The Edge January/February 2026

The official magazine of the National Association of Landscape Professionals January/February 2026

The

For Lawn Care, Landscape Maintenance, Design-Build, Tree Care, Nursery, and Irrigation Professionals

STRONGER TOGETHER:

How NALP Relentlessly Advocates for the Industry

PLUS: Boots on the Ground: Why You Should Join the Advocacy Ambassador Program The Importance of Advocating for the H-2B Program Turn Clients Into Advocates for Your Brand

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*Offer valid from July 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025. Offer only available on purchases of new mini excavators, micro excavators, skid steer loaders, and compact track loaders sold by participating Cat dealers to customers in the USA or Canada. Purchases (both machine and CVA) and machine delivery must occur by December 31, 2025. Offer subject to machine availability. Offer is subject to credit approval by Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation for US customers, and Caterpillar Financial Services Limited for Canadian customers. Not all customers will qualify. The credit $500 USD for CVA purchase can only be applied toward the purchase of a qualifying Cat Customer Value Agreement (CVA). CVA must be at least 2yr/1000hr and must include 1-year Preventative Maintenance Parts Kit, TA 1 annual Inspection, signed CVA contract, and Product LinkTM. Amount of CVA credit is the same for all models and cannot exceed the price of the qualifying CVA. Offer may change without prior notice and cannot be combined with any other offers. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Contact your Cat dealer for more details.

©2025 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, LET’S DO THE WORK, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Corporate Yellow,” the “Power Edge” and Cat “Modern Hex” trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS

Beth Berry Advanced Turf Solutions Steve Bromell Pro Cutters Lawnscapes Nick Brummel, LIC Landscape Workshop, LLC Jennifer Burnett LandCare Dan Carrothers SiteOne Landscape Supply Ivan Giraldo Chair Pam Dooley , Plants Creative Landscapes Vice Chair Roscoe Klausing , LIC, Klausing Group, PBC

Landscape Technician Bootcamp Your complete guide to classroom and hands-on training for your crews. landscapeprofessionals.org/bootcamp

DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE

Upcoming Events NALP EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA | JANUARY 12-15, 2026

Clean Scapes LP Claire Goldman R&R Landscaping Warren Gorowitz Hunter Industries David Hanny Virginia Green Angela Hieronimus

Immerse yourself in a transformative experience at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Through compelling case studies, dynamic discussions, and insights from world renowned faculty, hone your strategic vision and sharpen leadership skills fit for the industry’s elite. landscapeprofessionals.org/Executive-Leadership-Program LEADERS FORUM SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA | FEBRUARY 4-7, 2026 Network with the industry’s most inspiring CEOs and senior executives at Leaders Forum, our annual executive-level conference. It’s a mix of leadership education and a deep dive into industry challenges and legislative and regulatory issues, with plenty of time to build and strengthen relationships. Powered by Aspire. landscapeprofessionals.org/leadersforum NATIONAL COLLEGIATE LANDSCAPE COMPETITION EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN | MARCH 18-21, 2026 The National Collegiate Landscape Competition is the top recruiting event of the year. Where else can you go to meet 750+ of the nation’s top college landscape and horticulture students? Get a booth at the career fair, network with industry, faculty and suppliers, support students and watch them showcase their skills in more than two dozen events. landscapeprofessionals.org/NCLC For more than 25 years, lawn care and landscape professionals have traveled across the country to donate their time and expertise to enhance the grounds at Arlington National Cemetery. Families and team members welcome. landscapeprofessionals.org/RR ELEVATE TAMPA, FLORIDA | NOVEMBER 8-11, 2026 Don’t miss NALP’s annual conference and expo, ELEVATE, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida. With education touching on all facets of industry business and the best networking and peer-learning in the industry, this is the one event you and your team members really don’t want to miss. nalpelevate.org RENEWAL & REMEMBRANCE ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA | JULY 20, 2026

Blades of Green Jennifer Jorge King Green Chris Lee EarthWorks, Inc. Doug McDuff Landscape America Will Pereira Russell Landscape Group Tim Portland , LIC Yellowstone Landscape J.T. Price Landscape Workshop, LLC Teddy Russell Russell Landsape Group Brandon Sheppard Weed Man

National Association of Landscape Professionals landscapeprofessionals.org NALP is the national trade association representing the landscape and lawn care industry that continuously strives for the highest level of professionalism through education, best practices

and certification. Jill Odom, Editor Lisa Stryker, Managing Editor Shane Boyle, Advertising Rob Ghosh, Design Heather Parker, Copy Editor 12500 Fair Lakes Circle, Suite 200 Fairfax, VA 22033 800-395-2522 | 703-736-9666 Fax 703-736-9668 © 2026 The Edge is published

quarterly by the National Association of Landscape Professionals expressly as a member service.

