Central’s team recently attended GIE Expo in Louisville to meet with leading manufacturers and contractors to learn more about the latest industry trends. In talking with the leaders of the top companies, five trends kept coming up in conversation. We anticipate these trends to have a significant impact on contractors’ planning for 2019, so we wanted to share them with …

Are you prepared for material cost increases of up to 25%? They’re already happening! After years of predictably flat pricing, manufacturers have been aggressively raising prices in every category of landscape and irrigation supplies. For some, they’re forced to increase by tariffs and material costs. For others, they’re seeing an opportunity to raise prices after years with no changes. Central …

Many landscape contractors are now confident with designing and installing landscape lighting systems.  They’ve discovered that offering a basic package of fixtures with every landscape project gets customers to say “yes”. But what about the contractor who is ready to move beyond “basic lighting” to larger installations that bring more opportunities for design creativity and impact? Central has compiled a …

A motivating leader in a landscape company brings out the best in others, creating a work environment that matches the employees’ standards.  Good leaders communicate well, stating clearly what they expect and how well their team is doing in achieving it. Sometimes leaders can say the wrong things.  They use cliché statements that can be interpreted as uncaring or out-of-touch. …

You’ve been working extra hard all year. It sure would be frustrating to find that you’re making less than you should be! It’s common for successful contractors to be too slow in adjusting their prices to reflect new costs.    They don’t want to cause trouble with their loyal clients, even when their clients are willing to pay more. Cost increases …

Make planning and purchasing even easier when you participate in Central’s 2019 Turf Early Order Program.  This program provides extra discounts on fertilizer, chemicals and grass seed for your spring season needs. Buy Smart Lock in the best pricing and discounts by taking action now. The Finest Turf Products  Combine purchases from our wide selection of industry-leading suppliers for fertilizer, …

Large corporations collect data on their customers to customize and personalize service experiences. Then they use data mining to examine past behavior and purchases to predict future needs. As a professional contractor, why aren’t you making use of the data available to you to grow your sales? Sales Opportunity #1: When you visit job sites, log what else the customer …

Now is the time to invest in a compressor, an aerator or other productivity equipment. Under Section 179 of the US tax code , you can deduct the full purchase price of qualifying equipment purchased or financed during the tax year.   This is an incentive from the Federal Government to encourage you to invest in equipment that can grow your …

Job turnover in the landscape industry is at all-time highs.    Your competitors want to hire your most skilled and talented people. The bottom line for managers:  it’s much easier to retain than it is to find and train new people. A valuable tool for employee retention is the “Stay Interview”. Stay interviews ask employees what they like about their jobs …