In September, Nextra Consulting and Manulift joined forces to put on an “Innovation. Conversion. Education” (I.C.E.) event to bring Ontario landscapers together for a mini snow removal trade show to showcase various machines, exchange insight and connect with people in the industry.

Earlier this year, Grant Harrison, Nextra’s owner, visited Manulift to see a demonstration of a Merlo telehandler. He immediately knew that the versatility of the machine made it perfect for the landscaping industry. From there Nextra and Manulift worked together to put on an event that would allow landscape contractors to be introduced Merlo machines, and see what it could do for their businesses.

With most of the events in 2020 forced to cancel due to COVID-19, Manulift and Nextra took every precaution to ensure the safety of the attendees. With some creativity, the inaugural I.C.E. event turned out to be resounding success. Ontario landscapers were able to take part in the perfect mix of learning, networking and machine testing.

The day consisted of two identical sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each session consisted of:

  • A presentation on liquid brine by Pierre-Marc Laforest of Reliable Care
  • A mini tradeshow
  • A product demonstration of the Merlo telehandler
  • Great food! (of course)

The event was held just outside of Manulift’s office in Toronto under a tent to maintain physical distancing protocols. All tables and chairs were sanitized between each session. Thankfully, the weather could not have been better!

The response from attendees was fantastic. The group of vendors that were invited appreciated the more personal touch, the opportunity to get-together with other landscapers, and of course, the chance to test-drive the machines. All in all, it was a wonderful day.

To learn more about how Merlo can improve your landscaping business click here.

Nextra Consulting will be holding other I.C.E events. Connect with them online or on social media to stay updated on the next event.

In collaboration with Nextra.