WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

MARCH 5, 2020 OLA MEETING: CREATING AND LIVING YOUR BRAND Jason Cromley, Co-owner of Hidden Creek Landscaping, discusses how Hidden Creek attained their vision, while offering advice on how to not settle when it comes to creating and living your brand.

MARCH 9, 2020 (NE Ohio) FOREMAN TRAINING Foremen walk a fine line when working side by side with employees: having to direct, motivate and critique them. This seminar will train them how to effectively manage tight deadlines, tight margins and increase customer satisfaction. Held at Indiana Wesleyan University in Independence, OH. Sponsored by Wolf Creek Company.

MARCH 10, 2020 (Central Ohio) FOREMAN TRAINING Foremen walk a fine line when working side by side with employees: having to direct, motivate and critique them. This seminar will train them how to effectively manage tight deadlines, tight margins and increase customer satisfaction. Hosted and sponsored by Wolf Creek Company in Columbus, OH.

MARCH 26, 2020 23rd ANNUAL AWARDS GALA Join Ohio’s landscape community for an evening out as we reveal the 2019 Landscape Ohio! Award winners. This year, space is available to those who have not entered awards. This is a great opportunity for those of you who have been contemplating entering, but want to know more about the program, or for those of you just looking to spend an elegant night out with industry leaders. See page 12 for more information.

APRIL 8, 2020 SPRING TRAINING Safety is the key to a running a successful company. This class features sessions on proper equipment utilization & operation, basic first aid, safe hauling and loading procedures, and more. More information to come. See page 22 for more information.

APRIL 16, 2020 OLA CENTRAL OHIO MEETING Mike Rorie, former owner of GroundMasters, Div. VP at BrightView, CEO of GIS Dynamics and Board Member at GroundSystems will discuss the importance of creating and adhering to your business model. See page 7 for more information.

OLA’s NEW MEMBERS The Ohio Landscape Association is delighted to welcome the following members:

REGULAR MEMBERS Frieden Landscaping, Inc. 14970 Crimson King Trail Chardon, OH 44024 440-336-1217 Robert J. Frieden Linden Landcare LLC 10130 Beeson Street Alliance, OH 44601 330-238-8543 Aaron Buehler

DATE – TBD PLANT I.D. CLINIC This clinic is a hands-on training opportunity for you and your crews covering the basics of Plant ID for plants typically used in Ohio. Many of the plants that will be covered are on the plant list for the Landscape Industry Certified Technician’s Test. Sponsored by Davis Tree Farm & Nursery.

AUGUST 6, 2020 OLA SCHOLARSHIP GOLF CLASSIC Join us at Bob-O-Link Golf Club for the OLA Scholarship Golf Classic! Our golf outing was created to help generate funding for our scholarship program, targeting qualified students interested in a vocation within the green profession. Call the OLA at 800-335- 6521 for sponsorship opportunities. Registration opens in spring of 2020.

AUGUST 20, 2020 SNOW & ICE CLINIC (NE Ohio) Join us at St. Michael’s Woodside in Broadview Heights for our annual Snow & Ice Management Clinic, featuring Industry Experts, our Mini Trade Show, and more. Registration and Sponsorship Opportunities are available. Registration opens in spring/summer of 2020.

STUDENT MEMBERS Ohio State ATI Grant Kessler & Blake Kessler

...checking our emails, receiving and sending text messages, updating our statuses on social media, checking notifications, or being interrupted by someone or something. Honestly, how many times have you gone to work only to work your tail off, feel like you did so much, yet left realizing you accomplished very little? Could it be you were out of focus? More than likely, you lived your day reacting to everything that was going on around you, rather than focusing on the things that were required to achieve your goal. We all do it.

Personally, there have been many occasions when I’ve been working on something, only to hear my phone buzz with an update about my favorite sports team, or what’s going on in the stock market. And, while I love receiving this information, it really has no true impact on my day. It’s not like I’m going to all of a sudden hate my team (though as a Browns fan I should) or make some impulse decision to sell all my stock. If I made investment decisions solely based off an afternoon notification I’d be a financial wreck. The reality of the situation is that all these notifications do is distract me from focusing on the things that truly matter.

