Newsletter

A monthly publication for Members And Other StakeHolders

F EBR UARY ■ 2011

Board of
Directors Message from Kenneth J. Clemmer,
Chairman of the Board
Ken Clemmer,
SynaTek HEY, WE NEED
Chairman
YOUR HELP….
Randy Tischer,
Green Velvet Sod Farms “Service to others is the
Secretary
rent you pay for your
Roger Ogalla, room here on Earth."
BTSI
Treasurer
--Muhammad Ali

Allen Bohrer, “What skills do you have?”

Newsom Seed
Director they asked me. “Well, I’m
an okay administrator, I
Kevin Connelly, can build spread sheets,
Landscape Supply
Director make budgets, that kind of
stuff ”, I quipped. “No we
Mike Hull, meant can you paint, do
Matrix Turf Solutions
Director carpentry, electrical work
or plumbing? “I thought to
Bill Walker,
myself, I don’t even do those who took the Presidents habitable. As a result, the
Walker Supply
Director things at my own home, so Course at Aileron with Dave population of the city is still
I replied “not really.” That Sullivan know what I’m almost 20% less than it was
was the routine on day one talking about). It was a lot of pre-Katrina.
as a volunteer for me a few grunt work and we worked
weeks ago. I had volunteered hard, lights out at 10:00 up We worked through
to help repair houses with a before dawn ready to go by Catholic Charities who
group of 16 people from my 7:00. Sleeping in a bunk funded the cost of repairing
church in New Orleans. The bed (I got there late so I had the homes for the people
amazing thing about this to take the top) in a room who qualified for their
organization and others who with four other guys, shower program; we supplied the
accept volunteers is that the room like high school gym “sweat equity” to do the
organization takes anyone class stretches one, if you work. Volunteering is a
and they did so in my case. know what I mean. No highly personal thing, I
I found myself immersed in surprise that there is plenty believe. Not everyone is
work that I would normally of work to do in home willing to do it and that’s
PrimeraTurf Inc.
not be doing with people repairs in New Orleans even okay. I asked some of
P. O. Box 39418
that I barely knew. The five plus years after Katrina the people that came to
North Ridgeville, OH 44039
440.748.0177 work wasn’t particularly with an estimated 55,000 New Orleans that week,
440.748.0176 Fax “Presidential” (those of you homes still vacant and not why they came. I got
www.primeraturf.coop

CO N TE N TS OF
T H IS EDITIO N
• Message from the
Chairman.
The value of
volunteerism.
• The News.
The Quiet before the
Storm.
• A (Non)Sense of
Union.
Have unions become a
hindrance to progress?
• The Purpose of a
Purchasing Co-op.
A refresher course.
• Speaking from
Experience.
What’s Selling? What’s
Not? By Dana Wilson.
• Immigrant, Inc.
The positive side of the
immigration story.
• All A-Twitter.
By Pat Jones.
• Member Challenge.
We are in the final stretch
and a few Members have
separated themselves
from the field.
• RISE Column.
Legislative Season is
Officially Open.
• Water.
ITT recognizes the
water challenge.
2 PrimeraTurf
news
Message from Kenneth J. Clemmer,
Chairman of the Board
answers that ranged involved in some form have donated your time
from wanting to help of volunteering. Many and talent to serve on
people, to wanting organizations could not the board, committees
to not have a guilty operate or even exist if it etc. So when the time
conscience, for some it wasn’t for the generosity comes and we tap you
was a spiritual thing, I of people giving their on the shoulder to ask
would guess that some time. The dollar amount for your help in Primera,
of us secretly wanted assigned to the value please give generously
to get out of the cold of volunteers’ time is of your time. I know
Northeast for a couple estimated on an annual you will and we promise
of days. I’m sure that a basis to be $169 Billion. that you won’t have to
lot of you are volunteers sleep in a bunk bed.
with organizations Even in our Anyway, after my week
in your local area PrimeraTurf Coop, in New Orleans, I have
and perhaps abroad. volunteering is necessary a new appreciation for
Based on statistics, it's to make the organization volunteers. That segment
estimated that 27% work. Over its history of the population that is
of the population is many of you as owners willing to put their lives
on hold for a period of
time or to do something
that is a little out of their
comfort zone to make
this world a better place
for all of us deserves more
credit than they receive.
I’m looking forward
to seeing all of you in
Orlando.
Best Regards
 news
The News

