Cart-Away®

News and Opportunities

It is no secret that the construction business, in general, has slowed down over the past year.  As with almost every negative thing in our lives, this has created opportunities.  

The weak housing market and the weak economy have conspired to cause many changes in the marketplace.  For example, many marginal businesses have failed.  Many businesses became too much work for the meager profits they were producing.  Lots of folks decided to retire early.  The end result is that there are fewer competitors for many of us in the construction related businesses.

For example, one of the largest players in the industry, United Rentals, has closed a large number of stores. They have also returned to their base business, equipment rental.  That means that they have cut back dramatically on their merchandizing and have removed trailer-based concrete from most locations.  This creates a huge opportunity for someone to step in and fill the gap.  

Among the stores that United has closed are two in California both of which had excellent sales of concrete and landscape materials.  The Napa, California store, for years had sold about 5,000 yards of trailer-based concrete each year.  That represents gross sales (of just the concrete) of about $625,000 and gross profits of approximately $350,000 annually.  For a business that can be run with two people full-time and a bit of temp help, that's not bad.  The other example is Turlock, California.  The Turlock store had trailer-based concrete and a decent selection of landscape materials (18 material bins plus concrete mix).  With the nearest United Rentals store in Modesto, 14 miles away, this is an outstanding opportunity for someone to step in and pick up this business. 

Opportunities like this come to the attention of the staff at Cart-Away on a seemingly daily basis.  If you want more information, please call, toll-free, 800-909-9809 or put your questions on this blog. 

If you have any news of concrete or landscape materials stores closing or reducing operation, please let us know.  We have interested parties and both new and used equipment to turn this opportunities into gold.

MixKing - 1.75 Cubic Yards

Cart-Away Concrete Systems has just announced the release of their newest concrete mixing trailer, the MixKing®  It is a 10,000# GVW vehicle.  That means it can mix and carry over 1.75 cubic yards of concrete at a time.  After almost a year of field testing, Bruce Christensen, Cart-Away's General Manager, says, "It is fully tested and ready to release to our customers."   Most customers will want to use a full sized three quarter ton or one-ton pickup to tow the MixKing® though when loaded with less than 1.75 cubic yards, it is possible to tow the new trailer with a half-ton full sized truck.

Compared to the workhorse model CMT-100 concrete mix trailer, this new machine will mix and deliver 75% more product.  Cart-Away also plans to offer an option for on-board water.  This can be useful for those who will use the MixKing® in remote locations.  By offereing water on-board as an option, the 95% of users who have water available at their sites will be able to carry more concrete.  Mixers with water systems typically lose 300-600# of concrete carrying capacity.

If you are a Cart-Away customer and want more information about adding the MixKing to your fleet, contact Scotty or Ryan at 800-909-9809.

If you are a contractor or homeowner looking for a dealer who sells concrete and has MixKings available, please contact Cart-Away at 800-909-9809 or by email at info@cart-away.com

For more information online, go to the MixKing® page at http://www.concretetrailer.com/MixKing.htm

Interesting New product

A manufacturing neighbor of ours here in McMinnville, Oregon, Water Right, has come up with an interesting new product.  It is a very high quality hose that eliminates the hassles of recoiling hoses.

I have a couple at home right now and have discovered two things I like already.  First, the hose takes up less space than the one it replaced. Second, it always looks neat, not just a big mess like most of my hoses do.

I imagine that these hoses would be easier to handle in a work truck and at job sites than old style hoses.  Let me know what you think by commenting to this post.

Thanks.

Check the products out at their website.

Plans for 2009

The start of the year is the time to start making lans for this year's landscape and garden projects.  Here's a list of considerations for your checklist.  Please feel free to comment and add a few to the list.

1.  What is the goal?  Do you want entertainment space, outdoor living space, play space, a quiet garden area?

2.  What is your budget?  Setting a budget helps prevent 'project creep' (where the size of the project grows well beyond the original plans and goals).

3.  What is the timeframe?  Is this a project needed to be complete for a special time or event?  Is there a season that is best to do this work?  

4.  Are special skills required?  Do you plan to do this yourself or is this a job you will hire out to a pro?  I you don't have the skills, how will you get them?

5.  Are there unique or hard to find materials needed?  Do you need to order far in advance or is most everything available at your local building and landscape materials store and nursery?

6.  Consider environmental issues:  soil type, water requirements, drainage,electrical needs, protection from rain, wind, etc., fire prevention, future plant growth, etc.

7.  Make a purchase list for all the materials needed.

8.  List the tools you will need to do the job.  Include a list of the tools you will need to buy or rent.

9.  List the steps needed to get from where you are to where you want to be.  This is where all of the above considerations dictate what must be done before each step in the process.

a.  Start with protecting plant materials and structure that could be damaged in the construction process

b.  The next step is demolition and haul-off.

c.  Ground prep sets the stage for layout and forming for concrete pours, piping, etc. (Don't forget to plant pvc pipe for future needs).

d.  etc.

The following link is a great start to developing your plan/checklist:

http://www.landscape-america.com/landscapes/landscape_index.html

Stamped Concrete

If you are considering using stamped concrete on your next landscaping project, you should bone up on the subject a bit before jumping into the mud (concrete guy’s term for ‘concrete’).

