Smith Grounds Management, based in Indian Trail, North Carolina, provides lawn and landscape services to hundreds of commercial properties and HOAs. Chip Smith started the company in 1988.
The company has around 120 employees during the peak season and currently earns $13 million in annual revenue.
Smith Grounds Management hosted landscape professionals at their headquarters at the end of ELEVATE on Wednesday, Nov. 6. During the tour, attendees learned about how each department is structured, how the company stays organized and what innovations they are exploring.
Organization Is Key
One of the most notable aspects of Smith Grounds Management’s 7-acre facility is their level of organization. Every crew’s equipment is color-coded and stored in an orderly fashion. Every Sunday, their lead mechanic conducts an inventory to make sure everything is accounted for.
The company has extras of every piece of equipment because Smith never wants equipment to be an excuse for them not being able to execute their job. Crew members have to sign out any replacement equipment they need.
“I’m not going to send my guys to war without any ammo,” Smith says. “We have more than enough equipment to prevent any downtime.”
They also have three mechanics on staff who maintain everything from chainsaws to skid steers. All of the company’s mowers are serviced once a week. Around 18 to 19 mowers are serviced over four service days, where the mechanics will check belts, filters, top off fluids, pressure wash and sharpen mower blades.
If, for any reason, they are running behind on sharpening blades in the evening, Smith has been known to hop in and help sharpen blades himself.
Integrate Technology
While the company has been around for years, they aren’t opposed to implementing different types of technology. They recently added SmartLink by Weathermatic, which allows them to monitor and control irrigation systems remotely through the web-based platform.
This has helped with operational efficiency and optimizing water usage.
The company also moved to Aspire this year. They say it’s been a tough adjustment, but each truck has a tablet where the crew can jot down notes about the site. They’ve been working to teach their crews to use the system.
Another platform Smith Grounds Maintenance uses is Samsara, which helps them track maintenance hours for their fleet. It also sends notifications if a driver is exhibiting dangerous driving habits such as harsh braking or rapid acceleration.
They also utilize the platform’s front and rear-facing cameras in the fleet. The AI-powered cameras have in-cab alerts if they detect hazards such as drowsy driving, mobile usage, no seat belt or lane departure.
Build Strong Relationships with Clients
Smith says since he started the company, Charlotte has been a competitive market. This is why the company strives to build relationships with their customers. They never want to be a number to their clients. They have client relation managers who serve as the direct contact for customers.
General manager Jimmy Perry says it’s also important for their customers to understand the value they offer and it all comes down to communication.
You have to educate them on the amount of knowledge needed to perform landscape services well. Additionally, you have to be proactive in sharing any delays or mistakes that occur.
The company meets every Friday to discuss what all is going on to ensure everyone is on the same page.
“If you don’t talk about it, we can’t fix it,” Perry says.
