The Edge June/July/August 2026

The official magazine of the National Association of Landscape Professionals June/July/August 2026

The

Why Process Is the Real Driver of Efficiency For Lawn Care, Landscape Maintenance, Design-Build, Tree Care, Nursery, and Irrigation Professionals Chaos From to Clarity

PLUS: Cybersecurity in the Field: Don’t Let a Tablet Take Down Your Business Tapping Into the Next Gen’s Ideas with Reverse Mentoring Talking with Titans: Kurt Bland

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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 RENEWAL & REMEMBRANCE ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA | JULY 19-20, 2026

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

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. Powered by Hustler and DeWalt. 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. Powered by Cat. nalpelevate.org

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 Landscape Group Brandon Sheppard Weed Man

NALP EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA | JANUARY 11-14, 2027

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, you’ll strengthen your strategic thinking, elevate your leadership capabilities,

and gain practical tools to lead with greater confidence and impact. landscapeprofessionals.org/Executive-Leadership-Program LEADERS FORUM FAJARDO, PUERTO RICO | FEBRUARY 3-6, 2027

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

Join us at Leaders Forum, NALP’s premier member-only gathering for landscape and lawn care CEOs and top executives who are driving growth and shaping the future. Through a powerful mix of executive-level business and leadership sessions, candid peer-to-peer discussions, and both structured and relaxed networking at one of Puerto Rico’s most exclusive and destinations, you’ll gain fresh perspectives, forge valuable partnerships, and return recharged ready to lead at a higher level. Powered by Aspire. landscapeprofessionals.org/leadersforum

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

The

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DEPARTMENTS 6

From the CEO: Who’s Your Tech Champion? The Argonomist: The Importance of Practicing Stewardship from Preemergents to Irrigation

8

22

10 Faces of the Industry: David Erdman

The From Chaos to Clarity: Why Process Is the Real Driver of Efficiency 32

BUSINESS SMARTS 18 Building Your Team: Tapping Into the Next Gen’s Ideas with Reverse Mentoring 20 Protecting Your Business: Cybersecurity in the Field: Don’t Let a Tablet Take Down Your Business 26 Boosting Your Business: The Lawn Care Routing Playbook for Tighter Routes and Bigger Returns THE NALP EXPERIENCE 11 Renewal & Remembrance Marks 30 Years of Honoring Heroes Through Horticulture 12 50 Years Strong: How NCLC Develops a Powerful Pipeline of Talent for the Industry 15 Save the Date for ELEVATE! 29 Advocacy Ambassador: Mark Kelbacher 34 New Members

Talking with Titans: Kurt Bland

Lawns’ Partnership Playbook 30

16

Keeping the Roots: Inside Legacy

There’s No Place Like Home: Creating Walmart’s Welcoming Campus Headquarters

Advertiser Index Bartlett Tree Experts................................................................................25 Billy Goat...........................................................................................................9 Cetane Associates.......................................................................................5 ColorBlends................................................................................................. 14 Milwaukee Tool...................................................Insider Front Cover

NALP Bootcamp..........................................................................................3 NALP ELEVATE 2026.............................................................Back Cover NALP Leaders Forum.............................................................................28 NALP Publications...............................................Inside Back Cover NALP & Rancho Mesa Insurance Services.................................15

Nufarm...............................................................................................................7 Steel Green...................................................................................................19

4 The Edge // June/July/August 2026

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LETTER FROM THE CEO

Who’s Your Tech Champion?

BEING A LEADER IS ABOUT IDENTIFYING YOUR WEAKNESSES AND HELPING PEOPLE FIND their strengths. One area that more leaders need to tap into is technology. I understand that the older we get, the more we don’t want things to change, but being reticent about technology won’t help the industry in the long run. You may not go out of business, but you will become less competitive and put yourself at a disadvantage.

industry’s current model is the robotic mower. These will significantly help our labor situation and allow crew members to be assigned to different tasks. What once took a team of two or three to tackle will become a one-person job, allowing those other employees to focus on detail work and visit more properties. It also creates a new role of who is responsible for running the robots. Electrification will be another disruptor as land scape companies work to update their shop infra structure to accommodate this new power model. Yet a number of factors could stall this innovation if you are not planning for how to address power outages and rising electricity costs. One of the points ITR economist Taylor St. Ger main shared at Leaders Forum a few months back was how the cost of electricity will skyrocket due to the $39.3 billion in data centers currently under construction. That leads to the third disruption tool I’m watch ing, which is AI. I am curious to see its impact on the industry. Right now, a lot of owners are intrigued by this technology, but many are also at a loss on how to tap into its full potential. Technology is a tool, but like any other tool, if you don’t have the right person using it, it’s going to sit on the shelf until a leader says ‘I don’t know what that tool is, I don’t know how to use it, but I need to find somebody who knows how to use it, because I know it’s important.’ For me, as much as we need technology, we need leadership just as much, if not more.

