Industry Pesticide Usage Quest., Quest. and more Quest. [Archive] - LawnSite.com™

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Laura

07-27-2008, 09:26 PM

Hi all;

Will try to keep this quick and to the point. I'm Laura from British Columbia, Canada; I conduct contract work for a company that markets many types of pesticides in the U.S. (U.S. is our main market).

We're trying to get a handle on the "size" of the turf and ornamental pesticide market (this task has been passed along to me!). I came across this forum/site by accident in a Google search. What a great resource! Talking directly to LCO's will be very valuable if any of you can spare a moment of your time to answer any or all of my questions. I realize that many or most of you are probably small LCO/landscaping companies and I hope my questions are of no offense to anyone. If so, not meant at all to be offensive! I'm just a gal in the North stuck with only the internet to collect this info for head office :canadaflag:

1-I'm wondering what is the "largest" country-wide LCO (lawn care operator) chain in the U.S. For us in Canada, it's the "Weed-Man". I know W-M has expanded into the U.S., but am not sure how "big" they are as the expansion into the U.S. is fairly recent.

2-Do you know if these country-wide "chain" LCO's apply different pesticide brands, or do they have agreements with various companies to market, for example, one "Weed-Man" line of product? Any first-hand experience on how you, as business owners, choose and handle and pesticide products you apply would be very valuable info. It will be interesting if you could include any info that might apply to your specific region of the country as well...

3-Do you know if there is any interest in the industry as a whole (both large and small scale operations) to move toward the more "eco-friendly" type of pesticides? Perhaps ones that are OMRI-listed, or have the signal word "Caution" instead of "Warning"...things of that nature. And, please, I'm throwing this lingo around generally. I'm not trying to spark a debate over "is any pesticide eco-friendly" kind of thing.

4-Is there a most widely-used resource that LCO's use to share info, as well as golf course superintendants? I've found a few, but am not sure what you guys, as being immersed in the industry, might be able to recommend.

Thanks for any time you can give me, guys and gals!

If you don't want your info or opinions "public", please send me a PM.

Cheers,
Laura

mngrassguy

07-27-2008, 09:40 PM

http://www.landscapemanagement.net/landscape/LM+100/2008-LM-100/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/523669?contextCategoryId=1770

This may help answer your first question

Laura

07-28-2008, 01:01 PM

Thanks so much!

treegal1

08-08-2008, 01:11 AM

maybe you should post an email as you are not allowed to pm yet!!!

topsites

08-08-2008, 01:24 AM

1. Either Tru-Green(Chemlawn) or Scott's would be the largest Lco although either of those are world-wide and not just US...
On the notes of strictly US-based maybe US Lawn.

> I just saw that other post with the graph, nicely done but those are independent franchises and not corporations as a whole, also what I just posted was off the top of my head but I'll leave it here.

2. I haven't a clue as to what or how anyone else does it, and I'm not discussing my methods.

3. Hell no, there is a reason why the crap isn't but so eco-friendly and that is called effectiveness, I have to this day yet to meet a chemical that works as good and is as easy to deal with as the usual, don't forget the price because I'm not paying more just to be green (and I actually would, but my customers won't when nobody else does either).

4. This is it, for me anyhow.

JDUtah

08-08-2008, 11:43 PM

Topsites,
Not sure if I read your post right, but Scott's is franchised as well (my old partner quit Scott's when the local company was bought by a dink :hammerhead:). I think Truegreen is a franchise too????

Laura,
#1- Still, Scotts or Truegreen

#3- If the eco-friendly pesticides work, yes!!! There is a green movement going on in the us. You can partly thank Gore for that bit. Anyways I do believe awareness is increasing, and if technology/effectivness of eco-friendly products can catch up it will be embraced.

#4- Yes, lawnsite is it for me too... No MAJOR associations that I can think of.

Like TreeGal said, post an e-mail? OR hurry and post 10 posts so you can use the PM's. :)

whoopassonthebluegrass

08-09-2008, 12:45 AM

1. First is TruGreen Chemlawn, second is Scotts, and third is Lawn Doctor.
2. Trugreen has their own manufacturing stuff. Scotts uses whatever's cheapest - ironic that they don't use their own products (at least not according to some threads on this site). Lawn Doctor, here in the Rockies, at least, uses Lesco as their supplier.

Any first-hand experience on how you, as business owners, choose and handle and pesticide products you apply would be very valuable info.

There are a lot of product choices out there, and MANY of them don't do what they claim. Most of us would like to avoid spending the last couple decades of our lives in the Cancer Ward, but we HAVE to have effective products or we fail to do our job. Soooo, safer products are ideal when we use them day in and day out - but the bottom line is that it ABSOLUTELY HAS TO WORK WELL or it will NEVER be a part of our arsenal.

Is there a most widely-used resource that LCO's use to share info, as well as golf course superintendants? I've found a few, but am not sure what you guys, as being immersed in the industry, might be able to recommend.

As others said, lawnsite is our source. Even studying horticulture and turfgrass management in college, there was no universal hookup for us all. Everyone just kind of leans on their local agricultural school. If you can cut through the B.S. we like to fling around on here, you'll see where we're all at...

JDUtah

08-09-2008, 12:50 AM

Yup, Scots out here used to buy from a local Public Nursury. Still might.

greendoctor

08-09-2008, 03:45 AM

1. First is TruGreen Chemlawn, second is Scotts, and third is Lawn Doctor.
2. Trugreen has their own manufacturing stuff. Scotts uses whatever's cheapest - ironic that they don't use their own products (at least not according to some threads on this site). Lawn Doctor, here in the Rockies, at least, uses Lesco as their supplier.

There are a lot of product choices out there, and MANY of them don't do what they claim. Most of us would like to avoid spending the last couple decades of our lives in the Cancer Ward, but we HAVE to have effective products or we fail to do our job. Soooo, safer products are ideal when we use them day in and day out - but the bottom line is that it ABSOLUTELY HAS TO WORK WELL or it will NEVER be a part of our arsenal.

As others said, lawnsite is our source. Even studying horticulture and turfgrass management in college, there was no universal hookup for us all. Everyone just kind of leans on their local agricultural school. If you can cut through the B.S. we like to fling around on here, you'll see where we're all at...

Many universities are no longer good source of information. They are good at being politically correct, but look elsewhere if information is needed on practical management of fertility, insects, weeds and diseases.

whoopassonthebluegrass

08-09-2008, 11:11 AM

Many universities are no longer good source of information. They are good at being politically correct, but look elsewhere if information is needed on practical management of fertility, insects, weeds and diseases.

I'm lucky so far. Mine is quite good and unbiased. And having been a student, I just talk to my old professors directly...