Month: August 2010

MIDDLETOWN — The brutal summer heat has cooled demand for many small landscaping businesses, adding distress to a sector already hurt by the recession. Last month, temperatures were above normal along the East Coast and several central U.S. states, with some cities – such as Hartford, Conn., Providence, R.I., and Washington – breaking records, according to the National Climatic Data Center.

The Wall Street Journal

http://www.recordonline.com/article/20100823/BIZ/8230321

 

MIDDLETOWN- With more lawns turning brown, “business has dropped substantially,” says Tim McCarey, owner of McCarey Landscaping Inc. in Middletown, N.Y., which offers lawn-care and landscaping services. He estimates revenues are down by about 30% from this time a year ago, and says he’s had to reduce the number of workers he employs during summer to 38 from more than 50. “We’ve had to lay off people because the dryness affected us so much.”

By Sarah E. Needleman

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704901104575423563986614270