No matter how wonderful you may be at cus tomer service, if your competitors can outperform you while reducing their costs through the use of technology, it will be increasingly difficult to compete. LEAN INTO INNOVATION We are still in an era of testing, exploring and failing when it comes to technology. And it’s best to fail fast. Ask yourself: Do you have the right people leading your organization’s efforts when it comes to technology? If you do not, I challenge you to find those people. If you are not naturally innovative, you need to find somebody on your team who is, give them power and get out of their way. Cheer for them. Express your true feelings. In other

words, don’t say you’re all in. Don’t say you understand things when you truly don’t; ask questions. Investing in these individuals will separate you from your competition and give you an advantage. If you don’t have somebody who embraces technology and pushes the envelope in your

organization, seek them out. This person doesn’t necessarily need an IT background, and your IT

department isn’t necessarily your best source of innovation either. They take incremental steps. You want someone who’s ready to make a big leap.

Britt Wood

TOOLS OF DISRUPTION One tool I believe will disrupt the

6 The Edge // June/July/August 2026

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THE AGRONOMIST

The Agronomist: The Importance of Practicing Stewardship from Preemergents to Irrigation

YOU WILL NEVER, EVER HEAR ME COMPLAIN ABOUT HOT and humid weather. This is especially true after dealing with six feet of snow at my home this past winter. I do not like the cold. At all.

a week!), and bags his clippings. But his greatest sin is how he uses his irrigation system. Right around April 15th, the local irrigation company shows up, plugs in the clock, opens the ball valves, and from that day forward, that lawn is irrigated every single morning until the system is turned off right around Halloween. The amount of water that is wasted – that is to say, water applied in excess of evapotranspi ration – is colossal. And of course, that excess water negatively impacts the health of his turf. Diseases show up right on schedule, and if things get really hot (as opposed to just dry), that lawn will slam into dormancy. I, on the other hand, rigorously adhere to a strict program of benign neglect of my lawn. I never water because I have heavy clay soil. I always mow at the highest setting on my mower and stick to the one-third rule. Sure, my lawn will go into dormancy, but I recognize that dormancy is an absolutely necessary physiological adapta tion that has evolved over eons of hot, dry summers. I embrace the brown. It’ll green up again. There are multiple states that have introduced legislation to curtail how much turfgrass you can have around your home, how much you can irrigate, and even offer you cash if you rip your lawn out. While there are parts of the country where turfgrasses should not be part of the landscape (e.g., desert climates), you can grow de cent turf almost everywhere else. But if we do not steward resources like water properly ourselves by instructing our customers on proper irrigation techniques, legislators and regu lators will do it for us. And that is something that none of us wants to happen. TE

should never trade professional ism for expediency. Lawn care is a marathon, not a wind sprint. The same is true in the middle of the summer. If your custom er’s lawn has entered dormancy due to heat and/or drought, you should not be applying fertil izer (unless you want to really ramp up the growth rate of the crabgrass that escaped because you were far too early with the preemergent). There…I’ll get off my soapbox now. Thank you for listening. Nope! Hold on. I have some thing else to talk about – water. While we have numerous inputs that are necessary for a healthy landscape, we aren’t going any where if we don’t have sufficient water. That said, we can have an enormous impact on what the quantity of “sufficient” actually is, from choosing plants that are ap propriate for the local climate to managing how we utilize water in the landscape. Here’s a great example. I guarantee that you’d love my neighbor. He’s a stand-up guy, pillar of the community, family man, and a great American. The previous owner of his home abused it tremendously, but he and his wife have done an amaz ing job repairing the damage and adding their own touches. When he does decide to sell, he’s going to make out handsomely on his investment. But he’s been watching too much golf on television and thinks his front lawn is the 18th at Augusta. You know the type. Fer tilizes too often, applies control products incorrectly, mows too low and too often (three times

