Date: Fri 18-Aug-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: AMYD

Quick Words:

weather-landscapers-business

Full Text:

Mild Winter, Dry Summer: A Bad Year For Landscapers

B Y A MY D'O RIO

Sunny summers and mild winters are considered a blessing by most.

But to landscapers and lawn maintenance companies, it's a curse.

Without rain in the summer, many landscapers see their income shrivel up like

the plants. And since many plow snow in the winter, a mild December and

January can put a freeze on business.

Nature has given these outdoor businessman both to contend with this year.

"It has been a little rough," said Dave Stoup, owner of Rainbow Landscaping.

The winter before last was a banner year. Mr Stoup said he made around $45,000

just with plowing, but this last winter only produced $10,000.

He noted that the reason he made that much was because of a rise in the number

of customers paying a flat fee for the winter instead of per plow.

"That saved me," he said.

The spring was fine, he said but the dry July hurt.

For example, Mr Stoup said he mows the green in Sandy Hook Center for free.

The last time he mowed it was June 19, he said. Due to the recent rain, he

said business is picking up. For the first time, he has mowed all his

customers' lawns within seven days.

During a normal July, he does around 72 lawns each week. The week before last,

he said he only did 21.

Overall, he said he has only seen a slight decline in his July gross income.

He said that is mainly due to patio and walkway work. If he did not do not

such work, this year would really hurt, he said.

Mr Stoup, a landscaper for 15 years, said this lull is just part of the nature

of landscaping. Some years are great, others are painfully slow, he said.

Save For The Bad Years

Another landscaper noted that anyone entering this business has got to save

money in the good times, because there will most definitely be bad years.

Tim Flynn, owner of Cedar Hill Landscaping, said he has also managed to

survive this summer due to walkways and other landscaping work.

This past winter, however, did hurt.

Usually, he said he does 50 driveways per storm, with an average of 10 storms

per winter. He said he was lucky to get out twice this past winter, which is

in stark contrast to the 25 times he went out the winter before.

The lawn work also declined in July. He estimated his lawn business was cut in

half. Furthermore, he said many customers have not been requesting plantings

due to the dry spell.

"It is just picking up now," he said, due to the rain.

Linda Whippie, co-owner of Taunton Hill Landscape Company, Inc., said tree

work and their payment system have kept their business stable. Most of her

customers pay a certain amount each month for full maintenance service.

She said the customers pay whether there is lawn to cut or not. However, she

noted that this set-up means the customers get more than just lawn work.

Joe Meadows, co-owner of Meadows Brothers Landscaping and Lawm Maintenance,

said he too is not feeling the pinch because the business does not depend on

lawns.

"We spread ourselves out," he said.