Topics

Browse the list of topics here, then register and you'll be sent to the ENGAGE platform to select your preferred morning and afternoon sessions. Register soon to lock in your preferred topics. 

11:00 AM - Noon Topics

 

Connecting and Breaking Down Barriers with Latino Staff Members 

Moderator: Mari Medrano, HR Director, CoCal Landscape 

Building strong connections with Latino staff members is key to many landscape companies. Mari Medrano, HR Director at CoCal Landscape, a Colorado-based landscape company, shares her expertise managing a highly successful landscape company with a large percentage of Latino staff members.

Building a Diverse Team of Young Talent 

Moderator: Abby Hart, Editor, Landscape Management Magazine 

Being able to attract the next generation of employees—and keep them—is critical to the future success for lawn care and landscape companies. Creating an inclusive culture is a big part of a strong company culture. Abby Hart, Editor at Landscape Management Magazine leads a discussion with insights from research and interviews with many industry companies.

Estimating to Win

Moderator: Gage Roberts, National Sales Manager, Aspire Software 
 
Knowing how to estimate each and every job to ensure a profitable end result can be difficult. There are so many factors that have to be considered and a lot of them are unforeseen. Knowing how you’ve done in the past, what the market will allow you to price work at, and being strategic about pricing, will put you on the winning team, every time.

How to Deliver Amazing Customer Service 

Moderator: Serena Corby, Director of Client Satisfaction, Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape 
 
Providing responsive and personal customer service to thousands of customers isn’t easy. Serena Corby brought her customer service background from other industries to Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape and reshaped the way they work with clients. Join the discussion and learn how others handle customer service challenges.  

Proven Strategies to Win Contracts and Exponentially Grow the Business 

Moderator: Steven Bromell, Owner, Pro Cutters Lawnscapes 

Pro Cutters Lawnscapes, one of the top commercial landscape maintenance firms in Georgia, it has grown from $500,000 to $15 million in annual revenue in the last 10 years.  Steven Bromell and his wife, co-founder Shawn Bromell, know a lot about winning contracts and growing businesses! Pick up tips from Steven and from a group of peers when you join the discussion. 

Landscaping: Scorecards, Dashboards, KPIs - Using the Right Numbers for Accountability 

Moderator: Linda Norman, CEO, Unleashed Solutions 

It’s hard to improve if you are measuring your results and understanding what KPIs you should be tracking to measure success.  Linda Norman, CEO of Unleased Solutions, an expert in helping small businesses through the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), will moderate a discussion on what you want to be tracking in your business to increase your level of success. 

What Makes an Award-Winning Project 

Moderator: Neil Bales, President & CEO at LandPatterns, Inc. and Chair of NALP Awards Committee 

From NALP’s National Awards of Excellence program to state association awards, having your design/build, landscape maintenance, and lawn care projects showcased as award winners helps your business. From business development, to recruiting new team members, to rewarding your staff, demonstrating your company’s skill is important. Neil will share his insights into what you can do to make your projects stand out.  

Engaging Your Team 

Moderator: Claire Goldman, Principal, Head of Design & Business Development, R&R Landscaping 

Building a strong culture helps your company in good times and in bad. How do you keep your team engaged and motivated? Claire Goldman, NALP’s 2020 Woman Entrepreneur of the Year awardee, shares her insights into how she engages her team and builds a strong culture at R&R Landscaping 

Tree Care Tactics: Prep for Spring & Summer of 2021

Moderators: Alex Julius, Employee Development and Safety Training Specialist, Davey Tree Expert Company and Don Winsett, VP, Davey Tree Expert Company
 
Alex Julius, Arborist and Training Specialist talk about what to look for in trees to detect a problem and when to reach out to a Certified Arborist to help. Don will also address storm damage prevention - pre and post storm: what to do. Bring all your questions to the table.

Green Industry and Sustainability in a Rapid Changing Industry 

Moderator – Steve Wiseman, Commercial Business Development Manager, AriensCo

In an ever-changing battery world, how do we stay relevant? How and why should we adapt to this changing world? Find out where the world of battery is and where it is going for OPE. Please bring all your questions! We will discuss safety, products, reasons why battery is right for you and so much more. Open discussion is encouraged. 

