1st porcelain project is a winner

Last year Premier Outdoor Living installed their 1st ever porcelain paver project, and right out of the chute the project won the HNA Project Award for Residential Porcelain Pavers. You’d think taking on the challenge of porcelain would be enough the first time out. But, contractor Sean Collinsgru wanted to explore what he could do with it. He cut difficult curves in it, and he took a hammer to it and used the pieces to create mosaics…. MORE

Jobs up to 3 hours away can be worth it

The new project was remote, about 30 miles (as the crow flies) from the Canadian border and 2.5 hours from Dan’s home base near Spokane, WA. So, 5 hours round trip for client meetings, 5 hours weekly round trip x 6 crewmembers, 3 hotel rooms (2 to a room) x 4 days each week and meals. The site was also 30 minutes each way from the nearest hotel.... MORE

Set up foremen for success

We sometimes forget how important jobsite foremen are to the successful performance and installation of a project. What do you provide to your foreman that will help them with their job? Do you think that a new truck is the answer? What about a big fat raise or bonus? Will those things make your leader more productive and work faster, harder and smarter? Probably not.... MORE

What if something happens to you?

Some day you’ll quit the field work; perhaps you can delegate that work and stay in the office. Or you’ll sell the equipment and retire. Second, it’s hard to have a truly great company without delegating some responsibilities. None of us are wired to be the perfect fit for every position in our company. Third, sometimes life brings a storm and we find ourselves physically unable to work. What then?... MORE

20 years of Hardscape Magazine

August 2023 marks 20 years since Charles Vander Kooi hired me to launch Hardscape Magazine. Chuck saw that the hardscape market was growing fast and was being underserved by the media. It didn’t matter that Chuck had never been involved in the publishing business. He had an amazing grasp of the numbers straight from the gut, what costs would be to run a magazine and what income could be expected.... MORE

Contractor Profiles

Offering the full package gets bigger jobs

June/July 2024

Offering the full package gets bigger jobs

CG Hardscapes builds carpentry structures that complement their hardscape work and win huge projects. MORE

Wall job grows from 1,100 to 11,000 face feet (not a typo)

April/May 2024

Wall job grows from 1,100 to 11,000 face feet (not a typo)

SRW job was slotted a month and a half. It took 2 years. MORE

Productivity & profitability in a people business

August/September 2023

Productivity & profitability in a people business

Bob Tunzi likes where his business is. 10 field employees, an office manager and no middle management. MORE

Keeping cool & organized under pressure

August/September 2023

At Prime Lawn nearly everyone knows how to do everything

Brooding over problems or beating yourself up doesn’t solve issues, it just keeps your mind too busy to focus on solutions. MORE

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May-July 2025

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