TRUCKS How, when to purchase Page 16 SALES A 'perfect' system Page 20 HBJ A Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publication FEBRUARY 1984 WWN ORE INDUSTRY Serving lawn maintenance and chemical lawn care professionals 'Chemical intoxication' may be murder defense Lawn sprayer on trial a A lawn care company employee charged with murder may try to use chemical intoxication as an excuse for his actions, according to sources in Massachusetts, where the alleged murder took place last spring. No one has ever tried to link lawn chemicals with temporary insanity in the past. But the defense attorney for former Old Fox Lawn Service employee David Garabedian, 22, said at press time he was considering a defense based on the premise that the materials Garabedian used on the job made him "involuntarily intoxicated." Garabedian, 22, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of a Massachussetts woman who encountered him at her home while he was on the job last March. Although one lawn ser- vice firm reported hearing a few comments from consumers shortly after the Boston media reported the murder, no one has reported seeing their business to page 50 A change of heart? Telemarketing vs. direct mail The cost of generating a resi-dential chemical lawn care sale through direct mail is $31.60. The cost of generating a resi-dential chemical lawn care sale through telemarketing is $15. It shouldn't take an advanced degree in mathematics to realize that telemarketing is half the cost. These figures and more were the basis of a talk given by Marty Erbaugh, a recognized lawn care marketing guru, to lawn care pro- fessionals at the recent Pennsyl- vania Turfgrass Conference, held in Hershey, Pa. "Telemarketing is more cost-effective than direct mail," the president of Lawnmark Associ-ates, Peninsula, Ohio, told the audience. "You may choose to avoid the reality of these figures, but telemarketing is here to stay, and your competition will proba- bly be calling your customers on the phone soonŠ maybe even this season." Erbaugh said many lawn care companies have put hiring empha-sis on salesmen rather than lawn applicators, and also that more companies are hiring full-time salesmen rather than using ap- plicators as sales-men. He also spoke of salesmen Š both in-person and by phoneŠ Marty Erbaugh being given permission by lawn care company management to offer "flexible pricing," what he said was a kind terminology for Next ir tT-Turf ti;*14 4131 I MI 48824 "price hacking." Erbaugh's com-pany operates eight branch of-fices, with up to 15 trucks in some of them. He is a past- president of the Professional Lawn Care Asso-ciation of Amer-ica. "Ten years ago, we were all bril- liant marketers in this industry," he said jokingly. "There was lim-ited competition and there was growing demand. Most homeowners who inquired of our service bought." In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the "pie" of potential cus-tomers continued to grow, as did the number of lawn care competi- tors. Much of the growth came from the "middle-class," and not just the "up-market" affluent homes as was originally thought by many lawn care businessmen. All lawn care companies to page 50 Giordano of Lawn Doctor dead at 48 Tony Giordano, co-founder and president of Lawn Doc-torŠ the nation's second-largest lawn care companyŠ passed away at his home in Matawan, N.J. on Dec. 16,1983. Giordano, 48, founded Lawn Doctor in 1965. By 1982, the company had serviced 160,000 accounts, grossing $27 million. "Tony was a very kind, gen-tle and committed person, from both the business and personal points of view," said Lawn Doc-tor executive vice-president Russ Frith. "He was my best friendŠone hell of a nice guy. to page 51 Ł New Dursban 50W. Awesome bug control is here. now DURSBAn* insecticide, with three formulations, gives you awesome control of bugs, grubs, mites, chiggers, ticks, fleas and weevils. hew DURSBAn 50W is a wettable powder especially for professionals who prefer lower phototoxicity in treating turf, ornamentals and trees. The elimination of chemical solvents makes this possible. DURSBAn 50W gives extended residual control... eight weeks and more compared to four or six weeks with most other brands. So now you can do the whole job with DURSBAn 2E, concentrated 4E and new DURSBAn 50W wettable powder. That assures you of maximum bug control and minimum inventory problems. With all the advantages, you'd expect DURSBAn to cost more. Actually it costs less than most other brands. You can treat 1,000 sq. ft. for only 35<£! And when you use DURSBAn, it means fewer callbacks and more satisfied customers. That's a big step in the right direction. DURSBAn products are available from your Dow distributor. Also ask him about our "DURSBAn delivers the goods'' incentive program. Be sure to read and follow all label directions and precautions. Agricultural Products Department, Midland, Michigan 48640. DURSBAN 50W Now you're a giant step ahead. Dow Chemical U.S.A. 'Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company. INDUSTRY NEWS oo CT> I-* >-DC < D DC CO u U->-H c/3 D Q Z w < L5 Z £ < FIFRA reforms grounded Reforms to the Federal Insec-ticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (also known as "Harper's Ferry" bill) have run aground at the hands of the House Depart-ment Operations Research and Foreign Agriculture Subcommit- tee (DORFA). Despite a strong effort by environmentalists, an intensive campaign by opponents of the reform bill paid off. The outcome of the DORFA session was a directive to shift focus to the preparation of a FIFRA 1984 Authorization Bill with recommendations for the incorporation of other provisions based on input from the EPA, USDA, industry and other inter- ested parties. Provisions of the Harper's Ferry bill were covered in the November, 1983 issue of LCI. BFC Chemicals undergoes changes Nor-Am is the name of the new company to be formed to market and distribute products in North America formerly marketed by Nor-Am Agricultural Products Inc. in Naperville, 111. and BFC Chemicals Inc in Wilmington, Del. BFC Chemicals was the U.S. PLCAA offers session tapes Tapes of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America's fourth annual convention and trade show are available now to members and non-members alike, according to PLCAA executive director Jim Brooks. Sessions recorded were: Key-note.address (#1); Governmental regulations (#2); Agronomic issues (#3); New ideas in equip- ment (#4); Customers, com-plaints, cancellations (#5); Nega-tive option (#6) and Stress management (#7). Tapes are available by sending $7 for each number to Markey's Audio Visual, 1712 N. Illinois, Indianapolis, IN, 46202. The entire set can be ordered for $42.50. All orders must be pre-paid. subsidiary of FBC Ltd., a United Kingdom agricultural chemical company which was recently pur-chased in total by Schering AG of West Germany, of which Nor-Am was a subsidiary. In the specialty chemical area, the company will market a line of insecticides for public health and professional pest control, and products for the turf and orna-mental industry. The organization has its head-quarters in Wilmington. Ian F. Kent, who was managing director of BFC Chemicals, has been named president and chief execu- tive officer. New Board Members of the PLCAA's new Board of Directors are shown above. Left to right, are: Des Rice, Bill Fischer, Don Burton, Jim Sackett (partially hidden), Jim Marria, executive director Jim Brooks, Bob Earley, John Kenney, A1 Rumbo, Dr. Bob Miller, Bob Scobee, Paul Bizon, Max Graham and Charlie McGinty. Rumbo, Scobee and Graham were just elected at the most recent PLCAA convention. Honored Bob Robinson of the ChemLawn Corp. was recently honored by the Ohio Turfgrass Association for "professional excellence." Details and other winter award-winners appear on Page 15. Slides available on turf problems Three different 35mm slide setsŠ one each on insects, diseases and weeds of turfgrassŠare available from the New York State Turfgrass Association. The slides are useful tools in the identifica-tion and diagnosis of turfgrass problems. The 66-slide set on diseases was compiled by Dr. Richard Smiley of Cornell University. The 76-slide set on insects was com-piled by Dr. Haruo Tashiro of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. And the 80-slide set on weeds was compiled by Dr. Arthur Bing and Robert O'Knefski of Cornell. Each set is $31.50 for NYSTA members and $36.50 for non-members. Send checks to the New York State Turfgrass Association, 210 Cartwright Blvd., Massapequa Park, NY, 11762. ALL AMERICAN TURF BEAUTY, a member of the Profes- sional Lawn Care Association of America, recently received some national publicity. That company, which is based in Winterset, IA, was named among the 500 fastest-growing com- panies in the country by Inc. magazine. Ail-American Turf Beauty showed a sales increase of 576 percent from 1978 to 1982 to rank it 323rd on the list. Its 1982 sales were listed at $693,000. President Daryle Johnson explained his success simply: "I just picked the right business." But he credited his employees' commitment to the company as the main reason for its success. THE FLORIDA TURF industry lost a dear friend when James L. Blackledge, 77, passed away last summer. His turf-related background spanned seven decades. He was one of the co- founders of the Florida Turf-Grass Association in 1952, and served as its president in 1965-67. He was accorded an Honor-ary Life Membership in the late 1970s. THE REAGAN administration recently unveiled a "right-to-know" rule that discloses to 14 million factory workers the identities of the hazardous chemicals they handleŠwhile con-tinuing to safegard industry trade secrets. Companies are now required to conduct education programs for their workers, but they are permitted to withhold the names of chemicals under certain circumstances. Estimated starting costs of implement-ing this new law are $600 million. MONSANTO AND STAUFFER chemical companies are cur-rently going head-to-head over Monsanto's patent on Roundup herbicide. The original patent on the use of glyphosate, Roundup's active ingredient, is being contested by Stauffer. Meanwhile, Monsanto was recently awarded an additional pat- ent. VROOM, VROOM: engine school is off and running. Kohler Co., a maker of small engines for outdoor power equipment used in the lawn care industry, is holding a special factory service school for people who regularly service Kohler engines. The one-week class will be held Feb. 20-24 in Kohler, Wise. For more information, contact Dale E. Tenpas at (414) 457-4441. L4WN GIRE INDUST^. JERRY ROCHE, Editor KEVIN COONEY, Assistant Editor ROBERT EARLEY, Group Publisher TRUDY JOSLYN, Production Manager MARILYN MacDONALD, Production Supervisor BETH TRAVIS-BETTS, Graphic Design JOAN SCHUMACHER 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 National sales Manager 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 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 Jovanovich Publications. Corporate and Editorial offices: 7500 Old Oak Boule-vard. Cleveland, Ohio 44130. Advertising Offices: 757 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10017. 111 East Wacker Drive. Chicago, Illinois 60601 and 3091 Maple Drive. Atlanta, Georgia 30305. Accounting, Advertis-ing Production and Circulation offices: 1 East First Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802. Subscription rates: $20 per year in the United States; $25 per year in Canada. All other countries: $50 per year. Single cop-ies (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 © 1984 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the pub-lisher. Microfilm copies of articles are available through University Microfilm, International. 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. P.O. Box 6200. Duluth. Minnesota 55806-9900 A HARCOURT BRACE . HBJjJOVANOVICH PUBLICATIONVBPA V>l z n > PO m z a c C/3 H pa ra 03 pa C > pa CO 00 American Honda has new plant American Honda Motor Co. has formed Honda Power Equipment Mfg. Co., which will produce Honda power lawnmowers from a new facility near Burlington, N.C. Located on 69 acres, the $10 million investment will include a 60,000-square foot plant which will employ 80 people. At full pro-duction, the plant will be capable of producing each month almost 10,000 self-propelled and push mowers of about four hp each. "We expect to begin shipments by mid-1984," notes Makoto Itabashi, president of Honda Power and executive vice-presi- dent of American Honda. He says the site was chosen because of the demand for Honda power mowers in the eastern portion of the U.S. True-Value to enter lawn care? True-Value, a national chain of hardware stores, may enter the lawn care field with its own lawn care service, according to various sources. One contact noted that the new lawn care service may go by the name "Green Thumb," since True-Value stores currently mar-ket "Green Thumb" grass seed mixtures. When contacted by telephone, company representatives would neither confirm nor deny the reports. "It's company policy not to reveal any information on this type of matter," a spokesperson told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. MSU to get new building Michigan State University has scheduled construction of a new Plant and Soil Sciences building with the recent awarding of con- tracts. The 282,000-square foot build-ingŠwhich has been planned for the last six yearsŠis to cost $29 million. Construction began last month, and is to be completed by the fall of 1986. The six-story structure will house classrooms, a 230-seat lec- ture hall and two greenhouses. WEEDOME DPC controls tough turf weeds. WeedoneDPC TURF HERBICIDE how you can get the weed-killing power of 2,4-D and dichlor-prop in one easy-to-use broadleaf herbicide.Mew WEEDOME * DPC turf herbicide from Union Carbide. This broad-spectrum, post-emergent herbicide controls not only the common weeds such as dandelion and plantain, but tough weeds such as ground ivy, oxalis, spurge and chickweed; over 65 species in all. In fact, WEEDOME DPC delivers performance equal to that of more expensive three-way mixes, and it has excellent tolerance to most grass species. Ask for WEEDOME DPC turf herbicide. Its another quality product from Union Carbide. Weedone DPC UNION CARBIDE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS COMPANY INC. PO Box 12014.T W Alexander Drive. Research Triangle ParKNC 27709 WEEDONE is a registered trademark of Union Carbide As with any herbicide, always read and follow label instructions C1964 Uraon C«rtMd* Agncullural Products Con^Mny. mc mmm wm The grass along the fence in the photo at left was killed with a fast-acting systemic post-emergent herbicide. Obviously, no professional groundskeeper could abide this ugly mess, so the dead vegetation has to be removed with expensive hand labor. The systemic product is recom-mended for lawn renovation so, naturally, vegetation will grow back as new seeds germinate, resulting in an endless cycle of retreatment, ugly dead vegetation and more hand labor. Clean up a fence line with Dyclomec and vegetation will never again be a problem, because an annual pre-emergent application of Dyclomec will form a vapor barrier and keep the area absolutely clean. Dyclomec turns Problem Areas into Beauty Spots ... and the vapor barrier eliminates repeated investment ot hand labor to clean out dead vegetation. Dyclomec is surely the most efficient herbicide that has ever been offered to professional landscapers. In fact, it is called the landscaping herbicide. Now, at last, the grounds-keeper can easily and econom-ically achieve that manicured look, which consists of contrast. Of sharply defined areas where immaculate turf is contrasted with areas of beautiful, naked earth. Where ornamentals grow in an area of beds that are free of any distracting growth. Until the advent of Dyclomec, such pristine landscaping could only be achieved with repeated investments of hand labor to clean out dead vegetation re-sulting from an endless cycle of regrowth and retreatment with a systemic herbicide. But once an area has been cleaned up with Dyclomec, hand labor to remove dead veg-etation will never again be necessary because an annual application of Dyclomec will keep the area absolutely clean. How is this possible? On the page at the right are step-by-step illustrations of how Dyclomec works. Under-standing its principle will help you discover the many labor-saving, money-saving ways it can help you in landscape maintenance. We urge you to read it care-fully and call us toll free if you have any questions. Dyclomec Applicator for Uniform Distribution Because proper distribution of Dyclomec is important, this patented Acme Spred-Rite® G Spreader is the ideal tool. Gran-ules are gravity-fed through deflector spikes that give a uniform pattern. Hold the head high for a wide swath; lower for a narrow swath; remove it for the finest line of control. Regulate flow with interchange-able orifice disks. Spreads any granular material. Lightweight. No moving parts. 'am ^ vT v ^ v slm m^LJ Dyclomec with its pre-emergent and post-emergent action is ideal for vegetation control in mulch, or bark around roses and ornamentals, or in flagstone and gravel walkways. It works its way down to the ground and forms a vapor barrier which provides season-long weed control and maximum safety to desirable plants. How Dyclomec controls weeds without harming ornamentals: CN N_c, 1. Dyclomec is a 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile, commonly known as Dichlobenil. This unique herbicide goes directly to a vapor stage without going through a liquid stage. It is activated by temperature and soil moisture. This remarkable herbicidal compound of razor-thin crystals is uniquely processed by PBI/Gordon to make a precise granule. 3. Granules are spread on soil surface. Moisture carries the Dyclomec crystals into the upper layer of soil. Because of adsorption by soil particles, lateral movement is minimal. 4. Temperature and soil moisture activate the Dyclomec crystals and they begin to radiate a herbicidal barrier. This continues for an entire growing season, and the spent crystals disappear, leaving no residue. 5. In this vapor barrier no plant cell division can occur. Seeds trying to germinate in the barrier will die. Sprouts below this zone will be killed as they try to penetrate the barrier. 6. Existing vegetation such as shallow-rooted grasses and annual weeds having root structures in this barrier will likewise be affected and die after two to three weeks. ORNAMENTALS VAPOR BARRIER Certain perennial weeds coming out of dormancy and attempting new growth within the Dyclomec barrier will run into the same dead end: they will be killed by the vapor. 8. Dyclomec, when used as directed, does not affect woody ornamentals, shrubs and trees that have deep roots extending well below the herbicidal vapor zone. GORDON'S PROFESSIONAL TURF PRODUCTS pbi/GORdon coRponation ' 1217 WEST 12TH STREET P O BOX 4090 KANSAS CITY. MISSOURI 64101 816/421-4070 © PBI/GORDON CORPORATION. 1983 Dyclomec 50-lb. bag not available in Washington. Oregon. Idaho; Neither size is available in California Call Gordon's Technical Service Department If you haveany questionsabout whereand how to use Dyclomec, we invite you tocall us. Our technical people have a combined experience of 95 years in working with the Dyclomec chemical. TOLL FREE 1-800-821-7925 In Missouri 1-800-892-7281 DYCLOMEC TM Now available in both 50 and 25 lb. bags. LANDSCAPING HERBICIDE UPFRONT rr 00 05 >-oc < D DC CQ W u. > OS H C/3 D Q Z w c* < u z < Some reasons to be proud Though the busiest part of 1984 hasn't quite arrived, you (and everyone else associated with professional lawn care) are gear-ing up for what appears to be the best year in the industry's history. This industry has every right to be proud. Some years ago, it came up with a unique, new concept. Its efforts to sell that concept (a viable con- venience for modern home- owners) have yielded results beyond anyone's initial belief. The industry has formed organi-zations devoted to professional grounds and lawn management, and those organizations have also flourished. From our magazine's point of view, the industry has another reason to be proud: you have given us a reason for being here. LAWN CARE INDUSTRY has been around since many of you started your businesses, 1977. It M V < Jt ' ^ \ I"* el\U V J t H^gMMiggfj^Hp \ V ^puu -IP , Z n > 70 m Z a c C/3 H 70 -n m DO 70 c > 70 Š (D CD Kees Commercial Mowers il Model 32110H The Heavy-Duty Workhorses. Lawn and turf care professionals turn to Kees Mowers for their commercial cutting needs. Ł They know our Ultra High Lift Blades and baffled frame design delivers a smooth, even cut and a clean, safe discharge. Ł They like the fingertip operation of clutch, brakes, power turning and variable ground speed controls. Ł They need the maneuverability and positive hillside handling of a Kees. Ł They appreciate the timesaving benefits of our 4-gallon fuel capacity... Ł And they want the option of adding our convenient riding sulky and rugged 3-bushel grass catcher to their mower. Kees Mowers can make short work of those tough cutting jobs, and give you a greater return on your investment. Kees 32", 36" and 48" Mowers...the heavy-duty workhorses! For more information, write today, or phone 402-223-2391. Built For Professionals By Professionals KEES E D. KEES MANUFACTURING COMPANY Box 1045 Beatrice, Nebraska 68310 Ł Durable, see-thru vinyl cover fits most professional quality spreaders Ł Completely waterproof and spillproof Ł Easy to attach Š just slip it onto spreader Ł Secure fit prevents spills Š avoids burnout and product loss Ł Simple, 1-piece construction Ł Folds up for convenient storage Ł Limited 1-year warranty Call or write: (216) 937-5517 /ofyjf) . « p O. Box ,MMLtrztr Avon Lake, O. JCCfL 44012 Circle No. 149 on Reader Inquiry Card INSIDE THE INDUSTRY 00 CT5 >« DC < D DC CQ W Cju > DC H c/3 D Q Z w a: < u z £ < Lawn care vehicles Does Ford have a better idea? WHAT MAKE VEHICLE DOES YOUR COMPANY OPERATE? 