Viewpoint
John Kmitta
The Best Laid Plans
I
f we were to create issues of Landscape and Irrigation around a particular theme,
this edition of the magazine could have been called the "Plan Ahead" issue.
Every piece of editorial content in this edition relates in some way to the
benefits of not only having a well-laid-out plan, but executing that plan.
For example:
* In our fleet management and work truck coverage (beginning on page 12) the
NTEA highlights how fleet managers can use technology to stay ahead in the operation and maintenance of their fleet vehicles; and we follow that article with a look
at some of the latest work trucks to hit the market.
* The feature story on "Preemergence Herbicide Use" (page 16) shares detailed
research to help you get ahead of summer annual weeds.
* Our cover story on the topic of "Pre-construction planning" (page 18) details
how to properly plan and phase outdoor living projects involving hardscapes, including tips for better visualization of the concept, how to utilize helpful technologies
when designing a project, and how to better facilitate pre-construction discussions
with the client.
* "Dealing with numbers" seems to be the challenge that most contractors feel
they have to overcome when it comes to financial planning. The feature story beginning on page 21 examines the procedural exercise of financial planning. In the
article, landscape contractors from throughout the country share their thoughts
about managing the sheer volume of data involved with financial planning and how
they project their numbers.
* In "Staying Current" (page 26), Tom Delaney calls 2013 "The year of the employee," and shares tips regarding several areas employers in the landscape industry
should pay close attention to this year.
* But the focus on planning ahead would not be complete without the centerpiece of this issue — our annual "State of the Industry" report (page 8). For the
report we asked a wide range of industry leaders to provide insight on the current
market, but also where we are headed in 2013. On the whole, our respondents project 2013 to be a year similar to 2012 with a possibility for some growth in 2013.
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One thing is certain, in 2013 and beyond, for business and industry growth, the
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6 Landscape and Irrigation February 2013
www.landscapeirrigation.com
