŽ turf fungicide serves notice. Because,after extensive testing, Rubigan has proven to be remarkably effective in evicting unwanted fungi that give any golf course an unfair handicap. Broad spectrum control. Dollar spot (even fungicide resistant strains), large brown patch, fusarium blight, stripe smut and pink or gray snow moldŠthese tenants might as well start thinking about a forwarding address. And if others are lurking in the neighborhood, Rubigan is com-patible with most contact or systemic fungicides commonly used on turf. Preventive and curative action. Rubigan provides you with the flexi-bility to manage a disease prevention program and,at slightly higher rates, provides curative action on dollar spot and large brown patch. More to the point, Rubigan acts as an enforcer that prevents turf diseases from mak-ing themselves feel at home on tees, greens and fairways. Unlikely development of resistance. Rubigan has a mode of action involv-ing three or more sites of inhibition (a multi-site inhibitor). Years of suc-cessful use outside of the U.S., as well as trial usage in the U.S., have shown that susceptible fungi commonly found in turf have not been able to develop resistance to Rubigan. Longer-lasting control. Rubigan is a very active, concen-between spraying. You can re-duce the number of application trips and save on fuel and labor costs. What's more, lower use rates mean less storage and lower handling costs. Rapid leaf penetration. Rubigan is a foliar-applied, locally sys-temic fungicide. It's absorbed al-most immediately into leaf tissue and isn't susceptible to washoff by rainfall or irrigation once the spray has dried. While the spray is drying, the active ingredient sets up shop inside the plant where it can't be washed out. Disease protection begins immedi-ately after application. Excellent turfgrass safety. No adverse effects or discoloration the Indianapolis Convention Center on Nov. 8-10. Jacklin contract an economic boost A worldwide production and marketing agreement between Jacklin Seed Company and Snow Brand Seed Company, Ltd. of Japan could bring significant fu-ture economic benefits to farmers and other grass seed companies in central and eastern Washington, northern Idaho, Oregon and west-ern Montana, say Jacklin sources. The agreement involves large production acreage requirements, exchange of genetic gene germ plasm, joint breeding and varietal development of a wide selection of forage, reclamation and turf-grass as well as legume seeds for exportation throughout the world. The program offers significant opportunities for local and re- gional growers to raise cash crops which will also qualify for the recently-announced government acreage "set-aside" program. Spring-Green sells 50th franchise William R. Fischer, president of Spring-Green Lawn Care Corp., Naperville, 111. has announced the sale of its 50th franchise to Robert W. Edman of Joliet. "This certainly represents a milestone of which we are very proud," Fischer said, "but it is especially unique in that Bob Edman also purchased our very first franchise, shortly after Spring-Green was founded in 1977." In 1982, Spring-Green reached the $5 million mark in annual sales, serving more than 40,000 customers in five Midwest states. A 40 percent growth rate is expected this year, when Spring-Green opens its first Sun Belt franchise in Dallas, Texas. LawnCare group holds seminar Tulsa, Okla. was the host city for a four-day seminar presented by the ^ National LawnCare Institute, Inc. Š recently. The seminar was entitled > "Lawn Care: A Growth Industry," | and featured 25 individual pre-sentations by leading experts, > who presented the latest and most practical information and z methods available to the lawn care businessman. The presentations covered all aspects of starting and operating a successful lawn care business. The National LawnCare Insti-tute Inc. is an organization for the promotion of advanced study, research and instruction for the lawn care industry. The organ- ization's president is James M. Nicolotti, and its base is in Tulsa. D C C/3 H 70 C z m ce 00 PLCAA has tentative slate A tentative schedule of Pro-fessional Lawn Care Association of America regional seminars has been released by program chair-man Gordon Ober of Davey Tree, Kent, Ohio. Max Graham and Ron Zwiebel will be handling a regional sem-inar in Atlanta, Ga. on June 14 while Bill Harrigan, Frank Ste- vens and Jerry Faulring are ar-ranging one in Rockville, Md. two days later. Cincinnati is a site for a June 21 seminar being held by Larry Brandt. And on June 23, Pat Styles and John Flory will handle one in Philadelphia, Pa. Mark Laube is chairman of the Cleveland, Ohio, seminar July 13. One day later, Bill Carey is having a seminar in White Plains, N.Y. for southeastern New Yorkers and northern New Jerseyites. July 20, Charlie McGinty has a seminar in Chicago, 111. and July 21 Des Rice and Jim Foote are committeemen for one in Buffalo, N.Y. July 28, a regional seminar will be held in Framingham, Mass. under the guidance of Drew Kenney and Frank Reynolds. August seminars are in Detroit, Mich. (Aug. 2) and Omaha, Neb. (Aug. 10). The latter is under the guidance of Allan Duey, Jim and Franki Jensen and Keith Weidler. PGMS releases salary survey According to the results of a salary survey by the Professional Grounds Management Society, members in the Midwestern states make more money than any other geographical