0 25 50 75 BUICK I CADILLAC HI CHEVY 100 TRUCKS VANSC Checklist: buying a vehicle Before you head to the showroom and start kicking tires, sit down and picture how your new truck will fit into your overall operations over the next several years. Scratching out a list of tasks your new vehicle will handle will save time and confusion once you head to the dealer. Some of the points to consider include the following: Ł Size selection: Don't pick the truck that can handle those giant loads you haul three or four times a year. It's more economical to select the size suited to average loads and then rent for the occasional large payloads. Ł Driving area: Suburban stop-and-go driving versus high-way hauls makes a big difference when it comes to selecting transmissions, gear ratios and axle sizes. Ł Body type: The cheapest tailgate won't save you any money if it takes your crew longer to load the truck. Consider- ing the cost of labor and workmen's compensation today, it may be more economical to spend more for an easy-loading model so your crew can spend more time on the lawn instead of at the curb or in the hospital. Ł Simplicity: Tilt-away steering columns and exotic engine systems are nice, but are they really necessary? How much extra time and money will it cost to fix these items if they break down? Ł Ease of handling: Does the model under consideration make backing into driveways a major project? You want the truck that's wide enough for your loads, but not so big that it's a tricky ride down narrow streets. Ł Trade in value: Unless you're into the habit of running them into the ground, someday your truck will end up on the market. Which models best retain their resale value? Ł Dealer reputation: The best "bargain" often isn't. What do other customers think of his service and reliability? He's the most crucial link between you and Detroit. The most typical truck in the lawn care industry is a Ford two-ton gas-powered vehicle that is ser-viced by a local garage and expected to last 10 years. A recent LAWN CARE INDUS-TRY survey of vehicles and pur- chasing preferences indicates that domestic automakers don't have to worry about losing ground to foreign competitors. Of 260 firms surveyed, 97 own Ford trucks, 75 purchased Chevrolets, 27 have GMC trucks and 25 use Dodge vehicles. In contrast, only 25 com- panies report owning any of four foreign-built trucks. Previous LCI surveys indicate that the industry prefers Amer-ican models because of easy access to parts, abundance of skilled mechanics and the gener- ally larger size of domestic mod-els. Many businessmen also say, "We make our money here in America, why not spend it here?" Of 176 trucks described by respondents, the majority (66) are two-ton trucks, followed by 53 %-ton and 28 Vfe-ton vehicles. Only 20 of those trucks have diesel engines, and immediate fuel savings won't be realized by diesel users since that fuel cur-rently costs the same as gasoline. However, one diesel owner says his truck requires less regular maintenance than gasoline-powered trucks, which sig-nificantly cuts his overall costs. Jim Hughes of the Chemlawn Corp., Columbus, Ohio, notes that diesel fuel burns more efficiently than gasoline, which gives more miles for the money. But he also warns that unless you keep right on top of a diesel's mainte-nance schedule, you'll lose. If you delay engine mainte-nance until slack business periods, the diesels suffer far more than a gasoline engine. "With a diesel engine, a short delay of routine maintenance could cost you con- siderably more in major repairs," Hughes says. Pat Cullen, shop mechanic for Gustin Gardens, Inc., Gaithersburg, Md., says the big-gest maintenance headache he WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AGE OF YOUR VEHICLE AND ESTIMATED USEFUL LIFE? CARS | 6.15 : 3.56 1 VANS 7.04 1 ŁŁŁ 5.00 TRUCKS 7.94 I 5.35 runs across in his 30-vehicle fleet is clutches. A clutch problem seems to come his way every week or so, Cullen notes, and employee driving practices "have a lot to do with it." While the firm trains and tests new employees' driving ability, Cullen says his firm is considering re-testing all drivers semi-annually to make sure they shift properly. Anytime someone observes a driver misusing or poorly handling a company vehi-cle, his supervisor is notified of the problem, Cullen adds. Most vehicles described in the survey had been in use for three years or more. Thirty-four com- panies report owning three-year-old trucks, followed by 29 com- panies having four-year-old trucks and 27 firms with 1979 models. One firm reports having a vintage 1967 model on the road, while five companies own trucks that are one year old or less. Local garages are the most pop-ular way to service and repair truck fleets, the survey indicates, with in-house mechanics a close second. Only 44 companies say they use the auto dealer's repair shop. The LCI survey also reveals that a majority of the respondents (67) use two trucks in their busi-ness, while 49 companies have three-truck fleets and 45 use one truck on the job. Most com-panies which plan to buy trucks this year say they would choose Ford first, then Chevrolet, GMC and Dodge mod-els, in that order of preference. Again, foreign manufacturers can't count on American lawn businesses to help their sales. Although re-spondents plan to buy 59 trucks this year, only two for- eign models are included in that total. One lawn care businessman says, "The most important thing is finding a knowledgeable salesman who understands your needs." The second most important thing? A dealer who'll provide good ser- vice after the sale, making regular maintenance easy. [M] 6 Mean-3 Mean-5 Mean-4 Mean-7 Mean-5 Mean-7 Reasons to buy today: TYPICAL MONTHLY COST MAINTENANCE SUMMARY FIXED COSTS [i/j Licenses [Vj Insurance Garage Rent Garage Supplies Garage Light and Heat \j/\ Depreciation OPERATING .COSTS ® Fuel [Vj Maintenance V Operator jVj Accidents R/j Other Expenses For gJJ your vehicles Keep track of maintenance with easy, invaluable logs Do your business's vehicles help build profits through efficiency? Do they just manage to pay their way? Or do they actually damage your earnings picture? A cost journal for each com-pany vehicle can be handy at tax time and help you discover ways to cut overhead costs that threaten your balance sheet. Each vehicle should have its own journal, and they're easy to set up. An ordinary looseleaf note- book with 12 double pages is all that's needed for a year's worth of entries. Each page should have room for 31 notations (days of the month), and there should be enough columns to cover all perti-nent expenses. The column headings should reflect recurring costs for each truck or van so these expenses and other data can be listed hori-zontally after the date. If these forms are filled in promptly after each workday, you'll have an accurate set of records for all per-tinent vehicle costs. Entries under the MILES TRAV-ELLED column are especially valu- able when compared to those listed under FUEL; you also might want to know how much travelling is required to move your truck or van to specific sites in order to include this cost in your charges. When employees can choose one vehicle rather than another for a job with-out checking with you, you'll know what happened by checking the MILES TRAVELLED column and can question the preference. Is there something wrong with a truck that makes it a white ele- phant no one will drive? Figures in this column can give you a clue about problems your drivers may neglect to mention. Three columns Three columns should be listed under the general heading FUEL, which can also be used for gas and oil. Subheads such as Brand, Amount, and Cost give you the exact expense for operating each vehicle per mile and whether this varies with the type of fuel used. This data will also help you esti-mate more accurately which truck gets better overall mileage, as oil consumption is noted along with diesel and/or gasoline use. Other columns in each cost journal should be informativeŠ like the MAINTENANCE nota- tions. Use subheadings for Tires, Parts and Labor. If your repairs are handled by an outside garage, get itemized bills and subdivide those costs for your journal entries. If you employ a staff mechanic, be sure he logs how long it takes to complete specific jobs and base your labor cost on what he's paid per hour. This information helps you decide whether your company should or shouldn't do its own truck and van maintenance work. The OPERATOR column will tell you whether one employee is more adept at handling a specific van or truck than another worker, and which employees have fewer accidents. You should have Name and Operating Hours subheads in this section. If a driver spends three hours behind the wheel, list the employee's salary for three hours in this column. Another useful category would be listed as ACCIDENTS. Use two subheads, Damage and Repair Costs, with entries similar to those listed in the MAINTE-NANCE section. But don't use the maintenance column for accident figures; if you do then you will not have a true picture of the vehicle's operating efficiency. By keeping the ACCIDENTS designation sep-arate, you can compare the num- ber of incidents incurred by dif-ferent drivers and estimate whether one vehicle Š and driverŠis safer than another, enabling you to take appropriate action. Don't forget to include a MONTHLY COST SUMMARY on the right hand side of every dou-ble page of your journal. Include You've heard it before: now is the best time to buy. But rather than rehash the salesman's pitch for plunking down your cash on his product, there are several good reasons to go into the truck market right now that even the sharpest auto dealer may not have told you. Here is a short list of why you should consider buying a truckŠtoday: 1) The arrest of inflation: most economists predict the current recovery will be both modest and short-lived. 2) Stabilized interest rates: financiers are anxious to put their cash to work. 3) Availability of creative financing: arrangements that were considered bizarre five years ago are now available. 4) The pro-business admini-stration in Washington: instead of an administration that looks toward business taxation as an attractive source of new gov-ernment revenue. 5) A renewed sense of employee commitment: most good employees realize how fortunate they are to hold a job today, and thus take better care of your equipment. 6) Relatively low movement of truck inventories: the vehi- cle industry has become lean, hungry and increasingly com- petitive as a result of the reces- sion. 7) Engineering improve-ments: trucks have been vastly improved in recent years, both in terms of fuel efficiency and overall strength and durability. all monthly Fixed, Operating and Depreciation costs in this sum- mary section. FIXED costs should include licenses, insurance, garage sup- plies, rent, light and heat. Deter-mine the monthly cost of licenses and insurance by dividing annual fees by 12. Other expenses gener- ally are pro-rated and spread over all tank trucks and vans owned by the business. Divide those figures by 12 to arrive at a figure for your monthly fixed cost entry. Operating cost Obtain your OPERATING cost figures from the Fuel, Mainte-nance, Operator, Accidents and other expense categories listed in your journal. Several different DEPRECIA-TION methods are available, and you should try several for each vehicle before choosing the one that suits your needs most eco- nomically. But never depreciate all your vehicles by the same method unless they're all exactly alike in age, type, use, driver, ter-rain traveled, etc. One method of depreciation employs a fixed number of years and the same annual depreciation figure for each year. Another method depreciates 5/15ths of the purchase price the first year, 4/15ths the second year, and so With this method, the book on. LETS WORK TOGETHER TO PROTECT THE UNBORN AND THE NEWBORN MARCH OF DIMES THIS SPACE CONTRIBUTED BY THE PUBLISHER value of the vehicle at the end of the year closely approximates its trade-in value. Another method involves tak-ing a fixed percentage off the book value each year. First-year depreciation on a $12,000 vehicle at 30 percent equals $3,600. The second year, 30 percent of the remaining $8,400 value ($12,000 minus $3,600) equals $2,520, and so on. By using this method your vehicle maintains a book value for as long as it is used by your com- pany. These suggestions are just guidelines for effective control of your vehicles. As you implement them, you may want to alter them to your own program. ŠBess Hitter May [W] LAWN FUNNIES "Hey, man! I dig that crazy-lookin' dog you're walkin'." 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SEE PAGE39 Circle No. 118 on Reader Inquiry Card Agrotec Turf 'n tree sprayers put the pressure on. ... up to 750 psi, with an 18 horsepower Briggs and Stratton electric-start engine. You get a three hundred or five hundred gallon tank and hydraulic agitation. Frames fit most standard pick up bodies, and there's three hundred feet of lightweight hose with electric rewind. Designed for the professional, our sprayer's corrosion-resistant throughout. You'll use it to fertilize, spray trees, kill weeds, or for any other large-acreage use. Our new piston diaphragm pumps add even more versatility to this line. Agrotec®lnc. Highway 35, North Telephone: ^Hkx P.O. Box 49 919-585-1222 Pendleton NC 27862-0049 Circle No. 102 on Reader Inquiry Card PROXOl KILLS GRUBS AND SURFACE FEDERS FUST! There's no need to wait over a month tor a grub control to work. Economical Proxol 80SP insecticide readily penetrates thatch to work fast for an effective broad spectrum kill, including grubs and surface feeding sod webworms,armyworms,and cutworms. You apply Proxol with the liquid applica-tion equipment you already have. So there's no need to haul spreaders and bulky pack-ages on your rig, put up with package break-age and waste, or carry them in inventory. Proxol's convenient 2- and 5-lb. packages make measurement easy. Eliminates waste. You can even mix Proxol with other non-alkaline chemicals. And you can rest easy with Proxol. Custom-er's children and pets are not exposed to V-. a granular residue left on the turf. Proxol is easy on the environment, too. No unpleasant odor to offend customers. No long-term re-sidual buildup in the soil. Proxol kills grubs and surface feeders. Fast! Over 150 U.S. distributors and 8 regional TUCO Distribution Centers assure convenient product availability. These same sources al-so have Acti-dione; a TUCO broad spectrum fungicide, long used by golf course super-intendents, to stop turf disease problems be-fore they start. For more information, call toll-free: Outside Michigan-800-253-8600 Inside Michigan (collect)-616-385-6613 TUCO Division of The Upjohn Company Kalamazoo. Michigan 49001 Successful technique Opening doors to closing sales 14 55 You've got a prospective customer who exhibits a sincere interest in making his lawn the best around. Yet you can't quite convince him to take your service. In the words of television's Chester T. Riley: "What a revoltin' development!" The homeowner hems and haws, says he really would like a nice-looking lawn, but doesn't really know if he wants to spend all that money. What you need, then, is a "grab-ber;" a sales pitch that will con- vince him to fork over that hard- earned dough. LAWN CARE INDUSTRY con-tacted some people whose jobs hinge on the ability to sell their programs. Their responses fell neatly into a step-by-step failsafe plan for closing sales. And here's what it looks like: Targeting clients There are a lot of homes out there, but only a portion of them rank as bona fide prospects. Deciding which houses to hit with your pitch is Problem No. 1. As a solution, you might want to start an in-house program designed to target houses, or go to a special outside serviceŠfor direct mail programs, for instance. Mike Craver of Americalist, Cleveland, Ohio, has exhibited at Sales ideas the Professional Lawn Care Asso-ciation of America trade show for the past two years. "With our service," Craver says, "a person can identify a mar-ket area they don't know. If he's already in a market, the best way to spread his business is to utilize the neighbors of his customers." In either instance, a good direct mail house like Americalist can help. "The government's published all the data from the 1980 census by now," Craver says. "There's a census tract code and block code for every house. Using this infor-mation is just like using postal ZIP codes; only this information is attached not just to geographical areas, but also to demographics." Telemarketing is another method for finding the right peo- ple for your service. More and more lawn care companies are starting telemarketing campaigns. Griffin Lawn Care, Kalamazoo, Mich., is one. "We're enthused about tele-marketing," says Linden Griffin. "It's kind of an up-and-coming area. Sometimes, people consider lawn care, but they don't do any-thing until they get a telephone call telling them we'll give them a free estimate. Then, they say, 'Sure, come on out.'" 'Mr. Lawn Care' has 'perfect pitch' So you want to expand your cus-tomer base and put more crews to work this summer. How do you set up and run a successful sales program without running into the ground? "Mr. Lawn Care," as we'll call him, had the same questions. After trying several different sales and promotions methods and keeping a close watch on their results, he's settled into a basic sales program that's worked won-ders. Both worlds? Mr. Lawn Care decided he wanted the best of both worlds: expand his existing service routes and enter new neighborhoods at the same time. After trying sev-eral different ways to get his "foot in the door," he settled on direct mail campaigns and distributing literature in target areas. Why? His telemarketing effort "pro-duced the lowest quality leads we've ever generated," he says. The sales staff basically asked if people would like them to come out and survey their lawn "and they said, 'sure.' We ended up giv-ing out a lot of free estimates." The door-to-door approach generated good leads, but was just too time-consuming to be practi- cal in the busy spring months. However, Mr. Lawn Care and his staff will be ringing doorbells later, as things wind down for the season. The 100,000 pieces of direct mail he sent out last year gave top-quality leads. "It's the most expensive method, but you close a higher percentage," he explains. He did some of his own mailings in specific neighborhoods he wanted to break into, but Mr. Lawn Care also participated in cooperative mailings, where a dozen or more offers are included in the same envelope. Call-backs "You know they're really inter-ested when they take the time to call you," he comments. Hand-delivered door hangers and bro-chures were inexpensive to dis-tribute and gave him the flex-ibility to supplement the mailings in neighborhoods he particularly wanted to enter. When a potential customer calls, Mr. Lawn Care has told his staff to try and answer all their questions on the phone so the only on-site work needed is measuring the lawn. Like the door-to-door approach, personal visits with the customer simply consume too much valuable time. "If you spend a half-hour, an hour, talk- ing to customers, you're lucky to get six done in a day. On the phone you can get 14 or more taken care of in that same day." When on a sales call, Mr. Lawn Care discovered that "no two cus- tomers are alike," when it comes to questions about his services. Everyone's trained to answer the technical questions, explain the price structure and discuss the safety and effectiveness of the chemicals used. He also learned that more and more people are aware of professional lawn ser-vices today, so instead of selling the concept, he basically sells his company. "We sell high quality, and therefore, costly, service," Mr. Lawn Care explains. "We're not ChemLawn and can't compete on their level. So we try to sell a little bit more personal. We sell with education, and develop trust with the customer." The highest percentage of sales are closed on that first call, andŠ unless a potential customer has been referred to your companyŠ "the first one there who makes a good impression gets the account." Not worth it While he'll contact undecided people once or twice more, Mr. Lawn Care learned that he gets few fence-sitters and they're gen-erally not worth following for an exceptionally long time. After giving the customer a contract proposal, Mr. Lawn Care ishes to answer any more ques-tions or problems that come up. "We're more than happy to re-measure the lawn if the customer questions our