itor From the Editor From the Editor From the Editor From the Editor From the Ed

I ’ m going to call you , really .

That may sound like a bad promise from a 1990s romantic-comedy film . But it ’ s not . I want to speak with you . You know things I don ’ t . You have experience that helps me do my job . You ’ re important to me .

My goal is to gather information , compile it into stories , and share them with the whole industry , or at least anyone who wants to read . It starts with one phone call and the things I learn lead to helpful stories ; that ’ s the goal .

I ’ d rather email you first , and I might . But I know you don ’ t sit in front of a computer several hours a day like I do . Don ’ t worry , no Zoom or video chats necessary . While regular old phone calls can seem a bit old fashioned , they work . I have had some helpful conversations lately with several of you , thanks for that .

And I need more . In our recent quarterly survey

GLENN HANSEN

( see more of that story on p . 16 ), you gave me a number of good conversation ideas . What makes these topics interesting is that they ’ re complicated . For example : On battery power , you said : “ Being a dealer in California is pretty difficult right now and for the foreseeable future due to changes with gas vs battery products .” You also said … “ California is offering a program to mid-size and small landscaping businesses for 60 to 70 percent off cordless equipment , and that ’ s boosted our sales .” On the economy today ( and tomorrow ), you said : “ Early interest hopefully leads to a good year .” You also said … “ It seems like our customers have gotten very cautious right now in making large expenditures .” On inventory and product availability , you said : “ We have high inventory levels , and I ’ m worried about demand falling off .” You also said … “ Product availability is still a major issue .” Sometimes when I talk with one OPE dealer who is passionate about a certain topic , from e-commerce to manufacturer-relationships to big-box retailers , it ’ s easy for me to think that person ’ s enthusiastic opinion is the whole story . And it is for that dealer in his or her part of the country . But there is another side to the story . I hope that when I have a chance to uncover and tell the whole story , it helps you do business better .

Why do I care ? Because when you succeed , I do too . When Roger at Century Power in my hometown sells another compact John Deere tractor , that helps me . When Jeff at Ingenium Power in Orlando sells another Grasshopper mower , we do better too .

And when I hit a deadline ( I hope to do that sometime in the near future ) and deliver quality information in this magazine and online , you ’ ll succeed also . That ’ s the goal . Talk to you soon . OPEB

OPE BUSINESS STAFF Sr . Vice President / Sales Content Director Landscape Business Editor Associate Art Director Contributing Writer :

David Voll Glenn Hansen John Kmitta Lindsay Zigan Heather Wilson

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4 OPE Business May 2023 www . OPEBusiness . com