There are several dealers in my area that sell lawn care equip. They also sell fert, and have snow removal stuff too. However, a few of these dealers also own landscape maintenance companies. They do maintenance, installations, fert and snow removal. Would you basically shop with your competition? I personally take it as a slap in the face and refuse to buy anything there. Am I the only one who would feel this way?
Theirs a company around here biggest company around here bought a farm farm is a wright dealer and kawi and redmax dealer and the farm owns a mulch yard. I buy from them but only because I know someone an they get me 20% off handhealds Posted via Mobile Device
welcome to 2013. let's start a lowballing thread to get the season rolling."My dealer is a lowballer" or somethin' like that. "My dealer wants to buy back my equipment so he can use it in his lawn service." There, that sounds about right.
welcome to 2013. let's start a lowballing thread to get the season rolling."My dealer is a lowballer" or somethin' like that. "My dealer wants to buy back my equipment so he can use it in his lawn service." There, that sounds about right.
Hey, I was just being cynical and satirical. Or trying to be, anyway.If my dealer started a lawn service/landscape side of his biz, I'd still buy from him-but he won't, he knows the market in this region. Besides, he's too busy putting exmark's together for Brinkman.
I feel the same way I had a place where I used to get sod from when I first started doing installs I never thought of them as competition until I got a call for an estimate for an install I had everything priced out and set up for a go with the homeowner he said he called one place then called me and I got back with him asap which he liked long story they called back and bid a eleven pallet install for $2000 for removal of old sod and everything wtf they never pushed installs only supplies and funny thing was gonna get the sod from them and I think they wanted $150 a pallet for st aug I never did business with them again and found a good farm dealer Posted via Mobile Device
I feel the same way I had a place where I used to get sod from when I first started doing installs I never thought of them as competition until I got a call for an estimate for an install I had everything priced out and set up for a go with the homeowner he said he called one place then called me and I got back with him asap which he liked long story they called back and bid a eleven pallet install for $2000 for removal of old sod and everything wtf they never pushed installs only supplies and funny thing was gonna get the sod from them and I think they wanted $150 a pallet for st aug I never did business with them again and found a good farm dealer Posted via Mobile Device
I walked into a new shop the other day to see what all they had. I have seen it for a few months now but never actually went in. I was in the area doing some running around and it was raining so I figure what the heck lets check it out. I saw a trailer in the shop fully loaded so I asked about it. He said that was his setup for doing his lawn care company. At that moment that's when I chose I wouldn't support him in any way. Even if he is cheaper to work on equipment, if I can't fix it ill take it elsewhere. Not going to support both of his businesses Posted via Mobile Device
I have recently noticed this same trend that local "dealers" have been using their buying power to get cheap dealer pricing then go out and do the work themselves. It has empowered them to having the chance to offer cheaper prices to come out and spray. Many wholesalers cut dealers special pricing and that is hurting us very much in a sense for the ones who are using the products themselves. I have started buying many of my chemicals online for this reason. I have recently found a site called www.lawnandpestcontrolsupply.com. They offer very good prices, especially if you buy products by the case. I have recently purchased Q-4 Plus for my summer weed control as well as a few assorted fungicides as it is already creeping in. I suggest you all check this out and if you order in bulk and send them an email they have worked with me recently. I say check it out and let me know if any of you have some other ideas on this topic.
We have a dealer in a neighboring small town that runs mowing crews. The little town also requires a business license to mow in their municipality. Consequently the dealer has the local mowing market pretty well cornered. Even doing ditches and banks for the municipality.
Won't be buying any more Hustler mowers. Their dealer in Desoto Mo burned that bridge. When we update in 2015 it'll be Scag mowers. Until then, parts will be via the net. Shame, I like the hustler mowers overall. But competing with my dealer for work is ridiculous. Posted via Mobile Device
We do lawn and landscape maintenance as well as installs and all aras of tree work. As a by product of these operations we produce a large amount of green waste and wood chip.
The green waste is composted down to a nutrient rich soil amendment that we use in top dressing and as garden soils. The wood chip is used as mulch. Now we use both of these products in our daily business but also sell it to other contractors who do the same thing.
Whether one had the volume, land, equipment, and takes grass clippings and leaves and made his own compost.
Turned tree work into fire wood, mulch, or even lumber.
These things are turning waste material that one would have to pay to dispose of into an income producing operation. All business look to diversify.
Henry Ford, set up a son in law in the charcoal business. Car bodies had wooden frames. Turned wood waste into charcoal briquettes. KingsFord. Now you know the rest of the story.
However to go and use one's business wholesale connections to allow one to underbid jobs is an unfair advantage. That advantage gives them the ability to go after and get the high margin jobs at below area pricing.
It is not smart to help this type of competition.
I will not buy from those that double dip. You want to sell equipment and or supplies fine. Provide the service end, fine.
Any one doing both is not going to get my business.
There are several LARGE nurseries around me that have the nursery, landscape install and maintenance and irrigation instalation. They mostly do large commercial work but some smaller work too and their prices are high. But they also have the deep pockets to have the best and largest number of plants and trees in all sizes and quantities, endless supply of employees and equipment. Some guys ***** about it but what do they do? They buy from them anyway because they have what they want. I have a small nursery, wholesale and retail and do a very small amount of mowing and installs. These guys sometimes buy from me but since I can't beat the big guys I still lose out on sales often by a difference of .50 to a 1.00 per plant price or simply because I can't afford to have everything. Its the Walmart issue, people ***** about them but still go there to save a nickle while all the small businesses go under. There is no loyalty overall and the big get bigger and steadily squeeze out the smaller businesses. Just my .02.
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