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Inaugural PLANET Day of Service exceeds expectations - April 22, 2009On Earth Day, April 22, 2009, PLANET launched its first annual national PLANET Day of Service. The event was a grassroots effort that allowed individual members, supplier members, and state associations to create volunteer lawn care and landscape projects in their own communities where they felt there was a need.  More than 280 projects were carried out by approximately 2,000 volunteers in a total of 43 states. “ The PLANET Day of Service exceeded our expectations, especially for a first-year event,” said Jason Cupp, CLP, 2008/2009 PLANET president. “There was such an amazing outpouring of support from volunteers, companies, and sponsors who donated time and materials.”Projects were carried out at a wide range of locations. Zoos; elementary schools; public parks; Boy Scout camps; churches; war memorials; and social service, medical, and public housing facilities were just a few of the places that benefited.  PLANET also partnered with Project Evergreen and its GreenCare for Troops program on the PLANET Day of Service. PLANET member Matt Doerr, CLT, of Turf Appeal, Inc., in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, organized a project to help a military family that has a member serving in Iraq. About 10 Turf Appeal staff members volunteered at the home, and, with the help of John Deere Landscapes donating a tree and flowers, and Eastern Sod and McCauley’s Greenhouse also donating flowers, they were able to landscape the one-acre yard — doing in one day what would have taken the family a week to do. “The media covered the story and the public response was amazing,” said Doerr. “I had calls from people who wanted to know how they could help, as well as calls from colonels in the military who wanted to thank us for our work.” He continued, “This project was a win-win on so many levels. Of course, we were so happy to be able to help out a military family, and we work for some of the military bases in the region, so this helped strengthen our relationships with them as well as generate new volunteers for GreenCare for Troops.”  Residents who spend time in parks were also big beneficiaries of the PLANET Day of Service. The Oregon Landscape Contractors Association rallied 100 volunteers to landscape the new Laurel Pocket Park in Bend, Oregon. In Carroll, Ohio, staffers at MirrorScapes were eager to spend another day volunteering at one of their county parks. Their team spruced up historic Lockville Park for a county parks system that only has one full-time maintenance employee. PLANET Day of Service sponsors played a big role in supporting and participating in the Day of Service. There were a total of five lead sponsors and 30 supporting sponsors. Agrium Advanced Technologies, a lead sponsor, renovated and landscaped the Granville Village School ball fields and grounds in Massachusetts. No Kai Oi Landscape Services, a supporting sponsor, replanted a hula mound at a local elementary school located in Kauai, Hawaii, in time for the students’ May Day celebration. For more information about the event, log on to planetdayofservice.org. PLANET thanks the following sponsors for their generous support: Lead Sponsors:  Supporting Sponsors:
Student Career Days - March 26-29, 2009 Many of the country’s best and brightest green industry students came to Pomona, California this past March 26-29, 2009, to compete in the PLANET’s 33rd Annual Student Career Days (SCD), held at Pomona, California. Sixty-one college teams, including a total of 798 students, participated in 26 individual and team competitions including tree climbing, paver installation, wood construction, plant identification, sales presentation, exterior/interior design, irrigation troubleshooting, skid steer, equipment operation, and the newest event to showcase this year – compact excavator operation, just to name a few.“This year's SCD was another tremendous success!” said Jennifer Buck, national recruiting director and Student Career Days committee chair. “It was a great weekend full of education, training, networking, career fair, and competitive events.”  The competition included awards to individual winners as well as to school teams. The individual winners, called “Superstars,” were:First Place: Seth Reed, Brigham Young University - Idaho Second Place: Ben Roney, Alamance Community College Third Place: Dawn Strickland, University of Georgia  The top-ranking schools are:First Place: Brigham Young University - Idaho Second Place: Colorado State University Third Place: North Metro Technical College Fourth Place: Brigham Young University - Provo Fifth Place: Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo Sixth Place: Cal Poly - Pomona Seventh Place: Mississippi State University Eighth Place: North Carolina State University Ninth Place: University of Georgia Tenth Place: Penn State In addition to the competitive events, the four-day event included a Career Fair; Faculty Forum; Career Development Series; student workshops; tour of the Huntington Botanic Gardens, Library, and Art Collection; and networking receptions. Chattahoochee Technical College in Atlanta, Georgia, will host next year’s SCD on April 8-11, 2010. PLANET thanks the following event sponsors for their generous support:
Executive Forum - February 19–22, 2009Walt Disney World® Resort Lake Buena Vista, Florida  The Professional Landcare Network’s (PLANET’s) Executive Forum provides green industry owners and senior managers with powerful networking opportunities with key industry leaders, in addition to educational sessions in a warm resort environment. This year’s Forum at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida received high marks from members in attendance. According to Matt Doerr, CLT, of Turf Appeal, Inc., “It’s the best experience of managing family vacation and industry education, and networking with friends from all over the country.” With today’s economic challenges, Rob Diaz, of Land Care, Inc., found the Forum to be especially valuable. “During a time when everyone is trying to get more for their money, this conference is priceless.” This year’s event continued the focus on balancing one’s life and personal wellness, particularly in light of the recent economic downturn. Speaker, trainer, and world champion athlete Murray Banks focused his presentations on lifestyle and how it can impact leadership and work performance, and Scott Smith, founder and chief motivating officer of the popular MotivationToMove.com, engaged the crowd on how to reduce stress and live a fit, healthy balanced life.  There was also an interactive workshop led by Bill Arman, an expert on human development and co-founder of the Harvest Group, dynamic breakfast roundtable discussions, plus powerful networking opportunities with fellow green industry business owners and managers from around the country, not to mention ample time to enjoy the fabulous resort amenities.PLANET thanks the following event sponsors for their generous support:
