For some hydroseeding contractors, it might seem like the “good old days” are gone—even if they only peaked a few short years ago. In many regions, the slowdown in new construction has given an unwelcome break to contractors who could hardly keep up with demand two years ago.

While this might paint a gloomy picture, hydroseeding isn’t going away. Quite the opposite. There are several factors at work that will keep opportunities going and growing in 2010 and beyond.

For one thing, even while new construction has been slowing down, the reputation and acceptance of hydroseeding and hydro mulching have been rapidly gaining ground. This is due to product improvement and diversity, an increase in professionalism among practitioners and a much greater knowledge base related to materials and methods that work.

The environmental movement is another factor keeping the hydroseeding industry vital.

Hydraulic applications have a key role to play in the growing number of green building projects and in the stabilization of environmentally sensitive sites.

New regulations and stricter enforcement of existing ones are also playing a role. Steep fines are making it crystal clear that spending money on proven measures to keep soil intact makes good economic and environmental sense.

Communities are also relying more on hydroseeding and hyromulching for quick remediation of areas damaged by wildfires and other disasters. These practices continue to demonstrate their ability to protect people, property and environmental resources by rapidly stabilizing landscapes that have been stripped of vegetation.

The opportunities may have shifted but they’re still out there. Networking and staying up-to-date on new products and trends can help contractors find them.

Public works

With a shift away from residential construction, many hydroseeding contractors are focusing their efforts on other sectors. R ob McGann, vice president of Hydro- Plant Hydroseeding, Inc., San Marcos, California, says public projects and environmental applications are where he expects to see the most opportunity in 2010 and beyond.

“Most of us in the industry have taken a hard hit,” says McGann. “Lots of companies have streamlined their operations and even eliminated equipment that was acquired duing a busier time. While the building industry is slowly starting to break loose, it’s nothing compared to a mere 18 months ago. The staple now is all public works.”

With an emphasis on improving the nation’s infrastructure, there are miles of highways to be rebuilt. Hydroseeding is often the most economical choice for revegation on many of these highway hillsides.

There are also growing opportunities in reclamation, says Ray Badger, president of Turbo Technologies, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and founder of the International Association of Hydroseeding Professionals (IAHP).

“New residential construction has slowed down and I don’t see that improving a lot over the short term,” says Badger. “But there are still a lot of opportunities in commercial erosion control and construction. Around here, there’s also a call for jobs at industrial facilities that are being reclaimed. They’re ripping down factories built 50 to 80 years ago and turning the land into green space.”

Going green

This kind of public interest in greening up the landscape will play a bigger role for many hydroseeding companies in the coming years.

“There is such a big movement toward the greening of everything and this will have an impact on our business,” says McGann. “A lot of it will involve green belt areas or vegetated swales.”

Low Impact Development (LID) has the potential to open many doors to contractors who know where to knock. LID is a rapidly growing approach to stormwater management that emphasizes more green space and relies heavily on using vegetated areas to control stormwater.

LID is being adopted by communities everywhere. Learning the theories and strategies behind LID will be an important step for many erosion control and hydroseeding contractors.

The goal of LID is to replicate pre-development hydrology and use nature’s own efficient methods for infiltrating, evaporating, storing and treating runoff. Vegetated channels, bio-retention areas, green roofs and green walls are common features in the landscapes of many LID communities. These projects use several different planting methods and hydroseeding is again the cost-effective choice for many of them.

The demand for green roofs and green walls is one of the trends to watch. For example , Trajan , Inc., a hydroseeding and erosion control company in Raleigh , North Carolina, recently completed seeding of a 3,500-foot l o n g mechanically stabilized green wall. The wall, located along the boundary of a mixed-use commercial develop - ment in Raleigh, is constructed of wire mesh earth-filled baskets.

“The wall is 40 feet high at its highest point,” says Susan Keen, president, Trajan, Inc. “We completed the project in four-and-ahalf days in a two-step process. We applied the seed mix and soil amendment first and then applied a Flexterra cap with more of the seed mix.”

Needless to say, this vertical project called for low-maintenance vegetation. “We developed the mix in partnership with Pennington Seed,” says Keen. “We wanted something perennial in nature that requires no watering or mowing.” The mix consists of greystone and hard fescues,annual rye, weeping lovegrass, hairy vetch, and durana clover.

