What I Learned Outside of Class That Relates to Being a Landscape Foreman

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  1. Creating– How can you improve the efficiency of an install crew?
    1. The main thing is to make sure everyone in the crew is always working. Someone without anything to do is losing money for the company. Another issue is having crew members waiting around for supplies to arrive. During lunch I would go out and pick up needed materials while everyone else is eating. Then by the time lunch is over I am back and everyone is ready to work.
  2. Evaluating Tell me why interning/working for Hidden Creek Landscaping is a good choice.
    1. This was a really good internship for me and I am very fortunate I was given the opportunity. The owners really care about their employees and make sure to go the extra mile to treat them right. It is a good sized company with a high reputation which allows us to get into the bigger and higher quality jobs.
  3. Analyzing– Compare your experience with Hidden Creek Landscaping to previous employers.
    1. My summer internship with Hidden Creek was one of the best experiences I’ve had with a landscaping business. Besides owning a landscaping business in high school I worked for another company to make money during college. Unfortunately it was very poorly operated and was difficult just to get my paycheck. Hidden Creek was a lot more organized and is operated in a very professional manner.
  4. Applying– What would you change about your internship/working for Hidden Creek?
    1. If there is one thing I could change about working for Hidden Creek it would be to make sure all the install crews had up-to-date planting plans. A few times over the summer we were given outdated plans which sometimes caused problems when installing. It is an easy way to avoid having to redo an area.
  5. UnderstandingDescribe some of the challenges that come with being a foreman?
    1. In the landscaping industry there are certain challenges that have to be dealt with on a daily basis. One of the challenges is overcoming the language barrier of migrant workers. With a calm head and plenty of patience one can find other ways to communicate without having to speak the same language.
    2. Another challenge is dealing with issues on the site. Since the majority of my work is at commercial sites, we aren’t the only ones trying to do our job. If we are supposed to install an area that isn’t ready yet we have to wait and find other areas on the site to work on.
  6. RememberingRecall what kind of projects your crew works on?
    1. When I had my internship over the summer with Hidden Creek Landscaping I had the opportunity to work in three different divisions; design/build, maintenance, and irrigation. After working in those different divisions I found the one I enjoyed the most was design/build so that’s where I spent the majority of my internship. The projects we work on involve large commercial landscape installs at new apartment complexes and businesses.