Neil Simons: Labor, Safety, and Autonomous Mowers

Neil Simons of RC Mowers joins Griffin to talk remote-controlled and autonomous mowers, and how they tackle the labor and safety problems every facilities team faces.Takeaways:RC vs. autonomous: RC mowers keep an operator safely off steep slopes; autonomous mowers run on their own and lay down clean commercial stripes — one operator can run several at once.Labor multiplier, not job-killer: No customer has cut staff. Crews get freed from open-field mowing to focus on higher-value work like trimming, edging, and pruning.Safety first: Removing operators from machines on dangerous slopes prevents accidents. Neil's advice — listen to the boots on the ground; they know when a job feels unsafe.Curb appeal counts: Well-kept grounds shape first impressions for campus tours, recruiting, and hiring.What's next: AI and better cameras will let mowers cut within inches of trees and fences, closing today's precision gap.Resources:RCMowers WebsiteLinkedInRCMowers YouTube