The Growing Concern December 2016 by Sandy Munley

Growing Concern

The

Decemb e r 2 0 1 6

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E O H I O L A N D S C A P E A S S O C I AT I O N

Landscape Business Bootcamp December 15, 2016 – Independence, OH PAGE 7

Landscape Ohio! Awards December 16, 2016 – Entry Deadline SEE PAGE 32

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PR ES I DEN T’S COLUM N

BRYAN TAYNOR Hidden Creek Landscaping, Inc.

FINISH STRONG! It’s hard to believe December is already here. I don’t know about you, but the year seems to have flown by. And while it has been a good year for most of us, there is always more to try and get done before the year ends. For some of us, it may be the push to get a big job completed. For others, it may be closing out contract renewals. Regardless, we’ll all try to get a little more out of ourselves and our teams before the end of 2016. It is always important to finish a year strong, and not just for the sake of getting jobs completed and hitting goals. This truly is the time of year when we make our profit; allowing us to grow, hire, and invest in our businesses. So, how do we continue to motivate our teams to finish strong during a time when everyone is typically ready to shut it down and get some well-deserved rest?

At the beginning of the 2016 college football season, Urban Meyer, coach of The Ohio State Buckeyes, announced the team’s mantra for the year. He called it, “The Edge.” According to Coach Meyer, “the edge is where average stops and elite begins.” What he was referring to was the point where good athletes become elite; pushing a little harder to make themselves better, whether it be in the weight room, at practice, or on the field. continued on page 6 The Growing Concern | December 2016 | 3

TAB LE OF CON TEN TS D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 WWW. OH I OLA N D SCA P E R S. OR G OH I O’ S P R OF E SSI ON A L G REEN I N D U ST R Y A SSOCI AT I O N OHIO LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION 9240 Broadview Road Broadview Heights, Ohio 44147 Phone: 440.717.0002, or 1.800.335.6521 Fax: 440.717.0004 Web: www.ohiolandscapers.org and www.myohiolandscape.com EDITOR Rick Doll, Jr. REGULAR WRITERS Michael J. Donnellan, King Financial, Inc. Jim Funai, LIC, Cuyahoga Community College Shelly Funai, Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens Sandy Munley, Ohio Landscape Association Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, Bobbie’s Green Thumb Bryan Taynor, Hidden Creek Landscaping, Inc.

FEATURES

3 8 14 18 20 24 28 28 29

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Finish Strong!

PERENNIAL FOCUS

The Holiday Bookshelf: 2016 Edition

PLANT OF THE MONTH

Cladrastis kentukea American Yellowwood

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Submission deadline: 10th of the month, prior to the month of publication. For advertising rates, please call 440.717.0002, 1.800.335.6521, or email Rick Doll at rick@ ohiolandscapers.org. DISCLAIMER The Ohio Landscape Association, its board of directors, staff and the editor of The Growing Concern neither endorse any product(s) or attests to the validity of any statements made about products mentioned in this, past or subsequent issues of this publication. Similarly, the opinions expressed in The Growing Concern are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Ohio Landscape Association.

FOR SAFETY SAKE

OFFICERS President Bryan Taynor

OLA STAFF Executive Director Sandy Munley

FISCAL FITNESS

President – Elect Cathy Serafin, ASLA, RLA

Communications & Events Manager Rick Doll, Jr.

FEATURE ARTICLE

Treasurer Marie McConnell

Membership Coordinator Noreen Schraitle

Snow Subcontractor Red Flags The Role of Dividends 5 Practical and Effective Cross-Selling Strategies

DIRECTIONS WELCOME NEW MEMBERS ADVERTISING INDEX

4 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Immediate Past President Steve Moore DIRECTORS Eric Brubeck, ASLA Adam Capiccioni James Funai Jacob Grimm Nathan Kowalsick Domenic Lauria

C AL ENDAR OF EVEN TS UPCO M I N G OLA MEETINGS , EDUC AT I ON SE MI N A R S, A N D OT H E R G R E E N I N D UST R Y EV ENT S

DECEMBER

JANUARY

MARCH

DECEMBER 1, 2016 DORMANT PRUNING CLINIC (NE Ohio)

JANUARY 16-18, 2017 MGIX – formerly known as CENTS

MARCH 2, 2017 OLA MEETING (Central Ohio)

Tradeshow with educational sessions held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Visit OLA in Booth #1243. For more information contact the ONLA at 800-825-5062.

Just in time for spring – learn to break the rules and win more sales! This session will feature Lewis VanLandingham, professional Sandler Sales Trainer and CEO of Sharper Edge Advantage, LLC. Hosted at and sponsored by Wolf Creek Company on Huntley Road in Columbus, OH. For more information contact OLA At 1-800-335-6521, or visit Ohiolandscapers.org.

Dormant Pruning of Landscape Plants is a half-day, hands-on clinic and a timely training opportunity for you and your crews to get back to the basics and learn the proper way to prune in time for winter and early spring pruning. For more information contact OLA at 1-800-335-6521.

DECEMBER 15, 2016 LANDSCAPE BOOTCAMP (NE Ohio) Join us for a comprehensive one day Landscape Business Bootcamp to learn about the 4 Core Elements of running your green-industry business. This class will help you plan and implement business strategies to take your business to the next level. Held at Indiana Wesleyan University in Independence, OH. Instructed by Steven Cohen and Bill Eastman of GreenMark Consulting Group. For more information contact OLA at 1-800-335-6521 or visit OhioLandscapers.org.

DECEMBER 16, 2016 LANDSCAPE OHIO! AWARD ENTRY DEADLINE Don’t miss the opportunity to become an award winning landscape contractor. Entries for the 2016 program are due in the OLA office by 5 pm on Dec. 16. For rules, regulations and entry information go to ohiolandscapers.org. landscapeohioawards.html. Questions? Contact OLA at 1-800-335-6521.

JANUARY 17, 2017 OLA HOSPITALITY SUITE (Central Ohio) Come network with others in the Green Industry. Hosted by OLA. Held at the Hampton Inn and Suites, 501 North High Street, Columbus, OH, 5 pm to 7 pm, across the street from the Columbus Convention Center at the close of MGIX for the day. For more information contact OLA at 1-800-3356521, or visit OhioLandscapers.org.

