The FNGLA Certified Landscape Technician (FCLT) program is designed to measure the skills of practicing landscape installation technicians. This program serves as a means to train employees, recognize their achievement and raise the standards of working professionals within Florida’s landscape industry. It is provided by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA). FCLT is offered as a stand-alone certification and marketed to the landscape industry as an employee training, recognition and advancement program. This hands-on, multi-language approach to certification is designed for the true landscaoe installation technician.

FCLT certification is valid for a three-year period. During that time, an FCLT is required to earn 15 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in order to renew.

Certification is a great way to distinguish yourself as a knowledgeable landscape professional. It provides a set of standards developed, maintained and administered by industry. These standards establish a minimum level of competency for professional members of the industry. Certification is voluntary and helps regulate the industry by providing a means by which consumers can identify industry members who have demonstrated their skills and abilities. FNGLA certification provides Florida’s nursery and landscape industry personnel the opportunity to earn professional accreditations distinguishing themselves from others. Other certifications for landscapers include:

• FCHP
• FCLMT
• FCLC
• FCLD

The FNGLA Certified Horticulture Professional (FCHP) program is the industry’s only standard for measuring horticulture knowledge on everything from plant and pest identification to landscape management. It is provided by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA). FCHP promotes professionalism among horticulture professionals, including nursery, greenhouse, landscape and retail garden center employees.

The FCHP program has been in existence since 1984 with more than 1,100 certified professionals statewide. FCHP serves as the base of all FNGLA’s industry certifications. An applicant for FNGLA’s landscape certifications should first complete the FCHP exam. Since the FHCP exams are included in FNGLA’s landscape certification exams, those who hold an FCHP designation are exempted from retaking those exam sections when sitting for one of FNGLA’s landscape certification exams.

Certification is a great way to distinguish yourself as a knowledgeable landscape professional. It provides a set of standards developed, maintained and administered by industry. These standards establish a minimum level of competency for professional members of the industry. Certification is voluntary — as opposed to state licensing — and not required by law to do business. However, certification helps regulate the industry by providing a means by which consumers can identify industry members who have demonstrated their skills and abilities. FNGLA certification provides Florida’s nursery and landscape industry personnel the opportunity to earn professional accreditations distinguishing themselves from others. Other certifications for landscapers include:

• FCLT
• FCLMT
• FCLC
• FCLD

The Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) is Florida’s oldest and largest association targeting the needs of the Florida’s environmental horticulture industry, which has an estimated $15.2 billion in industry-wide sales annually. BearWise Landscapers is proud to join and support the association and provide quality insurance service to its members.

FNGLA is a member-driven association that recognizes the need for individual industry members to unify. FNGLA works to better the industry, raising the bar on professionalism by spearheading marketing programs, providing promotional and educational venues for members, taking a leadership role in protecting and promoting their members’ business interests, communicating the latest industry issues and providing professional accreditations to interested individuals.

Until 1951, the Florida State Nurserymen had been a part of the Florida State Florist and Nurserymen Association. In May of that year, some nurserymen members felt that with the growing importance of the nursery industry within Florida and with concerns not shared by the Florist group, a separate organization was needed.

The first official organized meeting was held in Miami on May 25-27, 1952 and a plan of organization was adopted. Dave Stabler of Winter Haven Nursery agreed to be president. James F. Griffin, Jr. came to what was then called FNGA as Executive Secretary in early 1953. Since that time, FNGLA has gained strength, popularity and clout—absorbing the Florida Foliage Association in 1993, the Florida Ornamental Growers Association in 1995 and the Florida Landscape Designers Association in 1999. During this time, FNGLA established itself as one of the largest and most active nursery associations in the country with a membership base of over 2500 professionals.

Now in it’s sixth decade serving the industry, FNGLA is in its prime! The association represents all walks of the industry–foliage, woody ornamental, citrus nurseries, floriculture producers, interiorscapers, retailers, allied suppliers and landscape professionals – as proven by the recent addition of “landscape” to the FNGA name—making the association the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, FNGLA. Landscape contractors, landscape designers, landscape architects and the like now have an association targeting their needs. Government representation & monitoring, professional education and marketing projects encompass just some or the services provided by FNGLA to members and the industry.

