The Growing Concern September 2019 by Sandy Munley

Growing Concern

The

SEPTEM B ER 2 0 1 9

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

Plant Healthcare Day

October 1, 2019 / Seacrest Arboretum / PAGE 7

Central Ohio Facility Tour October 24, 2019 / Ahlum & Arbor / PAGE 12

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PR ES I DEN T’S COLUM N

ADAM CAPICCIONI Ohio CAT

SUPPORT THOSE WHO SUPPORT YOU! Summer is winding down and by now all of you should be rocking your A++ maintenance and install games. I can only imagine that many of you are at the point where you’ve completed more than a few stellar projects, which we better see entered in this year’s Landscape Ohio! Awards Program (hint, hint, nudge, nudge). I would also assume that, as you begin bidding out your next round of projects, a good number of you are out making the rounds with your suppliers, getting up to speed with the newest products stocked on their shelves, which in turn will allow you to continue creating such amazing projects. To that end, when is the last time you said thank you to a local vendor you do business with? I’m not talking about the, “Hey man, thanks for getting those materials to my job site on time,” kind of thank you. I’m talking more about the type of thank you that includes bragging about your vendors online, in the form of Tweets, Facebook posts and Instagram pictures, or posting a video of one of your team members utilizing that vendor’s product or service on your business’s website. I’m talking about publicly recognizing your vendor, their staff, and the products they supply you with, which make doing what you do possible.

By promoting those vendors who support your business, you’re incentivizing them to support and promote you and your team. In the end, more work for you equals more work for them. Also, it’s quite possible that you have connections with other contractors, who for one reason or another haven’t worked with a vendor you think highly of. Mentioning how much you appreciate that vendor’s services, how fairly priced they are, or how knowledgeable their staff members are could give them the nudge they need to start a relationship. continued on page 6 The Growing Concern | September 2019 | 3

TAB LE OF CON TEN TS S E P T E M B E R 2 0 19 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 DESIGNER / EDITOR Rick Doll, Jr. REGULAR WRITERS Adam Capiccioni, Ohio CAT 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 COVER: Landscape Ohio! Merit Award winner, Exscape Designs, for their entry in the category of Residential Installation.

FEATURES

3 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

Support Those Who Support You!

5 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS 8 PERENNIAL FOCUS The Other Eupatorium

14 FISCAL FITNESS

Dividend Growth Investing

18 SCHOLARSHIP GOLF OUTING RESULTS 21 FOR SAFETY SAKE Working with Cranes: What You Need to Know

28 PLANT OF THE MONTH Acer saccharinum: Silver Maple

34 FEATURE ARTICLE

7 Tips for Improving People Utilization

38 DIRECTIONS 39 ADVERTISING INDEX 4 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Submission deadline: 10th of the month, prior to the month of publication. For advertising rates and ad specs, please call 440.717.0002, 1.800.335.6521, or email Rick Doll Jr. 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. OFFICERS President Adam Capiccioni

OLA STAFF Executive Director Sandy Munley

President – Elect Domenic Lauria

Communications & Events Manager Rick Doll, Jr.

Treasurer Brian Maurer, LIC Immediate Past President Marie McConnell DIRECTORS Doug Ellis James Funai, LIC Philip Germann Stephanie Gray, LIC Cameron Maneri Joshua Way

C AL ENDAR OF EVEN TS U P CO M I N G O L A MEETINGS , EDUC ATION SE MI N A R S, A N D OT H E R GREEN INDUS TR Y EVE N T S

SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER

SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 GATHERING OF PLANTSMEN

NOVEMBER 13, 2019 DORMANT PRUNING (Central Ohio)

Join the OLA, along with The OSU Extension, AGI, ONLA, NGLCO, APLD, and Design Network as industry experts discuss environmental issue directly impacted by our industry. Held on the ground of Lakeland Community College. See page 26.

Dormant Pruning of Landscape Plants is a half-day, hands-on clinic and a timely training opportunity for you and your crews to learn the proper pruning techniques. Held at Premier Plant Services in Hilliard, Ohio. See page 33.

OCTOBER OCTOBER 1, 2019 PLANT HEALTHCARE DAY This full-day workshop combines all aspects of Plant Health Care (PHC) for both technicians and managers, with live demonstrations of PHC techniques and services based on the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and proactive tree care management. Held on the grounds of Secrest Arboretum. See page 7.

NOVEMBER 19, 2019 DORMANT PRUNING (NE Ohio) Dormant Pruning of Landscape Plants is a half-day, hands-on clinic and a timely training opportunity for you and your crews to learn the proper pruning techniques. Held at Willoway Nurseries in Avon, Ohio. See page 33.

NOVEMBER 21, 2019 OLA ANNUAL MEETING (NE OHIO) Creating a Profit Plan. Held at St. Michael’s Woodside. Sponsorship opportunities still available. For more info call the OLA Office at 440.717.0002.

OCTOBER 24, 2019 OLA FACILITY TOUR (Central Ohio)

DECEMBER

By establishing uncompromising technical and safety standards and making sure that employees have the best possible training and equipment, Ahlum & Arbor delivers exceptional quality and value to their clients. Join us as we tour Ahlum & Arbor’s facility to find out what has made them so successful. See page 12.

DECEMBER 12, 2019 STONE VENEER CLINIC (NE Ohio)

OCTOBER 29, 2019 ONLPAC FUNDRAISER: CLAY SHOOT Enjoy a day with friends and get to know your fellow colleagues in the green industry while raising money for the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Political Action Committee. The afternoon includes a 16-station clay shoot course, dinner and raffle prizes. See back cover.

This hands-on clinic will teach the basics of mixing mortar, installing and grouting stone veneer. The techniques you will learn can be applied to both manufactured and natural stone. The demand for veneers has increased and this is a great opportunity to learn how to apply it in house. Sponsored and hosted by Mason Steel.