segment of the PGMS membership. The average hourly wages for an assistant is $8.87 while foremen average $8.92. Permanent laborers in the Midwest check in with an average pay of $7.08 per hour while seasonal laborers get about $4.18 per hour. At the other end of the spec-trum, employees in the New England states were worst-paid: assistants averaged $6.50, fore-men $6.45, permanent laborers $6.16 and seasonal help $4.95. Seasonal help in the Southern to pane 18 Š Circle No. 104 on Reader Inquiry Card RubiganŽ EPA Experimental Use Permit No. 1471-EUP-50. five major turf diseases. occurs when Rubigan is used at recommended rates. Your university turfgrass research personnel will tell you that Rubigan is as beneficial to your turf as it is destructive for five major turf diseases. For more infor-mation on cost-efficient Rubigan, contact your distributor or write: Elanco Products Company, 740 S. Alabama St., Dept. E-455, Indianapolis, Indiana 46285. Precautions: Applications of RUBIGAN to turfgrass areas containing Poa annua (annual bluegrass) may result in the gradual reduction of this species from the turfgrass area. Cumulative dosages of 5 pounds of RUBIGAN 50W per acre or 2 ounces per 1,000 sq. ft. are usually necessary for this response to occur. Turfgrass areas contain-ing Poa annua which cannot tolerate its reduction should not be treated I* with RUBIGAN. Rubigan. Ws spreading. For best results, ^^ always read and follow the Ł label directions. ^^ U Z 5 >« a: H cn D Q Z w a: < u z £ < INDUSTRY NEWS from page 17 states, with an average hourly rate of $3.93, was the least-paid segment participating in the survey. Generally, wage averages ranked: (1) Midwest; (2) Middle Atlantic; (3) West Coast; (4) Southwest, Far West; (5) South; and (6) New England. CLCA publishes standards book An authoritative book establish-ing minimum standards for the California landscape industry will be published this summer, fol-lowing several years of research and preparation. California Landscape Con-tractors Association vice-president Roger Fiske of San Ramon is heading a committee to develop uniform, minimum ac-ceptable standards pertaining to quality of materials, installation and workmanship on all of the state's landscape projects, regard-less of size. There is a chapter on main-tenance that covers turf, ground-cover areas and trees and shrubs. Also covered are irrigation, mate- rials, chemicals and fertilizers. Fiske's committee consists of representatives of all specialties in the landscape industry, in-cluding associations, manu-facturers, governmental agencies, colleges and universities. Horticultural group meets The newly-formed National Hor-ticulture Industry Council held its first meeting in March in Wash-ington, D.C.,where it was decided that the group will guide and advise a government-sponsored effort to train and employ men-tally and physically disabled workers for horticulture jobs. The Horticulture Hiring the Disabled project plans to help train and employ 160 workers in its first year. Robert Lederer, executive vice-president of the American As-sociation of Nurserymen, was named to chair the new group, WITH CHIPCO 26019. Grey and Pink Snow Mold, too. W INCLUDING CMPCO 26019 IN YOUR PROGRAM IS GOOD BUSMESS. UMil'TfMUIE B# CHIPCO 26019 is easy WW^MrB^i I Bfe^b^VwlE ^flpVWIm to use wherever lawn dis-BPM^RP ^JM^I I Bfe^^ eases crop up. It will im-DEr^rRE TT^^r^J B^^^r prove your reputation with It's only logical to include disease prevention in your lawn care program. Now, thanks to CHIPCO® 26019, it's also practical. And profitable, too. And because of its long-lasting control, no disease-related call-backs from dis-satisfied customers either. 26019IS LASTS LONG ENOUGH TO HTRfTO YOUR F SPOX BROWN PATCH, FUSARIUM BUGHl With CHIPCO 26019, you get effective, season-long disease control that fits into your program. Just add 26019 to your existing spray schedule and the disease problem's solved. No need for you to make extra service calls just to apply fungicide. The performance you get is outstanding not only on the two biggest lawn disease problemsŠHel-minthosporium Leaf Spot and Brown PätchŠbut also on Dollar Spot, Fusar-ium Blight and Helmintho-sporium Melting Out. CHIPCO 26019 will con-trol winter diseases like customers and help you generate more profit. For details on CHIPCO 26019...and on "The Right Approach" incentives pro-gram...contact the dealer who carries the CHIPCO line of turf care products or call us at (201) 297-0100. Rhône-Poulenc Inc., Agrochemi- i cal Division, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852. <è RHÔNE POULENC CHIPCO 26019 Plemse read the label and use only as directed. which is represented in council by the Associated Landscape Con-tractors of America and 14 other professional organizations. The project will be establishing area program operations in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Florida and Oregon. Deere & Company receives award Deere & Company, the world's largest agricultural equipment manufacturer, was chosen April recipient of Quality magazine's "Quality Recognition '83" award. The recognition program spot-lights U.S. companies with out-standing track records in manu-facturing and with a reputation for supplying quality products and services. Selection was made by the magazine's national advis-ory board, which is composed of manufacturing and technical per-sonnel from companies through-out the