Calendar of Events. Upcoming Events. Information. Thursday, March 19: Night at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

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1 CLCA-SFBAE 1024 Simon Dr., Ste. F Placerville CA FEBRUARY 2009 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Calendar of Events MARCH 12 SFBAE chapter board meeting. 12:00 p.m. Marie Callenders in Walnut Creek. All members welcome. MARCH San Francisco Flower & Garden Show. San Mateo. APRIL 9 SFBAE chapter board meeting. 12:00 p.m. Hunan Yuan in Oakland. All members welcome. MAY 14 SFBAE chapter board meeting. 12:00 p.m. Marie Callenders in Walnut Creek. All members welcome. JUNE 11 SFBAE chapter board meeting. 12:00 p.m. Oakland location. All members welcome. JUNE 13 A s vs. Giants Game. CLCA has purchased 170 tickets for sale to our members and have another 30 on hold. Watch for details. JULY 9 SFBAE chapter board meeting. 12:00 p.m. Marie Callenders in Walnut Creek. All members welcome. JULY CLCA Summer Meeting. Lake Tahoe. Contact CLCA HQ (800) or hq@clca.org or see Spring CLT Test has New Format The Certified Landscape Technician Field Test will be given in San Diego on March 28, 2009 at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon. In addition to several changes to the hands-on field test, the written test will now be given separately at various times and locations during the year. Since the written exams are difficult, it will be beneficial to have more opportunities to take it during the year, and the field testing day will be smoother. Upcoming written exams are as follows: May 16: Gardeners' Guild, Richmond CA. 8 a.m. to noon July 17: Gachina Landscape Management, San Jose p.m. August 22: Buckeye Ranch, Petaluma. 8 a.m. to noon Contact Dan Conger at Benchmark Landscape (858) or David Silva at CLCA Headquarters (800) for more information. GROWING & INSTALLATION OF FINE SOD We roll out the green carpet for you... Sales Representative 7988 Robben Rd. Dixon, CA Billy Montesclaros INC. Cell: (707) (800) Fax: (707) License # Upcoming Events San Francisco Flower and Garden Show Innovative green ideas and products, fun activities, inspiring beauty, industry experts, eco-friendly tips and moneysaving suggestions for do-it-yourselfers await everyone at one of the world's largest and most celebrated spring garden festivals: The San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, March at a new location -- the San Mateo Event Center, 2495 South Delaware St., San Mateo. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. On Sunday, the show is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Now celebrating its 24th year of inspiring gardeners, the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show is very different from the typical home and garden show. It is known as the most cutting-edge of the top six garden shows in the world for its stunning garden displays, educational offerings and top-quality gardening products. This year's eco-friendly theme is 'Sustainable Spaces. Beautiful Places.' There is plenty for garden lovers at all levels and ages to do, see and experience - - full-size show gardens, free talks and practical workshops led by gardening experts, educational exhibits, an educational and activity area for families, wine, beer and food, live music, as well as shopping for the finest plants, garden art, tools, green products and specialty items that are difficult to find anywhere else. Thursday, March 19: Night at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show Join us at the new venue for the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show at the San Mateo Event Center for CLCA's exclusive after hours viewing of the spectacular garden displays at the show. On Thursday evening, March 19, the show will close to the public at 8 p.m., but remain open to host the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter's annual CLCA event. This is a must-not-miss opportunity to network with industry insiders and speak with this year's garden creators without the usual crowds. This is not a dinner meeting, but you're welcome to come early and roam the garden show. Grab a bite and something to drink at one of the many vendors at the show. But, remember, there will not be any food or drink vendors open after 8 p.m. When: Thursday, March 19, 2009 Where: San Mateo Event Center 2495 South Delaware St., San Mateo RSVP: Craig Rapp at (408) or clcacraig@yahoo.com Please make checks payable to CLCA SFBA chapter 25 display gardens by the West's top garden designers and creators will come in all sizes and all purposes, and most will share green gardening practices. The 'Sproutopia' area will have hands-on activities and green gardening workshops especially for families (free with show admission). More than 60 free seminars and workshops, many covering green topics, are sponsored by Sunset and offer more talent, more subjects and more tips than any other horticulture happening in California. Information Call (800) or (415) , or visit to print your own ticket.