As you might imagine, we have to write these columns many weeks ahead of publication, and because the growing season goes by so quickly, what’s topical on April 1st may not be relevant in the dog days of summer. But professionalism is not one of those topics. Case in point, we had quite a winter here in New England with a couple of blizzards and plenty of windstorms. Our March blizzard took down innumerable trees and limbs, a mess that will take months to fully clean up. But as I walked my dogs around the neighborhood this morning, I couldn’t help but notice that a lawn care company had already treated the house at the corner. If you are applying a preemergent herbicide before the customer has removed the snow stakes from his driveway, you’re there too early. And that is before we get to the huge pine limbs that have yet to be removed from the yard. Trust me when I say that I get it when someone wants to get an early start on the season, but you

By Bob Mann Senior Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs

There are multiple states that have introduced legislation to curtail how much turfgrass you can have around your home, how much you can irrigate, even offering you cash if you rip your lawn out. While there are parts of the country where turfgrasses should not be part of the landscape (e.g., desert climates), you can grow decent turf almost everywhere else. But if we do not steward resources like water properly ourselves by instructing our customers on proper irrigation techniques, legislators and regulators will do it for us.

8 The Edge // June/July/August 2026

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Faces of the Industry: David Erdman

By Jill Odom

IF DAVID ERDMAN HAD TO GIVE ADVICE TO HIS YOUNGER SELF, HE SAYS he wouldn’t have spent two years as an engineering major at Michigan State University. Instead, he wishes he’d dived straight into landscaping from the start.

current position of project manager. In his role, he formulates game plans for their crews on a daily basis and helps onsite whenever it is needed. Erdman says he also keeps materials flowing to their jobsites so they can run as efficient ly as possible. “My favorite part about this company is the great team I work with,” Erdman says. “We are all good friends for the most part, and it is really cool to work with people you truly enjoy.” Erdman says he had assumed he’d eventually own his own company after learning from others. “As I worked for Old Mission Associates and started a family I realized I did not want to assume the stress that comes with business ownership as long as my needs were met for my family,” Erdman says. “The company I work for is great.” In the next five years, he says he sees himself continuing to do the same thing with the company. “I really enjoy transforming properties and seeing what our company is capable of doing,” Erdman says. Meanwhile, Erdman says the hardest aspect of the business has been dealing with homeowners who have trouble visualizing the transformation of their property and finding good, credible employees as the company grows. He notes that NCLC is one good way companies can bring young people into this industry. “I wish more people would target this industry as their number one option and not be afraid to get out there, get dirty, and create some awesome outdoor spaces,” he says. TE

industry at a professional level,” Erdman says. Erdman says he also learned from MSU professors Marcus Duck and Bob Schutzki. “One main thing I learned from those two men was twofold: practicality and passion for your career,” Erdman says. “Through hard work, relationships, and caring about your industry, there is a lot of opportunity in landscaping, and these two helped spell that out for me while I was in school and after.” Upon graduating, Erdman was hired by Old Mission Associates in Traverse City, Michigan, when the company only had seven to eight employees. Over the past 13 years, the company has quadrupled in size, allowing Erdman to advance into his

Like many others in the industry, Erdman originally started mowing lawns and doing landscape maintenance when he was a teenager, but he was hesitant to make it his true career at first. However, as the years have gone by, he says he’s very happy with his choice. After changing his major to horticul ture with a concentration in landscape design, construction and management, Erdman participated in the National Col legiate Landscape Competition in 2012 and 2013. During NCLC, he competed in the backhoe operation, irrigation instal lation, and hardscape installation events. “It definitely helped me realize what skills I needed to get better at to function in the

“I really enjoy transforming properties and seeing what our company is capable of doing.”

10 The Edge // June/July/August 2026

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Renewal & Remembrance Marks 30 Years of Honoring Heroes Through Horticulture By Jill Odom

RENEWAL & REMEMBRANCE, PRESENTED BY NALP AND powered by Hustler and DeWalt, has navigated everything from association mergers to a pandemic, yet throughout all these changes, the spirit of the event has always centered on giving back to those who made the greatest sacrifice.

