CLCA, California Landscape Contractors Association

Businesses everywhere were caught in the economic undertow of the recession, and "downsizing" became a household word. The recession had begun in earnest towards the end of 1990 and didn't show significant recovery until mid-1995. As revenues fell, landscape contractors severely downsized their work crews in order to survive. Efficiency became the order of the day. In 1991 average gross annual sales per employee was $30,827. In contrast, by 1998 it was $51,661, making for more "lean and mean" companies competing for business. CLCA realized early in the decade that in order to help its members stay in business, it had to pump up its muscle and become more proactive in legislative advocacy, member education, and business development assistance.

Association leaders had their hands full during this turbulent decade. The way business had been done in years past had to be refreshed, both at the individual business level and at CLCA itself, if the industry was to prosper into the 21st Century.

Heavy Rains on the Political Storm Front

On January 1, 1992, CLCA activated a first-time-ever governmental affairs position at its Sacramento headquarters. The association had already had its political action committee -- LandPAC -- in place for some time, and the PAC's fund balance had slowly but surely grown to about $100,000 by 1991. There was only one problem: political contributions don't do a whole lot of good if the sponsoring organization doesn't systematically ask the Legislature for anything (in other words, lobby). CLCA hadn't been doing that.

The association began to address this deficiency in 1989, in the third year of the state's six-year drought, when public officials and interest groups singled out landscaping as an economic sector where water use should be sharply curtailed. This galvanized CLCA to take the important step of hiring its first contract lobbyist, who immediately went to work on Assembly Bill 325, the state's answer to the drought's long-term effects.

The association initially opposed the bill, but ultimately supported it once certain amendments were put in place. CLCA was instrumental in negotiations that led to the final approval of the Model Water-Efficient Ordinance, a required product of AB 325. Furthering the association's political involvement, the theme of the 1994 convention was water conservation, which featured some of the state's top water policy experts who debated the issues and educated attending members. In the following years, CLCA successfully participated in numerous legislative and regulatory water issues and remained an integral part of the political process to ensure the industry was protected.

Prioritizing consistent and proactive governmental affairs at the start of the decade was a timely move by the association, which would pay off in the years to come. Just as water issues would continue to swell, CLCA found itself in the midst of other escalating political matters that threatened the industry.

Illegal Competition

CLCA had worked extensively for decades with the legislature and the Contractors State License Board to address the problem of the unlicensed landscape operator, who, according to CSLB statistics at the time, was the target of 45 percent of consumer complaints - the highest of all construction industries. The association pushed for greater enforcement of the law, and created the Coalition Against Unlicensed Contractors in 1994.

CLCA went on to support legislation and sponsor amendments to several bills that improved enforcement and increased penalties for unlicensed work, and supplied contractors with information and forms to report unlicensed activity. In 1996 the state added $1.4 million for more enforcement and to provide new consumer education programs. And in 2001, Assembly Bill 678 changed the law to allow consumers to recover payments made to unlicensed operators, regardless of whether the work was performed satisfactorily.

Thanks to these combined efforts, today the unlicensed operator faces an unfriendly market in California. But the association has taken the matter a step further toward resolution. In April 2001 CLCA president Jeffrey Sheehan unveiled "Operation Helping Hand," the association's program to help unlicensed operators become legal. This positive approach augments CLCA's ongoing efforts by appealing to the sensibilities and benefits of licensing, and offering to assist in the process.

Protecting the C-27

In the autumn of 1993, the Legislature began hearings to examine the effectiveness of state boards - including the CSLB - in protecting the consumer. The threat to the landscaping industry was that the C-27 specialty license could become a casualty of political reform should the CSLB be shut down. While the government generally agrees that licensure is necessary to protect the public, a new agency would have to replace what the CSLB provides. CLCA closely involved itself in the process, and to date the CSLB and the license are still intact.

In 1996, a judicial precedent that also jeopardized the significance of the C-27 classification was reaffirmed when an appellate court upheld a prior ruling in favor of Home Depot legally acting as a general contractor in landscaping. The decision effectively watered down the industry's protection provided by specialty licensing requirements.

It was clear that the industry was losing ground in the courts, and that the solution would only be found in the Legislature. In May 1997, CLCA backed a bill that would protect 27 specialty license classifications from "B" contractor competition for reasons of health and safety as well as consumer protection.

In December of that year, despite long political odds and opposition from the CSLB, the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Governor's Office, CLCA had achieved its biggest legislative victory in a decade when SB 857 passed and was signed into law by Gov. Wilson.

