Recap on FutureScape USA South

Pro Landscaper USA is dedicated to connecting the three main sectors of the landscape industry: design, build, maintain. This happens by sharing ideas and experiences between industry professionals, and we do so by our magazine, online platforms and now a capstone event. The first FutureScape USA in the United States took place on March 24 in the Atlanta metro area. The day-long symposium brought landscaping leaders and innovators together to discuss the state of the industry in town hall-style meetings. Speakers covered numerous topics, determining why various challenges or changes are happening amongst landscapers and ways to use those factors to elevate the industry. Audience members engaged with speakers throughout the talks by asking questions and adding their own thoughts on the topic. The panels created a space for knowledge sharing and education between individuals who are passionate about the future of the landscape industry.

The day began by discussing a topic that is foundational for many landscapers: building a sustainable world and a greener future. Joe Langton moderated the panel. Eric King, Cindy Code, Dan Mabe and Jim McCutcheon talked through what sustainability means to different groups and how they approach sustainable practices.

Dan Mabe defined sustainability as sustaining people. “Sustaining people, sustaining businesses, finding a way to incorporate what is good for the planet into what is good for the work we’re doing. It allows landscapers to go into a community and enhance the quality of the grounds and of life,” said Dan.

Cindy Code says her perspective is a bit different. “Sustainability is about maximizing all the inputs and outputs of a landscape.

We need inputs like water and pesticides and other features that renovate and protect a greenspace. We need outputs of a space for carbon sequestration and reducing runoff. Being sustainable is maximizing the work of all of these features.”

They considered ways landscapers successfully create sustainable sites and ways they fall short.

“Sustainability is a unicorn. The traditional maintenance approach is to mow, blow, edge, pick up or take away. We leave it the way it was when we were there last week. It’s a big reset. That is not nature though. Nature is constantly moving, always changing. It won’t work long-term. Nature doesn’t rain every day. That causes fungus and shallow roots. So why are we watering every day? Reuse the water, reuse the leaves. Educate people on why this is important. We need to find how to allow nature to move and that will create sustainable landscapes,” said Eric.

They also dove into public perception of the green world and ways to embrace or protect nature.

Jim McCutcheon said, “It’s really about education and opportunity. There are a lot of ways to motivate people, but people don’t do well if you tell them you have to or need to do something. We need to find what people’s needs are and address those needs in a sustainable way. Then, we are creating sustainable spaces while accomplishing our clients goals.”

It is a controversial topic buzzing through the landscape industry: robotics. Panel two focused on the development of robotics and automation in the green space and what is to come. John Vlay, Wayne Kreifels, Charles Quinn, Joe Langton and Billy Otteman sat on the panel, and Dan Mabe moderated. A large focus was on the misconceptions of robotics.

“People believe the size and the electrical wires connected to the equipment are going to keep them from doing their work. They aren’t going to stop the work, though; they make the work different,” said Joe. “When you think differently and work differently, it expands your mind, your team and your business success.”

CBQ said people often fear that robotics will replace workers. He tells them “it will only take work from people doing boring things like sitting on a mower for hours at a time. This will free up their time to become craftsmen and creators, doing work only humans can do.”

“People often say the technology is too advanced. Really, we focus heavily on ease of use. We engineered the mower to go backward, forward, left, right, fast, slow,

within seconds. The last person we trained had it down within a week and now uses it like a toy,” said John. “Ultimately though, we know people won’t adopt this idea unless it saves them money. So we know that is what has to happen. The amount of money saved when you don’t have to pay someone $20 to $30 an hour to sit on a mower can go toward irrigation systems, equipment repairs and so many other things that will make your business make money.”

Wayne said many landscapers worry if the equipment is worth the money. “When we show the numbers, it is immediately clear how high the RIO (Return on Investment) is. The key thing is education. Setting your expectation of what that machine can do overall and what it can do for you specifically.”

Billy said he often hears people say they don’t need to incorporate new equipment into their already functioning business model. He disagrees. “The future is happening fast. The amount and pace of robotic development is astounding. What we will continue to see in the next few years will be just as astounding, so brace yourself,” he said.

Service, logistics and retail are just a few of the many industries struggling to staff their teams. It is a problem sweeping the nation, and millions of employers are brainstorming ways to keep their businesses open. While landscape professionals are in short supply, there are solutions. During panel three, business owners and consultants shared their successful tactics to find and retain employees. Tony Ricketts, Pam Dooley, Brooke Inzerella, Jeff McManus and James Manske sat on the panel, and Jeffrey Scott moderated. They discussed ways to encourage potential employees to pick their teams. They also discussed what it means to have a strong “culture” and ways to build that.

