It's Time to Grow . . . Licensure, Associations and the Public's Health, Safety and Welfare

By George Schmok

Thanks for all the comments regarding the January editorial about licensing Landscape Contractors.

The comments ranged from ''We don't need any more paperwork'' to ''Thanks! I've been trying for years to get this into my state.''

The majority of the comments were pro-licensure, although we did hear from a few associations that took exception to the editorial and tried to make the case for association accreditation over state licensure.

Here is what we know . . . More than 25% of the states currently require licenses to operate as a Landscape Contractor and that number is growing.

There are 13 states that license or certify landscape contractors: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nevada, Oregon, Texas and Utah. Of those, Louisiana requires a license for commercial work only, Texas licenses Landscape Irrigators, and Minnesota certifies Landscape Contractors through their DOT. (Not sure how that works exactly, but we are finding out and will let you know . . .)

Additionally, Connecticut is working on a licensure law and Ohio has shown a great deal of interest in beginning the process. I'm sure there are other states interested or in the process, but that will require a little more research, so we'll start here as a base.

As stated above, I did hear from a few associations, from states without licensure, who took the time to defend their records. Virtually every one presented a list of accomplishments, including successful lobbying efforts, water conservation programs, immigration reform, pesticide regulations, etc.

These are great accomplishments and in fact, that is exactly what a state chapter is meant to do. Work within the systems of the state to improve working conditions and competitiveness on behalf of its membership.

They all said that they promote the CLT, or as PLANET calls it, ''Landscape Industry Certified.'' But being a CLT (or LIC) is nothing like being a licensed professional. Sure, if you are a business owner it would be nice to know that your employee knew how to run a back-hoe or a front loader, or whether they knew the proper procedure for welding PVC joints.

But none of the above adds any real credibility to the profession, nor does it protect the Health, Safety and Welfare of the consuming public. And without that assurance, to the consumer, a Landscape Contractor is just another unskilled professional who may or may not be a legitimate business operator.

Again, part of the problem is that Landscape Contractors don't have any real national representation. Instead there are about 150 state associations that represent LC's, Turfgrass Managers, Designers, Nurseries, Gardeners, et.al.

I did hear from PLANET, who pointed out that they represent 3,500 Landscape Companies, which employed more than 87,500 workers. (I had indicated that they represented about 4,000 individuals, not companies). However, further research showed that only about 55% (less than 2,000) of those companies were Landscape Construction companies and the others were a mix of interiorscapers, lawn care professionals, designers, and suppliers. So at 25 employees per company (their figure, not mine), they would represent about 48,125 landscape construction workers across the country.

Apples for apples, this magazine reaches about 50,000 landscape business owners and we have identified another 20,000 who will soon be receiving the publication. Using the same math, LC/DBM currently reaches more than 1,250,000 landscape construction workers and would eventually be reaching some 1.75 million landscape professionals. So either way you cut it, at best PLANET represents somewhere less than 3.5% of the business . . . Not a commanding figure for a national association.

Remember, a licensed professional is more often that not a business owner or partner.

Wouldn't it be better if PLANET had 40,000 licensed Landscape Contractors as its members and respresented a million workers? Of course it would.

So while a CLT is a great thing to have as an employee, it does very little in enhancing the public's perception of what a landscape business owner is and does. And a CLT does nothing legally to protect the public's Health, Safety and Welfare.

And while state associations are great at dealing with local issues, so many issues cross state borders that the profession needs an uber-strong association to represent it across the country.

The ideal scenario would be to have licensed Landscape Contractors in all 50 states represented by a strong national association with state chapters that worked side-by-side to deal with local and cross-border issues. Only time will tell, but in the next decade or two, this is where I believe the profession will be . . . And we will all be better off because of it . . .

God Bless . . .

George Schmok, Publisher