2 CLCA SF Bay Area East Chapter Address PO Box 2176 Martinez, CA SF Bay Area East Chapter Board of Directors PRESIDENT NATE SILIN voice (510) New Growth Landscape fax (510) PRESIDENT-ELECT OPEN TREASURER GEORGE SCHANDELMIER JR. voice (707) George Schandelmier Jr. Landscaping SECRETARY WARREN LEIBER voice (925) JPA Landscape & Construction VICE PRESIDENT-EVENTS BARRY MINOR voice (925) My Landscaper VICE PRESIDENT-AWARDS PROGRAM OPEN VICE PRESIDENT-MEMBERSHIP DARRELL AMARAL (925) Plants Direct Inc. VICE PRESIDENT-SPONSORSHIPS GIL GONZALEZ (925) LCIS fax (925) NEWSLETTER EDITOR JERRIE BEARD voice (530) Jerrie Beard & Associates fax (530) SFBAE Chapter Monthly Board Meetings Board meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 12:00 noon. The March meeting will be at Marie Callenders in Walnut Creek. The April meeting will be at Hunan Yuan in Oakland CLCA Mission Statement The California Landscape Contractors Association serves the interests of its members, promotes professionalism, and advances public awareness of the landscape industry. The CLCA SFBAE Chapter newsletter is published monthly. Copy and advertising deadlines are the 10th of the month preceding publication. Please send all typewritten copy, black & white photos, line art and ad materials to: Jerrie Beard & Associates, PO Box 2536, Placerville CA ed submissions are also welcome at For information on advertising and rates, contact Jerrie Beard at (530) CLCA State Headquarters 1491 River Park Drive, Ste. 100 Sacramento CA (916) (800) (916) Fax CLCA State Executive Board PRESIDENT Heath Bedal (916) JPH Group, LLC PRESIDENT ELECT Bill Schnetz (760) Schnetz Landscape Inc. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Peter Dufau (805) Dufau Landscape Inc. SECRETARY/TREASURER Eric Watanabe (818) Majestic Pools & Landscapes Inc. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Chuck Carr (818) Carr Landscape Management Inc. DIRECTOR OF CHAPTER SERVICES Andy Siimpson (916) Quillen Enterprises Inc. DIRECTOR OF EVENTS Michael Hertzer (800) Modern Landscaping Inc. DIRECTOR OF LEGISLATION Robert Wade (949) Wade Landscape Inc. DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Jon Robert Alsdorf (559) Jon Alsdorf Landscape DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP Javier Lesaca (661) Lesaca Landscape Company DIRECTOR OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Frank Niccoli (650) The Village Gardener CO-DIRECTOR CHAPTER PRES. COUNCIL SOUTH Kevin Fairchild (714) Illumiscapes TLC CO-DIRECTOR CHAPTER PRES. COUNCIL NORTH Ted Sandrowski (530) Sandrowski Landscaping Inc. ASSOCIATE MEMBER DIRECTOR Barry Elder (559) Ewing Irrigation 2008 SFBAE Chapter Sponsors If you would like to be a sponsor for the San Francisco Bay Area East chapter of the CLCA contact Barry Minor (925) Redwood - $750 A-G Sod Farms, Ewing Irrigation Oak - $550 Landscape Contractors Insurance Services Maple - $300 Delta Bluegrass Sapling - $150 Intuitive Landscapes Past CLCA State Presidents from the SF Bay Area East Chapter 1996 John Redmond Jr Joe Tanouye 1986 Roger D. Fiske SF Bay Area East Past Chapter Presidents Past chapter presidents who are still members of the SFBAE chapter Barry Minor 2007 Barry Minor 2006 Gregory Wrenn, Rick Martens 2005 Dennis Brewer, Brewer LS 2004 Rick Martens, CLT, Primo 2003 Plantscapes 2002 Gregory Wrenn, G.J. Wrenn Co Gregory Wrenn, G.J. Wrenn Co Gregory Wrenn, G.J. Wrenn Co Rob Solomon CLT, CLP 1998 Dave Wolkenhauer, CLT 1997 Dave Wolkenhauer, CLT 1996 Diane McNally 1995 Dan Berger, CLT 1994 Craig Hutchinson 1993 Steve Schlitt 1992 Matt Schiller 1991 Robert Battinich 1990 John Redmond 1989 Jim Kwiat 1988 Thomas Raeth 1987 John Nishizawa 1986 John Nishizawa 1985 Thomas A. Adan 1984 David Burnley 1983 Don Young 1982 David Gutru 1981 Joe Tanouye J. Warren Thurston 1979 Peter Rumore 1978 Pat Nichols 1977 Joe Korematsu SF Bay Area East Life Members Congratulations and Thank You to the following CLCA San Francisco Bay Area East Members for their continued support for over 20 years. Roger Fiske Ken Gerlack George Sunayama Jack Rydman Jeffrey Jones Joe Korematsu Thomas Raeth SFBAE Inside Scoop Advertising Rates The Inside Scoop is published 12 times a year and carries information on issues affecting San Francisco area landscape contractors as well as news from the state level on legislation and educational programs of interest to the industry. Camera ready black and white artwork (85 line screen) should be sent to Jerrie Beard and Associates, 1024 Simon Dr., Ste. F, Placerville CA 95667, or jsb@beardassociates.com by the 10th of the month prior to publication. Publication dates are the first of each month. 