Brian Dougherty with Big Sky Renewal got a call from Denver Police in October asking if he would help replace a stolen tree and he jumped at the community service project. 

From the moment he got the phone call, Dougherty was committed to make it right.  A pine tree had been removed from a 20-year-old park that had once been an abandoned gas station. 

Changes are ahead that will require companies and their HR teams to be prepared before issuing the first payroll in 2015. Below is a summary of changes and other information that HR people need to know as they prepare for the new year.

Who do you know who fits this profile?

Do you know someone who rolls up his or her sleeves to tackle project? Likes to make a difference? Won’t hedge when you ask for help and probably likes to have a good time?

This is the kind of person who believes in the good of a cause or a project enough to want to move it forward to make an impact.

That person you are thinking of (is it you?) is a volunteer.

In October, the ALCC office receives many calls from people who want help with leaf disposal.  They are told about cities, web sites and other recycling options.

One exceptional caller was the opposite of all the others.  He needed a lot leaves and hoped ALCC had the resources to help him find them.

Some lament the oil and gas industry has pulled away much of the young workforce the landscape industry needs.

But what about the food industry? Their projected sales according to the Colorado Restaurant Association, will hit $9.8 billion this year. That’s about $7 billion MORE than Colorado’s entire green industry combined. 

Food service work still represents a first job among many teens and young adults – the same group that the landscape industry has traditionally sought after for seasonal and entry-level positions. It’s also the demographic any industry needs to attract if it expects to be sustainable over time. 

“We used to take clients to nurseries and suppliers to select plants and hardscapes.  Now it’s mostly one stop,” says Troy Shimp, designer with Lifescape Colorado, Denver.  

He and the other designers bring most of their clients to view the demonstration gardens alongside the Lifescape office.  “It saves a lot of time and we get decisions made pretty quickly,” says Shimp. The Lifescape office located north of downtown Denver in an industrial area is not where you would expect to see a variety of plants and hardscape options showcased along a narrow strip between a high fence and the curb.  It’s an unexpected sight in a part of town almost devoid of any landscape whatsoever.

Landscape firms recently weighed in about their customers’ current buying trends. Specifically, we asked, “Are customers willing to spend more money now?”

Here is what we learned about landscape buying trends in Colorado’s post-recession economy.

It all comes down to condos.

For many in the construction and related industries, construction defects legislation is among the most impactful on their businesses. According to the Urban Land Institute (ULI) among others, we can expect to see more bills related to this issue in the next legislature. 

What has been termed a construction industry “smackdown,” is between developers/construction industry businesses and those who want to protect consumers from shoddy workmanship via defects litigation. In a somewhat over-simplified statement, it all comes down to condos.

Are customers different post-recession?

Random anecdotal comments snagged in the wind, so to speak, have indicated that customers this year are more demanding. Is this really the case?

ALCC decided it would be worthwhile to find out and asked members whether their customers are becoming more demanding and more difficult to please. The poll revealed definitive data about changes among landscape consumers and their expectations.

Cara Doyle, Summit Lawn & Landscape, Fort Collins, shares the value she derived from being part of the recent CEO Exchange: Women’s Leadership Roundtable.

The part I took away most was knowing that I wasn't alone in this industry.

It was great when we sat down at lunch and were able to talk one-on-one about working with your family and having a family. It is good to know that there are other women out there who work with their husbands/fathers etc., each day and do so successfully.