National Association of Landscape Professionals 3

The

20

The Stronger Together: How NALP Relentlessly Advocates for the Industry

10

DEPARTMENTS 6

From the CEO: Thoughts on 2025, Thoughts on 2026, Advocating, and Something New The Agronomist: Plan Your Lawn Care Season with Care or Prepare to Fail

8

10 Faces of the Industry: Marcus Jones

The

BUSINESS SMARTS 14 Building Your Team: The

30

Importance of Advocating for the H-2B Program 24 Protecting Your Business: Don’t Be on the Menu: How To Stop Harmful Legislation Before It Starts 33 Boosting Your Business: Turn Clients Into Advocates for Your Brand THE NALP EXPERIENCE 18 Boots on the Ground: Why You Should Join the Advocacy Ambassador Program 26 Meet Dan Papineau, the 2025 Advocate of the Year 27 Conquering Challenges: 2025

Talking with Titans: Chris Senske

Plan Your Year with NALP 12

28

Changing the Game: Rooted in Relationships: Inside the Formation of Hatcher Landscape Partners

Judges Award: Transforming a Steep Shoreline Into a Lush Lakeside Retreat

35 New Members

Advertiser Index Bartlett Tree Experts................................................................................23 Caterpillar..................................................................Inside Front Cover Cetane Associates.......................................................................................5 NALP 2025 Financial Benchmark Report...................................17

NALP Bootcamp..........................................................................................3 NALP ELEVATE 2026.............................................................Back Cover NALP Sample Production Rates......................................................11 NALP Awards of Excellence..................................................................9

NALP NCLC......................................................................................................7 NALP & Rancho Mesa Insurance Services.................................32 Steel Green Manufacturing...............................................................19

4 The Edge // January/February 2026

LETTER FROM THE CEO

Thoughts on 2025 and 2026, Advocating and

Something New AS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU HEAR FROM ME IN 2026, I thought it would be a good time to quickly reflect on the past year before we dive into the current one.

munities. Whether you’re new to advocacy or a seasoned advocate, you’ll gain access to exclusive training, resources, and oppor tunities to connect with industry leaders and decision-makers. So, please give it some thought, and after you do, sign up to be an Ambassador for your industry. you. We will be transitioning our printed version of “The Edge” from six times a year to four times a year, starting with the upcoming spring issue. As we continue to create more and more digital content, it is time for us to give our fantastic content creator, Jill Odom, a small break from creat ing printed material. Jill creates over 300 pieces of content a year, which is pretty impressive when you think about the fact that there are around 250 work days in a year. At the end of the day, Jill will still produce amazing content for you, whether you see it in print or in a digital version. The only really sad thing is that you will only get four months of the year when this column can send you off to blissful sleep… TIME FOR A CHANGE One last thing to share with

REVIEWING 2025 So here are some things NALP got done in 2025. We successfully launched our Executive Educa tion program with the Darden School of Business, and the program received a five out of five stars for attendee satisfaction. We successfully transitioned our online training programs to make them available at no cost to our contractor membership, and saw nearly 850 new enrollments since the launch in April. Our PAC had a record year in fundraising, breaking the $200,000 mark for the first time. Finally, NALP’s state government relations team had 18 key victories in 12 different states on issues ranging from pes ticides, gas-to-electric and water management. WELCOMING 2026 What does 2026 have in store? A lot. NALP will focus on three pri mary areas over the next several years, with 2026 as the launch point. We will focus on the work force and provide our members with more resources to attract more talent into the industry. We will also devote much more time and attention to being a one-stop resource center for the

landscape industry. We want to be sure that if you are looking for it, you can find it through NALP. We are exploring the possibility of new training and event offerings, all designed to help you continue developing your team members and growing your business. Finally, we will be ramping up our advocacy efforts even further in both Washington, D.C. and the states, and a big part of that effort will involve you. ADVOCACY Let’s talk about advocacy for a minute. Based on our record last year, you have a pretty great government relations team that works very hard for you, but there is only so much they can do. We need more of you to get involved. The best people to advocate for this industry are the people in the industry. So let me take a moment to have you think about getting more involved in our industry’s advocacy efforts by becoming an Advocacy Ambas sador. The Ambassador initiative empowers you to build relation ships with policymakers, engage in grassroots efforts, and shape the legislation that matters most to your business and our com

Britt Wood

6 The Edge // January/February 2026

Don’t Leave The Industry’s Best Candidates To Your Competitors

National Collegiate Landscape Competition

March 18-21, 2026 | Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI The National Collegiate Landscape Competition is your recruiting edge. Hiring shouldn’t take months. At NCLC, it takes hours. Meet more than 750 motivated landscape students from 55+ colleges and universities in one place. At the Career Fair, your team will screen candidates live, book on-site interviews, and build a talent bench for internships and full-time roles. You’ll also connect with faculty in your region who help shape tomorrow’s workforce. Showcase your company in a professional expo environment alongside other top companies. Your booth reservation includes a directory listing that ensures your brand stands out and stays top-of-mind with students exploring their career options.

