Lawn Green Awards & Announcements

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Lawn Green Awards & Announcements

It goes without saying that we are proud of Lawn Green’s achievements (and any publicity that accompanies these achievements), and so we have published internet links and copies of all print media stories (and anything else that gets a mention for that matter). Admittedly, this section is a little gratuitous, but it also serves the purpose of letting our clients and others know about the Lawn Green story.

For Great Tips on keeping your lawn greener and weed free, The Hills Shire Times ran a story on “Tips To Help Your Grass Go Greener”.

You can view this story in PDF format at the following linkHillsShireTimesOct2007.PDF

Did you know The 2007 Landscape Expo is just around the corner? Lawn Green will be exhibiting at The 2007 Landscape Expo! Please come by and see us at Stand Number D4. You won’t miss us we will be the ONLY bright lime green stand! We would love to have a chat with you! Details as follows: 2007 Landscape Expo Wednesday 25th July, 2007 – Friday 27th July, 2007 Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush Bay Go to this map link of where to park and how to get there.

Lawn Green has struck GOLD at the 2006 Suncorp Parramatta Regional Awards for Business Excellence by winning two (2) Award Categories for Business Excellence. These awards include an Award for Excellence In The Development Of A New Service, and an Award for Excellence In Contributing To The Environment.

Chairman’s Choice Award

Excellence in Starting a New Business
Loxley on Bellbird Hill P O Box 300 KURRAJONG 2758 Paul Maher Ph: 4567.7711 Fax: 4567.8231 The Northcott Conference and Function Centre P O Box 4055 PARRAMATTA 2124 Nicole Ferguson Ph: 9890.0100

Excellence in Sales & Marketing

Highly Commended Excellence in Customer Service
Beaute International Day Spa Shop 46 Pritchard St WENTWORTHVILLE 2145 Debbie Mitchell Ph: 9769.1169 Fax: 4754.1086 Ferrari’s Clinic 59 Morton St PARRAMATTA 2150 Christiane Ferrari Ph: 9630.4003

Excellence in Customer Service

Excellence in the Implementation of New Technology
Loxley on Bellbird Hill P O Box 300 KURRAJONG 2758 Paul Maher Ph: 4567.7711 Fax: 4567.8231 Amadeus Catering P O Box 13 OATLANDS 2117 Jeanne Iro Ph: 9890.2133 Fax: 9683.5004

Excellence in Admin and Financial Management

Excellence in the Development of a New Product
Cumberland Industries Limited P O Box 875 AUBURN 2144 Amanda Connolly Ph: 9643.4400 Fax: 9749.5500 Omega Tankers & Trailers P O Box 1097 PARRAMATTA 2124 Daniel Pollard Ph: 9638.7978 Fax: 9684.6952

Excellence in the Development of a New Service

Excellence in Contributing to the Environment
Lawn Green Pty Ltd 7 Elliott Place CHERRYBROOK 2126 Gerry Faehrmann Ph: 1300 55 74 72 Lawn Green Pty Ltd 7 Elliott Place CHERRYBROOK 2126 Gerry Faehrmann Ph: 1300 55 74 72

Excellence in Staff Training & Development

Excellence in Developing an Export Market
Catholic Education Office Locked Bag 4 NORTH PARRAMATTA 1750 Gregory Whitby Ph: 9840.5671 Fax: 9840.5678 Omega Tankers & Trailers PO Box 1097 PARRAMATTA 2124 Daniel Pollard Fax: 9684.6952

Excellence in Contributing to the Community

2006 Suncorp Business of the Year
Lifestart Co-operative Ltd P O Box 7389 BAULKHAM HILLS BC2153 Fiona Phipps Ph: 0422411613 Fax: 9896.4488 Beaute International Day Spa Shop 46 Pritchard St WENTWORTHVILLE 2145 Debbie Mitchell Ph: 9769.1169 Fax: 4754.1086

