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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Vicki Bendure, APR
                  (540) 687-3360 or
                  Lisa Schaumann
                  (540) 687-5099

         PROFESSIONAL LANDCARE NETWORK’S ANNUAL GREEN INDUSTRY CONFERENCE
                                                                    DEEMED A SUCCESS
                      —The Industry’s Must-Attend Event Finds Success in Partnerships—

HERNDON, Va., November 14, 2007 — “We are the association of members who create and maintain the quality of life in communities across America,” stated Jim Martin, CLP, president of the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) at a press conference held in conjunction with this year’s Green Industry Conference (GIC) and the GIE+EXPO. In his overview of PLANET activity during the past year, Martin reported that PLANET membership is up 4.3 percent, good news given the current economy, and that PLANET certification programs have grown. PLANET and its legacy associations have issued approximately 5,550 certification designations and the number of testing candidates has increased by 66 percent.

Martin also stated that in 2007, PLANET event participation numbers were up with significant increases in attendance at Renewal & Remembrance at Arlington National and Historic Congressional Cemeteries as well as PLANET’s Student Career Days. He also noted how pleased PLANET was with attendance at the first ever GIE+EXPO.

Once again, PLANET’s “Breakfast With Champions” program was well attended. The event consists of morning roundtables where PLANET members network with industry peers on a variety of topics and share best practices.

“I was blown away by all I learned at one Breakfast With Champions”, said Roscoe Klausing, CLP, owner of the Klausing Group in Lexington, Kentucky.

“Breakfast With Champions has always been huge for us,” Tanya Tolpegin, PLANET chief executive officer states. “Our members realize the value in this networking time and they readily participate.”

PLANET President-Elect Jason Cupp, CLP, oversaw the GIC awards banquet on Saturday night and recapped some of the statistics from the week: 180,000 business cards were traded, and there were 7,200 hours of educational seminars and 51 hours of leadership meetings. Approximately 20,000 people attended the GIE+EXPO, boosting past numbers significantly.

“We were able to take the exceptional networking and educational seminars that have become hallmarks of PLANET’s GIC, and then add the dealer networking component where green industry professionals have the opportunity to meet equipment and product dealers,” says Martin. “The result was the best possible industry event.”

For more information, visit LandcareNetwork.org, or call the PLANET office at
(800) 395-2522.

PLANET is the association of members who create and maintain the QUALITY OF LIFE in communities across America. With more than 4,200 member companies and affiliates, these firms and their employees represent more than 100,000 green industry professionals.