The Sprinkler Nerd Show

Join Andy for a short mindset episode where he shares his thoughts on a recent Facebook discussion about OtO Lawn and how to position your mind for positive thinking and to always be wearing curiosity lenses.

Kevin Lewis, Sales Manager for Hunter Industries shares his Top 5 products for 2021. ========= You know, it's a, it's a common thing for me to say to contractors when I'm speaking to them in a training, you ever have homeowners who complain about when you come to do your spring turnout and you hit them with a big bill, the whole room will say, yeah, of course we do. Yeah, we do. You know, I've said like, have you ever thought about explaining this to them and saying like, we noticed this stuff when we were here, winterizing in October or November, September, we don't fix them typically. Then we make notes and we'd come back and fix them. But the point is that all of these problems have a broken head, a maybe a break in a pipe, a valve issue. These things didn't happen the day before we showed up here to winterize your system, they happened to all season long. And since there's nothing in place to detect it, it just went undetected. You are an irrigation, professional, older, new who designs installs or maintains high end residential commercial or municipal properties. And you want to use technology to improve your business, to get a leg up on your competition. Even if you're an old school irrigator from the days of hydraulic systems, this show is for you. Hey, what's up guys. Welcome back to another episode of the sprinkler nerd show. I'm your host, Andy Humphrey. And this is episode 43. Today. I have a special guest. His name is Kevin Lewis and he is the sales manager for Hunter industries in the greater New York Metro area. Kevin welcome to the sprinkler nerd show. So glad to have you with us today. Thanks for having me. It's great to be here. Appreciate it to have you on the show for a couple reasons. Number one, because I think you've got a pretty unique background in this industry and you've worked in various parts of the industry. And then number two, You know, we've got a lot of interest for Hunter hunters, you know, doing a great job in market nationally with new products. And so I'm excited to kind of talk about the top five new products for Hunter this year. So before we do that, why don't you just tell us a little bit about yourself? Okay. Well I grew up from a pretty young age working in distribution I'm from long Island and Around here. It's kind of pretty common for people to kind of bring their kids into the distributor branch that they work for. And that's, I was one of those guys just working the summers with my dad. who's a retired New York city police officer. And yeah, I spent the summers going in working, you know, running rolls of pipe around the building and carrying stuff out to contractors, trucks, doing warranty stuff. And now just around, around the business, kind of my whole life from that perspective, Worked summers throughout high school and then into college. Um, my father actually became a contractor. He did a little bit of a reverse progression through his irritation career. He was working for a distributor and then ultimately went out to be a contractor at age, I think 51 or something. So I spent some time working with him in the field, installing and learning the business from that angle. ultimately after graduate in college, I ended up going back to distribution. I worked selling and supporting commercial projects throughout the Northeast. we sold a bunch of your products at the time, but you know, Kevin, the the baseline guy of the Northeast for Atlantic irrigation. Yeah, for yeah. And a successful there met a lot of people got introduced to a lot of people. Um, and then ultimately I left and was actually the Neta from rep for a year, and then that's throughout the Northeast and then moved over to Hunter and now I'll be coming up on five years as the rep for Hunter supporting long Island, New York city. Westchester New York and Fairfield County, which is like Southern portion of Connecticut. So, wow. Yeah. And for those of you listening that aren't familiar with this part of the Newark, that there's a lot of people that live in that part of New York, but I relative to, you know the people I work with, I have a relatively small. Territory physically, but just jam packed with action and projects and stuff. So, yeah. So when you say the sales manager for New York, Metro, can you, can you help us maybe more specifically, like where do you. Live or work out of? Yeah, I work out of, I live in long Island or on long Island, as we say around here, long Island, long Island on long Island. I didn't long now live on long Island. I've lived here pretty much. My whole life kind of live in the center of the Island. I would say, which is good because there's a lot kind of happening on all ends of the Island, the East end of long Island, a big area for. You know, projects, biggest States and things being built out and constantly work being done over there on the, on the West side, you have Manhattan, New York city, which everybody kind of knows of some really big high profile projects g

