KICKER
FROM THE EDITOR
Make sure everyone in every part of your company has what they need to make this season one of the best ever.
The business & technology magazine for contractors
Irrigation & Lighting is published quarterly by:
8280 Willow Oaks Corporate Dr., Ste. 630 Fairfax, VA 22031-4511 Tel 703.536.7080 | Fax 703.536.7019
info@irrigationandlighting.org irrigationandlighting.org
Publisher Natasha L. Rankin, MBA, CAE
Kyle Brown Don’t waste daylight I
’m not certain if you were paying attention back in late January, but something important happened right around that time wherever you are in the U.S. While the shortest day
overall is somewhere around the December sol- stice, the latest sunrise hits during the last couple days of January. Te specific day is a little bit stag- gered in different locations thanks to the tilt of the Earth, but from that point on, there are brighter days ahead in the season. I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, espe-
cially on the cusp of the new work season. Tere are clients to reconnect with, employees to train and systems to check. Who has time to think about ex- actly what time the sun is coming up? Most everyone feels a little bit better with more sunlight in the day, even if that’s helped along with some coffee. Just getting through those darkest weeks can feel like an accomplishment, especially when you’ve been spending so much of that time thinking about the upcoming year. I’m sure by now you’ve put into practice everything you learned while you were at the Irrigation Show and Educa- tion Week in Las Vegas in December, and you’ve followed up on the networking connections you built there.
Tese winter months are the right time to build plans for how you’ll bring in the right employees and encourage them to stick around by showing that you value their contributions and have a path forward for them in the company. It’s a great op-
portunity to listen to what current employees have to say and find the pain points that need to be ad- dressed before the first visit with any client. And it’s never too early to think about a plan farther into the future for where the company is headed and what that might look like for you. Make sure everyone in every part of your company has what they need to make this season one of the best ever. With a little more light overhead, it’s time to take one last look at how you’ve checked over and improved your business plans for the season. Take a deep breath (and maybe a sip of coffee) as you notice the sunrise coming along, and then put those plans into action. Te sun’s been tough to come by for the past few months. Don’t waste that daylight! If you’re a contractor who made the most out
of the previous season, now’s your last chance to be a part of Irrigation & Lighting’s Watch Us Grow: 2023 Industry Standouts program spon- sored by Heritage Landscape Supply Group. Each year, irrigation and landscape lighting contractors who have had a successful year are spotlighted in a feature both online and in the print magazine. Past winners have been from both small and large companies focused on best practices and proactive approaches to the industry. Te feature is a great way to show off how you’ve driven your business forward in the past year, and some bragging rights never hurt either. Check it out on the Programs page at
irrigationandlighting.org.
Look for QR codes in our magazine to find additional exclusive content on
irrigationandlighting.org, where you can find original reporting and the latest industry news.
4 Irrigation & Lighting March 2023
Associate Publisher Trisha Klaus
Editor-in-Chief Kyle Brown 330.353.8874
kylebrown@irrigation.org
Managing Editor Anne Blankenbiller
Content Editor Luke Reynolds
IA Strategic Partnerships & Business Development Vice President Stephanie Clark 703.472.5810
stephanieclark@irrigation.org
National Sales Representatives Tom Schoen 952.905.3214
tom.schoen@
bock-assoc.com
Adam Hauptli 612.500.8275
adam.hauptli@bock-assoc.com
Creative Director Sean Burris
Database Coordinator Andreina Orozco-Rodriguez
Editorial Committee Tessa Norton, Chair Perry J. Bruggeman, CIC, CLIA, Vice Chair Alexis Deasy Michael Deo Steven M. Hohl, CID Russ Jundt Dawn Norris Ted Rightmire Richard Robinson, CLIA Mark Stuhlsatz, CIT, CLIA
Irrigation & Lighting is published quarterly by the Irrigation Association. The IA and Irrigation & Lighting are not responsible for content or opinions included in this publication. Reference in this publication to any specific commercial product or service is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the IA. Sub- scriptions are free to those who work in the landscape, irrigation and lighting industries; publisher reserves the right to determine qualification. Subscribe online at
irrigationandlighting.org/subscribe. Those who do not qualify can subscribe by paying the one-year subscrip- tion fee of $20 ($35/year international rate).
ISSN 2771-8263 (print) | ISSN 2771-8271 (online)
Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Irrigation & Lighting, 8280 Willow Oaks Corporate Dr., Ste. 630, Fairfax, VA 22031.
irrigationandlighting.org
Photo: Nikki Avramovich
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