Grass Roots - Green Industry Pros

Green Industry Pros Editor Sarah Webb sits down with Ryan Schwoegler, senior vice president of product management for outdoor power equipment at Milwaukee Tool, and Bradley Berkman, product manager at Milwaukee Tool, to learn how green industry professionals can seamlessly incorporate battery-powered equipment into their operations and reap the benefits of doing so.

Tom Vachal, senior product manager, turf, for Kubota Tractor Corp., discusses Kubota's new ZD1611 and F3710 mowers and how they're designed to deliver more power, reliability and efficiency to end users. Vachal also touches on why trade shows such as Equip Expo are so important for Kubota and the green industry as a whole.

Green Industry Pros Editor Sarah Webb sits down with Ana Avalos, owner of Colorful Impression Landscapes in Santa Rosa, Calif., and winner of the 2023 Women In The Green Industry Award winner, to discuss how she got her start in the industry, what it means to be a woman in the green industry, her advice for other women in landscaping and much more.

Green Industry Pros Editor Sarah Webb sits down with Jay Worth, marketing manager at SingleOps, to discuss what tactics and strategies landscape companies can implement to recruit and retain more employees.

Green Industry Pros Editor Sarah Webb sits down with Brant Kukak, product manager for compact equipment at Ditch Witch, about how attachments can help green industry pros with tree care, what they should consider before adding them to their arsenal and more

Green Industry Pros Editor Sarah Webb sits down with Ashlee Biggs, head of product marketing at Fleetio, to discuss how fleet management software can help landscape companies become more efficient, what they should consider before landing on a software and more.

Green Industry Pros Editor Sarah Webb sits down with Christin (CJ) Wam, senior director of marketing for Turf & Consumer Products at Briggs & Stratton, to discus how green industry professionals can get ahead of the supply chain issues by performing preventive maintenance and ordering necessary parts head of time.

Green Industry Pros Editor Sarah Webb chats with Linda Nelson, president of Greenscapes in Naples, Fla., and winner of Green Industry Pros' inaugural Women in the Green Industry Award. Nelson talks about barriers she's faced throughout her career, what the green industry can do to encourage more women to step into the industry and more.

Green Industry Pros Editor Sarah Webb sat down with John Deere Go-To-Market Manager Maureen McCormack, who breaks down how green industry professionals can implement UTV attachments to streamline their operation and boost their bottom line.

Aaron Griffith, National Sales Manager of Professional Products at Cub Cadet, discusses what autonomous mowers can do in the lawn and landscaping industry. Whether it's following GPS for perfect stripes or cutting down on time at the jobsite, autonomous mowers can help save time and deliver a better mow, he says. Cub Cadet's SurePath is a semi-autonomous mower that contractors can use now that's easy to use and can increase productivity by more than 12%. 

It seems like everyone in the green industry is struggling with the workforce shortage these days. Brent Kukuk, product manager at Ditch Witch, talks about what machines can do to make lawn and landscape contractors' lives easier. Jobs that normally would require the work of two or three people can be done with one person if the correct machine is used, he says.

Nicole Henry, business development representative at CompanyCam, shares what CompanyCam does, the app features and what's new with the startup that helps lawn and landscape companies document jobs.

In this episode of Green Industry Pros' Grass Roots, Editor Ryan Whisner sheds some light on the subject of landscape lighting design. FX Luminaire Web Development Manager Scott Allison highlights the company's free digital tool called My Design, a free program that eliminates the need for multiple pieces of software to design landscape lighting systems.

In this episode of Green Industry Pros' Grass Roots, Editor Ryan Whisner talks to Monique Allen, author of “Stop Landscaping Start Life-Scaping, A Guide to Ending the Rush-rush, Humdrum Approach to Landscape Development and Care,” about some of the steps small businesses can take to have a win for the planet, people and profits. Allen highlights the concept of life-scaping and how it is about elevating the entire industry to more success. For more information visit https://www.thegardencontinuum.com

In this episode of Green Industry Pros' Grass Roots, Editor Ryan Whisner concludes a three-part series on drainage with ADS product marketing management and marketing executive vice president Brian King to discuss some of the solutions used in providing drainage services.

