David Norred has worked as a licensed landscape contractor since 1984. He’s the founder of Laguna Niguel-based Nor-Land Landscaping Company, and he served as the state president of the California Landscape Contractors Association in 2000. He currently serves on several committees of the association’s Orange County chapter.
He talked to the Orange County Register about how the housing slump has impacted the landscape industry.
Us: How has the housing downturn affected landscape contractors?
David: Construction or installation is usually hit hard in economic downturns. This one is deeper and could be longer than any other. With the lack of homeowners being able to turn equity out of their homes and the rising unemployment, there is a lack of jobs out there. Residents just can’t afford to put in new landscapes in their homes or keep up maintenance costs. New construction is down too, so firms are seeing less jobs being fed out of that market as well.
Us: How hard were landscape contractors hit in Orange County?
David: Up to a third of O.C. landscape firms have closed or are closing. Every firm I know has had to lay off many people and I know a few owners that have gone to work for other companies or have got out of the industry altogether. I talked to one contractor with a solid reputation for 46 years who has never had trouble finding work. He now has work but had nothing for a year and a half.
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