Crains New York - May 21, 2012 - (Page 9)

SMALL BUSINESS Sales bloom for tree-guard vendors Protecting plantings from local dogs is a fast-growing niche for entrepreneurs F BY CARA S. TRAGER or years,dogs doing their business on trees have been the bane of the West 75th Street Block Association. But that’s changing, courtesy of two new tree guards. Curb Allure, a tree-guard vendor in Manhattan, donated two free guards to the association, which now plans to buy a third unit. “People are less likely now to let their dogs roam as much,” said Dee Rieber, president of the association. Tree guards are sprouting up throughout the city, thanks to an increasingly environmentally conscious public and a spate of initiatives promoting tree-lined streetscapes. And with block associations, business improvement districts, property managers and private homeowners participating in programs that plant and protect the trees in their midst, the city has become fertile soil for small metalworking firms, landscape companies and specialty manufacturers that produce custom- and ready-made tree guards. In the past two years, Andy DiMarino Jr.’s Kew Gardens, Queensbased firm, ADM Landscape Corp., has seen a 50% increase in tree-guard sales, which now represent about 10% of annual revenues. tree guards on more than 500 blocks in the borough.The Manhattan borough president’s office also runs a publicly funded tree-guard program for residential blocks. But financial support from government is no sure thing. According to Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz’s office, funding for its program was halved, due to reductions in the borough’s capital budget, to $1 million this year. Still, tree-guard manufacturers aren’t complaining. In the past five years, tree-guard sales at Brooklynbased Kendi Iron Works have soared as much as 15% annually, now accounting for 25% of its business. “The tree-guard business is growing from all directions—because of tree guards for old trees, tree guards for new trees, tree guards that need repairs and tree-pit expansions,” said Zadok Zvi, the firm’s owner. Looking to make the city greener, Kim Johnson launched Curb Allure two years ago. Using third-party factories, she creates the components for Curb Allure’s interlocking modular guards, which are sold as kits. Prices start at $499. Curb Allure is slated to generate $200,000 by year’s end. “A lot of people care that trees aren’t hurt,” said Ms. Johnson. GREEN VISION: Entrepreneur Kim Johnson has focused on selling tree-guard kits. WHERE BETTER TO DOUBLE OUR SERVICE THAN NEW YORK, NEW YORK? 100+ NEW DAILY FLIGHTS FROM LGA . 1 million trees “It’s growing,” said Mr. DiMarino, whose custom-made units range from $1,000 to $1,200. His company recently was among five bidders seeking to provide 164 tree guards for the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation, which doesn’t require guards but issues free treeguard permits for curbside trees, keeps no statistics on the number of guards approved citywide. But small tree-guard vendors are reaping the rewards of the 5-year-old MillionTreesNYC,a public-private program that plans to give away and plant 1 million trees by 2017, and the city’s ongoing efforts to double the size of new tree beds, which would provide roots with larger space to grow. Guard suppliers are also getting a boost from local businesses,homeowners and neighborhood associations, which are encouraged by the city to enlarge existing tree pits, especially during sidewalk renovations, according to Simon Skinner, director of operations at the New York Restoration Project, a nonprofit organization involved in MillionTreesNYC. And since 2004, through the Brooklyn borough president’s Neighborhood Beautification Fund, local groups have secured 8,000 free DELTA .COM/NYC To sign up for Crain’s SMALL BUSINESS newsletter, go to www.crainsnewyork.com/smallbiz. May 21, 2012 | Crain’s New York Business | 9 buck ennis http://www.delta.com/nyc http://www.delta.com/nyc http://www.crainsnewyork.com/smallbiz

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Crains New York - May 21, 2012

Crain's New York - May 21, 2012
Contents
Council Defies Mayor, Scares Business Leaders
Renegade Ceo Bucks Albany to Save His Hospital
Back to JPMorgan Chase’s Woes Have Some Local Bank Rivals Circling. in the Markets.
New York, New York
Hopes Rising Along B’klyn Waterfront in Sunset Park
Why Charlie Rangel Could Lose His Seat
Small Business
Viewpoint
Ibm Inside Big Blue’s Brain Trust, Which Pulled in More Than 6,180 Patents Last Year, the Most Ever by a Single Company. No Wonder the Stock Price Has More Than Doubled in the Past Five Years.
The List Our Annual Review of the New York Area’s Largest Publicly Held Companies, Ranked by Their 2011 Revenues.
What’s Up (And Down) at News Corp., Cbs, Bed Bath & Beyond, Vornado Realty, Mastercard, Jones Group, Revlon and Others.
For the Record
Classifieds
Real Estate Deals
The Week on the Web
Matchmakers Find Their Own Chemistry
Anne Fisher Tapping Into Human Emotions Pays Dividends
Hot Jobs
Executive Moves
Movers & Shakers Real Estate Veteran’s Surprising Switch
Gael Greene Dragonfly Lands on UES

Crains New York - May 21, 2012