JANUARY 26, 2017 OLA MEETING (NE Ohio) Ultimate Networking – Learn From Your Peers. A series of roundtable discussions on various topics to help increase your bottom line. Plus – Member Focus – Learn about our member, Herrick Mann, H.A.M. Landscaping. Held at St. Michael’s Woodside in Broadview Hts., OH. For more information contact OLA at 1-800-335-6521, or visit OhioLandscapers.org.

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 22, 2017 OHIO GREEN INDUSTRY ADVOCACY DAY (Central Ohio)

MARCH 9, 2017 OLA MEETING (NE Ohio) Getting and Keeping the Right Employees, featuring Elise Hara Auvil of EHA Solutions, Ltd. Held at St. Michael’s Woodside in Broadview Hts., OH. For more information contact OLA at 1-800-335-6521, or visit OhioLandscapers.org.

MARCH 30, 2017 20th ANNUAL LANDSCAPE OHIO! AWARDS GALA Join Ohio’s landscape community for an elegant, fun-filled night of celebration as we honor winners of the 2016 Landscape Ohio! Awards. This dinner and awards presentation will once again be held at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, located at 11030 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH. For more information contact OLA at 1-800335-6521.

Come to Columbus and meet with your legislators to tell them about the importance of the Green Industry to the State of Ohio. This event takes place at the Ohio State House located in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, contact the OLA Office at 1-800-335-6521. The Growing Concern | December 2016 | 5

PR E S IDENT’ S C OL UMN continued from page 3

Let them see the commitment, the dedication and the sacrifice needed to finish strong, and not just at year’s end, but in everything we do. This is a great mantra, which can also be applied to business, as well as life. We all want to be better people and better professionals. So, as leaders in our organizations, we need to set the example for our teams and show them what it takes to grind it out a little harder – to be the best at what we do. Let them see the commitment, the dedication and the sacrifice needed to finish strong, and not just at year’s end, but in everything we do.

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Thank you to all of our customers for their continued business! We’re excited that our 7,000 square foot showroom can serve as a place you can send your customers to choose from our large variety of stone and brick samples, grills, lighting, and much more! We look forward to serving you in the upcoming year!

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As I make my big push to finish strong for the year, I want to thank you all for the opportunity to have served as your OLA President in 2016. It has truly been a pleasure to be part of such an amazing organization. Looking forward, I am excited for what 2017 has in store for us. Cathy Serafin, of Suncrest Gardens, will be your OLA President for 2017, and she is eager to get started. I’ve had the privilege of working with Cathy, on the OLA board, for the last few years. I can tell you that her passion for this profession and organization is second to none. Cathy, along with the new Board of Directors, has some amazing ideas to bring to you next year, so stay connected with us throughout the year for more information and updates. Speaking of amazing ideas, we could always use more! So, if you have something to share, or wish to get involved, we would love to hear from you. We are always looking for passionate landscape professionals, like you, to join a committee, or the Board of Directors. Remember, this is YOUR organization, and it takes effort from all of us to continue to make it better. Best of luck to you all as you finish strong this year – and continued success into the New Year!

6 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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LANDSCAPE BUSINESS BOOTCAMP

BootCamp Introduction GREENMARK L A N D S C A P E

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S N O W

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I R R I G AT I O N

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N U R S E R Y

PL ANT OF TH E MEDUCATION ON TH OLA SERIES GMCG developed a proprietary Landscape Business BootCamp Platform which offers a combination of business and

industry expertise and accelerated knowledge of in-depth strategies. The program is tailored to business owners,

LANDSCAPE BUSINESS BOOTCAMP managers, employees and all those seeking to improve their expertise in the industry.

The curriculum is based on GMCG’s 4 Cores of Landscape Business Success: Guiding the business, Running the

GREENMARK BOOTCAMP GREENMARK B U S I N E S S

business, Getting the business and Doing the business.

L A N D S C A P E

Primary benefits of the BootCamp program:

• Obtain a better understanding of what it really takes to build, manage and sustain greater success • Improve TEAM performance, attitude and loyalty • Increase your customer loyalty

• Expand your market or service offerings

• Increase your revenue growth profitability

• Learn how to develop a competitive dominance within your market

Landscape Business BootCamp specializes in guiding you through the core business elements that will allow you to achieve greater business success.

Each Core includes Landscape Business Courseware and our Landscape Business Success Toolkits ™ which serves as a blueprint to help attendees:

L A N D S C A P E •• Create S Na vision, O mission W •and Ivalues R statement R I G A T I O N • N U R S E R Y

L A N D S C A P E

•

S N O W

•

• N U R S E R Y I• Create R Rprocesses I Gfor business A T standardization, I O N I.e. Systems & Processes • Define a branding strategy, market position and sales pipeline • Manage the internal & external customer delivery experience

WHY BUSINESS BOOTCAMP?

COURSE DATE

DECEMBER 15, 2016

Struggling with improving your team’s performance, attitude and loyalty? Or perhaps feeling like you are constantly putting band-aids on problems, only to find that they continue to resurface? If so, then this course is for you!

LOCATION

INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIV. 4100 ROCKSIDE ROAD INDEPENDENCE, OH 44131

AGENDA

OLA is teaming with GreenMark Consulting Group to help accelerate your knowledge of inFeel free toThe contact us for general inquires ... of business and industry depth strategies to combat these and other problems. With their combination expertise, GreenMark has put together a program tailored to business owners, managers, employees and all those seeking to improve their expertise in the industry.

8:00 AM – 8:30 AM REGISTRATION / CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM BOOTCAMP

Steven A. Cohen

GreenMark Consulting Group Steven Cohen, Principal of GreenMark Consulting Group, is a business management and operations consultant scohen@greenmarkgroup.com with more than 25 years of landscape Direct: 610.905.3637 & snow industry experience. He has an

COST

MEMBERS BEFORE 12/07 – $149 AFTER 12/07 – $189 NON MEMBERS BEFORE 12/07 – $189 AFTER 12/07 – $229

The curriculum – based on GreenMark’s 4 Cores of Landscape Business Success: Guiding the Business, Running the Business, Getting the Business & Doing the Business – will help you create and put in place the vision, mission and values necessary to make your business successful. Sign up now! Chief Innovation Officer

extensive background in managing crossfunctional business operations, business strategy and market growth projects.

w w w.gre enmar k bo o tca m p. co m PRESENTER PRESENTER

Bill Eastman is GreenMark’s Growth Consultant. He has spent over 3 decades working with the Fortune 500 building a library of best practices for fast and sustainable growth – the secret behind how small businesses became market leaders.

