Roll on 2026…

This year seems to have flown by.

One minute your planning this year’s new season re-visits and the next minute you’re signing off on final sprays of the season.

We have had a good year in so many ways – we’ve been busy all year and we haven’t had any major gaps in workload (he says whilst touching wood) …

But even with a good year comes problems – everyone is knackered.

From the admin departments to the surveyors, through to the site teams and the supervisors …everyone is just hanging on for the Christmas break.

Nerves are fraught, tempers are on edge and everyone is biting their lips to not say the wrong thing to the clients who simply want to know …. ‘Are you done yet’ …

What I will say though is – we aren’t exactly making loads of money.

We’re …ok.

…but we aren’t exactly ‘Raking it in’-

….we’re working bloody hard to win the projects, then working bloody hard to do the projects, then working even harder to get the money in…

But we are still here.

This year has seen one or two of our competitors fall by the wayside and it’s hard to hear this sort of news as we all know – there but for the grace of god etc.

I’ve prattled on about this before but somehow it shouldn’t be as hard as it is. We are a great company with a great team of individuals who all are basically there to help you with your invasive weed problems.

These are good people – so good that they take a call regularly from an elderly lady who just wants someone to have a chat with about her Knotweed problems – even though she tells the same story every time she rings – nobody puts the phone down on her and nobody is rude – these are good people on our reception lines.

The surveyors are all nice people. Not ‘nice’ in a sort of sad way – but ‘nice’ as in you’d go for a drink with them or have a coffee and they would be interesting to talk to and would be good company.

We don’t employ asshole sales type people – we employ qualified people who care about the environment.

The site lads are all highly skilled and also nice people.

Ok, Paul might be a bit rough around the edges …but once you get to know him you’d love him like we all do…

What am I trying to say here?

Well, I guess I’m giving thanks for another year spent fighting invasive species.

I think we’re winning and I think we’re making a difference…but whatever it is we’re doing… I also give thanks to each and everyone at JKSL for doing their bit to ensure we continue to do what we do …as well as we do.

Here’s to 2026.

Bring it on.

M.