figures," he says. "With all the talk about lowball-ing and bait-and-switch stuff, we don't like anybody to accuse us of anything like that. So we're extra- careful when it comes to showing the guys how to use those measur- ing wheels properly." After the sale is made, Mr. Lawn Care relies on his techni-cians and supervisors to handle follow-up questions, since they are all trained in customer rela-tions. That aspect of the program is very flexible, with everyone committed to customer satisfac-tion. "It's that old cornball golden rule: treat the customer's lawn as if it were your own," he says. With the number of lawn care firms increasing every year, Mr. Lawn Care knows the competi- tion is getting tougher. He responds this way: "If you sell with truth and hon-esty, the customer will know it. You can't guarantee a magic car-pet, but the better the sale is, the longer you'll keep it." [Sj Griffin says that sales leads obtained through telemarketing will close about 40 percent of the time. Other contacts George Meeley, vice-president and general manager of Chem-Turf, Anaheim, Cal. recommends giving homeowners "three chances to say no." "Keep hammering them with brochures," Meeley says, "and try to qualify each prospective cus- tomer." ChemTurf categorizes each lead as a "no," a "maybe" or a "yes." The "no's" get the least attention. "We'll usually follow up a turn-down a couple months later," Meeley notes, "but it's rarely worth the time." "Maybe's" are also contacted again, with better results. But for direct inquiries, closing rate is as much at 90 to 95 percent. "The biggest problem with sell-ing the service in California is that nobody knows what it is," Meeley concludes. "It's not like back East; here, lawn care is in its infancy." The presentation Wayne McKinnon of Greenway Lawns, St. Louis, Mo. doesn't believe in the structured presen-tation. "We try to design each sell to the person and the type of lawn," McKinnon notes. "We question them as much as we can, to find out what they want. Then, we tell them what they need, and not what we want to sell them." This process is fine-tuned back in the office by the use of role-play- ing sessions among salesmen. Not only do the salesmen trade prob-lems that might arise, but they do so in front of a video tape system, so that they can see their own peculiarities and correct them. "I think the intelligence and courteousness of the salesman is everything," McKinnon contin-ues. "We don't try to push for the sale, and I think that's what gives us the edge. We intelligently field questions, but if we don't know the answer, we don't make some- thing up. "If we can talk to a person, we can generally make the sale." The closing Once a customer has contacted a company to make an estimate, the actual closing is relatively easy, according to the business-men contacted by LCI. The national average of closings in this instance is at least 80 percent, like that of Griffin Lawn Care. "I think lawn care services are purchased, more or less, as an impulse item," Griffin says. "Homeowners are motivated by spring coming, and they feel like communing with nature. Which makes the buying season up here a narrow window, an intense eight-week period. "If your advertising reaches the potential customer at that point, he'll call you out." When the sale closes, the first communication the new cus-tomer gets is a confirmation card from Griffin. This card is a formal "thank you" and a list of services. "We have found that this has cut down on year-end confusion," Griffin notes. "This isn't a selling tool, thoughŠit's a managing tool." McKinnon tells his Greenway salesmen to reiterate the fact that lawn care is a cooperative venture and to "really push hard on our financial relationships" to avoid overdue bills. Follow-up strategies Herb Panyard of Spray-a-Lawn of Orrville, Ohio, says that a contact is made by technicians-salesmen each time a lawn is serviced. That seems to be the general rule of thumb in the lawn care industry. "Every time we spray, we leave a bag on the customers' door to alert them to any bad weather, or to let them know about any spe-cials we have," Panyard says. "We communicate each time we're on a lawnŠeither verbally or with written materialsŠas to the pro-gress of the lawn." Panyard also has a way of help-ing assure renewals: "We point out that it may take two, three or four years to get the lawn in the con-dition the customer wants it, and after that we're in the business of maintaining it in that condition." He also says that his salesmen will recommend a fifth applica- tion, core aeration or liming, if necessary. Though salesmanship tech-niques may vary, the real profes-sionals of the industry prefer a tried-and-true procedure. Why? Because it works. flgj] Survey notes A typical client: The typical lawn care customer is more than 30 years old, makes more than $25,000 a year, and is most interested in the convenience and extra time he or she gains by using a professional lawn care firm. That's how the market is viewed by the Mobay Chemical Co., which recently commissioned an independent research firm to conduct a telephone and personal interview survey of several hundred lawn care customers throughout the country. In her report at the fourth annual Professional Lawn Care Association of America convention, Carol Scott of the Barickman Co. said her firm's research indicates that, "overall, you've done a good job." More than 80 percent of the customers surveyed said they were satisfied with the work done by their lawn care firm, while only 10 percent indicated dissatisfaction. Scott commented on the following points, which the survey indicates were the major reasons why customers use professional lawn services. Ł Convenience. "The most important factor." She noted that lawn care businessmen report that younger, professional, two-income family customers are on the rise. Ł Standing in the community. "Many customers concede that neighborhood peer pressure is a factor in their decision." Ł Pride. Residents want "that lawn to enhance the image of their home and their community." Ł Safety. "They want professionals to apply lawn chemicals because they're concerned about possible harmful side effects." Scott also had several suggestions based on discussions with the few dissatisfied customers contacted in the survey. "Prompt service and reliability are of paramount importance to your customer," she said, adding that "careful scheduling, timely, and consequently, effective treatments," are the best ways to keep customers happy. Other points to remember include: Ł Courtesy. "Indifferent attitudes on the part of your personnel will only alienate customers." Ł Communication. Providing information about the chemicals applied and "explicit concern for the health of your customer's lawn is going to help you." Ł Good taste. Women make as many decisions regarding lawn care as men, so females "should not be overlooked or offended by your marketing efforts." HI Weed control How to control 'hard-to-control' weeds According to Dr. Robert Shear-man of the University of Nebraska, lawn care businessmen need to take three steps to control "those hard-to-control" weeds. First, Shearman says, you've got to have a good basic weed con-trol program. Then, you've got to educate the customer, to use proper cultural practices and avoid the potential for some trou- blesome weeds. Finally, Shear-man notes, you have to maintain contact with turfgrass specialists, academia and industry to keep abreast of the latest research developments that may be helpful in controlling troublesome weeds. "You've also got to make some important decisions about selec- tion of herbicides," Shearman told a group of lawn care business-men attending the Ohio Turfgrass Conference. Shearman pointed out the three types of lawn weeds: annual grasses, broadleaf weeds and perennial grasses. He first touched on the problems crabgrass creates. "It's difficult to control, because of its life cycle, because it's a prolific seed producer and becauseŠif we allow it to germi-nateŠwe have to rely on post-emergent herbicides. Shearman said that benefin (Balan), bensulide (Betasan), DCPA (Dacthal) and oxadiazon (Ronstar) are all good crabgrass herbicides. DCPA, he said, is also very good for control of yellow foxtail, and oxadiazon is very good on goosegrass. Shearman began his discourse on the broadleaf weeds by citing controls for prostrate and spotted spurges, since a single spurge For information contact: J & L ADIKES, INC. Jamaica, N.Y. 11423 JACKLIN SEED CO. Post Falls, ID. 83854 NORTHRUP KING CO. Minneapolis, MN. 55413 ROTHWELL SEEDS LTD. Lindsay, Ont., CAN. K9V 4L9 VAUGHAN-JACKLIN CORP. Bound Brook, N.J. 08805 Downers Grove, IL. 60515 Dr. Robert Sherman plant may produce as many as 3500 seeds. "Post-emergent control is pos-sible, but it requires many treat-ments," Shearman said. "So we have approached this problem from a pre-emergent standpoint." He said that Dacthal has proven best for control of spurges, if applied initially at a rate of 10 pounds of active ingredient per acre, followed by a six- to eight- pound application six to eight weeks later. "Yellow woodsorrel or oxalis is also difficult to control because of its resistance to some herbicides, particularly 2,4-D," Shearman noted. He said that an application of Trimec at yellow woodsorrel's early stages of development has given some success. "2,4-DP may also give some control, but more work needs to be done," Shear- man continued. And oxadizon gives some pre-emergent control. CRABGRASS at its early stages of development, according to the Nebraska turf specialist. It can be controlled with phenoxy herbicides at the three- or four-leaf stages. "We've had continued prob-lems with mallow, creeping charlie and violets, though, with the loss of silvex a few years ago," Shearman said. But he added that triclopyr (Garlon) and 2,4-DP have shown some promise. Dicamba and Trimec (up to four applica-tions) will eliminate violets. Shearman listed nutsedge, wild garlic and wild onion as hard-to- control grass-like weeds. Wild garlic and wild onion, especially in the South, should be controlled with dicamba while actively growing. "And nutsedge is increasing as a problem on home lawns, especially in Nebraska," Shear-man noted. Frequent applications of methyl arsenates (MSMA and DSMA) are needed to control yellow nutsedge. Basagran is more suited to the lawn care industry, since it doesn't require as frequent applications and is less damaging to the turf. Perennial grasses are "par-ticularly troublesome" because their systems are similar to those of common lawn turfgrasses, Shearman said, listing nim-blewill, quackgrass, bentgrass, tall fescue, zoysiagrass and ber-mudagrass among the trouble- some perennial grasses. "You can achieve effective con-trol of nimblewill in mid-season with glyphosate," Shearman com-mented, "followed up with some of the pre-emergent herbicides. "For tall fescues, you have to spot-kill them out and re-seed or re-sod." He mentioned Hoelon and Glean, as agricultural her-bicides, that have demonstrated control of tall fescue in Kentucky bluegrass turfs under research tri-als. More research is needed with those products before they are possibly labeled for turf use, though, Dr. Shearman ended. [W| Small business Married young men are owners The typical owner of a small busi-ness is a young married man who enjoys his work a lot. This information, and more, came out of a study completed by Research & Forecasts Inc. for Comprehensive Accounting Corp. of Aurora, 111. The study, according to the latest edition of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Amer- ica newsletter, also determined that the average small business-man is: Ł between the ages of 35 and 49 Ł has been in his present busi-ness for fewer than 10 years Ł is white, married and has two or more children Ł has at least a high school edu-cation Ł reports an annual household income of less than $40,000 Ł employs other members of his family Ł spends more than nine hours daily at work Ł commutes less than one hour a day to work Ł and has taken 10 or fewer vacation days in the past year. The survey was conducted among owners of businesses with annual sales of $300,000 or less. The survey also indicated that: Ł only 22 percent of the small business owners were female Ł about 33 percent have college degrees (compared to the national average of 15 percent) and Ł 27 percent have an annual income of less than $20,000 (U.S. average: 50 percent). @] Some hard-to-control weeds Dr. Shearman's list: ANNUAL GRASSES: crabgrass, yellow fox-tail, goosegrass BROADLEAF WEEDS: prostrate spurge, spot-ted spurge, yellow woodsorrel, oxalis, knotweed, mallow, creeping charlie, violets GRASS-LIKE WEEDS: nutsedge, wild garlic, wild onion PERENNIAL GRASSES: nimblewill, quackgrass, bentgrass, tall fescue, zoysiagrass, bermudagrass Automatically reduces waste No evaporation No surface runoff As water is lost to evapotranspiration, flexible, porous Leaky Pipe in the soil acts like a wick. The capillary action of the soil draws water readily from the porous pipe, replacing water used by grass, trees, flowers and shrubs. Plant shock is avoided because moisture level is constant. VERSATILITY ... A MUST FOR TODAYS LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS The Leaky Pipe system is adaptable. Little or no water is lost to evaporation. Surface runoff and sprinkler overshoot are eliminated. Watering costs can be reduced 50% and plants still grow better. Foliage diseases caused by sprinkled wet leaves are a thing of the past. There is practically no maintenance, works automatically, and eliminates erosion. Write today for more details. LOW VOLUME. . . LOW PRESSURE Water is costly. As little as one pound of pressure may be required to deliver 100 gallons of water per 1,000 feet of pipe per day with even distribu-tion throughout. Leaky Pipe DOUBLES CITRUS PRODUCTION! Test results from Vero Beach, Florida installation substantiates grapefruit production doubled. Fruit graded higher for better price. Water usage reduced drastically. Cost benefits through more effective and efficient water distribution proven fact. Valuable oxygen released in ground results in formation of helpful bacteria and other microorganisms. QUALITY CONTROL Strict manufacturing controls and continued test-ing assure top quality of Leaky Pipe. Daily testing checks moisture dispersal. Leaky Pipe sweats all over acts as a wick providing continuous water as needed. On a 500 ft. test, based on 5 ft. seg-ments, the variation was within 10%. Higher pres-sure increases leakage to required application without squirting. FlUTFIf PflRD 722 S. Kimball,SouthlakeJX 76051 "I Lll I Lit UUnr. 817/481-5588 Telex 730671 **Ł Is it for vou? Four-day week gains ground among landscape managers More landscape management companies are flirting with the idea of scheduling employees on a four-day work week basisŠ especially after hearing about other businesses which have already successfully used the technique. Melanie Reinhold Sawka of Reinhold Landscaping, Flat Rock, Mich., and Rich Ackerman of Oregon Landscape Maintenance, Tigard, Ore. are two business managers who sing the praises of work weeks lasting four 10-hour days. "We've cut our overtime and our travel time by 15 to 20 per-cent," says Ackerman. "We've also cut our accident rates because people are well-rested after a three-day weekend, and our morale is up." Adds Sawka: "Our equipment now runs six days a week on an alternating basisŠplus, there's an extra day to make up for time lost Melanie Reinhold Sawka Rich Ackerman because of inclement weather." Ackerman says that he likes to schedule crews for Monday through Thursday or Wednesday through Saturday duty, allowing the office to remain open six days a week. These points and others were made during the most recent Associated Landscape Con-tractors of America Landscape Management Division con- ference. Strengths listed as reasons for employing work crews on a 10-hour, four-day basis were: Ł Generally, overtime and travel time is reduced; Ł Accident rates generally decline as morale improves; Ł Equipment can be run six days a week; Ł The extra day per week the business is open allows for time lost because of inclement weather, or for crews to be pulled in a fifth day for overtime, if needed; Ł At the beginning and end of the week, equipment can be ser-viced; Ł Clients are exceptionally pleased with the business being open six days per week; and Ł Office building grounds can be serviced on Saturdays when no one is around. "We have area supervisors responsible for client contact and once-monthly walk-throughs with foremen," Ackerman points out. "We've also been able to rotate people in work tasks. "We have found this to be very productive for us." In a poll of landscape managers attending the ALC A LMD session, about 60 percent said that they would consider scheduling field personnel on this basis. @] Until now, most tall fescues have come up short. They've failed under extreme temperatures. And fallen victim to disease. But now there's Galway from Northrup King. A versatile, fine-leafed tall fescue that maintains a dense weed-free turf years after ordinary tall fescues thin out. Improved performance against disease and extreme temperature. In development, Galway passed the test of fierce Minnesota winters and sweltering Midsouth summers. It passed the test at several northern and southern universities, too, ranking among the best turf-type tall fescues available. Tests have shown that it won't succumb to brown patch or net blotch. And that its improved shade tolerance makes it well suited for use under trees and in other low-light areas. Low maintenance turf with a high maintenance look. Galway requires only limited amounts of water and fertilizer to produce an attractive, dark green turf. It grows slower, which means less mowing. And its improved fine-leafed texture improves density and uniformity. It is recommended for athletic fields, parks, playgrounds, commercial and public turf areas, boulevards, embankments and home lawns. New, fine-leafed Galway from Northrup King, change your thinking. Because, in the world of tall fescues, it stands above them all. Ask your Northrup King distributor about Galway tall fescue. Or write Northrup King Medalist Turf Products, P.O. Box 959, Minneapolis, MN 55440. Here's the only one that controls both crabgrass and spurge Just as you'd expect, it's Dacthal® W-75 preemergence herbicide. And there's not another preemergence on the market that'll give you better control of your two most serious weed problems. The standard of excellence for crabgrass. It's been that way for more than 20 years with Dacthal. Which explains why today's lawn care professionals depend on Dacthal for effective and consistent crabgrass control. Plus proven residual activity that allows for fall overseeding. And since Dacthal is not water soluble, it won't leach or run off during wet weather as some preemergent herbicides do. The only way to control spurge. Dacthal W-75 delivers more effective spurge control than any other herbicide. Here's why. Spurge plants produce from 600-3500 seeds per plant. Once they've emerged, they're almost impossible to control with a postemergence. Spurge has to be controlled before it emerges. And the only preemergence labeled for the job is Dacthal. Dacthal does it all. A Dacthal application in spring, before annual weed and seed germination, provides excellent control of crabgrass. Make a second Dacthal application 60 days later for full season spurge control. And remember, Dacthal is also effective against 21 other annual grasses and broadleaf weeds including foxtail and purslane. What's more, it can be applied to more than 120 ornamental flowers and shrubs with no risk to ornamental root growth. This season, stop both crabgrass and spurge with the one preemergence herbicide you know you can count on. Dacthal W-75. It's back and ready to go to work. Always follow label directions carefully when using turf chemicals. Agricultural Chemicals Business SDS Biotech Corporation 7528 Auburn Road. PO Box 348 Painesville, Ohio 44077 DC < D DC CQ 3 u->-DC H CO D Q Z u 2 < u z £ < Chemical reps confronted: Why do you guys charge so much? Representatives from the leading chemical manufacturers were seated at a table at the head of the large room. They asked for ques-tions from the floor. Up went a hand and a lawn care business- man shot this question at the front table: WHY DO YOU GUYS CHARGE SO MUCH? The question was not unex-pected. The buyers finally were offered the opportunity to con-front the sellers in a public setting. The first to speak was Dr. John Proctor of the Mobay Chemical Co. "Bayleton has taken as much flak as anything for the cost of the product per pound," Proctor said. "We don't approach it from a cost viewpoint, although I'm sure that's what you look at. "What you have to decide is Dr. John Proctor what you're doing: do you want to grow quality turf, or do you just want to grow green grass? If you want to grow a quality productŠ either to play on or to look atŠ then you have to take the steps to provide that quality product. "It just gets down to a simple fact of economics. That goes all the way from the mowing equip- ment to the irrigation equipment to the fungicides and insec-ticides." Dr. Noel Jackson of the Univer-sity of Rhode Island was session moderator. "It's up to these fel-lows to