James Martin Associates Promotes Mundelein Resident, Beth McElroy, to Vice President of Business Administration

“Beth’s experience with nine different positions during her 11 years with James Martin Associates prepared her for her new leadership position with the company’s executive management team. For the last three years, her efforts in leading our company to becoming one of the nation’s safest landscape service providers have resulted in national recognition from the CNA and PLANET (Professional Landcare Network) sponsored Safety Awards Program. As a result of her leadership of the company’s certification training program, today, James Martin Associates is recognized as the most certified company of its size in the country. Additionally, Beth’s efforts to grow and develop our internship and management trainee program and our just-launched scholarship program have received national praise from the industry press,” stated James Martin, President, James Martin Associates, Inc.

Ms. McElroy, a resident of Mundelein, joined the company in 1994 as a team administrator. Her unique ability to quickly learn and master wide ranging job responsibilities allowed her to assume supervisory and management responsibilities. In 1996, Ms. McElroy became a stockholder of James Martin Associates and joined the senior management team.

Ms. McElroy has been an active member of the GLMV Chamber of Commerce. Within the landscape industry, she has served on the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association Education Committee, the PLANET Safety Committee, and received the designation of Certified Landscape Professional ( CLP) in 2003.

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PLANET Awards First Annual James Martin Associates Scholarship During Student Career Event Held at Brigham Young University

March 27, 2006 –The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) and the ALCA Education Foundation (AEF) announced the creation of the James Martin Associates and Martin Family Annual Scholarship at PLANET’s Executive Forum held in Las Vegas in February 2006. The first annual James Martin Associate Scholarship was awarded during PLANET’s Student Career Event held at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, March 23-27, 2006. The recipient, Jeoffrey Kochem, is a landscape management major from the Penn State University.

James Martin Associates, Inc., Vernon Hills, IL and the Martin Family have a 20 year history of supporting higher education initiatives with the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana. In 2003, the company became the first founding member of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Education and Charitable Organization (ILCECO) Scholarship Program. The recent contribution to the AEF marks their first sizeable donation to AEF, the industries leading national educational foundation for which they have been recognized as Ambassadors of AEF. More than just a title, an Ambassador is able to establish the criteria for the award of their scholarship.

The ALCA Education Foundation Ambassadors Scholarship Program provides a special opportunity for donors to personally experience the ‘gift of giving,’” James P. Martin, President, James Martin Associates, Inc. says. “By helping educate a new student each year into the future, I know this scholarship will provide years of pleasure — knowing we’ve been able to turn a small amount of our success into meaningful significance for the future leaders of our industry. ALCA (Associated Landscape Contractors of America), and now PLANET, has helped our company grow, mature, and prosper in many, many ways. It gives all of the associates of James Martin Associates and the Martin Family special pleasure and pride to join the distinguished group of AEF Ambassadors.”

About Professional Landscape Network

PLANET represents approximately 4,300 green industry service provider companies and suppliers nationwide that specialize in design/build/installation, interior plantscaping, landscape management, and lawn care. These firms and their employees represent more than 100,000 green industry professionals.

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James Martin Associates' Philanthropic "Enabling Garden" at the 2006 Chicago Flower & Garden Show

March 10, 2006 –James Martin Associates has again partnered with the Book Stall at Chestnut Court, Winnetka, to offer “A Morning in the Garden” at the Chicago Flower & Garden Show at Navy Pier from 9:00 AM to 2 PM on Tuesday, March 14. The fee of $45 includes bus transportation from the Winnetka Park District Golf Course parking lot, admission to the show, and a box lunch from Song O’ Sixpence.

At the show, Heidi Sibert, Landscape Architect, James Martin Associates, will provide private tours of “The Enabling Garden” created for the Arthritis Foundation, Greater Chicago Chapter, to display creative garden solutions such as raised beds and vertical gardens for individuals with arthritis. The Garden will also demonstrate specially designed ergonomic tools which assist people of all abilities to experience and treasure gardening. This is the fifth time in seven years that Martin Associates and The Arthritis Foundation have collaborated on a garden at the show which has been a four time recipient of the Governor’s Award.