Technology is an Enabler You are limited only by your motivation, your dreams, and your drive. Technology unlocks new opportunities: Where the tools used to limit us, now the tools enable us, so where do you want to go? What do you want to build? How big are you thinking? What do you really want for your business, your career, your family, your life? Jump in headfirst and do not fear the unknown. You got this. ========== technology is an enabler I really think technology is an enabler for those that want to be enabled, right? For those that want to learn for those that want to grow for those who are looking for new ways and new opportunities to either enhance their career, enhance their, their, um, relationships with their clients, with their contractors. And in order to do that, there is no one that's going to be able to show you the way. You are an irrigation, professional, older, new who designs installs or maintains high end residential commercial or municipal properties. And you want to use technology to improve your business, to get a leg up on your competition. Even if you're an old school irrigator from the days of hydraulic systems, this show is for you. Good morning guys. What's going on today? This is your host, Andy Humphrey back for another episode of truck talk. I dunno why I call it truck talk. But anyway, here I am in the truck driving to work. I'm already about halfway. There had a little trouble getting this mic connected up this morning. And, uh, I wanted to tell you both a story and sort of, uh, an epiphany I had this weekend. I was down in Detroit at my daughter's volleyball game. Actually, both my daughters had volleyball tournaments, but they were at different locations. So I was with my 11 year old and my wife. Was with our 15 year old and we pretty much sit either on the bleachers or in our. Kind of beach chairs, if you will, on the sidelines. And we sit while they're playing and we sit while they ref and we sit while they wait. So yeah, we pretty much sit all day and you can entertain yourself on your phone or you can get a little work done, you know, but basically you're sitting in a chair and you're on a device. And for me, When I'm in those places, my mind starts, you know, my mind doesn't shut off. It keeps going. And so I had this epiphany about technology and I started thinking about a little bit about sort of my story and how I first got involved with irrigation technology and the big epiphany I had. Which again, I think that if you're listening to this, you probably already know this because you've found this podcast looking for either landscape technology, irrigation technology. Or just sprinklers in general. But if you found this podcast, you're likely already an early adopter of technology because 90% of the green industry is not out there searching for podcasts. So kudos for that. But it also just goes to show that I believe technology is an enabler technology unlocks. New opportunities that didn't exist before. And so if we can think of it like that, we don't really know what kind of opportunities are ahead for us in the green industry and as professional. Irrigators and landscapers. And so the best thing you can do, and this is my recommendation is to jump right in headfirst. And I wanted to sort of give you an example of what that means by jumping in head first. If, if technology is going to open new opportunities and these opportunities, weren't there a year ago, a month ago, a week ago, then there's also no one to. Show you how it works. There's no one to tell you how to use it. There's no one to hold your hand through these new opportunities that technology can unlock because we are creating them as we go. And I think that that sort of a Tiffany I had this weekend, I was reminded because one of the first times I got involved with your irrigation technology was back in 2000. Well, there was two examples, but the first one was back in about 2002. This was in Baltimore, Maryland, and my good friend, Paul Bassett, who was just on Friday's episode, who you're going to get to know more and more is also an early adopter of technology. And he sold one of the early two core systems. I believe this was a Flowmaster system. It was a. Mansion outside Baltimore. I'm not going to say the name, but it was about 70 zones of residential all to wire. And this Flowmaster was down in the basement. And if you've ever tried to program one of those first two core systems, it is definitely. Not easy and just like most manufacturers in this industry, instruction manuals often aren't very clear. And so we sort of figured out this system by trial and error, but it was, um, It was a lot of trial and error, but also trial and error, meaning coming back to this site. So we must've come back to the site and content into this basement, you know, a dozen times, not just on site that day, but I mean set it, we think it's going to run. Client says, Hey, it's not watering. And we come back and we fi