In this episode of Green Industry Pros' Grass Roots, Editor Ryan Whisner dives into the second part of the three-part series on drainage. The series began with episode 58 with a discussion with SiteOne Landscape Supply product marketing manager Matt Mikucki to discuss the concept of adding drainage as a service. For this episode, we're focused on the education of contractors on drainage services through opportunities offered by NDS. The third segment will focus on a discussion with ADS about some of the equipment used in addressing drainage issues.

In this episode of Green Industry Pros' Grass Roots, Editor Ryan Whisner begins a three-part series on drainage with Site One irrigation product marketing manager Matt Mikucki to discuss the potential benefits of adding drainage as a service. Subsequent episodes will include educational opportunities through SiteOne and NDS and more about some of the equipment utilized in adding the service.

In this episode of Green Industry Pros' Grass Roots, Editor Ryan Whisner discusses the latest developments in robotic mowing with Greenzie CEO and co-founder Charles Brian Quinn. The kit developed by the Greenzie team enables commercial mowers to be operated autonomously. Through a partnership with Wright Manufacturing, this technology is coming closer to being available to contractors.

In this episode of Green Industry Pros' Grass Roots, Editor Ryan Whisner talks to Brant Kukuk, compact equipment product manager, and Chapman Hancock, product marketing manager, vacuum excavators, from Ditch Witch about the variety of benefits and uses of vacuum excavators and stand-on or mini skid steers in the green industry.

Brian Schwartz was laid off from his job amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. On a whim, he started a free lawn mowing service for seniors age 65 and up. I Want to Mow Your Lawn is now a 501©3 not for profit organization that has built momentum across the country. Based on volunteers, he is reaching out to the landscape business community to participate in the program. On this weeks' edition of the Grass Roots Podcast, Schwartz shares his story with Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner.

Earlier this year, Weed Man officially expanded its service offerings with its own sub-brand  Mosquito Hero. On this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Weed Man CEO Jennifer Lemcke introduces the Mosquito Hero sub brand and its potential benefits for the Weed Man franchisees. She discusses the reason behind the development of the sub-brand and how it fits into the overall service offerings for franchisees.

Research shows simply spending time in nature, which can start in your backyard, is good for reducing stress, boosting heart health, boosting Vitamin D levels, and enhancing memory. Thanks to the family yard, the health and well-being benefits of being outside are just a few steps away. Kris Kiser, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute president and CEO, defines this as “backyarding,” referring to the trend to move many indoor activities, from working in an office or classroom to dining and recreation, to the outdoors. Over the past year, backyards and other managed landscapes became a haven for social gatherings, work, play and relaxation. In this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Kiser shares his thoughts on the future of “backyarding” and the trend’s impact on landscape contractors.

Small business owners across the country were doing everything they could to keep things afloat despite the ongoing pandemic. For Tricia Capps, owner of The Ground Guys of Waco, her business was just starting. Finalizing the investment into the Neighborly Ground Guys franchise in March 2020, she proceeded to advance in opening despite the challenges of the pandemic. 

Overall, a safety culture within any landscaping or tree care operation is vital, particularly when chainsaws are regularly being utilized. To learn more about the importance of safety in relation to chainsaws, Green industry Pros Editor Ryan Whisner sat down with STIHL product manager John Allen; Husqvarna senior brand manager for professional chainsaws and cutting equipment Ben McDermott and ECHO chainsaw product manager Jason Wilk for a panel discussion on the topic. On the last episode, the panel focused on personal protective equipment and training. On today’s episode, we pick back up with the panel discussion as they continue their discussion on safety and discuss the importance of proper chainsaw maintenance. 