country. Irrigation tapes are available Landscape contractors can now learn about design and in-stallation of irrigation systems through a one-hour color video tape entitled "Basic Landscape Irrigation," which is available through the Associated Land-scape Contractors of America. The program covers the basic essentials that need to be con-sidered before undertaking the design and installation of an irrigation system. Examples of various types of systems are given, along with an in-depth examination of various com-ponents such as sprinklers, drip equipment, etc. For pricing and details, write ALCA, 1750 Old Meadow Rd., McLean, VA, 22101, or call (703) 821-8611. Distributor of grass named The Turf and Forage Seed Div-ision of Pioneer Hi-Bred Inter- national, Savage, Minn., was re-cently named a distributor for Eclipse Kentucky bluegrass by John Zajac, vice-president and general manager of Garfield Wil-liamson Co. Pioneer will serve the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Correction The story about the Professional Lawn Care Association of Am-erica's annual convention which appeared in April's LCI was in error. The story said that 385 people were registered for the event when, in fact, 691 registered, according to Alfred Van Horn III, PLCAA exhibit and meetings manager. LCI regrets the error. PRODUCTS Self-contained rider is unveiled SALSCO Welding & Fabrication Inc. has unveiled a new, self-contained riding unit that will aerate, seed and fertilize in one operation. Built to the exact re- quirements of today's lawn main-tenance specialists, the "Lawn Maker" is a perfect combination of maneuverability, strength and versatility. Features of the Lawn Maker are: totally hydraulic machine with few moving parts, an articulating steering mechanism, four-wheel drive with oscillating axle, 11 hp Briggs & Stratton electric-start en-gine and full 30-inch aeration swath coverage. The machine uses 11 spiking discs which can result in a 4,000-foot seeded, aer-ated and fertilized area in only nine minutes. The unit is small enough to be transported in a small pickup truck or van. Circle no. 150 on Reader Inquiry Card Wheelie features unique pumping The WS-480 Grounds Wheelie from Wheel Spray Corp. is a liquid chemical spreader with a unique ground-driven pumping system. It is motorless and does not require gasoline, batteries, cords or water hoses. It is used to apply liquid fertilizers, fungicides, her-bicides, insecticides and growth regulators. The twin wheel pumps deliver a fan of solution six feet wide at 1000 square feet per gallon. Coverage is relatively unchanged by the speed at which the sprayer is pushed. The spray comes from two nozzles in the form of tiny drop-lets providing a steady uniform application which greatly reduces costly chemical drifting. The frame is fabricated of heavy gauge steel with new shut-off controls located on the handle grips. The Grounds Wheelie is one of 10 different models from Wheel Spray. Circle no. 151 on Reader Inquiry Card Wetting agent handy for use on thatch The W. A. Cleary Chemical Corp. is producing a new wetting agent called Super Wet, which can help the professional turf manager increase water penetration in heavily thatched and compacted soil areas. Use of Super Wet can result in lower water requirements and more effective pesticide and ferti-lizer applications. Test results show that Super Wet more than doubles water penetration, surpassing nearly every other wetting agent on the market. Super Wet is non-phytotoxic when used as directed, and pre-vents dew formation on treated areas. Circle no. 152 on Reader Inquiry Card Sensitive papers evaluate sprays Spraying Systems Co., through an exclusive agreement with Ciby-Geigy Ltd., will market water and oil sensitive papers for quick evaluation of agricultural sprays. The water-sensitive paper, spe-cially coated with a yellow sur-face, is stained dark blue by aqueous droplets impinging on it. The collector cards are simply placed in the target area of the spray. Similar oil sensitive papers are also available. Circle no. 153 on Reader Inquiry Card W z 5 > 0c H CO D Q Z w a: < u INJECTION SPRAY GUN GIVES APPLICATOR ON DEMAND CONTROL OF PRE-EMERGENTS - HERBICIDES - INSECTICIDES - FUNGICIDES SAVE THOUSANDS ANNUALLY BY TARGETING CHEMICALS INSTEAD OF BLANKET COVERING INSTALLS EASILY ON MOST SPRAY SYSTFMS INJECTION GUN SYSTEMR FOR $1995..00 (COMES COMPLETE WITH ALL THE FEATURES LISTED) INJECTION SPRAY GUN SPECIALLY MODIFIED CHEM-LAWN GUN 1 SIMULTANEOUSLY CON-TROLS FERTILIZER AND INJECTION FLOW-INJECTION TAKES PLACE ONLY IF FAIL SAFE VALVE IS OPEN. FAIL SAFE CONTROL 2 * TRIGGER OPERATED BY THE SPRAYER'S FREE HAND-SOUEEZE TRIGGER TO ENABLE INJECTION-RELEASE TR I GGER TO PREVENT INJECTI ON. INJECTION PUMP-PAK POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT 12 VOLT BATTERY OPERATED PUMP, PRESSURE LIMIT SWITCH CONTROLLED COMPONENTS TO ENABLE THE HANNAY 1526-17-18 REEL TO SUPPLY TWIN HOSE . 