Learn exactly how to calculate landscape irrigation water savings, and how to begin offering Irrigation Management as a Service™, or, IMaasS™. In this episode, Andy & Paul Bassett (Vice President of Water Efficiency at ENVOCORE), discuss Water Savings as a Service (WSAAS) and using the SLIDE method to determine gallons per square foot. In 2018, Paul developed this concept for the landscape industry when he named the concept of Irrigation Management as a Service™. www.ENVOCORE.com SLIDE Method ========== Gallons Per Square Foot Go find the water meter. First thing, where's the water meter, right? Open the water meter, lid vault, whatever you can do it safely and see what's going on with the meter. Is the meter moving? Is it still so a couple of these sites, I go to Andy, I'm looking at the water meter and a water meter is spinning like crazy. And there is not a soul in sight. If you are an irrigation, professional, older, new who designs installs or maintains high end residential commercial or municipal properties. And you want to use technology to improve your business, to get a leg up on your competition. Even if you're an old school irrigator from the days of hydraulic systems, this show is for you. Paul Bassett. Welcome back to the sprinkler nerd show, man. Good to be with the nerd again, drew. Well, thankfully we found hat and to do this, you know, it's hard to coordinate too, too busy guys, schedules to sync up. Sometimes it's hard to do so. Appreciate your time today. Glad to do it. So what's been going on in your world last year. Couple weeks or, uh, actually let's, you know, since the new year cause you and I got on together right at the end of, uh, 2020. And uh, here we are beginning of February. So what's new, man. I feel like I've been in spreadsheet, Nirvana, Andy crunching, lots and lots and numbers. That's what I've been doing. Lots of projects, lots of things coming across my desk. We're grateful to see, um, 20, 21. Um, the extended activity that's happening right now, for sure. So that's, what's going on lots of things since when does spreadsheets have anything to do with irrigation or Nirvana? Yeah. Well, lots of scripts. Yes. There's a lot of numbers you have to crunch and evaluate for sure. Yeah. There are spreadsheets to crunch if you're in the accounting back office of a residential contracting company, but if you're. Working in the field or selling, you know, not always many spreadsheets, so, well, you know what happens, Andy? What I see, especially with the spreadsheets that I'm looking at, it's, you know, we're integrating a lot of the, the weather data, um, and that weather data needs to be extrapolated, you know, oversights. So. And when we're looking at how to calculate how much water is required in a given landscape, lots of spreadsheets that need to do help me crunch the numbers. So that's why I see a lot of spreadsheets. Well, that's why I count on you to be nerd number two with me one and a half I'm nerd, one and a half. Andrew. Yeah, man. Well, Excel is definitely a tool worth, getting to know very well. For sure. I mean, I can't tell you, I use it many times every single day and the only way to get better at it. Right. Like anything else is just to start using it. Yeah. And there's a lot of nuances to the, to Excel that I don't have all of the bells and whistles, but I, you know, I operate it enough where it's effective for me to be able to do my work and then allow others to see how I did my work. So they trust my numbers. Absolutely man. All right. Well, you've been, uh, educating me totally on kind of more of the details of the water conservation side of what you're doing. And we talked at the end of 2020 about this concept of savings as a service and being able to provide that value on the savings part of the business. And then we talked maybe. Couple of weeks ago about some of the data that you use and how you put your proposals together and what you look for on a site to see if you can save water and how much you can save and, and all of that. So, you know, this episode today is a little bit unscripted and I thought we could just have a more, a little bit more detailed conversation about savings as a service and. And some of the things that you look for and, and, and, uh, how you sort of get started. And then, well, the first thing, Andy, that we, we try to engage with the customers. We look at how much money they're spending in a given year on their water, you know, and their water bill. And then we try to slice the water bill up specifically to what's being used inside the building. And then what's being used on the outside of the building. And, you know, fortunately for me, you know, our business has morphed into being able to look at all water usage on a site or a facility. Um, so my team members are the ones that go in and look at all the water on the inside, which is the plumbing equipment, mechanical equipment. And then, then I look at what goes on on the outsid

This is the short version of how I started my first ecommerce business with only $500 in 2004.

