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Boost Your Summertime Irrigation Sales

Greetings!

Aging and inefficient irrigation systems are a big profit opportunity for your company.


Irrigation systems that are more than 10 years old begin to experience declining efficiency and increasing repairs from aging equipment.

Get into the spirit of Smart Irrigation Month in July by supporting efficiency upgrades.

How can you convince current customers to buy upgrades? On service visits, technicians should follow the observe, recommend, sell process:

Observe: Look beyond trying to find "what is currently broken" to identify repairs and upgrades that are needed because equipment is worn or not up to the latest efficiency standards.

Recommend: Connect with the customer and provide a checklist of issues that need to be addressed. Use sales tip sheets to educate the client. Have sheets on common topics like nozzle upgrades, smart controllers, sprinkler-to-drip conversions, etc.

Sell: Be sure technicians can quote a price for needed upgrades to the customer on the spot. Carry the correct inventory on trucks so the work can be completed during the call rather than scheduling a second visit.

Develop the healthy habit of driving more upgrade sales. Your customers and your bottom line will thank you!

The Team at MPR Supply


Don't Overlook This Easy Irrigation Up-Sell


Add on Sales just got easier! Stop just passing by patios and decks. Look at them as an added source for revenue.

Many of your customers add color to a front porch, patio or deck is with potted plants. Whether they're growing geraniums, marigolds, petunias or impatiens, these plants plants require constant care.

A few scorching hot days without rain or water can kill off even the most drought tolerant plants. Container plants are exposed to more evaporation, so they tend to dry out quickly.

Offering your clients drip watering solutions for container plants is a great way to increase their satisfaction and grow your revenues. Service technicians can run drip tubes to each container location so water is applied each time the system operates. Consolidated has all of your drip & micro irrigation needs covered. Ask us how to get started marketing "planter drip watering" today.


NIBCO Contractor Business Outlook Q3 2019


Get smart insights on the business climate in our industry in this FREE report.

The business outlook for our industry is good. After a brief dip earlier this year, housing and construction indicators have rebounded. Consumer confidence is at a 18-year high, indicating consumers are feeling favorable toward spending.

Unfortunately, persistent unfavorable weather conditions have kept many landscape professionals from enjoying the full benefit of the boom. Unlike other trades, landscape contractors' sales and profitability are directly impacted by lost work days, projectdelays and customers who spend time indoors during inclement weather.

Learn how the second half of the year looks - free report.


New from Irritrol: The KD2 Residential Controller


Designed with the contractor's needs in mind, the all new KD2 controller offers a unique combination of sophisticated features and familiar operation. It is the ideal residential controller from Irritrol®. It's wide range of watering intervals and the ability to make percentage changes to watering duration provides excellent scheduling flexibility.

Electrical surge protection, self-diagnostic function, an electronic circuit breaker, and a five-year warranty provide peace of mind for years to come.

In addition, non-volatile memory maintains program information and built-in memory maintains date and time when AC power is lost. KD2 SERIES is compatible with the CLIMATE LOGIC® Weather Sensing System which adjusts run time based on on-site weather information and the SMRT Logic™ gateway for app-based remote system control.Learn more here.




Offer Mid-Season Irrigation Check-Ups to Your Clients


Are you offering mid-season check-ups to your irrigation customers?

They're certainly a big opportunity!

Many customers do not notice when they're system has broken components or is running inefficiently. This leads to wasted water and stressed landscapes.

During a typical check-up, the sprinkler expert can perform regular maintenance and help customers avoid unexpected summer service calls. Essential tasks include:

Setting an Optimal Summer Watering Schedule - the correct controller program will tame your customers' water bills by watering precisely when needed.

Check Operation and Adjust Sprinklers - making sure they're directed onto landscaped areas and not spraying the house, walkways or driveway.

Check for Broken Risers and Leaks - a leak no larger than a tip of a ballpoint pen can waste 6,000 gallons of water a month.

Correct Coverage Problems - caused by broken nozzles, interference from plants or other issues. In systems with poor coverage, you have to overwater some areas just to get other areas to stay alive. By resolving coverage problems, there's no need for overwatering.

Don't wait... with the hottest, driest months ahead. Your customers need a tune-up now.


EasyTurf Synthetic Turf for Bocce Ball Courts


Artificial grass bocce ball courts offer fun, outdoor play for family and friends of all ages. Whether a homeowner is looking to looking to host bocce ball tournaments or simply spend more time outside, installing an EasyTurf artificial grass bocce ball court is the perfect choice.

The most important feature of a high quality bocce ball court is consistent ball roll, which is easily created using EasyTurf's artificial grass products. Crushed oyster shell may be the more traditional playing surface, but there are some limiting features that make oyster shell an inconvenient hassle. First, oyster shell must be regroomed between each game. When playing bocce ball with friends and holding a drink in hand, no one wants to put the game on pause to walk the entire course to regroom. An additional complaint of oyster shell is that it does not hold up well in all weather conditions. During periods of rain or snow, oyster shell can spill out of the court and make a mess around the yard. Resolve this problem by using the proven solution of artificial grass. Artificial grass is easy, hassle-free, and weather resistant. There is no regrooming in between games, so people can play game after game without interruption. Plus, artificial grass looks beautiful and green, which easily compliments the entire look of the backyard. Learn more here.


LASCO Tip: Characteristics of PVC Pipe


For years there was not much choice in irrigation pipe material. Steel was the standard of the industry. Now there's PVC pipe with its major advantages, such as installation ease, weight, chemical resistance, and relative flexibility. The industry uses two methods to rate PVC pipe. One is the Standard Dimension Ratio and the other is the Schedule System.

Standard Dimension Ratio (SDR) or Class System was developed by the plastic pipe industry. It is the ratio of the minimum wall thickness to the outside diameter of the pipe for an established stress or pressure level. for example, Class 200 pipe has a pressure rating of 200 psi. It is the more commonly used method of rating pipe because it makes it easier to recognize the rating of the whole system. For example: a system using all Class 200 pipe and fittings will have the capability to handle 200 psi.

The Schedule System was developed long before the advent of plastic pipe. It has specific pressure ratings for each pipe size. These ratings range from 850 psi for 1/2 inch Schedule 80 pipe down to 180 psi for 6-inch Schedule 40 pipe. However, the fittings for Schedule 40 and Schedule 80 don't have pressure ratings because their shapes and irregularities have made standard pressure rating almost impossible to develop.

Click to read the full article.


Upgrade Rain Bird Commercial Controllers to Easy Cloud-Based Central Control


Rain Bird's IQ Central Control System is the perfect control solution for large sites. Landscape contractors, irrigation professionals, parks departments, school districts, and property managements are all enjoying the benefits of remote cloud-based access to controllers.

The system allows remote programming, management, and monitoring from any internet connected device.

IQ-Cloud is ideal for organizations with multiple irrigation system administrators and/or users that require mobility.

IQ can manage small single-controller sites as well as large multi-controller sites. Popular Rain Bird commercial controllers can be connected to the IQ Cloud using NCC cartridges.

NCC cartridges are compatible with the ESP-LXME traditionally-wired controllers with 1 to 48 station capacity and ESP-LXD 2-wire controllers with 1 to 200 station capacity, making upgrades easy.