300 FEET OF TWIN SUPPLY HOSE WITH A FERTILIZER FLOW PASSAGE OF \ INCH ID. THIS USER ORIENTATED, EASY TO OPERATE PATENT PENDING , FOR GOOD APPL COST EFFECTIVE DESIGN IS RELIABLE AND CATOR ACCEPTANCE. THE INJECTION GUN SYSTEM WILL MORE THAN PAY FOR ITSELF IN 1 SEASON. RE-DUCTIONS OF 5.0% OR MORE IN PESTICIDE USE IS A REALISTIC ESTIMATE. EVERY PESTICIDE INCLUDING PRE-EMERGENTS CAN BE TARGETED FOR MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE-NESS AT MINIMUM COST. EVERY DAY YOUR NOT USING THE NJECTI ON GUN SYSTEM YOU'RE WAST ING CHEMICALS AND MONEY. AVAILABLE ONLY FROM: TOM JESSEN AT PERMA-GREEN SUPREME, INC P0 BOX 8326, MERRILLVILLE, INDIANA 46410, 219-663-8417 W 2 5 >Ł oc EŠ C/3 D Q g Cd a: < u Grass Caddy has 16-bu. capacity Cushman OMC Lincoln intro-duces the new Grass Caddy grass catcher for its out-front mower, the Front Line. The Grass Caddy features a 16-bushel hopper, and chute made of durable cross-linked polyolefin. It mounts to the side of the special-design 60-inch deck HUHi Ł and tractor opposite the trimming side of the deck, so it doesn't interfere with up-close trimming. The Grass Caddy also has a window so the operator can watch it fill. The dumping system is hydrau-lically operated from the driver's seat, and there is no separate blower to maintain. The operator can dump clippings into a con-tainer or pick-up bed with 4V2-foot sides, and the chute folds over the mower deck for ease of cleaning. Circle no. 154 on Reader Inquiry Card Aerator designed for pro lawn care A plug aerator designed speci-fically for mass production pro-fessional lawn care has been introduced by Lawn Masters Inc. The 168-pound Westmac is extremely maneuverable and re- quires a space in your truck of only two-by-four feet. It is powered by a five-hp Briggs & Stratton engine, and penetrates We Made It Simple! Ł QUALITY Š Built with Swiss clocklike precision. Ł LIGHTWEIGHT Š With the comfort of the user in mind. Ł ACCESSIBLE Š A durable self-lubricating and external pump assembly. Ł SIMPLICITY Š Insures cleanliness and longer wear. No tools necessary to dissemble and repair. Ł PRICING Š Here s one instance where you pay less for the best. 5 GAL. (20 K) ALSO AVAILABLE IN 2V& GAL. (10 K) 3tt GAL. (15 K) BIRCHIT1EIER has the Back Pack Sprayer for you Š -FOR MORE INFORMATION-TREBOR CORPORATION 4047-A JONESBORO ROAD Ł FOREST PARK, GA. 30050 Ł 404-366-0957 Circle No. 113 on Reader Inquiry Card four inches into regular soil and two inches into hard clay to remove plugs of soil and thatch. The chain and bearing trans-mission gives smooth operation, and the walk-behind operator can raise the spoons by pushing down on the handles. The Westmac will plug a 5,000-foot lawn in less than 15 minutes. Circle no. 155 on Reader Inquiry Card Tank ideal for bulk transportation Broyhill's 150-gallon tank and skid is the ideal way to transport and store bulk liquids. The low-profile system easily fits into most pick-up trucks with skid mea-surements of 40 x 44 inches. This unit can pump liquids through the tank or from the bottom withdrawal with an exter-nal hose. The tank is marked with -both gallon and liter markings. The Broyhill Mini Bulk System may be purchased either as tank and skid, or with the addition of a 12-volt electric pump with dis-pensing nozzle. The system saves time and labor and guarantees less waste and spillage, plus eliminating can disposal problems. Circle no. 156 on Reader Inquiry Card Larger sprayers have options F. E. Myers Co. announces the introduction of a new 1000-gallon sprayer series. These larger, general duty sp-rayers have 1000-gallon, 304-grade stainless steel rec-tangular design tanks, each tank with a built-in baffle and splash-proof mechanical lock-down lid. The frame is heavy duty six-inch channel steel with three-point suspension. The 100-galloners come in two models: No. 60-10E with a 60 gpm, 800 psi high pressure re-ciprocating pump and No. 95-10E with a 100 gpm, 200 psi centri-fugal pump. The 6010E has a 65.9 hp engine and the 95-10E a 37 hp engine. Myers offers a complete selec-tion of engineered accessories for the sprayer series. Circle no. 157 on Reader Inquiry Card The LawnFeeder® by Finn, sprays granular and liquid lawn care products. The breakthrough of the Finn LawnFeeder provides you, the lawn maintenance contractor, with a unique ability to spray dry granular lawn care products in slurry form along with other liquid products in one economical operation. Slow release, water insoluble, granular fertilizers can now be incorporated into your program without multiple applications to the turf. The LawnFeeder, uniquely engineered, incorporates mechanical paddle and slurry recirculating agitation and pumps the material through its centrifugal pump. Ł Pinpoint Spray Control Ł Granular Products Applied in Slurry Form > Simple One-Man Operation Mechanical Agitation ' Centrifugal Pump All Steel Construction Hydraulically Powered Drive ' Up to 300 Foot Hose FINN CORPORATION P.O. BOX 8068 Ł 2525 DUCK CREEK RD. CINCINNATI, OHIO 45208 U.S.A. PLANTS: CINCINNATI, OHIO Ł KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE PHONE (513) 871-2529 TOLL FREE (800) 543-7166 Circle No. 115 on Reader Inquiry Card FOR THE INDUSTRIES MOST EFFECTIVE SYSTEMIC INSECTICIDE CONTROL OFFERING: # LENGTHY Residual Control * COST EFFECTIVENESS * ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE # EASY TO APPLY -no mixing, measuring or spraying ¿kfr CREATIVE SALES, INC. ^^ 222 N. Park Ave. OSI Fremont' NE 68025 USA ' (402) 727-4800 97 Cutting unit lift speeds up mowing The Ransomes triple reel mower is equipped with hydraulic lift cutting units which enable the mower to maneuver around ob-stacles quickly and easily. This feature combined with a forward speed of 10 mph, a cutting width of 84 inches, inde-pendent reel drive and in-stantaneous foot pedal forward/ reverse control help the motor to cut more grass in less time. Weatherproof cab and roll bar are