The same can be said for coworkers sometimes. Do they ever distract you or come to you with their emergencies? One of my coworkers, James, always uses the saying, “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.” Preserve your time and stay focused on what your goals are!

So how do we fix this and re-align our focus? I’ve found a few things that have worked for me that might help you as well:

• Try playing background music while you work to drown out the noise outside your office. De-clutter your workspace. I know that if I have papers and folders all over my desk I become overwhelmed. A clean workspace is essential for me to focus on the task at hand. De-clutter your mind. My mind is always cluttered, so I keep a notebook next to me when I read/work, so that when a thought pops into my mind, I stop, write it down for later, and get back to the task at hand.

While these work for me, one size doesn’t always fit all. I encourage you to try reading about other options that might work for you! There are plenty of resources out there. Be proactive. Stay commitment. Don’t let social media, your cell phones, coworkers, and other unnecessary distractions keep you from reaching your goals.

Dyed Black & Brown Mulch

Screened Topsoil

Double Shred Organic Bark Mulch * Volume price discounts available

Mon – Fri 8am – 5pm Saturday 8am – 12pm 9400 Broadview Rd. Broadview Heights, OH

(216) 524-3100

The Landscape Materials You Need, From a Name You Can Trust

MATERIALS • Black, Brown, Red Mulches • Natural Organic Bark Mulch • Screened Topsoil • Leaf Humus • Limestone and Wash Gravels • Recycled Concrete • Aggregates • Granite and Sandstone • Boulders • Seed & Straw

DATE & LOCATION APRIL 16, 2020 PREMIER PLANT SOLUTIONS 6981 SCIOTO DARBY RD, HILLIARD, OH 43026 EVENT INFORMATION

AGENDA REGISTRATION / NETWORKING FOOD / CASH BAR 6:00 PM TO 7:00 PM

GENERAL BUSINESS 7:00 PM TO 7:15 PM

PROGRAM 7:15 PM TO 8:45 PM

COST TO ATTEND MEMBERS: NO CHARGE NON MEMBERS: $30 * FIRST-TIME NON-MEMBERS MAY ATTEND AT NO COST

REGISTER TO ATTEND BY APRIL 9, 2020

HOSTED & SPONSORED BY

Your Business Model is the conceptual structure designed to support the successful operation of your business. Among other things, it identifies revenue sources, your customer base, what products & services you offer, details of financing and the expenses involved. OLA CENTRAL OHIO MEETING Developing Your Strategic Business Model: A Roadmap

Join us April 16, as Mike Rorie discusses the process for defining how your organization creates, delivers and maximizes value for its customers, employees and stakeholders, including:

• Why a well-defined business model is essential to your company’s growth & success. • The 3 key decisions that form the foundation for developing an effective business model. • How to implement systems that drive your business model and help you gain a competitive advantage. • How to innovate and evolve your business model to help “future proof” your business.

GUEST SPEAKER MIKE RORIE CEO / GIS DYNAMICS BOARD MEMBER / GROUNDSYSTEMS

Mike has worked in the commercial grounds industry for over three decades. He started his first company, GroundMasters, with one truck, and grew it to a five-city, regional platform serving 1,200 customers, before selling it to a national provider in 2006. Since June 2010, he has been involved in the information and technology services industry with GIS Dynamics, providing business solutions for contractors across the country. He is also a Board Member with GroundSystems, where he provides invaluable, high-level insight and direction to the company.

ABOUT GIS DYNAMICS GIS Dynamics is a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) company. In early 2009, a project for a New Jersey landscaper was the catalyst for what their company now focuses on, Software as a Service applications; Go iLawn (www.GoiLawn.com) and Go iPave (www.GoiPave.com). These web-based applications help lawn and landscape, snow removal and pavement maintenance contractors measure properties online to expedite the estimating and proposal process.

ABOUT GROUNDSYSTEMS GroundSystems understands that being successful in the commercial landscaping business requires more than just great-looking properties. They strive to develop long-term relationships with both their team members and customers, and have been maintaining commercial properties in Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky since the early ’80s.