April 16, 2017
Article Image

The Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) is pleased to announce Landscape Ontario member, Thornbusch Landscaping Company in Lansdowne, Ont., is the first company in North American to be accredited under the Landscape Industry Accredited Company program.

CNLA and the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) developed the program to recognize landscape companies, retail garden centres and nurseries that are committed to excellence through certification. Thornbusch recently completed the application process and after extensive review, was determined to have met or exceed the standards set out in the program.

Thornbusch owner Paul Doornbos says achieving the designation verifies the company’s business practices and its commitment to education, customer service and professionalism.

“It’s a team award in the sense that it is a reflection of not just my commitment as an owner, but also our staff being committed to professional development in terms of various certifications,” Doornbos said.

Doornbos said the designation was not easy to get, but “if you conduct your business in a professional manner, this should be a designation that everyone can achieve. You don’t have to be a large company; ours is less than 10 people, but one of our selling features has always been the degree of professionalism of our staff.”
  • Once accredited, companies pledge to meet superior standards including:
  • Employing trained, Landscape Industry Certified, or equivalent employees.
  • Provide clear, customer communications about service programs and contracts.
  • Follow applicable provincial/territorial/state, local and federal licensing requirements.
  • Maintain current insurance policies.
  • Advertise truthfully and ethically in accordance with the Canadian Competition Bureau.
  • Checking employee references, driving history and criminal background.
  • Maintain a drug-free workplace.
  • Participate in provincial/territorial workplace safety programs to enforce safety initiatives.

For more information about the program, please contact Jason Young, professional development assistant at CNLA at 1-888-446-3499, ext. 8620 or jason@cnla-acpp.ca.