BILL EASTMAN

STEVEN COHEN

Cancellations made 8 to 14 days prior to the course start date will be subject to a 30% cancellation fee. NO refunds will be issued for cancellations 7 days or less prior to the course, no shows, or cancellations on the day of the course. If, for any reason, the course is cancelled, enrollees will be notified, and fees refunded in full.

7 CEU’S

OLA Members

$149

NON Members

$189

OLA Members

$189

NON Members

$229

Company Contact Address City State Phone (______) NAME OF ATTENDEE

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Exp. Date

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Last Three Digits on Signature Line

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EVENT, OR TO REGISTER, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT OHIOLANDSCAPERS.ORG/EDUCATION/2016BOOTCAMP

PEREN N I AL FOCUS

BOBBIE SCHWARTZ, FAPLD Bobbie’s Green Thumb

THE HOLIDAY BOOKSHELF 2016 EDITION

GARDEN REVOLUTION: HOW OUR LANDSCAPES CAN BE A SOURCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Weaner, Larry & Christopher, Thomas Timber Press, Portland 2016 $39.95

Garden Revolution is a collaboration between a horticulturist, Thomas Christopher, and a landscape designer, Larry Weaner, who both care deeply about creating sustainable landscapes and leading us all to the conclusion that our gardens can be engines of ecological renewal. Although the book is a collaboration, it is told in Weaner’s voice.

8 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

The central thrust of the book is the notion that conventional gardening is counter-productive, relying on tilling, irrigation and fertilization, thus perpetually disturbing the natural ecology of our sites. The suggested alternative is basing our design and gardening on the study of how plants and wildlife interact. The result will be less human input and an ability to better cope with weeds and pests. Instead of attempting to keep the original design static, Christopher and Weaner suggest that we should subtly direct the evolution of the garden. Instead of consuming natural resources and polluting the environment, we can use our gardens to cope with storm water and advance biodiversity. I was fascinated by the debunking of traditional horticultural practices such as pulling weeds, amending soil, and raising the ph of acidic soil to make nutrients more available. Instead, following the authors’ design path will lead you to partner with nature, ensuring that the garden is never finished, that it will always be a work in progress. Introducing the element of time to the garden means that it will evolve. This does not mean that there will be no garden editing, just that you will guide it. For instance, letting plants seed in the garden creates a spontaneous event; we never know where they will

end up. Are there more than we want? We can transplant them or give them away. Before attempting to design ecologically, Weaner believes that we need to understand the vocabulary and thus gives us a primer, defining each term and its relationship to a functional landscape. He also encourages us to identify the site’s ecological conditions and inventory the plants on site, both desirable and undesirable. The combination of these factors will guide us to plant communities and choices that will ultimately mean less maintenance and a more sustainable landscape. Finally, he stresses how important knowledge of the site’s past and present vegetation will impact future vegetation. As Weaner discusses creating an ecologically connected master plan, he quotes the old maxim “First, do no harm.” Preserving what is there is easier and less expensive than restoring a damaged site. There may be several different habitats on a property and creating correctly sized and shaped corridors to connect them is crucial. Once the overall design is complete, one can finally start selecting plants. Weaner emphasizes the importance of selecting plant communities, not just individual plants. One of

the thrusts of the book is that we need to design and garden in non-traditional, horticultural ways. An essential element of this philosophy is changing the traditional spacing of plants so as not to leave gaps that will be filled, naturally, with weeds. Including groundcovers to create a dense ground layer will preclude a great deal of maintenance; if the ground is shaded, weed germination will be minimal. Design and implementation are only the beginning with very specific instructions for creating meadows, shrublands, and woodlands. Management of the landscape comes next and Weaner offers many suggestions for weed control¸ watering, soil amendment, establishing a living mulch, managing plant proliferation, and ongoing design. Although the principles of the authors are applicable to any landscape site, they are most applicable to large areas. The excellent photos, mostly taken by Weaner, continuously illustrate his design philosophy. This thought-provoking book is a not a fast read because there is so much information to absorb, but I learned a lot about the natural world, how it evolves, and how we can use that knowledge in our designs.

continued on page 10

The Growing Concern | December | October 2016 | 9 The Growing Concern

PEREN N I AL FOCUS continued from page 9

PLANTS WITH STYLE: A PLANTSMAN’S CHOICES FOR A VIBRANT, 21ST CENTURY GARDEN

Norris, Kelly Timber Press, Portland 2015 $24.95

I frequently bemoan the lack of diversity and interest in our landscapes. My friend Kelly Norris, the Director of Horticulture at the Des Moines Botanical Garden, has taken it upon himself to direct us to new plants that are exciting and then shows us how to integrate them into our gardens. As Kelly points out in Plants with Style, selecting plants that we love is an essential component of making a garden reflect who we are as well as a way of beautifying and improving our planet. Thus, he would say that style is about connecting love of plants with sense of place and ecology. This concept does not preclude adding plants that are not native, only that we should start with plants that epitomize our region and proceed from there. None of the plants that Kelly highlights are fussy. In fact, one of his criteria is plants that will thrive, not just survive. Kelly is very well-traveled and takes inspiration from many of the gardens that he has visited. He will be the first to tell you that he is a plant geek and loves working in the garden. This includes weeding and pruning and constant tweaking. After all, a garden is a living thing and conditions change or your taste changes. Soil is always our starting point and Kelly points out that the soil of most areas of the country is clay. He quickly notes that the Milkweeds (Asclepias), Bluestars (Amsonia), and false Indigos (Baptisia) have “a predilection for tough soils” while apprising us of species and cultivars of which we may be unaware. The other predominant element of gardening is light: how much there is and the direction from which it comes. Kelly reminds