1/8 page (business card) $ 48.60/issue $ /year 1/4 page (3-5/8 w x 4-5/8 h) $ 95.00/issue $ /year 1/2 page (7-1/2 w x 4-5/8 h) $180.00/issue $ /year Full page (7-1/2 w x 9-1/2 h) $297.00/issue $ /year Insert (8.5 x required) $270.00/issue Insert (11 x required) $400.00/issue For information or to reserve your space, call Jerrie Beard (530) Please make checks payable to: Jerrie Beard & Associates. CLCA SFBAE Chapter Contractor s Honor Code The CLCA SFBAE Chapter exists to support Contractor s AND their employees. To successfully meet this objective, and encourage the involvement of all levels of the landscape industry, the 2008 Board of Directors is committed to supporting the following Contractor s Honor Code: The solicitation, recruitment of, or attempt to hire another Contractor s employees while attending any CLCA function is strictly prohibited. that you should buy a new three-ring binder and new plastic sheet protectors at the beginning of every year for each outside salesperson. Never live down to anyone s expectations of what a landscape company s presentation might look like. Always tried to soar above the competition. The bottom line: Your goal is a sales prospectus that will produce a WOW from prospective clients at some point as they are flipping through the book. If the wow is unsaid and merely thought, that is fine - as long as they think wow! Remember how important first impressions are. If you are using a professional looking sales prospectus and your competition is not, you will have a leg up on your competition and, in this economy, every advantage counts. Rich Redfern owns Small Business Consultants. He works with businesses in the green industry to help them achieve remarkable success. He can be reached at or rich@smallbusinessconsultantsinc.com. Educational Opportunities Ewing Workshops Qualify for CEU s Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) certified professionals now qualify to receive continuing education units (CEUs) for approved Ewing Irrigation Products education workshops. On January 1, 2009, PLANET s certification program changed from an annual certification renewal process to a two-year recertification cycle. Certified individuals will be required to report and submit 24 CEUs during the two-year cycle to maintain an active status for certification. PLANET s certification program offers six specialized designations, including Certified Landscape Professional (CLP), Certified Landscape Technician-Exterior (CLT-E), Certified Landscape Technician- Interior (CLT-I), Certified Ornamental Landscape Professional (COLP), Certified Turfgrass Professional (CTP) and Certified Turfgrass Professional-Cool Season Lawns (CTP-CSL). Professionals seeking PLANET recertification can now receive CEUs for the following PLANET-approved Ewing Education workshops. Irrigation Troubleshooting (4.5 CEUs) Advanced Installation, Troubleshooting and Design (14.5 CEUs) Landscape Irrigation Auditor Workshop (10.5 CEUs) Water Management Strategies Workshop (5.5 CEUs) Ewing also offers continuing education units that complement the continuing education programs of the Irrigation Association (IA), Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and the Oregon Landscape Contractors Board. View course schedules, read class descriptions and register for Ewing workshops at 2 February 2009 CLCA San Francisco Bay Area East Chapter February

3 Business Building How to Achieve Remarkable Success in the Landscape Industry: A Professional Looking Sales Prospectus It is certainly true that the very biggest landscape firms use DVDs or Power Point presentations to educate and excite prospective clients. But, many of them also still use their tried-and-true sales prospectus, and they all used a sales prospectus for many years, until they got to the point where they could spend big bucks for an even more elaborate sales presentation. (The sales prospectus in often referred to as a sales manual, a presentation manual, etc. But, whatever you choose to call it, you and each of your sales people - should have one.) One of the many reasons that the biggest landscape firms achieved their success is because they know that everything they do needs to be done a little better than the competition. And that includes having a professional looking sales prospectus, which is among the most basic of selling tools. The basic ingredients of a great sales prospectus: A three-ring binder with plastic sheet protectors in which you can insert your photos/documents. Any binder will do if it allows you to easily update your material. The front cover (on the outside of the binder) will feature your colorful company logo with a tag line (if you have one) underneath the logo. Your company s address, phone number (and web site if you have one) should appear in smaller type at the bottom of the front cover (under the logo). Some three-ring binders can accommodate a cover sheet on the outside of the binder and some cannot. Get a binder that can do so. Toward the front should be a listing of any academic degrees in horticulture, certificates of completion from horticulture courses, awards or certifications you or your company has received over the past ten years, such as CLCA beautification awards or Certified Water Manager, or national certifications such as the CLT or CLP. Or, make photo copies of the actual certificates and put those in the binder. Also, list all related professional affiliations you have such as BOMA, IREM, CAI, etc. All of the colorful items shown below that might impress a potential client. color group photograph of your company s employees a color group photo of your company s vehicles, all washed and waxed and sparkling a color group photo of your company s equipment, all washed and waxed and sparkling a color photo of your company s facility color before and after photos of a few of your completed installations if you do installs color photos of a couple of your highend maintenance jobs if you do maintenance Just because your company may not yet be of sufficient size to have vehicles, or equipment, or a facility to impress prospects, does not mean you should wait until you obtain those items to begin using a prospectus. The sooner you start using a professional looking sales prospectus, the sooner you will have those items. A testimonial page. Begin by asking your best clients for written testimonials, and get their permission to use what they write. Eventually, you ll have a whole page of these glowing remarks, but, get started with a few now and build it over the years. The boring technical stuff. It must be included because the boring stuff is important to some prospects. This includes a photo copy of your C-27 license and your general liability and workers comp. insurance certification. Also, any other boring stuff you may have, such as a MBE certification, or a document showing that you can be/are bonded, The boring stuff should go at the back of the prospectus. The binder should be kept clean. No smudges, no tears, no old looking pages. In fact, it is so important that the sales prospectus needs to be kept looking new Free RainXchange System Seminar April in Santa Rosa The RainXchange System combines a recirculating decorative water feature with a sub-surface rainwater harvest storage system to capture, filter and re-use rainwater in the landscape. Learn about the economic significance and the environmental benefits of the RainXchange System by attending the free RainXchange System Seminar in Santa Rosa, Calif., April 14-15, Discover how the system can clean, filter and store water in a beautiful water feature that easily integrates into any existing landscape. Aquascape s RainXchange System Seminar and Build Events-at-a-Glance Tuesday, April 14, 2009 What: Wine and Cheese Night with Ed Beaulieu, Chief Sustainability Officer for Aquascape When: 6 8 p.m. Where: Fountain Grove Inn, 101 Fountain Grove Parkway, Santa Rosa, CA, Who: Hosted by Ewing Irrigation Products and Aquascape Cost: Free Wednesday, April 15, 2009 What: RainXchange Build Includes Breakfast and Lunch When: 9 a.m. 2 p.m. Where: Old Redwood Hwy, Windsor, CA, Who: Presented by Aquascape, Ewing Irrigation Products, SBI Building Materials and Landscape Supply Cost: Free To register for the event, visit To learn more about the seminar or to R.S.V.P. via phone, call Barry Elder of Ewing Irrigation at or Rajan Patel of Aquascape at president s message Involvement in CLCA Pays Off To no surprise the first part of this year has been a challenge to get participation in our chapter. Although, there are a few contractors out there who are actually growing and are doing well, most of us right now are operating in survival mode. We are seeing declining sales, and are more focused on how we are going to cover Friday payroll than strategizing long term success in this industry. Things will probably get worse before they get better, but things will eventually turn around. Those of us who not only survive this downturn, but, position ourselves so that when things do turn around, will be successful in the long run. To demonstrate how participation has dropped off, only two board members apart from myself attended the February board