We are constantly searching for ways to bring additional value to all of our customers and to our programs like the Allan Block Contractor Certification program. We are very pleased to announce that we have just strengthened both with a recent alliance with HomeAdvisor.

If you are not familiar with HomeAdvisor (HA), simply watch a sporting event or do-it-yourself show and you will soon learn the marketing power they have. They are a sister company to the well-known Angie’s List and on their own, they are one of the largest platform’s consumers use to connect with local construction professionals. For example, over the past year, HomeAdvisor has had over 18 million service requests, including more than 185,000 leads from consumers who are looking for retaining walls and/or paver patios – this is a 30% growth when compared to the previous year.

Why is HomeAdvisor interested in creating an alliance with Allan Block? HomeAdvisor builds their business around connecting people who need things done with companies that can help get things done. The Allan Block Contractor Certification Program is the bridge that allows them to see value from partnering with us and for you to see value from them.

Why is this good for you? This program has been designed to allow Allan Block Certified Contractors to identify opportunities to grow their business at their own pace. With HomeAdvisor you can define the type of lead(s) you want, when you want to receive them and from what type of customer the leads should come from. HomeAdvisor is a bit different from other similar platforms in that they are not a subscription service. Members pay a minimal fee to join ($288/year) and then only pay for the quantity and type of leads they want. Only AB Certified Contractors that are not already HomeAdvisor customers will receive the benefits of the Allan Block and HomeAdvisor partnership that includes:

• 50% discount on leads provided in the first 30 days
• 8% rebate each quarter (this should equate to roughly one month of leads for free)
• Direct consulting on how to use HomeAdvisor to grow your business that is unique to Allan Block Certified Contractors

Make sure to attend an AB Contractor Certification class and build your first wall to get certified as soon as possible so that you can qualify to take advantage of this great opportunity. We see our new partnership with HomeAdvisor to be positive for everyone involved and are confident that being a part of the HomeAdvisor network will be great for your business.

Who doesn’t like free stuff?

Last Quarter we talked about how you can become an AB Certified Contractor. That is not the end, there’s more.

We also have our AB Contractor Rewards Program that allows you to get up to 3 rewards a year.

How do you get rewards?

• Contact your local AB Rep to ensure he is submitting your latest project.
• Complete the AB Rewards Card and email it in to info@allanblock.com to submit directly.

Every Allan Block wall you build could earn you free rewards or advance your certification to an AB Master Wall Builder. With each year of submitting projects, your rewards will grow and continue to get better.

To send in your project information call us at 800-899-5309 or email us at info@allanblock.com.

If you want to be better at what you do, which means being faster with more profit, you need to make sure you incorporate a Plan, Design and Build approach to every project. However, during the busiest time of the year time does not allow you to even collect your thoughts. This is why it needs to become a habit. We will be doing a 3-Part series where we focus on plan, design and build in hopes you can incorporate them into good habits.

Designing a Retaining Wall:

Over the next few newsletters we will cover Part 2 of this series, where we focus on the Design Considerations. See last issues newsletter for Part 1 – Plan. For full information, reference our installation guide - Retaining Walls by Allan Block. As you start working through your initial design consider the following:

• The first thing to consider is whether or not your wall can be designed as a gravity wall or if it requires geogrid reinforcement – Gravity Walls rely on their own weight and setback to hold up the soil behind them. Reinforced Walls use layers of geogrid to combine the soil and block facing together to form a reinforced soil mass to hold up the soil behind them.

Use the following Table (from page 12 of the Retaining Walls by Allan Block manual) to determine if, based on your site conditions, your wall can be a gravity wall:

• Conditions above and behind the wall will determine how tall the wall can be before geogrid reinforcement is needed – As Table 5 shows us, the soil conditions, the wall setback and what is above the wall combine to control the design of a wall. If your wall does not meet the requirements of Table 5, you need to design your wall with geogrid reinforcement.

Allan Block’s Reinforcement Grid™ provides a simple solution by creating a solid structure with more resistance to the soils pressure and surcharges behind the wall. AB Reinforcement Grid is simple to install; just roll it out along the wall on the appropriate courses for residential walls under 6 ft. (1.8 m) tall. By placing a grid layer on top of the first block course and everyother course after, you are combining the geogrid, soil and block facing into a reinforced soil mass that works together to resist all the surcharges applied to the wall.

Stay tuned for our next newsletter where we will provide more information on designing with Curves or Corners, pattern walls, stairs and water applications.

It’s time for us to head to Nashville, Tennessee. We are not here for the bar scene or music; we are here to get to know Allan Block Master Wall Builder Wayne Jackson, the founder and owner of Jackson Landscaping and Builders.

Over 20 years ago Wayne started the business and takes on projects in both the residential and commercial markets. The family run business is located in Holladay, Tennessee, but they service projects in a 150 mile radius including all of Nashville. With the amount of experience Wayne and his crews have, no project is too large or small. When Wayne started the company, the only employees were himself and one other installer. In the early life of the company, Jackson Landscaping only serviced residential projects, but after a few years Wayne met Bruce Todd, a technical representative in the hardscapes industry. He eventually attended a class in Memphis that Bruce recommended where he learned about retaining walls and this is where Wayne’s journey in the SRW industry began.

While Bruce was not working with Allan Block at the time, he eventually made the transition to Red River Concrete Products where he represented Allan Block as a sales partner and technical advisor. Bruce reached out to Wayne and provided the opportunity for him and his employees at Jackson Landscaping to attend an Allan Block Contractor Certification class. After attending the full day class, Wayne and his employees installed their next retaining wall project as Allan Block to complete their training and classify them as AB Certified Contractors. As Jackson Landscaping grew, Wayne made sure that all his employees attended classes and became certified because “the AB classes teach correct and incorrect procedures and show that corners can’t be cut.”

Years later, Bruce has moved on and Red River was purchased by Adams, an Oldcastle Company. Wayne still purchases his Allan Block product from the same location and now works with sales representative Josh Kirby, who continues to provide Wayne with any information regarding retaining wall design.

Wayne and many of his employees have since climbed the ranks of the AB Contractor Certification Program and have achieved the next level up status of Allan Block Master Wall Builder. He says that the rewards that Allan Block provides are a nice way to show appreciation for a job well done. Christian Suarez, Wayne’s “main wall guy”, is also an AB Master Wall Builder within the company and has taken a huge role heading most of the wall projects that they take on. Wayne says that he owes so much to Christian and his two crews of employees and can’t thank them enough for all of the amazing work they do.

Jackson Landscaping and Builders covers a wide range of landscaping projects, including but not limited to, irrigation, pavers, dirt work, outdoor living, and of course, hardscapes. When it comes to the hardscapes, Wayne is very dedicated to Allan Block. He says that since he was introduced to it, he has always pushed Allan Block and believes that he will until he is retired. He says it’s so easy to stand behind Allan Block because “the system just works” and that all of the information that is provided on allanblock.com is extremely helpful. Through their many years working with Allan Block, Jackson Landscaping been a part of some amazing projects. They have installed walls ranging in size from a few courses tall to a massive 17,000 ft² (1,600 m²) wall that reached heights of 30 ft (9 m).

When speaking with Wayne, he said that he takes an enormous amount of pride in the amazing work that Jackson Landscaping and Builders completes. He said that having the company share his name adds another level of accountability to every project that they complete. He will always stand behind his name and make sure that if his company completes a project, it will be completed the right way. It’s because of this dedication and drive that Wayne can say that he has gone 20 years without a wall failure and doesn’t plan on breaking that streak.