Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/753192
22 November/December 2016 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com L&I: Please tell us a little about your business and your work with outdoor rooms. Holland: I have been doing this for a long time now. I'm trying to separate myself from the pack. This industry is highly competitive, and the biggest problem in the industry is lack of real know-how and professionalism. Anyone can rent equipment and get the tools to install a patio. We try to be professional above all else, and please people above all else. People in this field seem to be less interested in their business, and they don't feel they need to evolve. For us, customer satisfaction is above all else…that, and transparency. Traditionally in the industry, people would be getting a pond installed, and would get a big lump price. With us, everything is broken down line item by line item. We are giving them the freedom to add or subtract from the project. When it's a big lump number it's scary. When it's broken out, it's easier. We have a patio estimator on our site that people can use (www. blackriverlandscaping.com/estimates). So, transparency is key. L&I: What outdoor room trends are you seeing, or what are clients seeking from their outdoor living spaces? Holland: The biggest, most popular thing is fire pits. With all the new kits, whether its Techo-Block or Cambridge, you can Outdoor Room Q&A For expert insight on outdoor room trends and tips, Landscape and Irrigation magazine recently spoke with Kris Holland, owner/operator of Black River Landscape Management, Randolph, N.J. LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION add a feature like that for less than $1,500. Outdoor kitchens are a lean group [of clients]. We just did an outdoor kitchen for $23,000. But you can sell a fire pit to anyone. It makes their patio a three-season space. It's few and far between that I have to upsell a fire pit. People want it as part of the show. It's an easy sell, because it makes the outdoor living space more usable. People love being outside. Trends are health and hiking; and fire pits are earthy and woodsy. The outdoor kitchen is something you have to work toward upselling. L&I: What advice do you have when it comes to designing outdoor rooms? Holland: Everyone handles the design portion differently. When we started, we would do design for anyone who requested it. Now we have so much work in our portfolio. We advertise, and we use Facebook and Instagram, so people are familiar with my work. Before, you had to bring a book to show examples of your work. I'm sure some companies still do design work for everyone, but that is a lot of additional work. That didn't seem to be working out for me. Now, we give a rough estimate, and if they agree to that, we move forward with the design.