sell the material, but to sell it at a reasonable price," he intoned. "They charge the earth for some systemic fungicides. Hopefully, once the competition develops, we might get the price down, and you will be able to buy some of these really expensive fancy materials." High expenses Jackson noted that chemical companies take 10 years to develop, test and submit each product for approval to the federal government. Expenses amount to upwards of $20 million before the chemical even hits the market. "I know they've got to make a fortune, but they don't have to get all that investment back in one year," Jackson said. "Just take two years, please." A question concerning residual effectŠand its relation to priceŠ also arose. "You have to evaluate what will give you the longest residual con-trol for the most effective cost per unit," Proctor responded. "The price per pound of any of these products really can't be defined as too expensive. Maybe the most expensive product is the cheapest product to use, because of the par- ticular benefit it may offer you." Dr. Richard Smiley of Cornell University agreed with Proctor. "I have done some cost ana-lyses on various research pro-grams," Smiley said. "I've been able to see that, on a cost break-downŠwhen application costs, manpower, fuel and such are all taken into accountŠthat some of the new high-priced materials are actually at par, and occasionally even lower in cost than materials that have to be applied more fre-quently. "Sometimes these materials are more expensive on a per-acre or per-season basis, but then there are exceptions where they are less costly and more convenient." Jackson ended the discussion by taking the chemical manufac-turers' side for a moment: "They are to be congratulated that, through some trying years, the investment has still gone on. And it's a very sobering thought thatŠat the end of 10 years and $20 millionŠthere's no certainty that the product is ever going to receive registration or see the light of day, and your money's gone down the sink. "So, hopefully, industry will Professional Core Cultivation The new Ride-AireŽ from Ryan Now you can get down to business with "core cultivation"! That's what the new Ride-Aire offersŠprecision core aerification at the rate of 12,250 square feet per hour. The Ride-Aire is a tough 670-lb. machine powered by an 8 HP commercial engine. It moves along smoothly aerating 21 inches per swath with 2'/$ or 3 inch cores spaced 3lA inches apart. Yet its compact 36-inch width and single rear wheel steering lets the operator easily maneuver around shrubs, trees, yard gates and other obstacles. Clean, vertical coring The Ride-Aire features the famous Ryan aeration system, with straight up-and-down action that cuts cores cleanly without tearing the turf. The tines are heat treated with a special process that makes them self-sharpening, allowing them to last longer than ordinary tines. Customer satisfaction Whether home lawn or commercial turf, the new Ride-Aire will help you keep customers happy. Core cultivation increases oxygen exchange and nutrient penetration, and Dr. Noel Jackson MEETING DATES continue to help provide the arse-nal of fungicides that we so des-perately need. I don't think you can manage turf to the perfection that's expected without the use of these very special chemicals." And so, the dialog and discus-sion continues between the two groups, buyers and sellers. [M] Landscape/Garden Center Management Clinic, Feb. 5-8, Gait House Hotel, Louisville, KY. Contact: NLA/GCA Man-agement Clinic, 1250 I St., NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC, 20005. (202) 789-2900. Horticultural Industries Conference, Feb. 6-9, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN. Contact: Office of Special Programs, Uni-versity of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108. (612)373-0725. Associated Landscape Contractors of America Convention and Trade Show, Feb. 8-12, Hyatt Regency, Phoenix, AZ. Contact: Gail Morgan, ALCA, 1750 Old Meadow Rd., McLean, VA, 22101. (703) 821-8611. The Fertilizer Institute Annual Meeting, Feb. 12-14, Sheraton New Orleans, New Orleans, LA. Contact: The Fertilizer Institute, 1015 18th St. NW, Washington, DC, 20036. (202)861-4900. Fall Planting Council Annual Meeting, Feb. 15, Downtown Marriott, Atlanta, GA. Contact: Fall Planting Council, 5 Shawsheen Ave., Bedford, MA, 01730. (617)275-3112. Professional Turf and Landscape Con- ference, Feb. 16, Civic Center, Hartford, CT. Contact: Anthony D. Penkrat, Con-necticut Grounds Keepers Association, 23 Atwater St., West Haven, CT, 06516. (203) 934-3103. Landscape Industry Conference and Trade Show, Feb. 16-17, Regency Hotel, Denver, CO. Contact: Becky Garber, Asso-ciated Landscape Contractors of Colorado, 3895 Upham, Suite 150, Wheat Ridge, CO, 80033. (303)425-4862. apit Feb. 20-21, Holiday Inn, Grantville, PA. Contact: Harold Stewart, Dauphin County Extension Service, 75 South Houcks Roaa, u W m W m IH W^M ft i. * Ł' ft' sv'1.'v Ł * * « Ł » .v.* ... Ł ft t « Ł Ł ft Ł ft % ft Ł % ft ¥ -Ł Ł ft ft # > 'ft ft Ł V v'" ft Ł Ł Ł - Ł Ł Ł decreases surface runoff and irrigation frequency. It also breaks up thatch and compaction and brings up soil particles to reinoculate thatch with soil and microbes to enhance thatch decomposition. The Ride-Aire breaths new life into thick lawns and helps prevent the "5-year slump" in turf quality that causes customer dissatisfaction and turn-over. Whether regular turf maintenance or renovation, the new Ride-Aire adds a new dimension to the lawn care service industry. For more information or a free demonstration, call or write: RYAN TURF-CARE EQUIPMENT 2346 Cushman, RO. Box 82409 Lincoln, NE 68501 CALL TOLL FREE 800-228-4444 Suite 101. Harrisburg, PA, 17109. (717) 652-8460. Northeast Pennsylvania Turf and Grounds Maintence School, Feb. 21-22, Luzerne County Community College, Nanticoke, PA. Contact: William Kleiner, County Extension Office, 211 Adams Ave., Scranton, PA, 18503. (717) 961-4761. Professional Turf and Plant Conference, Feb. 27, Colonie Hill, Hauppauge, Long Island, NY. Contact: William Alexander, NSLGA, 59 Orinico Dr., Brightwaters, NY, 11718. (516) 665-2250. Iowa Turfgrass Conference, Feb. 27-29, Mariott Hotel, Des Moines, IA. Contact: Dr. Norman Hummel, 105 Horticultural Bldg., Ames, IA, 50011. (515) 294-1870. Western Pennsylvania Turf Show, Feb. 28-March 1, Expo Mart, Monroeville, PA. Contact: Christine King, 412 Blanchard St., Bellefonte, PA, 16823. (814) 355-8010. Massachusetts Turfgrass Conference, Feb. 28-March 1, Civic Center, Springfield, MA. Contact: Dr. Joseph Troll, Dept of Plant and Soil Sciences, Stockbridge Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003. (413)545-2353. »try March 1-2, Marriott Hotel, Brookfield, WI. Contact: Erik Madisen Jr., Wisconsin Green Industry Conference, Box 1936, Appleton, WI, 54913. (414) 733-2301. Canadian Turfgrass Conference and Show, March 11-14, Constellation Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Contact: Cana-dian Golf Course Superintendents Asso-ciation, 698 Weston Rd., Suite 32, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6N 3R3. (416) 767-2550. Midwest Turf Conference, March 12-14, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Contact: Department of Agronomy, Pur- due University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907. (317)494-4785. Maine Winter Turf Conference, March 21-22, Merry Manor Inn, South Portland, ME. Contact: Vaughn Holyoke, University of Maine, Orono, ME, 04469. (207) 581-2922. Landscape Industry Show, April 4-8, Con-vention Center, Long Beach, CA. Contact: Bob A. Gouley, California Landscape Con-tractors Association, 1419 21st St., Sacra-mento, CA, 95814. (916)448-2522. Florida Turf Update and Field Day, May 17, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. Contact: Dr. Charles H. Peacock, 1523 HS/ 17, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. PP Bldg., University of Florida, Gain-esville, FL, 32611. (904) 392-1832. Professional Lawn Care Association convention and trade show Nov. 12-15 Curtis Hixson Hall Tampa, Florida Contact: Jim Brooks, PLCAA, P.O. Box 70455, Marietta, GA, 30007. (404) 977-5222. z n > m Z a c C/5 H 23 m 03 23 C > CO 00 J J* Think Bottom Line m i m iiim 'it - W LAWN CARE 'V- .. Ł Mjl't Ł .Ł<ŁŁ'Ł.,Ł / ŁŁŁnil t Ł : ' « f f ... Put this Trio of Good Friends to work in your Lawn Service Company and smile on your way to the bank. Trimec® Turf Herbicide, Betamec-M4 Crabgrass Preventer, and your Gordon Turf Distributor are the threesome you need now to achieve peak efficiency and greater profit. Read why no other turf team serves you so well: Obviously, you enjoy being in the lawn service business. And why not? You're beautifying America, and you have almost un-limited growth potential. Of course, the bottom line is to make a profit that is in keeping with the energy you put into your business; and, frankly, that can be a problem. But we can help you. On Improving Your Profit As you know, profitable growth in the lawn service business boils down to being able to hold a sub-stantial part of your present cus-tomers year after year; being able to secure enough new customers to more than offset the customers you lose through natural attrition; and making adequate profit on every job. The secret is to do the job right the first time. When you do the job right, your customer enjoys an immaculate lawn that is nothing short of pris-tine. No weeds. No crabgrass. It causes your customer to stick with you year after year in spite of all the new business efforts of your contemporaries; and it also prompts him to tell his friends about you. And when you do it right the first time, you do wonders for your profit because you eliminate those gut-wrenching, expensive retreatments. The Trio of Trimec; Betamec-4; and your Gordon Professional Turf Distributor can help you do it right the first time. The Role of Products Betamec-4 is unparalleled in the field of selective pre-emergence herbicides, and is pre-ferred by lawn care specialists who want dependable results. Consider just a few of its unique advantages. ... It has extended life, which means you can apply it on your timetable rather than nature's germination schedule. Apply it early in the year and, even if it freezes before crabgrass germi-nates, Betamec-4 will still be there with its control. TRIMEC® Turf Herbicide. Only Trimec gives you all these benefits: Ł Controls the widest range of broad-leaf weeds. Ł Gets hard-to-kill species with one treatment. Ł Wide safety margin for lawn grasses. Ł Minimum hazard from root absorp-tion. No vapor action after application. Ł Effective weed control in a wide tem-perature range. Overcomes water hardness problems. Ł Treated areas may be reseeded with-in two weeks Ł Non-flammable and non-corrosive in use. Stable for several years above 32° F. Ł Biodegradable; friendly to the environment. Ł Bentgrass formula is also available. TRIMEC* is a registered trademark of PBI/Gordon Corporation. Product covered by U.S. Patent No. 3.284,186 BETAMEC-4: The premier crabgrass herbicide for established turf. Ł Controls other grassy weeds and certain broadleaf weeds before they emerge. Ł Has been used by homeowners, lawn care specialists and golf course superintendents with complete satisfaction for more than 10 years. Ł Controls Poa annua. Ł Gives excellent crabgrass control without turfgrass injury. Ł Controls unwanted plant growth before it becomes visible. Ł Apply in fall or early spring for all-season control. Ł Can also be used on Dichondra, ornamentals, ground covers, flowers and bulbs. Betamec-4 (Betasan Š registered trademark of Stauffer Chemical Co.) "/ want to supply you with Trimec and Betamec-4." ... Because it's a liquid, it stays in place, and thus is effective over an entire terraced lawn. ... And it is so gentle to estab-lished turf and around herba-ceous ornamentals, it has been applied at twice the recom-mended rate without causing damage. Trimec is unparalleled in the field of selective post-emergence herbicides. Three chemicals: 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid, 2-methyl-4-Chlorophenoxy propi-onic acid; and 3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid are all reacted as acids to form the dimethylamine salt of Trimec. The resulting Trimec pro-duct has unparalleled strength caused by the synergism that oc-curs from reacting the three acids, and the eutectic principle utilized by PBI/Gordon. This phenome-nom delays the crystalization of the Trimec Complex, thus enabling it to better penetrate the cuticle of the weed and translocate through the entire system, resulting in total kill. And, yet, cost-per-acre is low because the synergistic and eu-tectic characteristics of Trimec measurably reduce the amount of chemical needed. We make the flat statement that Š dollar for dollar and acre for GOOD NEWS acre of immaculate, weed-free turf Š Trimec is the most effective and efficient broadleaf herbicide in the world. Unstinting Professional Service The third member of the team is your Gordon Professional Turf Distributor. He not only will pro-vide you with Betamec-4, Trimec, and a complete line of turf chemi-cals at a price that will leave you plenty of room for profit. He will back you up with technical know-ledge to help you solve Š or avoid Š the problems that plague the lawn care business. Among such services, he will provide you with special door-hangers that help ensure good customer relations. Because most customer complaints and service call-backs are caused by a lack of information, we have designed an instructive Trimec door-hanger in re-sponse to the prob-lem. It explains Tri-mec's slow, thorough action and the amount of time usu-ally required to kill a weed, root and all, using the world's most efficient herbicide. Experience has shown this door-hanger to be highly effective in reducing the number of com-plaints and call-backs because it tells customers what to expect Š in advance. A generous supply of Trimec door-hangers is available with your Trimec purchase. The Bottom Line You can buy a narrow-spectrum herbicide that costs less per gallon than Trimec. But, on the bottom line, Trimec costs less because it requires less chemical per acre for maximum weed control; and because it saves labor by doing the job right the first time. No matter how large or small your lawn service company is, your Trimec distributor wants to help. Get in touch with him, today. Ask your distributor for a supply of Trimec door-hangers. PROFESSIONAL TURF PRODUCTS G pbi /GQRcJon conponation 1217 WEST 12TH STREET P.O. BOX 4090 KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64101 816/421-4070 586-1183 Promotion Getting mileage out of what you've got Selling a service like lawn care is a tricky propositionŠbut there are several ways of "getting the word out," according to a consultant with the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). "There may be products involved, but you're actually sell- ing your brains, your ideas, your talents, your knowledge," says Herb Reel of SCORE. "You're doing something for other people by which you earn a profit." Because you are the actual product, it's sometimes difficult for the service owner to come up with an effective advertising tool. Pushing a service that's per- formed the same way every day, and which has built in the same operating costs is not quite the same as advertising a 50 percent off sale on products which were purchased from a distributor at a special price. Take advantage But many lawn care company owners do not take full advantage of the promotional opportunities facing them, Reel says. "Every service business has an image which is being projected each and every day on each and every job. "For example, how many times do you go to the client's home or office or whatever, and by what method? You probably get there by van or truck; have you given much thought to the image the vehicle portrays?" Reel says he sees too many ser-vice vehicles on the road with no signs at all, orŠat the opposite end of the spectrumŠvehicles with signs so gaudy that they give people a headache to look at them. "It's true you notice those gaudy trucks and vans, but what does the prospective client think when he sees them?" Reel asks. "He's more apt to ask himself, 'Are they really any good? Are they going to take care of my lawn the same way they look?"' It's okay to use a vehicle that catches the eye, Reel says, but watch out for graphics that create a negative image because of their gaudiness. Self-image "Self-image is important in the service business," Reel contends. "How many times have you seen a service firm pull up to your place in an old dilapidated truck? And what immediate impression does that give you? It's bad business. "Many times, I've looked inside those trucks, and they invariably look like one big junk pile. I won- der, how in the heck does he know what the piece of equipment is, and where it is? He'll be fumbling around for parts all the time; it takes him 20 minutes to find whatever he's looking for, and here I'm paying $24 an hour for that service!" Reel also suggests keeping all One of the most convenient ways of advertising your business, accord-ing to Herb Reel of SCORE, is making sure that the name is highly visible on trucks, your build-ing, equipment and even stationery. For instance, Spring-Green uses large letters to con- vey its name twice on each side of its spray trucks, as shown in the photo at the right. wsmiimw If you think you've seen late-germinating crabgrass in your turf, ybu may really have been looking at a goosegrass problem. Either way, you can solve the problem with CHIPCO® RONSTAR® herbicide. CRABGRASS AND GOOSEGRASS* Goosegrass is more common than you might think. It's easily mistaken for crabgrass, espe- cially when it's mowed. What's the difference? Check the color first. Goosegrass is a darker green. And it always grows in tufts. Crabgrass doesn't. There's another important difference: goosegrass is much harder to control. Unless you use RONSTAR. CRABGRASS OR GOOSEGRASS** IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE wrm RONSTAR G. RONSTAR is the only herbi-cide you can count on for effective preemergent control of both crabgrass and goosegrass. While other products will give you satisfactory performance on crabgrass, they don't even come close to RONSTAR on goose-grass. Years of testing prove it: Balan * 61% Goosegrass control, 100-150 days RONSTAR after application. 