CNLA News - March 2025

2025 Leadership Summit

EXPLORING DIVERSITY, AI TOOLS AND INDUSTRY GROWTH

CNLA’s 2025 Leadership Summit, held on Feb. 5, at Caterpillar’s Edward J. Rapp Customer and Training Center in Clayton, N.C., featured discussions on leadership, diversity, technology and industry growth.

Carla Bailey, founder of Solutions by CB and a seasoned HR strategist in Canada’s landscaping industry, led an interactive discussion about the current state of the industry’s diversity. She highlighted that the amount of women in senior roles is under 40 per cent.

“On the flip side of it, when I look at the American stats, when we look at our entire profession, we’re talking less than seven per cent identify as women,” Bailey said. “That is worrisome because that’s a lot of money on the table that we’re not touching.”

Bailey then highlighted a statistic from 2022, which saw 10 companies within the S&P 500 index appoint a female CEO. For the first time in the index’s history, there were more women CEOs than CEOs with the first name John.

“We beat out a name,” commented Bailey.

Throughout her session, Bailey had attendees respond to pointed questions on their phones, with the answers revealed on screen. She asked the audience to write about various barriers for creating a diverse workplace, as well as what would create the ideal association for an under- represented group.

“I’m not trying to be a Debby Downer, but I want us to recognize where our challenges are,” she said. “There’s innovative stuff that happens, and the only way we can do that is by having different types of brains in this space. The way we do that is by encouraging diversity on our teams all the
way from the bottom to the top.”

Marcello Gordana, executive director of Tennis, a Toronto-based design agency, shared tips on how to use technology to grow your business, and to help customers in a way that ultimately leads to increased sales.

In the span of 30 years, the tech world went from a niche community of dial-up internet users to today’s artificial intelligence, which is writing essays, generating photos and being used by software companies for development functions.

“All of this was really complicated for businesses,” said Gordana. “Businesses are still getting into this workflow of learning about new technology. How is it going to apply to our business, and how does it apply to our customers?”

The rapid evolution of technology is changing the buying behaviours and processes of customers. Most customers do online research in advance of a purchase, and it’s estimated customers take up to 79 days when considering a major purchase before deciding to engage with a brand. Successful companies are finding ways to assist the customer as they conduct online research, to guide them through those 79 days.

An example of helping customers is HubSpot’s Website Grader, which breaks down the performance of a website in terms of search engine optimization (SEO), mobile functionality and security. There is a catch: HubSpot is a customer relations management (CRM) platform and their
Website Grader is a vehicle to sell their platform. But the tool is a huge success, having conducted three million Website Grader checks since its introduction that have resulted in 50,000 monthly leads.

Another example is the e-commerce platform Shopify, which offers tools to speed up the process of a startup to start up, like a business name generator, a Terms and Conditions generator and a refund policy generator.

Gordana also mentioned a more industry-specific example of tools offered by Network of Nature, a Guelph-based organization whose goal is to enhance the knowledge and awareness of Canadian native plant species. Network of Nature has an interactive map of garden centres that sell native plant species. They also offer a database of Canadian native species that allows users to narrow down a specific species according to its sunlight requirements, soil pH, drought or moisture tolerance and much more.
 
“The most successful companies today win by helping, not just selling,” he said. “Organizations that are engaging their customers early on in this buying cycle are helping by providing the information, the tools and the community that these people are looking for when they’re researching
businesses, products and services.”

Jason Becker, Caterpillar’s senior manager of growth markets, reminisced on his 23 years with the company, and how he considers the relationship forged with the landscape industry as a key reason for CAT reaching its 100th anniversary this year.

“For me – don’t tell the other industries that we serve – but landscaping is my absolute favourite business we engage with. Not because another industry is worse or better, it’s not because of what you do for the environment, it’s what you do for people and their lives,” Becker said. “This group is doing something that’s tangible and it makes a difference.”

When Caterpillar was growing into the smaller equipment business in the late-90s, the company realized there were a lot of customers they didn’t know.