The Florida workers’ compensation class code of 0005 is the primary class code used by landscapers that also have nursery operations. More and more landscaping businesses are creating nursery divisions to increase revenues and profit margins on installation projects and this introduces a new class code to their Florida workers’ compensation policies. We receive many questions from landscapers that operate tree nurseries regarding which employees should be classified to this code under their Florida workers’ compensation policy. The definition of the class code from NCCI states that 0005 is used primarily for employees involved in the following operations:

Code 0005 is applied to all acreage or facilities devoted to the propagation of trees, shrubs, plants. It Includes all acreage or facilities devoted to the raising and harvesting of nursery and foliage plants in more than fifteen (15) gallon containers or in the ground. Refer to Code 0035 for the raising and harvesting of such plants in fifteen (15) gallon or smaller containers. Codes 0005 and 0035 shall not be assigned to the same risk unless the operations described by these classifications are conducted at separate locations with no interchange in labor.

Code 0005 operations involve planting, fertilizing, watering, trimming, potting and repotting plants, and transplanting at the nursery location. The classification includes retail or wholesale sales conducted from the nursery location. Additionally, these insureds may deliver their products to customers and also plant these products at their customers’ location(s).

When planting operations are more than incidental to an insured’s nursery operation, Code 0042—Landscape Gardening & Drivers is applicable to the planting operations

Refer to Code 0106 for tree maintenance and Code 2702 or Code 2709 for tree harvesting performed by contractors not involved with the original planting.

Sod dealers who do not grow sod are properly classified to Code 0005; however, sod growing and harvesting operations are included under Code 0037. Sod installers are classified to Code 0042.

Please feel free to contact us for a free copy of the complete definition for Florida workers’ compensation class code 0005 or any other classification that could apply to your landscaping business. We can also provide workers’ compensation quotes with the current rates for this classification code.

There are thousands of landscaping businesses in Florida. Florida has a lush environment suitable to a wide variety of plants and is even named the ‘Sunshine State’ for its tropical climate. It is also the fourth most populated state in the United States with an estimated population of 18,328,340 according to the 2008 United States Census. These are all great statistics for landscapers who are able to work year-round in Florida due to the climate. Although the exact number of landscaping businesses is unknown, it is estimated to be above 10,000 with the majority of these being small owner-operated businesses. One of our insurance companies, Progressive, writes commercial auto policies for over 5,000 landscapers in the state of Florida. Our goal at BearWise Landscapers is to provide useful information and a valuable insurance service to these landscaping businesses, both large and small. For insurance quotes on your Florida landscaping business, please complete our online insurance quote request form.

The Florida workers compensation class code of 5183 is the class code used to rate the payroll of landscaping employees involved in irrigation installation and repair. Many landscapers offer irrigation services to clients and the payroll from those projects must be reported using a separate workers compensation classification code. The definition of the class code from NCCI states that 5183 is used primarily for employees involved in the following operations:

Code 5183 is applicable to plumbing operations provided that the work performed is “not otherwise classified” (NOC). Insureds contemplated by Code 5183 may install, remove, or repair equipment that is used to direct gas or water supplies to a destination. This equipment includes but is not limited to piping and related fixtures, appliances, and accessories. No limits have been established as to the size of the pipe being repaired or installed.

The installation of underground lawn sprinkler systems is included under Code 5183. Irrigation and drainage system construction operations conducted in connection with lawn sprinkler installations are classified under another code. Trenching work performed by the same contractor engaged in the installation of underground pipes for sprinkler systems is assigned to Code 5183 since trenching work is an integral part of the underground sprinkler installation work. Such operations may be performed using either a vibrating plow or a pipe pulling machine, which knives the ground to a depth of 12 to 18 inches and to a width comparable to that of the piping being used. The piping is then automatically inserted into the ground.

Information on the current Florida workers compensation rates (Effective April 1st, 2009) is available in an article through that link. Please be aware that these are subject to change based on decisions of the Florida’s Insurance Commissioner and the claim data information he receives from NCCI.