Chairman Clemmer
picked a good time to be
away from the business.
He most likely did a
lot more good in New
Orleans than he could
have done in the office
and we commend him
for stepping out of his
comfort zone and giving
his time and labor to the
Member Owned
most needy. PrimeraTurf is a Member
owned cooperative. We are
It is awfully quiet! very aware that our only
Silence before the storm? reason for existence is to
Are we in the eye of will congregate in short message we deliver it improve conditions for the
the hurricane when order in Orlando for the supports our best interest. business of our Members.
everything is eerily still? GIS and try to figure it We need your (the
Are we waiting for the out. And we will tell each The deal between Members) input and
other shoe to drop or other stories about the ChemChina and Koor active participation. This
are we at the start of a way we see the business closed and consequently newsletter, our personal
serious uptick in business going from here, being Makhteshim Agan visits with Members, our
activity? Hard to tell. We very careful that whatever is now a privately web site, our Policy Book
and Members’ Code of
Conduct are all tools
designed to make sure that
PrimeraTurf accurately
RESERVE THE DATES! represents the interests and
views of its membership
The Next PrimeraTurf Membership Meeting community.
Will Be Held February 8, 2011 At The Holiday Inn
Resort – The Castle on International Drive In Orlando
The 2011 Primeraturf Annual Meeting
And Trade Show
Will Be Held July 12-14 At The Embassy Suites –
Brooklyn Center In Minneapolis, MN IT IS STILL A
GOOD TIME TO
BE INDEPENDENT

www.primeraturf.coop
 news
The News

owned company PrimeraTurf will the economy is trying Independents and their
with shareholding by hold its traditional to get out of its long Manufacturers. Thanks
ChemChina (60%) and membership meeting the hibernation. go to ITODA for keeping
Koor (40%).Who is next? day before the GIS Trade this important initiative
Show opens and – in Then we will all alive.
Who’s next is also the addition to dealing with be there for the by
question we are asking its internal business – now traditional Think Coming out of
about the succession of will work with Michael Independent networking Orlando, hopefully the
Frans Jager as the leader Marks of Indian River reception of which worst of the winter will
of the pack. The search Consulting Group on PrimeraTurf has been be behind us and we can
is in full swing and – sorting out the challenges a long time promoter. start thinking about
reportedly – there is no and opportunities for the It has become a unique Spring and a whole new
shortage of (qualified) distribution business in meeting and networking campaign.
contenders. the USA at a time that opportunity for

A (Non)Sense Of Union

This article is about unions – it stands now labor laws by means of a Taking advantage
the role of trade unions at 11.9 percent of the deceptively titled 2007 of a labor friendly
in the contemporary workforce in the private legislative initiative that administration, unions
globalized world and sector – unions exert keeps coming back as have also successfully
if you think this topic a disproportionate “Employee Free Choice convinced the National
has no relevance to influence over what is Act (EFCA)”. If put into Mediation Board to
PrimeraTurf and the happening (and not law, EFCA would strip abandon a 75 year old
business we are in: Think happening) in our American workers of their rule that required a “yes”
Twice! economy and we are all right to a private ballot vote from a majority
affected by it. vote, require companies of the workforce in a
In spite of the fact to submit to binding particular business or
that union membership Even with arbitration and increase company in order to
in the private sector has their diminishing penalties for unfair labor unionize. In May of
diminished substantially representation in the practices committed by last year the National
from the 1950s when working populace, unions employers but not by Mediation Board
more than a third of are working hard behind unions. announced new rules
workers belonged to the scenes to change the that would only require

4 PrimeraTurf

A (Non)Sense Of Union
a “yes” vote from the
employees who actually
cast ballots.
It is our view that trade
unions are a classical
example of a (type of )
organization that has
failed to keep up with the
changing world and the
changing requirements
of the global economy
of which we are a part.
Nobody can deny that
the early labor movement
of the 19th and 20th
century was a much
needed reaction to
abusive labor practices
and the lack of balance
between the interest
of labor and capital in
business. But things have
changed, labor laws have
codified the necessary
protection of workers’
rights and business has
learned to look at its
human resources as an
asset rather than an
expense, a cost burden
that needs to be kept low.
While the unions’
influence in the private
sector may be waning
somewhat and would be
waning faster if it were
www.primeraturf.coop
COMMENT
not being shored up by
the political system, in
particular the Democratic
Party, it is vibrant as
ever in the public sector
where 36.2 percent of
all workers belong to a
union. It is somewhat
surprising that unions
would even be required
in the public sector.
What kind of abuse of
labor would they have
to guard against? What
organizational power
would they have to offset?
In our democracy, public come under scrutiny, but results in that critical
servants are employed by more what the unions sector of our public
the people through their have wrought in the life. Unions have so far
elected representatives. public sector. Within that extended their demands
The public is there to debate, but in a whole for compensation, work-
serve its interest by means separate category, we will and retirement- rules
of the voting booth. see the debate intensify and benefits that it has
Do we need unions about the role of the brought the American
to second-guess the unions in education. automotive industry to
democratic process? its knees causing severe
In fact, if you think damage that could
However one answers about the large failures only be corrected by a
that question, we will see in our society, unions government bail-out and
the unions in the public have played a large a forced bankruptcy of
sector severely tested and contributing role in Chrysler and General
challenged in the next many of them. Teacher Motors. Now, the
couple of years. In the unions have been a union muscle in the
current fiscal situation major impediment to public sector, which has
of the country, the States the restructuring of our feathered the beds of
and many municipalities educational systems its own leadership and
it is inevitable that not and to the introduction public employees way
so much the unions will of accountability for beyond anything seen
5
 COMMENT
A (Non)Sense Of Union

