Early order solutions

<table width="315" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="left"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img width="300" height="169" alt="" src="/FileUploads/image/solutions_736(1).jpg" /></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Sharpen your pencil, it&rsquo;s time to complete your full agronomic planning for 2016. However, with Syngenta, it's not about a spreadsheet that calculates how much you're going to save if you buy in October or November.<br /> <br /> This year, they&rsquo;ve integrated a trio of calculators with more than 40-plus agronomic programs to assist in that decision making process. For example, if you have bentgrass fairways in upstate Pennsylvania then here's an agronomic program to follow along with your savings.<br /> <br /> Rather than start with the savings and how much product you need, Syngenta discusses with superintendents the agronomic plan and what to do, says Dave Ravel, head of sales for Syngenta turf, landscape and pest management in North America.<br /> <br /> &ldquo;It's an opportunity to sit down while the agronomic year is still fresh in their minds and discuss what went well and what didn't&hellip; and then adjust their plan from there,&rdquo; Ravel says. <br /> <br /> Ravel explains some of the nuances of Syngenta&rsquo;s Early Order Program and how it&rsquo;s best equipped to assist superintendents as they make decisions about next year&rsquo;s agronomic programs.<br /> <br /> <strong>Sounds like Syngenta narrowed down the early order process to help superintendents determine what they need to fit the exact problems their experiencing and plan to address in the coming year.</strong><br /> Exactly. Whether they already have an agronomic program or want to look at one that we can offer, it's an opportunity to say, &quot;Okay, what exactly do I need.&quot;<br /> <br /> And we try to make it easy [for the superintendent]. We offer terms direct from Syngenta through July of next year&hellip; which allows them to build up their revenue early in the year and make it more convenient for them. We address the terms and financial pressure ... it's hard to make those financial decisions right now, especially when there's limited golf going on.<br /> <br /> <strong>Talk a little about Syngenta&rsquo;s field technical managers. How does this system of experts assist superintendents at this time of year?</strong><br /> I've got over 30 territory managers who are out there, and most of them were either superintendents who came through distribution or lawn care backgrounds. We have a lot of folks besides the technical folks who really know the industry, understand customer needs and can have those conversations.<br /> <br /> We have not only the largest sales force in the industry, but probably the most experienced and seasoned. And add on top of that, we have four technical sales managers -- three of them are PhDs and all four of them are able to go out and offer solutions to superintendents. We can have a PhD on the doorstep of a superintendent within 24 hours anywhere in the country where there is an issue.<br /> <br /> With the expertise and knowledge of our four regional technical managers, they know exactly of what's going on in their region, they've created the agronomic programs... and there are over 40 of them for greens, fairways, whatever type of turf you have to create the optimal program. And we're not afraid to put in competitors' products when we don't have a solution. It comes down to providing the best agronomic program for that area.</p> <p>In fact, people can order a free poster of their regional agronomic program at <a href="http://www.greencastonline.com/Programs/index.aspx"><strong>GreenCastOnline.com/Programs</strong></a>.</p> <table width="200" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" align="right"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img width="200" height="113" alt="" src="/FileUploads/image/solutions_piece_300.jpg" /></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><strong>The early order program sounds like a great benefit to existing customers, but is this also a gateway for superintendents unfamiliar with the full breadth of Syngenta products?</strong><br /> The way the program works is it's a portfolio offer -- if you're using Daconil Action or Heritage Action or one of those products -- there's a better opportunity for savings if you're adding more than one product. So it is an opportunity for people to learn more about the portfolio. Especially if you're looking at all of those agronomic programs, because you can then see how those specific products fit into those programs.&nbsp; <br /> <br /> Another option, available only during early order, is our pallet solutions, which is a variety of products sold as a package deal. A good example is annual bluegrass weevil (ABW) up in the Northeast. We have an ABW Solution, a package of products that cover 12 acres and is everything someone would need to treat their greens for a season for ABW. It also follows along with Syngenta's WeevilTrak, which falls in line with these solutions. So if you follow WeevilTrak, and you follow these solutions, then it's everything you need to get a handle on ABW on your course for a year.<br /> <br /> We also have pallets for snow mold, contact fungicides, as well as a greens systemic solution... there's 11 of them all together. We're not dumping products on superintendents that they're not going to use. Each pallet has products that are part of an agronomic program, and when you buy them together there is a savings.<br /> <br /> <strong>You've been in the turf industry for some time. Over the years, what have you seen is the resistance to getting involved in an early order program?</strong><br /> There might be areas where the superintendents are unsure of what the weather conditions will be and how that will impact disease and pest pressure. Some superintendents just like to buy as they go, or their course's budgeting restrictions don't allow them to buy a bulk purchase in the fall when they can't use the product until later. Then there might be a space issue where the superintendent doesn't have the ability to store the product for long periods of time.<br /> <br /> We've had the most opportunity with superintendents who want to sit down and talk about their program for the following year and what they're going to do. That allows us to come up with a real solution for them.<br /> <br /> Some people may not realize that part of this is sitting down and talking about your agronomic program and strategizing how best to address it.<br /> <br /> <strong>What are you hearing from your people on the ground about this last season and how are they fixed heading into this fall?</strong><br /> Most folks believe that it was heavily weather influenced, and we saw it as a year with a lot of diseases and insect pressure. From our perspective, a lot of product was used and we're not left sitting on inventory. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;</p>