Scott’s Landscaping, based in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania, has served the State College, Pennsylvania area for the past 33 years. The company provides commercial and residential maintenance, installation, and erosion control, including land preparation and seeding, lawn care and snow removal.
Ruppert Landscape acquired Scott’s last month. Ruppert’s president Phil Key says the company stood out to them as an industry leader and they admire Scott’s Landscaping’s professionalism, image and reputation.
“We want companies and teams who are motivated, capable, and already moving forward in the industry, who want to reinvest and be part of a new organization,” Key says. “A handful of times throughout our company’s history, we’ve made acquisitions of companies that were struggling and whose owners were looking to exit. This partnership isn’t that — it’s a strategic blending of people, service lines and values that will enable us to all continue to grow.”
Founder Scott Burk says he also respects Ruppert’s reputation and they have drawn inspiration from the company as they’ve built their own culture and business.
“We wanted a partner that would help take us to the next level, shared our vision and values and would provide growth opportunities for our team,” Burk says. “This union did all of that.”
Burk will transition to a branch manager position in Pennsylvania and continue to share his knowledge, experience and vision.
“Given the company we’ve partnered with, I think it’ll be a pretty easy change,” Burk says. “I’m already learning a lot and I’m looking forward to growing and developing right along with my team as we learn the Ruppert approach.”
Key notes that Scott’s offers in-house erosion control Ruppert doesn’t currently provide, so they are looking forward to expanding their service offering on a larger scale for their customers.
“We see growth opportunities for our maintenance division, and it expands our landscape construction team’s capabilities into Pennsylvania,” Key says.
These two organizations have several commonalities, including a shared commitment to the community and a passion for introducing students to the industry.
Scott’s Landscaping has helped their local community with projects like cleaning up parks and improving non-profits’ landscapes.
“We also love projects that our team members bring to us, like assisting with their child’s 4H or Eagle Scout project,” Burk says. “What motivates us is working with organizations and people who truly need the help and are doing their best to fill needs in the community.”
Scott’s Landscaping also has an upcoming project in 2024 at Penn State that will honor the legacy of Dan Stearns, where they will work alongside students.
“That’s a collaborative effort between students, the college, and many in our industry, including Ruppert, that we are proud to be involved with and really speaks to the camaraderie and teamwork that is so prevalent in the green industry,” Burk says.
Both companies are also committed to combining their strengths to drive future growth and innovation. Burk says they gravitated to each other thanks to their shared philosophies and cultural alignment. He says Ruppert will give them opportunities they never would have had if they had stayed the course on their own.
“Having commonalities around shared philosophies — the way we both think about our image, developing and providing opportunity for our team, innovation and giving back to our community — helped create a strong foundation for this partnership,” Key says. “There’s already trust between the two organizations and we’re collaborating in a number of areas to ensure that the integration is as smooth and seamless as possible. Both teams are focused on learning from each other, figuring out the best path forward, and keeping an eye on our long-term goals as we move forward.”