in the private sector, is now: States declaring UNIONS IN AMERICA automotive industry -
fighting hard against any bankruptcy as a tool AFTER THE SECOND that probably could have
attempt to restore fiscal to get from under the WORLD WAR been avoided with a more
discipline by bringing the crushing burden of future HAVE FOCUSED forward looking attitude
compensation, pensions entitlements of public ON PRESERVING of the unions involved.
and benefits of public employees and retirees. AND EXPANDING
employees more in line THE RIGHTS AND For the public sector
with the public sector. If you step back and ENTITLEMENTS OF the way out from under
look at the big picture, THEIR CURRENT the burden by bankruptcy
No wonder that there you can clearly see where MEMBERSHIP AT does not exists, at least
suddenly is serious unions have failed to stay THE EXPENSE AND not for now, at the
discussion of what in tune with the modern WITH BLATANT Federal or State level. So,
was unthinkable up to day reality: DISREGARD OF the only way to pay for
THE EMPLOYMENT the sins of the past is to
OPPORTUNITY tax future generations
FOR FUTURE with the cost of excessive
GENERATIONS AND union pandering. That
– IN THE CASE OF is the way Illinois has
TEACHERS’ UNIONS chosen to address its
– AT THE EXPENSE huge budget deficit: it
OF THE QUALITY OF has increased the personal
EDUCATION. income tax rate by 66%
and the corporate income
Time and again, tax rate by 45%. That,
unions have been self by itself, will not come
serving to the point of close to curing all the
bringing corporations - ills of the State. Illinois
and now public sector is facing $77.8 billion
bureaucracies as well - in in underfunded pension
a position of insolvency liabilities. So hold your
without regard for the breath for what’s next.
future employment in But the question is: how
these institutions. In the much longer will the
private sector this self taxpaying public accept
serving and short sighted to pay for union excesses
approach has ended in and public larceny?
numerous bankruptcies -
notably in the airline and The relevancy of all

