Landscape Management, April 2018

Aftermarket add ons LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET April 2018 18 Photo zePPas landscaPing service profit centers Mowing Landscape Maintenance T wo years ago Andre Zeppa tested chute blockers for his mowers and was blown away by the results Each of his crews were saving five to 10 hours per week by not having to blow grass clippings out of beds and off driveways Zeppa now has more than a dozen mowers equipped with GrassFlap chute blockers and he says they are one of the best investments hes ever made They keep all of the grass out of the beds and off of the driveways says Zeppa CEO of Zeppas Landscaping Service in Louisville Ky This saves our guys a lot of time and headache that comes with blowing Like Zeppa contractors who invest in different aftermarket mower products are seeing improvements in efficiency and productivity These three contractors discuss the aftermarket products they use and how theyve helped improve business while making life easier for their guys in the field Making the investMent In addition to chute blockers Zeppa also swears by Quick Fist Clamps which he uses for mounting trimmers to his mowers About two years ago Zeppa began using the rubber clamps to mount landscape tools onto his trucks and he discovered a way to use them to mount trimmers to his mowers as well Zeppa says this idea saves his team time and energy on large properties because the operator can dismount his mower efficiency chute blockers save time by reducing the need to blow off surfaces contractors say to perform trimming duties eliminating the need for one dedicated trimmer to walk the entire property Zeppa says this scenario is especially helpful on lawns ranging from 2 to 5 acres Zeppas Landscaping Service is a 15 million company that provides 80 percent maintenance and 20 percent installation services to an 80 percent residential 20 percent commercial clientele It allows our guys to pull the trimmer off the mower wherever they are so the guys who are trimming dont have to walk all the way back if they are on a large property Zeppa says We dont use them on every job but its a convenient thing to have if guys are on big properties Zeppas also utilizes high lift blades instead of mulching blades on all of its mowers The blades throw the clippings farther out into the property allowing crews to cut faster Zeppa says this works because the company follows a strict weekly mowing schedule and crews never have to deal with long overgrown grass Zeppas has been using high lift blades for about seven years and they save each crew an estimated hour or two each week If the grass is long or you are on a 10 or 14 day schedule you dont want to use high lift blades Zeppa says But because we are so consistent with our cutting schedule we have never felt the need to mulch grass unless someone wants it done in the fall along with their leaves Velkes which convert walk behind mowers into standon mowers are also integral to increasing productivity for andre Zeppa newsfeed RuppeRt acquisition laytonsville Md based ruppert landscape acquired Classic landscaping a grounds management company headquartered in Frederick Md with a second location in Camp Hill pa The transaction includes the purchase of both Classic facilities all commercial landscape management contracts vehicles and equipment and the hiring of more than 50 employees gReenwoRks additions Greenworks Commercial expanded its 82 volt line with the GBB 700 dual battery port backpack blower equipped with two battery ports and the commercial grade GE 080 stick edger which uses a proprietary Greenworks 82 volt lithium ion battery and features an instant on start switch and variable speed trigger three contractors reveal mower gadgets and accessories that increase productivity and make their lives easier By eMiLy schappacher Continued on page 20