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Benefits of Membership

Professional Development & Mentoring

PLANET Certification Programs

Becoming "Landscape Industry Certified" through PLANET provides a sense of accomplishment, increased respect and recognition from industry peers, and perhaps most important, a way to demonstrate your skills and knowledge to your customers. Now with more than 4,000 certifications awarded and hundreds of testing sites across the nation, the program is increasing in prestige, popularity, and accessibility every year.

PLANET offers several certification programs, including:

  • Landscape Industry Certified Manager
  • Landscape Industry Certified Technician — Interior or Exterior
  • Landscape Industry Certified Horticultural Technician
  • Landscape Industry Certified Lawn Care Manager
  • Landscape Industry Certified Lawn Care Technician
PLANET Awards

PLANET's award programs provide a unique opportunity for companies to showcase their talents and skills. Awards are presented each year at the Green Industry Conference, an excellent venue to celebrate your team's proudest accomplishments and be recognized among your peers. Winning a prestigious PLANET Environmental Improvement Award also gives your company a vital marketing advantage. PLANET provides the following award programs:

Professional Mentoring

PLANET Consultants — PLANET's team of consultants provides an invaluable, FREE service to our members. Members have access to legal, human resource, public relations, and safety guidance and expertise, simply by picking up the phone or e-mailing.


Richard Lehr, Legal Consultant
Bill Cook, Human Resource Consultant
Vicki Bendure, Public Relations Consultant
Sam Steel, Safety Consultant

I have been working with Bill Cook over the last few weeks on improving our employee handbook and want to let you know what an amazing benefit this is. The results will vastly improve our company and our employee’s lives.  Bill’s insights and suggestions have more than paid for our PLANET membership. Bruce Allentuck, Allentuck Landscaping Co.



PLANET Trailblazers — The PLANET Trailblazers are an elite group of green industry leaders, with proven records of success, who set aside one full day a year to spend with a PLANET member company, providing guidance, tips, and solutions to business dilemmas. The mentoring provided in this one day will more than pay for your PLANET membership!

Our Trailblazer gave us valuable insight into how to track our sales, costs, referrals, and much more. He re-energized our passion for the business by giving us fresh ideas to grow the business. I know the time and expense of having our Trailblazer come will most definitely pay off in the near future. Mark Clement, Clement Bros. Lawn & Landscape



PLANET Trailblazers on Call — Building on the success of our Trailblazer program, PLANET now offers remote access to our esteemed group of Trailblazers. Have a technical question you can't seem to get answered? Ready to take your business to the next level but not sure how? Struggling to survive in a challenging economy? The PLANET Trailblazer on Call program will provide the answers you need.



The Trailblazers On Call Program worked wonders. I submitted a question, during the high season rush for us and had an answer within 24 hours. The solution was clear, concise, and from an industry veteran in my scope of work. It offered me the ability to make a decision and move on. This benefit, along with my PLANET membership is well worth it. Rick Longnecker, Buds & Blades Landscape Co.



PLANET Member Consultants — PLANET member consultants have decades of experience leading successful landscape maintenance or lawn care businesses. Need advice on how to get your business to the next level? Having trouble navigating the right way to diversify your company? Need to change your sales strategy but not sure how? PLANET Member Consultants are ready to help.