This project is just one example of the innovative ways hydroseeding contractors can use their equipment and expertise in the green building movement.

High tech—low impact products

New environmentally sensitive products designed to use with hydroseeding are also giving knowledgeable contractors an opportunity to turn heads and gain new customers.

“One of my focuses is on using premium products—even in residential projects,” says Keen. “I use a lot of bio-stimulants and amendments that put the good stuff back in the soil.”

These products help create an ecology that enables plants to get the nutrients they need. For Keen, they provide added insurance for a project’s success, even in adverse conditions like bad weather and poor soil.

“If all things go well in the first place, it may seem cheaper not to do this,” says Keen, “but too often all things don’t go well—especially here in North Carolina. We have really poor soil here.”

Chris VanBrocklin, president, Speedy Green, Inc., Watertown, New York, is another big proponent of bio-stimulants and other organic amendments. A practicing contractor himself and a distributer of hydroseeding supplies, VanBrocklin says knowledge of new products like these can give contractors an opportunity to gain an edge on the competition.

“The bio-stimulant product we use and sell is all organic,” says VanBrocklin. “It speeds up germination and produces more uniform coverage.” This gives more visually appealing results and allows vegetation to establish before weather and other variables can undo the work. He says it can even give contractors a chance to squeeze in additional late season projects.

“It’s hard to sell contractors on it for the first time,” says VanBrocklin. “But once they see the results and the customer sees the results, they find it’s well worth it.”

He says it’s critical for contractors to stay up-to-date on any products that will make their job easier and improve their success rate. “You have to be aware of what’s out there and you also have to be able to educate the engineers. A lot of them don’t know about all the new products.”

Even in tight markets, maintaining cutting-edge expertise in your region will help ensure yours is the go-to company when projects come up.

The science of erosion control

Erosion control has become a more integral part of the hydroseeding business than it was even a few years ago and this is another force providing new opportunities.

“Hydroseeding has always been a factor in the erosion control market and it’s becoming more so now,” says Badger. “Many of the new products out there now are better than those available ten years ago. This has increased the acceptance of hydroseeding in different areas.”

As products have improved and diversified, it has become easier to choose materials that fit budget restrictions while meeting the precise performance requirements needed on a particular site.

Testing, research and experience are delivering more consistent results.

When Keen started her company a short time ago, hydroseeding wasn’t a primary emphasis.

“We started by focusing on sediment control using silt fence, inlet protection and rolled erosion control products,” says Keen. “I’m a civil engineer and I know there’s more regulation coming down the pipeline.

The more research we did, the more we found hydroseeding and hydromulching to be outstanding methods of erosion control.”

Instead of trying to control sediment as it leaves the site, Keen says the company’s focus is now on preventing it through erosion control, using hydromulches. “A lot of contractors don’t want to do it at first,” she says. “It might seem like a lot of money at the time. But it saves the cost of having to come back and rework after it rains. That’s what I’m selling. When you look at the lifecycle costs, it’s worth the money.”

Opening doors

With more growth in the public sector, commercial projects and green building, how do contractors connect with these opportunities?

“A little bit of research and networking,” says McGann. “It’s important to stay in touch with designers and specifiers.”

He points out that in many areas, some regulations are in place but not yet fully implemented. As enforcement increases, so will demand. “When the building industry gets back in swing, some of these practices will be in full force.”

More than ever, today’s economy requires the fundamental business skills of mixing, mingling and hand-shaking.

“Attend pre-bid meetings with contractors,” says Keen. “You can meet a lot of general contractors there. It’s a matter of being bold and going up and introducing yourself. Join the professional organizations and take classes in your area.

It’s amazing the number of people you can meet just in classes.”

Make it easy for clients to find you when they need you. Joining professional organizations like IAHP is an important way to keep your company’s name on the list of reputable service providers.

“Make your services known,” says Badger. “Advertise, put signs on all your machines and trucks. Get on websites and mailing lists like the one on the IAHP website.” This way, potential clients can find you with just a few clicks.

The days of endless hydroseeding jobs on expansive residential developments may be on a long hiatus in some parts of the country. But for contractors who are ready to look in new directions, opportunities are waiting.

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