Reserve your booth today! landscapecompetition.org

“NCLC continues to be a MUST-ATTEND event for anyone who wants to see the next generation of talent in action.” -Amanda Bryant, Sebert Landscape

Presented by

Powered by

THE AGRONOMIST

The Agronomist: Plan Your Lawn Care Season with Care or Prepare to Fail

BACK WHEN I STARTED MY OWN LAWN CARE COMPANY IN 2000, the very first big contract that I landed was with the quaint Massachusetts town where my fledgling business was located. On paper, the contract seemed straightforward enough – fertilize and lime a bunch of athletic fields during Thanksgiving break. As an aside, no matter how I tried, I could not convince the customer that fertilizer and lime were not pesticides and did not require the schools to be shut down in order for me to apply them. At a certain point, you just shrug your shoulders and press onward.

it was a brutal winter, it stayed frozen until spring. Obviously, I never forgot that little inci dent and neither did anyone else in the lawn care business local to me. If you still had production left on the books, it was gone, never to be realized. I bring this up be cause I’m writing my column in the wake of this Thanksgiv ing Day holiday weekend. After eating far too much turkey and completely overdosing on football, I made my way to New Hampshire to speak at the annual meeting of the Vermont Green scapes Association. Yes, you read that right, the Vermont associ ation has their meeting in New Hampshire. Since the venue is a short walk from the state line and the interstate highway, it actually makes a lot of sense. And just like in 2000, as the day of my trip approached, the weather forecast went from bad to worse. Anyone that still had production to complete was running out of time quickly. This points out the critical importance of careful planning for your season yet to come. My old saying is “As goes Round 1, so goes the season” meaning that any missteps you make early in the spring are very difficult to overcome as the rest of the season unfolds. The analogy that I like to make is to compare a lawn care season to a trip on an airplane. The goal of the airplane ride is to land on a very small patch on a runway very far away. Everything the pilots do must align with that goal other wise bad things will happen. The same applies to the lawn care season. You simply cannot allow the season to extend past the date after which snow can ruin things and that means care fully planning during the winter months well in advance. TE

that I post a performance bond. I didn’t give it a second thought because I needed to fill my bank account and performing was the only way to do it. But as Thanks giving approached, the weather forecast turned ominous. A strong storm was brewing that would start as rain and turn to snow, while temperatures would plummet well below freezing. At the time, the ride-on application machines I had would have been useless in that kind of weather. I hasten to add that as I tell this story, we have dramatically changed how we regulate the application of fertilizers generally, and in Massachusetts specifically. Today, I would not agree to a Thanksgiving application as it is far too late in my humble opin ion, never mind any regulatory requirements. You’ll see why I’m bringing this up later on in our story. As Thanksgiving week began, I spent sleepless nights staring at my bedroom ceiling trying to figure out how to escape this predicament. I finally settled on purchasing a Vicon spreader from an ag retailer in western Massachusetts. That settled, I needed a tractor to carry it, not owning one at the time. I begged someone to let me borrow one of theirs, which got me out of that pickle. It was a brutal storm. The rain wasn’t so bad but once the temperature dove below freezing any spilled fertilizer and lime turned to stone and, because

This was a twenty-five-acre job that would require two passes over each field for a total of fifty acres total. No big deal for me – at least I thought so at first. I dutifully planned for a weekend away from family and football (Ok, not Thursday but definitely the remainder of the weekend) and placed the order for the ma terials which would be stocked at the local warehouse a couple of miles away. Here’s where things went off the rails. The contract, for reasons unbeknownst to me, required

By Bob Mann Senior Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs

8 The Edge // January/February 2026

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 2026 THE

Landscapeprofessionals.org/aoe

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Faces of the Industry: Marcus Jones

By Jill Odom

ORIGINALLY, MARCUS JONES SET OUT TO BE A MUSIC TEACHER. NOW, HE IS the director of systems for Landscape Workshop. “The only constant is change,”Jones says. “You have to stay flexible because things rarely unfold exactly as you expect.”