Safety, when it comes to chainsaws is a mix of personal protective equipment (PPE), training and proper maintenance. To learn more about the importance of safety in relation to chainsaws, Green industry Pros Editor Ryan Whisner sat down with STIHL product manager John Allen; Husqvarna senior brand manager for professional chainsaws and cutting equipment Ben McDermott and ECHO chainsaw product manager Jason Wilk for a panel discussion on the topic. The panel discussion has been split into two parts to accommodate all the information. On this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, the trio of product managers discuss the importance of PPE and training. Tune in next time as the panel highlights the importance of chainsaw maintenance.

Warmer, humid weather brings out ticks and mosquitos. The most vulnerable months for tick and mosquito bites is April through September. On this edition of the Grass Roots podcast, Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner discusses the addition of mosquito and tick control to a lawn care provider’s service options with Mark Wilson, president and founder of Tick Killz.

Technology is both a blessing and a curse. It can help a business grow or at times, if implemented incorrectly can wreck it. Managing all the technology it takes to run a business these days can be a challenge. On this edition of the Grass Roots podcast, SquareStack founder and CEO Bill Furlong shares his insights on the importance of using apps to manage your business and highlights a solution offered by SquareStack and GreenIndustryPros.com to simplify the process using GreenApps.

Robotic mowers do a fantastic job of maintaining grass at a specific height of cut and giving commercial and residential sites good curb appeal.In the past few years, consumers and professionals have taken more interest in the use of robotic mowers for a variety of reasons, mainly to offset the cost of labor and looking at the opportunity to have a service that is sustainable or eco-friendly. On this edition of the Grass Roots Podcast, Graze CEO John Vlay shares the latest development of Graze’s first fully autonomous or robotic mower, as well as some of his own insights on the future of robotic mowers in the green industry.  

Tilly Design is a woman-owned online service that creates custom landscape plans for outdoor spaces. Originally designed for homeowners to have easier access to a landscape design, their latest product line is strictly for contractors. For those landscape professionals who don’t have the time or knowledge of landscape design, through Tilly they can offer the service to clients. In this episode of the Grass Roots Podcast, Blythe Yost, landscape architect and CEO of Tilly Design and Alexis Sutton, president, discuss how the process works and the benefits for small to mid-size landscape contractors.

Conserva Irrigation was founded in 2010 by Russ Jundt under the concept of conserving the 1.5 million gallons of fresh water wasted daily in the U.S. by inefficient landscape irrigation systems. Now franchised, Convserva Irrigation has grown to more than 100 territories around the country. In this episode of the Grass Roots Podcast, Jundt share the story of Conserva Irrigation while also discussing the current state of the irrigation industry.

Vacuum excavators can save contractors time, labor and most significantly reduce surface disruption in the excavation process. There are a lot of different applications for vacuum excavators and drills. On this episode of the Grass Roots Podcast, Ditch Witch product managers Chapman Hancock and Cory Maker about the various applications of the vacuum excavators and drills.

Weed Man recently announced its newest sub-franchisor, ASI Landscape Management. The company is now the official sub-franchisor to drive Weed Man expansion in Florida. On this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Weed Man CEO Jennifer Lemcke shares the story of Weed Man and also introduces ASI Landscape Management’s CEO Joe Chiellini and COO Mark Almeda to discuss the expansion of the franchise.

Burrito Brands Incorporated introduced the Leaf Burrito, a year-round yard bag in 2015. The company recently opened a new factory in Charlotte, North Carolina and continues to seek to expand with additional factories throughout the United States. For this edition of the Grass Roots Podcast, Leaf Burrito founder Marc Mataya wraps up a discussion on the benefits of the Leaf Burrito and future plans for expansion in the second of a two-part interview.

Burrito Brands Incorporated introduced the Leaf Burrito, a year-round yard bag in 2015. The company recently opened a new factory in Charlotte, North Carolina and continues to seek to expand with additional factories throughout the United States. For this edition of the Grass Roots Podcast, Leaf Burrito founder Marc Mataya highlights the benefits of the Leaf Burrito and future plans for expansion in the first part of a two-part interview. 

