Login

USERNAME
PASSWORD

Become a Registered Guest Login Help Lost Password?

• Staples is PLANET's newest affinity program partner
• Certification testing becomes more convenient
• Still time to sign up for Leg. Day and Renewal & Remembrance
• Registration is open for Green Industry Conference
• Environmental Improvement Awards early-bird deadline approaching
• PLANET AEF announces new slate of leadership
• Your input is needed for the Operating Cost Study Survey
• Join PLANET at Disney World for the Executive Forum
• Becoming LEED certified
• Would you like access to almost 200 potential employees?
• It's not too late to be counted!
• June is National Safety Month
• OSHA confirms effective date of direct final rule on its updated standards

---

Staples is PLANET's newest affinity program partner
The benefits of PLANET membership have gone up another notch. Office supply provider Staples Business Advantage® now provides substantial savings to PLANET members on thousands of items, dedicated account management and customer service, access to more than 1,700 Staples retail stores with corporate pricing, easy online ordering with unprecedented control, and free next-day delivery on all orders placed by 5:00 p.m. Call Cheryl Claborn at (800) 395-2522 for more information.

go to top

---

Certification testing becomes more convenient
PLANET’s Certified Landscape Professional (CLP) exams can now be taken at LaserGrade computer-base testing centers nationwide. Through this partnership with LaserGrade, PLANET members have access to hundreds of computer-based testing centers located throughout the U.S. and Canada and at 30 international sites. More about CLP testing

go to top

---

Still time to sign up for Leg. Day and Renewal & Remembrance
Washington, D.C., is the place to be this July as PLANET members gather to support the industry and voice their concerns to their legislators at Legislative Day on the Hill. Participants can also improve the hallowed grounds of our country’s heroes and leaders by lending a helping hand at Renewal & Remembrance at Arlington National and Historic Congressional Cemeteries. There’s still time to register for these two very worthwhile events.

go to top

---

Registration is open for Green Industry Conference
Register today for PLANET’s premier educational and networking event of the year — the Green Industry Conference, October 22–25, 2008, in Louisville, Kentucky. New features of the conference include sessions on sustainability and green-related issues, more sessions in Spanish, a free “Ask the Expert” session, certification review sessions interspersed throughout the conference schedule, and much more.

go to top

---

Environmental Improvement Awards early-bird deadline approaching
Save money on entry fees by submitting your projects in the PLANET Environmental Improvement Awards program by the early-bird deadline of July 11, 2008. (Regular entry deadline is August 8, 2008.) This awards program reinforces your commitment to create and preserve the beauty of our landscapes and speaks volumes about your company to current and potential clients.

go to top

---

PLANET AEF announces new slate of leadership
Congratulations to the members of the recently named 2008 PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation (PLANET AEF) Board of Directors. The PLANET AEF is dedicated to funding educational excellence by awarding scholarships to students enrolled in landscape contracting and horticulture programs at two-year and four-year colleges and universities across the nation.

go to top

---

Your input is needed for the Operating Cost Study Survey
Be on the look out this month for the PLANET 2008 Operating Cost Study Survey. Take a few minutes to complete and return this survey. The data gathered — on gross margin, operating expenses, average collection period, and the like — will be the basis of the 2008 Operating Cost Study for the Green Industry publication, a financial and operating profile of the entire green industry. See how your company compares with other green industry companies. Click here to download a copy of the survey.

go to top

---

Join PLANET at Disney World for the Executive Forum
PLANET urges you to mix business and pleasure by attending next year’s Executive Forum, February 19–22, 2009, at Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The event will leave green industry executives refreshed and armed with new tools to strengthen their businesses, their staffs, and themselves. It is also the perfect family destination. So, bring your family and enjoy the magic of Disney.

go to top

---

Becoming LEED certified
Find out why Ruppert Companies is seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for three new structures at its corporate campus in Laytonsville, Maryland. Read the June PLANET News “InfoScapes” article by logging in at LandcareNetwork.org and clicking on the Member Center.

go to top

---

Would you like access to almost 200 potential employees?
Recruiting employees is one of the top challenges facing PLANET members today. PLANET’s career center for green industry professionals can help you, and it’s just a click away. Post your current job openings and search the database of almost 200 resumes from candidates throughout the country. Visit PLANETcareers.org today.

go to top

---

It's not too late to be counted!
If you haven’t returned your 2007 Economic Census form, you may receive a reminder in the mail soon. The U.S. Census Bureau sent forms to about 4 million businesses in December 2007 and needs your response to ensure an accurate census. The Economic Census takes place every five years and should take only a few minutes of your time. Your response is required by law (Title 13, U.S. Code). Estimates can be used if you don’t have exact book figures readily available. Help our industry be counted and be sure to return your form. Questions? Call (800) 233-6136.

go to top

---

June is National Safety Month
"Make a Difference" is the theme of the National Safety Council’s (NSC) 2008 National Safety Month. The focus this year is on the urgent need to reverse an increase in accidental deaths and injuries. Check this page frequently in the weeks ahead, as NSC will update it with additional tools and information. You can make a difference.

go to top

---

OSHA confirms effective date of direct final rule on its updated standards
The effective date of OSHA’s direct final rule on updated standards based on National Consensus Standards has been confirmed. The direct final rule, published in the December 14, 2007, Federal Register was effective March 13, 2008. The rule updates standards such as 29 CFR part 1910, subpart H (“Hazardous Materials”), 29 CFR part 1910, subpart Q (“Welding, Cutting and Brazing”), and 29 CFR part 1910, subpart R (“Special Industries”). It also removes a reference to American Welding Society standard A3.0-1969 (“Terms and Definitions”) and eliminates several references to consensus standards that duplicate or are comparable to other OSHA rules.

go to top

---