LIC WRITTEN TEST RETAKE DATES Sept. 17, 2019

Oct. 9, 2019

OLA Office Broadview Hts., OH

Sep. 20, 2019

Oct. 24, 2019

ONLA Office Westerville, OH

Sep. 23, 2019

Oct. 29, 2019

GroundsPRO LLC West Chester, OH

Sept. 24, 2019

Oct. 30, 2019

OSU ATI Wooster, OH

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

REGULAR MEMBERS All City Landscaping 8013 Garfield Blvd. Garfield Hts., OH 44125 216-253-4793 Wayne Stadlhofer Chavez Construction Landscaping, LLC 35500 Aurora Road Solon, Ohio 44139 440-773-6917 Suzi Schmegner-Jezek

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS: Enterprise Fleet Management 8249 Mohawk Drive Strongsville, OH 44136 216-214-7979 Matt Whetzel Serpentini Chevrolet of Strongsville 15303 Royalton Road Strongsville, OH 44136 440-878-6700 Jamie Utterback The Growing Concern | September 2019 | 5

PR ES I DEN T’S COLUM N continued from page 3 It’s a two-way street, really. The art of networking never dies. It just morphs from one medium to the next, and has recently become something we can all do simultaneously, as we promote our own projects. With new technology all around us, from Androids and iPhones to tablets and watches, it’s almost impossible for any contractor to not be marketing themselves online, in one way, or another. So, why not help market your associates, as well? Along with these more passive types of social media interactions, I encourage you to acknowledge vendors when you’re writing blogs and/or newsletter columns, attending industry seminars or workshops, going to home and garden shows, and participating in other consumer and contractor-related events. When you are in the public eye, rubbing shoulders and learning about what’s new and innovative in the industry, you’re also setting the stage for how other professionals view you. It’s that perception of professionalism that will help you build the relationships that could prove fruitful to your personal and business life. In the end, promoting is a never-ending task, but one that will bring you many rewards and respect, if you stick to it!

A small side note: I personally feel the most common, yet sometimes most gratifying, form of promoting other people’s success is through written testimonials. If you ever get nice emails from a customer or a vendor you deal with, always take the time to respond with a thank you. And, most definitely ask them for permission to use their testimonial publicly. In other news, on August 1st we held our annual Scholarship Golf Classic at Bob-O-Link Golf Course in Avon. We again had an incredible turnout – right around 200 golfers – and the weather was perfect. We had incredible support from all of our sponsors and those that donated raffle items. I want to thank all the folks who helped out and those who volunteered to make the day a success. Congratulations to all the winners, as well! Keep an eye out for a few upcoming events. We have Plant Healthcare day in October, followed by our Annual Dormant Pruning clinics. I’ll be looking forward to hearing the reviews! Have a great month!

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EVENT INFORMATION

DATE & LOCATION OCTOBER 1, 2019 SECREST ARBORETUM WELCOME & EDUCATION CTR. 2122 WILLIAMS RD. WOOSTER, OH 44691 AGENDA REGISTRATION/BREAKFAST 9:00AM - 9:30AM INTRO PRESENTATION 9:30AM - 11:20AM LUNCH (INCLUDED) 11:20AM - 12:15PM FIELD DEMONSTRATIONS 12:15PM - 5:00PM COST MEMBERS BEFORE 09/17/19 - $79 AFTER 09/17/19 - $109 NON MEMBERS BEFORE 09/17/19 - $109 AFTER 09/17/19 - $139

E DAY

PLANT HEALTHCARE DAY

Whether you are a business owner, or employee, this will be a can’t miss event for anyone who uses plant materials in their work. Designed for both business owners and employees, this clinic will focus on live demonstrations of proper planting techniques, how to assess optimum soil conditions, and how to determine what to do when elements, such as pests and diseases, begin to take their toll on your plant material. Attendees will have access to a wide range of plant material including trees, shrubs and perennials – guaranteeing we cover all the bases.

GUEST PRESENTERS

Jason Veil, Secrest Arboretum

Along with an introduction to the Secrest Arboretum, Jason will focus on Roses, primarily Rose Rosetta Disease and what the arboretum has done to combat the issue. Jim Funai, PhD, Cuyahoga Community College

Dr. Funai will be covering general plant health care, including the benefits of amended soils and soil testing. He will also lead an outdoor walk-about demonstrating proper planting & mulching techniques. Tina Graver, Thrive Lawn & Plant Healthcare

Tina will lead an outdoor walk-about presentation reviewing examples of both pest & disease damage, instructing attendees how to identify the differences between the two. Amy Stone, OSU Extension

This session will expand upon the pest vs. disease identification tour, focusing on the lifecycles of certain pest & disease related issues, along with suggested treatment methods. Mark Hoenigman, Busy Bee

Mark will be leading a walk-about demonstrating proper plant transplanting techniques. 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.

2019 PLANT HEALTHCARE DAY / REGISTRATION CLOSES 09/24/19

(Make checks payable and send to: Ohio Landscape Association, 9240 Broadview Rd, Broadview Hts., OH 44147)

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PEREN N I AL FOCUS

BOBBIE SCHWARTZ, FAPLD Bobbie’s Green Thumb Despite the unappealing common name, Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium are amazing plants that are native from the US to Mexico, and around the world to Asia, and have proven to be amazingly adaptable to our climate.

THE OTHER EUPATORIUM Native plants and their relationship to pollinators are still – and will continue to be – a hot topic in this era of climate change. Thus, this month’s perennial of note is Eupatorium, a common wildflower in the eastern United States. There are several other species besides E.fistulosu (Hollow Joe Pye Weed), E.maculatum (Spotted Joe Pye Weed) and E.purpureum (Joe Pye Weed), although they are the best known. All grow well in moist, well-drained soil and are hardy to zone 4. Eupatorium rugosum (White Snakeroot), also known now as Ageratina altissima, is rarely seen in gardens but its cultivar ‘Chocolate’ was chosen as the 1998 Native Plant of the Year at the Millersville Native Plant Conference. The name is taken from its dark foliage that is topped with clusters of tiny white flowers in August. Although it will grow in full sun, the foliage is then more green so I recommend planting it where it receives only morning sun or partial shade all day. It easily reaches four to five feet tall but can be reduced in height, like

