Well, summer is almost over and hopefully you have been busier this year than you were last year. If so, you would not be alone, as things seem to be picking up ... At least that is what we are hearing and seeing in surveys and statistics from numerous sources.

If you turn to page 32, you'll see that for the first time in many moons, the builder confidence number has surpassed the critical 50 reading. This means that builders have regained confidence and are beginning to build new homes.

This is also born true by the number of permits drawn, the number of starts, the number of houses currently under construction, and the fact that these stats reflect growth in single family homes, while multi-family housing is beginning to decline. The multi-housing element is important because when the housing crisis began in 2006 and homeowners began losing their homes, demand for apartments and condos soared, meaning the only growth in construction back then was in the multi-housing segment. Now, as home prices have risen for 16 straight months, and homeownership is at an 18-year low, the industry is poised to rebound.

For landscape contractors, that means that if this year was better than last, next year should be even better. As such, one of the hottest segments for you guys is going to be outdoor entertainment centers.

The American Society of Landscape Architects recently announced survey results from more than 400 landscape architecture firms regarding residential design and product selection. Of the surveyed firms, 81 percent do residential design; and work is definitely in the pipeline as their survey showed that:

???(R)???AE? The average firm designs 6-20 residential projects a year; 24 percent design more than 21 projects a year; and 14 percent design more than 30 projects a year.
???(R)???AE? The typical residential landscape project budget is $250,000-$500,000; for 10 percent of firms it is $500,000 to more than $1 million.
???(R)???AE? 98 percent of firms specify or purchase outdoor furniture, appliances and accessories: 49 percent through a manufacturer's representative; 36 percent online; 30 percent through a local retailer; 20 percent at a company showroom.
???(R)???AE? 97 percent of projects include water features (ponds, pools, fountains).
???(R)???AE? 96 percent include a fireplace, firepit or other fire feature.
???(R)???AE? 91 percent include outdoor kitchens.
???(R)???AE? 68 percent include heating or cooling features.

If you don't know how to build the shelters, and design kitchens and install the appliances, now is the time to learn. That's why you have seen so many projects in LC/DBM with outdoor entertainment centers as the focus.

So as summer winds down, now is the time to take steps to strengthen your connections with the local landscape architects, study the options and techniques for installing these revenue centers and gear up for growth.

It might even be a good time to check out the local trade shows, like the GIE+EXPO in Kentucky or the Landscape Expo-Long Beach, where these elements are bound to be a major part of the exhibits and educational sessions.

It used to be that landscape contractors installed plants and irrigation, but today if you can't install the hardscapes, fire elements, kitchens, shelters, lighting and water features, you're missing a golden opportunity. So go to the shows, read LC/DBM, check out landscapearchitect.com and get active with the landscape architects this fall, for 2014 is right around the corner and it looks like there is going to be some work out there for those of you
who do . . .

God bless . . .

George Schmok, Publisher