Top Story

• 5 tips for making trade shows work for your business
  To make the most out of attending trade shows, landscape contractors should create a plan attack. Susan Friedmann, the Trade Show Coach, offers five tips, including quantifying what you want to accomplish and preparing specific questions about equipment you're interested in. Lawn & Landscape (10/22)     

	New survey: Pros prefer Kawasaki In a recent survey of turf pros, Kawasaki commercial mower engines were preferred nearly 2 to 1 over the next leading brand, earning a strong #1 rating in every area: overall performance, reliability, power, torque, ease of maintenance. The research confirms what many know: Pros choose Kawasaki. Learn more.

Industry Buzz

• What to do to prepare the garden for lush spring growth
  To prepare the garden for spring, remove spent plants and enrich the soil with compost, experts say. Some perennials that offer winter interest might not need pruning, said Bill Dawson, coordinator of community garden program for the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Ohio. Maintain lawn equipment to have it ready when spring arrives, Dawson added. The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) (10/21)     

• Green roof promotes sustainability at Md. lawn care firm
  A green roof that features sedum and chives helps manage stormwater runoff at MRW Lawns in La Plata, Md. The 18-month-old structure has a 20% pitch to make it easily visible in the area. The demand for green roofs is growing, as they are included in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council, according to Rodney Chaney of Tecta America, the company that installed MRW's roof. Southern Maryland Newspapers Online (10/19)     

Economic Indicators

• Stronger but still weak third-quarter growth is seen for U.S.
  A poll of U.S. economists yields a prediction of a 1.8% annual growth rate for gross domestic product in the third quarter, up from 1.3% in the preceding period. A jump in consumer spending is credited for the expected rise, which nonetheless would mark the first two successive quarters of sub-2% growth since the country began emerging from recession in 2009. Bloomberg Businessweek (10/21)     

• U.S. existing-home sales dropped from August to September
  Home sales statistics are giving mixed signals about the state of the U.S. housing market. Existing-home sales in September were down 1.7% from August but were 11% higher than in September 2011. MarketWatch (10/19)     

• Unemployment falls in 41 states, government says
  U.S. joblessness declined in most states last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Unemployment fell in 41 states, rose in six states and remained unchanged in three, the agency said. Employers in California are putting new workers on their payrolls at a rate ahead of the national average. CNBC (10/19)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by OPEI SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• Parker Hannifin decides to purchase 2 companies (CNBC)

• E15 remains a leading industry concern, OPEI chief says (LandscapeOnline.com)

• Briggs & Stratton cites drought for fiscal first-quarter loss (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

• Gates' main office cuts about 40 positions (The Denver Post)

• Column: Maintenance tips to prepare lawn mowers for spring (The Star Press (Muncie, Ind.))

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Inside & Out

• Integrity alone doesn't make you trustworthy
  Leaders who want to be seen as trustworthy will need more than just personal integrity, writes Jennifer V. Miller. Different people have different standards for trustworthiness, so it's important to focus on meeting workers' needs and expectations on an individual basis. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (10/18)     

• A focus on customer service makes social media effective
  Less than half of small businesses use social media for customer service, which might be an opening worth exploiting, writes Frank Strong. A social media survey by Duct Tape Marketing revealed that most businesses use social media to push their services or products and solicit feedback from customers. "Addressing service complaints quickly may not just resolve the issue, but turn a customer into an advocate; there is a bonus in that those observing will credit you for addressing the matter," Strong concludes. Duct Tape Marketing (10/18)     

Policy Update

• Analysis: "Regulatory cliff" compounds uncertainty
  Corporate America faces not only the "fiscal cliff" involving tax increases and other changes, it also is keeping an eye on a pending "regulatory cliff." CEOs are watching the Federal Register for final rules from a variety of government departments. Barron's (free content) (10/20)     

OPEI News

• EPA and CPSC to speak at GIE+EXPO
  On behalf of OPEI, we are delighted to announce Glenn Passavant and Philip Carlson, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality; and Janet Buyer, CPSC Division of Combustion and Fire Sciences, Directorate for Engineering Sciences, as featured speakers on Oct. 26. Glenn and Philip will be featured speakers at the 10 a.m. workshop and Janet Buyer will be the featured speaker at our 1 p.m. workshop, both to be held in Room C-202 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. They will be speaking on topics of immediate interest and importance to the OPE industry. There will be time allowed for open Q-and-A at the end of the presentations. These sessions do not require registration, and there is no charge. They are also open to the public.     

• Industry party @GIE+EXPO -- don't miss out
  Servicing dealers, rental dealers, retailers, distributors and suppliers will come together for an industry party on Oct. 24 at GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky. The welcome reception wraps up the first-ever Dealer Day, a preview of the show. Among the festivities will be live music in two locations on the show floor; a 25-cent beer and hot dog reception sponsored by ARI, Husqvarna and Ideal Computer Systems and an Oktoberfest theme in STIHL's booth where they will hold a drawing for a $5,000 giveaway. For info, visit the GIE+EXPO website or call (800) 558-8767.     

SmartQuote

The importance of money flows from it being a link between the present and the future." --John Maynard Keynes, British economist