SiteOne's Zack Scott: Endurant colorants transform lawn care in Southwest Florida
Endurant turf colorants are a game changer for landscape services. The expectation of green grass cannot always be met using traditional lawn care methods—not even in the idyllic Southwest Florida climate—let alone across the U.S., North America and other regions.
Endurant turf colorants, made with organic pigments and nontoxic binders, provide year round green without overreliance on fertilizers, fungicides and other harsh chemicals.
Zack Scott, SiteOne Landscape Supply’s outside sales representative, who oversees the area of Southwest Florida’s Collier and Lee counties, shares how Endurant had a huge effect on this landscape market the past six months. Much of his success, he said, can be applied anywhere.
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Endurant Demo: Product demonstrations for SiteOne store representatives ignites a lawn care revolution in Southwest Florida[/caption]
Problem: Off color grass Solution: Endurant
“I was completely unaware of Endurant until December 2020, and then I learned there was someone selling the product for me, that the makers of Endurant were driving sales in the branch before I was even aware,” said Scott.
Geoponics, the Naples-based makers of Endurant turf and landscape colorants that are distributed worldwide, had already been working with SiteOne across the country. But a need was about to arise and be met in Florida this year.
“One of my biggest customers in Naples was struggling with a property. Since Geoponics was working with SiteOne already, they chose to help the SiteOne customer through our SiteOne store, rather than selling to them directly,” said Scott.
He respected that.
Similarly, when members of The Quarry Community Association and The Quarry Golf Club Naples were disappointed in the loss of green color in their grass, they had questions about another solution.
“The grass was not as green as they’d like it. We were going through a cold spell that lasted an unusually long time. They had heard of Endurant and asked if the entrance to the golf course community could be treated with the colorant,” said Scott.
“They loved the way it looked and ended up using it more around the clubhouse and painting a lot more in the community throughout this colder winter,” he added.
It was perfect timing to have learned about Endurant.
“We were just beginning an extremely long cold snap. Zoysia was off color, customers were struggling and I didn’t really have a solution other than putting down even more nutrients and fungicide,” said Scott. “I could tell Endurant was the solution to the problem we were having. And, that’s what I’m here for, I’m in the business of helping customers find solutions,” he added.
Every year, from November to March, zoysia fungus is a struggle in Florida.
“In fall 2021, Endurant PR (perennial rye) is going to be written into all of our zoysia programs in SWFL,” said Scott.
The program will include an application in late November and another in January, he forecast.
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Brad Driggers of Geoponics applies Endurant turf colorants, made with organic pigment and nontoxic binders, in a product demo for SiteOne store representatives in Southwest Florida[/caption]
Product Demos: Seeing Is Believing
“The key to success at the branches,” Scott revealed, “had a lot to do with the CSR, customer service rep counter guys. They were brought to demos and educated on what the product was all about. They won’t sell the product if they don’t believe in it.”
It’s the customer service representatives that have the relationships with the customers. When they go out in the field and watch the demos in-person of the grass going from brown to green, that is when they really understand it’s a great product.
“Surfactants, fungicides, nutrients, nothing is as instantaneous as painting grass,” said Scott.
The demonstrations have led to 100 percent success rate, he said.
On Sanibel Island, demos of Endurant included palm tree colorant, as well as grass paint, for landscapers and a tree farm.
Turf paint has been around for years, but lawn care operators and agronomists looked at paint as “waiving the white flag,” said Scott.
Now, Endurant has a place in all of our programs based on results, he said.
Endurant is chosen for its natural green color, organic pigments and nontoxic binders that allow colorants to last up to three months, depending on the conditions, such as rate of growth and frequency of mowing.
“My guys really love how natural it looks. Endurant doesn’t have that artificial, phony look that some of the other current brands and products of the past had,” said Scott.
“You can see it on people’s faces as we’re doing it. The wow factor is instant,” he said.
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Of all the lawn and landscape makeovers powered by Endurant turf colorants, this Oklahoma home was a leader on social media.[/caption]
One Lawn Markets a Neighborhood
In the marketplace, the instant gratification lasts and spreads throughout a community, such as it did in Southwest Florida.
“A lawn was brown or there was a fungus, you treat a fungus and the fungus dies, but the grass doesn’t recover until the ground temperature warms up and the grass starts to regrow. They’re stuck with it for the rest of the winter. The homeowner thinks I have still have the spot, I still have the problem,” said Scott.
However, Endurant can create a beautiful look instantly.
“Fungicides are also expensive to use and cost a lot in man hours. Those chemicals have an overhead cost for a landscaper,” he said.
If the damaging use of harsher chemicals and more nutrients at such a proximity to the seaside isn’t a motivator, something else is.
“The second part that is most powerful: if you’re riding down the road in Port Royal here, you have brown grass, brown grass, brown grass, and all of a sudden you have this lawn that looks really good. Then, you have a homeowner saying, ‘why does their lawn look like that? And mine doesn’t? Why am I paying you?’”
That one green lawn does the rest of the advertising work for you.
“The lawn becomes the marketing tool because they stand out so much on the street,” said Scott.
From the homeowner’s perspective, the neighbor with the green lawn isn’t having the issues. But it’s not that they’re not having the same issues of zoysia fungus or cool weather browning the grass, you don’t see it if they’re using Endurant. The health of the soil, grass and water table can all be addressed while maintaining the green color associated with a healthy looking lawn using Endurant.
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While Endurant is most popular on turf grass, the Endurant Palm Colorant, mulch and pinestraw are also popular[/caption]
Endurant Creates a New Line of Business
“This is a guaranteed new line of business for SiteOne stores. If you bring Endurant into branches and call the vendor for assistance, you’ll have success,” said Scott.
Southwest Florida may be the most unlikely place for painting lawns given how green the landscape generally is in comparison to the rest of the country further north where cooler temperatures lead to browner grass.
Endurant landscape colorants are a boon for everyone, including the landscapers and suppliers.
“Geoponics is practically part of my team now. That’s what you get with this product. Vendor support. And that’s what we all really like, vendors who will roll up their sleeves and get out into the field with us,” said Scott.
