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ANOTHER reason for the large MASSES of scrubs!!!

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Doster's L & L

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
This is a copy/paste of my reply from the "too many scrubs!!" or "i hate scrubs" thread. Here's a point that has never been brought up, not that i've ever seen on lawnsite, so i'm gonna give my opinion. I believe i'm right. What do you think? Yea or nay.


Do you really want to know why there are SO MANY scrubs???? All of the US jobs/factories are going to Mexico or over to China! Do you want to know ANOTHER reason why there are so many scrubs??? If any of you that are griping about too many scrubs in the market, that have mexican labor, need to thank themselves for this catastrophe! If you didn't have the mexican labor (legal or not) the scrubs would not be a scrub because they would be working for YOU!!! I'm not saying that you need to fire ALL of your immigrant labor first thing in the morning either, but the next time you go to hire someone, THINK OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FIRST!!! Think of it like this. For each immigrant you hire, there is one more scrub with a MTD or Murray competiting with you. Immigrant labor is becoming a problem in the US. Its not a problem here in my town, but it's creeping closer all the time. Something needs to be done to fix this.
 
#2 ·
Hi Mate,

yeah I read it earlier and agree, though I'm not American and our industries are somewhat different I've come to learn, your points make good sense to me.

In country Australia for the fun of telling, scrubs are as bad, real grubs! The reason our industry is flooded is unemployment rate, and retirees, the 2 biggest factors that effect me is the rediculous cash in hand prices they charge, and work quality which is excepted because they are sooo cheap.

Many other factors as we all know in this, which I don't wanter enter into right now, but in country areas the theory of there is plenty to go around, scrubs make you money etc, scrubs don't hurt your biz etc, mate it is B.S!

If I could get the retirees alone to get real with pricing I wouldn't now be thinking how to get work over winter, lost 3 very big commercials over the last week, I had them, at the last minute they get a lower offer, you should see the work, a joke! And I am at the point that this rough as guts lowballing mongrel opposition has got me thinking about selling the new Toro, there isn't the work in the country, not when every man and his dog is cutting for beer money and uninsured yet still somehow gets commercial, WTF!

Yeah I know plan your business or fail, not a newbie to business that's for sure, and been in this game long enough to know how it ticks, this season is much worse than last regarding scrubs, but a common feedback is they stopped coming....yes, but clients want me to work at their price, so yes they get me doing quotes, no they don't give work, it's all about price folks, in country australia anyway.

note: australian retiree scrubs and general scrubs should be the only people offended by anything I just typed j/k. I am not talking about Americans or your industry, just mine for conversation sakes :)
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
i tried to edit, but didn't save it in time.

Before everyone starts thinking i'm griping about scrubs, i'm not! I don't like the fact that people are resorting to mowing grass to fall back on since the factories are shutting down, but people have to earn a living somehow. Live and let live, right? Yes. That's right. It sucks that things are this way and yes it does hurt the real professionals to have moe, dick, and harry out there doing mediocre work and are able to continue growing their biz due to low prices. We get a bad image from scrubs, our knowledge that we got from college is diminished or atleast overlooked.

I think what i mentioned above in the start of the thread will alleviate some of the problems that we have with scrubs. These are just my opinions and i tried to look at all points of view. If there are other opinions, procede to opine.

Oh, hi mate!

Sorry to hear about the bad news down unda. SCrubs are getting as thick as ticks in a dog's ear. I have alot of residential accounts, so i dont get hit as hard as someone that maintains commercial accounts. In america, we need to get our factories back. This will hopefully get our accounts back! When will it happen though??

Good luck to you.
 
#4 ·
Doster, In my day job I am a plant manager with anywhere from 50 to 200 employees depending on our build rate. We're real rural so there aren't any mexicans or any other illegals here. However a local farm company has started bringing in mexicans to work in their pig barns. There is usually a house on the farm so about 10 of these guys move in and then a few weeks later the wife and kids show up. Over the past 5 months this farm company has been put into receivership. Now they are all applying at my factory for jobs. We are a Union shop and are about to start contract negoiations. The union has no idea that these guys are even looking for jobs. I have the final say on all the hiring and firing so I'm going to be in a tough spot soon. These guys are willing to work for about 1/2 to 2/3 of our starting wage.
 