6 PrimeraTurf

A (Non)Sense Of Union
of this to our business is
obviously that as citizens
and corporate citizens we
all pay a stiff price for the
lack of fiscal discipline
the public sector has
exhibited under union
pressure. We will all pay
a price in much higher
taxes or –worse – in
a debt crisis that will
devastate our economy
and further erode our
standing in the world.
That is –of course –
The Purpose Of A Purchasing Co-Op
PrimeraTurf has never
shied away from public
clarity about the purpose,
for which it exists, but
the question keeps
coming up and members
and supply partners
themselves sometimes
lose track of the reason
why they have chosen
to become partners in
growth. A brief refresher
course appears to be in
order.
Our purchasing
co-operative serves two
www.primeraturf.coop
COMMENT
unless we allow the public
sector to use bankruptcy
as a tool to get from
under the crushing
burden of unfunded and
unwarranted entitlements
in much the same way
United Airlines, Delta
Airlines, US Airways,
General Motors and
Chrysler were given
a new lease on life by
restructuring their “legacy
cost”.
constituencies: 1) it’s
Member Companies,
which are Independent
T&O Distributors,
and 2) it’s Supply
Partners, which are
the manufacturers
of the merchandise
flowing through the
co-op. We call these
two constituencies
“Partners in Growth”
because growth cannot
be accomplished by one
without the other, at least
not inside the co-op.
It will be interesting to
watch how far the unions
will go in favoring the
status quo and their
current constituency over
the future opportunity for
all, including their future
membership. “Union” is a
misnomer in this context.
There will be more
discord than union
between the trade unions
and the public at large
before our fiscal house is
restored to order.
Our Member
Companies are also
Owners of, Shareholders
in the business.
Collectively they own
PrimeraTurf and all its
assets (including the
PrimeraOne® brand) and
each Member Company
owns one share of stock
in the company. The
Member Companies
are being served by all
the advantages that
PrimeraTurf provides
them and by the
Patronage Dividend that
Red Carpet
Treatment
There is one more thing
you can count on, besides
death and taxes: If you are a
PrimeraTurf Supply Partner,
you will get the Red Carpet
Treatment from every
PrimeraTurf Member. No
fail, no excuse, no
exception. If you call and
set up an appointment, you
will be seen, listened to,
questioned and answered
with attention and respect.
It is part of the PrimeraTurf
value system that this policy
is carried out by every
Member, without exception.
When your experience does
not match this expectation,
we urge you to notify the
Member not living up to
your expectation in writing
and copy the PrimeraTurf
Board and Chief Executive
Officer.
PRIMERATURF MEMBERS
CREATE VALUE FROM
THE GROUND UP!
7
 COMMENT
The Purpose Of A Purchasing Co-Op
they collect at the end of PrimeraTurf finds a way THE PURPOSE OF
each fiscal year. to grow the business for THE CO-OP IS TO
the Supply Partner. SELECT FROM THE
Our Supply Partners AVAILABLE SOURCES
are Stakeholders rather Without the co-op, FOR MERCHANDISE
than Shareholders, the distributors would THE ONES THAT ARE
but they are equally each make their own BEST POSITIONED
indispensable to the sourcing decisions and AND INCLINED TO
operation. Supply arrangements, which MAKE THE CO-OP
Partners are being would likely mean AND ITS MEMBERS
served by PrimeraTurf that the business in a SUCCESSFUL.
furthering, promoting particular product gets
and growing their split up in as many pieces It is our job to evaluate
business with PrimeraTurf as there are potential potential supply sources,
Member Companies. suppliers for it in the pick the ones that we
No Supply Partnership USA. want to work with and
survives unless then drive the Members’
business their way.
It is our job to make
PrimeraTurf important
to some select suppliers
(and not to others). If we
were to do it different we
would have everybody
who is a supplier involved
in our business and
we would be irrelevant
to all of them. This is
exactly the situation we
are trying to avoid by
putting a purchasing
co-op in place between
the distributors and the
manufacturers. If our
founding fathers had not
preempted us, we could
have picked the tag line E
PLURIBUS UNUM for
www.primeraturf.coop
the way we go about our
business as a purchasing
cooperative.
All of this is easier said
than done. How do you
make sure you pick the
right supply partners and
what do you do when
circumstances change and
you have alienated all the
manufacturers you have
previously spurned?
Two great questions
that deserve thoughtful
attention and an
unequivocal response.
Fortunately
PrimeraTurf did not have
to re-invent the wheel
here in order to come up
with its solutions. We
like to learn from the
best and there are great
purchasing cooperatives
in almost every sector of
the business, particularly
in distribution. And all
of them that preceded
us had, by necessity,
addressed these same
questions and come up
with answers that they
were more than willing to
share with us.
8
 COMMENT
The Purpose Of A Purchasing Co-Op

PrimeraTurf picks its Distribution never ending, process. that matter most going
Supply Partners using • Management The picks that we make forward and (continue to)
each of the following compatibility between today are certainly meet the five criteria
criteria: the company and the different from the ones spelled out above. To that
co-op we made only a few years end, all of PrimeraTurf ’s
• The position of the ago and they are most Supply Partner
company in the global The weight we attach likely different from the Agreements are either
T&O business to each of these 5 criteria ones we will be making a open ended and
• The capability of the may fluctuate from time few years down the line. renewable from year to
company to be the to time and depending on year or limited to a three
low cost supplier and the circumstances of each PrimeraTurf will walk a year term (which is the
innovate the business individual case, but a very fine line between showing rule for private label
• The long term high score in the last two loyalty to the Supply supply arrangements).
commitment of the criteria is important: it Partners who brought it This way we make sure
company to the T&O takes two to tango! to the dance and the that no legitimate supplier
business in the USA imperative to make sure is ever locked out of our
• The company attitude Supply Partner that it will be lined up business other than for a
towards Independent evaluation is an ongoing, with the Supply Partners limited period of time.

Speaking From Experience

By Dana Wilson, Business Development Manager

WHAT’S SELLING? WHAT’S NOT? thought out strategies, acquisitions, training

I’m sure that everyone has established growth
objectives for the upcoming season and has
developed strategies to make them happen. In
most cases, growth will come from:
• Increasing sales with existing customers
• New customer attainment
• New product introductions
Each of these growth avenues require well
programs, marketing plans, etc , but I want to
focus on the introduction of new products or
SKUs.
We, at PrimeraTurf, are constantly looking
for new, innovative, profitable products to
introduce to our Members. We want to be
sure we have as many bases covered as possible
from a category perspective, and have the best
possible assortment of products within those
categories.

www.primeraturf.coop 9
 COMMENT
Speaking From Experience
By Dana Wilson, Business Development Manager

When a distributor decides to add a new

product, it should be a strategic decision
accompanied by a sales/marketing plan. I’m
sure we are all familiar with the ‘80/20 rule’
where 80% of the sales come from 20% of the
SKUs. SKU proliferation can become a huge
problem and can happen quickly.