8 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

many late summer and fall bloomers, by pinching in June, thus also making it bushier. I have used this Eupatorium at the back of one of my morning sun gardens, with Phlox paniculata ‘Peppermint Twist’ in front of it as well as several other perennials that bloom in spring and early summer. Although it doesn’t start blooming until September, it continues to bloom into early November. continued on page 11

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The Growing Concern | September 2019 | 9

! S U Join September 24, 2019

Customer Appreciation Day

TOURS LUNCH EDUCATION GAMES PRIZES Avon - Broadview - Hilliard

PEREN N I AL FOCUS

continued from page 8 Aster novae-angliae (New England Aster) and Andropogon gerardii (Big Bluestem) would be very good companions since their bloom times are similar. The other Eupatorium species of note is E.coelestinum (Hardy Ageratum), now known to the taxonomists as Conoclinum coelestinum. Hardy only to zone 6, it is used very carefully in gardens since it is rhizomatous. Its flower looks quite similar to the annual Ageratum, but does not start blooming until August and is taller, growing 2 to 3 feet, like the annual cultivar ‘Blue Horizon’. Pruning back once or twice in early summer, and then again in early July, will force more lateral shoots and also keep it shorter. Another way of keeping it shorter is siting it in drier soil in partial shade. Although this Eupatorium is known as a water lover, it is also drought tolerant once established. It could be used as an excellent, late-blooming groundcover.

Close up of Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’ flower cluster. Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, owner of Bobbie’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. In addition to being an Ohio Landscape Association (OLA) member, she is an active member of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) and Perennial Plant Association (PPA). Bobbie is a Past President of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers

If you are on the lookout for native plants for pollinators, please add these Eupatorium species to your list.

(APLD). Bobbie’s new book, Garden Renovation: Transform Your Yard into the Garden of Your Dreams, was published in November 2017 by Timber Press.

The Growing Concern | September 2019 | 11

OLA MEETINGS SERIES

EVENT INFORMATION DATE & LOCATION OCTOBER 24, 2019 AHLUM & ARBOR TREE PRESERVATION 1740 WALCUTT RD. COLUMBUS, OH 43228 AGENDA REGISTRATION 5:00PM to 5:15PM FACILITY TOUR 5:15PM to 7:30PM NETWORKING/SOCIAL HOUR/ FOOD SERVED 7:30PM to 8:30PM COST TO ATTEND MEMBERS: NO CHARGE NON MEMBERS: $30 REGISTER TO ATTEND BY OCTOBER 17, 2019

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AHLUM & ARBOR TREE PRESERVATION Ahlum & Arbor Tree Preservation is a family-owned, full-service arboriculture firm serving both residential and commercial clients in central Ohio for more than 40 years. They specialize in tree preservation, of which their services include; tree pruning, tree removal, plant health care, consultations on various difficult and challenging tree situations, as well as GIS inventory management. David Ahlum founded Ahlum & Arbor over 40 years ago, so he could develop a business with the quality standards and professionalism he envisioned. Chris Ahlum continues to carry on the legacy of exceptional quality standards and professionalism on which his father built the business. Ahlum & Arbor’s mission is to provide quality tree care in efforts to enhance and preserve the natural beauty of trees and the environment, generation after generation. They do this with experience, passion, and by adhering to professional standards day in and day out.

THE AHLUM & ARBOR DIFFERENCE By establishing uncompromising technical and safety standards and making sure employees have the best possible training and excellent equipment, Ahlum & Arbor delivers exceptional quality and value for their clients. Ahlum & Arbor is one of few companies in the State to be accredited by the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA).

Join us, October 24th, 2019 as Chris Ahlum and his team give us a peek into what has made them so successful.

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F I SCAL FI TN ESS

MICHAEL J. DONNELLAN King Financial, Inc.

DIVIDEND GROWTH INVESTING Dividend investing can be an excellent way to generate income and grow your investment portfolio over long periods of time. By focusing on solid companies that increase their dividends regularly, a small sum of money could turn into a large nest egg, thanks to the power of compounded gains. In a nutshell, the best reason to invest in dividend stocks is to get rich slowly. Dividend-paying companies tend to be more mature and stable than their non-dividend counterparts, so while they aren’t likely to skyrocket immediately, a solid portfolio of dividend stocks can create massive amounts of wealth over long periods of time. But there is another level of dividend investing to consider; growing those dividends. Which situation would allow you to sleep better at night: owning a company that might pay you a smaller dividend today but is enjoying higher sales and profits each passing

14 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

year or a company that pays you a large dividend today and is seeing a slow, perhaps substantial, decline in its core business? If you feel there is a degree of added protection in the successful enterprise, you might want to consider this investing strategy. There is some wisdom in this approach. The board of directors of a company is unlikely to raise the dividend if they believe they are going to have to turn around and cut it. Thus, an increased dividend rate on a per share basis often represents a vote of confidence from the people who have some of the closest access to the income statement and balance sheet. It’s not foolproof, but it’s a decent indicator continued on page 17 more often than not.

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F ISCAL FI TN ESS continued from page 14 First, we need to understand the basics of dividends. Stock investors may receive a dividend, which is a cash payment to the shareholder. Typically, a dividend is paid out each quarter. The total amount of the dividend is based on a number of factors, including, profit and amount invested. A dividend growth investment strategy is the act of investing for dividend income and appreciation in that income. The goal is to seek out businesses that have a strong track record of rewarding shareholders through dividend payments. The core to the dividend growth investing is finding businesses that will increase dividend payments over time, while also looking for the price of the stock to increase over time. Generally speaking, younger, fast-growing companies don’t pay dividends. The reason is simple – many companies feel that the best use of their profits is to reinvest in their own business and fuel further growth. On the other hand, once companies have matured to the point where they don’t need to spend all the money they generate on growing the business, there are two main ways to return capital to shareholders – dividends or share buybacks. There’s some debate among investors regarding which is better, and many dividend stocks employ a combination of the two. I believe dividend consistency and growth are two things that are significantly more important for long-term investors than the stock’s current yield. A dividend growth strategy could be a key piece in your overall portfolio but should never be the sole component. Since many