What trends need attention to improve our bottom line? Where are our biggest op portunities — and why?”Jones says.“Good analysis doesn’t just report what hap pened; it helps explain why it happened and how to improve going forward.” Jones recommends that other business es looking to create systems start by defin ing what ‘good’looks like for your company. “Identify the behaviors that drive those results and then build systems that make those behaviors visible and repeatable,” Jones says. “No matter the platform, re member that a system is just a tool — the quality of your inputs determines the value of your outputs.” The biggest challenge Jones faces is scaling processes and procedures as it can be hard to convince people to consistently log data uniformly. “It’s not about any one person — it’s about seeing the bigger picture and mov ing together toward a shared goal,”he says. Jones is excited by the pace of change the industry is experiencing. “Technology is transforming this indus try faster than ever, and it’s exciting to be part of it,”Jones says. “From autonomous mowers to data automation and AI, I get a front-row seat to innovations that are redefining how landscaping operates.” In five years, Jones sees himself in com mand of the key drivers of the industry, particularly with how technology can be used in value-adding ways to strengthen operations. “My goal is to be a trusted strategic partner for Landscape Workshop and a reliable resource for our vendors and part ners, helping them navigate the evolving intersection of technology and business,” Jones says. If Jones could change one thing in the industry, he’d like to see it be recognized more. “It may not be the flashiest line of work, but it’s challenging, rewarding, and deeply satisfying,” Jones says. “The people in this field — some of the hardest-working Americans you’ll ever meet — deserve every bit of recognition and respect for the pride and excellence they bring to their craft each day.” TE

shop’s CEO J.T. Price in 2015 when Price still managed a sister company of Landscape Workshop. “As time went on, J.T. fully committed himself to Landscape Workshop, and about four years ago, he invited me to join his team for what promised to be an excit ing and challenging journey,”Jones says. “Having already experienced his leadership style and the culture of performance he promotes, I jumped at the opportunity.” When he first joined Landscape Work shop, Jones was the supply chain, data analyst, and systems program manager. He says overseeing these three areas early on helped him develop a well-rounded un derstanding of the business and shortened his learning curve. Jones says the entire executive team has mentored him with their openness, sound advice and knowledge sharing. “As someone who came in from outside the industry, I leaned heavily on our op erational leaders for insight into how our systems could best support their efforts,” Jones says. “Our C-suite has also provided invaluable guidance to help scale the business effectively.” Jones says his favorite thing about working with Landscape Workshop is the people he gets to work alongside. “They’re incredibly smart, talented, and deeply committed to making Landscape Workshop the best landscaping compa ny in the world,” he says. “It’s not about any one person — everyone here shares the same goal. Every opinion matters and is highly respected across the organization.” In Jones’s role, he oversees two teams responsible for managing both their operational ERP and telematics systems. He says they support all 45 branches in the organization, and their goal is to leverage data and give every user an accurate, clear view of their performance and operational health. “We look at questions like: Are we completing our daily tasks as scheduled?

Like many others unfamiliar with the industry, Jones says before joining Land scape Workshop he thought landscaping was simply mowing, edging, and debris removal. “I had no idea how much skill, strategy, and knowledge the industry truly requires,” Jones says. “It’s hard work but deeply re warding. I have tremendous respect for the professionals who bring properties to life every single day. As I learned more about the business, the systems driving it, and the evolving market, it became clear that I had been given an incredible opportunity — one that would challenge and grow me in all the right ways.” Jones was the general manager of a SaaS com pany when he met Landscape Work

10 The Edge // January/February 2026

SMARTER ESTIMATING STARTS WITH REAL DATA

Sample Landscape Production Rates (Digital Only)

When every hour counts, you need more than guesswork to plan and price your jobs. The Sample Landscape Production Rates digital publication arms you with trusted industry benchmarks to evaluate crew performance, improve accuracy in estimating, and uncover hidden inefficiencies. Whether you’re bidding on a project or reviewing productivity in the field, this resource gives you the insights you need to protect your margins and boost your bottom line.

What You’ll Get:

Production rates based on real-world performance Time estimates for common landscape tasks Tools to help you compare and fine-tune your team’s output

Know the numbers. Control the outcomes.

DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY TODAY AND TAKE CONTROL OF PROJECT PLANNING: LANDSCAPEPROFESSIONALS.ORG/PRODUCTIONRATES

National Association of Landscape Professionals 11

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Plan Your Year with NALP

If you want to set 2026 off on the right foot, check out our handy guide on how to plan your year out with NALP’s free training and events in mind.

January NALP Executive Leadership Program (SOLD OUT) The NALP Executive Leadership Program is a transformative experience hosted at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Through compelling case studies, dynamic discussions, and insights from world-renowned faculty, hone your strategic vision and sharpen

your leadership skills with the industry’s elite. Registration for 2027 will open in January.

February Leaders Forum

March National Collegiate Landscape Competition

Network with the industry’s most inspiring CEOs and senior executives at Leaders Forum, our annual executive-level conference. This year’s event is held in Santa Barbara, California, and features a mix of leadership education and a deep dive into industry challenges and legislative and regulatory issues, with plenty of time to build and strengthen relationships. You won’t want to miss out on the economic and legislative insights that will be shared during this member-exclusive event.

