Welcome to 2025! January is often my favorite time of year in this industry. Not only does it give us all a chance to catch our breath from the busy season, but it also allows us time to dive into the details of the previous year to pinpoint areas of weakness and identify our strengths to make improvements in our processes and operations for the upcoming season. When we first started our company almost 19 years ago, we used to view January as a time to take it easy and felt that we’d have “plenty of time” to get ready for spring. As the years have passed, I have learned that the winter flies by and it is best to start the new year running. There’s so much potential for growth and improvement in the quiet of the winter that it's worth putting in the work now because the effect it has on your season is exponential. Go through your handbooks and manuals with a fine-toothed comb and make sure your policies and procedures are up to date with current regulations and best industry practices. Evaluate crew production rates and customer service reviews. Share that data with your team so they can help you brainstorm ways to improve and increase productivity. Spend time with your crew team building and strengthening relationships. I assure you; you won’t regret it. 

ALCC has some amazing opportunities stacked up for this year to help support you in those endeavors and we’re starting strong with some amazing options in January. Women in Green will kick off the year with a networking opportunity on January 16th, where we will foster discussions on setting realistic goals for the upcoming year and strategies for accountability and organization to guarantee the accomplishment of those goals. ProGreen is a few weeks away and the schedule is packed with educational and networking opportunities that always inspire me to shoot higher and think bigger than before.

These opportunities are just the beginning. 2025 marks 5 years since the pandemic hit and threw us all for a loop. In response, the ALCC shifted to focus on legislative advocacy to allow us to keep running our businesses and did an amazing job at readjusting opportunities to continue educational and training support by offering virtual options. While virtual options have a convenience factor that cannot be denied, this year we are putting concerted effort into bringing back more in-person events across the state to rekindle those personal relationships and networking opportunities that helped make ALCC what it is today. There will be expanded and more frequent virtual options, as well as more training options in all regions of the state. Women in Green, LatiKNOWS, and the Southern Chapter will continue to offer events, lunch and learns, and happy hours throughout the year. Big steps are being made to develop the Northern Chapter and South Denver Chapter to provide more classes and networking in those areas.   

In 2025, we want to focus on offering as much value to our members, so we can continue to raise the bar of professionalism in this industry and expand the network of amazing companies in the landscaping industry. I have been involved with the ALCC for over 15 years and am honored to serve as President this year. Thank you for the confidence to lead this fantastic board of directors. I’m inspired by the dedication and ingenuity of this board, and I am excited for what is to come in 2025. Here’s to a fantastic season for all of us!