Industry News
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
There are three major benchmarks that all landscape companies should consider when looking at how well they manage risk: average claim cost, claim indemnity rate, and claim frequency rate. Knowing the importance of this, we designed a key performance indicator (KPI) dashboard that highlights these industry benchmarks, as well as benchmarks them against other landscape companies in their geographic area.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Imagine you are a landscaping company owner and your workers’ compensation policy just renewed January 1st. You are probably thinking, now what? Well, the next date that should be on your radar is June 30th, your unit stat date.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
As the calendar turns to April and warmer weather into spring time, now is a great time to take a look at your current Heat Illness Prevention Plan (HIPP), as well as make sure all crew members are up to date on their heat illness training.
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Lawn and landscape professionals across the country have seen the direct impact of a very difficult and challenging commercial auto market. In particular, green industry businesses who specialize in service and maintenance, which require a larger fleet, have felt more of the direct market pressure.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Every business owner understands the correlation between their Experience MOD (XMOD) and what they will pay in workers’ compensation premiums. When the XMOD increases, there is a good chance that the workers’ compensation rates or premiums will rise as well. This is why it is so crucial to really hone in on company safety procedures to limit work-related injuries as much as possible. The reality is that even the safest company that does everything the right way is going to run into a workers’ compensation claim from time to time.
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Having strong service partners that support your customers outside of your core operations is an important part of business. Many commercial landscape businesses have regional relationships with professional tree care companies to support the needs of their customers.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
One of the most important practices for any landscape professional is fleet safety. Whether you have 10 trucks or 100, the exposure and risk remain the same. Explore a prior podcast episode, Episode #251, in which I delve into compelling statistics that shed light on the increasing frequency and severity of auto accidents each year.
Author, Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
With summer in full swing and the autumn months close ahead, landscapers are at their busiest time of the year. During this time, landscape companies often increase their employee numbers with temporary hires to meet the seasonal demands. Due to this, employers are encouraged to be more cautious of the increased risk of injuries to their workers, particularly those who are young and less-experienced.
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
When it comes to measuring safety, most green industry (i.e., lawn, landscape, and tree care) businesses rely on OSHA rates, the experience modification, and, if you’re a Rancho Mesa customer, your Safety KPI Dashboard. This data is important; however, it only captures lagging information. Take your safety program to the next level by measuring predictive, preventive, and proactive - leading indicators.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
When my baseball career ended in 2021, it was time for me to do something new with my life. For me the decision was easy and one that I am very grateful for. My dad, Dave Garcia started Rancho Mesa 25 years ago and throughout the years he and many others have contributed into what Rancho Mesa is today, a 16-time National Best Practices Agency. I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to join such an amazing organization.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
When my baseball career ended in 2021, it was time for me to do something new with my life. For me the decision was easy and one that I am very grateful for. My dad, Dave Garcia started Rancho Mesa 25 years ago and throughout the years he and many others have contributed into what Rancho Mesa is today, a 16-time National Best Practices Agency. I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to join such an amazing organization.
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Three years ago, Rancho Mesa launched our proprietary safety KPI dashboard, consolidating experience mod and industry benchmarking reports to one working document. As a Rancho Mesa customer, you can now maximize the benefit of your safety KPI dashboard by completing our baseline training which will challenge the stakeholders in your organization to understand the key concepts this document delivers.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
When my baseball career ended in 2021, it was time for me to do something new with my life. For me the decision was easy and one that I am very grateful for. My dad, Dave Garcia started Rancho Mesa 25 years ago and throughout the years he and many others have contributed into what Rancho Mesa is today, a 16-time National Best Practices Agency. I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to join such an amazing organization.
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President, Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Landscape contractors have varying levels of exposure when it comes to installation projects. However, they virtually all share the same common coverage gap for trees, plants, shrubs, and lawns.
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President, Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) has proposed a 2% decrease (from $2.42 to $2.37) in the expected loss rate for the landscape class code 0042.
Author, Greg Garcia, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Workers’ compensation premiums typically represent one of the largest overhead expenses for landscape companies. Premium costs are driven by the number and severity of claims a company has had over a five-year period. Thus, fewer claims often equate to a lower premium paid for workers’ compensation insurance.
Author, Rory Anderson, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Many tree care companies perform work that could be classified as “landscape gardening.” The risk and exposure associated with this class code is minimal compared to those associated with tree trimming. Without the additional tree care exposure, landscape gardening workers’ compensation insurance rates are significantly lower than tree trimming rates. Common questions we receive from our tree care clients are…
Author, Rory Anderson, Account Executive, Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Trees require regular maintenance to ensure their health and safety. Dead or diseased trees must be cut down in order to prevent injuries to people or damage to nearby structures. Maintaining trees through trimming is a dangerous task, even for experienced professionals. Unfortunately, accidents do occur. The three most common types of serious accidents experienced by tree trimmers are…
Author, Drew Garcia, Vice President, Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.
Most Landscape Contractors believe their exposure to pollution is limited to the herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers they apply. In order to provide some limited coverage for this it is common to see the Herbicide/Pesticide Endorsement added to the Commercial General Liability Policy. Although the endorsement extends some coverage, Contractor’s Pollution Liability would help fill the gaps created by the General Liability Policy for all of the landscape contractor’s pollution exposures.
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