OLS INSIDER - September 2022

ON THE TRACK WITH BRIAN PRICE

FORTITUDE HALL OF FAME

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

HUMAN RESOURCES

SAFETY

PRODUCTS & TRAINING

EVENTS

ANNIVERSARIES, BIRTHDAYS & PROMOTIONS

Do you have a question you would like to ask Brian Price? Click below, fill out the form and it could be highlighted in the next newsletter.

 

Congratulations for being inducted into the Fortitude Hall of Fame for the month of August!

• Matthew Kardos | Schofield Stone, Wholesale Division - Bridgewater, NJ
• Heather Manning | Stone Center - Duluth, GA
• Yanira Ramos | Stone Center - Roswell, GA
• Danielle Lenhart | Woodward Landscape Supply - Phoenixville, PA
• Jordan Haines | Nova Stone - Manassas, VA
• Jared Waite | Nova Stone - Manassas, VA
• Amy Corsi | Stone Center - Durham, NC
• Dania Dominguez | Stone Center - Durham, NC
• Robert McCormack | Back Yard Living - Abington, MA
• Victor Dimas | Stone Center - Duluth, GA

Nominate a coworker you believe embodies and / or lives out our core values of FORTITUDE (Fun, Optimism, Respect, Teamwork, Integrity, Trust, Unity, Drive, and Empowerment). Nominated team members will be recognized in our OLS Insider newsletter and be entered into a raffle for a chance to win super cool YETI® swag.*

*Drawing to take place 12/13/2022.

We welcomed one new acquisition to our Outdoor Living Family of Companies!

August 31, 2022, we announced Outdoor Living Supply had acquired Stone Garden, and independent distributor of natural and cultured stone, landscape, and hardscape supplies to the Cape Fear region of North Carolina. This acquisition further strengthens OLS's presence in the Carolinas and extends its footprint into the coastal market.

Stone Garden, founded in 1999 by Nina Brown, is a premier stone yard and outdoor living center in Wilmington, North Carolina. With a strong commitment to customer service and their brand's legacy, Stone Garden has been an inspiration to homeowners and a valuable resource for contractors.

ADP Offers the Wisely Pay Card.

Employees can sign up for a Wisely debit card, and have some or all of your payroll directly deposited onto the card. The Wisely card can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted, providing you the ability to make electronic payments as you shop and pay bills. The mobile app is easy to use for managing your money. There is no cost to open the card, no credit check, and thousands of surcharge-free ATMs where you can make a withdrawal if you want some cash.  

 

Get your pay up to two days early. Skip the fees tied to cashing checks and getting money orders. Use it creatively for your budget. Use it for online shopping instead of your banking card.  Find your reason!

 

To learn more, visit the Intranet site: Wisely Pay Card

To sign up, go to ADP.com > Myself > Payment Options

 

Have employment, benefits or payroll questions? Please visit the Human Resources Intranet page or click here.

The crisp air and the fall leaves upon us, its time to start thinking about transitioning from summer air conditioning to fall and winter heating whether its natural gas, propane, electric, oil or wood.

A call to your local service representative for an annual check-up, filter change, or chimney cleaning is important. Don't wait until the first signs of the cold front only to be delayed service.

This is also a great time to install smoke detectors or renew batteries in existing. Be sure to do so at each of your locations and homes. Stay safe!

Have safety or operations questions? Please visit the Operations Intranet page or click here.

Our ability to offer our customers local training and education is one of the ways we will deliver customer value and set ourselves apart. One way we can do this is via ICPI-NCMA certification classes and the perfect place to kick this off is HNA 2022!

This unified association offers certification classes to contractors and salespeople to establish best installation techniques and create standards of excellence in the field. The paver class is two full days while the segmental wall class is one full day. Both classes covers the history of segmental systems, components of the system, product selection, and installation in detail. There is a 100-question test at the end of each class to test the student's knowledge of the information.

Here is where you come in. OLS will offer these classes to your teams and contractors to start developing our reputation as industry experts.