will return years from now with their families to show them the garden where they volunteered,” Hildebolt told volunteers in 2009. “These children are learning what we already know — that by renewing the earth, we renew our souls.” In 2020, ANC was closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, NALP was still able to coordinate with ANC to hold a small ceremony in Section 81 and plant a red oak tree donat ed by Country Spring Wholesale Nursery. The 25th Renewal & Remem brance marked the first time NALP members and staff gathered since the start of the pandemic. It also marked the expansion of the event with a second location at the Na tional Mall in partnership with the National Park Service. Every year following the 25th event, NALP has coordinated with NPS to beautify a secondary location, including spaces around the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Tidal Basin, the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. The NPS has been deeply grate ful for the help of NALP members in restoring and rejuvenating various memorials throughout the nation’s capital. While this volunteer event typically takes only half a day, the coordination required to prepare the service sites and gather the necessary materials and equipment calls for months of planning. Bill Benoit, Renewal & Remembrance chair and VP of sales and marketing

First held in February 1996, the Professional Lawn Care Association of America organized the inaugural Renewal & Remembrance. Hun dreds of professionals from across the country gathered at Arlington National Cemetery, where they spread mulch, pruned, planted, installed lightning protection for trees, and limed and aerated more than 200 acres of turf. Since then, this event has served as an opportunity for lawn and landscape professionals to gather and pay their respects to fallen service members by giving of their time and skills. The projects have ranged from spreading lime and fixing irrigation heads to installing hardscaping and planting shrubs and annuals. In 2005, PLCAA merged with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America to form the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), which later rebranded to NALP. Through this organizational change, Renew al & Remembrance carried on. The event resonates deeply with both veteran and non-vet eran industry members as it allows them to pay it forward. Bill Hildebolt, a late former PLANET president, said in a column that the event is ‘a tribute to the past and signified our continued commitment to honor the men and women to whom we owe our liberties and freedom.’ Renewal & Remembrance also features a children’s program where volunteers’kids can learn about the history and sacrifice associat ed with ANC while working on a project of their own. “Children who plant here today

with The Integra Group, says they meet in February with ANC and NPS to identify project locations. Once this is settled, they calcu late the manhours, materials and tools needed for the projects. After securing everything, deliveries begin over the next four to five days leading up to the event. Oftentimes, a core team conducts site prep several days in advance as well, so volunteers’time can be spent as efficiently as possible. None of Renewal & Remem brance could be accomplished without the volunteer efforts of industry professionals and the sup port of numerous partner brands. “We’re measured by our deeds, more than our words,”says Brandon Sheppard, a Weed Man franchisor in the Mid-Atlantic. “It’s the mem bers that make it happen. They travel long distances on their own dime, bringing many of their team with them. It’s a true portrayal of the sense of service and commit ment to making our communities and country a better place that the members of the professional landscape association have at their core.” This year’s Renewal and Remembrance is July 19-20, 2026. Registration for the 30th Renewal & Remembrance is open. TE

National Association of Landscape Professionals 11

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

50 Years Strong: How NCLC Develops a Powerful Pipeline of Talent for the Industry

By Jill Odom

THE 50TH NATIONAL COLLEGIATE LANDSCAPE COMPETITION, PRESENTED by NALP and powered by STIHL, has evolved over the years, but what has stayed consistent are the passionate students and an industry that is eager to pay it forward.

University, University of Michigan and Lander University – participated in NCLC this year, and five other schools returned, including Tuskegee University, The Ohio State University, Oklahoma State Univer sity, Chattahoochee Technical and North Georgia Technical College. First-time attendee Anthony Stanzi, a second-year plant science and landscape technology major with a focus in arboricul ture at Cuyahoga Community College, says he knew he wanted to come to NCLC ever since seeing his classmates attend the pre vious year and come back more confident and better friends than they were before they left. “I’ve never quite felt like this about anything in my life,” Stanzi says. “When I first signed up for this competition, I figured it would just be going out, studying with friends on the weekends and competing, doing our best. But since Monday, the endorphins have been running high. It’s excitement. It is career building, it is friendships.”

“Getting to celebrate anything for 50 years is rare, but reaching that milestone with NCLC speaks volumes about the strength and importance of our industry,” says Darby Gilbert, director of workforce development for NALP. “This event is more than a competition – it’s a pathway for the next generation of landscape professionals. It gives students the chance to apply what they learn in the classroom, connect with companies eager to invest in their future, and truly see how vast and opportuni ty-filled the world of landscaping and lawn care can be.” This year’s event was hosted at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, from March 18-21, 2026, and was kicked off with the beloved roll call during the open ing ceremony on Wednesday, March 18. The final four schools for the best cheer included Sandhills Community College, North Dakota State University, Milwau kee Area Technical College and Parkland College. Despite only having three student representatives, Parkland College ended up winning this year. Three new schools – Southern Illinois

