Page 24 - BusinessWest May 16, 2022

Even world events affect landscaping materi- als. Omasta pointed out that many of the min- erals found in fertilizers come from Russia. “So, some of our supply chain issues are based on what’s going on in the Ukraine.”
For this issue and its focus on landscaping and
said the recession of 2008 is the reason why it’s difficult to find such trees now.
“The trees that are available now were cultivated some 10 to 15 years prior,” Loeffler said.
“Last year we spent about $280,000 on fuel. With prices increasing, if we use the same amount of fuel as 2021, it will add more than $100,000 to our costs unless we do something different.”
“In 2008, many nurseries cut back on their normal planting because of a big drop in demand.”
Overall, tree shortages and rising prices of every- thing from lawn-care products to bricks are just some of the challenges facing landscapers.
Indeed, on the com- mercial side of the ledger at Mountain View, Cor-
home improvement, BusinessWest talked with several business owners and managers in this sec- tor. These discussions revealed the full breadth of challenges facing these companies — as well as the ample opportunities for continued growth.
Root Causes
Omasta told BusinessWest that, while it’s get- ting a little easier to find products — with the accent on little — items are coming in at pre- mium prices that are generally 30% to 50% higher than last year.
But finding some products and materials remains a challenge, and the shortages result from a variety of reasons.
As just one example, Both Graziano and Omasta noted the difficulty in finding large ever- greens and other large-caliber trees. And Loeffler
rigan said his crews are working
on several projects in Eastern
Mass for parks, playgrounds,
and athletic fields. While travelling up to an hour and a half from his home base in Chicopee is a common practice, fuel prices are forcing Corrigan to refigure what vehicles he sends to specific jobs.
“Our crew trucks use a lot of fuel so we leave them at the jobsite and go back and forth with different vehicles,” said Corrigan, adding that he’s looking to conserve whenever and wherever he can, because the numbers are so staggering.
“Last year we spent about $280,000 on fuel,” he said.“With prices increasing, if we use the same amount of fuel as 2021, it will add more than $100,000 to our costs unless we do something different.”
With more than 40 vehicles in the company’s
Rachel Loeffler says there is often competition between commercial and residential customers when supplies of certain products are short.
fleet, costs can add up quickly. A newer vehicle might offer better gas mileage — if you can get one, that is.
“We placed an order for three new vehicles back in December,” said Corrigan. “And we won’t see them until July or August.”
Meanwhile, finding enough labor to get the job done remains a challenge.
Corrigan said his company has 95 people on the pay-
Landscapers
Continued on page 42
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24 MAY 16, 2022
LANDSCAPING & HOME IMPROVEMENT
BusinessWest