I Wondered What in the World He Was Talking About

Brett Lemcke, Landscape Industry Certified,, R.M. Landscape, Inc.

Brett Lemcke, Landscape Industry Certified, remembers vividly his first trip to GIC. It was 1998. He was a freshman at SUNY-Cobleskill and attended the event along with a handful of other students from the school.

“Every year, our professor, Jack Ingels, took a group of students to GIC,” Lemcke recalled.  “The group was primarily made up of upper classroom but I knew from the beginning that this is something to be involved with. It was a fun trip and we attended as many seminars as time allowed. Most of the education, however, was way over my head. I remember sitting in on a Kevin Kehoe presentation and wondered what in the world he was talking about. P&L statements and balance sheets, they were all new to me.”

Fast forward 16 years and the vice president of R.M. Landscape in Hilton, NY, understands Kehoe’s language and other financial nuances thanks in large part to never missing a GIC.  “After graduating from Cobleskill I worked full time in the family business,” said Lemcke.  “I always brought something I learned from the seminars back home from the event. Early on, I focused on attending seminars that were more operational in subject matter. Then, as I grew with the business, I looked for more business and financial help, including benchmarking information that would compare how our company was doing to others within the industry.”

What he learned in seminars and workshops was complemented by a network of friends he made along the way. “The networking was and still is very valuable,” Lemcke emphasized, adding that it was largely responsible for his company joining a peer group two years ago.

GIC and PLANET have helped his company in other ways, he remarked.

“Our involvement facilitated a transition into more of a maintenance company. As we move forward I look for PLANET and its many resources, including GIC, to help us grow organizationally.” Lemcke noted that one of his company’s challenges today is to get “all the right people on the bus.” He expects that learning curve to be shortened dramatically by sharing stories with his peer group and other PLANET members.

A PLANET Board member, Lemcke chaired the Industry Recruiting committee for a number of years and was on the Landscape Management Specialty Group committee.  He has also participated on the Student Career Days’ subcommittee and served as chair of the event. 

“Cobleskill sends a team to Student Career Days (SCD) every year,” Lemcke related.

“Because of my involvement with SCD while a student there, I still enjoy stopping by the Student/Employer Roundtable Recruiting session at GIC.  It’s almost a mini SCD career fair and affords a great opportunity for PLANET members to introduce their companies and potential employment opportunities to students.” This year’s roundtable, he added, will be held on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

Being on the PLANET Board and attending leadership meetings held during GIC has limited the amount of time Lemcke can spend in seminars and walking the trade show floor. This veteran of 16 GICs, however, knows his way around and how to make the most of his time. Whereas the seminars, workshops, and trade show are all valuable and certainly by themselves worth a trip to Louisville, he would be among the first to say that nothing trumps seeing his friends there and continuing the networking experience with peers. 

From Small Gathering to Huge Breakfast

John Gachina, Landscape Industry Certified, Gachina Landscape Management

John Gachina, Landscape Industry Certified, remembers his first GIC.  “I was very excited and in awe of seeing so many industry leaders, and the Breakfast with Champions? Well it was only a few tables with maybe 20 to 25 people in attendance, but it was still a great way to meet people and share ideas.”  Since that initial conference, not only has the Breakfast grown, but so, too, has Gachina. He is now among the industry leaders to whom he once looked up.

“I soaked up everything back then,” said the owner of California-based Gachina Landscape Management.  He noted that the seminars, networking sessions, and, yes, the Breakfast with Champions, have all contributed to his company’s success.  But it’s the relationships formed with GIC attendees and other PLANET members over the years that have made the biggest difference.

“Early on I attended a seminar presented by green industry consultant Frank Ross,” Gachina recalled.  “I met him after the presentation and he’s been consulting with us and helping our company grow ever since.”  When asked about specific conference highlights, he mentions becoming an AEF Ambassador as an important one, especially since students are the industry’s future.  He calls the scholarship in his company’s name the “gift that keeps on giving.”

Accepting a Grand Environmental Improvement Award was another highlight.  “We had won several smaller awards, but the Grand Award was really special for me and our team, he related. “I’ve also enjoyed participating on a GIC panel discussion and continue to enjoy the look on my team members’ faces the first time they attend the conference.  I try to bring at least five employees, and the first timers have that same awe struck expression I must have had.”

Going to GIC is not only a learning experience for team members, it’s also a growing experience. Attending is a giant step toward their career development, Gachina explained, one of which he encourages other owners to take advantage.

