PlantAmerica NewsRoom

PlantAmerica is proud to announce a strategic alliance with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA), the leading industry trade association representing more than 2000 of the nation’s leading landscape service providers. Both organizations will work together to help ALCA members take advantage of PlantAmerica’s technology tools to assist in image building, lead-generation, employee training, on-the-job problem-solving, and business product purchasing. “This strategic alliance provides us with direct and immediate access to ALCA’s membership so we can begin to deliver useful solutions to help solve problems. The bottom line is we can help increase business opportunity, and provide a sustainable competitive advantage for both ALCA and its members,” said PlantAmerica CEO Michael Deale.“We have a shared commitment to deliver solutions, products and services that will help make ALCA and its members successful in today’s economy,” added Deale. ALCA members will benefit from this new alliance through special pricing on state-of-the-art technology tools, such as an affordable, easy-to-install and maintain web site solutions, a 38,000 plant information database, and a new, powerful lead-generation system. As an organization, ALCA will also benefit from PlantAmerica’s technology expertise and increased exposure throughout the entire green industry through a premier presence on a new green industry web site (www.plantamerica.com). “We are excited about the potential this partnership has for ALCA, our members and the green industry,” said 2001 ALCA President Drew St. John, II, CLP. “This alliance will only serve to further ALCA’s mission to advance the professional and personal growth of its members and the landscape services industry.” The PlantAmerica managment team includes a mix of seasoned business, technology, and green industry professionals. The company is led by CEO Michael Deale, a former Silicon Valley technology executive and supply chain management expert; Bill Sheehan, former marketing executive with Xerox, the Snack Food Association, and CyberSERV; Joel Albizo and Clint Albin, former American Nursery & Landscape Association senior staff executives, and Todd Steadman, former Southern Living Senior Garden Editor and publisher and editor-in-chief of ASLA’s Landscape Architecture magazine editor. PlantAmerica is also finalizing partnership arrangements with several world-class green industry, technology, and media firms and will announce these partnerships in the first quarter of 2001. These partnerships will add considerable value to the ALCA-PlantAmerica alliance and will benefit all members. PlantAmerica focuses on helping the lawn and landscape industry work more effectively, boost sales, and increase customer loyalty. It was founded in 1995 by Rick Webel, managing partner of Innocenti and Webel. The company has become a key resource for horticulture, nursery and landscape professionals, by providing unique business tools, including easy-to-use Internet-based marketing tools, consulting services and exclusive CD-based plant references covering the works of Dr. Michael Dirr and Dr. Allan Armitage.

Founded in 1963, The Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) develops and maintains active programs for its 2,000 member firms in the areas of business management, government affairs, public relations, technical assistance, safety and insurance, education, and inter-industry relations with other facets of the green industry. Member firms have direct access to marketing tools, industry specific business publications and business experts who can assist companies in becoming more profitable. Members are a unique blend of landscape maintenance, installation, design/build contractors and interior landscape firms.