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Professional Contractors Update
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February 2019
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Success doesn't happen by accident.
Here are three ways you can plan ahead for a growing market.
You'll enjoy fewer hassles and great profits when you:
1. Take Manual Labor Out of Tasks.
Finding skilled laborers is our industry's #1 challenge. It's not going away anytime soon. Savvy contractors are doing all they can to reduce the need for manual labor on their job sites. Buy pre-assembled components, leverage equipment to take out shovel work, and more.
2. Get Ahead of the Labor Shortage.
Companies are struggling to fill critical jobs. Candidates are in short supply. Many companies are looking to fill the same positions at the same time, adding to the battle over good applicants. Expand your marketing to candidates through
better advertisements, website enhancements, electronic recruiting resources and pursuing "creative places to look". Ask us for ideas.
3. Raise Your Prices.
Change your thinking about how you price. When you have plenty of work, worry less about outguessing the competition and being the low bidder. Focus more on your rising costs and your already-full workload.
You need to reinvest in your business. Adding routing / scheduling software, digital timekeeping, GPS tracking of vehicles and other improvements costs money, but can repay significant dividends in improvements to efficiency and customer experience.
Connect with your Normac representative so we can help you plan for the coming season.
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 Get reliable automatic irrigation control when you don't have AC power with the ESP-9V Series Battery-Operated Controller. The ESP-9V's waterproof case and dual-sealed battery chamber ensure long life even when installed in a wet, muddy valve box. In harsh environment testing the ESP-9V outlasted the competition by 70%. After being submerged in water at alternating extreme hot and cold temperatures the ESP-9V was still going strong long after the competition failed.
Easier to Program. Common programming features are easily accessed on one screen, making programming quick and easy. The LCD screen is 85% larger than competitors, and the programming icons are big and easy to understand. Manual watering is easy with a dedicated button.
Longer Lasting. The ESP-9V operates for one year using one 9-volt alkaline battery, or more than two years with two 9-volt alkaline batteries.
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Partner with Kichler for Training, Tools, Rewards and Trips!
Kichler has simplified their LightPro Rewards program and made it easier to recognize and reward the performance of LightPro members with quarterly rewards, annual recognition awards, and a more streamlined way to earn a spot on the annual all-inclusive trip.
Members have - no more points to track; no more passwords to remember; instead they can just sit back and Kichler will deliver the rewards.
- Automatically earn rewards at every purchase tier achieved: $5,000, $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000
- Earn 4 Trip Credits for every $50,000 of annual purchases. Trip cost 12 Trip Credits for 1 rooms/2 people.
Additional program benefits include: Partnership support, access to business-building materials including images and assets, free demo kits, as well as complimentary design and layout services.
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 NDS redesigned Flo-Well is easier to install and holds up to twice the amount of water than other drywell systems, resulting in half the digging and half the cost of a traditional drywell system
Able to hold up to 55 gallons of water, which is over 50 percent more than a traditional peastone drywell, the Flo-Well units can also be connected or stacked to increase holding capacity and accommodate a variety of drainage needs.
Many cities have required that stormwater runoff remain on the property to reduce pollution into local water beds such as rivers and lakes. The Flo-Well units collect, retain, and discharge stormwater on-site, offering a gravel-free alternative.
The Flo-Well system offers important environmental benefits: It is made from 100 percent recycled plastic and stormwater filters naturally through the subsurface, reducing pollutants
Water Retention is created through site design that allows the temporary storage and slow release of storm water run off. NDS
Flo-Well can be used alone or piped together in a series to manage a multitude of water volumes. The volume of runoff is reduced which decreases the chance of flooding and soil erosion.
The new cone-shape design is stronger than the older, ribbed flat panel lid, and has not only additional lid fastening features but also an NDS Universal adapter cut out. It has supports for an 8" pipe with further cut outs for better filtration of stormwater runoff.
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On-Site Stormwater Management Solutions
 StormTech chambers from ADS reduce the overall installed costs of underground detention systems. Now you can meet the land-use requirements and overall budgets of your projects by utilizing ...
 StormTech chambers bring a new level of practicality and efficiency to subsurface
stormwater installations. StormTech chambers nest and stack neatly for efficient transport and storage and can be hand-carried into position by only two people. Other systems take up valuable work space at the job
site and require heavy equipment to install.
This is a special order product. Learn more about on-site stormwater management by ADS here.
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Proper Area Prep is the Key to a Successful Artificial Turf Installation
For those of you who are familiar with the installation of artificial grass, we want to remind you to properly prep the area before you begin the job. With busy schedules and hectic workdays, it's easy to sometimes skip the most basic of steps like locating, removing or capping off all irrigation lines and looking thoroughly for any utility lines, landscaping wiring, drain tiles, etc.
This step-by-step, short video from EasyTurf is a good reminder to watch from time to time, and it's a great way to get your crew on the same page before you get started on a job.
When removing vegetation, EasyTurf recommends going over the area twice. Once to remove the actual sod, and the second pass is for removing roots and excess soil. We recommend removing three to four inches of the existing landscape before installing drainage and other components that need to remain hidden under the grass.
When you cover the area with gravel, remember to compact it until a 90% compact level has been reached. Only then is the area ready to be covered with the artificial grass.
To learn more about EasyTurf, a leading manufacturer and supplier of artificial grass, please visit ultimategrass.com
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Easily troubleshoot and complete repairs in less time for backflows, pressure reducing valves and automatic control valves with the help of step by step YouTube videos. Zurn Wilkins has a new Irrigation Playlist on their OneZurn YouTube channel that puts valuable videos in one location. Zurn has a large library of helpful irrigation videos that cover start-up, winterization, step by step troubleshooting and repair guides, and product overviews to help you maintain optimum system performance.
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10 Lessons Service Techs Learn in the Field
 To better prepare service techs for spring service visits, we've put together this fun list of the things that await!
1. Watch you step in the yard. Whether its kiddie toys, doggie duty, or other landscape obstacles, the path to doing your maintenance checks can be riddled with land mines.
2. Make noise before opening the back yard gate. Jingle your keys, whistle or whatever. You never know when Rover is going to come charging at you.
3. Personal protective devices are your friend. Gloves keep PVC glue off your fingers and protect you from getting cut. Knee pads (or a kneeling pad) reduce wear-and-tear on your knees when working on valve manifolds.
4. Carry extra clothes with you. Old timers know you're never sure when you're going to get soaked with water, covered in mud or whatever. An extra pair of dry socks is a must.
5. Watch how you carry your phone. It's amazing how quickly it can slide out of a pocket and into a muddy hole.
6. Underpromise, overdeliver. Homeowners are anxious to get things fixed quickly. (Home repairs are stressful). Never make promises you can't keep. Set yourself up to be a hero.
7. Keep some power bars or snacks on hand. You never know when you're schedule is going to blow up. Don't be hangry.
8. The part you need isn't on your truck. That's why you work with a great distributor :)
9. Customers make stuff up. They say they'll meet you there at a time - and they don't show. They say the gate is unlocked - it's not. They say its a giant leak - and it's a drip. Smile and go along with it.
10. The weather app on your phone isn't very reliable. Watch the radar and rely on your instincts. The fancy guy on the TV doesn't know what he's talking about.
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