fast growing and/or smaller companies do not pay dividends, be sure you have proper diversification in your portfolio. Many technology companies fall into these categories. Since dividend stocks tend to be mature and profitable companies, they generally survive recessions and crashes better than non-dividend stocks and tend to be less volatile. Dividend-growth strategies also look appealing from the standpoint of inflation protection, in that income-focused investors receive a little “raise” when a company increases its dividend. And while rising interest rates are no longer on the front burner, dividend-growth stocks will tend to hold up better in a period of rising bond yields than high-yielding stocks. That’s because dividend-growth stocks’ yields are more modest to begin with, so they’re less vulnerable to being swapped out when higher-yielding bonds come online. * Speak with your tax and financial advisors for information specific to your tax situation, goals and risk tolerances. ** Scenarios illustrated are hypothetical in nature, results may vary. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Michael J. Donnellan is President of King Financial, Inc. specializing in stock selection and retirement planning. Feel free to contact him with any questions or comments at the M3 Wealth Management office at 17601 W. 130th Street – Suite 1 in North Royalton, Ohio. Phone number (440) 652-6370 Email: donnellan@m3wealthmanagement.com. Securities and advisory services offered through L.M. Kohn & Company, Registered Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC/MSRB, 10151 Carver Rd. Suite 100 – Cincinnati, Ohio 45242, (800) 478-0788

The Growing Concern | September 2019 | 17

CONGRATULATIONS

to the

WINNING TEAMS Mitch Flemming CUI Services

Bryan Gray CUI Services Carl Rolla CUI Services Nick Holmes CUI Services

19th Annual

OLA Scholarship Golf Classic

Jim Schill Schill Grounds Management

Britt Stanz Schill Grounds Management Keith Clapper Schill Grounds Management Tom Blaz Fogg Corp.

Rick Izold Schill Grounds Management

Fred Tufts Schill Grounds Management Chris McGhee Schill Grounds Management Jacob Koglman Schill Grounds Management

DINNER SPONSOR

Thank You

LUNCH SPONSOR

MAJOR AND CONTEST

Sponsors

18 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

POKER CONTEST

TEE SPONSORS

Abraxus Royalton Supply, LLC Abraxus Salt, Inc. Abraxus Snow Removal Acme Fence Advanced Turf Solutions Axelrod Buick GMC Bigfoot Landscape Supply Buyansky Bros. Landscape Materials (2) Empaco Equipment Corp. En Garde Deer Defense Hinkley Lighting J.F.D. Landscapes, Inc. King Financial, Inc. (2)

Kline Nursery Sales Klyn Nurseries Kurtz Bros., Inc. Lake County Nursery Oliger Seed Company Rainbird Schill Grounds Management Smith Brothers Syngenta The Rosby Companies Three-Z-Supply Turfscape Inc, Vizmeg Landscape, Inc.

DOOR PRIZE DONORS Advanced Turf Berlin Gardens Bradley Building Brian-Kyles Landscapes of Distinction Domenic & Rachael Lauria Emmett Equipment Envirotech Services Ginos Grace Bros. Ohio CAT

OLA OLA Board of Directors Rick Doll S.A.M Landscaping Salesforce Sandy Munley The Rosby Companies Turfscape Valley City Supply Vizmeg Landscapes, Inc.

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F OR SAFETY SAK E

WORKING WITH CRANES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHY USE A CRANE? Why do you use a crane and why would you want to bring a crane to a tree site? There are many reasons, but for our purposes, we’ll focus on three. First and foremost is a lack structural integrity. When you have a tree that is very hazardous, a crane is one of the best ways to mitigate that risk. Bringing a crane to the site can make the process safer and simplify the job where you may otherwise be risking your life. Number two is you don’t have a high leverage point. A lot of trees you get into in the field have been storm damaged or topped previously or have something wrong with them up high and you don’t have a rigging point or a tie-in point you can utilize, and you may need a high leverage point to be able to navigate out on the limb safely or to do rigging. A crane will bypass that flaw and give you an out that is safe and efficient.

Sometimes you have a great tree and you feel pretty safe climbing it and you can rig it, but it may be problematic to get the brush down. It is over a roof, service drops, a playground or greenhouse. Bring a crane in and you can lift it up and put it down in a spot where you decide and manage things very comfortably. A third case is dealing with extreme wood diameter. There are times when you can do everything without a crane and then bring in a crane for half a day just to rig a trunk out because it is the hardest part of the job. One thing to always keep in mind is that a crane can greatly reduce the physical strain on the whole crew and your equipment. Why bomb Volkswagen-sized pieces of wood into your pulleys and ropes if you don’t have to. This will extend their life; we all know cycles to failure. The fewer cycles you have to do, the longer you have before you have to worry about retiring equipment or seeing a failure. For many, continued on page 22 that embodies why to bring in a crane. The Growing Concern | September 2019 | 21

FOR SAFETY SAKE continued from page 21

GENERAL GUIDELINES

COMMUNICATION

Here are some general guidelines: number one, never skip a job briefing. A lot of people get really anxious wanting to get started. You have a 132-foot tulip tree and the crane is setting counter weights up and things are not happening and it is nine o’clock and there is no sawdust flying. This doesn’t mean you skip the job briefing; that would be a big mistake. You still do what you have to do to work safe.

Lastly, communication is everything. When you get on a job site, the first thing that you should do is discuss what you are going to do, how you are going to do it and make sure everyone is on board. If the operator says “no,” You say “OK” or try to convince him. That works both ways. You have to agree and everybody on the crew has to be part of that.