“If it is an employee’s first time, I make a point to introduce them to my friends and other industry people I know.  They then have a starting point to begin building their own relationships and network of friends.  Of course, we also have fun going to dinners, attending receptions, and bonding as team members.” 

A longtime PLANET member and avid supporter, Gachina is also a veteran of Student Career Days, the Great Escape, among other events.  “I won’t miss Student Career Days,” he said with a smile. “It’s great seeing the students and soaking up their enthusiasm for the industry.  We usually come back with a couple of summer interns. Whether they eventually work full time for us or not, getting hands on experience is an important part of their industry education.

Making money is the biggest challenge GIC and PLANET has helped this owner overcome.  “Making a profit doesn’t come easy in this industry,” Gachina emphasized, “and it’s something that doesn’t get easier the bigger you get.  I’ve taken advantage of many PLANET resources to help with budgeting, estimating, tracking costs, and so forth. Of course, Frank has been very helpful here, as well.

“As we look forward, I believe that GIC and PLANET both have a role to play ensuring that its attendees and members stay relevant in an ever-changing industry.  Right now in California, for example, presenting customers with sustainable landscaping solutions and ways to reduce their carbon footprint is an opportunity for contractors. But this is not a fad, and eventually all landscape contractors and other green industry professionals around the country will need to get on board.

 

“As the voice of the green industry, PLANET already has helped position its members as environmental stewards. This effort, and attendant educational resources, will need to become even more focused as concerns over our environment continue to grow and evolve.”

It’s About the GIC Experience

Joy Diaz, Land Care, Inc.

“I don’t recall the first year I attended GIC, but I remember being blown away and awestruck by the size of the event! I couldn’t believe how massive the green industry was.”  These comments come from Joyanna “Joy” Diaz who co-owns Land Care, Inc., in Las Vegas.

A PLANET member since 1998, Diaz sits on the PLANET Board and is a longtime volunteer. Her committee assignments have included the Industry Recruitment, Finance and Membership committees, the latter of which she chaired for two years. She has also hosted the Newcomers Rally for the past two years.

When asked which of GIC’s many moving parts, including the seminars, workshops, receptions, and Breakfast with Champions, gives her the most value, Diaz said she couldn't put her finger on one specific thing. 

“Every year my needs shift.  One year a seminar will smack the nail on the head and I won’t be so interested in the topic the following year.  Another year, I will listen to a different speaker or meet someone who changes my business life. It’s about the GIC experience. You cannot go anywhere else in the world that has the ‘touches’ you will have at this event.”

Meeting new industry friends is part of her GIC experience. “I also look forward to the Keynote Address,” she added. “This year’s speaker is Janine Driver. I saw her at Great Escape in Vegas a few years ago and loved her. I love the 4^th Street Live entertainment, too, and look forward to Montgomery Gentry this year.”

Among other highlights, she makes time to meet with vendors, see new products and test the equipment outdoors, and puts a huge premium on the many networking opportunities there. Said Diaz, “Over the years, meeting other industry leaders and sharing ideas with them have helped us save time and money. I ask why reinvent the wheel if someone is willing to share experiences, both those that have been successful and others that have failed. You can use either or both as a springboard to something that will work for your company.”

 This industry veteran is looking forward to attending GIC this year and she’s bringing along a long list of challenges.  In her words, “have no fear, this year once again one or more of those issues will be addressed and I will get to knock them off my to-do list.” 

If Diaz takes along a few team members like in the past, she will sit with them prior to the conference, address goals and highlight what educational sessions and equipment innovations will help to reach them.  Upon returning home, there’s usually a GIC debriefing session, along with a plan to put what they've learned to work, again all part of her GIC experience.

GIC: Educational Venue and Starting Point

Roscoe Klausing, Landscape Industry Certified, Klausing Group, Inc. 

Six years after founding Lexington-based The Klausing Group in 1992, Roscoe Klausing, Landscape Industry Certified, attended his first GIC in Baltimore, Md. He has gone to all but one since then. “When I first started attending GIC, I looked forward to the educational tracks,” he recalled. “I still get value out of the seminars and workshops, but now I actually look forward more to meeting with friends at the receptions and other networking opportunities.”

Klausing said he rarely attends the conference to address a specific challenge. Instead, he’s always looking for ideas on how to better his company. “Benchmarking, comparing my company’s performance to others from around the country, usually takes a priority as GIC. I can do this with the help of seminars or just by talking with other professionals there.

