Earlier this month, our industry’s national association, previously known as the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) rebranded to become the National Association of Landscape Professionals. We wholeheartedly support this organization and the goals of the rebranding initiative. We’ve always been proud to be a part of this association and we’re glad to renew our companies’ membership in the National Association of Landscape Professionals.As our own companies have grown, we’ve become one of the largest firms in our industry. With our success comes a responsibility to promote the National Association of Landscape Professionals and to educate our clients and prospective clients about the importance of the professional landscape industry and what they should expect when working with Landscape Professionals.
We are part of an industry that includes over 400,000 companies. These companies range from individual owner operators, serving their local neighborhoods, to multi-billion dollar operations, employing thousands of employees in branches across the country.
Landscape industry companies employ, by some estimates, nearly 1 million people. Those who work in the industry have professional skills in landscape maintenance, design, installation, and many also include talented individuals with expertise in finance, sales, marketing, leadership, and human resources.
By the end of this year, our industry’s 400,000 plus companies and nearly 1 million employees are expected to generate annual revenues in excess of $80 billion.
Add these figures to the multitude of companies that support our industry like equipment manufacturers and plant material suppliers, and it’s easy to see the economic impact of the landscape industry.
Landscape Professional is a term that has much broader implication than most of our clients and prospective clients first realize. It’s a title not to be thrown around lightly and it deserves to be earned.
Most often it’s associated with our front line service workers – those most visible across the properties we serve. These dedicated men and women are specialists in areas such as landscape maintenance and installation, irrigation installation and repair, and tree care services. The training provided by their employing companies is what makes them true Landscape Professionals. Training in proper horticultural practices. Training about how to properly use their equipment. Most importantly, training about how to do their jobs safely.
Our Account Managers, dually responsible for organizing service crews and keeping our clients informed about what’s happening in their property’s landscape are Landscape Professionals. Often the products of horticultural and landscape degree programs offered by colleges and universities across the country, their training includes horticultural knowledge, leadership, and how to provide excellent customer service.
Landscape Professional also applies to those of us less visible to our clients and the general public. Office support staff, sales, marketing, human resources - we are all Landscape Professionals because we each play important roles in making sure that our clients are well served in every interaction with our companies.
As we renew our companies’ commitment to the National Association of Landscape Professionals, we look forward to the years ahead; continuing to serve our existing clients and their properties, meeting and serving new clients and properties, always expanding the opportunities for our talented Landscape Professionals, as we grow together.
For additional information about the Landscape Industry, via the National Association of Landscape Professionals, please click here.
For more about the National Association of Landscape Professionals rebranding initiative, please click here.