How I Do It Archives - Page 2 of 25 - The Edge from the National Association of Landscape Professionals

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How I Do It

Starting Over From Scratch: How A Client-First Approach Led to National Recognition

Tim McAuliffe originally thought he would retire in Texas after selling his firm in Pennsylvania and moving in 2018. However, he and his wife chose to make a change for more work/life balance with their family in 2024. ā€œI had the opportunity to join a local firm in the Carolina coastal area of Wilmington, North […]

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How I Do It: Building an AI Council to Test and Scale New Technology

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the speed of new technologies coming to the market, particularly in the AI space. Rather than considering it a lost cause to stay on top of these changes, Level Green Landscaping, based in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, opted to create an internal AI council that allows their team the freedom […]

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How I Do It: Growing Talent From the Ground Up

Two years ago, Father Nature Landscapes, based in Birmingham, Alabama, was struggling to find individuals who were willing to get their hands dirty and found satisfaction from building something with their hands. ā€œEven with a growing internship program, we found it challenging to hire solely from the college pipeline,ā€ Richardson says. ā€œA lot of graduates […]

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How I Do It: Keeping Seasonal Employees Engaged During The Off-Season

If you operate in a region where your work is seasonal and you need to lay off a portion of your employees, you know all too well how challenging it can be to ensure this workforce will return in the spring. Brad Leahy, vice president of Blades of Green, based in Edgewater, Maryland, says the first […]

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How I Do It: Creating a Systemized Sales Process That Boosts Close Rates

When Stuart Ward, owner and general manager of Buckhead Landscape and Design, based in Chamblee, Georgia, started looking for a salesperson several years ago, he realized they did not have a defined sales process in place. ā€œTo bring in a salesperson who may or may not be from the industry, who probably didn’t have any […]

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Four Takeaways From On Tour with Creative Environments

Dan Waters, owner of Creative Environments, based in Tempe, Arizona, started out as a summer laborer in 1985. When the founder, Charles Hammond, passed the business on to his son, Waters bought 50% ownership of the company in 1993. Over the years, Waters has grown the business into a full-service firm that serves high-end clientele […]

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How I Do It: Cultivating Biodiversity Through Ecological Restoration Ā 

A hummingbird hovering over a cardinal flower, a caterpillar on a milkweed plant, and wood frog tadpoles thriving in a vernal pool are all signs of success for Parterre Garden Services. ā€œThese are all moments that are obviously ephemeral, and they may seem small to some, but they reflect the impact of thoughtful land stewardship,ā€ […]

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How I Do It: Becoming A Public Benefit Corporation

Klausing Group, PBC, based in Lexington, Kentucky, has always believed that businesses can be a force for good. They decided to take that belief one step further by becoming a Certified B Corporation. CEO Roscoe Klausing announced his company’s decision to pursue B Corp certification at Leaders Forum in 2023 as part of their strategy […]

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How I Do It: Crafting a Robust Manager-in-Training Program

SSC Services for Education, headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, provides custodial, facilities maintenance and grounds management services to educational facilities. They have around 170 accounts across the U.S., and one of the hardest roles for them to fill is grounds management positions. Part of their solution to this challenge is their manager-in-training (MIT) program, which provides […]

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How I Do It: Visterra Landscape Group Provides Free Health Care for Field Workers

The benefits you offer can be a key selling point to employees when they are trying to decide where to work. This is what prompted Visterra Landscape Group, based in Rosemont, Illinois, to roll out free health to all 800 of their field laborers in 2023. The company is investing nearly $4 million a year […]

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