meeting. Our events calendar is constantly being revised and scaled back based on observation that members are not willing to take on leadership roles. An example is the Awards Program, which is our biggest event of the year, was cancelled this year. This is the first time in several years that we have cancelled the event because no one stepped up to the plate to chair that committee. I searched out specific people with leadership skills to fill the position, and the answer that I consistently got was that they were not willing at this time to take on another commitment, when they were faced with declining sales and worker layoffs. How can being involved in the your trade association help your business be successful in the long run? Well the answer is simple. The situation in which you as an individual contractor find yourself right now, is not, no matter how much you think, something unique. To the contrary, all of us are facing similar challenges. You are not alone, and only coming together as a group can we strategize on how to overcome these challenges. Contractor s who operate in a vacuum, who are not involved in trade associations or other means of keeping informed about trends in the industry, are still in business for one reason, they have been lucky. So I have an invitation for you, and it s an offer that is not open ended, so think it over carefully before you say no. Come to our next board meeting. Your lunch is on us! There will be other contractor s at the meeting who you will be able to get answers from regarding the most important questions that you have about problems in your business right now. I guarantee that the time spent will be well invested, and by doing this you will be more in tune with our upcoming events as well. The result for us will be more successful events with more participation, which is our goal. After all that is our purpose, to serve our members, and be advocates for your success. Our meetings take place the second Thursday of each month at 12:00 pm. The location alternates between Oakland and Walnut Creek, with the March meeting taking place at Marie Callenders in Walnut Creek and the following meeting taking place at Hunan Yuan in Oakland. The format is lunch at 12:00 pm, which is your opportunity to get some answers to your important questions, and the board meeting after lunch. The board meeting is kept brief, because our member s time is valuable. Thank you, Nate Silin 2009 East Bay Chapter President 12 February 2009 CLCA San Francisco Bay Area East Chapter February

4 BOARD MINUTES January 8, :00 p.m. Marie Calendars, Walnut Creek Present Barry Minor, Rick Martens, Nate Silin, Michael Schrager, Billy Montesclaros, Darrel Amaral of Performance Landscape Service, Robert of Bamboo Pipeline, and George of George Schandelmier Jr. Landscaping. Business After approving the minutes from last meeting, the Board then reviewed the newly filled positions for 2009: Nate Silin, President; George Schandelmier Jr., Treasurer; Warren Leiber, Secretary; Barry Minor, Vice Presidence of Events; Darrell Amaral, Vice President of Membership; and Gil Gonzales, Vice President of Sponsorships. We are in desperate need of a chairperson for our awards program, some names were floated. We had a Treasurer s report from George Schandelmier. There was one item in question -- that being we needed more information for the Alameda County Fair Demo. Garden line item. An idea to have a Hornblower Cruise trip for the 2009 holiday party was brought up by Barry Minor. The plan would be to have CLCA cover 1/3 of the trip price, a sponsorship would cover 1/3, and the members would be responsible for 1/3. This would bring the price down to below $40 per person. The item was tabled until the next meeting. It was decided that the Agenda for next month s meeting would include a discussion about ways to increase CLCA membership and ways of helping our local members grow their business, through Television Ads, or Google ads. Warren Leiber will talk to a contact in his Networking group about potentially using Television ads as a means of increasing membership awareness. January 13th and 14th is the CLCA Leadership Conference in Los Angeles. All attending members are encouraged to report back what they ve learned. Regarding the A s vs. Giants Game on Saturday June 13th, CLCA has purchased 170 tickets for sale to our members and have another 30 on hold, if needed. Prices are $32 per ticket, and catering for the event is $20 per person. We are going to invite the surrounding CLCA chapters. Our next meeting shall be held Thursday February 12, 2009 in Oakland. We ll have our meeting with lunch and be finished in about an hour. All members are welcome and encouraged to join us. Meetings will continue each 2nd Thursday of every month. *This meeting was adjourned at 1:30 pm. LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS INSURANCE SERVICES INC. License No Gil Gonzalez Account Executive 380 Cardona Circle San Ramon, CA (925) (800) FAX (925) Cell (510) ggonzalez@lcisinc.com 4 February 2009 CLCA San Francisco Bay Area East Chapter February