Include a rescue plan in that job briefing. What is going to happen if I, the climber, get hurt or if someone else gets hurt? Who will do what and how will you proceed? Know the rescue plan before you need it. Everyone should know that you have to build in a safety factor. What does that mean? It means that you and the crane operator and crew determine a percentage of the crane’s capacity that you will not exceed. For example, if the capacity at a given radius is five tons, you develop your rigging plan to work within the limits of say sixty percent. This will give you a cushion should you make an error in calculating the weight or any potential movement that was unplanned. Some other rules are to inspect your slings with each use. Avoid shock loading at all costs. You never want to dynamically load a crane or bounce anything into it, rather keep things as static as possible. If you are new to crane work, the first thing that you should know is that it is not like conventional rigging. Once you are ready to make a cut, you have to cut through and finish the cut one way, or another. You can’t leave a hinge or any fiber in place as this will inhibit the crane’s ability to lift without overtensioning and ultimately cause a jolt. Trying to pull apart even a pinky-sized piece of fiber could require as much as 2500 lbs. of additional force to separate it. This is not a good practice. Finish your cuts.

LIMITS OF RADIUS Work within the limits of the furthest radius. The distance between the crane and the object being lifted or moved is the radius. If the radius to the tree is eighty feet, yet the radius to the landing zone is one hundred, the drop zone is further away and should be considered for the capacity of the lift.

We use headsets during the work. Nobody has ever told me that they don’t like using headsets after they try them. They can improve communication so that everyone on the job site knows what is going on. They also enable communication for blind pics, dark conditions or other less-than-ideal conditions where hand signals may not suffice.

CLIMBER/BUCKET OPERATOR CONCERNS Here is what you need to do as a climber or bucket operator. Number one, use proper work positioning. You don’t want to be hurt because you are not climbing properly or place the bucket truck in the wrong position. Two, use a green log weight chart and know what you are dealing with. Three, communicate to the operator what you want to do before you do it and get their approval. Plan your rigging around what you see in the shape and how the piece can be balanced. Talk to the operator about where you are going to make your cut so you can capture the center of gravity. Plan it right before you rig it. Start your cut around the more difficult side first and work to the side that you are most comfortable on. That is your finishing spot and is where you want to be when there is movement. Be prepared for the worst situation. Everyone hates hearing climbers say that they got hurt. Sometimes it can’t be helped, but I hate it more when a climber says that he/she got hurt, and when I ask how, they tell me that something went wrong and the unexpected caught them off-guard. Plan for things to not go perfectly and if something does go wrong, you’ll be much better prepared and hopefully avoid an injury. Make your cuts with confidence. Everyone is a little anxious when you are not used to doing something. You can use that energy to be prepared and focused, but you can’t be anything but confident when you make that cut. Once you make the continued on page 24

22 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

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FF OR OR SAFETY SAFETY SAKE SAKE continued from page 19

continued from page 22 cut, watch what can be a danger to crew. First and foremost it is you, but then it is the crew. You are not done once the piece is away, you have to keep watching the operation and helping to spot potential issues before they become a threat. Lastly, always be open to re-evaluating your plan. Don’t be stubborn. Make a change when you need to no matter what it means to your ego.

WHAT GROUND CREW SHOULD KNOW I couldn’t do what I do without the right things happening on the ground. It would be a nightmare. But if the right individuals are there, it is a good experience. You have to know how to set up your landing zone; that is first and foremost. Number two is get the crane back as quickly as possible. The longer the climber is waiting for that hook, the less is getting done. Don’t worry about if it faces this way or that way, put it on the ground as quick as you can, safely, and then get it untied and get the crane back. The ground crew should have time to do everything they need to do before the next piece comes down.

24 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Watch for shifting when you are landing that piece and while cutting it. When you have pressure on a big limb, you have to cut that piece like a spring pole because they can react violently. Make sure you use the right cut. And, if necessary, before setting the piece all the way down, keep some weight on the crane to help alleviate that stress while making that tensioned cut. That alone could prevent a hazardous situation from arising. Another thing to think about is to pay attention to change in the sling tension. When you start to lower something, things can flip and then one sling may be doing all the work and maybe that piece isn’t strong enough to support the whole load and could break if the weight shifts. Or, when you put a piece down, sometimes it shifts and a branch might catch in the load line and flex to the point where it breaks and shoots back when you are getting ready to untie the sling. You have to stay alert and watch how things change. Don’t pull the hook off center to unhook the slings. Why? Because when you let it go it may hurt the crew member untying the other side. You may clobber him or her with a 500 pound hook and they wouldn’t even see it coming. continued on page 27

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F OR SAFETY SAKE continued from page 24

Keep the site clean of debris. The hard part about that is planning ahead. When you see this stuff coming down you have to know where it is going. When the wood comes off put it in a place that’s out of the way for the brush. You have to plan ahead. You may be using a loader or grapple truck to manipulate pieces on the ground and to feed a chipper. Some of the best equipment we have ever bought is a log truck and a mini loader. They help make short work of the large debris. And the minis are not that expensive compared to what you can do with them. I wouldn’t work without one now. We now have one for every crew.

Remember to work to estimate the weight accurately. This is where most of the accidents that I see happen. You have to have a plan for being wrong and work at being right. Use everything you can to increase your safety and enhance your performance as a team. Every cut is not the same straight up and down pruning cut. Use every bit of creativity that you have to reach your desired results. Never leave anything to chance; calculate everything and always be open minded to the suggestions of everyone on the crew. The more minds involved, the better!

SUMMARY Crane work and all tree work is all about safety and efficiency. When you look at how you are going to complete a job, your number one concern is safety. What is your number two thing? Profitability. I will do something that is less efficient for me and may make work harder if I know it is going to get it done safer.

This article was written by Mark Chisholm, and first appeared on the TreeBuzz.com website at https://www.portal.treebuzz.com/workingwcranes-what-you-need-to-know-1285. TreeBuzz.com was designed to unite tree climbers and arborists from around the world with the hope to share current information and exchange ideas to help increase safety, efficiency and professionalism in real time.

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PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH

JIM FUNAI, LIC Cuyahoga Community College Acer saccharinum, ‘Silver Maple.’

