On February 28th, we held our 5th annual Contractor Lunch & Learn at Jaden’s Catering in Monroeville. The L&L is an opportunity to provide updates and to introduce new things slated for the upcoming season. We like to call it the Rutter State of the Union. Jayme reviewed dumping policies, provided mulch installation tips, reviewed lantern fly certification information, provided recommendations on industry publications and introduced the group to the Monroeville Library’s new LinkedIn Learning program. We also bring in other industry experts to do a deeper dive into outside products that we carry.
Ashley Mariani from PittMoss joined us again this year to educate our customers on the benefits of PittMoss and how it can enhance their installs from turf establishment to planting beds to container planting.
Andy Amrhein and Samanatha Steele joined us from HydroBlox as well. We walked through typical installation techniques for solving customer’s swampy yard problems and the use of stormwater retention boxes for water containment. There were lots of great questions and interest in learning more from contractors who were unfamiliar with the product. In fact, the following week, Sam & Jayme met with several contractors new to the product at their job sites to advise how HydroBlox could provide superior solutions.
Taylor Solo from Prudential was on hand to introduce her financial planning and life insurance services to the group as well.
We had over 30 attendees this year, including a great mix of familiar faces and new customers. It was a super networking opportunity for the contractors as well. It’s refreshing to see the comradery in the room, particularly with the new generation of up-and-coming landscapers.
PittMoss provided product for some fun giveaways and we were thrilled to give away some delicious coffee sampler packs from Coffee That Helps, a small batch coffee roaster from Monroeville who produces wonderful coffee.
At J.A. Rutter Co, we strive to provide value-added service. While providing high quality, consistent products will always be our main priority, developing relationships and partnerships with our customers is a close second. Our customers are the reason we come to work every day. They keep us motivated and energized.
We look forward to our next L&L. Please let us know what information you’d like to see next year. Wishing everyone a sunny & successful 2023 season!