Outreach Events Every second Friday during the busy season Eagle Lake provides either a lunch BBQ or a pancake breakfast at the Calgary Sales Centre for their customers. Tey issue the invitations using Mailchimp and will send out three or four emails prior to the event. Gill says, “We have a space at the front of our store set up for this since part of what we sell is outdoor kitchen materials. We’ve become quite efficient in the setup, preparation, serving and take down. Tis isn’t just for the business owners or executives, but also for their employees. A lot of the bigger contractors have their offices near us and many bring their whole staff to have lunch and a laugh. Te food cost is often sponsored by a vendor, so for our staff members it’s just about three hours out of their day. It’s a great way to have conversations with our customers. Te sponsoring supplier will usually send someone from their team to meet and greet and maybe demo a new product. It’s all low key; potential users can check out the demo and the vender can get feedback directly from them.”
In December, January, February and March, Eagle Lake hosts a monthly “lunch and learn” event at the Sales Centre. Tey’ve had a lawyer talk about construction law and liens and the changes to the laws relating to contractors. Tey’ve had a photographer talk about tips for taking the before and after shots that would best showcase their projects. Gill says, “We’ve held training sessions for the installation of specific new products in areas such as landscape lighting, with the session leading to certification for the attendees to install that product. Te goal of these is engagement with our customers; showing that we’re in their corner and we want to help them become better business owners and contactors.”
Eagle Lake also holds lunch and learn events with the landscape architects and NaturesTurf came specifically from one of them. Gill says, “So now we’ve been able to take that to them and say, in the future if you’re struggling with something, let us know and we’ll see what we can do to help. We can see their reaction, kind of like a ripple around the table. Everyone has struggles in their job. For the landscape architects, from the design perspective, they may not have access to the right vegetations or the aesthetics are not quite what they wanted, or the right mix may not have been specified or may not exist yet. We’re the pipeline of ideas, but because we’re not out on the frontline, we need them to bring the problems to us, so we can bring ideas back to them. It’s a neat relationship, part of that integrity, selling the long view of building relationships. It’s really not about how many sales you make today, but how many relationships you’re building.”
Tey also sponsor some of the Landscape Architects’ pub nights, which are quarterly social nights within their group in Alberta. Tree or four Eagle Lake team members will
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Nathan Gill (left) visits with Jim from Expocrete during one of Eagle Lakes’ second Friday lunches in 2018.
join the 30 or 40 landscape architects that get together and just be part of that group.
Gill says, “It’s fun to be part of a company that’s seeking innovative solutions, not just maintaining the status quo. It’s not a huge financial risk on our part; it takes focus, people power and brain power. Te way the turf market is changing with smaller yards, xeriscaping, a struggling golf course industry, hydroseeding, artificial turf and other challenges, we’re always looking at ways to diversify while staying within our set of strengths. We’re open to that and see the feedback from the design community when we work in that realm.” Heuver adds, “We have a knowledgeable, dedicated team that is focused on building relationships with our customers that are well-rounded rather than simply transactional. It’s all about developing helpful partnerships.”
Looking to the Future On the home front, while the children have taken on summer jobs in the business, and Heuver wants to keep the option of joining the family business open for them should they decide it’s what they want, he really wants them to have the freedom to figure out their own path. He says, “Nathan is in his second year at the University of Victoria, taking biology as a major and considering a career in medicine. Grace will graduate high school this spring and is looking at doing something with animals rather than grasses. Claire at 15 is in high school and Ethan at 10 is in grade 5, so decisions on their career paths will evolve over time.”
Heuver anticipates an exciting year for TPI as the marketing initiative promoting natural grass moves forward and TLI research and education continue in full force. With Innovative Evolution at the forefront for Eagle Lake, he plans to coach his team to even more success.
Suz Trusty is co-editor of Turf News. All photos courtesy of Eagle Lake Professional Landscape Supply
TPI Turf News January/February 2019
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