Page 22 - BusinessWest May 16, 2022

Landscaping & Home Improvement
Lay of
the Land
For Landscapers, Growth Opportunities Mix with Persistent Challenges
For area landscapers, the pandemic created T
a boom in business as consumers working at home and unable to go on vacations decided to improve their surroundings and invested accordingly. There is still some of that going on, but noticeably less, with consumers enjoying more spending options, while also experiencing considerable anxiety over sky-high inflation. While there is still plenty of work, landscapers confront a host of challenges, from workforce issues to shortages of materials to soaring gas prices.
By Mark Morris
he phones are ringing at landscaping companies this spring — but not at the same frenzied pace of the last two years. And that’s just one of many trends to watch as the calendar moves to mid-spring
Overall, consumers People are more cautious about spending their money this year, said Greg Omasta, president of
Omasta Landscaping in Hadley, and, at the same time, they certainly have more spending options than they did in 2020 and even 2021.
“Those who have the money and want to improve their yard are still going to,” Omasta said. “For everyone who was on the fence about it ... not so much.”
Steve Corrigan, president of Mountain View Landscapes and Lawncare in Chicopee, concurred with that assessment. He said
Dave Graziano, project manager
of the Landscape Division at Graziano Gardens.
22 MAY 16, 2022 LANDSCAPING & HOME IMPROVEMENT BusinessWest