April 2013 Newsletter
How can we help you be better prepared for the spring rush?
The team at MPR Supply is here to help you get the busy season started right.
Whether you need a bulk product delivery, help with a project proposal or a recommendation on how to solve a repair dilemma, we're ready to help.
Our goal is to make things simpler and easier for you, so you can focus on what's really important. We look forward to working with you soon!
Toro Contractor Rotary Nozzle Special: Buy One, Get One
Buy one Toro Precision Series Rotating Nozzle, get one FREE!
Applies to both male and female thread models.
Radius Range: 14-26'
Rotation Speed Control: Gear Driven
Arc Setting: Two models, one for part circle, one for full circle.
Stock up and save, while supplies last. Offer expires April 30, 2013.
Attend Our Seminar on Xeripave Pervious Pavers - April 23
A growing movement to "go green" is driving customer interest in new solutions. MPR Supply is the area's distributor for Xeripave Pavers. Xeripave previous segmental pavers are ideally suited as a practical long-term alternative to impervious materials. They allow water to pass through, filtering out pollutants. Xeripave products perform the same core function as traditional hardscape products, yet provide additional pervious benefits. They allow rainfall to drain through the body of the paver and be absorbed by the underlayment, recharging ground water supplies.
Xeripave is used for various applications in commercial and residential projects. The pavers are versatile and are available in a wide range of colors, designs, sizes and shapes. Pavers are uniform in size. Xeripave is inert when cured, and is unaffected by salt or UV. Pavers will not fade in color and do not deteriorate in freeze/thaw environments.
Special Class on Xeripave Design & Installation Techniques
with Matt Lonesk from the Xeripave factory. Plan to attend April 23rd at 12:30 PM at MPR Supply. Please RSVP with your MPR representative.
Remember to Sell "The Extras"
Sell your customer on the whole package and increase your profits.
Next time you take your family out for dinner at one of those fancy steakhouses, bring extra cash.
Most are using suggestive selling to sell add-ons to the basic steak like vegetables and even hollandaise sauce. Of course, the "sides" are the most profitable part of the sale.
Many contractors stop selling when they get the order for the steak. They forget to follow through, and get the order for all the "trimmings" that add profit and increase customer satisfaction.
These contractors are breaking one of the most important rules of marketing: sell as much as you can, as often as you can, to the customer you already know.
Increased profitability comes with developing a menu of add-on items. Popular add-on categories for a landscape contractor include lighting, ponds and water gardens, retaining walls, specimen plantings, seasonal color and more. In developing your list of options, educate yourself about what new offerings are becoming popular in your area.
Selling more to the same customer makes sense for your operations. Your crew is already mobilized; you have your equipment on the site. It's pretty easy to drop in some wire for landscape lights in the irrigation trench or dig an extra hole for a simple water feature. Spending MORE time at a job site might actually benefit your bottom line.
So develop your company's menu of options and increase your dollars on every job. Then treat your employees to one of those fancy steak dinners with the extra profit!
Spring Backflow Start-up is Easy with Wilkins 300 Series
Springtime brings irrigation systems start-up. The service line leading to the backflow should be flushed to prevent debris fouling, thereby eliminating clean-out costs. The Blow-Out/Flush feature of Wilkins 300 Series Backflow Preventers is specifically designed to provide easy start-up flushing - just remove the pressure vessel and install the BOF, turn on the water to flush, and then reinstall the perfectly clean pressure vessel. No down time and no headaches!
The Wilkins 300 Series is available in ½" - 2" sizes on Model 350 Double Checks and Model 375 Reduced Pressure Principle Backflow Preventers.
How to Ground Controllers Properly? Review these Tips for Spring
Always install and verify proper grounding equipment
Protecting expensive irrigation control systems is an essential step for a quality installation. The thousands of feet of wiring in the typical commercial installation acts as an attractive target for lightning strikes. The more stations on a controller, the more important the number and placement of ground rods and ground plates becomes for an installation.
Good grounding begins with use of Regency Wire's UL-listed ground rods, 5/8" diameter and 10 foot length. These are driven in the ground no further than 10 feet from the controller locations and connected to the controller's grounding lug with a bare copper wire. A Cadweld connector is used to link the ground rod to the 6 AWG copper wire. The wire is never soldered to the rod. Rather, an exothermic weld is created with a Regency Cadweld kit. A Cadweld igniter must be utilized to properly install the kit.
Regency copper ground plates are often added into many installations. It is essential that the plates be surrounded by appropriate earth contact materials that are both non-corrosive and that aid in the conductivity of current from the plate into the soil. We recommend Regency GEM (Ground Enhancing Material).
The earth-to-ground resistance of grounding circuits are typically measured using a Megger®, or other similar instrument, with a desired maximum reading of no more than 10 ohms within the circuit. Many commercial irrigation specifications require ground testing of new installations to verify proper readings.
For more information on grounding and meeting requirements of project specifications, contact your MPR representative
Proven Drainage Products from ADS
Contact us for all your landscape drainage needs.
N-12® drainage pipe from Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) is the world standard for corrugated polyethylene drainage pipe.
Introduced in 1987, N-12 dual wall pipe with its smooth interior wall and corrugated exterior wall, offers exceptional hydraulics and strength.
Built using application specific high-density polyethylene, N-12 corrugated pipe also provides superior corrosion and abrasion resistance making it an excellent alternative to reinforced concrete and corrugated metal pipe. These properties have led to the increasing approval and acceptance of N-12 drainage pipe in storm water applications across the country.
Rain Bird's New Residential Modular Controller: The ESP-ME
Rain Bird's new ESP-Me offers easy programming, a higher station count and new features that take modular controllers to the next level.
Expandable from 4 to 22 stations, the ESP-Me meets the needs of a broad range of jobs. The more zones you add, the more you save, providing you and your customers with more value for the money.
New programming features include:
Tailored Watering Schedules Meet each landscape's unique needs. With the controller up and running faster than ever before, you'll get more jobs done in less time.
Single-Controller Simplicity Use either 3 or 6-station modules to expand up to 22 stations in one controller.
Delay Watering Easily postpone irrigation for up to 14 days during inclement weather. Normal irrigation resumes automatically.
Bypass Rain Sensor by Station for a specific areas or for the entire landscape.
Seasonal Adjust by Program When the seasons change, change with them.
Short Detect/Programming Errors Visual notification of issues with a bright red LED and scrolling messages
One-Touch Watering With the dial in the AUTO position, just press and hold the right teardrop arrow button.
Prevent callbacks with Contractor Default™. Simply save and restore your programs after setup.
User-Friendly Rain Bird Design Featuring vibrant colors, an intuitive dial and a bright LCD display, the new ESP-Me is easy on the eyes.