Lawn care companies see minimal effect from COVID-19

While most industries in the country have been slowed down or even stopped by the COVID-19 pandemic, lawn care is one of the few that has been able to keep operating with just a few changes.

Simon Taylor is the owner of Weed Man in Regina. He’s happy Saskatchewan is one of the provinces that didn’t restrict landscaping and lawn care in its public health orders. So, as other businesses are slowly ramping up again over the next few weeks, Taylor and his workers can dive in.

For his workers, things like physical distancing are almost built into the job. They can arrive, mow, weed, fertilize and aerate without having to interact in person with the customers at all.

Simon Taylor, owner of Weed Man in Regina. (Lisa Schick/980 CJME)

Taylor explained that he has put some protocols in place to make sure his employees are safe.

“(We) make sure that trucks and equipment are disinfected on a regular basis, that the technicians are trained in shifts rather than all at once (and) that we start in shifts and, certainly, maintain personal distance at all times,” he said.

Taylor said the biggest change is that previously 80 per cent of his customers would not be at home when his techs did their work; now, 80 per cent of people are at home.

Kyle Kissick is one of Taylor’s technicians. He said last year, they would knock on the customers’ doors to announce themselves, but that doesn’t happen anymore. And they don’t leave paper invoices anymore; nearly everything is done electronically.

Kissick said the virus worries him a bit, but not too much.

“I think it makes everyone nervous,” he said. “For sure, it does impact our day. It’s always on our mind.”

Taylor admitted sales are down right now as many of his regular customers’ employment is uncertain.

“But frankly, for the most part, people are at home, they want a nice-looking lawn (so) they’re calling us. They’re going to spend time in their backyard, as short a summer as we get in Saskatchewan, (and) they want to have a nice backyard,” said Taylor.

Taylor made a point of thanking the customers who have come back, saying they’re the only reason the company has been successful.