Please look at your calendar and find a time frame between now and March 2023 where you can host one, or both, of these classes for your contractors. Typically, these classes will attract between 20 to 30 attendees so we may need to hold offsite.

Please reach out to Tim Huinker by October 14, 2022, to confirm your date(s) and location(s). Tim can help you through the planning process and also teach both courses. Marketing will help promote at our booth at HNA so contractors that stop by our booth learn about all the educational opportunities our OLS brands are offering.

Thank you for your assistance with this.

Tim Huinker | Training and Education Coordinator | 612.209.3159 | thuinker@outdoorlivingsupply.net

Background: ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute) has been the industry organization developing best practices and technical resources for segmental pavers, while NCMA (National Concrete and Masonry Association) has done the same for segmental retaining walls. These two organizations have recently merged (ICPI-NCMA) and are in the process of a rebrand.

*Tim Huinker will be in contact with you after you register for more information.

The teams at Stone Center and Bulks Landscape Supply had the pleasure of attending the Fall Atlanta Home Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre September 9 - 11. Show attendees were able to experience our beautiful 20x20 booth featuring Belgard pavers and enter into a raffle to win a YETI ROADIE® Cooler.

Parker Hardscapes hosted the grand opening of their new Belgard in-ground display and Belgard Simplicity Tour September 27. Customers were able to view the display for the first time and learn the latest from Belgard. 

The Simplicity Tour is a trailer highlighting Belgard's modular product lines like Dimensions™, Origins™, Tandem® Modular Block, and Artforms with live demos and giveaways.

From our Marketing Department, Ashley Alvarez and Kate Craig attended Inbound 2022 in Boston, MA, September 6 - 9. They had the opportunity to connect with some of the biggest brands in marketing and tech, bringing back a toolbox of knowledge to help us attract more customers through valuable content, tailored experiences and personalization.

Happy work anniversary! We are so lucky to have you!

• 15 Years | Eric J. Morris, 6 Years | Devon Ingraham, 1 Year | John W. Garlepp, Rhode B. Rachel and Brandon D. Salinas Castellano.

Wishing you a great birthday!

August Birthdays: Terry Merlo, Dave LaCroix, Eric Morris, Corey Wileman, Alexi Garcia Zelaya, Neil Donlevy, Kevin Ralston, Randolph Swire, Stephany Bringgold, Darrin Holdbrooks, Matthew Steban, David Sullivan, Chad Daniel, Heather Reilley, Elvin Diaz, Todd Bliss, Cameron Hobbs, Kasi Sequeira, Emmanuel Alvarado Tristian, Daniel Masteller, Nathan Augestad, Armando Marquez, Leon Safford, Scott Allen and Steven Sequeira.

September Birthdays: Michael Case, Barb French, Lane Reeves, Michael Saunders, Janice Trimbur, Joe Mankus, Kevin Lynn, Alexander Porras, Nikolas Stewart, Jason Deveau, Cole Morrow, Greg Peterson, James Cottrell, David Bonilla Garcia, Gregory Meeks, Heather Manning, Junn Nunez Nazario, Madeline Bontempo, Ethan Grove, Andrew Scheer, Tim Huinker, Patricia Sylvester, Gary Cook, D.R. Mintz, Jr., Pedro Rodriguez, Juan Calderon Lopez, Rebecca Kerr, and Corbin Salazar. 

Congratulations on your recent promotion!

• Ryan M. DeLong | Back Yard Living | Branch Manager
• Tracy Gumaer | Hartford Distribution Yard | Administrative Manager
• Matthew L. Steban | Hartford Distribution Yard | Assistant Manager
• Melissa M. Wentworth | Landscapers Depot | Office Manager
• Jessica M. Short | Outdoor Living Supply | Product Line Manager
• Jim Ryman | Outdoor Living Supply | Product Line Manager
• Woody DeLong | Schofield Stone | Wholesale Manager
• Dale R. Mintz Jr. | Outdoor Living Supply | Senior Area Development Manager
• Heidy Portillo | Nova Stone - Ashburn, VA | Branch Manager