November 5, 2008. Shayne Newman, CLP, CLT, president and CEO of YardScapes, Inc., has announced that three YardScapes staff members have passed the Certified Landscape Technician Exterior exam provided by The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) of Herndon, VA. Sean Kaiser, Juan Manuel Hernandez, and Isauro Vargas Perez, all residents of New Milford, have all become CLT’s (Certified Landscape Technicians), who took the certification course and exam through the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Assoc.
The CLT- Exterior exam includes written and hands-on field tests where candidates choose to test in Installation, Maintenance or Irrigation. The day-long, hands-on testing challenges each candidate to use mental and physical ability under time constraints. YardScapes’ staff members all passed the Common Core problems presented on each exam as well as the challenges in their specialty area of Maintenance.
Newman explained, “This certification signifies that YardScapes’ technicians have taken many hours of intensive study and hands-on instruction to learn the most-up-to-date information about effective lawn and landscape care. Few companies in our area ask their employees to invest so much time and energy into learning their trade so comprehensively.” PLANET provides this testing to any exterior technician who desires to establish professional credentials by meeting international standards for safe and effective operation of machinery and demonstrating a thorough understanding of all facets of the position.
PLANET represents professional interior and exterior landscape maintenance, installation, and design/build contracting firms, lawn care firms and industry suppliers on a national basis. The professional trade organization recommends that individuals interested in obtaining this CLT designation possess at least 4,000 hours of experience in the landscape industry, or 2,000 hours in the landscape industry, plus the completion of a 2 or 4 year curriculum in a landscape major, or 1,000 hours in the landscape industry, plus the completion of a 2 or 4 year curriculum in a landscape major that included completing an internship in the field. “Obviously,” stated Newman, “these are individuals who take their profession, and the service they provide very seriously.”
YardScapes is a full-service high-end residential landscape design, construction and maintenance company. In January 2007, the company was [intlink id=”152″ type=”post”]featured on the cover[/intlink]of “Lawn & Landscape Magazine” for its award-winning professional services. “We were selected,” states Newman, “because of our exceptional employee performance, and recognition of our company as being dedicated to providing our clients with completely reliable, highly-professional, and cost effective landscaping services. All of our employees pay close, respectful attention to our client’s need and desire, and we all strive to continually maintain reliable, open and productive channels of communication between our clients and our staff.”
Newman encourages YardScapes employees to become PLANET Certified Landscape Technicians (CLT) because PLANET represents professional interior and exterior landscape maintenance, installation, and design/build contracting firms, lawn care firms and industry suppliers on a national basis. The organization’s certification programs promote the growth and credibility of the interior and exterior landscape industry. The programs provide internationally-recognized professional recognition to individuals in the landscape contracting business. The objectives of PLANET’s programs are to raise the standards of the profession; encourage self-assessment by offering guidelines for achievement; identify persons with acceptable knowledge of principles and practices of the profession; and improve performance within the profession by requiring participation in a continuing program of professional development.
YardScapes, Inc is a member of the Professional Landcare Network; Connecticut Grounds Keeper’s Association; Connecticut Nursery & Landscape Association; New Jersey Landscape Contractors Assoc.Environmental Industry Council; Greater New Milford Chamber of Commerce; and the PLANET STARS (Safety Training Achieves Remarkable Success) Safe Company Program.
A resident of New Milford for 22 years, Shayne Newman founded YardScapes, Inc. in 1990 having worked in the trade since 1987. Newman is a Certified Landscape Professional, Certified Landscape Designer and Technician, and holds a Connecticut Supervisory Pesticide License and a BS in Finance from UCONN in Storrs. To learn more, call 860-350-2737 in New Milford.