94% Dacthal* 37% 45% Summary of 9 years of testing conducted by Univer-sity Experiment Station and Rhone-Poulenc personnel. So you have two choices. Use an ordinary crabgrass herbicide appointments, or calling ahead to tell people that you are unable to make it. "I remember one time I had a company come to the house to repair a central air conditioner. They pulled into my yard and crushed the new sod I had just put down. Then they just let fall all the wires they cut out. And they trampled through the shrubbery and knocked down some of my wife's flowers. "Believe me, it was one heck of a mess. Leaving a bad impression like that is bad advertising. It can make or break you." The image your company leaves should be modern, effi-cient, prompt and courteous. "It's going to pay off in referral business," Reel says. "That's the way the service business has to advertise." The Yellow Pages are another means of self-promotion, as long as you follow through with what-ever claims you make. "If you say you have 24-hour service, you better have some-body available every minute of the day," Reel claims. "Mislead-ing and false advertising is the worst thing in the world. It will cost you more business than any other thing you can do wrong." You must also keep your com-pany's name visible: on your door, on your windows, and on Image is a way of maintaining good customer relations w and hope crabgrass is your only problem. Or play it safe and use RONSTAR this season, for ex-cellent, season-long control of both crabgrass and goosegrass. NO RAM-OUTS, ROOT PRUNING OR PROBLEMS WITH PLANTINGS. RONSTAR is the most con-venient herbicide for your turf care program. It won't leach, so you can fit it into your schedule earlier. It's highly selective, causing no root pruning in peren-nial bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and bermudagrass, no harm to ornamental plantings or trees. Wherever the professionals really care for turfŠand espe-cially where both crabgrass and goosegrass are problems Šword is getting around. CHIPCO RONSTAR herbicide is your best choice for effective, con-venient, long-lasting control. For more information on RONSTAR or other CHIPCO Circle No. 126 on Reader products, ask your CHIPCO distributor. Rhone-Poulenc Inc., Agrochem- ical Division, Monmouth Junc-tion, NJ 08852. Łami... SPREAD THE WORD. Please read label carefully, and use only as directed. signs near your business, Reel says. Along with that, follow- Š upsŠ"an area where the aver- n age service business sometimes ^ fails miserably"Š are extremely z important. £ "In over 60 years of having ser- g vicemen galore come to my house g for all kinds of reasons, I can't recall anybody ever calling back a ^ week or six months later and ask- ing me how the appliance or what- ever was working, and if I needed any further service," the SCORE consultant notes. "This is an excellent source of business, and > it's easy to do." 5 Reel also suggests looking at £ service guarantees and warran- 2 ties: are you really living up to them, do you display them, do you explain them to your customers? "Too many service firms fail to mention their guarantees at all, unless the customer brings it up," Reel observes. "But these are sell-ing points." Special price? Finally, don't be afraid to put a special price on your lawn care services. "Sometimes when you offer a special and cut your price by 10 or 15 percent, you may dou-ble your volume by 50 percent." Of course, the rule here is not to cut your prices so that your vol-ume picks up too much to ade-quately perform your services. Service businesses do have effective means of advertising and promotingthemselves. But it must be done every day, and all day. It's just a matter of common sense. ŠDana K. Cassell [Ml Resolved Seedsmen choose to take action The American Seed Trade Asso-ciation has adopted a resolution urging states not to revise any of their current labeling laws. The resolution, adopted at ASTA's January board meeting, states: "The American Seed Trade Association requests that all states hold in abeyance any pro-posal of planned revisions to their individual state seed laws as they pertain to lawnseed labeling until such times that the revised Federal Seed Act is available, as any new state lawnseed labeling laws will be counter-productive to the national effort now under way." ASTA says that it is in favor of uniformity of labeling, and that it supports proposed changes in the Federal Seed Act to elimi- nate fine-textured and coarse-king labeling of lawnseed. The organization adds that it has appointed a committee to develop a position paper in oppo-sion to "noxious weed" labeling of agricultural crop seeds in lawn/turf seeds. [W] LEHR ON LABOR Contract numbers G S A GS-07S-07659 HUD OPH (C0)m-3650 Richard I. Lehr Attorney-at-Law P.O. Box 33247 Louisville, KY 40232 U.S.A. Phone 502/966-0550 Ł Telex 204-340 Nineteen eighty-three was a tre-mendously successful year for union organizing efforts. The lawn care industry, however, has generally remained free of union organizing efforts, although there have been isolated exceptions during recent years. Two essential elements of the industryŠtransportation and technologyŠare prime targets for unionization activity. Thus, the strong union-free track record of the industry is by no means assured to continue, unless each lawn care employer determines that he will make the necessary, legally-permissable efforts to remain union-free. What are the key factors in retaining the status quo, and yet maintaining a positive labor rela- tions climate? There are a few. 1. Internal "due process." Due process at the workplace means that an employee has the right to How to keep free of unions freely express his opinions to his company, and also has the right to state his side of the case in situa-tions involving discipline or poor work performance, prior to the company making a final decision. The company must remember thatŠin its role as a judgeŠit must maintain an open mind. Do not presume guilt or wrongdoing. 2. Positive feedback. A theory known as "management by exception" means that, as far as an employee is concerned, he is doing a good job unless told other- wise. But this theory is generally disliked by employees. Positive feedback needs to exist on an on-going basis, and should not be presumed. It is a motivator, and should be given as the occasion warrents. 3. Equal treatment. Favoritism, unless based on merit or seniority, can potentially cause a variety of labor relations problems, such as employment discrimination liti-gation, wrongful discharge litiga- tionŠor unionization. Employers, like employees, naturally have biases and prefer- ences, but controlling these tend-encies is essential to successful labor relations. 4. Compensation package. Although it is generally true that compensation is, in most instances, not the cause of labor relations problems, it is unques- tionably an essential ingredient if it is not handled properly. Lawn care employers should attempt to take salary and benefit surveys within their particular communities, to determine how their compensation package fits into the spectrum. Employees are receptive to limited wage and benefit increases, depending on the company's prosperity. But on- going communication with employees about the company's growth is necessary. 5. On-going communication. Labor disputes arise most fre- quently due to misunderstand-ings created because of communi- cation problems between employ-ees and employers. Periodic meetings or newslet-ters are useful ways to keep employees informed about the company. Also, let employees know new company goals so they can translate them into individual goals. Employers who choose to remain free of unionization and labor relations problems need to maintain an aggressive and posi- tive attitude toward labor rela- tions on a daily basis. Bunton builds 'em better! [iimw BUNTON CO. BUNTON: GET TO KNOW ONE If you've ever been around people who are bragging about their "Bunton", you know how zealous they can be. The dependability... the fuel efficiency... the performance... the price... nothing but rave reviews. Bunton builds 108 different mow-ers, each with different features to solve a specific lawn mainte-nance problem. The good news is that all Bunton lawn maintenance equipment is built the same way, whether you need turf tractors, self-propelled mowers, push mowers or edgers/trimmers. Bunton builds specificallyŠand nothing butŠhigh quality lawn and turf mainte-nance equipment. When you discover Bun-ton, you will understand why these mowers are the professionals' best friend. Get to know one... today. YOU'RE BEING WATCHED. The next time you're at a trade show, seminar, convention, or wherever an important green industry story is breaking, look around. You'll see one or more of these men watching, listening and asking questions. WHO ARE THEY? They're the men who bring you the news, breakthroughs and market conditions of the lawn maintenance and chemical lawn industry. They're the editorial and sales management team of LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. Please meet (from left to right) Bob Mierow, Kevin Cooney, Ron Kempner, Bob Earley, Jerry Roche and Joe Kosempa. Collectively, these men have over 85 years of marketing and green industry experience. Experience that gives them the necessary foresight to spot the trends, analyze market developments and write the information packed stories that have helped the industry grow to a healthy 1.8 billion dollar giant. But then, you've come to expect that kind of vision from these professionals. They saw the fledgling industry's need for a news and marketing forum back in 1977, and had the foresight to publish the first magazine targeted exclusively to the lawn maintenance and chemical lawn markets... LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. THEY KNOW THE GRASS REALLY CAN BE GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE. Breakthroughs happen frequently in the green industry. The company that first utilizes a new advancement to produce a greener lawn has an edge on the competition. When a new development comes on stream, you can count on the LAWN CARE INDUSTRY team to bring you the story fast and first with enough hands-on information for you to decide whether it will work for you. The end result? You improve your service. Your customers get a better lawn for their money, and the industry prospers. So the next time you're at the lawn industry event, look around. Chances are we'll be looking back at you. WWN GIRE INDUSTRY Serving lawn maintenance and chemical lawn care professionals 7500 Old Oak Boulevard ŁCleveland, OH 44130 ŁPhone (216) 243-8100 HBJ A HARCOURT BRACE JOVANOVICH PUBLICATION Maintenance survey Apartments, condominiums assuming more popularity among lawn care pros Yard maintenance is becoming an increasingly effective sales tool for apartment and condo complex operators, as well as commercial grounds care companies. "It's quite simply a matter of dollars and cents," says Fred Hooks, vice president at Atlanta's Post Properties, Inc., which owns and maintains 6,000 rental units at 20 sites. "By investing more in grounds care than is spent by other com- panies, we keep our occupancy rate several points higher than Atlanta's average. That gives us a profitable pay-back, as does the fact that our turnover is lower than average for this area." While Post Properties main-tains its own grounds, the pay-back potential is just as great for real estate firms using outside contractors for landscaping and upkeep, say several apartment managers. In Birmingham, Ala., for exam-ple, the 150-unit Brandywine Apartments grounds are main- tained under contract by The Whole Blooming Yard, and Bran-dywine resident manager Cheryl Cook says the contract fees "are an excellent investment." "I frequently do surveys which show repeated vacancies at apart-ment developments where the grounds aren't as well maintained as ours," Cook explains. "I also also know how important mainte-nance is from the comments made to us by renters. They all say our lawns are the nicest-looking they've seen in this area." At Oklahoma City's Brook-wood Village, a 1,144-apartment development situated on 75 park-like acres, property manager Nancy Peace agrees that invest- ments in outside maintenance pays off. "It's absolutely the best money we spend," she says of the contract Brookwood Village has with Can-Do Enterprises. 'Curb appeal' Peace's primary concern is what she calls "curb appeal," meaning the impression the prop- erty's appearance makes on pro- spective renters when they see it from the road. "Our surveys show people decide whether they'll stay or leave within five seconds of arriv- ing at a development like ours," she explains. "For that reason, we make 'curb appeal' our No.l pri-ority." Maintenance, in fact, is given a high priority throughout Brook-wood Village. "We've got a very detailed pro-gram, and some very specific requirements for our contractor," Peace says. "We expect him to mow, edge and control weeds every week, and that includes going around ornamental beds with Roundup herbicide to get rid of any undesirable plants that pop up there." Roundup and other herbicides are widely used at Brookwood Village, says Lindy Pearson of Can-Do Enterprises who notes that his business, too, watches return on investments. "The money we put into prod-ucts," he says, "represents an investment in efficiency and effec-tiveness. We have a lot of ground to cover and a lot of weeds to chase, and we don't want to be going after the same ones more than once." Similarly concerned with time-saving is David Reed of Knoxville, who was responsible for grounds maintenance at last year's Knox- ville World's Fair. His company now contracts for outdoors upkeep at several apartment complexes, as well as a number of restaurants, including 14 Burger Kings. Versatility "We have to use herbicides to deal quickly and efficiently with the various kinds of weed prob-lems we encounter," he says. "That's why versatility is so important to us. "We apply Roundup to labeled weeds and grasses, using spot Whistle for When You Need a Top Utility Grass Houndog is one of the better varieties of the new generation of turf-type tall fescues which are provid-ing high quality, durable, low-maintenance turf in a wide variety of situations. Houndog is an ideal choice for home lawns, parks and playgrounds, golf course roughs and athletic fields. Rated as possibly the darkest green of the turf-type tall fescues, Houndog has proven it is drought toler-ant and will prosper during periods of exceptional heat in the North as well as in the transition zone and upper South. A moderately low-growing, leafy variety, Houn-dog approaches the modern Kentucky bluegrasses in appearance. It provides the turf manager with the advantages of the legendary deep root system of the older pasture-type tall fescue varieties such as KY-31 and Fawn. Houndog is normally cut at 1 Vi inches but will retain its appearance and prosper at heights up to three inches. As a low maintenance variety, it is recommended that a minimum amount of fertilizer be applied an-nually. Houndog is a product of ŁI inTERnnnonRb SEEDS, inc. PO Box 168 Halsey Oregon 97348 Telephone (503) 369-2251 Ł TWX 510 590-0765 BUNDY POWER AERATOR V* . V" \ \ < THATCH PROBLEMS? Solve them through ^ core aeration 140 pounds, 23" wide, 5/8" tines. Aerates 9,000 sq. ft. per hour at 1 -2 1/2" deep. BUNDY Manufacturing P.O. Box 625 Fremont Nebraska 68025 (402)-721~8131 Circle No. 106 on Reader Inquiry Card Circle No. 114 on Reader Inquiry Card Circle No. 125 on Reader Inquiry Card Professional Spray Rigs for Lawns, Trees & Ornamentals Pressure - 25 to 1000 PSI 25 to 1000 gal tanks Single or Dual Compartment Columbia, MD 16 Standard Models or Custom Design Volume - 1 to 100 GPM Call Toll Free 800-638-1769 A record year Building may peak Residential construction this year is expected to reach $101 billion, a 10 percent increase over last year, according to George A. Christie of McGraw-Hill Information Sys-tems Co. Most recent reports are that housing starts for the third quar-ter of 1983 were up 67 percent from the same 1982 period, to nearly half-a-million units. Also during the third quarter of 1983, contracting for apartments and condominiums carried the hous-ing recovery forward with a 20 percent advance. Christie bases his projections on three assumptions: that eco-nomic recovery will continue, that inflation will remain within the range of four to six percent and that long-term (mortgage) rates will remain stable between 13 and 14 percent. Overall construction in 1984 should reach $204.6 billion nationally, according to Christie. That is an increase of seven per-cent over 1983. Christie also predicts that the individual building markets determine the total market. z n > 23 m Z a c C/3 H 23 n 03 23 C > 23 CD 00 sprays for undesirable weeds and wiper-type devices for tall-grow- ing grasses in ornamental beds. It's the most effective way we have to get rid of weeds and get on to other work." He's got a lot of work to do, too, because his customers are increasingly concerned with the look of their grounds. "Whether they're running restaurants or apartments, they put a lot of emphasis on appearances," he declares. "It's a selling tool that's getting more and more use." So, too, is grounds appearance used as a sales tool at the Newpor-ter resort hotel at Newport Beach, Calif. Says Randy Lovernich, the facility's landscape superinten-dent: "When our sales depart- ment is pitching convention business, they take the potential customer on a tour of the grounds. The value and importance of grounds appearance is also reflected in our budget, which this year is nearly $250,000." Sales value The sales value of mainte-nance, however, is not totally appreciated. One grounds mainte-nance contractor in the Northeast, for example, says that most apart-ment and commercial property managers in his area are more concerned with price than the quality of the maintenance job. "The problem," he says, "stems from a market that's so space-tight that there's little incentive for property managers to shape things up properly." Even in some cities where main-taining a quality-over-price posi-tion was tough a year ago because of a tight economy, contractors note quality is making a comeback. "We've certainly got no com-plaints, now," says Can-Do's Pear-son. It's no wonder, then, why lawn care businessmen should be mak- ing their pitch at apartment and condominium complexes. As those living facilities gain a larger share of the household market, so should they gain a larger share of the lawn care market. Certainly, there are problems. But ask The Whole Bloomin' Yard and Can-Do Enterprises: they're profitable problems. [W] BOOKSTORE Instructional and technical material designed to aid you in your work. 340 345 625 - ADVANCES IN TURFGRASS ENTOMOLOGY $24.95 010 - ADVANCES IN TURFGRASS PATHOLOGY $27.95 665 - ARBORICULTURE: THE CARE OF TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES IN THE LANDSCAPE $34.95 CONSTRUCTION DESIGN FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS $39.50 Ł COST DATA FOR LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION 1984 $27.50 410 - DISEASES & PESTS OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS $29.95 660 - DISEASES OF SHADE TREES $23.50 610 - DISEASES OF TURFGRASSES $30.00 800 - THE GOLF COURSE $35.00 350 - HANDBOOK OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION $48.50 675 - HILLER'S MANUAL OF TREES & SHRUBS $20.50 510 - H0RTUS THIRD $125.00 690 - INSECTS THAT FEED ON TREES & SHRUBS $47.50 IRRIGATION PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES $39.95 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE $34.95 LANDSCAPE DESIGN: A PRACTICAL APPROACH $19.95 370 - LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS: MANAGEMENT, METHODS & MATERIALS $20.95 635 395 300 645 575 545 700 790 380 720 750 760 640 615 620 110,120 650 630 655 565 570 405 MANAGEMENT OF TURFGRASS DISEASES $24.95 MODE OF ACTION OF HERBICIDES $54.95 MODERN WEED CONTROL $21.50 THE PRUNING MANUAL $14.95 RECREATION PLANNING AND DESIGN $39.50 RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPING I $22.50 SHRUB IDENTIFICATION $8.00 TREE IDENTIFICATION $$9.95 Ł TREE MAINTENANCE $35.00 TURF IRRIGATION MANUAL $22.95 TURF MANAGEMENT FOR GOLF COURSES $45.00 - TURF MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK $18.00 - TURF MANAGERS' HANDBOOK $28.95 hardcover, $23.95 paperback - TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT $21.95 - TURFGRASS.SCIENCE & CULTURE $27.95 - TURFGRASS:SCIENCE & CULTURE LABORATORY MANUAL $12.95 - WEEDS $37.50 - WESTCOTT'S PLANT DISEASE HANDBOOK $36.50 - WOODY ORNAMENTALS $27.00 CLOSEOUTS ORDER THESE TITLES AT SPECIAL REDUCED PRICES! 795 - FIRST AID MANUAL FOR CHEMICAL ACCIDENTS $18.25 455 - THE GRAFTER'S HANDBOOK $16 95 460 - GREENHOUSE ENVIRONMENT $21.20 335 - LANDSCAPE DESIGN THAT SAVES ENERGY $8.50 Mail this coupon to: Book Sales Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications One East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 Name Street Address P.O. Box Number City/State/Zip Signature Date __ Phone Number Purchase Order Number Please send me the following books. I have enclosed payment* for the total amount. Please charge to my Visa. Master Card or American Express (circle one) Account Number Expiration Date BOOK NUMBER AND TITLE QUANTITY PRICE TOTAL PRICE 'Please add $3.00 per order plus $1.00 per additional copy for postage and handling Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Prices subject to change. Quantity rates available on request. postage & handling Total Enclosed. LCI 2/84 DC < D DC PQ W U. >* DC EŠ CO D Q Z u < u z £ < Ł-J Jon Alsdorf was elected 1984 pres-ident of the California Landscape Contractors Association at the annual convention held recently in Lake Tahoe, Nev. Alsdorf is president of Heritage Landscape, Granada Hills. Outgoing president Efraim Donitz of Ein-Tal, North Hol- lywood, was named Chairman of the Board. Re-elected as vice-presidents were Roger D. Fiske of San Ramon and Rose Marie Head of Compton. Others elected vice-presidents were Richard Cohen of Mission Viejo and Nelson Colvin of Canoga Park. Douglas Fender is new execu-tive director of the American Sod Producers Association, working out of the ASPA's new office at 4415 West Harrison St., Hillside, IL, 60162. Bob Garey, executive director for the past 10 years, will serve as a consultant. Lakeshore Equipment and Sup-ply has named Sally Lee its new advertising manager. Ms. Lee was the O.M. Scott & Sons manager of editorial communications for seven years before taking the Lakeshore post. She is a graduate of Ohio State University. Lee Kenney John Kenney of Framingham has been elected president of the Mas-sachusetts state pesticide alliance, Rational Approach to Pesticides. Kenney is also presi-dent of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America and Turf Doctor. Richard Olson has been appointed vice-president and general manager of the Great Western Seed Co., a wholly- owned subsidiary of the Lofts Seed Co. For the last 11 years, Olson has served as vice-presi- dent of E.F. Burlingham and Sons, another major seed producer. Mobay Chemical Corp. has named Hal Paul market develop- ment manager for the specialty chemicals group. Also promoted at Mobay were Estel Keirsey to manager of product claims for the ag chemical division, Karel A. Sloezen to insecticide production manager and Dennis D. Henrichs to marketing product manager. Jonathan Burpee, director of customer relations for the W. Atlee Burpee Co., was elected president of the Atlantic Seeds-man's Association. Charles Walk- iewics of the Vaughan-Jacklin Corp. takes over as immediate past president. Clifferd C. Fiene has been appointed operations manager for Jacobsen Division of Textron, and will be responsible for all man-Dr. Burton is honored Dr. Glenn Burton of the University of Georgia's Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, Ga. has received the National Medal of Science. President Ronald Reagan made the presentation during recent ceremonies at the White House. Dr. Burton received the nation's highest scientific award in recognition of his outstanding contributions in researching plant genetics and breeding. Dr. Burton's improved grass varieties have made lawn and