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Special Feature Image ©istockphoto.com/mattjeacock. Most Influential People in the Green Industry G reen Media, a division of M2MEDIA360 — publisher of Landscape and Irrigation, Arbor Age, Outdoor Power Equipment and SportsTurf — is proud to present the 2012 selections for "Most Influential People in the Green Industry." Green Media's "Most Influential People in the Green Industry" were nominated by their peers for their ongoing contribu- Rich Arlington Founder and CEO of Rich Arlington & Associates "Why Not You?" is the title of Rich Arlington's book, and those three words could not be more appropriate. "[The book] gives people the inspiration and the power to believe that they can do it too if I've been through everything that I've been through and still did it," said Arlington. What Arlington did was come from humble beginnings, which at one point in his life included homelessness, and go on to build successful, multi-million-dollar companies in lawn care, landscaping, irrigation, snow removal and more. "The simple fact of being homeless early in my life was a very eye-opening experience," said Arlington. "And the attitude that I adopted from that experience is that there is nowhere to go from here but up. I still look at every day with that attitude. Today is the worst it can get; tomorrow it can only go up." Arlington took that attitude, and, following service in the Marine Corps, started his landscaping business with just a truck and a lawn mower. "I had always mowed lawns, raked leaves, and shoveled snow as a kid to earn money," said Arlington. "When my military career was over, and I came back home to Erie, Pennsylvania, I wanted to start my own business." He started mowing lawns in the area and got business through word of mouth and with the help of flyers he posted around town. "My first year in landscaping, I did $4,700 in revenue for the whole year," said Arlington. "I didn't get off to a really great start, but I took a thirdshift job so that I could live, and I would work the thirdshift job all night and then, during the day, be a landscaper." Arlington said his experience in the Marine Corps was instrumental to his success, because he learned to overcome, 10 Landscape and Irrigation January 2013 tions to the Green Industry. The professionals selected for this honor were chosen from throughout the Green Industry, and exemplify a commitment to the industry and a widespread influence on their peers. Green Media congratulates all of those selected to this year's list of "Most Influential People in the Green Industry." adapt, improvise, adjust, and keep moving forward. "That philosophy has taken me day after day in business, because you overcome and adapt," he said. "You don't sit there and dwell on the problem; you figure out how to go around it or over it." According to Arlington, the biggest transformation for his company was when he became actively involved with industry trade associations. "I started to realize the problems I was facing every day in business were the same problems that hundreds and thousands of others were facing," he said. "Having access to those trade shows, seminars, regional training and the online environment has transitioned our staff into a blossoming success." Shared knowledge Arlington openly shares his story and his keys to success with others as a public speaker. He averages nearly 40 speaking engagements nationwide per year on topics such as finance, sales, operational efficiency, safety and team building. He has founded mentoring programs to help others in the in- dustry, and also helped found the Snow and Ice Management Association's "Build a Bid" and "Beyond a Bid" programs to help others in the industry understand their costs and bid properly for business success. "I think the biggest attribute that I bring when it comes to influencing others is that I love teaching others," he said. "I have no problem talking about my mistakes in the hope that they won't make the same ones. And then I like to sit back and watch them grow." Arlington said he receives follow-up phone calls and emails from people who have attended his seminars, and that interaction with people throughout the industry gives him a tremendous sense of pride. "When I look at a room at a seminar with 150 people in it, I'm only looking for one person to change something that makes them better," said Arlington. "I'm not so vain that I think all 150 people will walk out and change their business. But if I can get one that takes some piece of that message and changes something, then I feel that I've done what I set out to do." www.landscapeirrigation.com