Lawn Green likes to promote responsible use of Australia’s scarce water resources. Lawn Green is active in spreading the good word on water conservation in regard to the irrigation of lawn and grassed areas. We love it when newspapers and magazines contact us for some commentary on water use, water restrictions and the drought. The text version of the The Hornsby Advocate article (15th March 2007) is as follows: Page 19 HORNSBY ADVOCATE, Thursday, March 15, 2007 News Item Get wise about water by Brett Cox A few weeks ago, a story on tips to make your garden drought resistant seemed like a great idea. But, even though we’ve seen more rain of late than on the plain in Spain, the experts all agree that there’s just not as much water around as there used to be. Garden Centres right across the country have joined together in a “Wise about Water” program that provides tips to make sure gardens still flourish in the hotter, drier conditions. Peter Whitehead of Rast Brothers Nursery at Turramurra says he is involved in the program and gives the following tips to local gardeners:

  • Group plants with similar water needs together
  • Plant now – Autumn is the best time to plant trees and shrubs
  • Dig big holes for plants and put water storing crystals in the bottom, use nice compost and soil, apply a wetting agent to the soil surface and cover with a thick mulch
  • Water your plants “slow and low” at ground level, and test to see if your soil is dry before you water
  • Cooler weather means less water is needed

Mr Whitehead says now is the perfect time to buy spring and winter annuals, or spring flowering bulbs, because they don’t use much water, are good value and will give your garden wonderful colour. For example, correctly planted pansies will give you colour until next summer. “We have had a little rain, so right now is the perfect time to get planting”. The owner of the www.lawngreen.com.au website and business, Gerry Faehrmann of Cherrybrook, says good lawn maintenance can take the place of needless watering. “I’ve got the best looking lawn in the street,” he said. “The guy across the road waters is lawn when he’s allowed to but I haven’t done it for years.” He says grass benefits from the type of rain you generally see in Sydney – heavy but infrequent – and regular short bursts of water don’t do much to help lawns stay green. “The best time to water is the day after a storm so that the water gets down to the roots, which are 15 to 20 cms deep,” he said. Mr Faehrmann’s business also offers a “weeding and feeding” program that drought-proofs lawns by extending roots. Lawns should be “fed” in March and September at the very least, and cut at 30mm in summer and longer in winter to allow for photosynthesis with reduced sunlight. Go to www.ngia.com.au to find your local nursery

For a good story on the Hornsby Chamber “Youth Learning The Biz” initiative in The Hornsby Advocate (26th May 2005) refer to www.hornsbychamber.com.au/pdf/AdvChamberPage260505.pdf The text version of the Hornsby Advocate article is as follows: 14 HORNSBY ADVOCATE, Thursday, May 26, 2005 Hornsby Chamber of Commerce advertising feature HOME TURF: Redfield College Year 9 studentswith Lawn Green’s Gerry Faehrmann. Photo: PETER KELLY Schools learn to mind their business STUDENTS from 13 schools will be displaying their business acumen during this Saturday’s Youth Learning the Biz! Trade Fair in Hornsby. Sponsored by the North West Business Education Network, the trade fair is the culmination of a three-week mentoring program between local businesses and schools. Hornsby Chamber of Commerce member Lawn Green and Redfield College, Dural, are hoping to make it two-in- a-row after winning last year’s award for Best Marketing Initiative. The program involves each business partner mentoring their school team in all aspects of business, marketing, promotion and advertising in relation to their business. At the finale of the program the Year 9 students are required to design, create marketing initiatives and work a trade fair booth for the business partner’s company at a fully operational trade fair. This year’s trade fair involves:

  • Gowings Hornsby (with St Ives High).
  • Greater Union Cinema Hornsby (Castle Hill High).
  • Oporto Hornsby (Hornsby Girls High).
  • Bunnings Warehouse Thornleigh (Turramurra High).
  • The Cookie Man (Asquith Girls High).
  • Lawn Green (Redfield College).
  • Ibis Accor Hotel Thornleigh (Normanhurst Boys High).
  • Signwave Hornsby (Pennant Hills High).
  • Kwik Kopy Hornsby (Asquith Boys High).
  • Ziggys Fine Foods (Brigidine College).
  • Co-op Bookshop (Pymble Ladies College).
  • Milcom (Ryde Secondary).
  • Taylor Made Shade (Cherrybrook High).