2020 has been a unique year for all green industry businesses. On this episode of the Grass Roots Podcast, Joe Raboine, director of residential hardscapes at Belgard shares his views on the state of the hardscape industry in 2020 and what the contractors should be thinking about heading into 2021.

Bobcat Company has built a reputation with compact equipment machines. Hoping to capture additional opportunities within the landscaping industry, the company has unveiled a new line-up of zero-turn mowers in to the landscaping market. In this episode of the Grass Roots Podcast, senior product manager Ron Scheffler of Bobcat Company highlights the new 21-machine line-up of mowers designed with both commercial and residential use in mind.

Graze, a new start-up bringing intelligence, automation and sustainable solutions to commercial landscaping has introduced its new lawn mower model, set to hit markets by 2021. The evolution of the first Graze fully autonomous, electric lawn mower expands the design to increase efficiency and maintenance speed for mid-to-large sized commercial lawns. On this episode of the Grass Roots Podcast, Grave CEO John Vlay highlights the development status of Graze’s mower and his views on the future of commercial lawn mowing.

Heat stress can be a major issue in active, hot work environments. Eleven people every day fall seriously ill on the job with heat-related issues. A serious health issue costs employers $53,000 per incident and even worse, can be deadly. To combat these issues, Magid, a manufacturer of PPE innovations, has launched a new product line, Magid Cool Powered by Mission that has patented instant cooling technologies to provide heat relief to everyday workers. In addition, Magid is advancing an initiative to create industrial heat safety protocols to help reduce the number of heat-related illnesses in the workplace and on the jobsite. In this episode of the Grass Roots Podcast, Green Industry Pros Editor Ryan Whisner discusses heat illnesses and Magid Cool with product management specialist Adrianna Carrera.

SingleOps, a leading business management software for outdoor service providers, recently released its quarterly report tracking the health of the green industry. A key takeaway from SingleOps’ Q1/Q2 2020 Green Industry Economic Report is that outdoor service companies, including tree care and landscape specialists, have weathered the COVID-19 pandemic fairly well despite some volatility along the way. The complete SingleOps Q1/Q2 Green Industry Economic Report can be found here. In this episode, Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner talks with SingleOPs CEO Sean McCormick about the results of the report and the continued outlook for the green industry.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and continued regulatory uncertainty, the 2020 GIE+EXPO has been cancelled. OPEI and its partners had been monitoring the situation closely and working with state and local authorities to put on the safest show possible this October. However, the unpredictable nature of such a rapidly evolving environment prohibited this year’s show from taking place. In this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner talks with OPEI President Kris Kiser about the final decision to cancel this year’s show and the hopes for 2021.

In 2019, Briggs & Stratton took a bold step into the electrification of outdoor power equipment, with intention of remaining as a known provider of power, no matter the source. The first fully integrated and serviceable Vanguard Commercial Lithium-Ion Battery Pack was designed as an electrification solution for OEMs looking for one half-kWh up to 20kWh of power. The battery packs are a critical offering in a marketplace that is increasingly demanding emissions-free and sustainable alternative power sources. In this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner discusses the Vanguard Commercial Battery Pack with Senior Marketing Director Michelle Gross.

WorkWave, a provider of cloud-based software solutions recently released a specific solution for those in the green industry. WorkWave Service Lawn & Landscape was designed in conjunction with WorkWave’s current landscape customers to ensure the unique requirements of the industry were being met. The latest upgrade includes industry-specific terms and applications. On this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner discusses the latest green industry software solution with WorkWave’s vice president of product Kerry McCane.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for organizers of trade shows and other similar events across numerous industries. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute or OPEI is actively working with its trades how partners (NALP and PGMS) to ensure the 2020 GIE+EXPO remains on schedule for Oct. 21-23 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. A final decision on whether or not to hold the event is expected to be made on July 29. In this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner talks with OPEI President Kris Kiser about the current status of the show.