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Topics

 

Capped Out of H-2B? Here Are Some Other Ways to Approach Your Workforce Challenges 

Moderator: Tony Nasrallah, Founder of Ground Works Land Design 

Whether you use the H-2B program (or you don’t), hiring crew positions can be a struggle. Hear and discuss alternative approaches to filling open crew positions from companies that have had to deal with the same issues.  

Simple Recruiting Strategies That Work (...and, How to Win Over Candidates) 

Moderator: Angela Hieronimus, Director of Engagement and Success Blades of Green 

Hiring for lawn care technicians might be thought to be easier that hiring for landscape maintenance crew positions, but with unemployment relatively low, it is always a struggle for any company. Blades of Green shares their creative approaches to incentivizing staff to recruit talent, and their processes for ensuring they are hiring the right people. Learn what their company and your peers are doing to try to get the right people onboard. 

Landscape P&L Management - What are Good Financials? | 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET

Moderator: Tim Portland, CEO, Yellowstone Landscape 

With an MBA and a background in equity capital investing and building (and turning around) large companies, Tim Portland knows a lot about what makes a financially healthy landscape company and what you can do to better understand your company’s true financial situation. Tap into Tim’s experience, ask questions, and get insights from your peers. 

Better Project Estimating for Better Profits

Moderator: Roscoe Klausing, President & CEO at Klausing Group 

How much to bid to make a profit? It can be something people struggle with and it can turn a lucrative sounding contract into a break-even or worse. Roscoe Klausing, President & CEO at Klausing Group, will share his hard-earned insights from nearly two decades running his landscape construction and maintenance company. Get feedback from your peers and see what challenges and solutions they’ve found.  

Creating a Climate of Change 

Moderator: Mark Hopkins, VP, LandCare 
 
Change is possible in a company, but it takes strategy and commitment to wanting to build a better company and engage employees. LandCare has several company-wide programs that demonstrate their commitment to recruiting, creating opportunities for staff and creating an inclusive culture. Chat with Mark Hopkins and industry peers about creating a climate of change. 

Making Soil Health a Profit Center for Your Lawn Care Business 

Moderator: Bob Mann, Agronomist and Director of Government Relations at NALP 

A great final product in lawn care with healthy soil. Agronomist and NALP Director of Government Relations, Bob Mann will share his expansive expertise in lawn care talk about how you can market your knowledge and create new profit centers for your lawn care operations.

Developing Processes to Streamline Your Business

Moderator: Jeff Rossen, President & CEO, Rossen Landscape

Identifying and documenting work flow processes is a critical task for any growing business. A core process playbook provides clear direction for your team on all of your repetitive processes ensuring continuity of workflow from one department to the next. When the “who, what, where, when and how” is known, there is a process to be documented! Join this session to share and learn with green industry peers. 

Growing Your Share of a Customer’s Wallet with Add-on Services

Moderator: Allan Dufoe, Key Account Manager, FMC

In today's competitive environment, to be successful LCOs need to continue to deliver value to customers as their wallet has many demands on it. An important way to secure and grow their share of a customer’s wallet is by adding value per dollar spent. One way to add value is by offering add-on services many of which could be readily implemented into current operations. We’ll discuss some of these add-on services and discuss ways it can increase your share of your customer’s wallet.   

The Sales Cycle Has Shifted, Have You? (Are You Talking to the Next Generation…) 

Moderator: Stephen Rezac, President, NuVue Business Solutions 

Explore the change in buying habits that is occurring as the Baby Boomers exit the marketplace and are replaced with Gen Xfers’ and Millennials. Different than the Boomers, they do their research and typically have already made their buying decision before they initially contact the seller. Discuss how you can change your selling approach to fit the new demographic. 

Boost Your Marketing and Company Storytelling with DIY Tools, Apps, and Video 

Moderator: Lisa Stryker, NALP VP Marketing & Communications 
 
Content (and photos, and video) are king…and an important part of your sales and brand positioning. It doesn’t have to be expensive to look good while telling your story on social media. Lisa will share some DIY tools and apps for video, graphic design, and content that NALP uses and the group will discuss ways to boost marketing on social media and in email by creating content easily and cheaply.