In this episode, Andy chats with John Di Giacomo, co-founder of Revision Legal about basic Intellectual Property contractors should consider when starting a business or running an existing business. About John: John has extensive experience in internet law, intellectual property, corporate law, and international law. He has litigated matters in these areas in state and federal courts across the United States, including in front of courts of appeals and international arbitration bodies, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, National Arbitration Forum, and the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law. Visit RevisionLegal.com to learn more

Who knew that watering in the winter was a good idea? Join Andy & Tracy Shields from Baseline Control Systems for a short chat about using smart sensors to manage soil moisture in the winter season.

Andy was a guest on the Automate, Eliminate, Delegate Podcast, and gives an inside look into SprinklerSupplyStore.com and the automation thought process he uses. To learn more about Will's company visit: www.DataAutomation.com

Join Andy on his drive to work for the 2nd Truck Talk and kick-off 2021.

This is the first annual New Year's, Predictions Show. Paul Bassett from Water Savers {ENVOCORE} and I are hot off the mic with our predictions for 2021. Although none of these predictions are based on facts or any kind, or any form of insider information, these are predictions that we see from each of our unique industry vantage points. You'll learn: What we think will happen with distribution Where to find more revenue opportunities Is SaaS what you thought it was?

Join Andy in his truck during a normal drive to the office for a view into his daily world...

This experimental episode was recorded, edited, and launched in 59mins, just under their 1hr publishing goal! In this episode, Andy & Denny discussed two recent customer service dramas and the tools under the hood they use to manage all things Customer Service. Enjoy!

With a background in sustainable agriculture, Nick McCann is the innovator behind the development of the Mission Meat snacks. He's traveled the world to make a difference in people's lives and is grateful to be able to create delicious snacks that make an impact. www.MissionMeats.com About Mission Meat: You may not know you're impacting the world when you buy our products. You may just want a delicious, healthy grass-fed beef snack—and that's ok, we're cool with that—but we need to tell you that you are also making the world a better place with every snack you buy. At Mission Meats, we give 10% of our profits to social good organizations. Your snacks fight deforestation in Haiti with BonZeb. Your snacks help Perspectives Minnesota transform the lives of homeless mothers and their children. Your snacks create leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa with Educate! Your snacks help support over 100 independent Dream Centers across the country. So eat well and thank you for helping us make a positive impact on the world!

In this episode, you will hear from Justin McDaniel, a 25-year pump expert with Munro Pumps, as we walkthrough pumping systems from residential boosters to large commercial pumping stations. Learn more: www.MunroPump.com

Just a quick update as to what I've been up to this week. I had a great conversation with a listener about acquiring a sprinkler business, and I talk about and engineering solution to manage lake water and a cistern/tank.

In this episode, you will learn the basic principals or upper & lower moisture threshold and how to use soil moisture sensors to control or automate the run time, start time, or days of the week. Topics: The Thermostat Analogy Volumetric Moisture Content % Collecting Data before Automating The 2 Basic Watering Strategies Programming Lower Limit Programming Upper Limit

In this episode, you will hear from Todd Hustrulid, an engineer at Baseline, how irrigation systems can be integrated into the building automation system. What is BACnet? BACnet is a communication protocol for Building Automation and Control (BAC) networks. BACnet was designed to allow communication of building automation and control systems for applications such as heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning control (HVAC), lighting control, access control, and fire detection systems and their associated equipment. The BACnet protocol provides mechanisms for computerized building automation devices to exchange information, regardless of the particular building service they perform. With Baseline's BACnet Manager™ any BACnet compatible Building Management System can display important information like water-use data and system alerts from the BaseStation irrigation controllers. BACnet makes it easier than ever to track and achieve your water savings objectives. In contrast with the competition, Baseline irrigation controllers combine ease-of-use with the connectivity and interoperability required by modern Building Management System implementations.

