Landscape Management, June 2010

LAWNCAREPRO LMS OPERATOR OF THE MONTH BY RON HALL With his fi rst job at All American Turf Beauty AATB the company his father started in 1976 Kevin Johnson earned 48 delivering brochures in the Des Moines IA area Johnson began his adult career at AATB in 1986 after graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in agricutural business Farming didnt appear attractive to me in the early 1980s a time when farming was in crisis he says I wanted to work outdoors and meet people The family business allowed me to do that LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET JUNE 2010 32 AT A GLANCE COMPANY All American Turf Beauty FOUNDED 1976 TITLE President LOCATIONS Headquartered in Van Meter IA branch offi ces in Ames Waterloo and Cedar Rapids IA SERVICE AREA Most of Iowa EMPLOYEES 45 full time INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT Board member of the Iowa Professional Lawn Care Association past president of the Iowa Sports Turf Managers Association 2010 BUSINESS OUTLOOK Bright Expecting 5 growth in lawn care WEBSITE www allamericanturf com realize the changes we have gone through in the past 30 years Better products better agronomic knowledge all of which allow us to provide better results with less pesticides being used Its a win win that doesnt get any press play I dont compromise my health my employees health my childrens health or my pets health just to make a buck as Ive heard some environmentalists claim Briefl y describe your role with AATB today As president of our company Im heavily involved in strategic planning budgeting sales and marketing employee training and making sure we are getting the best pricing on a variety of employee benefi ts As a management team we get together one or two days each week to discuss current situations problems and opportunities we need to take advantage of quickly Describe your market the regions and types of properties you serve Our service area comprises most of Iowa Our average size lawn is about 7000 sq ft with larger lawns in small towns and smaller lawns in the core of our metropolitan areas Ninety percent of our lawns are a mixture of cool season grasses mainly bluegrass ryegrass and fi ne fescues The other 10 are transitional warm season that are more likely to grow in the southern parts of the state Were in a very competitive atmosphere with more than 700 registered companies licensed to do business in the state of Iowa Mom andpop operations are predominant in small town Iowa What percentage of your companys revenue remains lawn care Lawn care and other related services aeration seeding and grub control still comprise approximately 60 of our revenue From a business standpoint what is your impression of the 2010 spring lawn care season in your market compared to 2009 2010 has started strong Weve seen increased interest in lawn care compared to the previous two years We feel good about achieving a 5 increase in the total square feet of area we treat in 2010 vs 2009 This is the fi rst time in several years we feel like we had a normal spring in terms of number of leads and sign ups Which of the services that your company offers have held up best during the recession When the economy is poor we notice that people might reduce their spending on bigger ticket items irrigation systems landscape lighting Christmas lighting but they still want to invest in having nice lawns Most frustrating I am frustrated by being labeled as a polluter of the environment by so called environmentalists who fail to understand and appreciate our contributions to providing healthy turf and safe areas for our children to play on Most people dont I DONT COMPROMISE MY HEALTH MY EMPLOYEES HEALTH MY CHILDRENS HEALTH JUST TO MAKE A BUCK