What makes professional landscape lighting stand out from amateur efforts? Certainly using the right product makes a difference. Professional quality components are better constructed, aim light more effectively and stand up tough landscape conditions. Equally important is the design and layout of the system. There’s a real difference in professionally-designed installations. Professional designers select each fixture type, output and placement …

Are your customers irritated by deer munching on their shrubs and newly-planted flowers? Growing populations of deer in suburban areas are creating a new opportunity for savvy contractors to protect their clients’ plants from being trampled and eaten. Deer resistant plants? Not a solution, say experts. Deer adapt and keep eating. The best solution is application of professional deer repellents. …

All signs indicate that 2016 will be a fantastic year for landscape and irrigation professionals. There will be plenty of work out there from both new construction and landscape upgrades. Now is a great time to get organized for the season ahead so you’re not strained by unnecessary hassles that will get in the way of your ability to take …

Some of the most important living spaces in today’s homes are outdoors. Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen a surge in popularity of outdoor spaces for relaxing, entertaining and enjoying time with family and friends. The popularity of outdoor living spaces has driven dramatic growth in products for outdoor kitchens, pavers and decking, and of course landscape lighting. Now …

There’s plenty of work out there. Your success this season will depend on having the right people on your team. It’s harder than ever to find responsible, capable and motivated employees. Contractors who are not actively working a recruiting plan (as well as a plan to retain existing employees) are likely to be short-handed in the months ahead. Here are …

Add Hunter’s FREE SiteRec App to your mobile phone or tablet to get a wealth of powerful new marketing tools that can help you sell irrigation system upgrades. The app will help you make more effective proposals of irrigation upgrades. The templates can be customized with your company logo, your photos, your website address and contact information. You can quickly …

Some contractors think pricing is a game of trying to outguess the competition in order to submit a successful low bid. While focusing on being lowest is an approach, it’s not always the right thing in every situation.For example, if demand is high, both the low-priced and high-priced contractor will operate with a full schedule. You need to be paid …

Each year Central’s leadership team visits the national Irrigation Show to meet with industry experts and to see the trends for the coming season. This year’s show was packed with ideas and opportunities. Here are some key takeaways: 2017 Will Be a Strong Sales Year On the heels of a great 2016 season, the show was brimming with optimism about a …

While it is important to train technicians on “how to get the work done” (troubleshooting, diagnosis, repairs, time keeping), it’s also equally important to spend some time training them on how to deliver a great customer service experience. As one expert notes “customers judge technicians by their human-relations skills as much as their ability to get the repair done.” Now …

There are dozens of new apps that have been introduced to help landscape and irrigation professionals increase productivity in the field. Here are 5 new ones to check out: BusyBusy is a jobsite tracking and mobile timeclock that allows managers to track employee time in on specific projects. Wunderlist is an app for simple task management, allowing you to maintain a real-time …