sports turf in the South more beautiful and enjoyable. In addition, his research on grain crops are helping lead to higher food yields. What makes the Cushman Grass Grooming System worth the investment: No mower on the market can match it for price and performance. Nothing cuts, catches and dumps as fast or as economically. The problem with most mowers is that no matter how fast they cut, your work slows to a turtle's pace when it comes to cleaning up the clippings. That's why we created the Cushman Grass Grooming System. With it you can cut, catch, dump and resume cutting with-out interruption. But, as you are about to learn, the Cushman Grass Grooming System not only lets you do your work faster. It lets you do your work better. Engineered for hard work. At the heart of our Grass Grooming System is the dependable Cushman Front LineŽ mower. And at the heart of the Front Line is a rugged, 18 hp, air-cooled OMC gas engine. It's the only mowing engine built for multi-speed work Š lugging power at low speeds, agility at faster speeds. This proven power plant is complemented by a drive train that's engineered for years of dependable service. A hydrostatic transmission that gives the driver complete speed control via a rocking foot pedal. A heavy-duty differential; a fully lubricated PTO shaft; and a high-capacity gear box Š ^ all engineered for virtually maintenance-free operation. And that's just the beginning. Built to last. The Front Line is 1200 pounds of gutsy engineering. Its mowing deck is 12-gauge carbon steel, reinforced, arc-welded and surrounded by a tubular torsion bar system that prevents twisting. Underneath are 3 blades of machine-sharpened, hot-formed steel. The floorboard is diamond-plate steel. And the 6-gallon fuel tank is made of terneplated steel. But the Front Line is not just built to last Š it's also built for results. The blades are positioned so that their cutting swaths overlap slightly, leaving no uncut strips of grass. Dual traction assist pedals give the operator a tight, zero turning radius. Springs transfer much of the deck weight to the tractor, producing smoother cutting and additional traction on any terrain. Every major component is made by Cushman, so you have a single source for service and parts. And while ordinary mowers often "bottom out" over hills and bumps, the Front Line may be equipped with an anti-scalp roller option that keeps the cut clean and even. The finishing touch. The Grass Caddy collec up to 16 bushels between dumps. The innovative! Cushman Grass CaddyŽ makes the*1 Front Line the world's most labor-saving mower. Mounted to the operator's right, the Grass Caddy collects up to 16 bushels of clippings and debris inside a durable, non-stick polyolefin hopper. Then, when the hopper is filled, just back the Front Line up to a truck or container, engage the hydraulic control and the Grass Caddy hopper lifts feet above the ground and dumps. In seconds, you're back on the turf mowing again. And you've never once left the driver's seat. The Grass Grooming System is available only from your Cushman Front Line dealer. He's in business for the long haul, with a proven track record of service after the sale and a complete line of professional turf maintenance equipment. A free demonstration. Of course, the best way for you to learn about the Cushman Grass Grooming System is to see it in action. On your grounds. To do that, just call us toll-free: 800-228-4444. ufacturing operations at plants in Racine, Wise, and Charlotte, N.C. Meanwhile, in the Homelite Division of Textron, Jesse C. Key has become vice-president of Fiene manufacturing. Key, who takes charge of manufacturing facilities in Gastonia, N.C., Greer, S.C. and Brookhaven, Mass., was formerly vice-president of operations for the Jacobsen Division. Michel St-Aubin has become president and Andre Guindon controller of Homelite-Terry, Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada. The L.R. Nelson Corp., which manufactures lawn sprinkler and installed landscape irrigation equipment, has named Jane B. Converse vice-president of mar-keting. Ms. Converse was for-merly with Multi-Ad Services and » i St.Aubin Guindon the J. Walter Thompson advertis- ing agency. Robert A. Peterson has been promoted from vice-president and treasurer of The Toro Co. to w , v rOulKoard Marine C orporation I9KJ All rights reserved It works harder because it's built better. vice-president of finance. James D. Bonneville, formerly vice-pres- ident and assistant treasurer, has taken Peterson's old post. The promotions followed the resigna-tion of Norman W. Harris III, who had been senior vice-president and chief financial officer. Toro also named Stephen K. Swenerton director of marketing for the Irrigation Division and William Barkalow western regional manager. Scott Weiler has joined the Foley-Belshaw Co. as product manager for its turfgrass-related product line. The Mott Corp. has announced two personnel moves: John R. Schellin joining the company as territory manager for the upper midwest and George Jackson being promoted to director of engineering. Schellin was for- merly with the Gravely Corp. Converse Swenerton while Jackson was formerly with the Caterpillar Tractor Co. The Simplicity Manufacturing Co. has named Frank Farmer sales manager for the North Cen-tral Region, Mike Shapiro sales manager for the Eastern Region and Ned Charlton and Jim Hewitt area sales managers. In addition, Tom Hill of Pleasantville, N.J. was named the company's Regional Sales Manager of the Year. Stephen D. Walker has been appointed manager of market development for the Enkamat Group of American Enka Co., a manufacturer of subsurface draining matting and soil erosion matting. Next month ALCA holds 8th annual field days The Associated Landscape Con-tractors of America has selected Ohio State University's Agri- cultural Technical Institute as site of its eighth annual Student Field Days, March 23-25. This competitive event will have students from 18 colleges and universities. For further information, write ALCA Student Field Days, ATI Landscape Association, Kent D. Hammond, A.T.I. Dover Rd— Rt. 250, Wooster, OH, 44691, or call Hammond at (216) 264-3911. ^ Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card Post-emergence herbicide Fenoxaprop-ethyl is now being tested 100 Gallons of Service! HERE'S THE PERFECT SOLUTION TO YOUR SMALL PEST PROBLEMS Shown here: PC10512H PC 100 gallon Roller Pump Spray Unit. " (1 2 GPM pump with 300 PSI maximum.) Briggs and Stratton 5 H.P. engine with 6:1 gear reduction unit. (Also available with piston, centrifugal and diaphragm pumps.) The experts at Tuflex research and analyze your needs, big or small and carefully assist you in designing the right tank and pump system for your job requirements. Tuflex tanks are available from 100 gallon to 1200 gallon systems, ready to take on your toughest challenge. TANK FEATURES Ł Handcrafted lightweight, seamless fiberglass construction Ł Ultrasonically tested for thickness Ł High gloss white exterior finish to eliminate deterioration Ł Exclusive spillproof hatch Ł No-leak venting system with 9" fillwell Ł Removable 14" x 18" access plate Ł Calibrated sight tube Ł Five year limited warranty Call TOLL FREE for economy prices 1 -800-327-9005 In Florida call collect (305) 785-6402 TUFLEX MFG. CO. 1406 S.W. 8th Street Ł Pompano Beach. FL 33060 Circle No. 144 on Reader Inquiry Card A new post-emergence herbicide that is less phytotoxic than cur-rent products on the market is being tested by Rutgers Univer-sity scientists. It also reportedly offers selective targeting. The chemical, "fenoxaprop-ethyl," has been experimentally labeled A25-01 by American Hoecst Chemical Co. It was pre- viously labeled HOE-581. A25-01, which has been tested as a complement to pre-emer-gence herbicides, can be applied as a spray. "If landscapers want to do spraying in the spring," says Dr. Ralph Engel of Rutgers Univer- sity, "further development of this material might be useful. I think it has a lot of promise." Engel, speaking at the New Jersey Turf Expo, noted effective control of goosegrass when sprayed on young plants, and effective post-emergence control of crabgrass with two or three applications. Tests have shown it to be safe to bentgrass and annual bluegrass. It is now being test marketed, and may be ready in 1985. @D Walker Mows Fast, Easy and Beautiful A new breed of mid-size mower designed for the lawn care professional mowing landscaped areas. Exclusive built-in Grass Handling System (GHS) takes the hassle out of catching grass clippings "Built-in" means no external chutes, blowers or catchers to limit maneu verability An internal 9" blower connected to the rear discharge deck moves grass into catcher with powerful vacuum and filling action. Catcher features automatic full signal, "Powerfil" delivery spout and quick tail gate dumping Also available is an interchangeable side discharge deck for mowing without catching. Mows Fast because tractor maneuvers quickly with dual hydrostatic ground drive and lever steering. Many Walker mower owners are reporting their job time is cut V3 tO 1/2. Mows Easy with only fingertip pressure re-quired on control levers to steer and maneuver. Comfortable operator seating, excellent visi-bility and convenient control location reduces operator fatigue. Mows Beautiful because front mounted deck, flexible deck suspension and medi-um lift blades with center overlap provide smooth cutting action. The GHS vacuum thor-oughly picks up grass clippings for a neat-clean appearance. 36 or 42-inch cut Compact overall size for maneuverability Zero turning radius steering Front mounted deck for unobstructed trimming Walker Mfg. Co., 1839 E. Harmony Road, Fort Collins. CO 80525 (303) 226-1514 Tests prove it! Pene-Turf combats soil water problems. Extensive university and independent tests now prove that Pene-Turf makes soil more permeable and less plasticŠthat means fewer erosion problems, better drainage and reduced water runoff.. .even more effective chemical incorporation. Fact is, Pene-Turf can be a great benefit to wet or dry turf. It can help keep lawns looking green for less than half the cost of similar products. Find out for yourself. . .write Š' today for FREE information, or call TOLL-FREE,1-800-348-2608. Distributor inquiries invited. FOUR STAR AGRICULTURAL SERVICES, INC. Penc-TUrf Dept. LI 2275 N. State Road 1 P.O. Box 463 Bluffton, Indiana 46714 Toil-Free: 1-800-348-2608 Indiana: 219-824-5384 Collect soil treatment Circle No. 134 on Reader Inquiry Card Circle No. 112 on Reader Inquiry Card PRODUCTS Triplex mower is 87 inches wide Locke Manufacturing Inc. has introduced a new 87-inch riding triplex reel mower with its 1984 line. The Locke Professional com-bines the high quality precision cut of hydraulic reel mowers with a reliable mechanical cutting sys-tem. This machine is best suited for large grounds where a high quality cut is required. It is powered by a 16 hp Briggs and Stratton engine which delivers ground speeds up to 7 mph in transport and 4 mph while mow- ing. The Professional provides a cut height that ranges from 3/e-inch to 2V4 inches. Its turning radius is 3Vz feet. Circle No. 201 on Reader Service Card Two walk-behinds added to market Toro will introduce 36-inch and 52-inch walk-behind rotary lawn mowers with special traction units this spring. "We have designed a traction unit that's more maneuverable than any currently on the mar-ket," says Steve Williams, Direc-tor of Commercial Product Marketing. The mower also has a unique T-control steering design coupled with a powered reverse for precise, tight maneuvering ability. By simply releasing the steering T, the mower is brought to a halt. The decks Qn these new entries are the same as used in Toro's extremely successful Groundmaster line. Circle No. 202 on Reader Service Card Tractor-pulled unit has 20-gallon tank The WS-800 Estate Wheelie from Wheel Spray Corp. is a tractor-pulled sprayer with a 20-gallon capacity. It was designed for a variety of applications, including parks, cemeteries, large estates, institutions and industrial grounds. The Estate Wheelie is equipped with two pumps, three nozzles and foldup booms. The unique ground-driven pumping system requires no water hoses, cords, batteries or gasoline. It will deliver approximately 30 gallons per acre of liquid fertil- izers, herbicides, insecticides and growth regulators in a 90-inch swath. Circle No. 203 on Reader Service Card New chemical is for ornamental weeds A new product for season-long weed control around ornamental plants is being introduced by Elanco Products Co.: Surflan her-bicide, now available in quart bot-tles containing a new liquid formulation. Surflan does not kill existing plants, but prevents additional weed establishment. The new quart can be combined conven-iently with Roundup herbicide to provide a combination that destroys existing weed growth and keeps them from coming back. Surflan can also be combined with paraquat, MSMA or Dowpon to kill existing vegetation in non- crop areas. Circle No. 204 on Reader Service Card r* > Z n > PO n z a c cn H pa Łn n 03 pa C > PC CO 00 Circle No. 130 on Reader Inquiry Card Change spray tips dean strainers in seconds... without tools! New Quicklet system u Model QJ z n > 70 m C C/5 H 70 < m zz 70 a > 70 CO 00 4k Electric drive pump for lawn sprayers Century Engineering introduces to its line of lawn and garden sprayers a 12-volt electric diaphragm pumping system. The diaphragm pump model complements the existing gas-oline engine and PTO pump sprayers. It is available on all pull- behinds, skid units and three-points. Features include automatic 40 psi cut-off pressure switch, non- corrosive pump housing, EPDM diaphragm and a two gpm flow capacity drawing only four amps. Circle No. 207 on Reader Service Card Knife-edge seal keeps trimmer clean A knife-edge seal developed for outboard motors has been improved and adapted to string trimmers by International Pack- ings Corp. With the IPC seal, a knife-edge on the metal case identification is rolled down and rides close to the crankshaft. Very little clearance is left between the case and crank-shaft, providing a type of "doctor blade" that cuts away and excludes any debris that attempts to enter the trimmer around the shaft. The design and seals were developed by Dave Vockins, prod-uct engineer for the Homelite Division of Textron, with assis- tance from International Pack-ings. They have been incorpo-rated into three Homelite trimmers, the ST-80, ST-100 and ST-120. Circle No. 208 on Reader Service Card t 00 CD T-< >-OC < D oc 0Q w &u > OC F cn D Q Z u DP < u z £ < J Pump sprayers are less costly to use Smithco has announce the intro-duction of a new line of sprayers equipped with Hypro diaphragm pumps. The new "Special" sprayers are made to handle abrasive, granular materials, wettable powders and corrosive chemicals without damage. And they are designed to be substantially less expensive to operate and maintain than piston pump sprayers. The Lark Special will deliver up to 9.5 gallons per minute and pressures up to 550 psi. It comes equipped with a 110-gallon tank. The larger Hawk Special will deliver 14.6 gallons per minute and pressures up to 550 psi. It is available with 200-, 300- or 500-gallon tanks. The sprayers are less expensive to maintain because the only stan-dard replacement items are val- ves, seats and diaphragms. Circle No. 216 on Reader Service Card Plant nutrients help resistance Agri-Plex 4X chelated plant nutrients are a technological breakthrough, based on a pat-ented phosphate-citrate complex providing numerous benefits. According to its manufacturer, Agri-Plex 4X can help landscape plants maintain good color, enhance their tolerance and stress recovery and increase their resis-tance to diseases. Formulated to supplement a sound fertilizer program, applica- tion of the product is highly rec- ommended in combination spray treatments with pesticides when turfgrass, trees or shurbs are under stress. WITH NEW SENSA-MATIC"STEERING OUR 48-INCH INTERMEDIATE HANDLES LIKE A SPORTS CAR. Our new Sensation 48-Inch Intermediate is designed with a highly responsive steering system so it steers as easy as a sportscar. Just turn the steering handle to the left or right and a dual-independent braking system lets you effortlessly guide the Sensation around trees, rocks, posts and buildings. Tight cornering is easy. With Sensa-Matic steering the 48-Inch Intermediate has an effective turning radius of zero. Essentially, it can turn on a dime. GET THE WHOLE STORY ON SENSATION PERFORMANCE. Along with the most advanced "handling system" in the industry, the Sensation 48-Inch Intermediate has other superior performance characteristics to help you cut grass faster and better. With five forward speeds plus reverse you can adjust your ground speed while delivering optimum power and RPM's to the cutting blades. We've designed the Sensation 48-Inch Intermediate with maximum ground speed capability to let you mow quickly across wide open stretches and still get a smooth, uniform cut. It also operates smoothly at lower trimming speeds. Our full floating deck provides a smooth, uniform cut and eliminates scalping. The unit also has an easy height adjustment. Get the whole story on the Sensation 48-Inch Intermediate with Sensa-Matic steering. Clip the coupon today and send for our free four-color brochure. Note: See us at the Golf Course Superintendent Show in Las Vegas. Booth #379 l ! Please send me a four-color brochure on the Sensation 48-Inch Intermediate with Sensa-Matic steering. Company Name Title Address City State JzifiL Phone Ł Please send me information on your entire line of commercial mowers. Sensation Division of Gilson Brothers Company PO Box 536. Plymouth, Wl 53073 Circle No. 146 on Reader Inquiry Card Primary ingredients in Agri-Plex 4X are available phosphoric acid (four percent) and soluble potash (four percent). When turf and plants achieve the desired level of growth, diluted Agri-Plex 4X can main- tain vigor and color without stim-ulating new growth. Circle No. 217 on Reader Service Card Core aerator is small but rugged Salsco Welding & Fabrication has designed a new walk-behind core aerator that is smaller than other such machines, but very rugged. The Salsco aerator is self-pro-pelled with rear-wheel drive. It has six tines spread over a 34-inch width, and gives more than two-inch penetration into the soil. The aerator weighs 300 pounds. It is powered by a five hp Briggs & Stratton motor with 6:1 gear reduction. Other Salsco products are the Lawn Maker, an all-in-one seeder/fertilizer/aerator; and a compact walk-behind seeder/fer-tilizer. Circle No. 219 on Reader Service Card Professional line of products expanded PBI-Gordon Corp. is expanding its new line of Acme Professional Strength Products, which were test marketed on a major scale last year. In addition to Professional Strength Weed-No-More, other Professional Strength formula- tions include Betasan and Dursban, with Professional Strength Turf Ester being intro-duced for this year. One gallon is the standard size for the her- bicides; the Dursban insecticide comes in one-half gallons. Targeted end user is the small professional lawn care operator, according to product manager Don Newhart. Circle No. 220 on Reader Service Card Versatility added to power blower With the addition of a PBAM mist-ing attachment, the Echo backpack power blower can now be used to apply liquid insec-ticides, fertilizers and herbicides. The PBAM attachment is designed with an on/off valve, a nozzle adjustment for wide or narrow application patterns, a volume control valve with four settings and a large diameter screw-type lid on the top of the liquid tank. Tank capacity is more than 2Vi gallons. Circle No. 221 on Reader Service Card HELMINTHOSPORIUM LEAF SPOT SCLEROTINIA DOLLAR SPOT RHIZOCTONIA BROWN PATCH FUSARIUM PATCH CHIPCO 26019 is Hie only fungicide you need* CHIPCO® 26019 fungicide. It can be used safely on all lawn Selling disease control is a great grasses nationwide to control the way to boost profits and attract new major turf diseases like leaf spot, n disease problems Łvto profits with :0® 26019 fungicide. customers. And CHIPCCT26019 is the ideal product to help you do both. Hie selling proposition: a beautiful, dollar spot, fusarium and brown patch. Highly effective and long-lasting, CHIPCO 26019 fungicide fits into your treatment schedule and reduces callbacks. In short, when you've got Everything you'do for a'customer CHIPCO 26019 on the shelf, you're is designed to create a beautiful ready tor business. lawn. TUrf diseases look bad... and that can make you look bad. A pro-grammed approach that includes an effective, long-lasting fungicide like CHIPCO 26019 keeps your customers satisfied. Send for FREE booklet on how to sell disease control. We've put together a booklet that details lots of effective techniques and tools for selling disease control to your customers...and delivering it with effective, long-lasting CHIPCO 26019 fungicide. TVjrf Fungicide TITLE. COMPANY. ADDRESS. CITY. CHIPCO 26019 WONG CARE OF BUSMESS Send to: Rhone-Poulenc Inc. CHIPCO Fungicide Lawn Care Center P.O. Box 125 Black Horse Lane Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852 I I l Please send FREE How to Sell Lawn Disease Control booklet to: NAME . STATE COST CUTTINGS h Popular mower w 'adds' one wheel DC £3 To accommodate turf mainte-z nance operations