“I’ll be the first to admit that many landscapers saw us drive right by them to go see someone that built a road, or worked in a quarry, or had 50 pieces of equipment,” Becker said. “Our people, and people that we work with, did not see the landscaper that had one machine.”

Becker said the partnership that began between Caterpillar and CNLA in 2001 had a big impact on how CAT sees the landscape industry now. Through smaller machine offerings like skid steers, compact tractors and mini excavators, CAT experienced continual growth trend of a new type of customer base: individuals or businesses that own between zero and five machines.

Becker highlighted a persistent, global trend of growth from the landscaping service industry, which is projected to grow 6.7 per cent annually in the next five years.

“We’ve seen a lot of trends come and go. But very few trends tend to go up and up and up, even in challenging times. This business is growing and it’s valuable around the world.”

Through partnerships with landscape associations across North America, CAT learned that simply caring about the industry would be enough for the industry to then take care of itself.

“It’s not about trying to sell a product, it’s about trying to care about the industry, be a part of it and be present,” he said. “And if you do that and you show up, things will work out very well for both. And these mutually beneficial relationships are what it’s all about.”

Anita Heuver begins term as CNLA president

Anita Heuver was appointed president of the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) on Feb. 4, bringing decades of industry leadership and experience in the family business.

Eagle Lake Nurseries, established in 1970 in Strathmore, Alta., has grown from a 400-acre operation to nearly 1,000 acres, with 600 acres dedicated to caliper tree production. Despite Alberta’s challenging climate, the nursery has built a strong reputation for high-quality trees, shrubs and perennials, supplying wholesale buyers, municipalities and institutions.

Anita’s involvement in the CNLA was shaped by a family tradition of industry leadership. Her father, Tony Heuver, was president of Landscape Alberta (1987–1988), while her uncle, Henry Heuver, founder of Foothills Landscaping in Calgary, Alta., served as president of the CNLA (1987-1988). Tony strongly believed in industry participation. “You owe the industry to participate,” he said in a 2021 interview. “Anybody in this business should at least become a member, and become involved to the extent that you can, and support the association.”

Since attending her first CNLA board meeting in 2014 as chair of the Growers’ Committee, Anita has witnessed the association’s evolution. Initially focused on pressing issues like labour, pest management and regulations, the CNLA has since shifted toward proactive collaboration and international engagement. The association now works with global organizations such as the International Association of Horticultural Producers and the United Nations Conference of Parties, ensuring the Canadian industry benefits from global best practices.

Key industry challenges remain, including labour shortages, climate change adaptation and government relations. With a federal election on the horizon in 2025, Anita expects that changes in parliament may influence the CNLA’s approach.

"Politics may shift the government's focus in a different direction than we anticipate,” she said. “While we don’t need to change our message or the work we’re doing, we may need to adjust how we present it."

Anita stresses the importance of effective communication within the industry to increase awareness of available resources. CNLA’s public-facing initiatives, including the Green Cities Foundation and Communities in Bloom, have broadened the association’s audience, highlighting the industry’s role in climate change adaptation and community well-being.

Attracting new leadership is another priority. Anita hopes that improved communication will engage both young professionals and experienced industry veterans, ensuring fresh perspectives and continued industry growth.

“Hopefully, better communication will attract new faces and voices who want to be involved in our associations,” Anita said.

Labour shortages remain a persistent challenge. Anita advocates for a shift in perspective, urging employers to assess their own practices.

"I hope our discussions on the labour issues lead to a fresh perspective. We can keep repeating that there’s a labour shortage and access is a challenge, but I believe we need to reflect on ourselves as employers,” she said. “We need to examine what needs to change, what we need to learn, and what’s working or not working."

As CNLA president, Anita aims to drive innovation, adaptability and excellence within the industry. She acknowledges the association’s relatively small voice but believes in its impact.

"One of our greatest strengths is our ability to make things happen as a board of volunteers," she said, adding that CNLA staff have been instrumental in bringing the board's actions to life.

"In the big picture, our voice may be small, but we work as if it's big."