The National Collegiate Landscape Competition is the top recruiting event of the year. Where else can you go to meet 700+ of the nation’s top college landscape and horticulture students? Get a booth* at the career fair, network with industry, faculty and suppliers, support students and watch them showcase their skills in more than two dozen events. This year’s competition will take place at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. *Note booth availability is on a first come, first-served basis.

May Landscape Technician Training – Installation The Landscape Technician Certificate Program in Installation (free for contractors) provides comprehensive training for landscape technicians, addressing hardscapes, surveying, grading and drainage. This course takes an average of 4 hours to complete. 2.5 hours for Fundamentals, and 1.5 hours for the Installation Specialty.

April Landscape Technician Training – Maintenance

Free to members is NALP’s Landscape Technician Training Courses, which are ideal for providing basic training to new employees with no prior landscape experience. These courses are also available in Spanish. The Landscape Technician Certificate Program in Maintenance provides comprehensive training for landscape technicians. This course takes an average of 4.25 hours to complete. 2.5 hours for Fundamentals, and 1.75 hours for the Maintenance Specialty.

This course covers everything from landscape plan reading to turf, tree and shrub maintenance.

12 The Edge // January/February 2026

July Renewal and Remembrance Volunteer your time and skills and honor America’s veterans and leaders by assisting in keeping beautiful some of our nation’s most sacred grounds. This event is a true celebration of dedication, honor to our country’s fallen heroes and opportunity for landscape professionals across the country to give back in the most meaningful way possible for our industry.

June Field Trip

Field Trip is a one-of-a-kind event where you’ll go behind the scenes of industry-leading landscaping companies, get up close with innovative practices and connect with peers who are just as driven to grow. This year’s Field Trip will be held at Timberline Landscaping, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

August Operations Professional Training

September Human Resources Professional Training

Also free to NALP members are the NALP Landscape Business Management Training Courses. Participants can earn certificates for individual courses or specialize in specific areas like operations. The Operations Professional Training consists of three courses: Exterior Production & Operations, Leveraging Technology, and Contract Law & Risk Management Essentials. This training was created for field supervisors and operations managers seeking to improve efficiency, streamline processes, and adopt

The Human Resources Professional Training (free for contractors) also consists of three courses, including the Human Resource Management, Leadership & Corporate Culture, and Contract Law & Risk Management Essentials courses.

Provide your HR professionals with the tools to lead high-performing teams, mitigate risks, and cultivate a positive workplace.

cutting-edge technology. This total training takes six to nine hours to complete.

October Strategic Planning Course

December Business Leadership Training

One of the eight Landscape Business Management Training Courses (free for contractors) includes the Strategic Planning course. This course is ideal for leaders looking to learn how to analyze and differentiate their organization from their competition, align corporate goals with their vision, guide a strategic planning process, and execute practical strategies. This online course is self-paced, featuring interactive coursework and

The slow season is prime time to work on completing all eight courses (free for contractors) and earn your Business Leadership Training certificate. This is the most comprehensive education offering for landscape company leadership and covers everything you need to successfully grow a landscape business. The courses include Contract Law & Risk Management, Corporate Finance, Exterior Production & Operations,

practical exercises that enable participants to apply business theories to real-world business scenarios.

Human Resource Management, Leveraging Technology, Management, Leadership & Corporate Culture, Sales & Marketing and Strategic Planning.

November ELEVATE

Don’t miss NALP’s annual conference and expo, ELEVATE, which will be held in Tampa, Florida. With education touching on all facets of the industry and the best networking and peer-learning in the industry, this event is designed to help grow your business and your team members.

National Association of Landscape Professionals 13

BUILDING YOUR TEAM

The Importance of Advocating for the H-2B Program

By Jill Odom

IN MARKETS WHERE FINDING SUFFICIENT LABOR IS EXTREMELY challenging, landscape companies have turned to the H-2B temporary visa program for assistance. However, this program is particularly volatile as Congress has failed to fully address permanent reforms due to intense political pressure from multiple angles.

seems like our whole attitude changes,” Stratton says. “Everything is just better when this program works, but when it doesn’t work, it’s really detrimental.” Nick Brummel, ambassador for Land scape Workshop and the former owner of Brummel Lawn & Landscape LLC, based in Blue Springs, Missouri, says in 2021 they didn’t receive their 24 tempo rary employees until October and they still had those 24 positions open then. “We went through 168 folks through out the year for those 24 positions, and had more work comp injuries, had more turnover with customers, and literally had to have the conversation with cus tomers,” Brummel says. “Since that day, customers have asked, ‘Do you have your H-2B people?’ We’ve educated them enough that they’ll ask, ‘Hey, do you have your folks for next year?’” Brummel says they also lost two man agers that year due to burnout, as they were working seven days a week trying to satisfy customers. “You end up putting in a lot of over time, and it’s really difficult for those who are here,” Stratton says. “It’s just a really stressful time for managers. It’s really difficult for those who are here, because you always feel like you’re three steps behind without having that extra shot in the arm.” WHAT LAWMAKERS NEED TO HEAR One of the main reasons the H-2B program is maligned is due to misconceptions surrounding it. This is why it is critical for landscape professionals to educate lawmakers on the facts. Andrew Bray, NALP senior vice president of government relations and membership, notes that without land scape professionals’ voices, there is the very real threat of the landscape industry no longer being eligible to use the H-2B program. The main misconception with the