Just look at how many ways one can kill a

dandelion!

In my prior experience, there was a point

where 80/20 became an improvement goal. In
other words, we had a ton of SKUs that sat
on store shelves and in distribution centers.
We attacked the problem and made dramatic
improvements, but along the way tried to
identify where things went wrong.
of the Product Manager is to grow their
product line and introduce new SKUs to the
• Introduction of new product categories and
mix.
new SKUs within existing categories. We
• Sales people are goal oriented and will
were primarily a fertilizer, control products
attain their goals in the best way they can.
and seed distributor for many years. As the
There are products they believe in and are
core business grew and we began to enter
comfortable presenting, and they will work
new markets, we, over time, added mowing
hard to obtain their objectives by selling
equipment, irrigation supplies, Golf Course
these products. When new products are
accessories, aftermarket parts, exterior
introduced, there must be an adequate
lighting, flower bulbs, custom embroidered
amount of training and coaching to provide
Golf flags, and several other lines I’m sure
the confidence level necessary for the sales
I missed. The overall number of SKUs
team to present these new products to their
increased exponentially and the company
customers. We found that our sales people
began to lose control of inventories.
who had a comfort level with equipment
• These additions required more Product
would sell it – those who did not stuck to
Managers to work with an increasing
fertilizer, control products and seed. All of
number of suppliers. In addition, the goal

www.primeraturf.coop 10
 COMMENT
Speaking From Experience
By Dana Wilson, Business Development Manager
the other new product categories that were
introduced had some success here and there,
but never really became part of the core
business. In my opinion, we introduced the
products with a big splash, but didn’t do an
adequate job in training and support.
• Customers welcome the introduction to
new products, but also have developed
a comfort level and confidence in what
they are currently purchasing. It is the
role of the distributor and its sales team to
instill confidence in the customer to the
point where he is willing to take the risk
and make a change. If introducing a new
product line or category, the customer is
probably purchasing from a competitor
that has established a relationship with
that category. Getting them to change is
usually a process that won’t occur overnight.
Customers are normally quite loyal and like
www.primeraturf.coop
to do business with several suppliers. Our
objective was always to be the ‘one stop
shop’ for our customers, but in reality it
rarely occurred.
Adding strong, profitable products is key to
continued growth and success in our business.
At the same time we must evaluate what is
already on the shelves for sales activity and
profitability. If a SKU is not meeting our
expectations we need to determine why. It
could be the need for a promotional program,
need for sales training, or it could just be lack
of demand. Once we know why, we need to
put plans in place to improve performance or
to get it off the shelves and out of inventory.
The ultimate goal is to turn inventories,
focus our efforts on selling new technology
and improve sales and margins.
11
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12

Immigrant, Inc.
Immigrant, Inc. is the title
of a book by immigration
lawyer Richard Herman
and journalist Robert
Smith about the impact
immigrants have on our
economy. This is not a
book in the style of Lou
Dobbs wringing his hands
about the burden illegal
immigrants place on our
society but an analysis
of the positive influence
immigrants – legal and
illegal – have on the
American way of life.
Already on the cover flap
the book asks us to consider
the following facts:
• Today’s immigrants are
nearly twice as likely
as non-immigrants to
launch a business
• Immigrant founders are
behind more than half of
the high-tech start-ups in
Silicon Valley
• Immigrants have become
more likely than native-
born Americans to earn
an advanced degree, to
invent something, and to
be awarded a U.S. Patent.
Google, Intel, Yahoo,
Hotmail, Sun Microsystems,
www.primeraturf.coop
COMMENT
YouTube and eBay were all
founded by immigrants.
From this perspective
it becomes clear that
immigrants – far from
taking jobs away from
native born Americans
– are actually creating
employment opportunity by
starting new businesses of
all kinds.
The book goes deep into
the reasons why there are
so many immigrant success
stories. It interviews a large
number of immigrant
entrepreneurs, many of
which have succeeded
against all odds. One of
them is the Italian founder
of Cadence Design Systems,
Alberto Sangiovanni-
Vincentelli who says “In
some sense, you can say
and trusted to start a new an option. You’ve landed
the immigrants are more
life in a strange land? As here, you’re alone, you
willing to sacrifice their
a nation of immigrants, have to make a new life for
life to do something
America became a nation of yourself.”
significant; that is an
optimistic risk-takers”.
important characteristic of
Another explanation is
an immigrant.”
Ric Fulop, a Venezuelan offered by Indian immigrant
immigrant and co-founder Gururaj Deshpande, who
Psychologist John
of battery innovator A123, left India at age 22 for
Gartner is quoted in the
says: :”I think an important college in Canada, moved
book saying “Who but
part of being an immigrant to Boston and pioneered
a restless dreamer could
is desperation. Failure is not the architecture of optical
leave everything they knew
13