available. Circle no. 158 on Reader Inquiry Card Rear-tine tiller joins marketplace John Deere has introduced its first rear-tine tiller, the Model 820. Powered by an eight-hp engine, it tills a 22-inch path to a depth of seven inches. The tilling tines follow large, self-propelled wheels which do not leave tire tracks. The 820's handle swings to either side so that the operator does not have to walk in the just-tilled soil. The tilling tines can be set for standard forward rotation or for counter-rotation. Counter-rotation tines turn in the opposite di-rection, allowing the 820 to till deeper on the first pass. Circle no. 159 on Reader Inquiry Card New engine has vertical crankshaft Briggs & Stratton Corp. will pro-duce a new four-hp vertical crankshaft engine specifically designed for industrial and com-mercial use. The engine includes a cast iron sleeve and DU sup-ported crankshaft, as well as Stellite exhaust valve and seat. A precision machined mechan-ical governor provides constant, reliable cutting power, and a tuned dual element air cleaner is designed for dustier conditions and infrequent cleaning. The engine features Briggs & Stratton's Magnetron ignition sys-tem. Circle no. 160 on Reader Inquiry Card MARKETING IDEA FILE Watch those mistakes! At last year's Associated Landscape Contractors of America Maintenance Conference, Dr. Wil-liam Franklin of Georgia State University listed the 12 most prominent market mistakes as defined by the A. C. Neilsen Company. Watch out for them! 1) Failure to keep up to date. 2) Failure to estimate market potential accurately. 3) Failure to gauge the trend of the market. 4) Failure to appreciate regional differences in market potential and trends. 5) Failure to establish the advertising budget for the job to be done. 6) Failure to adhere to policies established in connection with long-range goals. 7) Failure to test-market new ideas. 8) Failure to differentiate between short-term tactics and long-range strategy. 9) Failure to admit defeat. 10) Failure to try new ideas while business is improving. 11) Failure to appraise trends of competitors. 12) Failure to integrate all phases of the marketing spectrum. > £ z n > -m Z c c C/5 H 7C < c z m ce oc PC200 gallon spray unit shown mounted in bed of pick-up. PC200 gallon spray unit shown here through rear door of van. On the move. PEST CONTROL SPRA Y UNITS BU/L T FOR YOUR PICK-UP OR VAN. The experts at Tuflex are on the move to stay a step ahead of your pest control prob-lems. Tuflex is the only manufacturer to specialize in seamless fiberglass spray tanks built specifically for the pest control and lawn care industry. The Tuflex process allows a full five year warranty on all handcrafted seamless fiber-glass tanks and our personalized service includes professional assistance in designing and engineering tank and pump requirements to fit your truck or van. Our tanks, from 1 00 gallonŠ 1 200 gallon are ready to tackle your toughest challenges. FIVE YEAR WARRANTY The TUFLEX manufacturing process allows a full five-year warranty on all handcrafted Seamless fiberglass tanks. CALL RIGHT NOW! Call TOLL-FREE for economy prices or more information on our complete line of tanks. 1-800-327-9005 IN FLORIDA CALL COLLECT (305) 785-6402 PC20810 200 gallon spray tank with Bean Piston Pump Sprayer (10 GPM 500 PSI). Also available as a 300 gallon sprayer and 200 gallon or 300 gallon split unit. Tuflex Manufacturing Company 1406 S.W. 8th Street Ł Pompano Beach, FL 33060 MONEYWISE NEWSMAKERS W z 5 oc EŠ c/3 D Q z w a: < U z < About employee benefits .. . If your chemical lawn care or mowing/ maintenance company is investigating the possibility of supplying employees with a full range of benefits, the first place you should look is the "Employee Benefits Handbook" from Warren, Gorham & Lamont. The practical, in-depth approach to em-ployee benefit management can help you set plan objectives realistically, to develop a fully coherent program and to streamline the admin-istrative process. It can also help you get the most for your employee benefit dollar. The large volume has been prepared by leading experts, and is available on a 10-day free trial basis. Twenty-eight chapters cover everything from Social Security replacement rates to medical/dental plans. Price is $57.50. For more information, contact Warren, Gorham & Lamont, Inc., 210 South Street, Boston, Mass., 02111. The telephone number is (800) 225-2363 outside of Massachusetts or (617) 423-2020. Good Products LESC0 24-4-12 Fertilizer with 1.5% Oftanol' For Distribution and Usa Only Within Connecticut. Maryland. Michigan. Ohio and Virginia For Commercial Applicator Uaa Only ACTIVE INGREDIENT RECOMMENDED APPLICATIONS Ł M»<«,«'1TI JU.tno.RFU "wtx.wthriMmtnoi CAOA T ... G'4,M< »«Mp'wiotiMoraoirM'uoaitt » 5* AMT Mint* g»ut> ivm itucn .» jwmu Ma Buck turf giai INERT INGREDIENTS w.% CNm w o>«r j... mmk o.