Leaf Blowers Under Scrutiny

After the City of Los Angeles in 1996 banned gas-powered blowers from being used within 500 feet of a residence, CLCA supported and even sponsored several bills that tried to make it more difficult for cities and counties to prohibit them. This was done in 1999, 2000, and 2001. Although CLCA was unsuccessful in getting these bills passed into law, the efforts seem to have had some effect in discouraging local governments from banning the equipment. The blower front has been quiet for the past half-decade.

Passionate Member Participation

CLCA has been involved in other important issues as well since it began its legislative focus at the beginning of the '90s.

Association members generated hundreds of letters in successful support of workers compensation reform in 1993. Letter writing campaigns in 1999, 2000 and 2001 resulted in successful opposition to measures that would have increased workers compensation benefits without addressing costs. In the wake of AB 60, the 1999 daily overtime measure, CLCA worked with the Industrial Welfare Commission to develop a functional construction wage order and alternative workweek election procedures.

CLCA members themselves were far more engaged with legislative issues in the '90s than they were at any other time in the association's history. Today the Legislation Committee is large, active, and well informed. CLCA members began participating in legislative conferences during this decade, first with the Green Industry Legislative Conference and later with the Construction Industry Legislative Conference. For the past several years CLCA has had an annual Grass Roots Training Session, and members of the Grass Roots Network are encouraged to "adopt" their local legislators. CLCA's lobbyist and staff do not hesitate to exploit these relationships when critical bills are up for consideration. Today the association is well respected for its legislative efforts. As 1997 CLCA president Dave Penry said, speaking about the success of SB 857, "A lot of other construction associations were amazed at what CLCA was able to get done."

Responding to the New Business Climate

1994 president James P. Everett, in his first California Landscaping column of the year, pointed out that the key to CLCA's long-term success was, "the contributions of many for the betterment and education of all landscapers and our associates in the industry."

Mr. Everett went on to say that the association had to direct its focus to the highest priority projects to increase its chances of success. Landscaping was an $8.5 billion industry in 1994 (compared to $18 million in 1953), with approximately 11,000 California businesses employing 80,000 people, and wages of $800 million.

As the business climate in California underwent massive changes, CLCA sent a survey to its members to take the pulse of the industry and to get feedback to help determine the basis for future programs.

"CLCA members join because of their dedication to professional business practices," said 1995 president Richard Jark. "They do not join CLCA in search of instant credibility, but for personal and professional growth, and to actively take part in moving forward the industry that provides their livelihood."

The survey response also indicated that the number one benefit of belonging to CLCA is the networking opportunities that membership provides. Sticking together through changing times became more important than ever, and the association went to work on several new initiatives to strengthen the industry and bring tangible value to its member companies.

Image With Substance

CLCA reaffirmed in 1994 that in order to continue its programs of increasing respect for the industry and enhancing consumer confidence, it had to more effectively communicate the professionalism of its members. A high-priority goal from its inception was for association members to become the recognized business professionals of the landscape industry.

"Professionalism is more than an attitude," wrote executive director Sharon McGuire in her May 1995 California Landscaping column. "It is, in fact, the foundation upon which our industry relates to the consumer and the government." By this time the Certified Landscape Technician program had been a huge success for more than a decade, lending substance to the member's professional image being strengthened by the association. In 1997, through the combined efforts of focus groups and public opinion surveys, CLCA affirmed what it had foreseen a decade earlier when it began the CLT program: consumers throughout California have more confidence in professional certification than in government licensing.

By 1995, CLCA had retained a new public relations firm and implemented "CalScape '95" to educate the media and the public about the professional landscape contractor. By the end of the decade the association had launched its Internet Referral Service to assist consumers in locating professional member contractors.

A Leaner, More Powerful Association

The decade of the '90s brought massive change for California businesses, government, and the way the consumer made purchasing decisions. By 1995, the drought was all but forgotten when the Department of Water Resources announced that the year was the fourth wettest since records began in 1906, and the economy swelled accordingly. This was the second time in 12 years that evidence showed a correlation between water availability and economic prosperity - the economy had also recovered from recession in 1983 when the rains fell again after a seven-year hiatus.

Everything was speeding up. A common joke at the time was that if you didn't like the way things were, just wait a minute and they'd change. By the latter third of the decade the economy was running full-tilt, and a new problem developed for landscape contractors that was the opposite of the downturn they had just survived: how to keep up with skyrocketing demand.

CLCA again surveyed its members in 1997 and determined it would have to undergo another major renovation if it were to stay effective and continue delivering value to the member.

"The survey showed that the organization was at a crossroads and had to change to meet the future," said 1997 president Penry, who also chaired the statewide committee that oversaw the restructuring. "CLCA had a lot of visionary predecessors, and change is never something that comes easily."