forward once we were assigned our group,” Swortzel says. He says that year their requested visas made up around 10% of their workforce. He says it hurt, but they were able to pivot before the growing season started. Keven Stratton Jr., attorney and impact executive for Stratton Landscape Group, based in St. George, Utah, says they near ly lost contracts in the years they haven’t received their H-2B workers. “Not only does this workforce account for a good percentage of our in-field labor, but when the workforce arrives, it

While landscape companies strive to limit their dependence on the program by only having H-2B workers make up anywhere from 15% to 30% of their workforce, the years they don’t receive their workers are still hard on businesses. Brad Swortzel, president of BWS Land scaping, based in Ashland, Virginia, says they have participated in the program for three years and didn’t receive their workers in 2024. “There was a chance we would get the workers in July, but that would have been too late for us, so we did not move

14 The Edge // January/February 2026

“They’re only here for a certain time period. We let you know if they left early. We let you know when they come in. You guys do a background check. You start explaining every single step that we take, that they’ve been vetted more than most of our American workers, that they want to come here, that they want to go home.” – Nick Brummel, ambassador for Landscape Workshop

H-2B program is to tell your story. Share specific instances of what happens to your company when you don’t receive your visas. Also, communicatie the positive impact H-2B workers have when they arrive drives home to legislators the effect the program has on their constituents. “Nobody knows your story quite like you do, and your members of Congress and the regulatory departments, they need to hear your story and how it impacts your business, day to day, day in and day out,” Stratton says. Brummel encourages participating in the NALP fly-ins, as these serve as a time to build rapport with representatives. “A lot of our elected officials who have been there for years know who we are,” Brummel says. “They know our faces. They understand the issue, and we just got to wait for the right time, but we have to stay in front of them and keep going, and when the right time hits, hopefully we can get change.” Stratton acknowledges that it’s easy to think you’re just one voice, but if you don’t take the time to share your story, no one else will. “You don’t have to be an expert, you don’t have to have all of the legal knowl edge,” Stratton says. “You just need to start and talk about how this is impact ing you.” Brummel says advocacy is no different from attaining new business. You have to get to know your elected officials and talk to them regularly. He says it’s also

sume H-2B workers are paid lower wages or are being exploited. “You start educating them, like ‘Hey, you guys set the wage,’” Brummel says. “They’re only here for a certain time period. We let you know if they left early. We let you know when they come in. You guys do a background check. You start explaining every single step that we take, that they’ve been vetted more than most of our American workers, that they want to come here, that they want to go home.” Brummel also shares with lawmakers how their H-2B workers spend their checks on Christmas presents to take back home with them, putting money back into the economy. He says this is when it starts clicking and represen tatives begin to understand it’s not an immigration issue. Another misconception is that teenagers can easily fill these roles. Stratton argues that often labor laws and insurance restrictions prevent them from hiring high schoolers. Also, they are unable to hold the roles for the entirety of the season. “Those are some of the misconcep tions that are important to help to break down when you’re meeting with your legislators,” Stratton says. EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY STRATEGIES One of the best ways to advocate for the

H-2B program is that it is ‘taking jobs from Americans.’ “That is not the case at all,” Stratton says. “We’ve got to advertise, we’ve got to get out, and we’ve got to take every step that we can to hire locally. Frankly, it’s an expensive program for us to be involved in, and it comes at a great cost. If we could get local workers, we would.” Additionally, data shows that each H-2B visa holder a company employs supports between 2.7 and 4.5 U.S. do mestic jobs in that company. “When you have more H-2B workers, it means you can hire more domestic workers,” Bray says. “Because you’re growing your business, you can hire another marketing person. You have to hire another accountant, and also you’re going to buy more equipment. You’re actually benefiting the economy, both up and down the logistical channels.” Another challenge is how H-2B often gets lumped in as an immigration matter, despite the workers utilizing temporary visas. “Help people understand these workers are here legally,” Bray says. “They want to work. They don’t want to live here. They want to work for an honest wage and then return to their country, and they have tremendous economic value to their community and to their businesses.” Brummel says lawmakers often as