In this episode, you will learn how to use Baseline's wireless 2-wire technology for retrofitting difficult situations or complex irrigation sites. Dan and I discuss how the wireless SubStation can connect to a BaseStation 3200™ controller and allow you to connect every Baseline device wirelessly...This wireless connectivity means you can consolidate multiple existing controllers into a single BaseStation 3200 controller without running a wire across long distances. You can also establish new irrigation zones in areas separated from the main controller by obstacles such as driveways or parking lots. With Baseline's SubStation, you can bring the latest in smart irrigation technology to any conventional wire or two-wire site. Whether you are combining multiple small irrigation controllers into one controller or adding the ability to manage the flow and incorporate soil moisture sensors and pressure sensors - the wireless SubStation makes it that easy.

In this episode, you will hear a keynote speech given by George Bryant at the 2018 Brand Builders Summit in Austin Texas. Who likes competition? We are always going to have competition, and competition is a good thing and keeps us honest and keeps us active. You might not be able to beat them on price. You might not be able to beat them on design. You might not be able to beat them on experience. YOU CAN BEAT THEM ON RELATIONSHIPS. Relationships beat algorithms.

In this replay episode of Baseline Tech-Talk Tuesday, brought to you by the Sprinkler Nerd, you will learn how to Manage Secondary Water Sources using the BaseStation 3200 Platform & FlowStation Performance Component. Types of Water Sources: Domestic water Canal water Rain catchment Ponds/lakes Well AC condensate water Reclaimed water Fertilizer injector water Each Water Source has different characteristics; availability, cost, pressure, water quality so there may be preferences on which water supply to use prioritize first. Simplest configuration 1 water source (meter), 1 controller, 1 mainline What happens when 2 water sources, 1 controller?

On the replay episode of Baseline tech-Talk Tuesday, you will learn how to use the AEMC 3-Point Ground Test Kit to check the resistance along a 2-wire path. Not every irrigation pro knows how to use this equipment - tune in closely so you can stay ahead of your competition and get a leg up on your next 2-wire project. Proper installation of grounding rods, grounding plates, and wire connections is essential to provide good surge suppression. While there is no technology currently available that can fully protect an irrigation system against damage from massive surges such as those caused by direct lightning strikes, outfitting your 2-wire path with grounding and surge arrestors will protect from most, if not all, naturally occurring electrical surges.

In this episode, you will learn the fundamentals of soil moisture based watering and how to "THINK OUTSIDE THE START TIME" by using fully automatic, artificial intelligence, watering methods. Join Andy and Chris as they tip back a few craft-brewed IPA's and discuss the science of proper irrigation horticultural management.

You will learn the technical details for how to retrofit large existing sites and how to tackle projects with multiple water sources and a single controller, as well as multiple controllers and a single water source. This episode is another techy one so get out your nerd glasses and join us!

Tracy Shields is a Regional Sales Manager for Baseline Control Systems and brings 34 years of Water Conservation experience working with irrigation technology and all types of central control systems for large scale applications. In this episode, you will learn how Tracy got his start in the Water Conservation category and how he has used technology to shape his career to become a thought leader with Municipalities, supporting their large scale irrigation deployments.

You will learn how Baseline incorporates pressure transducers into the BaseStation 3200 control system to better manage your water sources, mainlines, and overall system hydraulics. Additionally, you will learn how pressure transducers can be used to both monitor and manage cisterns, tanks, lake levels, and automatically trigger refill cycles. This episode will get fairly technical so get out your nerd glasses and join us!

This episode of Baseline Tech-Talk Tuesday was recorded on June 6th, 2020 during the weekly LIVE Zoom broadcast. You will learn how the BaseStation 3200 Control System was engineered to control non-irrigation devices such as athletic lighting, bathroom door locks, pond fountains, etc. To join Andy and the Baseline crew on another LIVE event, register at www.BaselineTechTalk.com.