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE Both students and industry professionals were inspired by one another as they connected during the new Career Development Networking breakfast and the career fair held on March 19. “I think this is a great event for students to have one-on-ones with industry,”says Nate Hawks, a senior ag business major at Michigan State University. “A lot of people talk about not having that connection. This is a great way to have that connection and build off of it.” Will Reynolds, a sophomore environ mental horticulture major with a concen tration in landscape design and contract ing at Colorado State University, says his favorite part of NCLC is getting to connect with industry professionals and how the event is tailored to the students. “The fact that NALP is able to tailor it and give the students the opportunity to speak to so many companies is truly amazing,” Reynolds says. During the career fair, students could see the breadth of career opportunities available, and companies got to know potential interns and future employees. “It’s a really good opportunity to obvi ously explore places to work,”says Landon Stuhlsatz, a junior plant science major at the University of Missouri. “But even if you’re not looking for a place to work, just getting to know the industry. There are tons of places around here. They all do the same thing, but they’re all different. So

12 The Edge // June/July/August 2026

seeing what makes them different is cool.” Ben Hollis, a first-year landscape and plant production technology major at Pennsylvania College of Technology, says his favorite part of NCLC was the career fair, as the different business owners were more than willing to share tips and advice. “It shows how much the actual industry cares about the upcoming future,”Hollis says. “It’s really cool that they all come out here and support and try to recruit people and give them the best opportunities they can really get.” Employers were equally inspired and excited by the students they networked with during the event. “It’s really invigorating to come to a place like this and see that there is a bright future for the industry, because some times you forget,”says Chris Lee, president of EarthWorks, based in Lillian, Texas. “You get caught up in the day-to-day grind and doing business, and you don’t realize that there’s this whole world of super bright, super enthusiastic kids. It gives me not just hope, but it gives me a lot of confidence in the future of this industry.” Stephanie Serbedzija, an account man ager with Alan Horticulture, LLC, based in Bartlett, Illinois, says they decided to attend this year because they are looking for up and-coming people in the industry. “No matter what your end goal or what you’re looking for as a desire to come to a competition like this, the big thing that you’re going to gain is just the refreshment

“It’s a once in a lifetime event,” Hawks says. “There’s nothing like it. It tests your skills and builds your skills. It sets you up for your future.” Reynolds says he appreciates how the various competitive events allow different students’ skills to shine through. “At the end of the day, it’s awesome to see NCLC give a platform for so many different people to compete and really showcase the skills that they’ve tailored to be able to do excellent events that maybe aren’t typically what you’d see,”Reynolds says. A new event this year was lawn care spreader sprayer operations, which allowed many students to explore a new aspect of the lawn care side of the industry. CONTINUING THE LEGACY Lee encourages others in the industry who have never attended to give NCLC a shot. “There’s no way you can get the level of passion, the level of excitement and the level of competency,”Lee says. “These are sharp kids. They’re kids who need far less training and work than a lot of the people we hire on a regular basis.” Milanes says this is their second year attending, and it isn’t even a question if they’ll attend next year. “We will come back every year,”Milanes says. “It’s so important to come because the talent here is unmatched. You get to see them actually compete in competi tions, do cool work, and you get to build really strong connections with these students. These are the kids that will be leading the industry in 10 years.” NCLC is one of the best ways to support the future of the industry and strengthen the workforce development pipeline. “If we’re concerned about our future, this is it,” says Anterro Graham, general manager for Pro Cutters Lawnscapes, based in Conyers, Georgia. “If we don’t

of knowing that there are people out here who are really hungry to explore different avenues,” Serbedzija says. Katelyn Milanes, director of culture and employee engagement for Fisk Lawn scapes, based in Colorado Springs, Colo rado, says the passion of these students is contagious. “They are bright, they are inquisitive, they ask great questions,” Milanes says. “They are informed, and they are so pas sionate. It’s beautiful to see how passionate these young students are, and they’re so excited about the industry.” Sarah Robbins, a junior landscape sys tems major at Brigham Young University, says she is very grateful for the industry’s involvement in NCLC. “It’s such a close-knit and beautiful com munity, so that they’re willing to do this and willing to help us succeed, it’s really, really beautiful,” Robbins says. “I’m really happy that I’m coming into landscaping because I’m like, ‘Oh, they want me to succeed. It’s going to be great.” EXPLORING AND TESTING SKILLS The 781 students from 56 different schools were not afraid to get their hands dirty or step out of their comfort zone during 30 different competitive events held on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20.