*ni« toov b**'1* *»'«"< Q*'-"" tMiwi h,i». O.. m.ii B 'itHjg. Cluncn IV*. iü'lS^üi, nŠa» oaeia tmmŠ mm mum* IM »»/A- CM jo PRIMARY PLANT rooo SOURCES U CAUTION Keep Out ol Reach ol Children DISPOSAL STATEMENTS '2 Partili/»* «.ih i 5\Oi lh*fi ,mmM,«t.i, apply th« ramtimng hai' al ugh! «IM Tha IUH rpc ommandad 'at. ol 24 4 12 FartH./ai not mutt ba uaad tor maiimum banatit 24 4 12 Fartiiw »uh I 5* Ottanoi uaa appropria tt mowing aliai application Do nc LESCf Sulfur Coated & OFTANOL® We sell the patented Chemlawn Gun. The best gun in the business. LESCO 24-4-12 Fertilizer Plus 1.5% Oftanol® is now available from Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. to provide long-lasting, controlled-release fertilization and proven, full-season control of white grubs. LESCO 24-4-12 Plus 1.5% Oftanol " also controls ataenius and surface-feeding insects such as billbug, sod webworm and chinch bug. Under state 24(c) registration, LESCO 24-4-12 Plus 1.5% Oftanol® is now available in Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Approval is pending in Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, and New York. Always read and follow label directions before applying any chemical product. U.S. Patent No. 3,621,082 Canadian Patent No. 825,198 ® OFTANOL is a registered TM of the Parent Company of Farbenfabriken Bayer GmbH, Leverkusen. LESCO 24-4-12 Plus 1.5% Oftanol® could be available in your state soon so call to see if you can use this exceptional product. Call and ask for Barb, she'll have our sales representative get in touch with you. (800) 321-5325 Nationwide (800) 362-7413 In Ohio LESCf PRODUCTS Division of Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 300 South Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio 44036 (216) 323-7544 M Peter Selmer Loft, chair-man of the board of Lofts Seed Inc., died in his home Feb. 14 after a two-year illness. A graduate of Law-renceville School in New Jersey, Loft also earned a degree in economics from Yale University. In 1956, he began his professional career at the company founded in 1923 by his father Selmer. For nearly 30 years, Loft was actively involved in the turf industry. Co-founder and past president of the New Jersey Turfgrass As-sociation, he was also active in the Atlantic Seedsmen and American Seed trade associations. His leadership in the turf industry was highlighted in 1981 when Loft was induc-ted into the New Jersey Turfgrass Hall of Fame. He was the eighth person ac- corded that honor. Loft is survived by his wife and four children, his mother and his brother Jon, president of Lofts Seed Inc. Michael J. Hoff has been named communications specialist for in-dustrial products in the marketing resources group of Agricultural Products Department of Dow Chemical. Hoff joined Dow in 1974 as a marketing trainee in Memphis and has been a sales represen-tative for Ag Products since 1976. Hoff received a bachelor's degree in horticulture in 1969 from Michigan State University. Also, Vince H. Geiger has been named product sales manager for the turf and garden markets in the industrial products group of Dow's Ag Products Department. Geiger joined Dow in 1978 and has worked with ag marketing in various positions since that time. c the Reader Service numbers of those items of interest to you. Using DYRENE for fungus disease control is the smartest thing you've always done, iS^Ssgg?. National Grand Prize winners Clarence Davids and Sons, Blue Island, 111. and Green Care Inc., Smyrna, Ga. won Associated Land-scape Contractors Association (ALCA) Environmental Improvement awards in landscape maintenance categories this year. Davids won in the commercial category with its Bell Laboratories Indian Hill project while Green Care finished first in the residential category with the home of L. S. Hartzog of Atlanta. Photos of both projects are shown here. Left, the exterior of the Bell Laboratories and right, exterior of the Hartzog resi-dence. Clarence Davids and Sons was also honored earlier this year with the Illinois Landscape Contractors As-sociation Gold Award for main-tenance on the Orland Square Shop-ping Center in Orland Park, 111. * m Vince H. He received a bachelor's degree in animal science from Ohio State University in 1973. James R. Watson, vice-president for customer relations and agronomist for The Toro Company, has received the Dis-tinguished Service Award from the Golf Course Superintendent's Association. Watson, a veteran of 30 years in the study of turfgrass, was cited for his professional contribution in the field of agronomy. Wally Clauss of Clauss Brothers, Roselle, 111., has been named Man of the Year by the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association. Clauss has been a major contributor to ILCA's efforts to serve membership and to pro-mote the landscape contracting industry as a whole. Clauss has been active with the ILCA since 1967, having served on the scholarship and education committees and having coordi- nated the Summer Field Day in 1982. Denny Church of the D R. Church Landscape Company, Addison, 111., has been elected secretary-treasurer of the National Landscape Association. to page 27 You know ®DYRENE Turf Fungicide gives you effective control of the various species of Helminthosporium which cause diseases known as melting-out, going-out, and leaf spot. You know DYRENE also con-trols dollar spot, copper spot, snow mold (typhula), and rust. You know DYRENE can be mixed and applied easily with standard equipment, plus it's compatible with other turf fungicides. You know using DYRENE for fungus disease control is smart. That's why you've always used it. DYRENE Turf Fungicide. Circle No. 107 on Reader Inquiry Card Mobay Chemical Corporation Agricultural Chemicals Division Specialty Products Group Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120 DYRENE is a Reg TM of Mobay Chemical Corporation DY83682 en oo 05 GO D P Z S < U z £ < J CLASSIFIED RATES: 65 cents per word (minimum charge, $20). Bold face words or words in all capital letters charged at 90 cents per word. Boxed or display ads charged at $55 per column inch (one inch minimum). Agency commissions will be given only when camera-ready art is provided by agency. For ads using blind box number, add $5 to total cost of ad. Send ad copy with payment to Dawn Anderson, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. BOX NUMBER REPLIES: Mail box number replies to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Classified Ad Department, 120 W. 2nd St., Duluth, MN 55802. Please include box number in address. WANTED ACCOUNTS WANTED Š National chemical lawn care company seeks accounts to acquire. Selling price open for negotiation. If interested, send name, address, phone number and number of accounts available to LCI Box 86. 