It has long been known that gardening is America’s favorite hobby. However, many don’t know that nearly 66 million Americans are stricken with arthritis, an often painful and debilitating disease. Despite this ailment, there are tools and methods for those who suffer with arthritis that allow them to enjoy and take pleasure in activities in their gardens. The goal of the “ Enabling Garden” is to illustrate these possibilities in a beautiful, intimate backyard garden.

“Arthritis is one of the most prevalent of chronic health problems and the nation’s leading cause of disability among Americans over 15,” stated Dr. Jack Klippel, Medical Director of the Arthritis Foundation. The Arthritis Foundation believes in the physical and emotional therapeuticbenefits of gardening. In fact, Dave Mekemson, Chair, of the local Arthritis Foundation chapter, stated, “Gardening is a wonderful activity for people with arthritis. It allows them to move and exercise in a controlled environment.” The “ Enabling Garden” provided tips on how to make gardening more accessible and enjoyable, thus improving the quality of life for those with arthritis and other physical limitations.

The landscape architect and project manager for the “ Enabling Garden” is Heidi Sibert, a Vice President and Senior Landscape Architect at James Martin Associates, Inc. and a member of the Board of Directors of the Arthritis Foundation. According to Ms. Sibert, this year’s backyard garden will demonstrate an intimate setting with a variety of experiences, yet will be created to handle the nearly 200,000 visitors expected at this year’s show. The garden will be designed around the focus of being functional, and also display colorful spring flowering trees, shrubs and flowers, a water feature, and beautiful garden structures. The use of raised garden beds, vertical gardens, container gardens, and adaptive gardening tools demonstrate that gardens and gardening can be accessible and inspirational.

The Enabling Garden will be constructed through the generous assistance and donations of a team including Aspen Valley Landscape Supply, Inc., Elite Growers, Inc., Goldberg Downey Architects, Midwest Groundcovers, Ruder Builders, Inc., Harper Graphic Images, Wilson Nurseries, D. Hill Nurseries, Red’s Garden Center, Clearwood Carpentry, and Unilock.

 About The Arthritis Foundation

The mission of the Arthritis Foundation is to improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of arthritis and related diseases. Founded in 1948, the it is the only national

voluntary health organization that addresses all of the over 100 forms of arthritis. Arthritis

Foundation efforts center on the three-fold mission of the organization: research, prevention and quality of life. The Foundation currently has 150 chapters and service points nationwide to provide community-based programs and to raise funds. For more information, visit the website at http://www.arthritis.org/.

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James Martin Associates Wins "Excellence in Landscape" Awards

Vernon Hills, Illinois, February 24, 2006 – James Martin Associates, Inc., the nationally recognized firm of landscape architects and contractors from Vernon Hills, was honored at the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) “Excellence in Landscaping” Awards Ceremony on February 24th with a Gold Award for a Lake Forest residence and a Silver Award for a Highland Park residence.

The Gold Award was in recognition for the outstanding landscape redevelopment of a private and heavily wooded property in Lake Forest. The thoughtful incorporation of elements of the home’s architecture into the landscape construction was a major reason this project won the prestigious Gold Award. Another major success of this project was the sensitive reengineering of the rear of the property to address flooding and storm water management in an unrecognizable manner. Finally, the designer’s creative use of walls and steps in solving the site storm water management issues also created visually rich and subtle detailing of the outdoor entertaining spaces for year round viewing interest.

The Silver Award was received in recognition for the terrace development of a Highland Park residence. This project was recognized for the graceful way the solution created three distinct outdoor living areas within a compact rear yard. The existing grade change provided the opportunity to separate the spaces through the use of steps and walls. The water feature provides a visually engaging view from the adjacent living room as well as a terrific water noise element when on the terrace. The barbeque feature often serves as the activity center for entertaining and for the owners. Once the food is prepared, the activities move to the formal dining space. The lower terrace offers a view of a pond and a sense of separation from the activities of the house.

About ILCA

The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association is a nationally recognized organization whose mission is to enhance the professionalism and capabilities of landscape architects, designers, and contractors throughout Illinois. The honor of the Gold Award bestowed upon Martin Associates is an acknowledgement of the firm’s artistic talents and professionalism. The judging criteria for this awards program are the quality of materials, workmanship, execution, function, aesthetic aspects and overall presentation. For more information, visit the website at http://www.ilca.net/.

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