where required, ^ a four-wheel model of the diesel-- powered Turfcat II riding rotary mower has been introduced by Jacobsen Division of Textron. Designated the Turfcat II DW 224, the new machine features hydraulically-driven cutter decks and other implements. The Turfcat II DW 224 can mow up to 24 acres in an average work-ing day with the 72-inch side-dis-charge rotary deck attachment. It is also available with 60-inch rear-or side-discharge rotary decks or a 60-inch flail mower. The machine is a front-wheel drive that can deliver a zero uncut circle, with brake assist. Circle No. 209 on Reader Service Card Fiberglass loading ramp is super-light A new 726 Super Light ramp for fast, easy handling of loads up to 1,500 pounds has been added to the line of fiberglass loading ramps made by Melcher Manufac-turing Co. The 7-foot by 26-inch Super Light weighs only 50 pounds, and can be operated by a single per-son. The ramp has aluminum end plates, angled at the upper end to seat firmly on truck beds and bev-elled at the lower end to the cor-rect angle for smooth loading. Supertraction surface provides sure footing for safe loading in wet or dry weather. Circle No. 210 on Reader Service Card Power rake made for heavier uses Parker's Thatch-O-Matic power rake now features a heavier, one-inch diameter tubular handle for easier grip and extra strength. And for added operator con-venience, the engine throttle con- trol has been moved to the upper handle. As the Thatch-O-Matic is built for heavy-duty use, landscapers can choose from three high-per-formance reelsŠtines, flails or knivesŠfor dethatching to com-plete renovation. Circle No. 211 on Reader Service Card Stopping quitters If employees leave you after a short timeŠeven up to a yearŠyou are in serious trouble because it's costing you money. First of all, you may also lose some custom-ers who have grown used to working with a particular employee. Then, too, you have to expend extra time, energy and even money to locate a new employee. While the hole exists in your staff, other people are filling in, taking valuable time from their own chores. And finally, there is that training period when your new employee isn't operating at peak efficiency that is costing you money. If you've got good workers, it's your job to make sure they stay with you for as long as possible: this means competitive wages with periodic merit increases, good working condi-tions and fringe benefits. Let your employees know what is expected of them and don't be hesitant to praise them when the occasion arises. Keeping your employees is sometimes as simple as treating them in a decent and consis-tent manner. And that will, in the long run, pay off. .. The Andersons has consistently proven to Dow how effectively ourDursban® insecticides can be beneficially combined with their fertilizer formulations for double-barreled professional performance. "There's no question that Dursban insecticides are one of the most versatile, safe, and dependable insecticides which modern chemistry has produced. The Andersons expertly incorporate Dursban into Tee Time fertilizer/insecticide com-binations that also give turf pros the added benefit of simultaneous turf feeding. Now, that's effective, efficient and economical "What's more, The Andersons' new production facilities are computerized and state-of-the-art. That means accuracy and precision control of the formulation process which is critical to consistent product performance. " We're confident that turf care pros looking for reliability in fertilizer/insecticide combination products can always find it in The Andersons' Tee Time products with Dursban! David H. Naffziger, M.S. Product Development Manager, Dursban Insecticides f The Dow Chemical Company m Dursban® Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company MONEYWISE About bad debts Yes, you can actually make money from your uncollectable bad debts. How? By claiming bad debts from personal loans on your income tax report in April. According to an article in the Pennsylvania Nurserymen's Association newsletter, you can reduce taxes up to 50 percent by claiming bad debts. The crucial distinction is this: "while busi-ness bad debts are fully deductible from gross income, uncollectable non-business debts are treated as short-term capital losses subject to a $3,000 annual deduction limitation with cer-tain carryover rights," the article said. So, for some bad debts, you will have to determine whether to claim them as business or non-business to yield the greatest tax bene-fit. "For corporations," the article said, "this may mean establishing a reserve for bad debts based on the company's historical loss rate. This allows for accelerated write-offs, taken before the losses actually occur." and TEE TIME The safe combination you can bank on to beat back bugs. Mower offers even more versatility The Bunton triplex mower is gaining wide acceptance for large maintenance jobs because of the versatility achieved through its unique design. The unit features six-blade cut-ting reels that can be individually adjusted for cutting heights from 7/16-inch to 23A inches. The three reels give a total cutting width of 73 inches, are hydraulically raised and lowered for transporta-tion, and have front and rear rollers to eliminate scalping. Speed is variable up to 10 mph with an 8V2 hp Robin engine. Circle No. 212 on Reader Service Card Heavy duty cutter has no gear box The Sidewinder 848 heavy duty cutter from the FMC Corp. requires minimum maintenance, provides maximum ser-viceability, and is the only cutter on the market without a gear box. The Sidewinder comes in 66-, 72- or 84-inch width in lift or pull versions, and is built with proven FMC engineering and perfor- mance. Circle No. 213 on Reader Service Card z n > PC m Z a c C/D H T3 n DO pa C > pa Products listed Billy Goat Industries has recently revamped all the product litera-ture for its line of outdoor power equipment. Of special interest to lawn care businessmen are pam-phlets on the company's turf prod-ucts and blowers. The changes in literature were precipitated by improvements in various models which necessi- tated new product photos. Circle No. 214 on Reader Inquiry Card Riding mower is designed for ease The GraZer riding rotary lawn mower, produced by Willsey-D, has been designed for ease of operation. Control levers activate twin hydrostatic transmissions for posi-tive speed, direction and braking control of each drive wheel. Zero radius turns and infinitely variable forward and reverse speeds up to 5V2 mph mean easy operation and exceptional maneuverability. The mower is available with deck sizes of 42, 52 and 62 inches; Briggs & Stratton engines avail-able are 11,16 and 18 hp. Circle No. 215 on Reader Service Card Andersons Tee Time Tee Time Fertilizer Insecticide 30-3-5 with PufslMfi 2 V* Durstvir yVrtrlersoos greatest possible return on your turf care investment. You need the kind of product performance security you get from The Andersons. With The Andersons' line-up of high-quality Tee Time fertilizer/insecticide com-binations with Dursban, you get all the selection flexibility you need to meet your specific insecticide requirements. What's more, you also earn the added economies of single application products that feed while simultaneously controlling bugs. You can bank on Tee Time 30-3-5 with DursbanŠ 38-0-0 and 18-3-5 with DursbanŠTee Time triple- action 20-4-10 with Dursban and Balan^ for feeding, weeding, and insect controlŠ The investment you make-in time, labor, product and equipment costsŠshould not only pay-off with the most healthy looking turf possibleŠit should also yield other high-interest dividends such as repeat business, happy customer referrals and increased profitability. That's precisely why more and more investment-wise turf care experts bank on Tee Time and Dursban insecticides. Sod webworms, billbugs, chinch bugs, grubs, army-worms, chiggers, clover mites, crickets, ants, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, turf-grass weevilsŠthey can all be formidable foes when it comes to unlocking the & 1 T) Copyright, 1983 the professional's partner Lawn Fertilizer Division P.O. Box 119 Maumee, Ohio 43537 Ohio: 800-472-3220 Outside Ohio: 800-537-3370 and Tee Time straight for-mula Dursban 2.5G. The Andersons purchases technical Dursban in large, economical bulk quantity. Then, it carefully and expertly incorporates it in its com-puterized state-of-the-art production facility. The result? Safe, consistent, ac-curate formulationsŠquality assuredŠand performance proven. Value to you that's right on the money. For the best return on your turf care investment, rely on your close-by Tee Time distributor. He'll tell you more about the big dividends you earn when you bank on performance yielding Tee Time/Dursban combinations from The Andersons. Personality test Are you really happy in lawn career? Been wondering if you're really happy in the lawn care business lately? Have you accomplished anything of any substance recently, and did you have fun doing it? Here is a quiz, designed by free-lance writer Ernest W. Fair, that can give you an idea of whether you're getting everything out of your "personal" relationship with your business. Check each point below, then to score and determine your rat- ing, turn to Page 49. Remember to be honest! 1) Would you prefer, in an aver-age day, to: (a) have more to do; (b) have less to do; (c) have the usual amount to do? 2) Would you prefer to: (a) be retired; (b) have a lot more money in the bank? 3) From time to time, do you think about a better job? (a) yes; (b) no. 4) When something goes wrong in your business, does it touch your personal life to the extent of making you unhappy? (a) yes; (b) no. 5) Has anything been done with your business recently that should have been done dif-ferently? (a) yes; (b) no. 6) Someone else makes a big mistake. Do you: (a) take that per- son aside and show them where they went wrong; (b) point out what went wrong without men- tioning names; (c) keep quiet and stay out of the whole thing? 7) When you are confronted with an important problem that needs a solution, do you: (a) take the easy way out and adopt a con-ventional answer; (b) try for some-thing different, better solution? 8) Is your present physical and mental condition sufficient to handle business requirements 95 percent of the time? (a) yes; (b) no. 9) A really good, new idea has a built-in penalty if it fails. Do you: (a) do everything to give it a good trial; (b) try to get someone else to share the risk; (c) dismiss the whole thing because of the possi-ble risk? 10) How much time do you spend on the job each average day doing little of value at all? (a) none; (b) 30 minutes; (c) one hour; (d) two hours or more. 11) Do you still have specific future goals, despite the success of your business? (a) yes; (b) no. 12) Are you still making an effort to find interesting and out-of-the-ordinary things to do in your business, even though the money is piling in? (a) yes; (b) no. 13) Do you have an ever-pres-ent desire to make each lawn look better than anyone else can? (a) yes; (b) no. 14) If an unexpected large financial windfall developed in your company, would you: (a) invest every cent of it; (b) invest part and do something you've always wanted to do with the rest; (c) spend it all on a splurge? 15) If you had to make a busi-ness decision thatŠif success- fulŠwould seriously affect some- one else financially, would you: (a) go ahead and let the other per-son look out for himself; (b) work out a solution that would be advantageous but harm the other person less; (c) forget the whole thing? 16) Are you still fascinated by jobs not in lawn care? (a) yes; (b) no. 17) Has there been one time in the last year that you've been exceptionally proud of an accom-plishment? (a) yes; (b) no. 18) Does the success of someone elseŠeven a competitorŠmake you feel: (a) happy for that per- son's achievement; (b) envy for what that person did; (c) like that person was just plain lucky; (d) like you should try to outdo that person as soon as possible? 19) If you were confronted with a business situation involving a slightly questionable (but not ille- gal) procedure, would you: (a) go ahead with it, hoping that no one finds out; (b) sidestep the whole thing to avoid it; (c) try to work things out without the question- able element entering into the sit-uation? 20) When you are confronted with an irritating and trouble- some problem, do you: (a) give it to someone else; (b) tackle it as soon as possible; (c) tackle it, trying to avoid the extra-irritating ele-ments of the problem? (Answers and ratings for this test can be found at the bottom of Page 49) m Bringing You The Superior Advantages Of Gearys Liquid FLUF Fertilizer BULK DELIVERY Tank mix compatible with herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and urea No burn, not even in the hot summer months Proven slow release performance Ease of handling & storage NOW AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE US AND CANADA umi-CLERRV QKR1KRL Ł CORPORATION * 1049 SOMERSET STREET SOMERSET, NJ. (201) 247-8000 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 2/84 2 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: ŁChemical lawn care company Ł Mowing/maintenance lawn care company B. SUPPLIER: ŁChemical dealer and/or distributor Ł Equipment dealer and/or distributor ŁSeed broker/dealer NAME BUSINESS NAME_ CITY C. OTHER Please specify:-_TITLE . _ ADDRESS _ _STATE_ _ZIP_ _TELEPHONE_L ) AREA CODE I WISH TO RECEIVE (CONTINUE RECEIVING) LAWN CARE INDUSTRY EACH MONTH Ł YES Ł NO SIGNATURE DATE NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY CARDl FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 665 DULUTH, MINNESOTA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE DEPARTMENT L4WN GIRE INDUSTRY POST OFFICE BOX 6080 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55806-9780 l.l.l..l.l.l..l.ll....ll..l.l..l,.ll..l.ll I.II Testing completed Dust formulation controls imported fire ants Application of a dust formulation containing one percent chlor-pyrifos has been found to effec-tively control imported fire ants in individual mound treatments. Results of field testing by the Dow Chemical Co. in 1981 and 1983 show that the dust formula-tion applied evenly at one to two ounces per ant mound suc- cessfully controls ants in the established mounds. The red imported fire ant pres-ently infests more than 230 mil- lion acres in North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Flor-ida, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Alabama. Individual mound treatment with an effective, approved insec-'Happy' test (Answers to the personality test on Page 46) SCORING YOURSELF 1) a = 5, b = 0, c = 3; 2) a = 0, b = 5; 3) a = 5, b = 0; 4) a = 5, b = 0; 5) a = 5, b = 0; 6) a = 5, b=4, c = 3; 7)a = 0, b = 5; 8) a = 5, b = 0; 9) a = 5, b = 3, c = 0; 10) a = 5, b = 3, c = 2, d = 0; 11) a = 5, b = 2; 12) a = 5, b = 0; 13) a = 5, b = 0; 14) a = 3, b = 5, c = 0; 15) a = 2, b = 5, c = 0; 16) a = 5, b = 0; 17) a = 5, b = 0; 18) a = 5, b = 0, c = 0, d = 5; 19) a = 0, b = 0, c = 5; 20) a = 2, b = 4, c = 5 RATING YOURSELF 100-75 = You're doing your darndest and getting a lot of fun out of your job; keep up the good work. 74-55 = Your desire is there, but you're sometimes slow to take action; how about a little more emphasis on getting things done, and less emphasis on promising to do them? 54-35 = You're at least on the verge of being happy; only you can change your outlook, though, and today's a good day for a start. 34-0 = You are neither happy nor effective in the lawn care business; but you can go back over the questions in which you scored low, and see how a few simple changes might make a big dif-ference. Next month: Controlling spring insect outbreaks ticide diluted in water is generally considered the most effective con-trol method, but it is also the most labor-intensive and time-con-suming. In the Dow research, conducted in Mississippi, the best method was to sprinkle the dust evenly and directly over the mound, rak-ing it lightly into the mound. While the one ounce chlorpyrifos formulation proved best, a lower rate such as one-half ounce per mound was found to suppress imported fire ant populations. During the extensive testing, the one percent chlorpyrifos dust was evaluated at four, two, one and one-half ounce per mound. The four ounce rate showed excellent reduction of active mounds, but new mounds were found in nearby areas a week after treatment. The two ounce rate produced 100 percent reduction of active mounds with few newly-formed mounds found nearby. The one ounce rate gave 96 per- cent reduction in 1981 tests and 88 percent reduction in 1983 trials. The half-ounce treatment gave a 64 percent reduction in 1983 test-ing. The dust formulation applied at the two-ounce per mound rate compared favorably with applica-tions of Dursban 4E at one fluid ounce per four gallons of water, using one gallon of the drench per mound. Each of these treatments produced 100 percent control in active mounds. Based on the favorable results of this field research, and addi-tional use by at least one formula- tor, Dow has begun assisting customers in obtaining required approvals (labelling) for using Dursban insecticide in a dust for applications in their particular locales. r-> Z n > 30 m Z a a & H TO < m 03 TO a > TO CO 00 K3I3II Compare performance. Compare cost. You'll discover Balan® clearly out-[ values other preemergence herbicides for lawn and golf course maintenance. Balan delivers effective crabgrass controlŠsimilar to other products that cost up to twice as much. And Balan also kills goosegrass, foxtail, poa annua, barn-yardgrass. Gets 'em before they get growing. ^^ Another Balan advantage is its predictable length of control. So you know I when to reapply and when it's safe to reseed. And that prevents wasting money on un-necessary applications or having to wait for several months before you can reseed. Balan granules apply easily, too. Won't clog in the spreader. Assure even, uniform coverage with more particles per square foot for consistent weed control, better looking turf. This season, depend on weed control that has been proven safe and depend-able on more turfgrass for more years at much less cost: BalanŠfrom your Elanco dis-tributor at prices even lower than last year. (Also, have him show you the advantages, cost-efficiency in other Elanco turf products: Rubigan® fungicide, Surflan® and Treflan® herbicides.) Elanco Products Company, A Division of Eli Lilly and Company, Dept. E-455, Indianapolis, IN 46285, U.S.A. Turf products with benefits that make the difference. Balan*-(benefin, Elanco) Rutxgan* - (fenarimol. Elanco) Surflan*- (oryzalin, Elanco) Treflan*-(trlfluralin, Elanco) FROM PAGE ONE 'Chemical intoxication' as a defense from page 1 suffer as a direct result of the slay-ing. Garabedian's case was to have gone to trial in Middlesex County Court last month. "A jury could believe there was lack of criminal responsibility based upon poisoning or exposure to these chemicals," defense attorney Robert Mardirosian told reporters, although he acknowl-edged that no identical cases exist. The Boston Herald alerted Mas-sachusetts residents to the possi-ble defense tactic with the headline: "Chemical Made Me Murder." Citing possible legal ramifica-tions, Dr. James Wilkinson of Old Fox Lawn Service has declined comment on the case. But com-pany manager Richard Gillette has told reporters that there is no documented evidence of anyone ever having reacted to chemicals in the way Mardirosian has implied. David Dietz, Pesticide Public Policy Foundation (PPPF) admin- istrator, echoed those sentiments, calling the possible defense tactic "a very creative idea." "I don't anticipate that it will hold up in court, though," Dietz continued. Dietz said his organization is watching how the Massachussetts case develops before deciding on a course of action. "We're not jump-ing the gun," he commented. "It may be a case where being quiet is being right." [W] Telemarketing may push direct mail from page 1 obviously desired to compete profitably over time, Erbaugh said. There are three ways to do this, in light of increased competi-tionŠproduction efficiencies, overhead efficiencies and cus-tomer-acquisition efficiencies. "If I can be more efficient in all three areas than you are, in time I will drive you out of business," he said. "But at some point we have to realize our limitations. For example, I really don't think I can out-produce ChemLawn and many others in the industry. "I might be able to tinker with a couple of things, but overall, I seriously doubt that I can out-pro- duce or create lower overhead than my competitors. "Thus, it is up to me to acquire my customers at a cheaper cost if I am to compete in the long run," Erbaugh said. He explained the cost dif-ferences between direct mail and telemarketing for customer acqui-sition. With direct mail, you have costs for list creation, label crea-tion, brochure development, label affixing, label processing and postage and delivery. Ten years ago, Erbaugh said he could mail 50,000 pieces for 15 cents a piece, or a cost of $7,500. He could average a 2V2 percent return, thus generating 1,250 leadsŠa cost of $6 per lead. He said he could close 65 percent of these leads, thus creating a cost of $9.25 per sale. When he added $2 selling expenses to each sale, he