National Association of Landscape Professionals 15

BUILDING YOUR TEAM

“We were also being very active in the immigration debate right now. While we know H-2B is a labor issue, not an immigration issue, that’s not the way it’s always perceived on Capitol Hill. So we are staying very active and involved in conversations on immigration so that A) regardless of H-2B, there could be more legal workers here, and B) if something moves on immigration, it’s a good opportunity to tie H-2B to it.” –Andrew Bray, NALP senior vice president of government relations and membership

important to talk to representatives on both sides of the aisle. “If you don’t agree, shake their hand on your way out the door and keep that door open and just keep having those conversations,” Brummel says. “You’re probably not going to change their opin ion, but if you still have that relationship and open dialogue, there’s respect there.” Brummel suggests educating clients about the H-2B program as well so they can advocate as well. “When they’re talking about it, then it builds up momentum,” Brummel says. “From going national and letting all our elected officials know to our local people, it just builds up momentum. Otherwise, we’re just a small issue in the big scheme of everything.” Another effective advocacy method is to tell your story through the letter-writ ing campaigns NALP organizes. “Those calls to action make it really simple,” Stratton says. “If you just sign up for the alerts, you can send it out to your team members and make sure that as many times as your message can be

we are staying very active and involved in conversations on immigration so that A) regardless of H-2B, there could be more legal workers here, and B) if some thing moves on immigration, it’s a good opportunity to tie H-2B to it.” Brummel acknowledges that the state of the program is frustrating, but unless the industry keeps fighting for H-2B, nothing will change. “If we take our foot off the gas, or if we try to change our direction on it, it’s going to fall off the radar and we have momentum,” Brummel says. “We have the buy-in. We’re getting somewhere. It’s just definitely not as quick as any of us want.” Brummel encourages more compa nies to participate in sending emails to their representatives and attending the fly-ins. “The more voices we can add on all our issues, the better off we are versus letting everybody else carry the weight,” Brummel says. “When you go to the fly-ins, it’s the same 200 people. But if we got a fly-in where we had 800 or 1,000 people, that’d make a huge difference. Also, realize that one fly-in is not going to make a difference. You got to keep go ing. You’ve got to keep in front of them when they’re back in the district.” TE

spread and spoken, it can be heard.” Swortzel says he’s written letters to their representatives with the help of NALP. Bray explains that staffers are respon sible for tracking emails, mail and phone calls and giving a weekly report to their Congressperson about specific issues. He encourages landscape companies to also attend the H-2B townhalls, join the H-2B work group, and sign up for The Advocate newsletter. NALP’S ADVOCACY EFFORTS Since 2018, NALP has helped increase or maintain the number of additional visas available. “We’ve had the administration assert their discretionary authority at an earlier date, which is critical to allowing people to get their visas when they really need them,” Bray says. NALP’s advocacy goals for H-2B in 2026 are to have the supplemental visas released, to have the certified seasonal employer language enacted into the ap propriations for FY 2026 and to introduce a separate bill that permanently includes the certified season employer language. “We were also being very active in the immigration debate right now,” Bray says. “While we know H-2B is a labor issue, not an immigration issue, that’s not the way it’s always perceived on Capitol Hill. So

 KEY TAKEAWAYS ■ Lawmakers often conflate H-2B with immigration despite workers’ tem

H-2B program and why it is needed. ■ Consistent advocacy including attending fly ins, sending emails and participating in townhalls all maintain momentum needed for long-term change.

porary status. Advocacy helps educate them on the facts of the program. ■ Sharing personal stories backed up by data can help legislators under stand the impact of the

16 The Edge // January/February 2026

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National Association of Landscape Professionals 17

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Boots on the Ground: Why You Should Join the Advocacy Ambassador Program

By Jill Odom

THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, AND IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE THE industry’s advocates, NALP has launched the Advocacy Ambassador Program. The Advocacy Ambassador Program’s goals are to inform, engage and activate NALP members to be the sword and shield on behalf of the landscape industry.

Bray says the level of commitment required will vary by person and what is going on in their state. “I think it’s critically important to remember that the heavy legwork is always going to be done by NALP,” Bray says. “We are going to be tracking the legislation. We are going to be writing testimonies. We are going to be writing talking points, but when we ask people to take action or we ask people to weigh in, we’re going to need them to do that, and that can be done by email and via Zoom.” Federal ambassadors will advocate for the industry at a national scale and engage with federal policymakers. It is ideal for individuals who want to make a difference on a broader level. These am bassadors are expected to participate in at least one annual fly-in to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers. Mann notes that ambassadors can have a lot of fun advocating for the industry. “It’s a little bit different than your day-to-day,” Mann says. “It involves repurposing a skillset that you have to something different and you have to invest in yourself. I think that there is a certain level of satisfaction that comes from being able to articulate what it is that you need in order to be successful in your business to your elected official Federal ambassadors will advocate for the industry at a national scale and engage with federal policymakers. It is ideal for individuals who want to make a difference on a broader level. These ambassadors are expected to participate in at least one annual fly-in to Washington D.C. to meet with lawmakers.

meeting with their elected officials. “This is just human nature you’re working with,” Mann says. “It’s just telling people what you do every single day. And there’s no better expert at what you do every single day than you are.”

