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.  

You Have to Keep Learning

Chris Senske, Senske Services

Chris Senske, president of Senske Services in Kennewick, WA, has been in the industry all his life, yet he hasn’t stopped learning.  That’s one reason he continues to go to GIC and to send his key people, as well.  “The industry is always changing, which means education is ongoing,” said this industry veteran.  “I always take home ideas from the seminar program, and recently have concentrated on those sessions that discuss HR issues, share benchmarking data, and provide tips on how to deal with the increasing number of government regulations.”

Senske’s, whose company has eight branch locations primarily throughout the northwest, recalled his first PLCAA conference, a precursor to GIC. “It was 1981 or ’82 and I met a competitor there who had some of the same turf disease challenges I faced,” he recalled. “Even though we operated in the same market, it didn’t stop us from sharing ideas. There was also a speaker who predicted the industry would always face an incredible turnover in employees. I disagreed with him at the time, and today we have several long term, even second generation employees.” 

Fast forward thirty-plus years and the conference has changed dramatically.  The joining of PGMC, PLCAA, and ALCA strengthened the trade show and broadened the seminar offerings, Senske noted. Yet some things have remained the same.

“My involvement with PLCAA, GIC, and PLANET over the years has given me the opportunity to build some invaluable relationships with folks around the country.  In fact, 10 of us, who once served on the PLCAA Board, still get together for a weekend during the winter, hopefully someplace where it’s warm. Today, GIC is a magnet that not only attracts old friends and associates but also continues to provide a venue to meet new people. One cannot overestimate how important that is to individual company owners and to the industry as a whole.”

In addition to the seminars and walking the trade show, Senske also enjoys conference innovations such as the CEO Forum that was introduced five years ago. “The information attendees receive there is very high level and we get to meet several key industry executives.  It’s fun, entertaining, and educational.” 

GIC, he emphasized, is part of a valuable legacy that PLANET has given the industry. But there others, he added, not the least of which is its role as industry advocate.  “We depend on PLANET to represent us in front of legislators and regulators, to keep us informed and to help mitigate regulations and restrictions that make it increasingly difficult to do business today.” 

The Give and Take of GIC

Glenn Jacobsen, Landscape Industry Certified, Jacobsen Landscape Design & Construction, Inc.

The Green Industry Conference is a great place for takeaway. It’s where to find out how to market more effectively with social media, dramatically improve you sales process, and find answers to any number of other business-building questions you may have.  But as Glenn Jacobsen, Landscape Industry Certified, pointed out, it’s also a place to give back.

“Of course attendees learn from going to seminars and workshops, but from my experience most of the learning is done by comparing notes and sharing experiences with other landscape professionals. This happens naturally in the hallways, at receptions, over dinner, and at formal networking sessions like the Breakfast with Champions. A willingness to share is something for which this industry has never lacked.” 

 

The president of Jacobsen Landscape Design & Construction in Midland Park, NJ and the Immediate Past President of PLANET, Jacobsen has been going to GIC since 1998, twelve of those years as a member of the GIC committee. Every year he tries to take four members of his staff to the conference, two seasoned veterans and two who are newer to the industry.

“Back when I first started going to GIC I didn’t know many people in the industry,” he recalled.  “So I exchanged several business cards and filed them away. Prior to the next GIC, I referenced the cards, called a few people, and set up a time when we could talk or have dinner.”

Instead of exchanging business cards, the new friends then exchanged ideas. As Jacobsen noted, this is just a small example of how GIC can bring together people and create an environment where attendees learn by giving. 

The “give” part took on new meaning four years ago when the GIC committee unveiled a plan for PLANET to “give back” to host city Louisville.  “We wanted to do something for the city, to help out a nonprofit organization in need,” Jacobsen explained. “We wanted to say thanks to the city for its hospitality and, in the process, show residents what our industry is all about.”

The first year, 35 to 40 industry volunteers worked on three projects. A year later, the number of volunteers grew to 60 and last year 80 volunteers spent the Wednesday afternoon prior to GIC renovating and maintaining landscapes. This year, PLANET expects 100 people to participate, including several students from area colleges.

“Students enjoy working with us,” Jacobsen remarked. “They get a chance to step out of the classroom, work outside, and learn more about the industry -- all the while giving back.”

    

In addition to PLANET and students volunteers, the program involves many other industry representatives such as lead sponsor GIE +EXPO and a long list of vendors who donate money and materials.  The common theme for everyone is helping those in need.

“That’s what our industry is all about,” Jacobsen emphasized. “It’s about giving back. Those who give back to their communities throughout the year, those who share their business experiences at GIC also realize an added bonus -- they always get back far more than they give.”

If GIC’s 25^th anniversary celebration will be your first visit to the event, come prepared.  As this industry veteran knows, the assemblage of industry professionals, seminars and workshops, and suppliers present a great learning opportunity, one that can easily be enhanced by sharing a few experiences with fellow attendees or even lifting a hand at PLANET Gives Back.   

You Never Stop Learning

Martha Hill, Hinds Community College

The seminar room is filled with company owners and managers, all taking notes and listening intently to the speaker. But wait, there’s a landscape professor among them, paying just as much attention and filling as many pages as other attendees. That would be Martha Hill, Chair of the Landscape Management Department at Hinds Community College in Jackson, Mississippi. She has been coming to GIC from the beginning, and even attended its precursor Green Team event while just starting her college teaching career.

“You never stop learning. If you do you might as well leave the industry,” said Hill, who is a PLANET Educator of the Year. “Education is such a big part of GIC both for me and my students. I get to stay in touch industry trends and learn more about the challenges companies are facing and how we can better prepare their future employees. For students, the seminars, including the broad topics they cover, provide an important overview of the industry and possible career choices. The trade show is also a learning experience for them.”

Education aside, GIC wouldn’t be what it is today without the relationship building that goes on, added Hill, who learned the value of networking while still in school at Mississippi State. At the time, she co-oped with Brickman, alternating working a semester for them and then attending classes for a semester. It was a great hands-on experience and opened some industry doors that would not have been there otherwise.

Hill usually takes somewhere between 12 to 15 students to GIC. Last year, several volunteered at PLANET Gives Back on Wednesday. The experience, she pointed out, gave them a chance to do something good for the community and work alongside industry professionals. The Student/Employer Roundtable Recruiting session held Friday was also invaluable, providing an opportunity to talk with industry recruiters.

This educator is one of many in horticulture and landscaping programs across the country who work tirelessly to bring together students and potential employers. She has managed her school’s internship program, and in 2003, Hinds Community College hosted PLANET’s Student Career Days.

“Several former students have launched their careers just by meeting recruiters both at GIC and at Student Career Days,” Hill remarked. “Another now owns a U.S. Lawns Franchise.” In addition to the education they receive and the networking they do, she hopes that GIC conveys another message to students, the value of giving back to the industry. Her students know that while at GIC, she’s involved with committees and other PLANET meetings. Hill is also on the PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation board.

“Being engaged allows me to give back to the industry,” she emphasized. “I want to see my former students getting involved with PLANET and the industry.” Also on her bucket list is taking students to Washington, D.C. for Renewal and Remembrance at Arlington National Cemetery and a Day on the Hill. The experience would further broader their education about the importance, yes, of giving back and becoming involved.

All Night Drive Paid Off

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.”