10 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

us that light can be cast from the front or the back as well as overhead, enabling us to site plants to benefit from directional lighting. All too often, gardeners complain about shade but Kelly offers examples of genera that need shade to perform at their best. I love the inclusion of Synelesis aconitifolia as a reminder that shade plants can be taller than twelve inches. I’ve had it in my garden for several years and its unusual shredded, umbrella-like foliage is a delight. The list of plants that Kelly mentions is not a boring compendium of what will work; rather, it is a series of humorous yet eloquent descriptions. I found myself laughing at many of these descriptions. I think the other emotion you will experience after reading this book is lust – plant lust, that is. A bonus of most of the plants mentioned in the book is that they are not on the deer menu. Although he is not a landscape designer, Kelly thinks like one and quickly points out that structure frames the garden. Trees are the perfect example of structure, particularly their trunks that take stage once the leaves fall. A short riff on trunks elicits a list of trees with bark that spark the landscape, particularly in winter. When shrubs are used as hedges, they also provide structure in the garden but the ones that Kelly highlights are not the common choices. Hallelujah! Another section highlights some perennials that can be used as structural elements (Kelly calls them scaffolds that visually define the garden) because of their size. In contrast, he offers a selection of ground-covering plants as alternatives to PPI (Pachysandra, Periwinkle, and Ivy). Although many gardeners and hybridizers are looking for plants that bloom for long periods of time, Kelly reminds us that there are plants that are “emblems” of each season and that we should treasure them, e.g. Tulips and Daffs in spring, Penstemons and Lilies in summer, Asters and Mums in fall, and Witch Hazels and Hellebores in winter. Keeping all of this information in mind, Kelly then leads us to the creation of garden vignettes that will epitomize our style and personality. He shows us how to put plants together artfully, thus creating living communities that will, inevitably, change. The elements of stitching the vignettes together include color (with caveats about color of which you may not have thought), contrast (manipulation of texture through more than one season), foliage, understanding and maximizing plant personalities, and savoring the endings (berries). Add to all of this, at least one kitschy plant – not beloved by many but a must have for you.

ART AND THE GARDENER: FINE PAINTING AS INSPIRATION FOR GARDEN DESIGN

Hayward, Gordon Gibbs Smith, Salt Lake City 2008 $40 (out of print â&#x20AC;&#x201C; only available online)

Last year, when I was doing some research for a gallery talk on the connection between artists and landscape design at the Cleveland Museum of Art, I purchased a copy of this book written by Gordon Hayward, a prolific author and landscape designer. The dominant theme of this book is that both painting and landscape design are visual arts that depend on the ability to really see. A fascinating fact is that many artists are also gardeners.

Using the principles of art and design (they are the same), painters express on canvas what they see, either actually or imaginatively. Landscape designers need to know what and how to express their clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals while adding another dimension, that of time. Hayward believes that studying paintings will help us identify the styles and principles that each epitomizes. He lists and explains each term in ways that are eye openers. He also interprets each painting or photo in this language and it is very helpful to read these analyses while glancing back at the images. Also helpful was the juxtaposition of a painting and then a photo that illustrated the same principles. Then we can go into our own gardens or visualize our designs and evaluate them using the same visual language. I appreciated his analysis of the impressionist painters of the 19th century as being about the fact that light is the subject, showing us how to see in a different way. When these artists painted flowers, we do not necessarily recognize them. More important than their identity was the way in which light reflected on or off of them. I was fascinated by his analysis of cubism and the landscape designs of James Rose who never used pure geometric shapes but, instead, unified interrelated shapes with mostly green plantings. continued on page 12

The Growing Concern | December 2016 | 11

P EREN N I AL FOCU S continued from page 11 It would never have occurred to me to relate minimalism to classical or oriental design but Hayward demonstrates that relationship with a Mondrian painting and a landscape design by Anthony Paul, an English designer for the past thirty years. The antithesis of minimalism (paring down to the essentials and little regard for color) is abstract expressionism, defined as raw emotion shown in interrelated free-form shapes of different colors. This school of painting is exemplified by a painting of a contemporary American painter, Emily Mason. It is paired with a photo of garden full of vivid color. I had no idea that there is a school of pattern and decoration, an American art movement of the 1970s and 1980s. It is a blend of a structural grid complemented by rich color and texture. Hayward shows both a painting and a garden design by Roger Sandes. I loved both and spent a long time examining the lines, colors, and forms in the garden design. Another set of paintings illustrates the different relationships between house and landscape. Then the author moves on to the process of composition, analogizing the parts of a painting to the parts of a garden. A conversation with an artist who lives in Vermont led Hayward to realize that he and the artist start their designs the same way, with the journey or path that is the way in. An interesting chapter discusses the role of trees in the landscape. They provide a vertical element in an otherwise horizontal setting, depth to an otherwise shallow setting, intimacy by enclosing a space, framing and possibly compression of a space, and indicate positive and negative space. A short but insightful chapter concentrates on color contrast and color harmony. Inspiration comes from many sources and looking at one of the photos gave me an idea for a plant combination I would never have thought of: combining Alstroemeria with Monarda for color echo and contrasting flower shapes. The last but short chapter sums up the thrust of the book in a discourse on the art and gardens of Claude Monet who said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.â&#x20AC;? Art and the Gardener is an education for the eye. As landscape designers, we must do more than look; we must see. Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, owner of Bobbieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Green Thumb in Shaker Hts., Ohio, is a landscape designer, consultant, freelance writer, and lecturer whose specialties are perennial gardens and four season landscapes. She can be reached at (216) 752-9449.

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PL ANTOLA OF TH E M ON THANNOUNCEMENT MEETING

PJANUARY EREN N I A LMEETING F O CU S

2016/2017 NORTH EAST OHIO MEETING SPONSORS EMERALD LEVEL

January 26, 2017

Ultimate Networking

LEARNING FROM YOUR PEERS: A SERIES OF ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS Who knows better than someone who has walked in your shoes? Many of our meeting evaluations have asked for more networking and roundtable discussions. In response, we are focusing the January meeting on networking and sharing in a series of roundtable discussions. You will have the opportunity to discuss, share opinions, strategies, and tactics with your peers during two different networking sessions.