Please feel free to contact us for a free copy of the complete definition for Florida workers compensation class code 5183 or any other classification that could apply to your landscaping business.

The Florida workers compensation class code of 0042 is used to rate the payroll of employees that engage in landscape installation operations. The definition of the class code from NCCI states that 0042 is used primarily for employees involved in the following operations:

Code 0042 is applied to insureds primarily engaged in planning, clearing, grading and planting necessary for landscaping operations. The clearing and grading done by these insureds is of the fine type necessary for finishing operations and does not result in changes to the contour of the land. These insureds may have nursery operations but such work would be limited and usually conducted to furnish stock for their landscaping business. Sod installers are also classified to Code 0042.

The essential difference between the application of Codes 0042 and 9102 to a job is that Code 0042 is applicable to work involving new landscaping installations, whereas Code 9102 is applicable to work involving the maintenance of existing landscaping and/or lawn maintenance.

Information on the current Florida workers compensation rates (Effective April 1st, 2009) is available in an article through that link. Please be aware that these are subject to change based on decisions of the Florida’s Insurance Commissioner and the claim data information he receives from NCCI.

Please feel free to contact us for a free copy of the complete definition for Florida workers compensation class code 0042 or any other classification that could apply to your landscaping business.

The Florida workers compensation class code of 0106 is the class code used to rate the payroll of employees involved in tree trimming. Many landscapers offer tree trimming services to clients and the payroll from those projects must be reported using a separate workers compensation classification code. We receive many questions about which job contracts and how much of an employee’s payroll must be classified to this code on the Florida workers compensation policy. The definition of the class code from NCCI states that 0106 is used primarily for employees involved in the following operations:

Code 0106 applies to specialist contractors who use hand tools or mechanical equipment to prune, spray, repair, trim, or fumigate trees. Code 0106 is applied to risks that perform one or more of the aforementioned activities. These operations may be performed from ground level or by climbing the tree, or may require the use of ladders and/or aerial buckets. The removal, chipping, cleanup, and haul away of tree limbs and debris are also assigned to Code 0106.

Repair operations may involve cutting large, uprooted trees into manageable pieces for removal and/or pulling trees upright. Code 0106 additionally includes incidental tree removal of one or a few trees on developed sites conducted in connection with the described operations.

Applicable by job site to tree pruning contracts requiring any above-ground level work. Code 0106 applies to the whole contract including, but not limited to, chipping and cleanup activities regardless of whether or not a separate contract is written for tree pruning or lawn maintenance and another contract is written for chipping or cleanup. Incidental tree removal on a developed site conducted in connection with tree pruning, spraying, and repairing operations is also assigned to Code 0106. Code 0106 is differentiated from Code 2702—Logging or Lumbering & Drivers because under Code 0106 a tree is removed by cutting it into sections. Also, due to limited clearance from structures, a guide rope is used as needed to direct the fall of the tree.

Code 0106 is applicable to risks contracting exclusively to remove immediate tree hazards due to natural catastrophes. Tree hazard cleanup may involve removing dead trees; trees or branches that are leaning on trees, power lines, or other structures; trees with broken or cracked stems; or large, dead or broken limbs that are still attached to a tree.

Information on the current Florida workers compensation rates (Effective April 1st, 2009) is available in an article through that link. Please be aware that these are subject to change based on decisions of the Florida’s Insurance Commissioner and the claim data information he receives from NCCI.

Please feel free to contact us for a free copy of the complete definition for Florida workers compensation class code 0106 or any other classification that could apply to your landscaping business.

I have been out the office the past couple of weeks. I married Shay Helmbock on March 21st. She is a 4th grade teacher and varisty girls soccer coach at The First Academy in Orlando, Florida. We have dated for the past 3 years and had a destination wedding in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. We also went on our honeymoon in Costa Rica at a fun resort in the jungle. The wedding was on the beach and here are a couple of pictures from it:

I’m back in the office and have been able to catch up over the past week from the time I missed. I’ll get back to posting more insurance related agent articles shortly. In the meanwhile, let me know if there is anything I can do to help your landscaping business or if you have any questions or topics for me to discuss in an article.