SHELLEY FUNAI, LIC Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens

ACER SACCHARINUM SILVER MAPLE

What an incredible season of precipitation we’ve had in 2019. And, while we can still expect rain for the remaining summer/fall months, we are already well above the average for the year. Dependent upon which state you live, you are more than likely experiencing a top-ten, wettest year on record. As our global climate continues to experience drastic fluctuations in what is normal, as landscape professionals, we need to be prepared to help the planet compensate. This means constantly challenge what we, as a profession, accept as the norm for our landscapes. Something both Shelley and I have been confronted with, as we grow in our understanding of plants, the environment, and our role in creating healthy ecosystems, is that our traditional understanding of “what makes a good landscape” may not be so true anymore. What we mean by this is, our collective understanding of great landscape plants needs to be closely examined and expanded, from time to time.

28 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

For example, most of us are taught that Acer saccharinum (Silver Maple) is a vastly inferior plant and that it is only through the Freeman hybrids (crosses between Red and Silver Maples) that the genes present in Silver are worth preserving. Both of us took this as gospel in our undergrad days at THE big school in Columbus. Now that we are both a little older and little wiser, we would like to offer up a bit of push back to this theory. Silver Maple is actually a pretty tough tree that, despite some cosmetic issues and a tendency to drop some limbs and a ton of seeds, we need to stop demonizing when it comes to placement in the landscape.

Let’s review the facts… Silver Maple is native to much of the Eastern and Central United States. Other common names include Soft Maple, Water or River Maple, and Swamp Maple. All are good common names for this plant. “Silver” is in reference to the incredibly fine tomentum on the underside of the leaves, giving them a Silver appearance. “Soft” is in reference the density of the wood, in comparison to Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple), which is much denser. Water, River and Swamp are in reference to where we are most likely to find this tree growing in nature.

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This tree is a large shade tree, which often reaches above 70 feet tall and can stretch to nearly 100 feet in width with age and the right conditions, or course. Think about that. This tree grows over 70 feet. It takes an incredible amount of effort and the right structural conditions of wood to support a crown that huge. So, we ask, is Silver Maple really that bad? Part of the reason many of us have come to dismiss this plant might be potentially due to the fact that we’ve always been told that it’s too weak, because it grows so fast. Fast growth often results in reduced lignin, which often – and many times incorrectly – assumes reduced strength. At the recent International Tree Biomechanics Research Week, sponsored by the Ohio Independent Arborist Association, one research team spent the week testing the strength of branch attachment, following toping cuts made to Silver Maples 6 years ago. What they discovered was that most of the branches had a stronger connection than most common landscape trees. Crazy, right? This doesn’t mean we are telling you to run out and plant Silver Maples everywhere. But it makes us ask, again, is Silver Maple really that bad?

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The leaves will often express the symptoms of a disease named Tar Spot (Rhytisma spp.) which is a fungal disease growing on the surface of the leaves. This disease is cosmetic, at worst, and results in black blotches on the leaves. In really bad years, you’d be likely to experience some premature leaf drop. A good regiment of sanitation (fall cleanup – a service you probably sell) often helps reduce the disease and impact on the landscape. Maybe there are some issues with gall mites, some years, but this too is a cosmetic issue. What if we directed the conversation towards accepting cosmetic issues like these in return for a plant that will tolerate a large range of poor planting conditions? Is Silver Maple still really continued on page 30 that bad? 0116 Klyn Half.indd 1

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The Growing Concern | September 2019 | 29 12/16/2015 3:27:07 PM

PL ANT OF TH E M ON TH

continued from page 29 There was a time our industry embraced Silver Maple with open arms. You can find beautiful specimens through all kinds of old neighborhoods. The best way to evaluate the tree is to consider what type of care was provided over the years. If you are dealing with an old, beat-up Silver, has it been cared for over the years? Did an arborist ever provide structural pruning services to help the tree as it matured? This may be the biggest downfall of the species, but here’s the real rub; ALL trees need structural pruning several times through their lives. No species of tree can exist in our environment without structural pruning. So, what makes Silver Maple so bad? With extreme weather continuing to creep in on us, don’t we need more plants that are capable of adapting to multiple sites? More plants that can adapt from hot/dry years to cool/ wet ones? The answer is a very loud YES! Silver Maple is one of these species, as it pretty much adapts to all kinds of conditions.

maybe there are some on the property already that you may have automatically condemned and will now give a second thought to preserve. Each property is unique and each client, even more so. The farther you can run from having a cookie cutter approach to your plant choices the better. Is Silver Maple for every property? NO. In truth, NO PLANT is for every property. The key to building beautiful, resilient landscapes is diversity. Let’s all try to preserve some Silver Maples as we come across them, and possibly consider bringing them back as a viable landscape plant for areas that need a shade tree, areas of wet and gross soil, or even areas prone to drought issues. So… it needs some follow up care over the years. Where we come from that is called return business.

Jim Funai is full-time faculty at Cuyahoga Community College, a NALP accredited

What we are asking in this month’s article – which we cannot reiterate enough, from month to month – is that you consider expanding our plant pallet to some of the forgotten plants. Maybe give some a second chance. We’re not saying run out and plant a Silver Maple on your next project, per say, but

30 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

associate of applied science in hoticulture degree program. 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.

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The Growing Concern |

September 2019 | 31

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3.533 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association REGISTER ONLINE AT CEU’S OHIOLANDSCAPERS.ORG/EDUCATION/PRUNING.HTML

F EATURE ARTI CLE

TIPS FOR IMPROVING PEOPLE UTILIZATION By Brad Humphrey, The Contractor’s Best Friend

People Utilization is possibly the most difficult “waste” to manage, and it represents those efforts that leverage our workers poorly, sometimes even setting them up for failure. Getting the best performance from your workers requires you to be strategic in utilizing their skills, talents and attitudes — all of which should produce greater results and profits. Employee utilization is a huge potential waste just waiting to unleash its nonproductive and costly consequences. As labor costs can account for 65 percent to 85 percent of your actual job costs, it certainly pays to be clearly focused on how you position your people. Think about a few realities that have become common for many business owners today: • It takes a new employee some time to become educated and acclimated to their position before they are productive. • Few contractors offer a formal one-to-two week orientation and training format, thus exposing new workers at times to unsafe and nonproductive work situations. This leads many workers to quit soon, not confident that the contractor respects or cares for them.