National Association of Landscape Professionals 13

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Caterpillar and Aspire, for supporting this event. Additionally, thank you to our Gold partners, John Deere and Mariani Premier Group. TE ð Next year’s NCLC will be hosted by Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, March 17-20, 2027.

■ Michigan State University ■ Kansas State University ■ University of Missouri ■ Penn State ■ Cincinnati State Technical and Community College ■ Brigham Young University – Idaho For the full final results, go to land scapecompetition.org. Thank you to all our partners who help make NCLC possible, including our Elite Partners STIHL, Stanley Black & Decker,

participate as professionals in it, we’re discounting our future. I think landscape professionals need to be involved. They need to be engaged. They need to find schools that need their help and expertise and teach the next generation.” TOP 10 PLACING SCHOOLS ■ Cuyahoga Community College ■ Brigham Young University – Provo

■ Mississippi State University ■ Colorado State University

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14 The Edge // June/July/August 2026

THE NALP EXPERIENCE

Save the Date for ELEVATE! MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR NOV. 8-11, 2026, BECAUSE YOU WON’T WANT to miss this year’s ELEVATE, presented by NALP and powered by Cat. Held in tropical Tampa, Florida, this year’s conference will take place at the Tampa Convention Center, where you will be able to enjoy access to all education sessions and the Expo under one roof with sweeping views of the bay.

Reception, happy hour on the ELEVATE Expo show floor and the popular ELE VATE Bash. “The networking opportunities at NALP are incredible!” says Steve Mitton, president of Black Diamond Landscap ing, based in Mesquite, Texas. “Everyone is genuinely helpful, and it’s inspiring to connect with other companies that have faced – and overcome – the same challenges we’re working through today. If you’re willing to put yourself out there, the experience is absolutely worth it. You’ll get out what you put in.” Those who attend often report leaving feeling energized, informed and ready to implement multiple new strategies in their business. Registration opens in early June, so don’t miss out on tier 1 pricing! TE

ELEVATE’s educational sessions are se lected by landscape professionals. They are designed for senior leaders, execu tives, and managers across the landscape management, design-build, and lawn care sectors, serving companies of all sizes. Education tracks cover everything from leadership strategies to how to tackle the latest in technology, including AI and automation. These sessions pro vide attendees with access to fresh ideas and insights from peers. As one of the fastest-growing trade shows in the industry, the ELEVATE Expo features cutting-edge innovations and allows for quality conversations with vendors. Throughout the event, attendees will have the opportunity to network with current and new industry peers during social events such as the Welcome

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National Association of Landscape Professionals 15 2/5/26 6:47 PM

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CONQUERING CHALLENGES

There’s No Place Like Home: Creating Walmart’s Welcoming Campus Headquarters

By Jill Odom

WHEN WALMART DECIDED TO create a new headquarters, the scale of the project was like building a city from the ground up. The new home office features 12 office buildings as well as a number of amenity buildings spread across more than 400 acres. Clay Bakker, director of landscape for Walmart, says the company emphasized listening to associates to determine which amenities truly mattered most. Walmart’s home office is a commitment to associates’personal well-being and provides quality-of-life benefits such as on-campus child care, a fitness center and a food hall with diverse options. The cam pus also serves as a model for sustainability and community integration. “This is where the landscape comes into that picture as well,” Bakker says. “Because I think one thing that’s prevalently under stood is that human beings’connection to nature is a very fulfilling experience. We had areas in between these buildings and amenity spaces, and why wouldn’t we give people that connection to nature?” Brooke Garcia, senior manager of land scape operations for Walmart, adds that 50% of the campus is dedicated to natural

together and fulfills the needs of 15,000 associates. “Community is at the heart of our culture,” Bakker says. “It’s a great place to bring everybody together. We maximize our ability to generate ideas when we’re together.” Throughout the campus, intention al placemaking elements, such as art installations, have been included to tell the Walmart story and carry forward their culture, heritage and core values. Garcia says the team worked with the artists and design associates to bring these instal lations to life by surrounding them with nature and greenery. Another space designed for gathering is the Helen Walton outdoor amphitheater,

space. This was an intentional design choice. Unlike many other corporate campus es, Walmart’s home office is open to the public. “There’s a seamless integration between the community and the greater northwest Arkansas ecological system,” Garcia says. For instance, Walmart’s bike trails con nect to the Razorback Greenway, which is a 40-mile trail that runs from Bella Vista to Fayetteville. “I think this campus really reflects, in many ways, what Walmart means to the community and what it is capable of on a larger scale as well,” Bakker says. Bakker says another benefit of the new home office campus is that it brings