As restrictions are being lifted across most states in the country and with warm weather upon us, it is important for truck drivers to consider proper management of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) used in most diesel-powered trucks. DEF is made from a mixture of technically pure urea and purified water and must be handled and stored properly to preserve its quality. Handling and storing DEF in warm weather requires special care to protect it from the impact of high temperatures which can decrease its useful life. On this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner talks with American Petroleum Institute DEF manager Jeffrey Harmening about some of safety measures surrounding the use and storage of DEF.

John Deere is a name widely known in agriculture and construction. For landscapers, machines that are commonly turned to for a variety of tasks in excavation, loading, trenching and more, are compact track loaders and skid steers. On this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Green Industry Pros Editor Ryan Whisner talks with John Deere Product Marketing Manager Gregg Zupancic about some of the benefits and applications for the CTLS and skid steers as it relates to landscaping.

The Snow & Ice Management Association’s 2020 Snow & Ice Symposium  will now be a virtual event held August 26-28. Originally scheduled for dates in mid-June, the event was rescheduled due to ongoing health concerns related to COVID-19. The symposium is considered the signature event for SIMA and includes numerous educational opportunities and a trade show that offers views of the latest innovations in snow and ice removal equipment. In this special snow-covered episode of the Grass Roots podcast, SnowPro editor Ryan Whisner talks with SIMA Executive Director Martin Tirado about the challenges of organizing a virtual trade show and overall plans for this year’s symposium.

Briggs & Stratton’s InfoHub is a rapidly growing mobile monitoring system that includes diagnostic services, GPS monitoring, customer data and more. Sales Executive Jason Rives says the goal is to help those middle range companies with the growth mindset identify inefficiencies and help them grow. On this episode of the Grass Roots podcast Rives shares some of the highlights on the benefits of InfoHub.

GIE+EXPO, the international landscape, outdoor living and equipment exposition, will be held as planned this year on Oct. 21-23 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) is actively working with its trade show partners— the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) and the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) - to design a safe and responsible event that will offer programming and education that directly addresses the challenges currently faced by contractors while maintaining all necessary safety protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner talks with OPEI President Kris Kiser, NALP Executive Director Britt Wood and PGMS Executive Director Stephanie Bruno about the challenges of adjusting to the pandemic and ensuring the show will go on safely.

For landscapers working mostly in dirt and on established lawns, a compact track loader or skid steer is an option to consider for a variety of tasks due to each machine’s versatility in the field for excavation, loading, trenching and more. A variety of attachments for different tasks including trenchers, boring units, stump grinders, grapple buckets, dozer blades, pallet forks and more are available. In this special episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner talks with Bobcat Company loader marketing manager Sarah Peckskamp about the latest additions to its R-Series product line-up. The Bobcat R-Series Loaders debuted in February 2020 at World of Concrete in Las Vegas and Peckskamp, walks us through the features on the new 60-frame size vertical lift loaders including the T66 model, T64, S64 and S66 models. 

In existence for about 40 years, WorkWave is a software provider that offers the full life cycle of a field service business from setting up the customers with an agreement, scheduling service, dispatching and even the payment process. Small landscaping or pest control businesses are able to run nearly their entire business on the WorkWave platform. In this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, Green Industry Pros editor Ryan Whisner talks with David Giannetto, CEO of WorkWave about the importance of technology in leading small businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic as well as getting into some insights on how to ensure continued success with technology and strong leadership. 

At the 2019 GIE+EXPO Toro introduced its Horizon360 software. According to Toro, the software brings all the data for a landscape company into one place. Horizon360 is currently available via a free beta test. Final pricing is expected to be released at GIE+EXPO 2020. On this episode of the Grass Roots podcast, senior marketing manager Chris Vogtman discusses Horizon360 the anticipated growth potential in the market for Toro.