3/84 FOR SALE CLOSEOUT SPECIAL! Save your back issues of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY and save money at the same time. We're closing out our line of permanent binders at the special low price ofivvo for only $7.50! (This is a $7.00 savings over our regular price plus postage and handling.) Orders will be filled as long as our supply lasts Š quantities are limited. Order your binders today from: Book Sales, HBJ PUBLI-CATIONS, One East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. TF HAND-HELD HERBICIDE APPLICATORS for more selective weeding. Our new single-rope, 48-inch Dabbit with sight-gauge at $14. now comes as a convertible with interchangeable heads, choice of 7-inch T-shape, U-shape, wedge or golfer for $25 total. Field bar and tractor mounting frames with hydraulic lift and levelling also available. REESER ROPE-WICKS, Route 1, Box 79, Weldon, III. 61882 217-736-2271 or 2233. 6/83 SPRAYERS Š FACTORY DIRECT, professional gardeners, turf applicators, proven dependability, unconditionally guaranteed. Black River Sprayers, Dept. 1-B, P.O. Box 11, Long Beach, N.C. 28461. Lawn-Care MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Software for multi-user CPM or OASIS systems with 5mb, Hard-Disk. "RASCAL" in use since Dec. 81. $2500 + license, set-up, training. The Green Scene, 5842 Tampa Ave., Tarzana, CA 91356, (213) 705-6388. FOR SALE Profitable wholesale foliage nursery for sale in Central Florida, specializing in fern hanging baskets, 33 acres on main highway in prime location, 60,000 sq. ft. of shade houses and greenhouses, two wells, sophisticated electronic irrigation, fully operational, professionally staffed (only requires 4 people to operate and manage!), three mobile homes and much more. $425,000 with 50% down, balance easy terms. Excellent tax shelter. Owner retiring. Write: GREEN HAVEN NURSERY 2848 Nursery Road Lake Wales, FL 33853 (813)676-1222 ^ PROFIT is the bottom line using HANSON SPRAYERS and MIST BLOWERS. 1,001 com-binations at lowest prices. Send for free catalog, Hanson Equipment Company, South Beloit, Il-linois, 61080. 815-389-2261. 6/83 MISCELLANEOUS KELWAY® SOIL ACIDITY TESTER, used by PROFESSIONALS nationwide. Direct reading, portable, serviceable. Model HB-2 reads moisture, too. Available from distributors. Brochure from KEL INSTRUMENTS CO., INC., P.O. Box 1869, Clifton, N.J. 07015, (201 )-471 -3954. 12/83 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Central N.J. landscaping business. Includes equipment, vehicles, customers, name and good will. Established 12 years same area, turnkey operation. Grossing approx. $75/100K. Price-under $90,000 w/terms. Write: Landscaping, P.O. Box 211, South River, New Jersey 08882 6/83 ADVERTISERS Ttfcwt&u TURF NURSERY, INC. P.O. Box 459 Suisun City, CA 94585 (707)422-5100 Reader Inquiry No. Page 101 Creative Sales, Inc 20 102 Diamond Shamrock 27 103 Dow Chemical, U.S.A 2-3 104 Elanco 16-17 115 Finn Equipment 20 105 Jacobsen, Div. of Textron 10-11 106 Lakeshore Equipment & Supply 28 116 Lakeshore Equipment & Supply 22 107 Mobay Chemical Co 25 108 Mobay Chemical Co... 12-13 109 Monsanto Co 14-15 110 ND Spark Plugs 8 111 Perma-Green Supreme, Inc 19 112 Rhone-Poulenc 18 113 Trebor Corporation 20 117 Tuflex Manu-facturing 21 114 Warren's Turf Nursery 26 NEW PRODUCTS 150 Self-contained rider is unveiled 19 151 Wheelie features unique pumping 19 152 Wetting agent handy for use of thatch 19 153 Sensitive papers evaluate sprays 19 154 Grass Caddy has 16-bu. capacity 20 155 Aerator designed for pro lawn care 20 156 Tank ideal for bulk transportation 20 157 Larger sprayers have options 20 158 Cutting unit speeds up mowing 21 159 Rear-tine tiller joins marketplace 21 160 New engine has vertical crankshaft 21 This index is furnished for the readers convenience However, the publisher can not guarantee its accuracy due to circumstances beyond our control. NEWSMAKERS /rom page 25 The H.D. Hudson Manu-facturing Company, a Chicago-based manufacturer of sprayers and dusters, has appointed For-rest E. St. Aubin sales manager of the Professional Division. A registered professional en-tomologist, St. Aubin moves to Hudson from the Agricultural Chemical Divsion of Mobay Chemical Corp. Robert C. Dixon has been named senior agronomist, west-ern region marketing and business development, for Harris Labor-atories. Dixon has 24 years exper-ience in sales and agronomic marketing. Recipients of the Illinois Land-scape Contractors Association educational scholarships are: Ed Gabler, Michael Busboom and Tami Russel, University of Il- linois; Susan August, College of DuPage; Greg Rippel, Joliet Junior College