Immigrant, Inc.
fiber networks. He believes
innovation springs from
hard times. “People do not
more than what they can
dream of. So I dream big.”
“With less to lose”, he
thinks “immigrants are
bolder players”. “With a
fresh look at the landscape”,
he thinks “they are better at
spying opportunity”.
Deshpande agrees with
legendary venture capitalist
Michael Moritz, who
in 2000 wrote: “Force a
venture capitalist to choose
between a well heeled
Ivy League student and a
smart and impoverished
immigrant, and we’ll pick
the latter every time.”
“To immigrate is an
entrepreneurial act” says
Edward Roberts, Founder
of MIT Entrepreneurship
Center.
And Google Vice
President Omid Kordestani
told San Jose State
University graduates:
“To keep an edge, I
must think and act like
an immigrant. There is a
www.primeraturf.coop
COMMENT
special optimism and drive
that I benefited from and
continue to rely on that
I want all of you to find.
Immigrants are inherently
dreamers and fighters.”
The 2000 Census
found that immigrants,
while accounting for 12
percent of the population,
made up nearly half of all
scientists and engineers
with doctorate degrees. It
is a misconception that
immigrants by definition
are poor, unskilled and
uneducated.
The other side of this
coin is that the United
States have offered
exceptionally fertile soil for
immigrant entrepreneurs to
ply their trades in. Monte
Ahuja, the Indian founder
of Transtar Industries says:
“Most immigrants that I
know, they don’t say, “I’m
going to America to find a
job.” It’s bigger than that.
They come here because
they see this as a land of
opportunity, where you can
achieve anything you want”.
“In the U.S. it does
not matter where you’re
from, only that you have
a good idea” says Alberto
Sangiovanni-Vincentelli.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
acknowledged this when he
said: “To think that a once
scrawny boy from Austria
could grow up to become
Governor of California, that
is an immigrant’s dream. It
is an American dream.”
With all this evidence of
the blessings immigration
bestows both on the
immigrants and the nation,
it is really hard to fathom
why we don’t do everything
in our power to attract
foreign talent. Even Ben
Bernanke, Chairman of
the Fed, acknowledges that
“our immigration laws
discriminate pretty heavily
against highly talented
WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS AND
CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR NEWSLETTER
scientists and engineers
who want to come to this
country and be part of our
technological advancement”.
Says Czech immigrant
and philanthropist Jan
Vilcek: “We must help our
fellow citizens understand
that for this great country to
thrive and retain its unique
characteristics, it must be
open to immigrants”.
The book and the
message in no way detract
from the necessity to fend
off illegal immigration but
it makes a compelling case
for doing that by greatly
facilitating the opportunity
for legal immigration.
Particularly of talent that is
only scarcely available from
home-spun sources.
14

All A-Twitter
By Pat Jones
Okay, so I changed my
mind.
Just a few months
ago, I wrote a column
about social media usage
for Green Industry
marketers. I extolled the
virtues of Facebook as a
way for distributors to
build relationships with
customers, pass along
agronomic updates from
field sales reps and learn
more about what floats
the boats of the people
who buy your products.
I noted that it’s free, easy
and basically just requires
a commitment of time
and focus on behalf of
the distributor owner or
key manager.
www.primeraturf.coop
COMMENT
In the same column,
I pretty much wrote off
the other popular social
media outlet, Twitter. As
I recall, I decried it as
a fad with no apparent
business benefit…an
excuse for people to
broadcast how yummy
their fruit smoothie is
or state their important
personal feelings about
what Kim Kardashian
wore to the Golden
Globes. It would pass
like a digital gallstone, I
thought.
Then I took a second
look at Twitter. This time
I looked hard at how
superintendents, LCOs
and a lot of sports turf
managers are Tweeting.
And, more importantly,
I looked at what they
were “following” on their
Twitter feeds. Suddenly,
it occurred to me that
there is value for industry
marketers in this odd
little communications
phenomenon.
Twitter is simple: it’s
basically a broadcast
e-mail network that - Like Facebook, it’s
allows you to send and
receive short messages
(140 characters or fewer)
and links to web pages
with articles, photos,
videos or whatever.
By its nature, it works
most effectively with
folks who live and die
by their mobile devices:
smartphones like the
iPhone, BlackBerry
or Droid. It’s texting
on steroids, only your
message goes to however
many folks are following
you.
Based on my second - It’s relatively easy
look at Twitter, here are
the advantages:
another thing that
positions you – the
distributor owner,
rep or manufacturer’s
rep – as an accessible
business contact for
end users. Think
about the meaning
of the words “social
networking.” That’s
exactly what it is. It’s
the modern version
of a business cocktail
party. You meet, you
talk, you decide if you
smell profit in the
relationship and you
act accordingly.
to build followers
from amongst your
15
 COMMENT
All A-Twitter
By Pat Jones