The very best way to do this is to go to the World of Concrete in Las Vegas.  I know.  You are laughing.  World of Concrete?  Yes.  It is the leading edge of everything that has to do with concrete and you will be amazed.  I invited my sister to attend one year when it was held in Orlando, nearer her Florida home.  She was blown away by the counter tops, the stamped patios, and the color.  She was going to just drop into the show and do her little brother a favor by saying how nice it was.  She stayed the whole day.  Over 75,000 people go to this trade show each year.  If it is new and has to do with concrete, it is happening at the World of Concrete.

 

Stamped concrete is a project for advanced do-it-yourselfers.  You really need to talk with contractors, get prices, weigh the savings vs. the risks and labor of doing it yourself. 

 

I can’t vouch for or recommend the company, but I have to send you to http://www.concreteforever.com/ to see a wonderful gallery of concrete stamping and color jobs.  Just click on the thumbnails to see more detail.

 

The following two articles should give you the confidence to attempt a stamped concrete job:   http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/stamping-concretedo-it-yourself-and-save-money-468720.html  (if you use a cart-away trailer rather than a readymix truck, you have better control over your color)   and   http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080330130224AAN30RShttp://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080330130224AAN30RS   (not too much info but a good start at some of the things you need to do)

 

This article covers everything from stamped concrete to overlays to color to stencils:

http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/article.asp?article_id=60181

 

One good resource with a nice chapter on stamped concrete is from Sunset, “Complete Masonry Book.”  Look for it at your library or you can get it at most booksellers and home improvement stores (Amazon link - http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Masonry-Techniques-Decorative-Materials/dp/0376015950/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product)

 

What ever you do, be sure to look at lots of stamped concrete projects, find out who did them and talk with those people.  Done right, stamped concrete looks great and lasts as well as any surface.

Lawn Tips - water wasters

Our local waste agency, Yamhill County Solid Waste, recently sent out a "Renewsletter" with lists of resources and lots of tips for preventing waste and preerving environmental quality.  Among those tips were tips on saving water with regards to lawns.  Lawns take far more water than most crops.  They also use far more chemicals than most farmers use for a similar space.  The end result is lots of water carrying lots of chemicals off the lawn and into storm drains - not a good situation.  It also wastes water,the most used commodity on earth and one of which there is a limited supply.  Here are the tips:

1. Raise Blades.  Keeping your mower blade at three to four inches high allows your grass to grow deeper roots to compete better with weeds.  It allows you to water less because it has better temperature tolerance.  It also prevents erosion.

2. Grasscycle.  Leave your clippings on the lawn to nourish the soil.  It is a natural fertilizer and helps the lawn retain moisture.

3. Sharpen your lawnmower blades.  Sharp blade make clean cuts.  Your lawn will look better (no brown tips) and it will stressed less.

4. Clean up.  Fertilizers and other waste should be cleaned up so they don't end up in the storm sewer system.

5.  Me Moderate.  Don't apply fertilizers and other phosphorous-containing materials unless the lawn needs it.  Consult a local expert.

6. Leave clover.  Clover is a helpful nitrogen fixer.  It helps create a dense turf.

7. Water smart.  Water only when necessary.  Deep soak to help develop root structure.Water in the cool part of the day to avoid evaporation (late night or early morning).

For more information on this subject, I recommend the following sites:

http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/lawn/

http://www.bewatersmart.net/

http://www.lawn-care-tips.com/watering.html

Landscaping/Blogging - What's the Connection?

As you can tell from the many posts regarding BlogWorld, this blog has strayed from its purpose for a few weeks while we have let the BlogWorld Experience sink in.

What lessons did we learn at Blogworld that will inform us and our readers about things connected with hardscaping, landscaping, concrete projects and the Cart-Away Supply franchise?

Blogs are amazing forums.  You can discuss with experts and amateurs alike any and all questions that you have regarding your next project in your yard or the next contract you have to design and build a new patio for a client.  You can ask a question and get answers from all over the world.  

Blogs create communities.  I may have a passion for practical planning and preparation prior to tackling a landscaping project.  Their might ot be another person like me in my local area.  However, I might find twenty like minded souls via my blog.  We can discuss matters near and dear to our hearts and build a supportive, informative community.  

Faith Popcorn, the trend spotting guru suggests that "clanning" is a major future trend.  People will look to join communities of people like themselves whether by hobbies, professions, or other similarities of thought or history.  As people have retreated to their homes and become more isolated, they are looking for outlets to share their histories, their passions, to be connected.  TV does not listen or respond to you. The internet, especially through affinity blogs has that feature: it talks back.

In the next weeks, I will attempt to post more often and about subjects of interest to you.

Do you have a topic you want to discuss?  Hit the comment button and make a suggestion.

More Blogworld contacts

Continuing with the visitors to our booth:

Shashi Bellamkonda with Network Solutions was in the booth next to us.  He was interviewing the top people in the New Media nonstop throughout the show.

