Issue 5

September/October 2003
.......In Atlantic City

While most laborers in the Green Industry were sleeping, employees of Raimondi Horticultural Group (RHG) were at the height of their workday.

This was no ordinary interior landscaping project, installing plant material at the newest hotel/casino in Atlantic City, the Borgata. At 43 stories tall, this glass monolith rises above all else in the marina section of this popular New Jersey gaming city.

That Raimondi Horticultural Group was chosen for this prestigious job is due to the company's corporate culture: "creating, designing and installing environmentally smart 'green spaces' in office buildings and private residences. They take great pride in their professionalism and cutting-edge techniques while continually updating staff education to increase productivity and environmental awareness."

Belonging to professional associations such as the Association of Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) and New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association are also marks of professionalism that do not go unnoticed by corporate entities.

I sat down with Chris Raimondi, president of RHG, recently to talk about this project and some of the challenges RHG faced.

Chris began telling me that Borgata's search for quality vendors for this contract began with an Internet search. Those considered had to have a proven track record in the field as well as a strong market presence. Quality, originality and a proven track record were the end criteria for the selection. References were needed as well as insurance. No one was permitted to work in the hotel/casino without clearance. A "Casino Vendor Registration" document was required.

Chris explained, "This was a different project because there was a significant amount of plants that were installed in a unique setting with a keen eye for creativity. The project exhilarated our staff, stretching our limits to be creative and profitable. We knew our competition was well known. To demonstrate our commitment to the project we marketed ourselves using the CLP and CLT designations to the client; the client eventually worked that into the specifications."

To demonstrate how RHG was going to be different, we presented our proposal on a CD, a graphic video with animated audio. The message was of a vision similar to Borgata's.

The bidding process took several weeks. We were required to supply suggested plants specified by the designers and offer alternatives if the suggestions were not suitable for light levels. The bid was divided into three segments: interior landscaping, retail floral display and weekly, fresh-cut f1orals.

For RHG, the project consisted of renderings from four different designers. RHG was given storyboards, specifications, drawings and photos. Each area was different, I.e., the look and feel of Tuscany. "We had to come up with alternatives. There were over 60 areas including restaurants, retail areas, and lounges;
some areas were 'no brainers'." Chris remarked, "The successful vendor has to be flexible. You have to be on call 24/7."

After Raimondi Horticultural Group was chosen, they, along with a number of other companies experienced a day of orientation, not unlike a student's college orientation.
Knowing where to find "what" in a project of the Borgata magnitude eased the process.
The sheer volume of the building both in scope and size was physically challenging.
On occasion, being in the wrong area, even on a floor of the building, would cause employee to remark, "I'm not where I'm supposed to be." The Borgata is just that big! With the hotel/casino now open, guests will find it easy to get around to the various hotel "hot" spots with good signage.

Right off the bat, it was clear that the sheer logistics of travel were a consideration in plants and materials handling. Chris' facility, located in the northern quiet town of Ho-Ho-Kus, the Borgata in the colorful and bright seashore town of Atlantic City-and the one major road linking the two major places is the Garden State Parkway.

The one thing about this inside job was that RHG could pick their hours. With over 2,000 men and women contractors working during the day and dozens of trailers lined up at the loading dock. RHG determined that Dolly Parton's "Working 9 to 5"was not going to be the norm in their case. Chris indicated that "it would be prudent to work off hours" so a midnight to 8 a.m. workday was determined to work best for them.

Generally, five staff people worked on the installation. As with any job, being well organized and having the proper equipment makes all the difference. A typical day started in Ho-Ho-Kus, gathering, packing and loading materials-ail the while remembering that the first thing off is the last thing on. RHG made sure their truck (and some days there were two or three trucks) was loaded and ready to go for the run to AC in order to be there in time for the "early morning shift." Due to the hectic loading dock situation, there was not space to work out of and things had to be brought back every day. Remembering a forgotten tool at 3 a.m. when you're miles from the shop and no garden centers or hardware stores are open for business was not something to be dealt with lightly.

"Two-way radio phones were indispensable," Chris advised. During the installation his assistants were on site to meet fully loaded trucks. "We then began to work and broke into teams. On-the-job difficulties included locked doors and wrong turns which could cause a 15-20 minute delay since physical distances were lengthy. The need to use flame retardant woodchips was required." (The Borgata management has state-of-theart fire technology in every phase of the operation.) Chris continued, "Installation work continued until the truck was empty or we dropped from exhaustion. Hotel rooms off site were available if we needed them."

This entire installation took place over the course of two and a half weeks. The retail planter focal point located between the parking lot and the hotel changes thirteen times throughout the year necessitating one overnight trip per month. In addition, there are quite a number of floors with suites in the tower that have plants-truly a unique challenge to service.

"It's such an extremely unique project for Atlantic City," Chris commented. "It's new, fresh, vibrant and truly a Vegas-type resort in Atlantic City. The level of detail is exceptional.
You see it in the spas, the rooms, the accent pieces, the light fixtures, and the color combinations. It's the biggest of anything in the city."

By the way, in Italian, Borgata means "home." The Welcome mat is out. Go see it!