#5 ·
I'm not by any stretch of the imagination a pro union person,but...................
You would consider scabbing out the jobs to mexicans that are not citizens in a union environment?
That sounds like hary cary to me.
JMO.
 
#7 ·
Scrub this, scrub that. Geez, get over it. They aren't going away. I see scrubs as opportunity. When Mrs. Smith realizes she has screwed up by hiring a scrub and saving a few bucks, she will call me after Mr Scrub has totally hacked up the yard. Keys for a successful biz??? Be DEPENDABLE and do QUALITY work. Simple as that. I haven't advertised in 10 years, and I'm picking up more work then LCO's that are advertising.
 
#9 ·
A murry or mtd cant compete with an exmark, so that among other things makes them unable to compete with me. Hence they are not my competition. The guys i worry about have 2 exmarks, not just one like me.
 
#10 ·
I never said I was hiring them and these guys are supposed to be legit, they are here on work visas. Most have some formal training to work on pig farms. Now they are "stuck" here. Last year I hired 35 people and only two survived the cut. I have 200 resumes sitting on my desk and there are only about 10 people I would even consider interviewing.
PS, I used to be the Chief Steward and I in fact brought the union into our company. At the time it was needed. I wasn't talking about hiring scabs, the rest of my family would kill me first.
 
#11 ·
Originally posted by Doster's L & L
This is a copy/paste of my reply from the "too many scrubs!!" or "i hate scrubs" thread. Here's a point that has never been brought up, not that i've ever seen on lawnsite, so i'm gonna give my opinion. I believe i'm right. What do you think? Yea or nay.

Do you really want to know why there are SO MANY scrubs???? All of the US jobs/factories are going to Mexico or over to China! Do you want to know ANOTHER reason why there are so many scrubs??? If any of you that are griping about too many scrubs in the market, that have mexican labor, need to thank themselves for this catastrophe! If you didn't have the mexican labor (legal or not) the scrubs would not be a scrub because they would be working for YOU!!! I'm not saying that you need to fire ALL of your immigrant labor first thing in the morning either, but the next time you go to hire someone, THINK OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FIRST!!! Think of it like this. For each immigrant you hire, there is one more scrub with a MTD or Murray competiting with you. Immigrant labor is becoming a problem in the US. Its not a problem here in my town, but it's creeping closer all the time. Something needs to be done to fix this.
Click to expand...
This is such racist bullsh$t. I am so sick of the whining my life sucks because of the immigrants. Remember most of the people here are from imigrant families, in fact the Mexicans are probably less imigrant than the rest of us here.

Do you really believe the bs you are spewing? Do you really believe that people start low buck lawn care companies because a mexican took the $7 hr mowing job they really wanted? Is that why you decided to start your own business, because you got aced out for the job you really wanted? Or did you start because you wanted a little more input on your future?

I wish people would grow up, this type of thread makes me sick. Blame all of your ills :cry::cry: on the scrubs and Mexicans give me a freaken break. If you are so much better than them and you are entitled to more rights than they are, why are you so worried about them!!!

Grow up, and if you can't handle the competition, McD's is hiring
 
#12 ·
Further more if we get rid of all of the Mexicans, who will you blame your problems on? Don't forget the Canadians that move here, or the Vietnamese, Italians, Bosnians, Russians, South Americans. Shall we get rid of them all, or just those that are trying to compete for your work? Or maybe you would just like to be put in charge of who gets to live here.
 