The Youth Learning the Biz! program was devised by the Hornsby and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Last year the chamber received the NSW State Chamber of Commerce Award for Best Business Education Initiative for the program. The Youth Learning the Biz! Trade Fair will be held at Hornsby War Memorial Hall, High St, from 10am to 3pm on Saturday.

In relation to the 2006 Suncorp Parramatta Regional Awards for Business Excellence, Lawn Green has been reported in the Sydney Business Review magazine. For a pictorial account of the Awards presentation at the Roxy Theatre Parramatta, please go to this link.   For a great feature story on Lawn Green in The Sydney Morning Herald (July 2005) go to this web site linkhttp://www.smh.com.au/news/news/deep-seep/2005/07/06/1120329493053.html The text version of the Sydney Morning Herald article is as follows: By Jackie Chowns July 7, 2005 Page Tools Email to a friend Printer format PHOTO: Weed and feed: Gerry Faehrmann uses a spreader to apply herbicide and fertiliser. Photo: Edwina Pickles

It’s hard for Trade Secrets to look at a perfectly manicured front lawn without thinking of the dark underbelly of suburbia, as in the David Lynch movie Blue Velvet or on television in Desperate Housewives. White picket fences and picture-perfect carpets of green have come to represent something altogether more sinister than home sweet home. Despite such cultural stereotyping, and the fact that lawns have long been denounced as water- and time-wasters for the obsessive-compulsive, the smell of freshly cut grass cannot be replaced, and the quest for the flawless lawn continues. Gerry Faehrmann says good maintenance can take the place of needless watering. He hasn’t watered his lawn for a year, but it’s the crowning glory of his neighbourhood. It’s lush and green with no weeds. No brown patches. No bindi-eyes. But you would expect that from a lawn specialist. “I’ve got the healthiest lawn in the street,” he says. “The guy across the road goes out and waters his lawn in the period he’s allowed to – and all he’s doing is keeping the top layer of soil wet for weed seeds to have fun.” Faehrmann says Sydney’s rainfall over the past year has been enough to maintain a healthy lawn. He says grass benefits from the kind of rain that is Sydney’s specialty – heavy but infrequent – so the water can seep into the roots, which are 15 to 20 centimetres deep. And as the top layer dries out, it becomes difficult for weed seeds to germinate. “It’s really critical that you do heavy watering, but infrequently,” Faehrmann says. Maintaining a lawn, however, is not done by pragmatism alone. Faehrmann, who operates his lawn-care business from Cherrybrook, offers “greener weed-free” lawns through a regulated three-monthly chemical cocktail of fertilising and insect and weed control. He also provides a system of “drought-proofing” whereby a granular product is applied to the lawn to boost the water-carrying capacity of the soil. “Everything we do is geared at minimising the amount of spray,” Faehrmann says. “We use a granular fertiliser that’s coated with a pre-emergent herbicide. The fertiliser greens up the lawn and the herbicide sits in the soil and stops weed seeds from germinating.” Faehrmann says pests such as sod worm, bill bug, caterpillars and army worm can cause devastation so his lawn-care treatment also uses an insecticide based on the organic material pyrethrum. When mowing, many people are prone to “scalp” their lawns, which is as painful a process as it sounds. Faehrmann says that when cut too short, soil is exposed, making the lawn brown and patchy and giving weeds and insects a greater chance to proliferate. He has seen some patchy lawns in his time but none that are beyond redemption. “In the spring and summertime we can get results within four weeks. In winter, we eliminate the weeds and get the lawn ready for springtime activity when it starts to regenerate itself in a pretty powerful way.” Trader’s tip When you cut the lawn too short, or “scalp” it, you are making it more susceptible to pests and weed invasion. Lawn Green 7 Elliott Place, Cherrybrook, 1300 557 472, http://www.lawngreen.com.au

