Brant Kukuk, compact equipment product manager, Ditch Witch, provides his insight on the current state of the green industry.
Green Industry Pros: How do you think 2023 went for the green industry?
Kukuk: 2023 was another good year for the green industry. One issue the green industry continues to face, however, is fulfilling workforce and staffing needs. Like most other industries, the need for skilled workers remains high as project demands remain high.
Green Industry Pros: What do you expect for 2024?
Kukuk: We expect a similar trend for the year ahead when it comes to the workforce. A reliance on compact utility equipment that is strong and versatile, like a skid-steer with attachments, will be especially important for rounding out the needs of a slim team. Ditch Witch continues to innovate to help support the needs of our green industry customers.
Green Industry Pros: Were there any challenges your landscaper customers experienced?
Kukuk: In today’s landscape industry, the need to do more with fewer workers has become increasingly apparent, making the versatility of equipment crucial for jobsite success. The ability to interchange skid-steer attachments offers leaner crews the benefit of multiple machines in one. With an array of tools at their disposal, such as forks, plows, rakes, trenchers, and buckets, landscapers can significantly enhance jobsite efficiencies, maximizing their return on investment.
Green Industry Pros: What trends were prevalent in 2023? What trends will continue to take hold in 2024.
Kukuk: As mentioned, gaps in the workforce are driving a need for more power and versatility from equipment like stand-on skid-steers. Innovative attachment options that allow green industry pros to bring just one machine to the jobsite and swap out attachments as needed help to increase efficiency and get crews moving from one jobsite to the next.
Incorporating features to streamline machine maintenance is also critical for lean green industry crews. Improper maintenance can be detrimental to productivity, so a feature like the patent-pending track tension window on our new SK1750 that allows operators to more quickly visually check track tension is a great timesaver for green industry pros.