customer base and

industry contacts.
Simply sign up, choose
some keywords like
“turf,” “golf,” “lawn,”
“superintendent,”
etc., and Twitter will
begin to generate
suggestions for people
you should follow. The
more you choose to
follow, the “smarter”
Twitter becomes in
recommending others
to follow. as what you learn by directly to a news item finger on the pulse of
- Chances are your following them. It’s not or feature on their the market.
local university turf unusual to read a Tweet website and you don’t - You don’t need to
programs and PhD from a superintendent have to search for it. have your Twitter
researchers have a saying “Dollar spot - Most superintendents feed clogging up
Twitter feed. Follow emerging” or “Getting and landscapers with your phone or e-mail
those and also “mine” ready to aerify next blogs also Tweet to inbox. You can view
their followers for Tuesday.” Those little announce each new everything from your
potential customers. clues might add up to a post, so you can PC or install a Tweet
Unlike Facebook, sale. keep up with what Deck feature on your
Twitter generally - Following various they’re saying. This smartphone that
doesn’t require a folks also keeps you is vastly easier than collects all of your
person’s permission to in the loop on plant having to check feeds and just lets you
become a “friend.” You pathology (lots of these blogs regularly. know when you’ve
just click on “follow” researchers Tweet), Maintenance blogs by been Tweeted directly
and you’re good to industry news (GCI, superintendents are or your handle is
go. Essentially, you’re GCM, L&L, PLANET, growing dramatically mentioned.
subscribing to their etc., all have feeds), as a way for them to
broadcasted Tweets. vendors, competitors communicate with So, what are the
- Getting people to and others. It can golfers. I strongly disadvantages?
follow you might actually save you time suggest you monitor
not be as important because the Tweet links them to keep your - Time

www.primeraturf.coop 16
 COMMENT
All A-Twitter
By Pat Jones

Twitter is one more particular feeds that you - John Kaminski them and figure out what
thing that can eat away know are worthwhile. - Turf Diseases you can afford.
at the available time If 10 minutes a day - Local PhDs
in your day. I’ll warn on Twitter gives you - Golf Course Industry I’ll wrap this up by
you now that you can customer information or magazine saying I hope to see all
become addicted to it ideas that convert directly - Golf Course my PrimeraTurf friends
just like any other high- into sales, it may be Management magazine at the GIS in Orlando
tech “gee whiz” thing. worth it. Only you can - Key vendors (XYZ next week. It’ll be a crazy
Yet, like Facebook, you judge the ROI. Chemical, ABC few days for all of us,
can manage it fairly well Mowing, etc.) but feel free to track me
by checking it at least Curious and want to down if you’d like to
weekly, but it’s better give this a shot? Here’s As always, a reminder talk. You can reach me
to give it a few minutes your golf/turf business that no single marketing by e-mail, mobile phone,
a day will keep you starter list for Twitter. tool is enough. A great text, Facebook, Twitter
current. Essentially, it’s Just start an account website without print (@gcimagazine), smoke
another e-mail inbox (pick a “handle” that advertising to drive it will signals, semaphore, flare
to look at, but you’re refers to your business) be unvisited. Spending a gun or Pony Express
mostly scanning quickly and search for/follow: pile to exhibit at a trade courier. Or you can just
for items of interest or show without a specific drop by booth #901 and
sales goal is pointless. say hello. I know that’s a
Not using earned co-op pretty old-school concept,
dollars from a supplier but it still works nicely
is dumb. You MUST too.
have an integrated plan
that ties sales goals to Check out my industry
print advertising, co-op marketing blog: http://
programs, web, face-to- gcimarketing.blogspot.
face, PR and social media com/
like blogging, Twitter and
Facebook. I know that (Pat Jones is publisher and
seems like a daunting editorial director of Golf
task…but it’s not if you Course Industry magazine
invest a little time and and a longtime industry
brainstorming with your consultant. He can be
team to consider all the reached at 440-478-4763
possibilities, prioritize or psjhawk@cox.net.)