“We want people to have a clear understanding of the good work that we do,” says Bob Mann, senior director of regulatory and technical affairs for NALP. “So many others have taken the opportunity to paint us in light that isn’t accurate whatsoever.” This program is a rebranding of the Advocacy Contact Team. “The contact team, by all accounts, was functioning great, but every once in a while, you need to rebrand things and breathe new life into it,” says Andrew Bray, NALP senior vice president of gov ernment relations and membership. “We hope that by rebranding and breathing some new life into it and putting in some more structure and resources, it’s going to actually expand it.” This team-based program will ensure that no one serves alone, with each state having multiple ambassadors and NALP’s support. Participants in the program will receive training materials on the basics of advocacy so they can feel comfortable

WHAT DO AMBASSADORS DO? Members can participate in the

Advocacy Ambassador Program at the state and federal levels. Ambassadors will be both proactive and reactive to various issues as they appear. State ambassadors will build relation ships with state policymakers, engage in local advocacy efforts, and stay informed on state-specific issues. Mann says NALP is happy to help ambassadors set up meetings to form relationships with committee members and put together a legislative day if there isn’t one in exis tence currently. “We’re working with the association in Wisconsin to make that happen,” Mann says.

ð Scan here to sign up to become an ambassador.

18 The Edge // January/February 2026

“We need new people to do this, and there’s this intangible, wonderful thing that they can enjoy by being part of this process that it makes the experience of owning their own company that much richer,” Mann says. Mann stresses you have to be involved in the political process if you want to protect the industry. “No one is going to come to your rescue except for you,” Mann says. TE

Mann adds you don’t need a political science degree to become an Advocacy Ambassador. “The skill that our membership has that they don’t recognize is so important is their ability to sell,” Mann says. “That is completely transferable into the political spectrum.” Many may assume there are already plenty of people advocating, but Mann says there is a vacuum that needs to be filled.

and have your elected official work on your behalf. It’s only through repeated effort that you begin to see people move in your direction.” Ambassadors are not required to contribute to the NALP PAC or other political fundraisers, but Mann says it is appreciated. “We’re trying very hard through our actions and through our communication to show our membership that when they invest their hard-earned money into something that the government relations department is advocating that it bears fruit,” Mann says. Mann says it is far more important to give of your time so your elected officials know who you are. “Yes, you’re busy,” Mann says. “Yes, you have a business to run. Yes, you’ve got to keep an eye on your profit and loss. You’ve got a million people that you need to get back to. Take the time to invest in your business politically.” WHY YOU SHOULD BECOME AN AMBASSADOR Bray says becoming an ambassador behooves landscape professionals’ businesses. “If they want to have a successful business, they need to make sure that the policies and regulations that they’re operating in are as conducive as possi ble,” Bray says. Bray says thoughtful, proactive, communicative individuals are ideal for the ambassador program. He notes that advocating is not as scary as you think.  KEY TAKEAWAYS ■ NALP’s new Advocacy Ambassador Program builds upon the former Advocacy Contact Team, adding structure, resources, and training to expand member participation in advocacy efforts nationwide. ■ The program empowers members at both the state and federal levels to use their communication and business skills to advance policies that protect and strengthen the landscape industry. ■ While financial contributions are optional, the most valuable invest ment ambassadors can make is their time and presence in building relationships with elected officials.

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National Association of Landscape Professionals 19

î COVER STORY STRONGER TOGETHER: How NALP Relentlessly Advocates for the Industry By Jill Odom

RELENTLESS ADVOCACY IS ONE OF THE CORE initiatives for the National Association of Landscape Professionals. “We are the only national trade organization representing the entire landscape industry,” says Andrew Bray, NALP senior vice president of government relations and membership. “What is happening on Capitol Hill, especially in times like now, is moving at a very, very rapid pace, and decisions are being made that can both benefit the industry or harm the industry. If we’re not there telling our story and representing our industry, nobody else will.” NALP works at the local, state and federal levels to advocate for positive policy outcomes. Every day, the NALP government affairs team is tracking legislation and regulations that could impact the industry. “I think the other thing that people might not realize is the amount of time and effort we put into building relationships with like-minded industries or ecosystems that can amplify our voice,” Bray says. “People don’t see that. They see results, but they don’t realize we wouldn’t have gotten that result had we not brought in the Chamber of Commerce or CropLife America or the American Hotel and Lodging Association to help with issues that are really important.”

20 The Edge // January/February 2026