How is your record keeping? This past week I worked with Jim Nedin, a consultant with our company, at a customer sprayer training event. The last section of Jim's presentation is about safety. When Jim was in the early part of his 40+ year career, he was a Superintendent. He had an accident one day while loading a sprayer and inhaled a large dose of chemical. He ended up in the hospital and to this day he still has effects from just touching a sprayer that has some chemical residual! His talk on sprayer safety is one of experience and you can tell when he talks about his accident it is incredibly important to him. But sadly their is another part of this....the legal side. Today if the same accident that happened to Jim occurred at your club (hopefully never!) what would happen? Well my guess would be a police report and a visit from your insurance agent, maybe a visit from OSHA or maybe even a Department of Ag Rep. Do you have your records ready for the fine tooth comb that is coming? Do you have it up to date? Are you ready for a lawyer to call and request all of it? Employee safety is always one of the biggest things at any club but it is the back half of being able to show the employee safety is in place.
We are already sending out tine catalogs and we all know the season is right around the corner. So with one of the few days left this winter where you are doing office work, please take a look at your spray records! Make sure you are ready for something that hopefully never happens!
*Just wanted to say great job by the Philadelphia Area Golf Course Superintendents Association on Friday, especially Scott Kroll & Kristen Liebsch for running the fundraiser for Tom Gosselin in his fight against Leukemia! Incredible turnout of just about EVERYBODY in the Turf business in the Philly area to support someone that we are all pulling for!
WJC
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Train Like a Champion
One of the big beliefs of our company is education. For me it is one of our strengths and I enjoy being a part of it. A mix of customer focused events and training for our employees are what the majority of the schedule is for the next month.
This upcoming week I have scheduled a customer sprayer training event at their location with Jim Nedin. I hope these guys are ready because Jim has an incredibly in depth program for them! On Wednesday, Turf has a big training day scheduled for our entire company. The highlight is the sales trainer from The Toro Company, Steve Keating. Take a look at http://stevekeating.me/ for some of his great leadership insights! Steve has been with Toro for 17 years and before that was with Dale Carnegie. Seeing him many times over the years, he really makes you look at yourself and how you do your job. By the way I forgot to mention that the Central PA Superintedents are hosting their winter educational event on Monday at Lederach GC....
Rolling into the next week, we have a ProCore 648 customer training events. Then we roll right into the next week with Bernhard & Company doing Sales & Service training first and then more customer Demo days. With Toro University in mid-March and customer sprayer training classes to follow at the end of March........WHEW!
I would urge you to get out an attend something before the grind of the season starts. It is always worth investing in yourself even if you have to take a vacation day to attend!
WJC
This upcoming week I have scheduled a customer sprayer training event at their location with Jim Nedin. I hope these guys are ready because Jim has an incredibly in depth program for them! On Wednesday, Turf has a big training day scheduled for our entire company. The highlight is the sales trainer from The Toro Company, Steve Keating. Take a look at http://stevekeating.me/ for some of his great leadership insights! Steve has been with Toro for 17 years and before that was with Dale Carnegie. Seeing him many times over the years, he really makes you look at yourself and how you do your job. By the way I forgot to mention that the Central PA Superintedents are hosting their winter educational event on Monday at Lederach GC....
Rolling into the next week, we have a ProCore 648 customer training events. Then we roll right into the next week with Bernhard & Company doing Sales & Service training first and then more customer Demo days. With Toro University in mid-March and customer sprayer training classes to follow at the end of March........WHEW!
I would urge you to get out an attend something before the grind of the season starts. It is always worth investing in yourself even if you have to take a vacation day to attend!
WJC
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Deplane Deplane
With the GIS behind us, it is always interesting to see some indicators that tell you the health of our business. I have not seen the numbers from GCSAA but it seemed like the numbers were positive. Also, when you see smaller vendor booth numbers up that is to me a positive indicator too.
For me the 60 hours in San Diego was not good planning....In on Tuesday for the Toro business meeting and home on the red eye Thursday night was a killer. With the added adventure of having to deplane in Washington DC on the last leg of my trip home because the plane had mechanical issues.
To me it was good to see the show expanding and not contracting. a few years ago I recall standing in the center of the show and being able to see the end of the booths in both directions.
This year you could get a good stretch of the legs and not see everything.
Thank you to the Delaware Valley College students who took the time to tour the Toro both with one of Del Val's finest alumni Lou Bosco!
