Mark and Kay Halla accept awards for being named one of 12 Landscaper of the Year finalists. Pictured left to right: Lauren Heartsill Dowdle, Editor-At-Large for Total Landscape Care; Mark Halla; Warren Anderson, brand marketing manager for Case Construction Equipment; and Kay Halla.The Landscaper of the Year program is more than winning the overall title of “Landscaper of the Year”.
In fact, all 12 finalists see the benefit of being involved in the program.
Whether it’s learning from other landscapers on the trip, speaking with Case Construction Equipment representatives about equipment or getting recognition for their business, all landscapers see a benefit one way or another.
Some landscapers include Mark Halla, Landscaper of the Year finalist and owner of The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Centers.
“We thank God for an amazing experience on the LOY cruise,” Halla says. “Not only did we get to learn from some of the best and brightest in our industry, but we also had time to thoroughly enjoy ourselves and soak up the sun.
“We are still in contact with some of the other finalists and God is using them to refine us and our business in a multitude of ways.”
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Additionally, Case representatives are there to enjoy networking with landscapers, but many times, Case receives a great deal of information to help serve landscapers in the future.
“Another part of it is the discussion that comes out of it and understanding the daily challenges that face contractors in the landscaping industry,” says Warren Anderson, brand marketing manager, Case Construction Equipment. “We take that feedback seriously and put it back into research and development in the hopes of building even better equipment for the landscaping industry.
“For us, it’s really about what the contractor brings to us: the relationships we’ve made with contractors through Landscaper of the Year have been invaluable in terms of receiving unfiltered feedback on products and services, as well as what we can do with our products to better serve the market.”
For Case, being named one of the 12 finalists is a true opportunity to share some wisdom and learn more about other landscapers from across the country.
“We’ve seen, as part of Landscaper of the Year program, contractors come together from different parts of the country and learn best practices from one another that they can then go back and implement in their daily work,” Anderson says. “We’re also able to work in a bit of fun – for many of these contractors, this program represents a chance for many of these folks to take their first true vacation in years.
“It’s a market that takes great pride in the work – there is great art and skill that goes into everything from relatively simple plantings and designs to intricate outdoor environments that take into account both aesthetics and functionality. The folks recognized by Landscaper of the Year bring both the artistic sensibility and business savvy needed to succeed in a very competitive marketplace.”
