A look back at 2017 Find us on Facebook www.landscaper.org.uk APL News 2017 | www.landscaper.org.uk 1 (36V) TWIN 18V LITHIUM-ION EASY MAINTENANCE, LOW NOISE, ZERO EMISSIONS & LOW VIBRATION Twin 18V Twin 18V Brushless Twin 18V Brushless Chainsaw Hand Held Blower Hand Held Blower DUC353 DUB362 DUB361 Twin 18V Brushless Twin 18V Brushless Twin 18V Line Trimmer Brush Cutter Hedge Trimmer DUR364L DUR365U DUH551 Twin 18V Charger DC18RD 6.0Ah Li-ion 5.0Ah Li-ion 4.0Ah Li-ion 3.0Ah Li-ion 55 Minute Charge 45 Minute Charge 36 Minute Charge 22 Minute Charge Unbeatable charge times on 18V Li-ion Visit our website for more information: www.makitauk.com ALP.indd 1 26/10/2017 12:19 (36V) TWIN 18V LITHIUM-ION EASY MAINTENANCE, LOW NOISE, ZERO EMISSIONS & LOW VIBRATION Welcome to Meet the team APL National Business Manager: Phil Tremayne Twin 18V Twin 18V Brushless Twin 18V Brushless HTA Services Assistant for APL: Chainsaw Hand Held Blower Hand Held Blower Claire Hayward DUC353 DUB362 DUB361 2017 Issue HTA PR Executive for APL: Amy Winder 017 has been another great year at the APL, but more importantly HTA Editorial Team: Gill Ormrod, Amy a great year for you, the membership. Weather has been Winder, Angela Bean reasonably kind and the “Brexit Bite” doesn’t seem to have sunk its Design: Yellowball Creative Consultants teeth in yet with sales remaining buoyant. Printed by: Buxton Press 2Converting quotations will always remain a priority, but you as members have expressed other areas that challenge you and the APL have been Advertising: Tim Bell working hard to support you. T: 07808 775 177 E: [email protected] Our first seminar of the year tackled paving. The second tackled the vertical with topics such as gabions, brick bonds and rendering to mention Get in touch just a few, and some lively and informative debating took place at both. We APL Review of the Year, have two more “Ted Talk” style events lined up for 2018. “Faking It” will Horticultural Trades Association Twin 18V Brushless Twin 18V Brushless Twin 18V explore the ever-increasing demand for artificial and composites, and the Line Trimmer Brush Cutter Hedge Trimmer Horticulture House, Chilton DUR364L DUR365U DUH551 final one will be “It’s all about the plants”. Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX1 0RN APL Cluster Groups continue to flourish with an enormous amount of information and knowledge transferred through these informal pop-up T: 0333 003 3550 pub meetings. E: [email protected] We had our most successful awards in March 2017 where we saw some If you would like to reproduce anything of the best of what our members do. APL members continued to excel at the from APL News please contact the APL shows this year, gathering a huge haul of medals which you can read about News team for permission. While every in this magazine. care is taken that all information inside We are all aware there is a skills shortage in the UK and many initiatives the magazine is correct, prices and details are happening within industry. The APL are delivering on three levels may be subject to change. APL News Twin 18V reserves the right to shorten or modify Charger with our Masterclasses in Paving, WorldSkills UK and finally another full DC18RD apprenticeship programme. These three initiatives would not be possible material submitted for publication. APL News makes no responsibility for claims without our sponsors, so I would personally like to offer my thanks to made in advertisements or advertisement Makita, Marshalls, J A Jones, Greentech, Landscapes Skills Academy and features in the magazine. Myerscough for all their support. So what’s instore for 2018? More of the same with some great additions. A brand-new Business Development Programme aimed at newly established companies and companies that are seeking to take the next step in their development. Production of our best practice guidance notes, our website will continue to be improved and our members tool box will receive a complete overhaul. So, a great 2017 and hopefully even more success in 2018. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year as Chairman and we have made great progress, however there is still much to be done. I have been supported by a strong Vice Chair in Rod Winrow, and solid committee. Cover image: Thank you for your support 6.0Ah Li-ion 5.0Ah Li-ion 4.0Ah Li-ion 3.0Ah Li-ion Overall Design & Build 55 Minute Charge 45 Minute Charge 36 Minute Charge 22 Minute Charge Sponsored by Green-tech Winner: Creative Landscape Co Unbeatable charge times on 18V Li-ion Ken White Project: APL Chairman Garden for Country Cottage and Barn, South Stoke Oxon #weareAPL Visit our website for more information: www.makitauk.com Find us on Facebook APL News 2017 | www.landscaper.org.uk 3 ALP.indd 1 26/10/2017 12:19 PAGE NAME Brand in any business is important, getting that brand recognised APL Review 2017 by the wider public and your potential customers is a challenge and can be costly. The APL works hard to try and present the APL A Look Back, by Phil Tremayne brand to the consumer on your behalf, researching and taking time APL General Manager to establish where the most economical paths can be and that will deliver the best coverage and hopefully results. PL membership has continued to grow throughout 2017. Throughout 2017 the APL have attended six large flower shows Membership now stands just above 300 for fully accredited including Chelsea, Hampton Court, Harrogate, Garden Scotland and A landscaping companies. If we then include all other groups BBC GWL. In all cases the APL did not just have a stand presence within membership of APL and HTA this figure is over 2000. This at these shows, but invested time in actually building garden makes for a very powerful voice within the industry, a voice that is features to attract the consumer and help deliver the message of used to help influence policy, create training opportunities, provide “Landscaping Excellence” on behalf of its members. This enabled mentoring and support and be a community that you can rely on. the team to have extended conversations with the public on your I was promoted to the position of APL Manager earlier in the year behalf on what to look for when choosing a landscaper and what and now manage the day to day running of APL membership and to expect from an APL member. The shows delivered this message am the APL Secretary on the committee. Assistance with this is to thousands of potential customers, YOUR customers. This was gratefully received from an enthusiastic and experienced committee especially evident at the APL’s grand feature of the year, “APL and with support from the team at HTA. Avenue”. Once again APL Avenue featured a series of five small front and The APL has spent 2017 working on a set of 3 vital objectives: back gardens built by APL members at BBC Gardeners World Live, in conjunction with River Street Events. The five gardens were the • Go to Organisation for Domestic Landscaping focal point of the show and the organisers stated that once again • APL Community Business Development interest by the visitors was enormous. This year we were thrilled to • Landscape Skill Training have the 50th anniversary of the BBC Gardeners World Live Show filmed on the APL stand, and the five gardens all featured in the show, with all contractors mentioned on BBC TV. An unexpected Go to Organisation for Domestic Landscaping result for us and a very well-deserved result for the contractors This objective is a two-pronged attack. We are looking to promote involved. The show also featured APL committee member Claudia landscaping excellence to the consumer, but at the same time De Yong and her wonderful homage to Bredon Castle, which also got promote our excellence to you, the members, and the many potential extensive coverage on the show. There is still time to apply to the members in the UK. One should feed the other in an ideal world. If show to enter this year’s competition, so please don’t delay and get the consumer or designers are seeking APL members to complete involved in this fantastic opportunity. their projects, then more contractors will want to become members. All the shows that were attended had specific literature that point Likewise the more members we have that are promoting the APL, the consumer back to the APL website. The brand new consumer the more recognisable they become in the landscape community facing website for APL was launched this summer 2016, giving and to the wider public. This is why we offer folders, logos, stickers members the flexibility to add a brief description of their works, a etc. for your vans and websites so you can promote yourselves as greater focus on filters and excellent search mechanism. As with professionals and in doing so promote your brand. all websites they need tweaking and SEO is very important. But we 4 APL News 2017 | www.landscaper.org.uk Follow us on Twitter @The_APL ANNUAL REVIEW would love to have members involvement. We regularly send out commitment to standards. requests for images form you as members. We have a series of The APL, with support from our associate membership, will galleries waiting to be filled, all are credited to you, so please continue in 2017 to develop a minimum standard required send them in. Another simple step and investment in our brand for domestic landscaping in the UK.