said it cost $11.25 to acquire a new customer. Today, he said he is lucky is he can close 50 percent of his leads. Plus, he can only attain l3/i per-cent response on his direct mail, and it costs him 25 cents to put a direct mail package together. Totaled up, he says that his cost per sale today is $31.60, and "your brochure arrives the same day as six of your competitors'." Erbaugh outlined the costs for telemarketing, which include buying the phones, new super-visory costs and "hassles," and wages and payroll taxes. He said the total cost of calling for an hour is $10, and four leads can be gener-ated in this time for a cost of $2.50 per lead. He said there are outside agencies that will do this service for a cost of about $5 a lead. "The leads are much 'softer,'" Erbaugh said, "and we can only close perhaps 25 to 50 percent of them. Add to this $5 worth of sell- ing costs, and you have a total cost of about $15 per sale." YOUR TIF Jl V fianFF Save Time With Formolene > I IttZAXl I lflflWE 30-0-2 Liquid Lawn Fertilizer Add Formolene to your liquid ^ A/| IVl^^ program and you'll have more time to treat more Jrwmm mwEwmmjm W lawns Š up to twice as many! Because of Formolene's high concentration of nitrogen and its low-burn potential, it can be applied with less water. One fill of your truck could treat more than twice as mm m ŁŁŁ m^m^m mmmm mm many average sized lawns as urea, JOLv\MWj nm 1K1 F" urea blends or UAN solution. So you m ^ mm^m^mmmmmmrn can increase your customer baseŠand your profits! Formolene's Advantages are Outstanding: Š^^^^ Ł Low-burn potential Ł Quick green-up and lasting color I ll\#r I I Ł Ł Uniform, moderate turf growth Ł Blends with other nutrients, chemicals Ł Requires no agitation A "Do-it-yourself" Source for Water Insoluble Nitrogen You can convert 25% of Formolene nitrogen into a low-cost water insoluble nitrogen sus-pensionŠright in your truck tank. Get the Whole Story For more information on Formolene Liquid Fertilizer, contact your nearest Formolene Dealer. He can supply you with complete chemical and pricing information. fORMOlENi LIQUID FERTILIZERS HA WKEYE \lCHEMICAL COMPANY Box 899, Clinton. Iowa 52732 Phone (319)243-5800 Erbaugh said that both methods work and both fit in a total mar-keting plan. He said direct mail does a better job of explaining the service in new markets, and that telemarketing does a better job in markets where a company's name is well-known. In the old days, a worker could measure 30 lawns in one day, and he hoped that nobody was home to slow him up, Erbaugh said. "But now you have very aggres-sive phone workers calling up existing customers with the approval to cut prices as much as 20 percent to get the business," Erbaugh said. "I am not suggesting that I like all of these things, but I am suggesting that they are here to stay and you better learn to live with them. |W] Giordano is dead at 48 from page 1 His death was quite unexpected." Giordano was on the phone with LAWN CARE INDUSTRY editors the day before his death, talking animatedly about a story the magazine was working on. During the conversation, he noted that Lawn Doctor was extremely elated with 1983 sales, and was looking forward to the new season. Giordano originally merchan-dised lawn and garden products from the Harris Hardware store in Matawan, holding Sunday lawn care seminars for townspeople. When those same friends asked him to care for their lawns, Gior-dano and Bob Magda (now a sen- ior vice-president at Lawn Doctor) decided to sell the hardware store and go into professional lawn care. That was the beginning of z n the Lawn Doctor story. A few years ago, Giordano told S LCI that he wanted to model his company into "the McDonald's of £ lawn care," referring to the most # popular chain of fast-food restau-rants in the nation. Surviving the popular Gior-dano are his wife Gail, daughter Sg Gabrielle, 22, and sister Rosemary c Martin. » At presstime, no determination had been made by Lawn Doctor's £ Board of Directors concerning the company's immediate future. A meeting was scheduled last month, though. [M] EXCLUSIVE FORMOLENE DEALERS: EVERGREEN LAWN CARE Kitchener. Ontario M2C2K6 Canada 519-894-1022 BLAKLEY FERTILIZER COMPANY Springfield. IL 62707 217-529-5692 TYLER ENTERPRISES. INC. Elwood. IL 60421 815-423-5808 FLO-LIZER. INC. Kingston, OH 45644 614-642-3001 LARRY FRICKER COMPANY INC. Anaheim. CA 92681 714-774-6777 GREAT PLAINS ASSOCIATES. LTD. Niles. Ml 49120 616-683-7463 UAP SPECIAL PRODUCTS Omaha. NE 68137 402-330-1910 HOWE INC. Shakopee. MN 55379 612-445-6570 MOYER AND SON INC. Souderton, PA 18964 215-723-6001 OLD FOX CHEMICAL COMPANY Enfield. CT 06082 E. Providence Rl 203-749-8339 UAP SPECIAL PRODUCTS N. Kansas City. MO 64116 816-221-2783 ELDON C. STUTSMAN. INC. Hills. IA 52235 319-679-2281 GEORGE S. TERRY & COMPANY INC. Oakfield. NY 14125 716-948-9355 TEXAS LIQUID FERTILIZER CO. Houston. TX 77026 713-236-1733 TURFWIZ Chesapeake. VA 23320 804-547-7111 VOGEL SEED AND FERTILIZER Jackson. Wl 53037 414-677-2273 WESTERN FARM SERVICE INC. Alpaugh. CA 93201 209-949-8476 WOLFKILL FEED & FERTILIZER Monroe. WA 98272 509-932-4769 HA WKEYE \ CHEMICAL COMPANY Clinton. Iowa 52732 (319) 243-5800 MEET1THE Meet Mustang-the new turf-type tall fescue whose extraordinary turf quality, heat/drought toler-ance and dark green color make it a breed apart from the others. Turf data from major universi-ties rank Mustang Pickseed also produces Touchdown PERENNIAL AYEGRASS KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS and other fine turf grasses available nationwide from quality seed suppliers. superior in seedling vigor, turf performance, and disease resist-ance. You demand excellence in your turf management, so why settle for anything less in your choice of a tall fescue. demand Mustang! Produced by: PIC] PICKSEED WEST Inc. P.O. Box 888ŁTangent, Oregon 97389 (503) 926-8886 THE LAST WORD oo 05 CO w oc F cn D Q Z w < U z £ < Educating the government Potentially, public properties may be the greatest single source of new business for landscape main- tenance contractors. Many governmental agencies already use contracted services to great advantage. But continued taxpayer con-cern about runaway government budgets is usually countered by threatening to eliminate conven- ient or visible services. Instead of looking for new or different ways to cut costs and still deliver the services, few government agen- cies are willing to change. Contracted service, however, can maintain levels of service and either hold or reduce costs. It can also offer other significant advan-tages, including: 1. Known fixed costs. Once the contract is awarded, the cost is fixed over a known period of time. There are no hidden, indirect, or unfunded future charges. 2+5 ADDS UP TO THE BEST WARRANTY IN THE BUSINESS: Two years on our Industrial/Commercial engines. Five years on the Magnetron1 Ignition on our Industrial/Commercial engines. No one comes close to giving you what you get with the new Briggs & Stratton 2+5 l/C engine warranty. Compare this to the 90-day warranty offered by some other engine manufacturers. Why do we give you such a good warranty? Because we give you such good l/C engines. They're tough, reliable and long lasting, built on our wealth of experience on worksites around the world. Our l/C engines come with heavy-duty cast-iron bores. Dual element air cleaners. Cobalite valves and seats. And they all have Magnetron® Ignition, the exclusive Briggs & Stratton elec-tronic system that's so dependable it carries a five-year warranty, when used on l/C engines. The Briggs & Stratton 2+5 l/C engine war-ranty. It's simply the best you can get. But the best part is you'll probably never need it. ŁLimited warranty. For two years on the l/C engines and five years on the Magnetron* Ignition on the l/C engine. Briggs & Stratton. as an exclusive remedy, will cover all parts and labor costs if failure is caused by defective parts or workmanship. 2. Reduced personnel prob-lems. Personnel management, especially in the public sector, has become increasingly complex and frustrating, mainly because of the willingness of public employees to strike. Restraints imposed on management prerogatives not only hinder efficient operations, but make it nearly impossible to terminate incompetent, intran-sigent, or surplus employees. Meanwhile, the profit motive keeps qualified contractors inno-vative, efficient, responsive, per- sistent, and conscientious. Con-tracts can be cancelled for non- performance. 3. Continuity. When a public agency has established relations with a qualified contractor, there is no need to worry about retire- ments, replacements, promotions, relocations, training, retraining, or transfers. 4. Flexibility and versatility. Qualified contractors can provide both expert and experienced peo- ple readily, but only when needed. The qualified contractor can readily justify both the employment of experts and often larger or more specialized equip-ment. Also, contractors may buy the most efficient, reliable, capa- ble equipment available because they are not forced to buy on low bid. Contracted services, however, cannot deliver any of these advan-tages if they are purchased solely on the basis of cost. In many cases, the worst contractors get most of the public work. These less capa-ble contractors often use public information and cut past prices regardless of costs or require- ments. Experience has shown that when price is the only considera-tion, quality and service usually go down and the landscapes suf-fer. People then begin to com- plain; contracted services are abandoned; everyone loses. The public agency must have the intelligence and integrity to pre-qualify contractors before extending invitations to submit bids, and to maintain inspections and supervision to insure perfor-mance according to specifications. No doubt about itŠa massive educational endeavor is needed. We need to direct our efforts toward the public, politicians, andŠmost importantŠpublic agencies. Difficult? YesŠbut it's worth it. OJLU £ z n > 70 m z a c C/i H 70 < m CO 72 c > 70 CO 00 tup^ '' V '.J Ł All major manufacturers broddestiange of outdoor, assembled in oiie location Ł Special air fares avtcilable to dealers and distributors ADVERTISERS 00 03 oc < D oc 03 53 c* EŠ CO Q Z OS < u Z £ < HELP WANTED Sales and Management: Rapidly expanding multi-office Lawn and Tree Care Organization in Eastern Penn. needs knowledgeble, take-charge person-nel. Compensation package allows you to partici-pate in future growth, while providing a good salary and fringe benefit package now. Send resume in strictest confidence to Victor Hammel, J.C. Ehrlich Co., Inc., 840 William Lane, Reading, PA 19612. 2/84 TURFCARE MANAGER WANTED- for growing service company on Eastern Long Island. Duties will include product application, customer contact and sales, and will play major role in developing our turfcare division. Applicant should be thor-oughly acquainted with turfcare technology and have supervisory experience. Contact: LAWN N TREE INC., PO BOX 811. WESTHAMPTON BEACH. NY 11978. 8516-288-3674). 2/84 PROJECT MANAGERS: Landscape management and installation managers needed for high growth company in DC area. Must have state of the art knowledge in equipment, chemicals and hor-ticultural techniques. Degree in horticulture + 4 years experience desired OR 6 years hands on experience with proven supervisory record. Must have ability to communicate orally and in writing with confidence. Must possess desire to provide his/her client with the highest quality job while staying within budget willingness to work long hours with the folowing rewards: Excelent salary, profit sharing, stock options,authority & respon-sibility. If you're interested in joining our team, send salary history & personal resume to NLC, PO Box 4434. Silver Spring, MD 20904. 2/84 Landscape Maintenance Supervisor position available in Philadelphia area. Working knowledge of turf and equipment required. Applicant should have 2-3 years experience in maintenance opera-tions. Unlimited growth for the take-charge per-son. Write PO Box 198, Morrisville, PA 19067.2/84 A clean sweep and time-saving truck dumping make our new HUSTLER Hi-Lift BAC-VAC worth the difference! Introducing the Hi-Lift BAC-VAC at-tachment from HUSTLER. It's out to make a clean sweep in the grounds keeping industry. Teamed with HUSTLER'S new 60-inch 3-Way Deck, the Hi-Lift BAC-VAC will quickly cut and vacuum your turf to perfection. And, just as perfectly, the Hi-Lift BAC-VAC hydraulically raises 4.5 feet to easily deposit its 15-bushel ca-pacity load into a container or the bed of a pickup truck. Plus, you do it all without ever leaving the operator's seat! In mo-ments, you're off mowing again. The Hi-Lift BAC-VAC hopper stows behind the operator's position. This permits an unobstructed view out front and to both sides. It also permits the same close trimming capabilities HUS-TLER is known for. This efficient grass vacuuming sys-tem is available only on the HUSTLER 275, 295 or 305 D tractor. The HUSTLER Hi-Lift BAC-VAC at-tachment and drive-wheel steering saves time and labor costs, plus you cut more grass faster with a finer cut than any other mower in its class. It's one more reason why HUSTLER is... worth the difference! The Hi-Lift BAC-VAC maneuvers as well around trees and obstacles as it does on the flat. There are six HUSTLER models rang-ing from 18 to 32 hp with a host of attachments to meet year-round needs. Turf & Grounds Equipment Call Toll-Fiee, 1-800-835-3260 or write for free literature: EXCEL INDUSTRIES. INC., P.O. Box 7000, Hesston, KS 67062 HELP WANTED SERVICE MANAGER, LEADING TO BRANCH MANAGER POSITION WITH WELL ESTABLISHED. RAPIDLY EXPANDING. CHEMI-CAL LAWN CARE COMPANY OPERATING IN LOWER NY STATE AND CONNECTICUT. APPLI-CANTS MUST HAVE PROVEN LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT ABILITIES WITH 2 Ł YEARS HANDS ON TURF EXPERIENCE. PRE-VIOUS CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SALES EXPERIENCE IS DESIRED. OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY FOR A SHARP. AGGRESSIVE, SERIOUS MINDED. INDIVIDUAL LOOKING FOR UNLIMITED CAREER GROWTH WITH PAR-TICIPATION IN OVERALL CORPORATE MAN-AGEMENT. DON'T DELAY, SEND RESUME AND SALARY HISTORY. ALL REPLIES KEPT CON-FIDENTIAL. CONTACT: WILLIAM CAREY. LAWN MASTERS S INC., 19 BROADWAY, HAWTHORNE, NEW YORK, 10532 OR CALL (914) 769-1256. 2/84 LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE/INSTALLATION SALESPERSON: Landscape salesperson needed for high growth company in DC area. Must have 5 years experience in estimating/selling. Strong writing, math & P. R. skills a must. Purchasing experience needed. Knowledge in computer use helpful. Benefits: Excellent salary, profit sharing, stock options, health/life insurance. If you're inter-ested in joining our team, send salary history & personal resume to NLC, PO Box 4434, Silver Spring, MD 20904. 2/84 LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE MANAGER-KT ENTERPRISES, INC. a leading cohnmercial land-scape management comany, serving the Wash-ington DC Metropolitan market, is searching for the right individuals to manage the grounds care of our ever growing list of quality clients. Applicants must be goal oriented with leadership experience and a strong desire for quality and success. Growth opportunities unlimited and full benefits are provided. Send resume to: KT ENTERPRISES INC., Scott C. Plein, President 5416 Oakwood Road Alexandria. VA 22310. EOE. 2/84 TREE AND SHRUB CAREŠBranch Managers and Sales Managers. America's fastest growing tree and shrub care company seeking experi-enced, aggressive businessmen for existing and expansion markets. Experience, degree and motivation Š key ingredients. Tremendous advancement opportunities. Excellent salary, benefits. All inquiries will be strictly confidential. Send resume, salary history to: Wm. Scott Carr, Tru Green Tree and Shrub Care. 2875 Northwind Dr., Suite 205. E. Lansing, Ml 48823. Expand your potential with an industry leader. 2/84 Large lawn and tree care company near Phila-delphia needs experienced individual to manage our lawn care division. Excellent opportunity for ambitious individual who has the ability to lead and get job done! Potential limited only by individual. Write PO Box 198, Morrisville, PA 19067. 2/84 BRANCH MANAGER WANTED to grow with one of the fastest growing lawn companies. Must have at least 2 years proven experience with ability to motivate your people and make your branch profit-able. Send resume to LCI Box 113. 2/84 WANTED Wanted to buy HYDRO SEEDER. Please send photo .Johnson Hydro Seeding Corp., 13751 Trav-ilah Road. Rockville, MD 20850.301-340-0805. TF ACCOUNTS WANTED 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 104. 3/84 WANTED- Equipment (Truck, sprayer, tank, advertising materials) for new lawn spray busi-ness. Write W.G.. 30 Bellemeade Drive, Little Rock, AR 72204. 2/84 EXISTING LAWN CARE CUSTOMER LISTS WANTED FROM THE GREATER PITTSBURGH AREA. FRANCHISES AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT PENNSYLVANIA. WRITE PO BOX 11533. PITTSBURGH, PA 15238 2/84 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR SALE- Landscape, maintenance and spray company in Southeast Wisconsin. Incudes equip-ment vehicles and customers. Established 7 years. Profitable operation. Year round cash flow. Grossing over $100K. Best Offer-Must Sell Now! Serious inquiries only! Write LCI Box 105. TF Reader Inquiry No. Page Adelphi 22 102 Agrotec 18 104 The Andersons 44-45 Briggs & Stratton Corp 52 106 Bundy 34 107 Bunton Co 32 108 Cleary Chemical Corp., W.A 46 109 Cushman Turf 26-27 110 Dow Chemical 2-3 145 Elanco - Specialty 49 111 Excel Ind 54 112 Four Star Agricultural Svcs 38 138 Green-Pro Cooperative Svcs 18 113 Hawkeye Chemical Co. 50-51 114 International Seeds 34 115 Jacobsen/Textron .. 40-41 116 Kees, F.D 15 117 Lakeshore Equipment & Supply 56 149 Lawn Tech 15 147 Leaky Pipe/Entek Corp 23 118 Lebanon Chemical 18 119 Lebanon Chemical 39 120 Locke Mfg 8 121 Monsanto Agricultural Products 12-13 148 Moyer & Son Inc 35 143 Northrup King Co 24 122 PBI Gordon 6-7 123 PBI Gordon 28-29 139 Perma-Green 39 141 PickseedWest 51 124 Power Equipment 53 140 Professional-Turf 15 125 Pumping Systems 34 126 Rhone-Poulenc 30-31 127 Rhone-Poulenc 43 128 Rubbermaid Horticultural Products 11 142 Ryan Turf 36-37 129 SDS Biotech, Ag Chem Business 25 135 SDS Biotech, Ag Chem Business 14 146 Sensation 42 130 Spraying Systems Co. .. 39 131 Stauffer Chemical Co. .. 55 132 Tuco Agricultural 19 144 Tuflex Mfg 38 133 Union Carbide Agri Products 5 134 Walker Mfg. Co 38 NEW PRODUCTS 201 Locke Mfg 39 202 Toro 39 203 Wheel Spray Corp 39 204 Elanco Products 39 205 Hart Mfg 40 206 Hahn Inc 40 207 Century Engineering .... 41 208 Packings Corp 41 209 Jacobsen Div. of Textron 44 210 Melcher Mfg 44 211 Parker's 44 212 Bunton 45 213 FMC Corp 45 214 Billy Goat Industries 45 215 Briggs & Stratton 45 216 Smithco 42 217 Agri-Plex 42 219 Salsco 42 220 PBI Gordon 42 221 PBAM 42 EXL-3-184 Ł Circle No. 111 on Reader Inquiry Card The overwhelming choice among America's biggest Betasan is safe and effective on established blue-lawn care companies is Betasan® for crabgrass control, grass, fescue, bentgrass, Bermuda grass, annual and In fact, in a survey of 75 of the largest companies, perennial rye, Zoysia, bahia, centipede and St. Betasan is used by four out of five. Augustine. It's not hard to see why. Because year after year, So when the battle with crabgrass is your number Betasan gives lawn care professionals better control one priority, use the number one crabgrass control. of Smooth and Haiiy Crabgrass, without a worry Betasan. The first choice on the home front, about damaging existing turf. One application usually Always follow label directions carefully, stops crabgrass cold, all year long. _ Stauffer Chemical Company, Agricul -Betasan is easy to apply and available ATW® tural Chemical Division, Westport, in liquid and granular formulations. JUClilOilil Connecticut 06881. NOIAGAINSTCRABGRASS. ( ^ Stauffer CHEMICALS v ^^ J Circle No. 131 on Reader Inquiry Card SPREAD IT SPRAY IT but do it right with LESC LESCO Product's Jet-Action Deflector* accessory is designed to control pattern and improve spreading effi-ciency of the LESCO Spreader. The deflebtor 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-re-sistant 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 pendmg NEWMNEWMNEW TRUCKSTER MOUNT SPREADER; SPREADER COVER. LESCO Products turf sprayer provides for liquid chemi-cal application with the benefits of a machine designed specifically to meet these needs. The in-line strainer, 10 gpm twin piston pump, 5 hp, 4-cycle recoil start engine and electric powered hose reel make application easier, more efficient and more exact. Sprayer comes equipped with 400', 3/8", 250 psi hose. With the LESCO spray wand, the sprayer applies one gallon per minute, a rate ideal for broadleaf weed control. Skid-mounted, the LESCO Sprayer fits in a van or standard or mini-pickup. ACCESSORIES: ChemLawn Gun; 15' and 21' booms; low-speed axle; high pressure hose; flotation tires. NEW!! NEW!! NEW 12 VOLT 2-1/2 gpm ELECTRIC SPRAYER. j ... 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 \ 4 LESC Division of Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 20005 Lake Road, Rocky River, Ohio 44116 (216) 333-9250 (800) 362-7413 In Ohio PRODUCTS We sell the patented Chemlawn Gun. The best gun in the business.