34 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

• An increased number of new workers are coming to the industry with fewer skills than ever before. • Older and experienced workers are slowly leaving for less-physical work opportunities or are retiring. Experienced people are not filling the increasing “void” quickly enough. • With fewer workers in the pool of candidates, contractors are seeing less talent that wants more pay than what the contractor wants to spend to acquire it. • Because less-skilled workers are coming into the industry, contractors are often left with stretching their current workers and/or over-extending some workers to perform job functions that they have not been exposed to, or trained to complete.

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Now, while some of these realities can bring on a cold sweat just thinking about them, we should really look at some of the actual situations in which a contractor can poorly position his or her workers. Let’s consider a few examples that perhaps you have experienced in your company or on a project.

8. Placing too many, or too few, workers on a project or crew because the foreman or scheduler doesn’t know how to calculate productivity rates — which should provide a more accurate assessment of how many employees are needed.

1. Tasking a new worker to complete a difficult job. 2. Creating a “make-shift” crew without considering the individual members’ talents, skills, personalities, etc. 3. Hiring a new worker and then just putting him/her to work without any orientation, training, etc. 4. Putting workers on projects that others are better suited for. 5. Taking one of your office workers and trying to make a “field person” out of them because one of your field workers retired or quit. 6. Workers making mistakes due to little or no supervision in regards to helping correct, coach and instruct them on proper techniques, materials, tool uses, etc. 7. Placing too many workers on a project or crew, thus increasing the likelihood that some workers will be standing around.

If people really are our “#1 asset,” then it would seem likely that more contractors would do more to protect this asset and work to strengthen their performance, knowledge and skills. While some contractors do a great job of utilizing their manpower effectively, others struggle just filling the holes with whomever might be available at the time. There must be a better way to truly improve utilizing your workers so that greater performance is achieved, producing greater profitability, resulting in greater customer and employee satisfaction. The following are some leadership efforts to reduce the negative impact resulting in poor people utilization. continued on page 36 The Growing Concern |

September 2019 | 35

F EATURE ARTI CLE continued from page 35

1.DEVELOP A COMPANY ORIENTATION Most employees want to know something more about your company. They want to know what the company stands for, where the company is going and what future plans you, the owner, have that confirms you have a plan for success. An orientation session can address these and other thoughts and interests. Sure, you’ll include a lot of your HR issues here, as well, but don’t overlook sharing with the new employees what sort of contractor you are working to become.

2. DEVELOP BASIC TRAINING CLASSES While few contractors are writers of training literature, ALL contractors must provide training to their workers. If you’re a seasonal contractor, use some of the offseason to provide training. If you are a 12-month contractor, have a few training sessions in your back pocket for those days when you can’t work due to weather or customer reschedule. There is simply no excuse for NOT training! Keep the training basic, easy to present and discuss, and as much hands-on focused as possible.

3. CREATE A “DEPTH CHART” Even the high school football coach makes use of a depth chart that lists his team’s players, what skills they have and how much experience they possess. Sometimes called “first team, second team,” etc., the identification can provide instant recall to the coach in the middle of a hotly contested game when a key player is injured. The depth chart provides at a quick glance who should replace the injured player. For the contractor, the depth chart might map out some of the following areas including: • • • • • •

Equipment proficiency Tool proficiency Knowledge of material used Capability to make decisions Fast worker, methodical worker, slow worker Quick learner, slow learner

I used to use a simple rating of “1-2-3” with “1” representing less than adequate, “2” representing adequate and “3” representing better than adequate. I rated each of my employees using this scale. It wasn’t “Einstein” in complexity but it got the job done in helping me figure out who I had working for me and even who could assist me in putting crews together for some projects based on what we would need to get the job completed.

4. MAKE SURE CREW LEADERS CAN CALCULATE PRODUCTIVITY RATES While most of our folks who estimate can calculate productivity rates, a surprising number of crew foremen cannot perform this rather simple math exercise. But think about it, how can you correctly consider how many workers you’ll need for a particular project if you do not understand what amount of labor is needed? Too many “old school” foremen were used to simply always having seven guys on their crew. If they were sent to do a job that only required five workers, the foreman would still take all seven. Why? “Because I’ve always had seven men working for me.” Great heart but poor consideration for the actual financial impact of having too many workers on a job that was sold to use five workers. Train your front line leaders to measure their crew’s productivity and update this a couple of times per month. An average rate will soon begin to appear that can help the crew leaders determine how to utilize their workers.

5. FIT THE RIGHT PERSON TO THE RIGHT JOB Ok, this is not always possible, but you must exert some effort to position people in jobs that best fit their skill level, interest, personality and past performance success. The classic example is making the best crew worker, or the best craftsman, your new foreman. In many cases this ends up proving that sometimes your best workers don’t want to be the boss; they are very happy being the best craftsman. Again, we can’t always place our people in only the perfect fit job, but we need to attempt to do so. It’s just a fact; if our workers are good at what they can do, and are happy doing it, they have a tendency to stay longer, work harder and produce better results. If you must position one of your workers in a role that really isn’t a good fit then be honest with the worker. Acknowledge that you understand his frustration or apprehension about taking on the new role, but that you will work with, support and provide them some additional resources to help them through the process. This may not always calm their frustrations, but it just might provide you with some sort of “bridge of time” to find a better-matched worker for the job.

F EATURE ARTI CLE

6. CHALLENGE YOUR FIELD LEADERS TO LEAD, TEACH AND COACH Today’s crew leaders must step up to the plate and actually practice “being a leader.” This means that they must be willing to teach and coach regularly, not just bark orders. We haven’t the time to send every employee out to a week’s apprentice class. Therefore, your field leaders must be more in tune with taking the initiative to lead workers toward better decision making and problem solving, teaching more about how to perform work and then coaching their workers whenever there are challenges, or mistakes, on how to selfcorrect based on the company’s process and preference.

7. WHEN POSSIBLE…STAFF LEAN The first step to chaos and jobsite anarchy is having too many people on the job. Because most of us are running a little thin with workers anyway, this is not a huge problem. But there is still the temptation to overstaff a job if it poses some uncomfortable challenges or if we happen to have a few extra guys without something to do. Don’t just give your field leaders extra hands without a clear purpose for the extra staff. More often, a bit leaner staffing on a job keeps more people focused and busy rather than leaving a few guys with little to do. Idle hands often lead to laziness and lack of focus.