Learn how Chris Pine started IrritechTraining.com and how you can benefit from an online learning platform. Listen as Chris shares some of his story growing up in the irrigation industry and how the industry & technology has evolved over time.

This episode is repurposed content that was recorded live on April 28th, 2020 during a *Baseline Tech-Talk Tuesday* online workshop. You will learn about basic controller networking, the different ways to connect an irrigation controller to the internet, and what to look for when a controller goes offline. Each week the Baseline team goes LIVE on Zoom to discuss Irrigation & Baseline technology to a live audience. To participate in a future live event visit www.BaselineTechTalk.com

Jeff Oxford is the founder and SEO expert at 180 Marketing, an SEO company in Bend, Oregon. Jeff works with a number of different ecommerce companies, including Sprinkler Supply Store, to provide SEO advice and services. In this episode, Jeff and Andy talk about basic SEO practices that can get you better Google rankings, more hits on your website, and generate more leads for your business. Visit Jeff at https://www.180marketing.com/

Tom Kelly has been in the lawn care industry since 1993 and is the founder of BeeSafe Organic Lawn Care, MyLawnQuote.com, and Lawnmark Professional Services. His years of experience in the industry has made him an expert in the field of natural and organic lawn care. In this episode, Andy and Tom talk about Tom's background in the market, soil biology, and irrigation best practices. https://link.chtbl.com/BeeSafeLawns

In the first Baseline Tech-Talk Tuesday Podcast, Dan Conger, Chris Wright, and Andy Humphrey of Baseline discuss troubleshooting 2-wire systems specifically 2-wire shorts and over-current messages. While this is a Baseline tech-talk, there's a lot of great information in here regardless of the brand of 2-wire system you're working with. You can check out the video of the Tech-Talk and see other Baseline videos by going to https://www.youtube.com/user/BaselineWebTraining. Tools: Armada Pro95: https://www.armadatech.com/products/product/pro95/ BK Precision: https://www.bkprecision.com/products/multimeters/316-mini-ac-dc-clamp-meter.html

In Part Two of a two-part episode, Nate and Andy chat about how irrigation is used in the green roof trade and the pros & cons to overhead vs. drip irrigation. Nate Griswold is one of the O.G's in the field of green roofs. Starting with American Hydrotech in the early days and now running Inhabitect in Traverse City, MI, Nate has seen it all.

Nate Griswold is one of the O.G's in the field of green roofs. Starting with American Hydrotech in the early days and now running Inhabitect in Traverse City, MI, Nate has seen it all. In Part One of a two-part episode, Nate and Andy chat about the green roof industry. Nate runs down some vital info on green roofs and shares the benefits and some of the technology involved in the movement. www.inhabitect.com

Norm Bartlett has been involved in irrigation since the 60's and has seen it all. From his start at age 14 working the golf course across the street, through his work with Buckner Sprinkler Co., working with Data Industrial as they rolled out their first flow sensors, to his current position as owner of Creative Sensor Technology, Norm is a wealth of irrigation information. Norm and Andy chat about his background in the industry and flow sensor technology. Lots of great technical information here on flow sensors! You can visit Creative Sensor Technology at https://www.creativesensortechnology.com/

Allyn Hane is better known on YouTube and elsewhere as The Lawn Care Nut. With years of experience in lawn care and expertise in social media, Allyn has produced content that has seen millions of views and helped his viewers to get healthier lawns. In this episode, The Sprinkler Nerd and Lawn Care Nut join forces to talk about how irrigation and lawn care specialists can work together to help their customers get the best results. >> www.thelawncarenut.com/ >> www.youtube.com/user/LawnCareMidwest >> lawnsacrossamerica.blubrry.net/