7th June, 2006 Hornsby Advocate wrote a story on the latest rain, and Gerry Faehrmann of Lawn Green was quoted. See article at http://www.hornsbyadvocate.com.au/article/2006/06/07/402_news.html The text version of the Hornsby Advocate article is as follows: Hornsby Advocate NEWS.com.au FOX SPORTS CLASSIFIEDS NEWSPAPERS MOBILE Search the web19 August 2006 It’s a symbol of hope from the heavens for our dry shire Tracey Findlay 07Jun06 A rainbow over Hornsby followed showers welcomed by orchardists and rural residents of our shire. GOOD, solid rain this week has been welcomed throughout the shire, particularly by rural residents who have been doing it tough in the drought. Galston orchardist Bill Waddell said yesterday the rainfall was badly needed. “We have managed to survive because we have got four dams and we carry enough water or we have so far,” he said. “I suppose we are down to about 40 per cent (in the dams), something like that.” The 18.6ha orchard has been run by the family since 1881. “It’s the driest that I can remember,” Mr Waddell said. “We could do with a bit more water so we can get the runoff for the dams.” Galston flower grower Vince Barbara is also hoping that the rain will continue. “Without the rain the flowers get a lot more diseases,” he said. “It’s also the time for ploughing the soil to put our other crops in.” Mr Barbara relies on city water to keep his farm going. “It makes you think twice about having extra crops,” he said. The rainfall has also been welcomed by the gardening industry. Gerry Faehrmann, from Cherrybrook lawn care business Lawn Green, said the rain came at a perfect time. “It’s great because it’s setting us up for spring,” he said. “The rain is perfect because even though plants are dormant they still need water.” Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Rural Fire Service monitors rainfall and the Keetch-Bryam Drought Index. Yesterday the index was at 134, which means there still needs to be 134mm of rain to bring the soil back to saturation.

For another interesting story on Lawn Green go to the Hornsby District Chamber Of Commerce & Industry’s web site link at http://www.youthlearn.biz/ The text version of the front page of the Youth Learning The Biz website is as follows: Youth Learning the Biz! A Hornsby & District Chamber of Commerce & Industry/Chamber Youth Alliance initiative in association with The Department of Education & Training Expressions of Interest for 2005 Pictured below is certainly an “Expression of Interest” BUT here at Youth Learning the Biz! we are seeking more than looks. The time is NOW for all interested parties; High Schools, Business Owners, Shire Councils, Chamber’s of Commerce and any youth orientated association to start submitting their formal Expressions of Interest to participate in the 2005 Youth Learning the Biz! program. Xpressions are open until 1 September 2004. Then all the fun begins as we hold special information sessions for all interested parties. All information is contained in this website for you to….Lodge your Xpression Do it today and be part of this great initiative. You will never regret the experience!

The Expression

Our thanks to Bill Aikin, Editor (and chief bottle washer) of the Monthly Chronicle, a great Hornsby Shire Newspaper and supporter of The Biz!, for his look of interest (pictured above)…. Although once he sees it he may never speak to us again! Photo© 2004 Darren Hart Photography

The Biz! to the World

May 10 2004. At 10:50am, the Member for Hornsby, Judy Hopwood MP launched the Youth Learning the Biz! Website. Held at the latest entertainment hub of Hornsby (Sydney, NSW Australia) Core Games Internet Caf© in Westfield Hornsby. Official and invited guests included; Hornsby Shire Councilors, Department of Education & Training representatives, Hornsby Chamber of Commerce members, Core Games management and staff , the local media, school teams, business partners and the general public all witnessing the event that saw the next stage of this Hornsby Chamber of Commerce initiative in association with the Chamber Youth Alliance & the Department of Education & Training, specifically designed for business orientated high school students. Disability friendly this site outlines the entire program highlighting the inaugural Youth Learning the Biz! in 2004. The Biz Resources section is aimed at all business and commerce students of all ages with the latest youth orientated business news and facilities as a starting point for any assignment or project. All was revealed as the website could be seen and surfed live online through any one of the 50 computers made available by Core Games. One lucky guest scored themselves the lucky door prize; a home slot car set courtesy of Hornsby Slot cars. And all guests indulged in the FREE Krispy Kreme doughnuts purchased by Hornsby Chamber of Commerce to aid a fund raising by local youth association, Fusion North. The Youth Learning the Biz! Development Committee would like to thank the following for their support of the Website Launch: Core Games, Teksolution Website Design, Hornsby AV, solutions first, Hornsby Slot Cars, Balloon Elegance & Q Framing.