GOLD LEVEL BOTSON INSURANCE GROUP SILVER LEVEL EMMETT EQUIPMENT COMPANY BRONZE LEVEL DAVIS TREE FARM & NURSERY HEARTLAND MEDINA SOD FARMS VALLEY CITY SUPPLY WOLF CREEK COMPANY CEU CREDITS 1.5 CEU’S

Topics of discussion include: - Recruiting & Retaining Employees - Money Management - Equipment Aquisition - Supplier/Buyer Relationships

- The Owner’s Role - Developing a Team - New Technologies

MEMBER FOCUS: HERRICK MANN

Herrick Mann, of H.A.M. Landscaping, developed a fascination with horticulture stemming from his childhood days of pushing a Sears Craftsman mower throughout the Lomond area of Shaker Heights to earn some extra money. After graduating high school, Herrick pursued his B.S. degree in Horticulture while simultaneously building his landscape company. Since, H.A.M. Landscaping Inc. has grown into a full service design-build-maintenance firm. Herrick will share the story of building his company from the ground up.

LOCATION

St. Michael’s Woodside 5025 East Mill Road Broadview Heights, OH

COST

FREE to OLA Members NON-Members $30

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE! TOLL FREE: 1.800.335.6521

- Project Planning - Training / Safety & Insurance - Customer Service - New Trends

AGENDA

6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Registration / Networking Food / Cash bar

7:30 pm to 7:45 pm Member Focus: Herrick Mann / H.A.M. Landscaping

7:00 pm to 7:30 pm Installation of 2017 OLA Board of Directors

7:45 pm to 9:00 pm Program

PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH

JIM FUNAI, LIC Cuyahoga Community College

SHELLEY FUNAI, LIC The ornamental features of Yellowwood will bring a lot of attention to the landscape in early summer, just as the spring riot of blooms is fading.

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

CLADRASTIS KENTUKEA AMERICAN YELLOWWOOD

Dr. John Ball, of South Dakota State University, had a great article in the most recent edition of the Arborist News (Volume 25, Number 5; October 2016) that every landscape professional needs to read. The title of the article is “Diversity of the Urban Forest: We need more genera, not species.” In this article, Dr. Ball presents powerful evidence highlighting the dangers of our continual replacement of a plant species wiped out by a pandemic with another species that is destined for the same fate. Further exacerbating the problem is our insistence on planting the same species all the way down the street, or through the entire parking lot, or across the whole property. Quick survey: raise your hand if you’re guilty of planting, or designing a landscape where you repeated a very common tree over and over again. Ok, whoever doesn’t have their hand up – you’re just keeping it down because you look silly sitting there, reading a magazine, with your hand in the air. The truth is, we ALL have done this and we ALL need to stop!

14 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

If you’re not convinced, just think about how many Ash Trees (Fraxinus) we are cutting down every day. Or, ask any of our more experienced members in the business how many American Elms (Ulmus americana) they have treated or removed. These once major staples of the urban canopy are now minority elements, costing us large sums of money. What we can learn from the evidence presented by Dr. Ball is a focus on increasing the genera used in our landscapes. That is

to say, planting ten different Oaks – all of the genus, Quercus – is not going to significantly increase what we commonly call “species diversity” from a plant health perspective. We need completely different genera, mixed in, to help increase the resiliency of the urban canopy. We’ll leave it at that and encourage you to pick up the article, but do hope you’ll give it some thought as you plan your next big project, or as you’re picking up this month’s plant, which would be a step forward in increasing the number of genera you plant! Cladrastis kentukea is a lesser known native, more often found in Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina – less often in the Midwest and deeper South. Nowhere in its native range is it overly common, and it’s even less commonly found in our ornamental landscapes. Yellowwood – named for the yellow colored heart wood – is one of those trees that once you get to know it, you can’t seem to figure out why it isn’t used more often. The ornamental features are great on this plant and will bring a lot of attention to the landscape in early summer, just as the spring riot of blooms

is fading. A member of the Fabaceae (Pea) family, the prolific pea-like flowers are pure white, borne on 12-inch long terminal panicles, and are breathtaking in full bloom (early June). They resemble a giant, white-flowering tree form of Wisteria, giving off a light, sweet fragrance and loved by many different pollinators. This tree will grab all of the attention when in bloom. The fruit is not too ornamental – a dry, flat, brown pod with two to six seeds in each. When there are just two seeds, the outline of the seed pod looks a lot like a sleeping mask. Perhaps with more than two, it looks like a sleeping mask for someone with a freaky number of eyeballs! We’ve found that the fruit may hang on the tree into several snow falls and provides a slight bit of visual interest. Bark on these trees is almost Beech-like, in the smooth grey perfection of it, though not quite as flawless as a Beech – save for ones that some evil lovebirds carved their name in. This is a tree that would be quite effective in the nightscape with uplighting washed up the trunk and highlighting the overall branch structure. Expect a medium-sized tree with a rounded habit in the crown, likely pushing 30 feet x 30 feet, or slightly more.

continued on page 16

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PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH continued from page 15

To us, the leaf is one of this plant’s key ID features. The overall effect of the foliage is a nice contrast to darker green leaves, showing a more chartreuse brightness to them, turning to deep yellows for fall. The leaf is odd pinnate compound, arranged alternate on the branch with the leaflets themselves slightly alternate. Another neat thing about this leaf is that its base completely covers the bud. You have to pull the leaf off to find the bud underneath, kind of like a hipster walking around in summer with their stocking cap pulled all the way down.

NO WAY! It means we intersperse more genus diversity across all of our landscapes to improve the overall resiliency of our landscapes against the next pandemic invader.

Yellowwood is adaptable in soils and lighting, but will perform best when given a well-drained soil in full sun. Typically found in limestone based soils of higher pH, this tree can adapt fairly well to a slightly acidic soil and less than ideal bulk density. Try to keep it out of dense clay, as we suspect the lack of oxygen found there, or in a very wet site, can be an issue for the roots and may allow verticillium wilt to enter.

We challenge each of you – and ourselves – to find more beauty in genus diversity. Instead of ordering 15 Freeman Maples or Honeylocust for your next commercial job, choose five different genus and plant three of each. Here’s a quick cheat sheet: Cladrastis, Maackia, Phellodendron, Gymnocladus, and Parrotia. That will make a statement of beauty and ecological resilience!

