Are TG/CL Techs Licensed?

[GeorgiaGrassMan]

I was wondering if anyone knows if TruGreen/Chemlawn techs are individually licensed? It is my understanding, and I realized that this could vary from state to state, that only one person in company has to be licensed and then others work "under his supervision" but this supervision does not have to be direct except in the case of some of the more dangerous restricted use products which they probably don't use anyway. I know for sure in Georgia that their techs wouldn't have to be individual licensed, but my question is - are they?

[Scraper]

They are individually licensed in PA.

[Richard Martin]

Indirect supervision is the only requirement in Maryland.

[Ryan Lightning]

In CA only one person has to be licensed, And he is suppose to train each person, so many hours a year.

[GeorgiaGrassMan]

So would you guys consider using this as a sales tool - the fact that with a solo operation, a licensed individual is always applying products while with a large company, the tech is probably not him or herself licensed?

[rkk95]

A friend of mine worked for chemlawn and scotts, he was not licensed, he had a tech. license which is what you are talking about. When I first started in this buisness I worked for a company that the owner once worked for chemlawn and this is the way they do things also. They trained me for one week and said ok you know what has to be done go do it. Luckily another guy that I knew called me after three months and offered me a job which everyone was trained for one full year before they went on their own.

[turfsolutions]

Scraper: Are you sure they are all individually liscensed? They don't have to be by law and I would be surprised if they made all their techs be liscenced since they don't all seem to be very knowledgable.

I honestly dont know if they are all liscenced or not but I personally believe all techs should be.

[Runner]

Here in Michigan,... no. They are not licensed. They all have their certification in turf, ornamental, and right of way, but that's it. Here in Michigan, each business has to be licensed, but the techs just have to be certified.

[Ric]

TG/CL is famous for $100,000 trucks and $7.00 techs.

[Soupy]

In IL., They all have to have a Operators license. and the supervisor has to have a Applicator license. The Operators have to pass a 100-question general standards exam. The Applicator has to pass the 100-question General standards, and one or more 50-question category exams. Category selection depends on the sites where the company uses pesticides. Whis in this case would be the Turf, or Turf and Ornamentals.

Soupy

[Scraper]

I stand corrected, although they must be registered... http://www.pested.psu.edu/applicators/cert_brochure.shtml

[turfsolutions]

Scraper - I wasn't correcting you, I just was sure myself. Its crazy with all the regulations that you can have a guy go out and apply pesticides on a very large scale, and he isn't even liscenced. Something is wrong with that picture.

[turf hokie]

Here in NY they just made things stricter. To get a turf or turf and ornamental license, you need to pass a 2 part written test to get a tech license and then work under a pesticide applicator for 3 years (less in you have a college degree in the field). And you also have to get a set amount of recertification or class hours in those 3 years.
Various counties like the one I'm in a have also gone to a 48 notification process which means all neighbors adjacent to the property to be sprayed are to be notified in writing at least 48 hours prior to app. Kinda kills the IPM approach to an extent. Also this has scared a lot of the lawn care co's that are licensed due to the volume of paperwork and reporting laws. (Great for the lawn applicators though)

[bob]

According to a C/L manage that I talked to a couple of yeas ago, the ones that have a license, don't acually have possesion of it. C/L holds their license for one year. I guess to keep them from jumping ship!

[rkk95]

no matter if they pessesion of it or not, they are still licensed with the state. They could just call the dept. of ag. and have it changed to another company or their own if they get insurance. They can even put it in escrow and keep it as long as they get the update credits that are required, and then change to another company when ever they want to.

[GeorgiaGrassMan]

TG/CL "holds" their license? Uhhh - "Department of Agriculture, this is Joe Spraymo, I seem to have misplaced my license, could you send me a new copy?"

[summergrove]

I don't believe they are.I lived in ATL a short while ago they would leave free estimates on my door and in my mailbox. They tried telling me the weeds i had in my lawn. They were wrong with their diagnosis I had some crabgrass. they gave me alist of weeds.I believe they have one knowledgable rep per area and as said before the othsd are just 7 dollar employees.