Landscape Management, November 2018

profit centers MOWING LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET NOVEMBER 2018 26 PHOTO HUSQVARNA only interact with one dealer helping to make the process a little easier The one thing I hear from many landscapers is there is never enough time to travel from place to place trying to get a better deal Vachal says That travel time takes away from servicing the paying customers HAVING INSIGHT HEARD Beyond the cost savings of making multiple mower purchases from one manufacturer Brandon Gurley partner at North American Lawn Landscape has also experienced the benefits of working with a manufacturer on equipment Gurley says his company has built a partnership with Husqvarnas research and development team to test the equipment and give feedback His company has offices in Raleigh and Charlotte N C and offers commercial maintenance irrigation design build retention and pond restoration stormwater management and tree farm services With 16 million in annual revenue his company has about 75 mowers more than half of which are from Husqvarna Beyond giving input his firm also benefits from competitive pricing Gurley adds Using several mowers from the same manufacturer comes with advantages like being able to interchange parts across different machines and becoming more accustomed to maintaining them We buy mowers every single year in the winter for spring startup Gurley says Were certainly looking for the best capital expenditure how best we can use our funds for our fleet When it comes to adding mowers to their fleet Gurley encourages landscapers to look at the history of the equipment ask their crews what they like to use read reviews and lastly look at the cost DEALER DIFFERENCE For Adam Linnemann founder and president of Linnemann Lawn Care Landscaping buying all his mowers from the same manufacturer came down to the benefits and relationships hed built with his dealer The firm has 11 mowers in its fleet all John Deere Linnemann takes part in the John Deere Rewards loyalty program which gives his company equipment discounts special financing discounted parts giveaways and other perks Located in Columbia Ill Linnemann Lawn Care Landscaping has more than 1 million in annual revenue and offers design build maintenance fertilization and weed control hardscaping landscape lighting Christmas lighting and snow ice removal services Its customers are 70 percent residential and 30 percent commercial Linnemann also offers consulting as The Green Executive To be eligible for John Deere Rewards landscapers have to make two or more qualifying purchases and be a member of affiliates like the NHLA or NALP be a SiteOne Landscape Supply customer or employee be a Farm Bureau member or be in the military This type of eligibility structure is common for manufacturers across the landscape industry One of the perks that goes along with using John Deere and Linnemanns dealer Nobbe and Co is the NeverStop program that includes benefits like offering parts on site mobile service professional landscape contractor priority service and after hours parts and service open until 8 p m Linnemann says having a program and dealer he can rely on has been a main benefit of sticking with one manufacturer It also helps reduce downtime He says its important for landscapers to find a dealership they know and trust and also one that understands the industry This is imperative to your companys success Linnemann says Next demo all the brands and make sure the equipment is the best choice for your company your team because they are the ones using it daily and your clients properties Linnemann adds that its beneficial to work with an equipment manufacturer that extends fleet discounts to other equipment divisions We own John Deere compact track loaders and mini excavators and the fleet discount extends to these pieces of equipment as well he says Dowdle is a freelance writer based in Nashville Continued from page 24 Brandon Gurley Adam Linnemann TRY IT OUT North American Lawn Landscape works with Husqvarnas R D team to test equipment