July 15, 2015
Together we help industry grow
By Dave Braun
LO President
Landscape Ontario was formed over 40 years ago to bring industry members together to build a professional and sustainable industry. Today, we have the strongest membership in the history of LO at over 2,400 members.
These are great numbers, but so what? You may be asking, what does this do for me?
Groucho Marx famously said that he didn’t want to belong to any club that would accept him as a member. I’m happy that our members don’t feel the same way about Landscape Ontario. And for many of us Landscape Ontario is much more than a club, it’s an extended family. It’s a place to connect and share ideas. It’s an organization that promotes our profession, even when we’re not there. It represents us. It helps educate us. It supports us.
While you might not know the New Radicals’ 1998 hit song, You Get What You Give, Landscape Ontario’s theme song could be something similar, “The more you give, the more you get.”
For those companies that are relatively new to the industry, Landscape Ontario is the best way to begin a path towards a successful career. There is no better place to network than at a Landscape Ontario event. Please see the Events calendar on the Horttrades website for all the latest events. I look forward to seeing many of you at some of these events this summer.
Some companies use Landscape Ontario to better develop standards and best practices. Some owners find that it not only feels better to be part of a team than to go it alone, it’s also financially beneficial.
You might save thousands of dollars getting Marsh Brothers to quote on your insurance needs. Or, you can save thousands more if you’re buying a Chevy or Dodge truck. From Caterpillar to Kubota, Esso and Petro-Canada, to Mark’s Work Wearhouse and Work Authority and dozens more, thousands of dollars are waiting for you from our preferred partners at horttrades.com/endorsedsuppliers.
If we as an industry want to continue to grow and lead, then we need to continue to grow and lead as an organization. I have a pretty strong suspicion that over the next few months, you’re going to run into a potential member. This summer, why not invite these potential members into our community? You’ll help them tremendously, but you’ll also help yourself.
The more our industry becomes professionalized, the more profitable we’ll all become. Non-members can often low-ball bids because they don’t know their fully-loaded costs, or they might be cutting corners on projects. But if we can help them see the futility of low pricing, we can help level our own playing field.
Our executive director, Tony DiGiovanni, often distills Landscape Ontario as “a community for mutual benefit and improvement.” The larger our community, the more we will all benefit.
Together, as we help the industry grow, we’ll add to the power of our voice, we’ll strengthen our community, and we’ll improve our own companies. In the mail, we all received a Benefits Card that explains many reasons to become an LO member. This summer, let’s use it and turn potential members in to real ones
LO President
Landscape Ontario was formed over 40 years ago to bring industry members together to build a professional and sustainable industry. Today, we have the strongest membership in the history of LO at over 2,400 members.These are great numbers, but so what? You may be asking, what does this do for me?
Groucho Marx famously said that he didn’t want to belong to any club that would accept him as a member. I’m happy that our members don’t feel the same way about Landscape Ontario. And for many of us Landscape Ontario is much more than a club, it’s an extended family. It’s a place to connect and share ideas. It’s an organization that promotes our profession, even when we’re not there. It represents us. It helps educate us. It supports us.
While you might not know the New Radicals’ 1998 hit song, You Get What You Give, Landscape Ontario’s theme song could be something similar, “The more you give, the more you get.”
For those companies that are relatively new to the industry, Landscape Ontario is the best way to begin a path towards a successful career. There is no better place to network than at a Landscape Ontario event. Please see the Events calendar on the Horttrades website for all the latest events. I look forward to seeing many of you at some of these events this summer.
Some companies use Landscape Ontario to better develop standards and best practices. Some owners find that it not only feels better to be part of a team than to go it alone, it’s also financially beneficial.
You might save thousands of dollars getting Marsh Brothers to quote on your insurance needs. Or, you can save thousands more if you’re buying a Chevy or Dodge truck. From Caterpillar to Kubota, Esso and Petro-Canada, to Mark’s Work Wearhouse and Work Authority and dozens more, thousands of dollars are waiting for you from our preferred partners at horttrades.com/endorsedsuppliers.
If we as an industry want to continue to grow and lead, then we need to continue to grow and lead as an organization. I have a pretty strong suspicion that over the next few months, you’re going to run into a potential member. This summer, why not invite these potential members into our community? You’ll help them tremendously, but you’ll also help yourself.
The more our industry becomes professionalized, the more profitable we’ll all become. Non-members can often low-ball bids because they don’t know their fully-loaded costs, or they might be cutting corners on projects. But if we can help them see the futility of low pricing, we can help level our own playing field.
Our executive director, Tony DiGiovanni, often distills Landscape Ontario as “a community for mutual benefit and improvement.” The larger our community, the more we will all benefit.
Together, as we help the industry grow, we’ll add to the power of our voice, we’ll strengthen our community, and we’ll improve our own companies. In the mail, we all received a Benefits Card that explains many reasons to become an LO member. This summer, let’s use it and turn potential members in to real ones
Dave Braun may be reached at dbraun@landscapeontario.com.