Congratulations to Matt Shaffer of Merion GC &
Dan Meersman of Philadelphia Cricket Club!
Matt Shaffer of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., is among this year's winners of the GCSAA/Golf Digest Environmental Leaders in Golf awards.
Dan Meersman has been named the winner of the 2012 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.
WJC
For me the 60 hours in San Diego was not good planning....In on Tuesday for the Toro business meeting and home on the red eye Thursday night was a killer. With the added adventure of having to deplane in Washington DC on the last leg of my trip home because the plane had mechanical issues.
To me it was good to see the show expanding and not contracting. a few years ago I recall standing in the center of the show and being able to see the end of the booths in both directions.
This year you could get a good stretch of the legs and not see everything.
Thank you to the Delaware Valley College students who took the time to tour the Toro both with one of Del Val's finest alumni Lou Bosco!
Congratulations to Matt Shaffer of Merion GC &
Dan Meersman of Philadelphia Cricket Club!
Matt Shaffer of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., is among this year's winners of the GCSAA/Golf Digest Environmental Leaders in Golf awards.
Dan Meersman has been named the winner of the 2012 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.
WJC
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Ask The Expert?
For the first time that I can recall in my career, I was introduced as an expert. The interview that I did with Tony Leodora, from the Saturday morning radio show was played here in Philadelphia yesterday. The topic was innovations in golf course maintenance in the last 20 years.
It was interesting to hear myself and see where I probably should have said something else then I stated but all in all not bad. I had sent out an email to some friends and family about it being on. On Superintendent said he looked forward to the ammunition but afterward said "hard to believe....but you did good". I will take it. The other funny line was I thought you would yell Babba Booey at the end of your interview.
I am greatly appreciative to the Philadelphia Area Golf Course Superintendents Association for giving me the opportunity, especially Jim Lyngh who is the media liaison on the Board of Directors. Jim said when the topic came up at their board meeting, I thought you would be a great choice. (Thanks Jim!)
This was about a nine minute segment. What is pretty incredible is to think about all the changes over the years and not just in equipment that I did not have time to bring up.
So when I run into you on the show floor at the GIS, no autographs please.... :-)
http://golftalklive.net/golfradio.aspx
The interview is at the 43 minute mark.
WJC
It was interesting to hear myself and see where I probably should have said something else then I stated but all in all not bad. I had sent out an email to some friends and family about it being on. On Superintendent said he looked forward to the ammunition but afterward said "hard to believe....but you did good". I will take it. The other funny line was I thought you would yell Babba Booey at the end of your interview.
I am greatly appreciative to the Philadelphia Area Golf Course Superintendents Association for giving me the opportunity, especially Jim Lyngh who is the media liaison on the Board of Directors. Jim said when the topic came up at their board meeting, I thought you would be a great choice. (Thanks Jim!)
This was about a nine minute segment. What is pretty incredible is to think about all the changes over the years and not just in equipment that I did not have time to bring up.
So when I run into you on the show floor at the GIS, no autographs please.... :-)
http://golftalklive.net/golfradio.aspx
The interview is at the 43 minute mark.
WJC
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Word On The Street
If you were to say one topic that is almost a common occurrence on my visits throughout my territory it would be "What is going on out there?" Obviously, most Superintendents & Grounds Directors have their friends in the business but they are often looking for a larger picture.
As of this month, I would tell you that things are very positive for the most part. It is now the new normal with more winter lay-offs than ever before but on the fleet replacement end, more clubs are getting a plan in place. The upcoming Tier 4 impact may be playing a big part in that but a few of the people I have been working with are just at the point that they need to upgrade their fleet . No chewing gum, duck tape or bailing wire will get them through another year!
The good thing is more clubs & facilities are looking to spend. That is always a positive indicator of where we really are. Most places have changed their approach and tried to do more with less. The thing is at some point equipment wears out and you are throwing money at something that should have been replaced seasons ago....Those who have been the most successful at getting movement have really made it a point to educate their members or managers on fleet replacement. Whether it is making the club look at using leasing as an option (If I hear we are a cash club one more time.....) or just using the numbers to look at the repair and maintenance that an old fleet needs and how that cash could be used in better ways.
Again, rumors of any new golf course construction on the horizon have not begun but it is definitely positive news.
WJC
As of this month, I would tell you that things are very positive for the most part. It is now the new normal with more winter lay-offs than ever before but on the fleet replacement end, more clubs are getting a plan in place. The upcoming Tier 4 impact may be playing a big part in that but a few of the people I have been working with are just at the point that they need to upgrade their fleet . No chewing gum, duck tape or bailing wire will get them through another year!