Becky McCray - we met at breakfast and she was a major cheerleader for us throughout.  She sent people by to see us and then helped us beg for posts.

During the one slow moment when I could leave the booth, I went by the ideablob booth.  I plan on ging it a shot.

Brian Vogel form GreenMedica came to the booth.  We talked the debate of biologicals vs. Pharmacuticals.  I will keep in touch

We met Don Straits and Tyler West from CoolConferenceLive.  Their new product is super and a must have for anyone who trains or meets with others who are not located at the same site.

Met Scott Jones shortly after meeting the coolconferencelive folks on Friday night.  Scott is a Prof of New Media Comms at Indiana Univ., Kokomo.

We also met Srini Saripalli at the Friday party.  He was a wealth of information.

Gotta run - more later.

Tom

More Blogworld

I apologize in advance for any misdeeds (forgotten people, misspelled names, etc., etc.).  I have decided, even though I have yet to learn how to do this, I won't have time to enter all the names and pictures from the Expo.  I will try to enter names and links so here goes, in no particular order:

Ben Koo - did a nice post for us, had cool sports blooging booth.

Mario Bonilla - came by to discuss his great PR product, PRWeb

Kate Heffernan with OutBrain - we traded t-shirts

Major Charles Ziegenfuss with soldiersangels - it is a great cause and is doing wonderful things for our soldiers.

Jay Berkowitz, TenGoldenRules.com, wish we had the time to ask a few more questions.  Will have to explore his site.

Patrick Hewitt, GM of Sitemeter.  We discussed how we will track the success of our adventure at Blogworld.

John Pozadzides with Layered Tech, He got us a beta of Woopra and introduced us to Lorelle Van Fossen.  We have already called Lorelle and hope to get together with her soon.  She is a neighbor in the Great Northwest.

Jim Forde, born and raised in Hawaii (I could identify, I'm a graduate of Kailua High School - go Surfriders!) He wore a different Hawaiian shirt each day-both nice.

Ted Murphy - how could we forget.  He climbed up on our Concrete Mixing Trailer to have a picture taken.

David Wolf - he interviewed us but I have yet to chase it down on the net.

That's it for now.  Maybe I will get to 10 more tomorrow.  Or, maybe I'll post some pictures.

Six Secrets

Six Secrets to Planning a Landscape Project

 

1. Plant PVC:  Every landscape plan will change.  Some plants will die.  Some will outgrow the space you allowed.  You will tire of others and want a different look.  You will want to change a path or move a planter or add a patio space.  Things will change.  If you bury PVC under every hard to change feature, you will be prepared to make the changes with the least disruption to the rest of the landscape.  See my post on this at Plant PVC (May 12, 2008).
2. Prep is half the battle:  As with most construction projects, preparation is about half the labor but it is the important half.  If you don’t provide a good foundation, whatever you put on top will suffer.  Though the finish and detail work is what you ultimately see, when it starts to fall apart because it was built on a poorly constructed foundation, you will appreciate the importance of the foundation.  Plan half your labor and one third of the cost of your project for the preparation and foundations and you will be thankful you did.
3. Too much variety is no variety:  Often people do a landscape plan with the goal of having one of every plant material known to man.  What usually occurs is that instead of having all these great unique plants, you end up with a blend that is so confusing to the eye that nothing stands out.  Planting too large a variety of plant materials also creates a care problem.  In theory, each plant will require a different amount and type of fertilizer, different amounts of water, and different pruning.  I have seen yards where the owner meant well but ended up having to compromise on the care of all in favor of doing something that is good enough for everything but allows nothing to thrive.  Plant an oak in a lawn and either you get too little water for the lawn or too much at the surface for the oak.
4. Focus:  Much like #3 above, one key to a successful landscape plan is to establish focal points.  Like any art, composition is critical.  I once had a back yard that was very narrow.  Though 100 feet wide, it was only 25 feet deep.  By placing specimen trees in the far corners and plants leading the eye to them, it appeared as if the yard was much bigger because the views were longer.  Planning and building a landscape plan to feature items like benches, specimen rocks or trees, or unique structural features is a great way to put more interest into the landscape.
5. Spacing:  The best landscape architects and designers make plans for gardens to look the way they want them in 10 to 20 years.  You may not want to wait that long, but be sure to plan for the growth of the plants for that period.  If you want early cover, you can plant twice the number of plants needed, but, you must do it in a way that you can remove half the plants as things increase in size.  The classic example of this is the garden planted with 100 juniper plants in a bed that is 10 feet by 20 feet.  When the plants first go in, it covers nicely and gives a good look.  Three years later, it is badly overgrown, looks terrible and is almost impossible to control.  The junipers have woven their roots together and probably around the sprinkler lines.  Try to pull them out and you just destroy everything nearby. 
6. Think about height, not just spread:  When planning gardens, we often look at the spacing needed between plants but in doing so forget to consider height.  Often a tall plant will shade a smaller variety and affect its health.  Planting tall plants with appropriate understory plantings is an effective way to plan.  Failing to do so usually has negative impacts on some of the materials planted.  Height is also an important consideration when you are planning your focal points.  Varying heights of plants is often more interesting than just having everything at one level.