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Green industry professionals from around the country gathered in Louisville, Kentucky, for PLANET’s annual Green Industry Conference (GIC), a full roster of leadership meetings, and the extensive GIE+EXPO trade show. It was a time for attendees to experience TEAM PLANET in action.

“The highlight of the event for me is the education,” says Fred Haskett, CTP, managing partner/operations for U.S. Lawns/West St. Louis. “The education sessions continue to offer a meaningful experience to all levels of expertise. There’s no question, there is something for everyone here.”

Town & Gardens’ owner Don Sussman brought four staff members with him from New York City. “Even though I’ve been attending these educational sessions for 14 years, there’s always something to gain and something new to learn.” Still, he said the highlight of the trip for him is seeing his team members learning and getting even more excited about the industry.”

Gachina Landscape Management’s John Gachina, CCLP, CLT, brought four branch managers, all first-timers to the event. “The bonding among them has been spectacular,” he relates. “They’re all a bit different and have been able to share a common experience. This veteran contractor and attendee also shared a trick for efficiently covering the trade show floor. “I divide the floor into three sections, and cover a section a day,” says Gachina. “There’s so much equipment here that if you don’t have a strategy, you’ll likely miss something.”

GIC is getting better and adding even more value to attendees. The seminar sessions were timely, with many of the concurrent sessions tackling economic concerns and other critical industry issues. The Breakfast with Champions, held all three mornings, was once again a rousing success, as was the popular networking sessions for students, the Student/Industry Roundtable recruiting session.

Save the date — October 28–31, 2009 — for next year’s GIC and GIE+EXPO in Louisville. You won’t be disappointed.

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

 

Local News Coverage Links

News Channel 8    ABC 7    Fox 5

Video below courtesy of WJLA.com, ABC 7.

 

Renewal & Remembrance

Twelve years after the first Renewal & Remembrance service project, hundreds of landscape and lawn care specialists continue to dedicate manpower, equipment, and supplies to enhance the beauty of Arlington National and Historic Congressional cemeteries. On July 21, 2008, almost 400 individuals from around the country, the largest attendee number in the history of the event, spent the day mulching, caring for trees, pruning, liming, planting, aerating, and providing other services at these historic landmarks.

Over the years, this award-winning event has grown to include more and more PLANET members and their families, as well as company employees. In fact, there were special children’s projects for the 80 children in attendance. Children and grandchildren of attendees planted flowers in key locations at Arlington National Cemetery and participated in laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The Monday morning event began with a dedication ceremony that included a color guard, and welcome remarks from Jack Metzler, Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery and guest speaker, U.S. Rep. Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill).

Legislative Day on the Hill

After the Renewal & Remembrance activities concluded in the afternoon, Fred Barnes, a veteran political reporter and commentator, gave PLANET members his invaluable insight about the many changes affecting the nation’s political landscape.

The 268 participants in attendance were then briefed on key industry issues, including health care reform, the H-2B guest worker program, and water concerns, in preparation for their appointments on the Hill with their congressional representatives. To make a strong impact, PLANET provided leave-behind information packets for the visits, and many participants formed groups to speak as one collective voice.

Mark your calendar for next year’s Legislative Day on the Hill and Renewal & Remembrance events, which will be held
                                                               July 12–14, 2009.

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors Bronze Sponsors Dow AgroSciences, LLC  IMERYS John Deere Nufarm Turf & Speciality BASF Corporation Project EverGreen The Andersons, Inc. Federation of Employers and Workers (FEWA) Helena Chemical Company J. Thomas PBI/Gordon Corporation Shindaiwa

 

Stoweflake, Vermont, was an ideal setting for the more than 100 attendees of PLANET’s annual Summer Leadership Meeting as PLANET’s new governance structure kicked into high gear.

PLANET President Elect Bill Hildebolt, Ph.D., CTP, CTP-CSL, Nature’s Select Premium Turf Services, Inc., was very pleased with the success of the event. “The meetings were excellent and engagement was fantastic. You know you’re on to something when you walk into the Membership Committee meeting and it is standing room only,” he says. “There were many highlights, but one of them for me was seeing that the new governance was working out very well.”

In addition to the many meetings held during the event, networking opportunities were plentiful, and there was time for fun and relaxation with tours to local attractions, tethered hot air balloon rides, and a variety of outside activities. Some leadership brought their families to enjoy this special location and the planned activities.