5 Water Management Hydraulics Knowledge Saves Money By James Minnich, Ewing Irrigation Products There s an old saying, knowledge is power. From my experience, I know that knowledge can also save money. Ever since I started in the landscape industry 14 years ago, I ve often noticed that on irrigation installations, the backflow device and control valves are usually the same size as the main line supply. At first, I thought this made sense and that this was a way of standardizing the system. However, as time progressed, I had the opportunity to attend several seminars offered by manufacturers and my employer, Ewing. It was through these educational programs that I learned that the flow capabilities of backflow devices and many automatic globe valves exceeded the flow capacity of a similarly sized PVC pipe. Two of the greatest resources for landscape industry professionals are the manufacturers catalogs and their websites. These resources provide pertinent data, including the range of flow provided by irrigation devices. This information will indicate that the average 2-inch automatic globe valve can facilitate a flow rate up to 200 gallons per minute. Flow charts for Schedule 40 PVC pipe indicate that the highest optimal flow through 2-inch pipe is around 50 gallons per minute. A 4-inch pipe has a similar maximum flow capacity to a 2-inch valve. In reality, it s probably best just to drop one line size from the mainline pipe to the valve. An example of this is using a 1-1/2 inch valve with a 2 inch supply line. The price difference between a 1-1/2 inch and a 2-inch valve is often between 20% and 30%, which can equate to significant savings on the cost of materials. Understanding hydraulics can enable the landscape professional to properly size PVC pipe in the system. Contrary to popular belief, reducing pipe size does not increase pressure. The practice of progressively sizing down the PVC pipe in an irrigation system is a way of reducing the cost of materials. Once again, by using PVC pipe friction loss and flow charts, in comparison to the GPM (gallons per minute) requirements within zones of a system, the most appropriate pipe size can be determined. By not oversizing the pipe, the overall cost of materials can be more economically maintained. As we all face financial challenges, we need to be smarter in the way we conduct our businesses. Having a better understanding of hydraulics is a great way for irrigation installers to watch their bottom line. The landscape industry has a multitude of informational and educational resources available. The more knowledge you possess, the more competitive you can be in your market. Member News Chapter Anniversaries Congratulations to the CLCA SFBAE members who reached membership milestones this month. 16 Years Calvin Craig, Craig Landscaping Dan Paya, Paya Inc. 12 Years Mark Scharmer, Scharmer & Sons Inc. 10 Year Dennis Brewer, Brewer Landscape Nate Silin, New Growth Landscape 9 Years Miguel Ramos, Ramos Happy Yards Landscaping 7 Years Jonathan Cardenas, Arborwell Peter Sortwell, Arborwell 5 Years David Olwin, Olwin Landscape Design & Construction Inc. 4 Years Warren Leiber, Leiber Landscape Services Michael Padilla, Padilla Landscape 3 Years Susan Royter, Lantech Design Inc. 2 Year Harry Grewal, HSG Safety Supply Tony Crescenzi, The Landscape Co. Not a CLCA Member Yet? You may be the best landscape contractor there ever was but if no one can find you, they will never know. Through our pioneering Internet Referral Service and other publicity efforts, CLCA is educating consumers about quality landscaping, the importance of hiring a licensed landscape contractor and then steering them to your door. CLCA Legislative Conference CLCA invites all members to attend its Grass Roots Training Session March 17 as well as the Construction Industry Legislative Conference March 18 in Sacramento. For the fifth year in a row, the association will pay most travel and lodging costs as well as reimburse registration expenses for all members who attend these two events. These always-popular gatherings will provide many opportunities to learn about issues that potentially have a big impact on your business and livelihood. They also provide information and tools that can help you work with CLCA to find legislative solutions to industry problems. In addition, participants have the opportunity to network with other CLCA members, contractors in the other construction trades, legislators, public officials, and construction industry lobbyists. Contact Larry Rohlfes at larryrohlfes@clca.org or (800) Mike Best Park Center Dr., #7 Hollister, CA Growers of Quality Fescue & Bermuda Sod 10 February 2009 CLCA San Francisco Bay Area East Chapter February

