GIC: Part of a Greater Whole

Miles Kuperus, Landscape Industry Certified, Farmside Landscape & Design

How does one elevate an industry? “You work to make participants even more professional,” said Miles Kuperus, Landscape Industry Certified and a PLANET member and GIC attendee since 1991.  In fact, the owner of Farmside Landscape & Design in Wantage, NJ, has never missed a GIC.  For the first 10 years, he went there to learn about the industry and build new relationships with landscape contractors and suppliers. Later, after becoming involved in PLANET leadership, his education kicked into high gear.

Over the next decade, Kuperus would chair the Executive Forum and Design/Build committees, serve as vice-president of AEF, and sit on the safety and government affairs committees and the PLANET Board. “It’s very important to be engaged in Leadership from several perspectives,” he emphasized. “Doing so allows participants to develop closer relationships with other PLANET members and get their arms around some of the big issues that impact our industry. Furthermore, participating in Leadership is one way to give back. I’m a firm believer in giving back, not only to your industry, but your community, as well.”

Kuperus and his wife Lisa, who is Farmside’s office manager, also participate in Renewal & Remembrance, something they have done since the merger of ALCA and PLCAA to form PLANET.

“PLANET does a great job at professionalizing the industry,” added Kuperus.  “The networking, just as the education at GIC, is invaluable.  If you attend two Breakfast with Champions morning events and sit at a table with six other landscape professionals, your network just expanded by 12 people.  GIC also provides certification testing, the gaining of which offers an important level of credibility among peers, customers, and those outside of the industry.”

When asked about GIC and PLANET’s impact on his company, Kuperus said categorically “we wouldn’t have the systems and programs in place that we do today without the two.”  He quickly doubles back to the importance of doing more than simply attending PLANET-sponsored events.  Involvement is key, he reemphasized.  “Being on committees and participating in strategic planning and group problem-solving sessions have all contributed to lessons I’ve learned and have implemented in our business.  No, you can’t quantify the experience, but I know that it has made a significant impact on my development as an industry professional.”

For Kuperus, the path to becoming more professional is laid out in a roadmap offered by PLANET.  Important markers along with way include education, certification, giving back, and building a network comprised of like-minded individuals who want to advance their careers and the industry. GIC, albeit important, is only part of a greater whole, a roadmap that industry professionals need to embrace.