Photos: (Top right) © SWA Group – David Lloyd (Bottom) © SWA Group – Bill Tatham

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landscape company in your corner advo cating for the quality of the job,” Garcia says. Garcia says the biggest challenge was balancing an active construction timeline and deliverables with the weather and seasons. Over the past few years, they’ve had to address the effects of wet springs, droughts, and hard freezes on plant material. “Certainly, we’ve had some challenges with plant health and tree health,”Garcia says. “Installing trees in the middle of the summer is not ideal, but we had to meet deadlines.” Garcia says establishing meadows from scratch is another challenge for them. Over 750,000 plants were installed throughout the campus, and 200,000 to 300,000 of them are ornamental grasses. “We bought a lot of species from a good part of the United States in some cases,” Bakker says. The plant palette also makes a nod to Walmart’s branding with white, yellow, blue and lavender tones. “It’s a great mix of flowering perennials and grasses,”Garcia says. “We get a lot of texture and color from this plant material.” Additionally, over 5,000 trees were installed. More than 40 mature trees were also preserved and moved around on the site, giving the property a more established feel. “Trees are a great way to carry out the northwest Arkansas feeling, that feeling of the Ozarks,”Garcia says. “When I think about the Ozarks and this region as a whole, I think trees. That was one of the first con ceptual sketches for the campus that came to life as a nod to this region.” The home office campus also has 2,000

where different teams can hold everything from large events to informal gatherings. This space includes over 60 dogwood trees, Helen’s favorite tree, and was inspired by the Walton family home and yard, where early company picnics were held. “It had to feel like home, and Bentonville is home to Walmart,”Garcia says. TAKING A PHASED APPROACH Walmart worked with landscape archi tecture firm SWA on the design. SWA was chosen for having a strong commitment to sustainability, ecological stewardship and creating connectivity in their design. Construction started in 2019, and the first landscapes were installed around the central utility plants three years ago. Due to the complex, phased nature of the installa tion, multiple landscape firms contributed to the various stages of the project. The project was broken down into five zones, each managed by a general contractor. Bakker recommends landscape compa nies interested in working on large-scale projects like this understand their limits and not get too far over their head. “When you are capable, communicate, communicate, communicate,”Bakker says. “That’s key, and like any gigantic project, take it one step at a time and look ahead thoughtfully.” Garcia notes that one of Walmart’s core values is ‘act with integrity’ and they greatly appreciated the honest conversations with landscape contractors who would let the design team know when a certain plant or tree wasn’t going to thrive. “Honest, open feedback and communi cation and collaboration are so helpful on projects of this scale; it’s helpful to have a

Photos: (Top right) © SWA Group – Bill Tatham (Top left and bottom) © SWA Group – David Lloyd

irrigation zones, which are supported by 13 acres of ponds on site that can provide up to 52 million gallons of water. Bakker says they designed their stormwater manage ment system as a closed loop, capturing runoff from their impermeable surfaces on campus. “We don’t just shed this water away from us for another community or another part of nature to deal with,”Bakker says. “We catch it, we harness it, we reuse it.” Once a landscape contractor completed an entire zone, Walmart then took over the full-time maintenance of the landscape. “It’s special that the landscape team is embedded in Walmart, and it’s internal,” Garcia says. “We get to storytell and share the workplace experience in that way.” Bakker and Garcia are still fine-tuning the size of their maintenance team to meet the demands of the campus. As part of their commitment to sustainability, they are also utilizing autonomous mowers and all-electric equipment to care for this site. “The goal is to be a steward of nature,” Garcia says. “As we go forward over the next several years, it’s nurturing the land scape design and making sure we’re stay ing consistent with the original intent.” TE

National Association of Landscape Professionals 17

BUILDING YOUR TEAM

Tapping Into the Next Gen’s Ideas with Reverse Mentoring

By Jill Odom

WHAT DO GENERAL ELECTRIC, BNY MELLON AND ESTÉE LAUDER HAVE IN common? They have all discovered the power of flipping the script on mentorship with their ‘reverse mentoring’ programs.

