ADVERTISEMENT
Increasingly, I am seeing attack against the business04-01-03 | News
img
 
Going to the CLCA?EUR??,,????'???s Landscape Industry Show is always a great experience. It?EUR??,,????'???s great to see old friends, catch up on the ?EUR??,,????'??goin?EUR??,,????'???ons,?EUR??,,????'?? see what?EUR??,,????'???s new, and hear the industry scuttle . . . The friends seem to all be doing well . . . other than a few more aches and pains caused by a steady flow of work. One observation was that the guys who worked more on the commercial side said things like ?EUR??,,????'??Commercial is strong . . . solid . . . steady . . . but I hear that residential is falling off.?EUR??,,????'?? Then I would hear a residential guy say something like ?EUR??,,????'??Residential is hot . . . but I hear that commercial isn?EUR??,,????'???t as strong . . .?EUR??,,????'?? All across the country (today is 3/19/03 and the bombs began dropping about three hours ago) ?EUR??,,????'??steady?EUR??,,????'??? and ?EUR??,,????'??solid?EUR??,,????'??? seem to be the words of the landscape business. According to LCN?EUR??,,????'???s research and statistics department data from the Department of Commerce notes housing starts are about 9% below last years level . . . However . . . Permits issued but not yet started are up more than 25% from 2002. This could be a result paralleled by the stock market in worrisome anticipation of the Iraq situation . . . Wall Street, and certainly the DJIA have begun to show signs of real recovery. Provided the war progresses positively, the general consensus is that the landscape business will continue on a steady track . . . So steady in fact, that it also seems that others are getting a little jealous . . . Increasingly, I am seeing attacks against the business. Just as we?EUR??,,????'???ve become numb to the effect a backpack blower has on greenhouse gases, the pool contractors seem to pushing for more control of their part of the project. And now we are hearing about legislation that has electrical contractors being the only one who can install low voltage lighting?!? Currently Minnesota and Washington have some form legislation on the book or in the works restricting landscape contractors from installing low voltage lighting. Low voltage lighting is not line voltage, and even with some of the new power-boosting technology, isn?EUR??,,????'???t a serious threat. Granted, at some point the meter hits a point where an electrical contractor is the better option, but it is not at the level of all but the most turbo-charged low-voltage systems. Just like the pool contractors, the electrical contractors see their role/market moving to a new provider and they are beginning to work towards winning back the initiative. Landscape Contractors, of course, are a more natural choice for things like low-voltage lighting and being the general on a project with the pool. But the lobbying power of those groups at the federal level can overwhelm this business?EUR??,,????'???s ability to fight back. As landscape has become a more prominent part of almost every built environment, a business that is used to tying on the boots and getting the job done, needs to begin to watch its own back and assert a little proactive lobby. One problem, however, is the lack of a strong National Association, specifically for Landscape Contractors. There are a lot of very good, and strong state associations . . . one of the best is the good ?EUR??,,????'??ole CLCA . . . and the ANLA is a good organization . . . but neither speak solely for Landscape Contractors at a national level. While I am not sure of the immediate solution, the lack of a dedicated voice in Washington may begin to have a lasting affect on the growth and scope of your work . . . They say the greatest form of compliment is when they copy . . . well add to that . . . a sure sign of success is when others want a piece of the pie . . . God Bless . . .
img