Biz Winner the Cat’s Meow!

The partnership team of Nestl© Purina and Ryde Secondary College were all smiles under their cat & dog face paint when it was announced they were the inaugural winners of The 2004 ABBY practice Youth Learning the Biz! GOLD CUP for business excellence. This perpetual gold cup was their reward for the most outstanding team between a local business and high school during the 3 week, Youth Learning the Biz! program which reached it’s climax at the North West Business Education Network (NWBEN) Youth Learning the Biz! Trade Fair in National Youth Week. This team also received the Award for Best Stand and won for their school a laminating machine donated by Hornsby & District Chamber of Commerce (HDCCI) Member, Academy Office Supplies. Gai Kriening, the school team’s supervising teacher had nothing but praise for her students, the business partner and the program, “I had a group of committed and capable students, they were also very quiet and, like all Year 9 Commerce students, they had minimal knowledge of the world of business. To see the extent of their knowledge now, after a mere 3 weeks, is astounding.” One of the major contributing factors to the success of Youth Learning the Biz! is the dedication and expertise of the Business Partner [the local business], “Tamara, [Business Partner] took my team right into the world of the pet owner and Nestlé Purina’s role in providing advice and assistance to them. She covered the history of the business, marketing, legal requirements and much more with my team. Under her guidance they flourished.” Youth Learning the Biz! was developed to allow the students access to mainstream business at the coalface, to experience first hand all the trials, tribulations and triumphs. “To walk around the hall on Friday and Saturday and see the confidence exhibited by all the school teams, to watch their interaction with customers and their business partners was something that could not be generated in a classroom. Youth Learning the Biz! allowed them to have a ‘living’ learning experience and I am sure that no-one involved will forget the experience.” Photo© 2004 Darren Hart Photography

Youth in Biz lay down the Lawn

Lawn Green, a local lawn care and maintenance business and Cherrybrook Technology High School made their presents known, as they had for the entire 2 days, when they picked up the Best Marketing Initiative Awardat the inaugural, Youth Week event; North West Business Education Network (NWBEN) Youth Learning the Biz! Trade Fair. No trade fair visitor escaped the marketing arm of this winning team. When enquiring where the Lawn Green stand was located, one of the Youth Learning the Biz! judges was informed, “You don’t have to find them, just stand here, they will find you!” Many tried and true marketing initiatives were deployed by the Lawn Green – Cherrybrook Technology team: A bright lime green stand with lime green balloon sculptures, lolly [lime green] give-a-ways, enquiry incentives and the popular wearing of sandwich boards [lime green] advertising their stand. Gerry Faehrmann, Lawn Green’s Head Honcho, had nothing but admiration for the Cherrybrook students during his acceptance speech, “We put together a huge list of marketing ideas and come the day of the Trade Fair this group had them all together”. The enthusiasm and gained expertise of this team impressed not only the judges but a Business Partner of another team. Theo Glockeman, from Signwave Hornsby spoke of the Lawn Green win at a post Trade Fair Hornsby Chamber meeting, “How could you resist when an innocent eyed student wearing a homemade, cardboard sandwich board looks up to you and informs you that they can improve your lawn, would you like to come and see? of course I said yes and I don’t even have a lawn!” Photo© 2004 Darren Hart Photography Practical advice on Internet safety, parental control and Internet filters for the protection of children, students and families NetAlert Ltd is the Internet safety body of Australia. Established by the Australian Government to provide independent advice and education on managing access to online content.

Copyright & License:

Youth Learning the Biz! Initiative & Youth Learning the Biz! Trade Fair; concepts, logos, formats, printed and web material, photos and moving images and all other materials associated with the initiative and trade fair are solely owned by the Hornsby & District Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc. the holder of the copyright© 2004. Recreation &/or deployment of this initiatve and/or Trade Fair is not permitted except to holders of a current Youth Learning the Biz! license