Archive for June, 2011

Who Pays?

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Of all the difficult decisions landscape professionals make every day, one of the toughest is tied to the cost of fuel. As energy prices rise, should you raise prices to compensate? Institute a surcharge? Or just absorb cost increases?
Depending on the situation, one, or a combination of options may be best action.
Some landscapers are choosing to simply raise rates to cover fuel increases. Prices of many consumer goods and services are on the rise, and customers are accepting (sometimes begrudgingly) the increases.
Others are adding a “fuel surcharge” to their fees to help customers understand why rates have gone up. Since customers are also struggling with increasing energy costs, most are empathetic with landscapers’ situations.
Still other landscapers are cutting costs where they can to maintain rates – and customers. They’re tightening their belts and finding ways to operate more efficiently and gaining customers from competitors who have raised rates.
What are you doing to balance higher energy costs? One of the above options, or something entirely different? Let us know.

Employee spotlight – Judd Stewart

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011

Judd Stewart has had quite an interesting career path. His first job was working on the family farm. From there he went on to become part of a bridge construction crew. After college, he taught an engineering class at his alma mater. But Judd admits that his favorite job title is the one he has now —Exmark test engineer. Judd finds a lot of satisfaction in being a part of a team that cares about its products and customers. It also doesn’t hurt that he has fun on a daily basis. Where else are you handed a mower and asked to put it through the ringer? In a safe environment, of course.

Tennis balls have the same geometric weight as dry grass. The average Joe wouldn’t know or have any use for this seemingly dull information. But Judd’s no Joe. In his world, this little fact comes in handy when he’s testing a mower’s stability. Instead of filling the Lazer Z’s baggers with cut dry grass, Judd fills them with tennis balls. Not only does the mower handle in the same way with both materials, but the round green balls are easier to handle and not as messy. Who knew?

Even though playing with tennis balls is a pretty sweet perk, Judd still says his favorite part of the testing process happens when the field-ready prototypes get into the hands of the people for whom they were designed—the landscape pros. He genuinely looks forward to receiving feedback from these guys and he’s happy that it’s usually very positive. When it comes to work, he can’t think of anything else that beats getting a pat on the back from the customers.

Have a question for Judd or our engineering department? Let us know with a comment below.