What makes this a great choice is that there are very few cousins for this tree (two very rare Asian species) and no pests to mention. The likelihood of a foreign pandemic level pest (i.e. Emerald Ash Borer, Dutch Elm Disease, Sudden Oak Death, Asian Longhorn Beetle, etc.) knowing how to attack this tree and getting accidentally imported is very rare. Try to say that about any of our Maples or Oaks. Unfortunately, there is a very high risk of a pandemic level event for both Oak and Maple on the horizon. Does that mean we stop planting Maples and Oaks?

16 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

There is a great planting of several trees on the Kent State University campus along Johnston Road near the intersection with Loop Road. This site and the healthy condition of the trees – now pushing 25 feet – shows the adaptability that we think this tree isn’t given enough credit for in literature.

Jim Funai is full-time faculty at Cuyahoga Community College, a NALP accredited associate of applied science in horticulture degree program offering many paths to higher education in the green industry. He is pursuing a PhD in Landscape Engineering and Forestry and is a Licensed Arborist. Shelley Funai is Grounds Manager at Stan Hywett Hall and Gardens in Akron, Ohio, which offers a historic estate designed by Warren H. Manning and a beautiful manor house museum. She is Landscape Industry Certified in Ornamental Plant Care. Both are graduates of The Ohio State University. Contact Jim and Shelley via email at hortsquad@gmail.com.

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It is tough when the season is rapidly approaching to qualify subs, but the last thing you want to do is hire a subcontractor who harms the site or someone on it. Even if you have solid contracts in place to protect you from liability tied to work performed by the sub, your reputation can be seriously damaged if a sub associated with your name has an accident or is the cause of failed service. Here are 5 things to consider:

18 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

POOR ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS Not every subcontractor you hire is going to be perfect. But you should pay attention to personal details tied to how organized they are in the way they think and act. Are they responsive when you ask them for paperwork or other information, or do you need to follow up with them? Is their shop/equipment in good working order and clean? Are they easily distracted or forgetful? A good subcontractor should be prepared, organized, and trustful.

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UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED

Character in business is important, and you should make sure that you associate your company with someone who is dependable and trustful. If a subcontractor is a heavy drinker, has a criminal record, or has been caught lying to you, you should think twice about subbing work out to them.

It’s a no brainer that the subcontractor should have insurance, but definitely create a standardized process for doublechecking and requiring the following: • General liability insurance, including property damage (insurance should include a ‘snow rider’) • Workers compensation • Auto liability (property and casualty) • Inland marine coverage on equipment (non-auto) that might be on the site

NO REFERENCES Anytime you hire a new sub, you should get at least 1-2 references. Preferably these would not be ‘buddies’ who want to help a friend out, and represent other snow contractors or customers that have been serviced.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE Everyone wants a good deal, but if you run into a subcontractor who quotes you at a rate that is significantly lower than other subs in the market, you should proceed cautiously. Especially for individuals who are newer to the industry, they may not have a solid grasp of their costs to do the work, and they could be underestimating significantly the amount of time and sacrifice they will make during heavy winter events. The less experienced and compensated they are, the more they are potentially going to quit on you mid-season.

Hiring good subcontractors can really help you grow your snow management business. Accidents can happen anytime, but hiring just one poor sub who creates a serious safety condition can impact your company in a negative way for many years. Take the time proactively to qualify subcontractors and keep your reputation strong.

This article originally ran on the Snow & Ice Management Association’s news blog at http://www.sima.org/news2. S.I.M.A. is a non-profit trade association with a focus on training, events, and best practices related to snow plowing, ice management, and business management. Visit them at http://www.sima.org.

The Growing Concern | December 2016 | 19

FI SCAL FI TN ESS

MICHAEL J. DONNELLAN King Financial, Inc.

THE ROLE OF DIVIDENDS I often get asked what type of returns an investor should expect from the stock market. That is such a tough question to answer because of many factors. The type of investments and risk would be the primary qualification on guessing the percentage of future return. Riskier investments will certainly have more possibility for greater return, but also greater chance at loss. Diversification is key in smoothing out the “standard deviation” in a portfolio, which means it reduces risk. Standard deviation is a statistic that shows how much variation there is from an average. A low standard deviation indicates the volatility will be close to the mean, while a high standard deviation indicates high volatility where the data is spread out over a large range of values.

We’ll use the S&P 500 index for our guess on what an investor should expect over a long period.

For example, a diversified portfolio of dividend paying stocks should have a lower standard deviation than a portfolio of small company stocks.

Secondly, most people would just look at the price of a stock or index and divide over the time frame from where they are pulling data. Nevertheless, to study the real profitability of the market, we need to average and graph not only the price, but the effect of dividend distributions and inflation as well.

So let’s talk about an investor who has a portfolio of dividend paying stocks, with diversification across different sectors. The S&P 500 is probably a good indication of that portfolio, having tracked the largest 500 U.S. companies across a broad range of sectors for over 50 years.

20 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

The next best way to forecast future returns is to look back at the past. You’ve probably hear the phrase “past performance cannot guarantee future returns.” That phrase was specifically designed for the stock market.

According to Standard & Poor’s, the dividend component was responsible for 44% of the total return of the last 50 years of the index. If we are to analyze the historical profitability of continued on page 23

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FI SCAL FI TN ESS continued from page 20 stock investments, this portion cannot be neglected. We’ll also assume the investor is going to reinvest those dividends back into more shares. The table to the right 1930s: 5.4% -5.3% provides an idea of the 1940s: 6.0% 3.0% importance of dividends i n1950s: 5.1% 13.6% 1960s: 3.3% 4.4% the stock market’s longer-term 1970s: 4.2% 1.6% return. The first column shows 1980s: 4.4% 12.6% the return from dividends, 1990s: 2.5% 15.3% the second column the return 2000s: 1.8% -2.7% from price change alone. While dividends were an important element of performance in the period from 1930-1979 and again in the 2000s, they played only a modest role in returns during the 1980s and 1990s. During this time, stocks were delivering such high price returns that dividend yield seemed like an unimportant consideration. In fact, a company’s decision to pay out dividends was often seen as a sign that it had run out of opportunities to invest for future growth. This situation has

begun to reverse in the past ten years, as investors are again paying more attention to the importance of dividends. An investor in the decade of the 2000s was down over 20% in the price of the S&P 500, but with dividends they were nearly flat. Notice how dividends play an important role in the total return of a portfolio. Another key is the rate of inflation. A dollar in 1960 is equal to about $8.00 in today’s dollars. Dividends serve as a signaling tool from corporate managers. The dividend payers tend to be less cyclical and more consistent in their operating results. The declaration of a dividend payment indicates management’s confidence in the future. Since dividend stocks tend to be less volatile during market downturns, they can play an important role in reducing risk. During the late 1990s, many investors lost sight of the risk/ reward balance in their quest for the highest returns. Talk to your financial advisor about dividend paying stocks, mutual funds or Exchange Traded Funds to determine what is right for your portfolio.

