New insecticide Try these MARKETING IRRIGATION options trucks! APRIL 2002 / www.landscapemanagement.net GO AHEAD, TAKE A LOOK AT THE insiDE COVER* WH AT ARE Y OU AFRAiD OF? w i TH SORRY, B UT C L O W H S, Y O U ' RE on Y O UR O W H. If, however, you want to fear no grub, then you need MERIT10 Insecticide. MERIT from Bayer Corporation has been hard at work since 1994 and is your best bet for protecting turf from grubs. MERIT gives you pre-damage control with the most effective solution from egg-lay through second instar. We re not clowning around. Fear no grub, guaranteed, with MERIT from Bayer. For more information, contact Bayer Corporation, MERIT Professional Care, Box 4913, Kansas City, Missouri 64120. (800) 842-8020. BayerProCentral.com Bayer IRRIGATION CHECKUP SOLUTIONS FOR A GROWING INDUSTRY APRIL 2002 / www.landscapemanagement.net '' ^ T *t - i J f t ? * :* . v ^ /v MAKE IT BETTER. BASF PROFESSIONAL TURF' Basamid Image® Drive® Pendulum® When choosing a professional partner, you should demand a commitment to success equal to your own— the kind of commitment you get from BASF. While other companies were bailing out on the turf industry to chase profits in pharmaceuticals, BASF was actually divesting its pharmaceutical holdings to free up resources to serve you better. That means billions in R&D to add innovative new products to our already top-performing portfolio. It means unsurpassed customer service and a long-term commitment to the future of the turf industry. Most of all, it means working side by side with you to make it better. We don't make the turf. We make it better. Circle No. 101 Hie only things smarter than our products are the people who use them. Lawn Doctor is the largest franchise lawn-care company in the franchisees, because it enables us to offer services we can be United States. John Buechner, Director of Technical Services, proud of and helps us deliver on our promise of quality." Lawn has been with them for 18 years. "With 415 franchises in Doctor's trained and licensed staff care for more than a billion thirty-eight states, I need an insecticide I can count on. The square feet of America's turf. They are a proud supporter of fact that Talstar controls over 75 different pests influenced my the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA), decision, but I selected Talstar because it won't harm sensitive and we at FMC couldn't be prouder to support their great turf and ornamentals." work with our great products. The Talstar family of insecticides has the longest proven residual For more information, contact your FMC authorized distributor. in the industry. These insecticides are easy to handle, and are Call 800-321-1 FMC, or visit us at www.fmc-apgspec.com. odor free at label rates. Use Talstar on lawns and landscape TALSTAR. Lasts longer. Guaranteed. ornamentals, and even for perimeter treatments. Our new Talstar® EZ Granular Insecticide is easy to spread and tough on pests. We are so certain that Talstar will provide long-lasting performance against a broad spectrum of insects that we back it up with a money-back guarantee.* John Buechner has recommended the new granular formulation for use at all Lawn Doctors. "Talstar EZ will be popular with the -FMC O 2002 FMC Corporation. The FMC* logo & Talstar" are registered trademarks of FMC Corporation. 'See Guarantee Program Guidelines for details. This guarantee does not apply to termrtade products. Circle No. 104 M A N A G E M E NT APRIL 2002 / #4 / VOLUME 41 features | cover stor>T 32. Don't let lowballers bite Into your profits A guide to keep you from playing the "we'll beat any price" game in your marketplace By STEVE GREENWALD 38. Lighting it up Contractors pool talents to give big GE property in NY ecologically sound landscape BY GEORGE WITTERSCHEIN 43. Perfecting a park The City of Portland has its own set of unique challenges in keeping Tom McCall Park shining BY CURT HARLER / CONTRIBUTING EDITOR [irrigation center 50. Audit now, save later Spring is a great time to check your systems By RON HALL | t r u c k g u i dlT 53. Keep on truckin' Successful contractors reveal the trucks that work for them, and their dream trucks, too B y VICKY POULSEN 58. Hot wheels Features that turn your truck into a lean, mean working