www.primeraturf.coop 17
 COMMENT
Member Challenge — The New Challenge
Pocono Turf
Supply
GreenLife
Herod Supply
Seeds
If you had a down year in 2009-2010, you are probably
well-positioned to see your company name on a BIG
check next year because the Board of Directors is again
offering a Member Challenge worth $25,000 in an
effort to boost Member participation in PrimeraTurf
programs in what they think will be another
challenging year in our industry. The Challenge will
reward those Members that increase – within some
important parameters – their rebate generation through
PrimeraTurf from FY2009-10 to FY2010-11.
In order to be rewarded under the Challenge, Members
must:
• Have a PrimeraTurf rebate track record of a
minimum of two years
• Generate rebate revenue of at least $50,000 through
PrimeraTurf in FY 2010-2011
The measurement to be used for the Challenge is the
percentage increase in rebate generation by Member
from FY 2009-10 to FY 2010-11.
www.primeraturf.coop
AmeriTurf
Outdoors, Inc.
• The first prize is $12,500 in cash
• The second prize is $7,500 in cash
• The third prize is $5,000 in cash
The Challenge will be paid out at the Annual Meeting
in July 2011. We will measure Member performance
under this Challenge every month and publish standings
on the website and in the Monthly Newsletter.
January 2011 Standings:
As of the closing of the month of January, the top five
contenders in the new Member Challenge are:
1. Outdoors, Inc.
2. AmeriTurf
3. GreenLife Supply
4. Pocono Turf
5. Herod Seeds
Keep it up! Remember that you need to generate at least
$50,000 in rebate revenue for the 2010-11 fiscal year to
qualify. Last year this parameter cost one Member
second prize.
18

Guest Column ... Legislative Season Is Officially Open
Most state’s 2011
legislative sessions are now
one month old -- and
what a month it has been.
Legislative language is
dropping all around us
for pesticide and fertilizer
prohibitions with science
barely visible. To those of
you who are part of our
RISE industry Grassroots
Network this is hardly
news. However, to those
who have not signed
up to participate in the
Grassroots Network,
there’s no time like the
present. In fact, before you
read any further, contact
Ben Cuddy, bcuddy@
pestfacts.org, to learn
www.primeraturf.coop
COMMENT
more about the network
and to begin receiving our
monthly newsletter and
issue updates.
Here at RISE we are
seeking opportunities
to be a partner with
resources and science
while legislation is on
the drawing board and
as it moves through
the political process. In
addition to providing the
facts, our industry must
also win the hearts and
minds of our neighbors
and policy makers. To
do that, each of us must
become a partner and
a positive voice in the
debate. We are most
often ready and willing
with science, but not as
often ready and willing to
engage in the emotional
aspects of public policy.
We know that an
overwhelming majority
of people want the
benefits of pesticides and
fertilizers and have a clear
understanding about the
need for the products.
However, people have a
lot of questions and that’s
where you can help. For
the past two years – with
your support -- RISE has
been working through the
Debug the Myths program
to win hearts and minds
while also communicating
the facts about our
products. We are well
prepared and resourced to
continue this work and
to engage every member
in this effort to help us
extend our reach into
communities and state
houses. Won’t you become
a partner as a Debug the
Myths Ambassador in
your community?
Partnership also applies
to our inter-industry
activities. While the lawn
product bans enacted in
Canada seem like ancient
history, they are not and
here in the U.S. this year
we are again seeing product
prohibitions advanced that
seek to divide our industry.
“Sometimes it doesn’t matter
that you have a better prod-
uct, if your competitors have
better salesmen”
–Thomas Jewell
Partnership and unity,
bolstered by science are
the way forward for our
industry. During what is
mostly the off season, I
urge you to consider how
you can become engaged
with your association,
your customers and your
community. Contact your
RISE staff for resources
and information at
grassroots@pestfacts.org
or visit www.
debugthemyths.com for
consumer-friendly
resources about pesticides
and fertilizer.


contact i nfo
By Aaron Hobbs, President,
RISE (Responsible Industry for
a Sound Environment)®
19
 COMMENT

Water
“No one knows the value of water until the well runs dry” (Benjamin Franklin).

ITT announced in January that it will be splitting in three separate publicly

trading companies, one of which will be entirely dedicated to water technology. It
will include ITT’s residential and commercial water, flow control and wastewater
business. This segment of the business is expected to report $3.6 billion in revenue
in 2011. Where To
Reach Us
GE has announced that it has entered into a Strategic Cooperative Agreement The Executive Office of
with the Israeli venture capital company Kinrot Ventures to develop New Water PrimeraTurf is located at:
Technologies. 8748 Timber Edge Drive
North Ridgeville, OH 44039-6302

Global Industry Analysts, Inc. released a comprehensive global report on

The Mailing Address is:
Drinking and Wastewater Treatment Chemicals market, which is forecast to reach P.O. Box 39418
$23.9 billion by 2015. (For comparison, the T&O Chemical market is between North Ridgeville, OH 44039-0418
$600-$700 million). www.primeraturf.coop

www.primeraturf.coop 20