Next Month: The Role of Rising Dividends Michael J. Donnellan is President of King Financial, Inc., with offices in Strongsville and the M3 Wealth Management office in North Royalton, Ohio specializing in stock selection and retirement planning. Feel free to contact him with any questions or comments. Phone number (440) 652-6370 Email: donnellan@m3wealthmanagement.com

The Growing Concern | December 2016 | 23

FEATURE ARTI CLE

5 PRACTICAL & EFFECTIVE CROSS SELLING STRATEGIES by Chris Heiler

Earn More Revenue From Your Current Customer Base It takes more time, energy, and marketing dollars to find a new customer than to sell more work to an existing customer who is already sold on how great your landscaping, lawn care, or tree care services are. But yet, winning new customers is what seems to get a ton of attention when green industry companies empty their marketing wallet.

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE LANDSCAPE LEADERSHIP BLOG WEBSITE, LOCATED AT HTTP://WWW. LANDSCAPELEADERSHIP. COM/BLOG

While it is true that your business needs to keep aggressively pursuing new customers, it’s just as important to make sure you’re not missing easy cross-selling opportunities with your existing ones. How many times have you been on a customer’s property only to hear, “Oh, I didn’t know you did that kind of work, so I called XYZ company.”? You walk back to your truck, scratching your head as to how you missed an opportunity, and now there’s a competitor on YOUR customer’s property!

24 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

The reality is that customers frequently don’t remember all of the types of work you perform, even if you tell them multiple times. And, just because you gave them a brochure on your tree care services when you originally signed them, doesn’t mean they have it on their fridge. So, how do you teach them about your service capabilities, and how do you make them remember you when it comes time when they are finally interested?

INCLUDE PROMOTIONS IN NORMAL CORRESPONDENCE

TEAM LEAD PROGRAMS Finding additional sales could be as easy as just ringing your customer’s doorbell after their service is completed. Your salesperson may have only visited the property once or a fraction of the amount of time as your production workers spend there. Customers begin to trust people who get their hands dirty and spend a lot of time on their property. If a technician recommends an additional service, customers are more likely to be receptive because they assume their technician or crew leader isn’t being paid commission.

You leave bills on doors, send invoices, mail renewal letters, and fire out newsletters. If done subtly, this is an opportunity to create awareness for your other services, or share promotions. Some printing software allows for these promotional messages to be easily inserted right on invoices and statements, or you can hire a local printing company to print a bunch of stuffers for you. Here’s a few tips on printed materials: • If you plan to use them multiple times watch expiration dates. • Go full color, go 2-sided, and print a ton of them! It’s not much more to print on both sides, in 4-color process, or shoot off a few more thousand with today’s digital printers. • Hire a graphic designer. Seriously, pay a little money for a nice piece instead of making it look like you whipped it out of MS Word and on your office copier. • List pricing if you can, and if there’s any way you can give a price for THEIR property, do it. People don’t want to call for a price, but if they think it’s affordable, they’ll call you.

Is it worth your team’s while to find new business opportunities? Do they ONLY get paid if your sales team follows through and can close the deal? Get them some cold, hard cash when they find legitimate sales opportunities. Make sure your sales team treats these cross-selling leads like gold! Nothing will take the wind out of a production worker’s sails quicker, than a bonafide opportunity that a salesperson blows off. Why keep looking for leads if that happens? continued on page 26

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F EATURE ARTI CLE F EATURE ARTI CLE continued from page 25

EMAIL MARKETING Of course you don’t want to overdo it, but if you set the expectation right from the beginning of the customer relationship, they will actually enjoy emails. While you may get away with a couple selfish promotions each year, make sure your email tone is helpful for the customer as much as possible. Here are some email tips: • Start sending a monthly or quarterly campaign. • Create a great subject line so it gets opened. • Have your email start with a very brief, and FUN paragraph. • Use bullet points. If it looks long, they won’t read it. • Make sure there are thumbnail images. • Give teasers to a full article that you’ve written on the topic with a “Read more….” tag that links to the article. An added bonus is that will get them onto your website where they can read in-depth articles, peruse services and galleries, and more. Segment your database and personalize your emails. I can’t say enough about how extremely critical this is. There are tools out there that can do this. Imagine sending an email to only your customers that paid good money for tree pruning last year, but don’t have a plant health care program. The email has their first name in it and other specific information magically inserted as if you wrote each email by hand (but you didn’t because your email marketing platform rocks). The email has a catchy subject line, the copy is short and to the point, images are great, and there are noticeable links for them to learn more. Even if they don’t click they’ll still see your subject line is about plant health care, and see the main headings of your email.

SOFT-SELL TELEMARKETING I’ll admit, there’s not many things that irritate me more than telemarketers. However, if you execute a calling campaign to your customer base in the right manner, it can be a huge source of cross-selling opportunities for your sales team. Here are some tips on telemarketing: • Don’t call a customer more than once every 2 months. Figure out a system, or customers will hate you. • Make 80% of your call just about thanking them for trusting you with their property, and suggest the additional services as an afterthought.

26 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

• Offer discounts or incentives that are ONLY for existing customers and let them know that right away. • Always think of the customer’s benefit when you write your script. • If they don’t want a consultation or whatever you’re offering, go heavy on the appreciation. The call is all about making them feel valued even if they don’t want to buy more. • If they don’t like you calling, make sure you have a way to extract them from further calling campaigns of this nature.