“We try to sell jobs to the strengths of the people that we have. Trying to make the most of our current employees and develop roles that match their strengths. We don’t want to hire warm bodies, we want to do things more efficiently. It has made a big difference in the psyche of the team we already have,” said Brooke.

Tony believes that “people don’t just want to earn, they want to have. They want to have ownership and community. We make our office feel like home and our employees feel like they are among friends,” he said.

Jeff said, “We try to get people excited about what they are doing. Giving them passion and purpose about their work. We do that through education. We train and certify employees to help them learn their trade. Through that process, they begin to take more pride in their knowledge and their work.”

James asked “What are you doing to stand out? Do you give health insurance? An IRA? Even a gym membership? Think of fun things to do. Go to Top Golf, go to a movie. It isn’t enough to offer a raise or bonus occasionally. Make employees feel appreciated and wanted.”

“Employees want a loud voice in their jobs and their futures, and allowing that helps build that strong culture. Flexibility is a big trend I’m seeing. People demand flexible work hours, and it is becoming an important part of society. Build your own job, build your own hours. Those are their goals,” said Pam.

Like it or not, it is here to stay. Technology is inching into every corner of life, including landscaping. It is a change that can drastically improve business operations when embraced. The first step is education on what technology is available and how it can be used to meet the needs of each unique business. Tony Ricketts moderated the talk, and Jason Connor, Casey Child, Billy Otteman, Michael Mayberry and Jeff Wraley shared simple tech tactics to make a big impact.

Jason said, “A CRM (customer relationship management) is so useful. A lot of platforms are out there and many are customizable to your business, and they communicate with clients about job estimates, proposals, timing, operations, all of those sorts of things. It takes every major component of running your business and puts it in the palm of your hand. It’s an incredible tool.”

“The power of social media is invaluable. Having a phone on you helps you easily brand and market your company. It gives people a glimpse of what you’re doing every day. It is a simple and low-cost option to really drive home the value of your company to those watching,” said Casey.

“Using technology for measuring and site reconciliation is so helpful for landscapers. Typically, site mapping takes so long for a crew to put together, but we are working to utilize technology to do this for us. Also, we are also using augmented reality. As this continues to be developed, it will give us the ability to almost work one-on-one with team members even if they are out on a job,” said Michael.

They also offered a few lesser-known benefits of tech integration.

Jeff says it is a huge benefit for the recruiting process. “Tech is a talent magnet. If you have newer technology, it will attract younger, more tech-savvy people. Even those in less techbased roles can appreciate ways technology can improve the company operations overall.”

Billy believes the biggest long-term effect of technology is “the revolution of what the industry looks like from an outside perspective. The type of software and data being used is cutting edge, and the public’s first interaction with these tools will be through landscapers,” he said.

Our final discussion dug deeply into Pro Landscaper’s purpose. What creates a disconnect between industry sectors and how will the divide close? Pro Landscaper USA’s Director Angelique Robb moderated the panel. Jeffery Scott, Mary Kay Woodworth, Marc Elliot, James Manske and Judd Griggs questioned where this disconnect began. Judd said, “A lot of it begins in education. I come from a landscape architecture background and degree. When I was going through the curriculum, there were only two horticulture courses. I didn’t understand how I could be a landscape architect if I didn’t understand plants, so I ended up getting a secondary degree in horticulture.”

“I also think it stems from education. Back in the day, many architects were taught that it is unethical to build what they designed. This isn’t true for everyone but may have contributed to the culture of the industry today,” said Jeffrey.

They also gave examples of times this divide caused issues.

Finally, the group offered solutions.

Marc explained it with firsthand experience. “We see it all the time,” he said. “You have the architect who designs the job, hoping to create the best design possible. Oftentimes though, they are looking for varieties of trees or varieties of plants that are very hard to find. Even if you do get them, they come from far away and do not survive where they are planted. The lack of communication between the architect and installers and the installers and the growers and the growers and the maintenance crews causes a major breakdown in the process. In the end it hurts everyone, especially the client. All the stakeholders should benefit from a job.”

Mary Kay said state and industry leadership can help facilitate more communication. “Growers and suppliers can communicate to landscape architects and contractors what to expect when they’re designing, what will be available and what will be more expensive/ cheaper. They need these details to bid their contracts in advance and plan for what is to come.”

“Talk to clients, too. Break down the state of their outdoor space and tell them what they need to keep it healthy. This bridges the communication gap really well when the client knows about various features of their yard, because then they push this education and collaboration between their designers, builders and maintenance teams,” said James.

FutureScape USA 2022 provided education and connection to the many landscape professionals in attendance and will ultimately help move the industry in new directions. The dozens of exhibitors and sponsors who took part helped make the event possible. Plans for the next symposium are in the works, and we hope to see the event continue to grow for years to come.

For making our first FutureScape USA event a success! We hope you all will join us again next year for FutureScape USA 2023!