machine 74. Mobile and agile • Mobile accessories for trucks [grounds management center 76. Roche of Colorado Corporation Keeping the bluegrass lush and green in Boulder, CO COVER ILLUSTRATION: DAN BEEDY M A N A G E M E NT VISIT US ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT: www.landscapemanagement.net Editorial staff Associate Publisher / departments Executive Editor SUSAN PORTER 1440/891 -27291 [email protected] Editor-in-Chief RON HALL I 440/891 -26361 [email protected] Managing Editor JASON STAHL1440/891-26231 [email protected] | columns, news & more" On-Line Content Editor LYNNE BRAKEMAN1440/891-28691 [email protected] Senior Science Editor KARL DANNEBERGER, PH.D. I [email protected] 9. On the Record Group Editor VERNON HENRY I 440/826-2829 Art Director LISA LEHMAN I 440/891-2785 Always listen to your mom Sr. Graphic Designer CARRIE PARKHILL 1440/891-3101 I [email protected] By JASON STAHL Reader advisory panel DEBBY COLE Greater Texas Landscapes I Austin, TX 10. Inside the Owner's Head JOHN GACHINA Gachina Landscape Management I Menlo Park, CA JERRY GAETA The Good Earth Inc. I Mt. Pleasant, SC Your computer a vital tool JUDSON GRIGGS Smalfwood Design Group I Smallwood Landscape I Naples, FL B Y JASON STAHL BILL HOOPES Scotts Lawn Service / Marysville, OH DWIGHT HUGHES Dwight Hughes Nursery I Cedar Rapids, IA 12. Let's Hear It LARRY I0RII Down to Earth Landscaping I Wilmington, DE RICK KIER Pro Scapes I Jamesville, NY GARY LASCALEA ProGreen I Piano, TX 14. Industry Almanac DR. DANIEL POTTER University of Kentucky I Lexington, KY El Nino, new herbicides, Scotts makes another buy, JACK ROBERTSON Jack Robertson Lawn Care I Springfield, IL DAVID SNODGRASS Dennis' 7 Dees Landscaping, Inc. I Portland, OR leadership changes at Simplot DR. BARRY TROUTMAN Environmental Industries I Sanford, FL GEORGE VAN HAASTEREN Dwight-Englewood School I Englewood, NJ 101. Events BRIAN VINCHESI Irrigation Consulting I Pepperell, MA Who, what and when Business staff Group Publisher JOHN D. PAYNE / 440/891-2786/[email protected] Admin. Coordinator MINDY MOCZULSKI / 440/891-27341 rTTTXX2vislo@adv»isa.axn Production Manager JILL HOOD / 218/723-91291 [email protected] Production Director ROSY BRADLEY I 218/723-9720/ [email protected] |tech center Circulation Manager DARRYL ARQUITTE1218/723-9422 / [email protected] Green Book Coordinator MARY MOBLEY I 218/723-91271 [email protected] 82. UVI Reports: Advertising staff Eastern Manager JOSEPH SOSNOWSKI1610/687-2356 Fax: 610/687-1419 Aerate to the core A 150 Strafford Ave., Ste. 210 Wayne, PA 19087 [email protected] By CURT HARLER Cleveland Headquarters 7500 Old Oak Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44130-3369 Western Manager PATRICK ROBERTS 1440/891-2609 Fax: 440/891-2675 87. Solutions Center [email protected] Midwest Manager KEVIN STOLTMAN/440/891-2772 Fax: 440/891-2675 Hire to grow, Homework overcomes objections [email protected] Account Manager I MICHAEL HARRIS/440/891-3118 Fax:440/826-2865 90. New insecticide options Display [email protected] Account Executive / TOM CERMAK/440/891-3170 Fax: 440/826-2865 These new target-selective insecticides give turf Directory Sales [email protected] managers new hope in pest management Classified Showcase I LESLIE ZOLA 1440/891-2670; 800/225-4569 x670 Account Executive [email protected] 94. Products Marketing services MARCIE NAGY Reprints (500 minimum) 1440/891-2744 TAMARA PHILLIPS Circulation Ust Rental / 800/225-4569, ext. 773 ADVANSTAR Microfiche/film Copies 800/598-6008 MARKETING Subscriber/Customer Sen/ice 218/723-9477/ 888/527-7008 [ending notes TAMMY LILLO International Licensing 218/723-9253 Fax: 218/723-9779 [email protected] For current single copy, back issues, or film/fiche/ 108. Best Practices CD-Rom, call 800/598-6008; 218/723-9180 * ATMNSTAK Payday for the owner ROBERT L. KRAKOFF Chairman and Chief Executive Officer JAMES M. ALIC Vice Chairman & CTO JOSEPH LOGGIA President & COO DAVID W. MONTGOMERY VP/Finance, CFO & Secretary ALEXANDER S. DEBARR Executive Vice Presidents DANIEL M. PHILLIPS ERIC I. LISMAN Executive Vice President-Corporate Development VAV/\^ PH i« wmi U9ii rjiiui U^J iiau ADELE D. HARTWICK Vice President-Controller & Treasurer RICK TREESE Vice Presidents Chief Technology Officer