#13 ·
Originally posted by cantoo
I never said I was hiring them and these guys are supposed to be legit, they are here on work visas. Most have some formal training to work on pig farms. Now they are "stuck" here. Last year I hired 35 people and only two survived the cut. I have 200 resumes sitting on my desk and there are only about 10 people I would even consider interviewing.
PS, I used to be the Chief Steward and I in fact brought the union into our company. At the time it was needed. I wasn't talking about hiring scabs, the rest of my family would kill me first.
Click to expand...
O.K.,just checking....................:D
 
#14 ·
Thank you Turf Medic! People need to start complaining about the "Scrubs". If you think about it, they are the ones getting the "elite professional lawn services"'s jobs anyway, so whos the dumb ones?

If your that worried about it then
a) lower your prices
b) keep doing great work and be easy to reach and dependable
c) only sign contracts
 
#15 ·
Is it possible that the guys driving up with $75k worth of truck, trailer, and equipment are bringing the "scrubs" out.

Maybe it's the brand new, loaded, chromed out, tinted window, custom stereo, heavy duty better than anything the "scrub" hoped to be hauled to the cemetery, let alone own, is what is enticing every Tom Dick and Harry to get into the business. Because sure as hell if you can afford all of the payments on the equipment you are hauling around to do postage size yards they can make enough money to at least feed the family with the toro and a homelite weedeater and broom out of the back of a station wagon.


It never ceases to amaze me to see 2 guys pull up with all new truck, trailer, 3 ZTR's a couple of walk behinds half a dozen, blowers, weed eaters, etc, spend, 10 min unloading the equipment to spend 10min mowing. Sad part is even if you have a $35 minimum, the "scrub" probably has a happier customer, more profit per hour, mowing the same yard for $20 and speding 30 minutes doing it.
 
#16 ·
Regarding Factories in the US.
lets be real here, the Reason Businesses outsource is Clear, Profit. That said, Profit, in and of itself is not evil. What possible incentive would any business have for opening a factory here? Let's assume for the sake of argument that The Builder was able to clear all the Regulatory and Enviromental Hurdles, picked a site, and is ready to build here in the US. Let us also say for the sake of argument his Construction project was not halted by the discovery of some Critter that is endagered or some other Trial Lawyer enriching Scheme. Let us also say he actually had a decent product that sold well, and did not get him nailed with very real penalties for killing or maiming people with said product.
Once the Factory is actually built, then the employer gets to deal with a whole host of more legislated nonsense beyond the Employment issues in the US, Taxes, Workman's Comp, Insurance, Employee benefits, Payed holidays, Minimum wage and living wage laws, social security and Fed unemployment, just to name Ten.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news folks, but when it is more cost effective to build your product off shore and SHIP it back, there is a whole host of problems no one wants to look at. Union Labor and Immigrant Labor aside, there is a laundry list of reasons.
In other words, when your out protesting power lines, don't complain when your lights go out.
 
#17 ·
Well said Burger... No one people-country-industry-union-or even "scrub" is to blame. The problems this country faces are large and real, from lazyness to red tape, foreign competion to trade deficits. Lawnsite does not have the bandwidth to hold them all.
As I watch the news and see life in the middle east, I wonder if I am seeing the way that my kids will live in this country in the next 20 - 30 years.
I also feel that lawn care is a luxury that will be one of the first to go when times get tough and money gets short.

I hope that I am wrong!
 
#18 ·
These threads are always emotional and somewhat controversial. There is not one definate answer as for dealing with scrubs. I have found that there are many levels of scrubs but then that is a subjective definition because of MY experience. I am not going to go into my definitions but I will give a hint as to one of my strategies. Mine is a work in progress. Become unique and diversify. Realize that you will not get all the business (and you can't handle all of it either). Do something well and then find something else to do well.
Mc Donalds and Burger King sell millions of little hamburgers. Lots of other businesses compete. They are the same but different. Both surviving. When Mc Donalds profits were down they changed focus and now they are back up. Their product is serving a little hamburger that you and I can make. The market trends swithced a little and they saw that, now they are looking out for you with salads and adult happy meals. Study others and apply it towards your business.
The reality of life is that these people are always gonna be here undercutting your rates, how do you make the customer want YOU to make their hamburger and when they tire of that can you serve them a salad?
Good Luck.
 
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