Remember, our people really are our most important assets in this industry. So let’s treat them with the respect due them, as they are the executioners of work processes, strategies and customer satisfaction. Brad Humphrey has been involved in the construction industry for more than 30 years. He started his career as an apprentice plumber during his early years of college and over the years has been a partner in several successful contracting companies including paving, flat work concrete, and even the pool building business. Throughout his career, he has served at the front line as well as at the senior leadership level and many positions in between. The nickname, The Contractor’s Best Friend, was given to him by several of his clients. It’s a nickname that has “stuck” and he feels honored to have. This story originally ran at ForConstructionPros.com.

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE TO SEE IN THE GROWING CONCERN ? We’re always looking for ways to make The Growing Concern a useful tool for all of our members. If there’s something you or your staff would like to see covered in an upcoming issue, please send those suggestions to us, via email, at info@ ohiolandscapers.org. We’ll do our best to find what information is out there and potentially feature it in a future publication. The Growing Concern |

September 2019 | 37

D I RECTI ON S

SANDY MUNLEY Executive Director

Our 2019 Scholarship Golf Classic winners, CUI Services.

OLA GOLF CLASSIC Sometimes change can be scary – but change can be good – so try to step out of your comfort zone now and then. We did this year when we moved the OLA Scholarship Golf Classic after 18 successful years at Mallard Creek Golf Club, in Columbia Station, to Bob-O-Link Golf Club, in Avon.

Our winning team from CUI Services – Bryan Gray, Carl Rolla, Mitch Fleming, and Nick Holmes who shot a 53 in our 4-person scramble. Second and Third Places went to 2 teams from Schill Grounds Management, both with team scores of 55. Congratulations guys!

We had 190 registered golfers and over $14,435 in sponsorships! Isn’t that spectacular? We are thrilled with the continued support we receive from both our sponsors and golfers for this event, and thank all of you for the many compliments we’ve received!

We are very grateful for all the generous support of our sponsors, donors, volunteers and golfers – we couldn’t do it without you! We would also like to thank the golf committee: Chairperson Domenic Lauria, Adam Cappiccioni – Ohio CAT, Todd Freshwater – Rosby Companies, Sarah Franz – Valley City Supply, and Kevin Sasak – Sasak Landscaping, as well as Marie McConnell – Lake County Nursery for helping make phone calls.

An outing favorite, we had the Winking Lizard back as our caterer. Everyone loves the endless barbequed spare ribs and chicken with all the fixings for dinner! We even get some non-golfers to register for dinner only. It is a great place to mingle and get a good meal! Regardless of skill level – from those who go out once or twice a year, to those who golf more frequently – everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed the day. We did have some REALLY good golfers in our group this year.

38 | Official Publication of The Ohio Landscape Association

Please take a moment to check out the spread on pages 18 and 19 to see the complete list of winning teams, sponsors and prize donors. Our outing is traditionally on the first Thursday of August – so mark your calendar now for next year’s outing. I am sure it will be just as much fun!

ADVERTI SI N G I N D E X

Abraxus / Royalton Supply

ACME Fence and Lumber

Art Form Nurseries

Botson Insurance Group, Inc.

Buyansky Brothers Materials

Cascade Lighting, Inc.

Davis Tree Farm & Nursery, Inc.

9 29 6

Frank Brothers Landscape Supply Klyn Nurseries, Inc. Mapledale Farms

Mason Structural Steel, Inc.

Millcreek Gardens

27 MRLM 35

O’Reilly Equipment

Oliger Seed Company

Premier Plant Solutions

Sohar’s / RCPW, Inc.

25 Unilock 15

Valley City Supply

VanCuren Tree Services, Inc.

VanCuren Tree Services / All Organic Mulch

Zoresco Equipment Company The Growing Concern |

September 2019 | 39

9240 Broadview Road Broadview Hts., OH 44147-2517

ENTER TODAY ENTER TODAY

09/19

OHIO GREEN INDUSTRY ALLIANCE

CLAY SHOOT • 2019 PAC FUNDRAISER •

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1:00PM – 4:30PM

HILL ’N DALE CLUB • 3605 POE RD • MEDINA, OH 44256 Enjoy a day with friends and get to know your fellow colleagues in the green industry while raising money for the Ohio Green Industry Alliance Political Action Committee (formerly known as the Ohio Nursery and Landscape PAC). The afternoon includes a 16-station clay shoot course, dinner, and raffle prizes. Bring your own shotgun and ammunition. A limited number of shotguns will be available for rental. Ammunition may also be purchased on-site. Ear and eye protection are mandatory and are also available to purchase.

REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT @ ONLA.ORG/CLAYSHOOT $75 PAC donation includes 16-station course and dinner $35 PAC donation for dinner only Pre-registration is required. Registration deadline: Monday, October 14

SPONSOR THIS EVENT @ ONLA.ORG/CLAYSHOOT

All sponsoring companies receive admission and dinner for four attendees along with recognition through signage on-site an in ONLA and OLA digital and print marketing. PRESENTING SPONSOR Welcome attendees and distribute prizes during dinner $1,500

DINNER SPONSOR Company logo on table signage during dinner $750

STATION SPONSOR Company logo on signage at one station $550

WHAT IS THE OHIO GREEN INDUSTRY ALLIANCE?

Our industry can’t afford to take a passive approach when it comes to advocacy. Formerly known as the Ohio Nursery and Landscape (ONL) PAC, the Ohio Green Industry Alliance (OGIA) strengthens our collective story with proactive leadership. The PAC financially supports political candidates who have shown a commitment to understanding our industry and the challenges our businesses face. These candidates can beneficially influence legislative issues related to Ohio’s green industry. Consider your PAC donation an important investment to protect your business and ensure our continued successes. A strong PAC means a larger impact. Learn more about the PAC at: onla.org/OGIAPAC.