To The Landcare professionals at PLANET

We are excited about our newly revised eco-friendly Green Industry Star module certification program.

We realize that many professionals in our industry specialize in a particular area of interest. And, it takes all of us with a variety of backgrounds and knowledge to manage the green industry’s broad scope.and needs.

To assist our industry, MLNA has put in place a way to identify a Green Industry Professional. It makes managers and owner’s job easier when hiring staff, recognizing an employee’s abilities and building achievement based incentive programs with an educational platform.

We feel we have done that with our new Green Industry Star program which has five separate stand alone modules including BUSINESS! CLP’s can now become a Green Industry Business Star. Our certification is comprised of both our MLNA / university based general knowledge test and PLANET’s Certified Landscape Professional Certification.

We feel as members of PLANET that we have benefited from belonging to such a professional oriented national and international organization. MLNA want to continue that support by encouraging Green Industry Professionals to participate in both the PLANET’s certification program and our Green Industry Star program. And if all five modules are pursued , we will have a stewardship oriented, sustainable workforce of Five Star Green Industry Professionals!

(Proof of active CLP status must be provided to qualify to completing the business module)

Please encourage all PLANET members to be professionally involved in their associations, their community and the future!

MLNA... Growing Together!
MaryAnn Fink

www.mlna.org
636-939-9079
blocked::mailto:maryannfink@mlna.org

Legislative Action Alert

According to a July 7, 2008, H-2B cap estimate released by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), DHS has approved or is in the process of approving more than half of the H-2B petitions it believes it needs to reach the first half of the fiscal 2009 H-2B cap. The fiscal year begins on October 1, 2008. DHS plans to announce that the first half cap will be reached when it receives 40,000 H-2B petitions. As of July 7, DHS has approved some 11,761 petitions and is in the process of reviewing 8,629, putting it a little over the half-way mark (20,390 petitions to be exact) toward the first half cap for fiscal 2009. You can view the latest cap count on the DHS’s Web site.

SNOW Magazine submissions for the upcoming 2008 Top Contractor list

I was wondering if the MLNA could assist GIE Media’s SNOW Magazine, the leading business management publication focused on the professional snow and ice removal industry, by helping to get the word out that, even though the initial deadline has passed, we are still actively accepting contractor submissions for the upcoming 2008 Top Contractor list. Our annual list highlights the top 100 snow removal professionals based on revenue from winter services.

So, how can you help? Can you please suggest any contractors whom we should be contacting to get their information? Or could you, on our behalf, forward a copy of the attached form to any of your members who engage in snow removal activities and encourage them to apply?

For those snow removal professionals who are uncertain whether they are big enough in size and scope to make this year’s list, we’d encourage them to still consider filling out an entry form. We’re looking for ways to recognize contractors of all sizes, and we’re always looking for great companies to profile in future issues. In addition, association with the Top Contractor is a great marketing tool for contractors to assist with sales and client development.

To have a submission form sent to your members, if your members have any questions or if you’d like to know more about SNOW Magazine, please let me know and please visit http://www.snowmagazineonline.com/magazine/

Thank you for your time, assistance and consideration.

Mike Zawacki
Managing Editor, Lawn & Landscape
Editor, Snow Magazine
4020 Kinross Lakes Parkway #201
Richfield, Ohio 44286
(main) 800/456-0707
(direct) 330/523-5381
(fax) 330/659-0824