Brew Your Crew! Meet the Companies That Make The Annual Trip!
If you’re a landscape business owner who has never brought a “crew” of your employees to Equip Exposition because you thought it would be impossible for any number of reasons, think again. In fact, many landscape businesses have turned bringing their crews to Louisville into an annual tradition.
Todd George and Drew Parramore, co-founders of Ohio Green Works in Waynesville, Ohio, have attended every year since 2011 and managed to bring the majority of their employees each time. “The show is something everyone looks forward to during the year,” says George.
“Being in the fall, it is a great ‘end-of-season’ event for everyone to check out new equipment and relax after a long season. We get to check out new equipment and supplies hands-on, and it is important to us for the whole team to get to experience that and give us feedback on what we may want to purchase or try out.”
George says the show has become so important to his company that it ceases operations so the team can attend.
“We currently have over 20 full time employees and typically take 12–15 to Equip Exposition. It is important to us to take every team member possible, so we shut down the office and all production during Equip Exposition. We let all of our clients know that we are out for the event, and we actually receive great feedback from our clients that appreciate our efforts to better train and equip our team for their benefit.”
Luke Dickerson, who co-founded J&L Lawn & Landscape in Dayton, Ohio, in 2002 and is now the company’s president and CEO, has attended Equip Exposition every year since 2006 and taken more than half of his employees with him to the show at least 10 times. He currently has 13 full-time employees and usually brings seven to eight of them to Equip Exposition.
“I value helping my team see the ‘big picture,’ and getting them around other companies and equipment helps them feel like more a part of the inner workings,” Dickerson says. “It’s also educational and fun.”
While Ohio Green Works and J&L Lawn & Landscape are each located only about 150 miles from Louisville, making it a convenient drive for their crews, some landscape companies travel long distances to attend the show.
Doug Delano and Bill Hardy, who co-founded Upper Marlboro, Md.–based Level Green Landscaping, in 2002, have been flying to Equip Exposition for the past 14 years, and they bring a management team of 10 to the show nearly every year. If you still have any reservations about bringing your crew to Equip Exposition, George, Dickerson, and Delano offer some great advice on how and why you should follow their leads to Louisville. “I would recommend planning ahead and scheduling so that you are able to take as many on your team as you can,” says George. “We don’t view it as a problem shutting down for a couple days; we view it as an investment in our team. We trade a couple days of production for a couple days of team building and learning, and I think that is worth it every time.”
Dickerson echoes George’s sentiments. “Organize your work schedule to account for the time away,” says Dickerson. “One or two days isn’t going to sink your company. The education and networking opportunities outweigh the lost work time.”
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Equip Exposition, co-located with Hardscape North America, is the premiere tradeshow for landscape contractors, outdoor power equipment dealers, distributors, and manufacturers. In 2022, Equip Exposition will offer expanded education opportunities and features to enhance the exhibitor and attendee experience.
Equip Exposition is our industry's family reunion. Don't miss your chance to reconnect this October.
Louisville has always served as the place to showcase new products, services, and ideas to lawn and landscape professionals. Equip Exposition is committed to continuing that tradition this October. Take a look and see what's new in 2022.
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