Golf Tournament Sponsor: CNA Friday Networking Happy Hour Sponsor: Cub Cadet Commercial Portfolio Sponsor: Husqvarna Saturday Breakfast Sponsor: Syngenta Lawn & Garden Hospitality Suite Sponsors: Agrium Advanced Technologies; LandOpt, LLC; and The Decor Group Green Industry Conference and GIE+EXPO - October 22–25, 2008 Green industry professionals from around the country gathered in Louisville, Kentucky, for PLANET’s annual Green Industry Conference (GIC), a full roster of leadership meetings, and the extensive GIE+EXPO trade show. It was a time for attendees to experience TEAM PLANET in action.“The highlight of the event for me is the education,” says Fred Haskett, CTP, managing partner/operations for U.S. Lawns/West St. Louis. “The education sessions continue to offer a meaningful experience to all levels of expertise. There’s no question, there is something for everyone here.”  Town & Gardens’ owner Don Sussman brought four staff members with him from New York City. “Even though I’ve been attending these educational sessions for 14 years, there’s always something to gain and something new to learn.” Still, he said the highlight of the trip for him is seeing his team members learning and getting even more excited about the industry.” Gachina Landscape Management’s John Gachina, CCLP, CLT, brought four branch managers, all first-timers to the event. “The bonding among them has been spectacular,” he relates. “They’re all a bit different and have been able to share a common experience. This veteran contractor and attendee also shared a trick for efficiently covering the trade show floor. “I divide the floor into three sections, and cover a section a day,” says Gachina. “There’s so much equipment here that if you don’t have a strategy, you’ll likely miss something.” GIC is getting better and adding even more value to attendees. The seminar sessions were timely, with many of the concurrent sessions tackling economic concerns and other critical industry issues. The Breakfast with Champions, held all three mornings, was once again a rousing success, as was the popular networking sessions for students, the Student/Industry Roundtable recruiting session.Save the date — October 28–31, 2009 — for next year’s GIC and GIE+EXPO in Louisville. You won’t be disappointed.
Legislative Day on the Hill and Renewal & Remembrance – July 20–22, 2008Renewal & Remembrance  Twelve years after the first Renewal & Remembrance service project, hundreds of landscape and lawn care specialists continue to dedicate manpower, equipment, and supplies to enhance the beauty of Arlington National and Historic Congressional cemeteries. On July 21, 2008, almost 400 individuals from around the country, the largest attendee number in the history of the event, spent the day mulching, caring for trees, pruning, liming, planting, aerating, and providing other services at these historic landmarks. Over the years, this award-winning event has grown to include more and more PLANET members and their families, as well as company employees. In fact, there were special children’s projects for the 80 children in attendance. Children and grandchildren of attendees planted flowers in key locations at Arlington National Cemetery and participated in laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  The Monday morning event began with a dedication ceremony that included a color guard, and welcome remarks from Jack Metzler, Superintendent of Arlington National Cemetery and guest speaker, U.S. Rep. Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill). Legislative Day on the Hill After the Renewal & Remembrance activities concluded in the afternoon, Fred Barnes, a veteran political reporter and commentator, gave PLANET members his invaluable insight about the many changes affecting the nation’s political landscape.  The 268 participants in attendance were then briefed on key industry issues, including health care reform, the H-2B guest worker program, and water concerns, in preparation for their appointments on the Hill with their congressional representatives. To make a strong impact, PLANET provided leave-behind information packets for the visits, and many participants formed groups to speak as one collective voice. Mark your calendar for next year’s Legislative Day on the Hill and Renewal & Remembrance events, which will be held July 12–14, 2009.
Summer Leadership Meeting - June 18–22, 2008 Stoweflake, Vermont, was an ideal setting for the more than 100 attendees of PLANET’s annual Summer Leadership Meeting as PLANET’s new governance structure kicked into high gear.PLANET President Elect Bill Hildebolt, Ph.D., CTP, CTP-CSL, Nature’s Select Premium Turf Services, Inc., was very pleased with the success of the event. “The meetings were excellent and engagement was fantastic. You know you’re on to something when you walk into the Membership Committee meeting and it is standing room only,” he says. “There were many highlights, but one of them for me was seeing that the new governance was working out very well.”  In addition to the many meetings held during the event, networking opportunities were plentiful, and there was time for fun and relaxation with tours to local attractions, tethered hot air balloon rides, and a variety of outside activities. Some leadership brought their families to enjoy this special location and the planned activities.  PLANET’s strategic direction addresses five critical goals, one of which is to expand PLANET’s position as the partner of choice. Partnership was very visible at this year’s event as representatives of different facets of the industry brainstormed for the good of PLANET and the industry. “The membership and supplier meetings were very productive, and I came out of both of them realizing just how engaged our members, state associations, suppliers, and staff are in working together for the success of PLANET. The partnership was very much in evidence, in meetings and at social gatherings at the end of the day,” notes Jennifer Lemcke, Weed Man USA/Turf Holdings, Inc. Next year’s Summer Leadership Meeting will be held June 24–28 at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington. This magnificent mountain resort is nestled on 175 wooded acres in the spectacular Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The rustic yet elegant, grand mountain lodge is located just 45 miles east of Portland, Oregon, on the Washington side of the Columbia River. Highlights from the 2008 Summer Leadership Meeting Thank you to our sponsors!
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