6 Educational Opportunity Another Success By Heath Bedal, 2009 CLCA State President I am always amazed at what I learn at CLCA events, and the Leadership Conference was no exception. Not only did all the Chapter Leaders from around the state get up to date information for their board position, but we all learned a lot from Jim Pratt. If you missed him, then you may have missed information that could take you from having a mediocre to a great year. Jim defined the role of a CEO, the employee customer interaction, sales, sales leadership, finding the right people, coaching, and much more. Even though it sounds like a lot, and it was a lot, Jim has an incredible way of presenting his concepts. I just wish we had him for two more days. I took away three great things from the presentation. He explained that people will only be able to remember three things, and that s just what I remembered. That was not one of my three take always, it was just a bonus. Ask questions and listen: In the professional sales world just about everyone knows this, but for those not selling every minute of the day we need to be reminded. You should ask questions and then stop what you re doing and listen to what the person hasto say. You should talk a maximum of 1/3 of the time you spend with someone. Let them speak and you will be surprised at what they tell you. It may be exactly what you need to do to get the job. Start every meeting with a Standing O: Find something at the start of every meeting to congratulate someone about. Give them a standing ovation for it, and they will love to work for you. Imagine all those time that you did something great and didn t get recognition or just a half hearted one. Make sure those below you in the company get the recognition they deserve. 90 day goals: Every business, at least I hope every business, plans for the year. The drawback is that you are creating something that is a year out. By the time you get to that year it is out dated. Instead create 90 day plans, whether goals, sales figure, number of jobs or quotes. This will allow you to adjust as needed much easier than if you plan a year out. One of my goals for the first month of 2009 was to start a President s Blog. I have finally accomplished that. You can all visit it at The idea is to give you some insight as to what is happening on the state level. It will also include several podcasts throughout the year. I have also included links to all the pictures I took throughout 2008, you should take a look and see what I caught you doing. West Coast Turf Introduces No-Net Tall Fescue Sod West Coast Turf is excited to announce the availability of a revolutionary new product West Coaster No-Net. West Coaster No-Net is a tall fescue/bluegrass mix, and is the only tall fescue sod product grown in California that does not use plastic netting during the growing and harvesting process. Fescue is usually grown with netting allowing for stronger sod strength, said West Coast Turf spokesperson, Greg Dunn. The netting remains part of the sod after it s harvested. When the turf gets worn, overused, or not taken care of the net can be exposed... creating a potentially dangerous situation. Bare netting can increase the risk of injury... or get tangled up in equipment. The solution? Growing the sod without net. West Coast Turf has perfected a planting and growing technique using the right ratios of fescue and bluegrass at precise timing, so we don t need to put down any net with this product. Not only do you get the peace of mind that it is a safer product, but it is also greener. You get 100% pure oxygen producing-carbon absorbing turfgrass, without the plastic net polluting the earth, Dunn said. West Coaster No-Net is now available at West Coast Turf s Livingston location. For more information call 209/ or e- mail greg.dunn@westcoastturf.com. Tractor Equipment Sales 705 Tully Rd Clawiter Rd. 57 Scenic Ave. San Jose CA Hayward CA Santa Rosa CA (408) (510) (707) February 2009 CLCA San Francisco Bay Area East Chapter February