The Importance of Hiring A Certified Commercial Landscape Company
The landscaping around your commercial property can be a huge undertaking for any business – caring for the grounds, maintaining its aesthetics, and keeping it safe for clients and customers. That’s one reason why it’s important to hire a certified commercial landscape contractor – one that should alleviate any landscape concerns you have, proactively identify areas of improvement, add value to your property, and – most importantly – provide a lasting first impression for your clients.
Commercial landscapers provide many benefits to your business, including:
- Curb appeal: The landscape outside your business is a good reflection of the business itself. A well maintained and appealing landscape reinforces the professionalism of the company.
- Smart investment: Professional landscaping leaves a positive impression of your business, can attract more foot traffic resulting in increased sales volume, and can increase your business and property values.
- Business reflection: Professional landscaping is designed to not only attract customers but also reveal insight into the personality of the business itself. Whether your landscape design is professional and polished or relaxed and indigenous, it can be a preliminary glimpse into the nature of your business.
- Safety: Professional landscaping not only increases the aesthetic value of your property but also ensures its safety. Uneven pavers, overhanging branches, or cracked and fallen trees can all pose safety risks to your clients.
The choice of hiring a certified commercial landscape company can make a huge difference in your landscaping experience. Certified landscapers possess the education, credentials and training necessary to not only make important landscape decisions but also have access to important resources that keep them knowledgeable about new products, practices, techniques, and regulations. Commercial landscape certifications offer clients a credential they can appreciate, along with proof of the mastery of skills and knowledge in their respective fields. Commercial landscape certification demonstrates to clients that the company is serious about the work they perform and providing excellent customer service. Keeping a finger on the pulse of the industry through certifications allows a company to provide improved aesthetic appeal coupled with cutting edge environmental practices.
Here are 6 commercial landscape certifications that Benchmark Landscape is proud to possess:
- Landscape Industry Certified (LIC): Landscape Industry Certified personnel achieve this status through a hands-on field and written testing program administered by National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) that seeks to recognize proficiency in the landscape workforce, upgrade the status of the landscape professional, and provide the public with a means of identifying qualified professionals. This test is administered nationwide as well as in parts of Canada. Applicants choose to test in the following sections: Hardscape Installation, Softscape Installation, Turf Maintenance, Ornamental Maintenance, or Irrigation. Benchmark is proud to have approximately two dozen individuals who have achieved their certification status. These individuals were formerly known as Certified Landscape Technicians (CLTs).
- Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL): QWEL certified personnel are knowledgeable of sustainable landscape practices and water-efficiency including water management and the preservation of other valuable natural resources. This certification requires 20 hours of classroom learning covering water budgeting, irrigation systems, and landscape design. This certification also requires passing an exam and performing an irrigation system audit. Currently, our company has roughly half a dozen individuals that have passed this training.
- CLCA Certified Water Manager: Certified Water Managers are certified through a testing and monitoring program (one year) administered by the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA). The program ensures that Water Managers provide excellent landscape appearance while using the proper amount of water based on actual plant requirements and soil type. We are very proud to have seven (7) managers that have obtained this certification.
- Recycled Water Site Supervisor (RWSS): Recycled Water Site Supervisors are trained through the San Diego County Water Authority. Supervisors can safely and efficiently manage recycled or reclaimed water on landscapes in San Diego. We currently have over 20 individuals who have successfully passed this certification program.
- Qualified Applicator License (QAL): Qualified Applicator License Holders are certified through a testing program administered by the California State Department of Food & Agriculture that enforces pesticide safety, laws, and regulations. License holders within the maintenance gardener classification who apply or supervise pesticide applications must complete a minimum of eight hours of continuing education every two years to maintain an active status. We currently have four (4) license holders as well as two Certification (QAC) holders with us at this time.
- ISA Certified Arborist: Certified Arborists are trained and knowledgeable in all facets of arboriculture with three or more years of full-time, eligible, practical work experience in arboriculture and/or a degree in the field of arboriculture, horticulture, landscape architecture, or forestry. Certified Arborists receive certification by passing an extensive examination covering all aspects of arboriculture, including tree biology, tree identification and selection, tree-soil-water relations, tree nutrition and fertilization, tree planting and establishment, pruning concepts and techniques, cabling, bracing and lightning protection, problem diagnosis and management, tree preservation on construction sites, climbing and safe work practices, and tree risk assessment. In order to renew certification every three years, arborists must complete 30 continuing education units (CEU’s) by attending seminars, studying in college courses, or completing study in ISA published magazines and books. The arborist certification program has successfully improved the profession by setting minimum standards of achievement, incentives for continuing education, and an improved image from both the arborist’s and the general public’s points of view. Certified Arborists offer clients a high level of assurance that their trees will not be damaged or mutilated, and that both they and the arborist understand the effects of a treatment or maintenance program. Currently, there are two Certified Arborists on staff at Benchmark Landscape.