Lisa Fiore, president of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, talks about what the association is doing in its area to combat uninsured landscapers and support a professional and competitive market.

Bob Mann, director of state and local government relations at the National Association of Landscape Professionals, gives us a rundown on some big pesticide and leaf blower noise bans that went through in the last year, one of which passed in Portland, Maine, on Jan. 3. Also, Mann offers suggestions on ways LCOs can become more involved in preventing these bans from passing.

You might use door hangers and post on social media to market your company, but that doesn't mean you have a marketing plan. We spoke with Chris Heiler, founder and CEO of Landscape Leadership (www.landscapeleadership.com), about why, when and how you should hire a marketing person to develop a marketing strategy for your company.

A company in Cincinnati has a new way for landscaping companies to recruit workers. Clay Martin, owner of Martin Recruiting and Consulting, talks about how he is finding candidates in Puerto Rico to bring into the green industry.

John Algozzini, director of design at K & D Landscape Management and co-chair of the iLandscape Show, gives us a rundown of what to expect at the show, an update on the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association and the latest trends in the Chicago market. Learn more about the show at www.ilandscapeshow.com.

NALP recently released a collection of sheets and videos of facts for landscape professionals to hand out to anyone interested in more information on the green industry and how it affects the environment. We sat down with Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs, to talk about what you can do with this information.

Chuck Bowen spoke with Jason Cupp about some of the major issues affecting human resources in the green industry.

In this podcast presented by Syngenta, Chris Keefer, Syngenta a pest technical manager with the company talks about where fire ants are most common, how irrigation affects them, what you can do to prevent and treat them and much more.

Dr. Mike Goatley, Jr., professor and extension turfgrass specialist at Virginia Tech University, gives an overview of the importance of soil testing and how performing it can help your customers’ lawns.

Rob Braden, service manager, Tomlinson Bomberger Lawn Care, Landscape & Pest Control, Lancaster, Pa., talks to Pest Control Technology magazine's managing editor, Brad Harbison, about lessons learned since the Pennsylvania firm started offering mosquito control three years ago.