and Lee Rogers, Southern Illinois University. S.V. Moffett Sr. andS.V. Moffett Jr. have been named Outstanding Front Line Dealer of the Year by Cushman OMC, Lincoln. They accepted their awards recently on behalf of their company, the S.V. Moffett Co., which has offices in West Henrietta and Cohoes, N.Y. DATES New York State Turfgrass Association Š Cornell University Field Day, Cornell Turfgrass Field Laboratory, Ithaca, N.Y., June 21. Contact: Dr. A. Martin P trovic, Plant Science Building, Cornell Univer-sity, Ithaca, NY, 14853. American Sod Producers Association International Meeting, Resorts Inter-national Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, N), July 11. Contact: Bob Carey, ASPA, Ninth & Minnesota, Hastings, NE, 68901. (402) 463-4683. American Association of Nurserymen's Allied Landscape Industry Convention and Trade Show, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, July 16-20. Contact: Allied Land-scape Industry, 230 Southern Building, Washington, D.C., 20005. (202) 737-4060. Bedding Plants Inc. Management Work-shop, Kellocg Center for Continuing Edu-cation, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, July 26-29. Contact: Bedding Plants, Inc., P.O. Box 286, Okemos, MI, 48864. (517) 349-3924. Virginia Tech Turfgrass Research Field Days, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, Sept. 27-29. Contact: Dr. John R. Hall III, Agronomy Dept., VPI & SU, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-7294. (703) 961-5797. 16th International Bedding Plant Con-ference and Trade Show, Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids, MI, Oct. 2-6. Contact: Bedding Plants Inc., P.O. Box 286, Oke- mos, MI, 48864. (517) 349-3924. Professional Lawn Care Association of America Convention and Trade Show, Indianapolis Convention Center, Indi-anapolis, IN, Nov. 8-10. Contact: James Brooks, Executive Director, PLCAA, 1225 Johnson Ferry Rd., Suite B-220 P.O. Box 70455, Marietta, GA, 30007-0455. Associated Landscape Contractors of America Maintenance Conference, Den- ver, CO, Nov. 13-15. Contact: ALCA, 1750 Old Meadow Rd., McLean, VA, 22101. (703) 821-8611. Ohio Turfgrass Conference and Show, Cincinnati Convention & Exposition Center, Dec. 6-8. Contact: Dr. John Street, OTF, 2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210. (614) 422-2601. Virginia Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show, Williamsburg Hilton and National Conference Center, Williamsburg, VA, Jan. 18-20, 1984. Contact: Dr. John R. Hall III, Agronomy Dept., VPI & SU, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-7294. (703) 961-5797. Get Daconil 2787® fungicide, and you've got yourself the most effective control money can buy. Because nothing matches Daconil 2787 performance when it comes to fighting leafspot, dollar spot and brown patch. Plus six other destructive turf diseases including red thread and stem rust. The fact of the matter is, Daconil 2787 gives you the broadest spectrum of disease control on the market today. What's more, Daconil 2787 resists wash-off. So it keeps on working during heavy rains or watering for maximum disease protection. And it's just as effective against common diseases on 45 ornamentals. So this season, get a better grip on disease control. Get Daconil 2787 from Diamond Shamrock. Also available in wettable powder. Diamond Shamrock Agricultural Chemicals Division Diamond Shamrock Corporation 1100 Superior Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Always follow label directions carefully when using turf chemicals. Circle No. 102 on Reader Inquiry Card better handl leafspo on dollar spot and brown patch control. SPREAD IT mm mm mm JT but do it right with LESC LESCO Products has something new for the LESCO Spreader. A deflector* has been designed to control spreading pattern and improve spreading efficiency. The new jet-action deflector prevents side spreading on sidewalks and flower beds and gives a straight spreading edge. The deflector is another feature which makes the LESCO Spreader -- with corrosion-resistant Delrin gears, pneumatic tires, zerk fittings, ball bearings, third-hole metering assembly and a bumper handle to protect the impeller - the unit specifically designed for the turf market. -Patent pending LESCO Products new turf sprayer provides for liquid chemical application with the benefits of a machine designed specifically to meet these needs. The in-line strainer, 10 gpm piston pump, 5 hp, 4 cycle gas engine and electric-powered hose reel make application easier, more efficient and more exact. Sprayer comes equipped with 400', 3/8", 250 psi hose. On a skid mount, the LESCO Sprayer fits in a van or standard or mini-pickup. Equipped with the LESCO spray wand, the sprayer ap-plies one gallon per 1,000 square feet, a rate ideal for broadleaf weed control. . And remember it's LESCOSAN* liquid or granular for most efficient crabgrass control. 'Lescosan is Betasan, a registered TM Stauffer Chemical Co. Call LAKESHORE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLY CO. and ask for BARB. She'll take your order or have one of our LESCO Salesmen call on you. (800) 321-5325 Nationwide (800) 362-7413 In Ohio LESC PRODUCTS We sell the patented Chemlawn Gun. The best gun in the business. Division of Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 300 South Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio 44036 (216) 323-7544 Circle No. 106 on Reader Inquiry Card