August 31, 2005—In an email survey of 31 properties representing more than 4,000 acres, the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) found money and manpower issues to be the two biggest challenges facing its members.
Comments received included: “Working with less endowment monies. Managing new buildings and landscapes while maintenance budgets are cut,” “Low wages for permanent staff leading to high turnover,” “General budget and maintenance,” “Keeping good staff,” “Motivating employees to care about more than a paycheck,” “Achieving desired results with time constraints due to other duties,” “Finding conscientious, qualified manpower,” “Lack of sufficient summer maintenance crews,” and “Not enough staff to get it all done.”
Reflecting a current trend in the green industry as a whole, several respondents also recognized the need to be able to better communicate with Hispanic workers, and meeting deadlines with fewer workers and less money.
PGMS membership is primarily composed of on-site grounds professionals for schools, colleges, cemeteries, parks, estates and other institutions. On average, survey respondents managed 129-acre properties, the largest being 650 acres and the smallest five acres.
Among the other challenges noted by the PGMS survey respondents were: time to deadhead and care for annuals, weeds and water, using less pre-emergence chemicals leads to more weeds, keeping nice turf around campus, equipment maintenance, issues of winter, and droughts and water rationing.
For more on PGMS, visit the Web site.
