Landscape & Irrigation

March 2017

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.

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www.landscapeirrigation.com Landscape and Irrigation March 2017 15 expensive up front, in the long run you'll save money with every hour of operation. You will also have a machine that starts easier and performs better, with greater reliability compared to carburetor-equipped mowers. Cut quality, productivity, operator comfort and durability are variables that each have a different level of importance to customers. So it makes sense to put some thought into what areas of a mower's performance are most important to you. — Jamie Briggs, Exmark product manager Look for equipment that is going to deliver the best long- term value, not just the best price or the best gimmick. Look at your equipment purchase as a partnership — not just with the manufacturer, but also with the servicing dealer. Factory and dealer support after the sale is just as important as the fi nal sale price. Equipment should also be tailored to fi t the company's needs and future growth potential. Grasshopper is uniquely positioned in that we offer not only mowers, but year- round productivity solutions that enable contractors to expand their service offerings without investing in multiple pieces of expensive stand-alone equipment. — Mike Simmon, marketing specialist, Grasshopper Every season, it is important for landscape professionals to evaluate the lawnmower models in their fl eets to determine the production or yield of every unit in inventory — in other words, what products are working the hardest and helping professionals perform their best. By doing so, it may be possible to trim fl eet size or change the model mix of the fl eet to maximize profi tability. — Elisha Lipscomb, Honda Power Equipment, senior marketing strategist, lawn & garden Visit your local dealers and talk to them about the capabilities of the latest mowers. Demos are the key to fi nding the products that will best fi t your unique needs, and dealers can give you the opportunity to test a product so you can make a confi dent purchasing decision. — Giovanni Crespi, director of regional product management of Husqvarna North America At the end of the day, you need to choose the right deck size for the properties you service and the right horsepower in order to optimize performance and effi ciency. Be sure to investigate various attachments that may also improve the capability of your machine and scope of your business. — Ruben Pena, product marketing manager, zero-turn mower, John Deere Landscape professionals are always concerned with the initial cost and trade value of the equipment as they upgrade a portion of their fl eet every year. Kubota's brand image as durable equipment that is value priced allows commercial operators to not only purchase Kubota equipment at a value price and low monthly payments with zero-percent fi nancing, but also depreciates the least, thus making for the best return on investment to landscape professionals. Kubota's fl eet program allows any size landscape company to get a demonstration unit at no cost, and then they can purchase equipment at a discount using zero-percent fi nancing. — Rajesh Joshi, Kubota product marketing director, turf We recommend that they think beyond mowing in 2017. To grow business, it's easier and more effi cient to upsell a current customer versus bringing on a new customer. Adding other capabilities — like being able to aerate, lawn cleanup or haul soil — will not only make you more profi table, but also will differentiate you from your competition. — Craig Rohde, marketing manager for Schiller Grounds Care (Steiner) Create a good relationship with a great dealer, and remember the cost of downtime. If you understand the costs related to downtime, you would realize that it's very expensive, and thus crucial to buy the best mower up front. Focus on buying something highly reliable from the start. — Ed Wright, director of research and development, Wright Manufacturing — Section compiled by John Kmitta AquBea www.brillianceled.com | (800) 867-2108 AquBea IDEAL FOR FRESH AND SALT WATER APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE IN 5W OR 10W, 2700K, 3000K, OR 5700K SPECIAL FEATURE

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