Eastern Land Management was recognized with two 2018 Awards of Excellence from the National Association of Landscape Professionals for its work at Merritt7 Commercial Office Park, Norwalk CT, and Landmark Square, Stamford, CT.

The annual awards program, now in its 49th year, salutes landscape projects that exemplify the best in their category and address unique areas of expertise and proficiency.

“We accept these prestigious awards on behalf of our clients,” said ELM President Bruce Moore Jr. “Our team displays discipline and dedication to their work and this recognition underscores our commitment to continue delivering quality and best practices across our entire service portfolio.”

The awards will be presented at the national association’s annual Awards of Excellence ceremony at LANDSCAPES2018, the industry’s annual conference and expo in Louisville KY, October 18, 2018.

The landscape competition has grown to be one of the largest of its kind in the nation and reflects the rapidly evolving professionalism that the industry represents.

Photo:  Merritt7, the Charles O. Perry sculpture garden.

09-20-2018

It’s a question every building manager and buyer of landscape services asks: “am I getting my money’s worth?”

We know that there are lots of reasons a customer might choose to partner with us, but what we’ve found in over 40 years doing what we do best, the reason is essentially this:  exceptional service, competitive pricing, and quality work.

All things being equal, most good landscape contractors do the same things.  Like us, they invest in the right tools, continuous training, and substantive programs to stay ahead of the curve on problems and solutions.  But here’s where we think we’re different and why we think this matters in a way that helps you and your property perform at its best.

The difference between good and great

Our goal to become a great company means that we are always moving forward.  We know greatness is not easily achieved but the process of becoming great is something everyone at ELM works at. Even better, every one of our team members can tell you how we define greatness and what they do to help drive it. To us, having fun as a team, helping people advance their careers, serving our communities, and volunteering for causes we believe in, makes us feel like we’re the luckiest company in the world. It’s this sense of gratitude that we bring to our relationships with every individual we are lucky enough to work with and for.

Dedicated and personal service

Going beyond is more than a tagline, it means that we understand your businesses, your strategic goals, and we work to help you get where you need to be.  We also know that you’re busy. This means we don’t waste a lot of time and money on unnecessary tasks. We respect what’s on your plate, and believe that great service requires a give AND take, not give or take.

A history of forward thinking, proactivity

As a privately-held, family-owned business, we are independent and nimble and believe that agility has kept us relevant in periods of uncertainty. Our ability to adapt and deliver value at all times is part of who we are. It is a mindset that helps us meet your needs in an ever-changing market and prepares us to stay out in front of trends in our own industry, as well.

Knowledge-based solutions

Our experience matters. We view our role as more than being just your service partner. As a curator of your most important asset, our smarter workflow will enable a better return on your investment, deliver better results, and we’ll always be on the lookout for opportunities to improve your outdoor environment as a healthier place to live, work and play.

Safety first risk management

Working with heavy equipment and seasonal weather patterns means that your landscape and grounds can suffer if risk management is not properly addressed. Optimizing safety, reducing liability, and managing risk is what our teams train for.  In fact, the health and well-being of our customers’ properties, their employees, tenants and guests, is our top priority.  We recognize that risk is an inherent component of all outdoor work, so we place a priority making sure safety is always first.  This includes having a highly-trained winter crew, experienced emergency, storm and blizzard responders, and on-call seasonal support.

Stamford, CT.-based Eastern Land Management offers a full range of commercial landscape, grounds and winter services to the northern market of New York City, Connecticut’s Fairfield County and New York’s Westchester County.

As part of ELM’s commitment to serve the growing needs of its Fairfield customers, as well as deliver unmatched asset value advantage for property and facility managers, and school and university campuses alike, ELM is scheduled to open a conveniently-located new service hub in Monroe, CT, in June, 2018.

To learn more about large scale landscape contracting or to just talk about a long-overdue upgrade, contact Bruce Moore, Jr., vice president of operations, 203-316-5433.

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Bad weather can be bad for business. For property managers, winter storms in particular can significantly impact operations and affect revenue.

To help productivity and improve safety, ELM has invested in emerging weather research to provide you with weather planning as a strategic piece of your overall landscape budget.