being received. Additionally, reverse mentorships can strengthen your recruiting and retention efforts by appealing younger employees seeking jobs with a greater purpose and demonstrating how your company values team members’ input. CRAFTING YOUR OWN REVERSE MENTORSHIPS PROGRAM Just as with traditional mentorship, reverse mentorships need a structured program to achieve results rather than relying on informal pairings. First, you need to define clear objec tives for the program. Depending on your business, you may be looking to accelerate tech adoption or improve your overall company culture by better understanding workforce expectations. Whatever goal you choose, tie it back to a business outcome, such as efficien cy or growth, so you can measure the program’s impact. Establish clear guidelines on how frequently your mentor and mentees

senior leaders stay in touch with the mindset of younger consumers. With rapidly evolving technology entering the landscape industry and a multigenerational workforce, reverse mentorships can be an innovative tool that helps your company stay ahead of the curve. BENEFITS OF REVERSE MENTORSHIPS Traditional mentorships are valuable because veteran workers can pass on their knowledge to those newer to the industry. Yet reverse mentorships can be equally valuable because they create a dynamic where senior leaders can gain fresh perspectives and learn about new technology. Reverse mentorships can help bridge communication gaps between field staff, office teams and leadership, and provide insight into how company messaging is

GE pioneered this concept back in 1999, when former CEO Jack Welch re alized that many of his senior leadership team members were unfamiliar with the internet and other emerging technolo gies. This prompted him to pair younger, tech-savvy employees with senior man agers, where they would meet to learn how to leverage these tools effectively and exchange ideas. BNY Mellon piloted their reverse mentoring program in 2013 to educate senior executives in technology as well. Their program even paired 28-year-old employee, Darah Kirstein, with Ger ald Hassell, the CEO of the $44 billion company. Hassell would talk to Kirstein as a sounding board for certain ideas and to better understand how different generations think. In 2015, Estée Lauder rolled out their reverse mentorship program to ensure

It’s a good idea to offer training for both your mentors and mentees as chances are your younger employees will be unfamiliar with how to provide constructive feedback to leadership, and managers may struggle with active listening and not becoming defensive. B oth parties need to know how to build trust and rapport with one another.

18 The Edge // June/July/August 2026

pilot group so you can iron out any kinks that arise. Start with five to 10 pairs within your organization and gather their feedback on how to improve the program first. It’s a good idea to offer training for both your mentors and mentees, as chances are your younger employees will be unfamiliar with how to pro vide constructive feedback to leadership, and managers may struggle with active listening and not becoming defensive. Both parties need to know how to build trust and rapport with one another. Conduct regular check-ins throughout the program to en sure participants are meeting as scheduled and tangible benefits are being experienced. Without buy-in from the leadership team, reverse mentorships can quickly wither away when mentees repeatedly cancel meetings. When you decide the pro gram is ready to be launched to the broader organization, communicate its purpose clearly to the entire team. A reverse mentorship doesn’t mean mentees are unable to share their wisdom with their younger mentors. In many cas es, these relationships are mu tually beneficial and encourage younger employees to continue in their leadership journey. As insights are uncovered, integrating them into the business as a whole will boost employee engagement and cre ate a feedback loop that keeps leadership connected to the next generation and the latest innovations. TE

will meet, the overall duration of the program, and the discussion topics. For example, BNY Mellon’s program runs for seven months, and pairings are expected to meet at least six times. Mentees are asked what they would like to learn more about, and then matched with mentors who have relevant knowledge or experience in those areas. The mentor and mentee share their communication styles, set shared expectations and learning goals. BNY Mellon has a resource hub that includes conversation starters, monthly agendas, and a topic list to guide conversations. At the end of the program, they have a panel of mentors and mentees who share stories and insights from the experience. When it comes to selecting your mentor and mentee pairs, it’s critical to thoughtfully select individuals who have mutual areas of interest. However, you should also seek to strategically pair individuals with diverse outlooks, such as varied cultural backgrounds or distinct person ality types. Look for mentors who are rising stars within your organiza tion who are comfortable shar ing feedback upward. With your mentees, identify senior leaders who are open to learning and discuss potential pairings with them in case there are any con flicts of interest. TIPS FOR SUCCESS Before rolling out a company wide reverse mentoring program, start small with a  KEY TAKEAWAYS ■ Reverse mentorships allow younger employees to

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staff, and field teams while offering insight into how company messaging is actually received. ■ Clear goals, intentional pairings, defined timelines, and guided conversations are essential for delivering measurable outcomes.

help senior leaders better understand technology, generational perspectives, and consumer trends. ■ Reverse mentorship improves communication between leadership, office

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