Landscape Management, January 2012
LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET JANUARY 2012 S26 ILLUSTRATIONS BY ISTOCK INTERNATIONAL INC PHOTO COURTESY CAGWIN DORWARD E Q U I P M E N T N T E Q U I P M E N T I n todays challenging economic environment landscape professionals are fi nding it crucial to keep service and repair costs down Many fi nancially strapped equipment and fl eet managers are caught up in the daily grind of keeping old faulty equipment in service for short term gain without any well thought out condition based maintenance or equipment management strategy in place for the long run Should you repair your existing equipment or spend the money to purchase new We found some leading landscape professionals willing to offer their tips and tricks for evaluating their equipment needs and maintaining their vehicle fl eets to keep costs in line or even reduce costs MORE WITH LESS Dallas based EarthWorks hasnt had to make any major changes in how it handles equipment because it has always been conservative on spending The landscaper provides premier full service landscape management services for multifamily and commercial properties Fleet and equipment management is a constant evolution for us says General Manager Chris Lee Even in these tough times you need to do what makes sense You dont want to be chasing your tail or it can be a downward spiral No matter what we never let shortterm issues derail our long term plans Dean Snodgrass vice president of and one of three brothers operating Dennis 7 Dees Landscaping in Portland OR agrees that even when times are tough we dont advocate cutting service or routine inspections on our fl eet and equipment Many landscapers are saving money by downsizing the size of their trucks for their crews doing more with less equipment and in some instances relying on alternative transportation There was a time when a large fl eet made me happy says Snodgrass But we realize now that we dont necessarily need large heavy trucks on site all the time and for every job We are always re thinking the size of vehicles necessary In some instances we even encourage our crew to use light rail for their prime source of transportation to get to jobsites downtown or at the airport In the past EarthWorks leased its fl eet but now it owns all its vehicles When we were leasing it cost us more money says Lee He found that most leasing companies charge a management fee built into the lease rate Unless you plan to lean heavily on the leasing company for disposition or other value added services they provide you can borrow money a lot cheaper from your bank BUDGET AHEAD When it comes to budgeting for vehicles and equipment landscape leaders look closely at projected Leading landscape professionals refl ect on effi ciencies on fl eet and equipment needs without sacrifi cing quality BY TOM CRAIN SOME BUSINESS OWNERS ARE METICULOUS ABOUT TRACKING THEIR INVENTORIES TAKING INVENTORY
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