“Being able to collect and apply information locally has opened up opportunities for us to improve communications and service timelines as we apply what we learn to be proactive about potential impacts,” said Bruce Moore Sr., who leads the ELM’s hazard and risk planning initiative.  “We know we can’t manage the weather but we can manage the financial implications of what weather can do if we’re not prepared for it,” he added.

Being responsible for the safety of commercial landscape and outdoor environments is mission-critical for ELM’s front line team who ensure that your business is taken care of while your workforce, tenants or campus remains safe.

“ELM’s hazard planning minimizes the disruption of our customer’s business, reduces insurance claims made by injured employees and customers, lowers exposure and increases the safety of everyone,” noted Bruce.

Technology has improved accuracy in predicting extreme weather and is providing exponentially more benefits to property managers looking to address emergency preparedness and site safety. Whether it’s the next generation of radar, new mobile applications, remote weather sensors that manage water conservation, or using forecasts to save money, more accurate predictions makes running a commercial landscape asset easier all year long.
ELM is committed to creating safer communities by protecting life and property, and managing risk.  To learn more about ELM’s weather service, contact Bruce Moore, Sr., Founder & CEO at 203-316-5433.

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Photo: The Connecticut River photographed from Conard weather balloon, a student-driven project of the Frederick U. Conard School’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program. ELM applauds students throughout Connecticut for the work they are doing in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

Today’s technology makes it relatively easy to assess property landscape needs in order to determine plant counts, water usage, turf square footage, etc.  Unfortunately, the most common way property managers determine their maintenance budgets involves using formulas that may be outdated.

Let’s look at some factors that help determine landscape maintenance costs:

Labor:  the single largest cost of landscape maintenance is labor.  A significant piece of the budget is taken up by the work itself. Therefore, to keep overall budget costs down, it is imperative that labor and its associated costs be allocated strategically.

For example, turf.  Turf is generally the largest total area in the landscape.  If the turf contains sweeping contours and few obstacles, such as trees, boulders, light fixtures, signage, or architectural elements, then faster mowing equipment can be used to maintain it and keep labor costs low.

Plant needs:  Overplanting requires more frequent pruning; fast-growing plants require more frequent pruning, and planting pest and disease-prone plants increases the cost of protecting them with costly control materials.  Extensive annual color requires a lot of fine detail work, also resulting in higher costs.

The solution is balance.  A good plant palette, including perennials and ornamental grasses, and use of meadows and sustainable alternatives, will balance low with high maintenance areas.  For instance, a maintenance plan should include removing excess plants as they age. And interplant fast and slow-growing plants to create a seamless transition during plant lifecycles.

Irrigation:  Another factor overlooked in maintenance budgeting is the cost of water and irrigation management.  This is particularly important as water availability decreases and water costs increase.  Irrigation costs are best controlled by utilizing less thirsty plant material and by the installation of new ‘smart’ technologies and water delivery systems.

In general, turf requires the greatest amount of water in the landscape.  For mature landscapes, retrofitting outdated irrigation systems with more efficient equipment and/or redesigning the landscape to utilize more water-efficient plant material can be bottom line friendly. The pay back varies but by auditing water use, future savings scenarios can be projected with great accuracy.

Refurbishing:  When planning a maintenance budget, designate an amount to cover normal wear and tear, seasonal weather stress, and the cost of replacement and repair. All landscapes require remedial and corrective work to maintain their best appearance.  We find that most commercial customers with successful landscapes spend approximately 25-30% of their yearly landscape maintenance budget on freshening.  By replacing items on a regular basis, you can avoid incurring large capital expenditures for major cost overhaul.

With labor and water costs high, it is becoming increasingly important for property managers to be aware of strategies that pay off in the long run.  Establishing a close working relationship with your landscape contractor and starting the conversation at the planning and budgeting stage, will ensure that your property and landscape will receive optimum care and a proactive approach all year long.

Don’t leave value on the table. To learn more about collaborating with ELM to implement innovation, understand how landscape products, equipment and technologies are used to improve cost and efficiency, and what the best priorities are to pursue in the face of changes in water management, contact Bruce Moore at 203-316-5433.