fill them with kiln-dried, USGA-spec sand. Te dry sand wicks excess moisture out of the surrounding soil, allowing it to percolate through the sand to the lower areas of the root zone and into the drainage system. It also allows the roots to breath better. Claus says, “We have four of the machines.”
Teir next risk-to-reward decision was purchasing a custom-built kiln and modifying it to meet all the Canadian standards required for certification. Te kiln allows them to dry the sand themselves. “Now a facility can use the sand they normally purchase and have their source ship that sand to our farm, so we can kiln dry it and deliver it to their site to use in the Drill & Fill process,” says Claus. “We’re starting our third year with the kiln. It’s an investment in time and money that allows us to provide a broader range of services with greater efficiency.”
The Big Yellow Bag Te Big Yellow Bag was introduced by a neighboring sod farm, the Green Horizons Group, several years ago. Claus says, “At first, as a farmer, I had a hard time figuring out why anyone would want to go to the extra work of shoveling one cubic yard of dirt out of a bag when spreading bulk soil would be easier. But the idea of containing the soil so it wouldn’t wash down the driveway or blow about did appeal to the homeowner market, so we added it to our offerings. It’s been a great addition. Because all Big Yellow Bag sales are COD, it helps our cash flow, especially early in the season, the most difficult cash flow time for our industry.”
Operational Strategies After serving as vice president for several years, Claus took over as president in 2008 and Fred started cutting back. Now, at 85, Fred is “pretty well” retired, checking in regularly, but not involved in the day-to-day operations.
Claus says, “I’m not big on titles. Mike and I have always just helped with whatever was needed. Te transition was something we gradually worked through; it didn’t really feel a lot different. Everything was still communicated with and through our vice president of operations, Gerd Gieschen, and our general manager, Marjorie Neglia. We’ve put together a great team of great people over the years. Many have been with us from 20 to 50 years; so long that they feel like family.”
Like most turfgrass producers, Zander Sod is facing a tough market, with continuing pressures from artificial turf (plastic surfaces), governmental regulations, and environmental activists. In addition, Mike says, “Our residential lot sizes are getting smaller, now averaging about 3,500 square feet, almost like a postage stamp. Because of Ontario’s Cosmetic Pesticide Ban for residential use, homeowners can’t use any pesticides, so that ‘pride in the yard’ is dwindling.”
TPI Turf News May/June 2018
Obviously, one way to counter the challenges is through diversification. And Zander Sod is doing that very well, continually gauging the risk-to-reward factor in all areas, and taking bold steps to act on their decisions, whether that’s ramping up, cutting back, or adding something new. Another strategy they employ equally well is operational efficiency, combining innovative technology with commonsense practicality and excellent internal and external communications.
Mike Zander’s family posed for this group picture. Standing (from left to right) are Mike, his wife Francine, and son Nicolas, and seated (from left to right) daughter Monique and son Daniel.
Claus says, “We use computer programs for all of our order entry, invoicing, and accounts payable and receivable. We use a computer-based GPS system in our fleet for real-time tracking, both for more efficient equipment use and scheduling, and so we can see where each truck is and how fast it’s traveling to give our customers an estimated time of arrival (ETA) for their sod delivery. We don’t have a completely computerized field management system yet. We’re handling the harvesting and delivery logistics manually, plotting and tracking it using a spreadsheet-type file.”
Turf Services Manager Alexander Dickey runs that division and does their time scheduling. During unsettled weather, he decides where crews can work and where they can’t. Russ Matson is the dispatcher and soil production manager. He takes care of coordinating all the sod orders. Te company’s peak-season employee total is approximately 50, including seasonal personnel. Tat drops to between 12 and 15 during the winter. Mike says, “We have two shops working all winter fixing all the iron, trying to avoid in-season down time.”
Claus says, “We hold general management meetings, approximately monthly, involving the entire management team. I occasionally will meet with our general manager and vice president of operations prior to the general
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