Nate Lipton is the owner of GrowersHouse.com, one of the top suppliers of cannabis cultivation equipment in the world. Nate helps growers source equipment and put together some of the largest, most advanced, cannabis growing operations. He is constantly looking for the top products and methods needed to grow the best cannabis. >> www.GrowersHouse.com >>> Grow Tent Configurator >> www.GrowersNetwork.org >> www.TruPotency.com >> CannaCribs (YouTube)

You can punch up your website and email copy and break away from the same old techniques! Many companies are adding humor, emojis, and animated GIFs to their communications to give a more personal and modern feel, and the results have been great! In this episode, Lianna Patch from PunchlineCopy.com joins us to discuss some of the "secret sauce" that you can use to help your business add some personality and character in your communications and on your website. www.PunchlineCopy.com Lianna's advice will help you to create a "voice" for your business that will create engagement and set you apart from your competitors. You can learn more about Lianna and her business, Punchline Copy, by going to https://punchlinecopy.com/

Join the retrofit goldrush! Want to learn how to engineer large irrigation retrofits that scale outside of the capabilities of traditional irrigation manufacturers? Do you have customers with complicated sites? In this episode, you will hear from Kyle Desmarais, the founder & owner of H2O Irrigation Specialists in Kingston Massachusetts, as he shares specific details about his business and about a large project he is engineering to retrofit. Learn what type of technology it takes to retrofit 11 controllers, 2 pumps, a make-up well, and over 250 zones of irrigation. You'll also learn how Kyle started H2O Irrigation and some tips he shares that make his business successful. H2O Irrigation Specialist: http://www.h2oirrigation.co/

Learn how Todd Hudgins of Bayside Irrigation & Lighting lost over 100lbs in 9months and has kept the weight off for 3 years. Todd will share tips that any irrigation & landscape contractor can use to change their daily habits and live a healthy physical and mental lifestyle. www.BaysideIrrigation.com

You become what you think about - and on today's episode, you will hear the story of Paul Bassett's journey from irrigation laborer, to water conservation leader. Paul jumped headfirst into the irrigation industry at 19 years old working as a basic laborer for a sprinkler company outside Baltimore Maryland. Fast forward to 2019 where Paul is now a leader in the performance contracting industry helping to save millions of gallons of water per year. In this episode, Paul and I talk about our early days working together and the specific moments which helped shape both of our careers.

Flying a drone seems cool, but they're more than just high-tech toys. For a professional, flying a drone is a new way to make irrigation work better for facilities. In this episode, Andy speaks with Kent Harris, the manager of the Minnesota Sodding Company and a licensed drone professional, to discuss how drones are changing the irrigation game. You'll hear how these helpful high-flyers are being used to view, track, and measure irrigation audits, and how you can get started using one professionally yourself. "If these guys can fly it, I can fly it"-Kent Harris In this Episode: - How Kent got started with Minnesota Sodding Company and what it's been like working with them as a manager for the past three years - New ways to do irrigation work with our latest technology. - What is a 107 license? Plus, learn the importance of having it to be able to use a drone for your work - What should you look out for when flying a drone? - How measurement and gravel pits inventory gets done with 3D imaging - Irrigation audit and data tracking made simple by using a Drone in your facility Connect with Kent: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kent-harris-9a2b1810 Website https://mnsodco.com/ Connect with Andy: Website https://sprinklernerd.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/sprinklernerd Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sprinklersupply/ Twitter https://twitter.com/SprinklerNerd

When customers are looking for the best bid options, it's not only about what will be financially beneficial, but also about how much value is provided. How can they decide on which company to go with, and how can companies stand out, when there are so many options? In this episode, Andy and Denny talk about the main factors for successfully estimating, bidding, and selling while providing value with every product. They share how estimates and bid systems work, plus ways to protect yourself and customers in each project. "If you are going to be the highest bid, you want to make sure you provide value to support your price" -Andy Humphrey In this Episode: Andy shares how he started as a landscape designer trainee, and everything he learned at his first job that lead him to be an expert at estimations, bids, and sales As a potential customer trying to choose a bid, how do you decide what company to use? If you are going to present a high bid, make sure you do this How to bid systems and price jobs while maintaining your profit Why the man-hour return is more important than the price of the product Why checks and balances need to be put in place to protect the client and the company Connect with Denny Richards: Contact Connect with Andy: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter

What's the secret to setting yourself apart with great customer service? In this episode, Andy speaks with Denny Richards, the Customer Service Wizard from the Sprinkler Supply Store. Denny is the go-to guy for helping customers and making sure they feel seen and heard. Today, he shares the secrets to providing great customer service, down to exact phrases to use to better resolve conflicts. Don't miss his expert insight for providing more value and keeping your customers happy. "It can be a real trick sometimes to tell the customer NO without saying NO" -Denny Richards In this Episode What's the deal with Amazon customer service? Andy and Denny dig into the difference between them and other providers like the Sprinkler Supply Store Email rules and response flows for newbies to use as guidance when handling customer requests How to make sure your customers feel heard, plus resources to use when you don't have the right answers What NOT to say when speaking to your customers and the different choices in words you can use for positive feedback Denny shares how he deals with upset customers, whether on the phone or through email Key points for providing more human value to your customers Resources: Amazon Sprinkler Supply Store Hunter Connect with Denny Richards: Contact Connect with Andy: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter

Did you know that the Boston Public Garden was the first park in the United States and it predates the famous Central Park? Today's guest is Tommy Carrafiello, who is a Boston native and has been working in the irrigation industry for over 20 years. He is currently connected with Cambridge Landscape, which has been around for 40 years in serving the Boston public. Andy sits down with Tommy as they discuss the changes and improvements that the irrigation industry has seen over the past few decades. Join them and learn a little more about irrigation history! "As the industry changes, the products change. You have to trust the technology." - Tommy Carrafiello In this Episode How Tommy got into the irrigation business 20 years ago What services that Cambridge Landscape offers The app that the employees use to keep things going How the company adjusts to customers' wants What frustrates Tommy the most on the job The perks of dealing with the company versus customers doing it by themselves The unique tools they use in doing their job Resources: Cambridge Landscape Hub App Boston Public Garden Central Park Amazon Connect with Tommy: Linkedin

A lot of residential houses have sprinklers installed on their lawns but, do you know the ins and outs of how they work? Many of us are not aware of how drip irrigation operates and how it helps us make our lives trouble-free. Today, Andy and Art talk about the different types of drip irrigation from point source to inline source and how these operate in various land settings. You will also learn the mechanisms of the regulators and valves that are installed in the system. Join Andy and Art become smart irrigators! "If we're going to tackle the issue on climate change and greenhouse gases, we're going to need to pull CO2 out of the air. We're going to have to plant a lot of trees, a lot of turf. Without us, green is brown." - Art Elmers In this Episode: How Art became the irrigation expert The difference between how the East Coast and West Coast implement their irrigation system What is inline tubing and how it works The processes in using subsurface drip How pressure is involved with the drip system and the use of a pressure compensator emitter Pressure regulators acts as an insurance policy The benefit of having a check valve installed in the emitter Auto flush valve versus Manual flush valve Common problems and myths encountered with the irrigation system Resources: Netafim Connect with Art: Art's Email Address Linkedin Connect with Andy: Website Facebook Instagram Twitter

Former contestant on the ABC hit television series Shark Tank, irrigation technology expert, and multimillion-dollar eCommerce entrepreneur Andy Humphrey brings his curiosity & creativity to tease out the secrets of successful Green Industry influencers on The Sprinkler Nerd Show. Discover how to get a leg up on the competition, to be the smartest person at the design table, and advance your career in the irrigation and landscape industry at any level. All stones will be unturned as Andy digs into the nerdy details of business, technology, and personal growth here on the Sprinkler Nerd show. To join the community of Sprinkler Nerds transforming the Green Industry visit www.SprinklerNerd.com.