Up to that point, CLCA's activities were overseen and approved by a large board of directors (over 100 total). This structure had served the association well for its first 45 years, but by the mid-'90s was not able to keep up with California's ever-changing business and economic landscape.

In 1998, following nearly a year of debate and addressing the concerns of the membership (every chapter held a town hall meeting), with approval from a 2/3 majority CLCA began its revitalization program streamlining the Board to 13 directors and reformatting the Executive Committee to a total of four.

"We realized the system would be less democratic, but more centralized and effective," said 2000 CLCA president David Norred. The revitalization had completed its test run and was fully in place during his term.

"We reorganized our association to make it more responsive to the needs of the members," said 2001 president Sheehan. "We finally began to focus on what we do best and what we can do to tie all of our efforts together to achieve all of our long and short term goals."

This new governing structure had its work cut out, and quickly moved forward on plans to enhance member education and business support, information and communication services, chapter involvement, legislative activity, and member benefits. These programs came rapidly, and CLCA further beefed up its muscle by strengthening its headquarters staff, bringing in more professionals with the technical and business skills to carry them out.

A Coming of Age

The Internet has changed the way the world communicates and does business, and today people are demanding better quality and faster service than at any time in history.

Tangible business support for member contractors became a prime focus of the association in the 1990s. When the terrorist attacks of 9/11 shocked an already faltering economy last year, CLCA members were better positioned to survive the fallout than those who were going it alone.

In 1999, CLCA strengthened its bottom-line support of the member through enhanced networking opportunities, more business articles in California Landscaping, a new consumer information brochure, and employee recruitment and retention efforts through education and career days programs.

McGuire points out that recruiting is one of the association's highest priorities in today's competitive market. CLCA recently began working with the landscape clubs at several colleges. "The association has realized in the last few years that the industry needs to support these landscaping clubs and help the students realize what life will be like when they start working with landscapers," Ms.uire said.

In 2000 CLCA deployed a new industry recruitment and retention plan, and enhanced professional member visibility and image with a new media campaign. By the end of the year the association had produced and distributed the first module in its new Career Path series, called "How To Make Money In A Landscape Business." This is a free program to members. In 2002 its third segment was released and more are currently in production.

Furthering the industry's education goals is a cornerstone in CLCA's long-term plan. In addition to the CLT/CLP certification programs and the new Career Path series, the association regularly conducts seminars at the chapter level, and in 2001 broke ground on its new 35-module landscape employee technical training course.

And, the networking continues. Each CLCA director is slated to visit several chapters throughout his or her term, keeping the lines of communication open and the information flowing. Networking time has been included in the meeting schedules for the 18 chapters and at statewide events, allowing members to enjoy what they've determined to be the number-one benefit of membership: time with each other.

Ready for the Future

Recreating the solid foundation for CLCA's value and effectiveness was a multi-faceted effort, and the result of not only the activities of the 1990s, but of the tireless efforts of members throughout the past half-century. It is perhaps symbolic, then, that CLCA moved into its new headquarters building in Sacramento in August 2001 - a new structure to support the efforts of professional California landscapers at the start of this new century and into the years ahead.

The first 50 years were just a warm up. The greatest successes are still to come.

Members Of The Year Regular

• 2001 Jeffrey W. Sheehan
• 2000 Jerry Allison & Pete Navarro, Jr.
• 1999 Barbara Alvarez
• 1998 David Penry
• 1997 Frank Manocchio
• 1996 Jay Tripathi, CLP
• 1995 Richard Jark
• 1994 James P. Everett
• 1993 Jon Ewing
• 1992 Kent England
• 1991 Tony Bertotti, CLT
• 1990 Barry Cohen

Members Of The Year Associate

• 2001 Colleen Cotten CLP, CLT
• 2000 Jim Shaw
• 1999 Warren Gorowitz,CLIA
• 1998 Dick Considine
• 1997 Dick Considine
• 1996 Rick LaMantain
• 1995 Dick Considine
• 1994 No Award Presented
• 1993 John Binkele
• 1992 Fred Hanker
• 1991 Susan Flores
• 1990 Robert Crudup

Allegiance Award

• 2001 John Redmond, Jr.
• 2000 Charles Nunley
• 1999 Lebo Newman
• 1998 Richard Cohen
• 1995 Timothy Nord
• 1994 Richard Angelo
• 1993 Herbert S. Frank
• 1992 Mickey Strauss
• 1990 Barry Cohen
• 1990 Nelson Colvin
• 1990 Roger Fiske