 |
| Nikos Phelps, Landscape Industry Certified Technician, Utopian Landscapes, LLC |
“My first
GIC was 2007,” recalled Nikos Phelps. “I
remember it well, since I drove all through the night to get there.” Upon
arrival, like other first-time GIC attendees, the owner of Utopian Landscapes
in Harrisburg, Penn., said he was “overwhelmed” by the number of industry
professionals attending the conference and their willingness to openly share
their knowledge and experience.
“Going to
GIC and being a PLANET member have given me a broader perspective of the
industry,” he related. “It showed me how truly professional this industry is
and that no matter how successful or professional you think you are, there is
always room for improvement. In other
words, you can’t judge your level of success or professionalism by comparing it
only to your competition back home.”
Phelps was
introduced to PLANET through his involvement with Student Career Days
(SCD). He competed at two events while
attending Penn State University and,
upon graduation, joined PLANET as a service provider member. Today, his company offers design/build,
landscape management, and outdoor lighting services, and generates
approximately $500,000 in sales annually.
“Certainly,
one important thing I’ve learned from attending GIC and talking with other
PLANET members is how to increase my company’s profitability,” Phelps
noted. “My top line hasn’t really
changed over the past few years, but what has changed is how much revenue
actually falls to the bottom line. I’ve heard over and over again at GIC that
selling a job is easy; being profitable is the hard part.”
Even after
attending seven GICs, Phelps said that meeting new people is still among things
he enjoys doing there. He considers the
Breakfast with Champions networking session to be the premier event of the conference
and looks forward to the specialty group focus groups.
“For the
last three years I’ve attended the design/build focus group. Each year, two or three important topics are
put up for discussion. The group is
divided among three or four tables with eight people at each. Then, at the end
the session, the tables’ comments or solutions are presented to the group as a
whole.” Typical topics, he mentioned, would be innovative employee incentives
or how to effectively track job costs.
“I take home
bits and pieces every year from what I learn at GIC,” said Phelps, noting that
his company would not be where it is today without him being a PLANET member
and attending the conference. Going back
to his PLANET roots, he sees programs like Student Career Days as fundamental
to the industry’s future. The industry,
though, struggles getting out the message that it offers a wealth of career
opportunities.
“We
need to somehow start communicating to younger students in high school and even
middle school about our industry and what we do,” he emphasized. “It starts with the parents, too, who may not
view our industry as a viable one for their children. One day at GIC would change their minds
forever.”