PROACTIVE PROPERTY VISITS One way to show legitimate concern for your customer is to actually go to their property and give them something for free without them even asking. Have your salespeople or production workers go to the property for a complimentary inspection. Even if your customer doesn’t want your lawn care services, they may appreciate you pointing out to them that they have nutsedge in their lawn. Even if they planned on pruning their landscape themselves, doesn’t mean they’ll be offended just because you pointed out a Red Twig Dogwood that needed some old canes cut out of it. Just make sure the proactive visits stay original. Don’t do the same routine every year. Make the subject nature different, schedule them for a different season, and change it up. Be sure the point seems more like some helpful tips than a selfish promotion.

CROSS-SELLING HAS MULTIPLE BENEFITS Cross-selling strategies like these, when executed properly, will provide multiple times throughout the year that you can give and get valuable feedback with your customers. It will not only lead to more sales revenue, but can generate referral opportunities, save lawns and plants, and show your customers that they still remain important to you, well beyond getting them to sign and to send you regular payments.

Chris Heiler is the founder and CEO of Landscape Leadership, a sales and marketing agency for lawn and landscape industry companies. Learn more at www.LandscapeLeadership.com.

The Growing Concern | December 2016 | 27

D I RECTI ON S

MILESTONES It is that time of year again! With the holidays upon us, the OLA would like to thank all of our members for their continued dedication to the industry and our organization. At our annual meeting on November 17th, we applauded members celebrating significant membership milestones. It is great to look over such an impressive list! Congratulations to all.

SANDY MUNLEY

Executive Director The Ohio Landscape Association

40-YEAR MEMBER

20-YEAR MEMBER

10-YEAR MEMBER

• The Pattie Group, Inc.

• • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • •

35-YEAR MEMBER • • • •

Bordonaro’s Landscape, Inc. Chagrin Valley Nurseries, Inc. Lake County Nursery T.L.C. Landscaping, Inc.

30-YEAR MEMBER • DiPadova Landscaping, Inc. • Zergott Landscaping, Inc. & Garden Cnt. • Yardmaster, Inc.

Cascade Lighting, Inc. H&M Landscaping & Home Maintenance Co., Inc. Highland Landscape Supply Paul Kellermann Landscaping Kuz Landscape Company Landscaping by Gerbers, LLC Mattes Landscaping, Inc. R & J Farms, Inc. TMC Landscape, LLC

15-YEAR MEMBER

• • 25-YEAR MEMBER • • #1 Landscaping • • Botson Insurance Group, Inc. • • C & C Garden and Landscape Design, Inc. • • Cactus Jack Landscaping, Inc. • • Grace Brothers Nursery & Supply • • Oaks Concrete Products • • Rusty Oak Nursery, Ltd. • • Suncrest Gardens • • Vermeer Sales and Service, Inc. • • Wayne Lawn and Landscape • • Western Reserve Lawn and Yard Care, Inc. •

1-888-OhioComp ABC Equipment Rental & Sales Abraxus Salt, LLC Alpha Lawn Care, Inc. Barone Landscaping, Inc. Buck & Sons Landscape Service, Inc. Bob Cultrona Landscaping Company Joe Greenwell Landscaping, Inc. Hephner Lawn Care, LLC Impact Grounds Maintenance and Design Lasko & Ohio Irrigation – Landscaping Tom’s Pond Service Tucker Landscaping, Inc. Weed Pro, Ltd.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

The Ohio Landscape Association is delighted to welcome the following new members:

STUDENT MEMBERS Gates Mills Environmental Education Center Kai Beller Joey Cararella

Darius Harrison David Sallach

28 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Robert Woods, Jr.

A & C Landscaping, Inc. Brian-Kyles Landscapes of Distinction Classico Landscapes, Inc. Down to Earth Landscaping, Inc. Estates Landscaping Landpride Horticultural Services Lawn Butlers LLC Mason Structural Steel, Inc. Nick’s Landscaping Parkteq Tim Lally Chevrolet, Inc. Work of Art Landscaping & Lawn Care Inc

5-YEAR MEMBER • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Baker Vehicle Systems, Inc. Brothers Grimm Landscape & Design Co. Cannon Salt and Supply, Inc. Croy’s Mowing, LTD Empaco Equipment Corporation Flexlawn & Landscape, Ltd. Graf’s Landscape & Design Hapner Lawn and Landscape, LLC LeafStone Landscapes Mars Irrigation and Landscape LLC Morel Landscaping, LLC Nature in Bloom Landscaping, Inc. Petrarca Landcare, Inc. Precision Lawnscape & Irrigation Property Maintenance Services, Inc. Reflections Landscaping Tab Property Enhancement True Care Landscaping, Inc. Ventrac continued on page 30

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DIR EC TIONS continued from page 28

Additionally, the annual meeting is when the membership votes to approve the slate of board members that will serve in 2017. This slate represents another milestone, as Cathy Serafin will become the second woman to serve as president of the association. Mary Finley led the OLA as president in 1998. Also, Marie McConnell will take the role of presidentelect. In 2018, she will be the third woman president and the first president from the nursery side of the industry.

2017 OFFICERS

President – Cathy Serafin, ASLA, RLA, Suncrest Gardens President-Elect – Marie McConnell, Lake County Nursery Treasurer – Adam Capiccioni, Ohio CAT Secretary – Sandy Munley, Ohio Landscape Assn. Immediate Past President – Bryan Taynor, Hidden Creek Landscaping, Inc.

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Congratulations to our officers and directors! I am looking forward to working with each of you in the coming year. If you are interested in being more involved with OLA, we will hold committee meetings on January 29th immediately before the January evening meeting. If you would like to join a committee, please contact me so that we can send you an invitation. You can call me at 440-717-0002 or send an email to sandy@ohiolandscapers.org. Happy Holidays to you and your families!

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A dedicated single point of contact to address your questions

Now is a great time to evaluate your payroll for 2017!

To learn more, contact Eric Hajek 330.620.7443 or eric.hajek@e-hps.com heartland.us

ÂŠ 2016 Heartland Payment Systems, LLC

9240 Broadview Road Broadview Hts., OH 44147-2517

12/16

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FINAL DEADLINE APPROACHING DECEMBER 16, 2016 RULES, REGULATIONS & ENTRY FORMS AVAILABLE @ OHIOLANDSCAPERS.ORG