From the President – May 2025

Thank you to everyone who came out to our CLCA Awards Drop-Off and Networking Social at Plank Beer Garden in Oakland on April 26th. It was a fantastic turnout, and a great opportunity to connect with peers, share a drink, and celebrate the hard work behind our Beautification Awards submissions.

Mark your calendars—our next big event is the Annual CLCA Awards Dinner on Thursday, June 6th at Scott’s Seafood in Jack London Square. It’s one of the highlights of our year, and I hope to see many of you there as we recognize excellence in our craft and the people who make it possible.

As we enter the busiest stretch of the season, many of us are feeling the pressure—not just from packed schedules, but from external forces too. With economic uncertainty and new tariffs taking shape, I’ve been evaluating their impact in four key areas:

1. Consumer Confidence – Clients may hesitate to invest in landscape upgrades, affecting project pipelines.
2. Rising Costs – Tariffs on materials like irrigation components, lighting, and stone products are pushing prices up, forcing tough decisions: raise rates or absorb the hit.
3. Supply Chain Delays – Product availability issues can disrupt timelines, costing both time and money.
4. Competitive Pressure – As input costs rise, the temptation to compete on price grows—but that’s a slippery slope.

At my company, we work to compete on value and service, not just cost. As my dad likes to say, “There’s always someone willing to go out of business faster than you.” That advice rings true today. Be transparent with your clients about the factors driving costs. It builds trust—and it’s key to maintaining the tight margins that keep us moving forward.

See you June 6th at Scott’s for an evening of celebration and community.

Cassidy Lundin
President, CLCA East Bay Chapter