The good thing is more clubs & facilities are looking to spend. That is always a positive indicator of where we really are. Most places have changed their approach and tried to do more with less. The thing is at some point equipment wears out and you are throwing money at something that should have been replaced seasons ago....Those who have been the most successful at getting movement have really made it a point to educate their members or managers on fleet replacement. Whether it is making the club look at using leasing as an option (If I hear we are a cash club one more time.....) or just using the numbers to look at the repair and maintenance that an old fleet needs and how that cash could be used in better ways.
Again, rumors of any new golf course construction on the horizon have not begun but it is definitely positive news.
WJC
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Follow You Follow Me
This past week I was asked if I would be interested in being interviewed for a local radio show called Golf Talk Live. The topic is going to be innovations in golf course maintenance in the past 20 years. The weekly show is hosted by Tony Leodora. Tony is one of the first people you think of when it comes to golf in the Philadelphia area. He has made a concerted effort to include the Superintendent's view in his show and has a great relationship with the Philadelphia Area Golf Course Superintendents Association.
To me this was really an honor to be asked, hopefully it doesn't mean I am just old.
I started thinking about all the changes since I was a kid just starting out to what is done today. As my early Saturday morning started, I threw it out on Twitter to get some other opinions. I have not really figured out all the protocols on Twitter yet but I was blown away by the responses! What was cool was the first ones came from over the pond and then the US & Canadian Turfers followed. What was funny was Primo Maxx was mentioned a bunch. Not being in the chemical business, this was not on my radar. Final count was somewhere around 16 different votes. Very cool!
Now I still occasionally get some grief from friends in the business with the "Are you going to Tweet that?" but I think it is a great tool to communicate. I think back to when I started in sales in the early 1990's and it was a big deal when I got a pager...Now I can throw out a question and get an instant response from a Superintendent in Ireland! Now that is innovation!
WJC
To me this was really an honor to be asked, hopefully it doesn't mean I am just old.
I started thinking about all the changes since I was a kid just starting out to what is done today. As my early Saturday morning started, I threw it out on Twitter to get some other opinions. I have not really figured out all the protocols on Twitter yet but I was blown away by the responses! What was cool was the first ones came from over the pond and then the US & Canadian Turfers followed. What was funny was Primo Maxx was mentioned a bunch. Not being in the chemical business, this was not on my radar. Final count was somewhere around 16 different votes. Very cool!
Now I still occasionally get some grief from friends in the business with the "Are you going to Tweet that?" but I think it is a great tool to communicate. I think back to when I started in sales in the early 1990's and it was a big deal when I got a pager...Now I can throw out a question and get an instant response from a Superintendent in Ireland! Now that is innovation!
WJC
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Off Broadway
While the GIS is seen as the big show, local trade shows are still important to many people in our business. So why should I take another look at attending my local show? I was lucky enough to be asked to sit in on a discussion back in 2012 about "what can we do different?" for the PA Turf Grass Show. Matt Shaffer, who was the President of the PA Turf Grass Council at the time, had a refreshing view of asking the people who are on the business end of how to grow a shrinking product.
So this year there is an opening speaker that has some big interest here in Philly, Bernie Parent.
The legendary goalie of the Philadelphia Flyers. There is also some other changes to the format in an attempt to revive the event. Hopefully it will bring some people back and maybe some new faces.
In the end to me it is about supporting great programs like the PA Turf Grass Council and others that are vital to the turf business. While attending you get the opportunity for professional growth, networking opportunities, always important sprayer applicator credits and supporting the future.
For those of you who are local, I hope to see you this week and for those of you in other parts of the country, I hope you take a day to visit you regional show.
http://paturf.org/
WJC
So this year there is an opening speaker that has some big interest here in Philly, Bernie Parent.
The legendary goalie of the Philadelphia Flyers. There is also some other changes to the format in an attempt to revive the event. Hopefully it will bring some people back and maybe some new faces.
In the end to me it is about supporting great programs like the PA Turf Grass Council and others that are vital to the turf business. While attending you get the opportunity for professional growth, networking opportunities, always important sprayer applicator credits and supporting the future.
For those of you who are local, I hope to see you this week and for those of you in other parts of the country, I hope you take a day to visit you regional show.
http://paturf.org/
WJC
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