I still remember my very first article I wrote for Total Landscape Care as their associate editor. It was a short piece about shade plants, and I had no idea what I was doing.
Re-reading the article now, I can’t help but laugh at how many citations I used just so the reader could be certain the plant suggestions were valid.
During my time with Total Landscape Care, I had the privilege to visit various landscape company headquarters. As I interviewed owners riding around in their trucks, their passion for the industry was contagious.
Ten years later, that passion hasn’t faded, and neither has my curiosity. That amount of time may seem like a drop in the bucket to those who’ve been in the industry for decades. However, I never could have predicted I’d be covering the same industry for this long and still learn something new every day.
This is a testament to how landscape professionals are always open to improving. Whether that comes in the form of rolling out battery-powered equipment or implementing plant growth regulators or taking active steps to build a destination company, the individuals in this industry are never satisfied with ‘good enough.’
Similarly, the reason I write is to help the industry learn and grow. I share stories in the hope that my readers will walk away with at least one tangible insight they can implement in their own business.
One thing I take for granted, since I’ve never known another industry, is simply how open people are. Landscape professionals genuinely want you to succeed and many of them will go out of their way to assist you if you just ask.
One of my favorite things about covering in the industry is growing my network of connections. I started out where my one familiar face at events was Lisa Stryker (now my boss). Yet now when I go to events, it’s almost like a family reunion. It’s also an exciting time to find folks I may have only interviewed via email.
When I tell people I cover the landscape industry, they assume it’s just mulch and mowers. But this industry is so much more than that.
Shifts I’ve Witnessed
A lot can happen over a decade. Some of the major changes I’ve noticed are an increased focus on implementing various forms of technology, a concentrated effort to build a good company culture and more openness about mental health.
I remember the early skepticism towards battery power and now there are numerous businesses that use nothing but battery equipment. Chief technology officers were a rarity and now they are becoming valuable positions for landscape companies looking to grow.
As it became apparent the search for labor is not going away, many companies have buckled down on becoming destination employers. This means offering more benefits, hiring for a cultural fit and providing a career ladder for employees.
I’ve also seen owners and employees open up about the pressures they face in this fast-paced industry and how they preserve their mental well-being.
What’s Never Changed
While change is good, one thing that has stayed consistent this entire time is landscape professionals’ desire to give back.
So many landscape companies choose to give back to their communities in so many ways. From volunteering with GreenCare for Troops to help take care of deployed service members’ lawns to donating plants and their labor for various causes, this industry is generous to a fault.
Landscape company owners also frequently give back to their employees, acknowledging they wouldn’t be there without them. One memorable example of this was when Ruppert Landscape awarded $28 million to their team members after partnering with a private equity firm.
Something that often comes up in my interviews is how individuals look forward to mentoring those coming up after them. Many note they want to give back to others, just like how their mentors poured into them.
Significant Quotes
I’ve written thousands of stories and talked to tons of sources, but these are just a handful of quotes and concepts that have stuck with me over the years.
During one of my Day in the Life Of visits, Chris Kujawa, president of Kujawa Enterprises, Inc., a Sperber company, told me two phrases he hates are “We’ve never really done it that way” or “But we’ve always done it that way.”
“I don’t care,” he said. “Let’s figure out what’s the best way. I don’t care if we’ve done it or never done it. What’s the best way to do it?”
During COVID, I was talking to Jim McCutcheon, CEO of HighGrove Partners, LLC, about how he was handling this stressful time. He shared how he follows the Stockdale Paradox.
“The general principle behind it is that you never lose faith that you’re going to achieve your goals and get to where you’re going,” McCutcheon said. “And that faith is really that key thing, no matter what’s going on, I never lose that faith, yet at the same time, I have to face the brutal reality and facts of what’s going on in that particular situation, and plan accordingly and not ignore those types of things.”
When I interviewed Patrick Murray, managing partner of Local Roots Landscaping, about how they ended up with an employee waitlist, he explained how they prioritize employee well-being.
He says their philosophy is that humans are humans. They are not machines. They’re not tools. Everyone has a heart and everyone has a brain that struggles.
“No one’s a number,” Murray says. “Everyone has a complicated life. Everyone has more than meets the eye. So, we try to really remember that every time we’re on a job. Humans aren’t machines. We’re not meant to be treated that way.”
The people who choose to work in this industry are driven, passionate and focused on the future. They plant trees with the knowledge they will never sit in their shade. They create beauty that restores the land, and I’m so grateful to tell their stories for 10 years and counting.