PLANET’s strategic direction addresses five critical goals, one of which is to expand PLANET’s position as the partner of choice. Partnership was very visible at this year’s event as representatives of different facets of the industry brainstormed for the good of PLANET and the industry. “The membership and supplier meetings were very productive, and I came out of both of them realizing just how engaged our members, state associations, suppliers, and staff are in working together for the success of PLANET. The partnership was very much in evidence, in meetings and at social gatherings at the end of the day,” notes Jennifer Lemcke, Weed Man USA/Turf Holdings, Inc.

Next year’s Summer Leadership Meeting will be held June 24–28 at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington. This magnificent mountain resort is nestled on 175 wooded acres in the spectacular Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The rustic yet elegant, grand mountain lodge is located just 45 miles east of Portland, Oregon, on the Washington side of the Columbia River.

Highlights from the 2008 Summer Leadership Meeting

Thank you to our sponsors!

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

PLANET Hospitality Suite Sponsors

 

This year’s PLANET Student Career Days (SCD) in Atlanta, Georgia, saw the highest number of school teams in the event’s 32-year history. A record-breaking 950 students from 66 colleges and universities across the country competed in 25 individual and team competitions, such as arboriculture techniques, irrigation design, sales presentation, paver installation, skid-steer operation, wood construction, plant identification, and exterior/interior design.

Many attendees at the event echoed the sentiments of Miles Kuperus Jr., CLP, of Farmside Landscape & Design, Inc. “This industry is growing, and schools want to be part of it. The event is great for students and the industry, alike.”

The competition included awards to individual winners as well as to school teams. The individual winners, called “Superstars,” were:
First Place: Matthew Early, North Metro Technical College
Second Place: Ken Kwait, University of Illinois–Champaign
Third Place: Ken Beasley, Hinds Community College

Matthew Early seemed more excited about his team’s win than his own first-place finish. “We just wanted to place in the top 10,” says Early. When asked about unseating last year’s first-place team Brigham Young University–Idaho, he exclaims, “Man, that’s an indescribable feeling. We thought that if the whole team came together we might be able to pull it off.”

The top-ranking schools are:
First Place: North Metro Technical College
Second Place: Brigham Young University–Provo
Third Place: Brigham Young University–Idaho
Fourth Place: Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo
Fifth Place: Cal Poly–Pomona
Sixth Place: Penn State
Seventh Place: North Carolina State University
Eighth Place: Mississippi State University
Ninth Place: Michigan State University
Tenth Place: Columbus State Community College
In addition to the competitive events, the four-day event included a first-ever industry workshop; Career Fair; Faculty Forum; student workshops; tours of the Georgia Aquarium, Pike Family Nurseries, and the Smith-Gilbert Arboretum; and networking receptions.
Cal Poly–Pomona, in Pomona, California, will host next year’s SCD on March 26–29, 2009.

PLANET thanks the following event sponsors for their generous support:

Platinum Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsors
BRICKMAN
Caterpillar Inc.
Husqvarna
John Deere

Bronze Sponsors
Outside Unlimited, Inc.
Pavestone Company
The Toro Company
Vermeer Corporation

Media Sponsor
Lawn & Landscape Magazine/GIE Media

 

Radisson Fort McDowell Resort & Casino
Scottsdale/Fountain Hills, Arizona

PLANET’s Executive Forum has a rich tradition as the event for green industry owners and senior managers. The powerful networking opportunities with key leaders in the industry, along with insightful education sessions in a warm resort environment, are the reasons many members return year after year. Long-time industry leader and PLANET member Rod Bailey, CCLP, of Alder Springs Enterprises, LLC, is no stranger to the event. “This is the premier networking opportunity with peers in the industry,” says Bailey. 

First-time attendees were impressed and pleased with what the event provided to them. “Everyone I met was so encouraging and supportive,” says Gerry Bower, TLC Total Lawn Care, LLC. He took back excellent ideas to better his business and plans to attend again next year.

If you did not attend this year, Jerry Schill of Schill Landscaping and Lawncare Services, Inc., has this advice: “Get out in front of the learning curve! The opportunities at this event to network with some of the best minds of our industry are priceless.”

Mark your calendar for next year’s Executive Forum, February 19–22, 2009, at the Beach Club Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Not only is PLANET planning a dynamic event, you can also experience the magic of Disney while there.

PLANET thanks the following event sponsors for their generous support:


EXECUTIVE FORUM STRATEGIC PARTNER



ADDITIONAL SPONSORS
Golf Tournament: CNA
Tour Sponsors: Ewing Irrigation Products, Inc., and Hunter Industries
Reception Sponsor: EverGreen Software by Marathon Data Systems
Breakfast Sponsor: Syngenta
Hospitality Suite Sponsors: Christmas Decor, Directo, and LandOpt