reams
In This Issue
May is Rain Bird Month
Smart Landscape Lighting Tip
Blazing's Switchblade Cutter
Offer Drainage Now, BEFORE They Need It
FREE Electrical Troubleshooting Guide
"Your Sprinklers Won't Work Because of he SNAKE"
New SOL Color-Changing LED Lights
Avoid Cash Flow Pitfalls
 
 
    
 

Welcome to the busy season! 

Efficient time management will help you make the most of your opportunities in the weeks ahead. 

Take advantage of our time-saving services to take the hassle out of getting the supplies you need. 
  • Direct to job delivery of large orders
  • Call ahead so orders are ready for pickup, no waiting.
  • One-stop shopping for all of your project needs.
  • Expert advice at the counter or by phone.  You can even text us!
  • Convenient hours - Monday-Friday 8am to 5pm
Let us help you take the stress out of a busy month.

Thank you for being our customer!

 

The REAMS Team 
May is Rain Bird Month at REAMS 

We're celebrating the industry's top-selling line for professional contractors, Rain Bird, all month long at REAMS.   We're one of the country's oldest and largest Rain Bird distributors.  We know their line top-to-bottom!

Check out our Rain Bird month special offers:



Dripline Deal: 
Buy 3 rolls, get one free on Rain Bird XFD 
(free roll equal or lesser value)










Spray Sprinkler Stock-up:  
$0.20 off the ever-popular Rain Bird 1804
(savings of $15.00 per case, must order in case quantity multiples)








Special Note:  Do you remember the Rain Bird 15111?  Our newsletter editor found an April 1965 brochure introducing the product.   Click here to check out the photo and see what rotors looked like 50 years ago.

 

Smart Landscape Lighting Tip:  Mixing Kelvin Temperatures for Maximum Effect
 
White Birch tree illuminated to a bright white with 3000K, while the brown tones of the home are kept warm with 2700K.
In landscape lighting, you can use light in various shades of white to bring out the best in a home's features. A fixture's Kelvin Temperature indicates this subtle difference in light color - from the warm white glow of 2700K to the pure white effects of 3000K. Here's how to mix them wisely: 
  • Start with 2700K Consider 2700K fixtures your backdrop and the ideal choice when lighting the majority of homes, most of which are traditional in style. Fixtures with 2700K also work well with ground coverage that rests against a house.
  • Add 3000K  The key to adding 3000K fixtures to your mix is to do it with purpose, to enhance blue and purple plants, dense green foliage or cool grey landscape features. Think blue spruce trees or colorful flowerbeds set away from the house.
  • When should you start with 3000K? If you're working on landscape lighting for a home that's predominately contemporary in architecture and materials (like a home made out of glass and steel), use 3000K fixtures as the backdrop and 2700K fixtures for items set away from the home that are warm in color - orange, red or yellow.

To learn more, visit landscapelighting.com.


Save Time with Blazing's New Switchblade Cutter  
 
Stop wasting time on the jobsite changing blades! With the new Blazing SwitchBlade cutter you can change to a new sharp blade in under 10 seconds.
  • PTFE Coated Blade
  • Blades are sharpened, laser cut and Teflon coated in the USA out of US carbon steel for unmatched cutting quality.
  • Comfort Handle
  • Designed to conform to the contour of your hand.
  • Quick Release Blade
  • Simple push button blade release allows for the fastest blade change on the market.
  • 10 Pack of Blades

Replacement blades are available in single packs or 10 pack cartridges with magnetic backing for easy storage.



Switchblade Pro 1 TAKE
Switchblade Pro 1 TAKE

Offering Drainage Now Gives Customers The Benefit When They Really Need It
   
Quoting a landscaping project?   Offer the option of landscape drainage.   Surveys show that homeowners appreciate this recommendation and over half of the owners surveyed said they purchased the drainage option when it was offered.

Let us show you how drainage can be a valuable and profitable add-on to landscape projects.

· Help prevent future problems
· Control erosion and washouts
· Keep water away from structures
· Add peace-of-mind for your customer

We offer a complete range of drainage solutions from ADS Drainage including pipe, fittings, culverts, leaching wells and more.

Savvy contractors are adding a drainage option to landscape bids for every project to prevent future problems and provide property owners with added peace-of-mind.

Ask us about drainage solutions for your next project.  
 
FREE Electrical Troubleshooting Guide from Regency Wire 

 

Even with the most advanced irrigation installations, there will be times when controllers, system wiring or valves can fail to operate, causing water shut down to the sprinkler head. 

Thanks to Regency Wire, we're offering a free PDF article that covers the steps to troubleshooting common electrical problems in irrigation systems.

Click the link to read the article.  Print a copy to carry with you! 

 
"The Reason Why Your Sprinklers Won't Work is the SNAKE Inside the Pipe"   
     
Ryan with Lionstone Irrigation recently was called out on a service call.  Part of the zone stopped working.

The solution:  remove the snake who had taken up residence in the pipe.   Here are a couple of shots of the snake removal.    No word if there was an upcharge for the special service.

 

New SOL Color-Changing LED Lights from Atlantic

New SOL LED Lighting from Atlantic Water Gardens is performing extremely well in all types of applications!

 

Featuring new solid brass bodies with an attractive oil rubbed bronze finish, the new SOL Lights come in three different sizes, in both warm white and color changing varieties.

 

The Warm White SOL Lights come in 2 watt bullet style, 6 watt bullet style, and 10 watt Light Rings. They are compatible with the SOL20X4 transformer and 4-way splitter, and the new SOLWEXT 20' SOL Extension Cord.

 

The Color Changing SOL Lights work with the new SOLCCMX3 Transformer, Remote and Control Module, and the SOLCCEXT 20' Extension Cord, and are available in 1 - 2.5 variable watt bullet style, 3 - 7.5 variable watt bullet style, and 2 - 6 variable watt Light Rings.

 

With a variety of color and size options, and a new design that adds class to your landscaping while reducing the heat emitted from other LED lights, these SOL Lights are a great way to enjoy your water feature after the sun goes down.


Steer Clear of Spring Cash Flow Pitfalls 

 

Half of all small businesses fail within 5 years, and one of the biggest contributors to these failures is poor cash flow.

You work your butt off night and day until all the work is done.  While you wait for the next job, you may realize that you don't have enough money to pay your workers or fill up your gas tanks. Cash-flow problems happen when companies need to pay business expenses, but don't have any cash because they are waiting for customers to pay them. While you try to get loans to keep your business afloat, now is the time to make sure you don't have this problem again. Plan ahead to steer clear of the following cash-flow pitfalls.

Get money up front.  You have lots of up-front costs and can't afford to wait until after the season starts to get your first payments. Require your customers to pay their first and last month's payments upon signing the contract. Always collect fees up front and save yourself from big headaches later. Provide incentives of 2-3% off services if customers pay the entire season upfront.

Bill as you go.  This is a common small-business fail. You may really enjoy maintaining your equipment and driving your skid-steer loader, but don't like sitting at your computer trying to figure out how your business is really doing. Field-service software like Hindsite can really help you organize everything and make better sense of everything.

Be sure you're profitable on every account.  Businesses need to carefully evaluate each type of customer they serve to make sure they are making money on each account. Some properties are more profitable than others, but if you are losing money on a client, changes need to happen.

Collect.  This is the most common cash-flow problem in small business. You can prevent this easily by having your customers pay in advance. You can also encourage your customers to sign up for automatic payments by offering a small discount. Make sure you set up your contract to include penalties for late payments and details on sending unpaid balances to collections.