FROM THE EDITOR
1030 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 230, Park Ridge, IL 60068
www.arborage.com
jkmitta@specialtyim.com
What's Trending?
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Associate Publisher, Editor
John Kmitta
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connection with items appearing in Arbor Age. Reader Service Numbers are given to
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Specialty Information Media, or preference over similar products not mentioned.
"What's trending?" In today's information age, we here that question on
almost a daily basis. News outlets of all kinds, especially those in the sports
and entertainment arenas, can't wait to tell us what is "trending" on Twitter or
on Google. People want to know what other people are searching for, and what
they are watching, listening to, buying, and doing.
We are a society of trend followers. The hottest trends are the items that
generate the most buzz. Although trends are often a self-fulfilling prophecy,
trend watching does have its merits.
With so many options and so much information available, it is difficult to
research everything on our own. So we rely upon others to help sift through
the data and find the best, most interesting options.
It is no different in business. We are all busy with day-to-day operations, so
we rely — at least in part — upon others to help us identify the latest trends
that can help us to be more successful.
For our annual Equipment Trends focus (beginning on page 8) we asked
manufacturers and suppliers to identify the latest equipment trends — from
equipment design and manufacturing to equipment sales and other factors
that impact the buying decision.
For those who prefer a solid statistical foundation when measuring
"trends," we also provide the results of our reader survey, which identifies
current equipment use habits. For our survey, we asked tree care industry
professionals to identify several factors impacting their equipment purchase
and use habits. In addition to the statistical information provided in the
reader survey results on page 12, we also asked respondents to identify other
factors impacting their equipment decisions this year. And although we
could not present the responses to the open-ended question with the rest of
the survey results, I found many of the responses intriguing. As you could
probably guess, many respondents cited "the economy," "budget," "cash
flow," and "price" as factors that are impacting their equipment decisions.
Said one respondent, "Business has been too slow to go out on a limb with
payments for new equipment."
But many respondents also cited the availability of replacement parts,
ease of maintenance, proximity of the equipment
dealer, and the dealer relationship as factors that
impact their equipment decisions. Overall, the
responses show the need for dealers who do good
work, carry the proper parts, and can provide reliable
service and support.
Time will tell if trends become the norm. But,
for now, we hope you enjoy the latest buzz regarding equipment for professional arborists.
John Kmitta
Associate Publisher, Editor
847-720-5613
jkmitta@specialtyim.com
www.arborage.com
Arbor Age / September 2013
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