“For example, during the recent downturn, one of the hot seminar topics was ‘the new normal.’ Presenters talked about ways to do more with less people, for account managers to handle more accounts and for sales people to sell more business. The data and ideas they presented helped reaffirm that some of the decisions I was making back home were on the mark.

“When I first considered using guest workers, I sought advice from GIC attendees who were already using the H-2B program. But now, I’m so engaged in PLANET that I can effectively network by simply picking up the phone. Case in point, in January, I opened our company’s first branch location. The year prior, I contacted at least four PLANET members who operated branch locations. They shared valuable tips along with some challenges they faced. This was all very helpful information.”

Informal power

Even though he’s been vigilant about attending formal seminar sessions, Klausing said it’s the one-on-one at GIC that really pays dividends. At the trade show, he gets to be face-to-face with manufacturers and other industry suppliers, and innovations like last year’s Power Talk and Genius Bar gave him an opportunity to chitchat with conference speakers.

“I think the future of GIC is to place more emphasis on less formal gatherings where the exchange of ideas flows even more freely,” he emphasized. “Again, people like me find these opportunities very valuable and something that PLANET can never adequately quantify.”

In addition to GIC, Klausing takes advantage of other PLANET events and resources. He has attended Student Career Days, the Great Escape, and Summer Leadership and gives high praise to the group’s Safety, HR, and Legal consultants. “Savings in legal fees alone have been substantial,” he remarked.

The value of attending GIC often evolves from initially being a place to receive a formal industry education to later being a venue to network informally with friends. What never changes, however, is its place as a starting point: a place, as it was for Klausing and still is for first-time attendees, to become more involved with PLANET and the industry it represents.   

My First Conference Paid for Itself

Rod Bailey, Landscape Industry Certified, Alder Springs Enterprises, LLC

Past ALCA president Rod Bailey, Landscape Industry Certified, remembers the early days of GIC. In fact, he was immediate past president when the first conference was held. “The catalyst for getting together the three major association players and forming GIC was the trade show,” he recalled. “I ran the trade show for the Green Team (ALCA and PGMS) a couple of years prior to  GIC and frankly I got tired of hearing suppliers complain about the lack of floor traffic and having to travel to a more than one trade show.

 

“Ron Kujawa was ALCA president in 1996 and it was through his efforts that ALCA, PGMS, and PLCAA joined together to create the precursor to not only what has become the industry’s premier educational conference but also its largest trade show.

At the time, Bailey was partners in Washington-based Evergreen Services, Inc. Both he and his partner had worked for a consulting firm for five years before deciding it would be interesting to actually run a company for just a few years. Those “few” years turned into 30 after which Bailey sold his company to True Green.

 

“For thirty years it was the most fun thing I could think of to do next,” he said. “Getting involved in this industry was the best decision I ever made.  There’s such great diversity and opportunity, not to mention it’s exciting to run your own company.”  

Having a background in finance and business management, the new owner lacked industry knowledge. So when friends encouraged him to attend an ALCA meeting, he obliged them. Added Bailey, “The first educational symposium I attended was several years before GIC, but it just blew me away with all the information.  While there, I learned how to save $7,000 a year on maintenance equipment alone, which was several times more than I paid for my trip.  That was the year I joined ALCA.  As a young owner, it was the best move I could have made.”

Bailey sold his company 15 years ago and resumed his consulting. “I still go to GIC,” he emphasized, “and I do for several reasons.  I enjoy seeing friends I’ve made over the years and if you’re involved in any way with the industry, GIC is where it’s at. I’m still learning, going to seminars, and attending the Breakfast with Champions.  It’s a way of keeping my hand in and staying current within the industry”.

He continued, “I remember when the first Breakfast was held. At the time, it was a way for formalize the real value of GIC, to meet new people and toss around ideas. Needless to say, the Breakfast has been and continues to be a prime attraction at the conference.”

Not to forget the catalyst, the trade show.

As he related GIE +EXPO is not only the largest green industry trade show in the country, it happens to be one of the largest shows period.  “The real interesting thing is that GIC, the educational conference, has grown right along with the show,” Bailey noted. “This is has turned into a true dual-sided event. Attendees get a double whammy for going, being able to attend both a first class conference and a first class trade show. It’s one heck of a bargain.”