Rod Bailey passed away on June 15, 2025, at the age of 87. Bailey was the owner of Evergreen Services Corporation and Alder Springs Enterprises. He was also president of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) in 1985, now known as NALP.
Bailey developed his work ethic from an early age, growing up helping out on the family farm. He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University.
He worked at Procter & Gamble for a few years before purchasing the landscape maintenance company, Evergreen Services Corporation. Bailey joined ALCA in 1974 and served as either a member or the chair of every major committee over the years.
“Rod was one of the first (if not the only) contractor from the Northwest to be active in ALCA,” says Jud Griggs, head harvester for The Harvest Group.
Griggs notes that most of the members of ALCA were design/build or bid/build, so Bailey brought a different perspective to the organization.
Bailey also expressed an interest in helping with ALCA’s Crystal Ball Committee and when he was told he’d need to become ALCA’s president in order to be invited, he did just that.
“Out of each meeting, we produced something that members could use as a reference,” says Bruce Hunt, a past ALCA president. “So I think there was some fun in doing something rather long-term. It was an intensive work session and produced some meaningful information for the industry, and he was all about that.”
One of his passions was promoting professionalism in the industry.
“He showed people that we could be professional, that you weren’t just a grubby guy doing the work,” says Bill Thornton, a past ALCA president. “It’s very professional. It was a legitimate business. You can make a good business out of it.”
Bailey served as a Trailblazer in landscape management, leaving a lasting impression with many members.
Roscoe Klausing, CEO of Klausing Group, Inc., was one of Bailey’s mentees and says Bailey would define their success at the end of the year not by their revenue generated but by the number of employees who got married, had children, or bought a home. What mattered to Bailey was how happy his employees were.
“Success means a happy life,” says Ben Bailey, one of Bailey’s sons. “It doesn’t necessarily mean a lot of dollars in the bank account. It’s more do you feel good about what you do each day?”
In an effort to help raise the bar, Bailey was one of the founders of the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals in 1983. He wanted to create a forum for exchanging ideas and philosophies that could help make everyone better.
“He is probably one of the most respected landscape business owners in western Washington,” says Will Bailey, one of Bailey’s sons and owner of Avid Landscape Management, LLC. “There are very few people out there who don’t know him, who didn’t meet him, who he didn’t have some sort of impact on. He created community in the industry and promoted professionalism.”
When Bailey sold his company in 1998, he moved into his true passion as an industry consultant.
With Alder Springs Enterprises, Bailey helped numerous small contractors as they built their businesses. He specialized in financial management, strategic planning, organization planning, budgeting and systems planning.
“Rod taught them how to be better business people, not just better landscapers,” Griggs says. “At Alder Springs, Rod helped a number of contractors start their businesses. In fact, Rod told me that he didn’t charge some of his new clients as they started their business. He felt he would get paid back by increasing the professionalism of the industry.”
Hunt says a lot of these companies Bailey guided were struggling and now they live on thanks to his help.
“If you needed some help or if you needed something answered, he was there for you,” Hunt says.
Bailey also served on the PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation board of directors and was recognized with NALP’s Lifetime Leadership Award in 1997. In 2024, WALP awarded Bailey the first Emeritus Membership in WALP in recognition of his lifetime of service, dedication, and leadership.
Bailey was known for being warm, personable, genuine and always willing to share.
“He was a man who was full of love and commitment to his family, his community and his industry,” Ben says. “He went about his day-to-day life with the highest moral character and compass.”
He valued his family, his faith and helping others.
“Right up to the end, he was still driving for Meals on Wheels in Salem, Oregon, where he was living right up to within about a month of his passing,” Will says.
Bailey is survived by his daughter Betsy, his two sons Ben and Will and three grandchildren Hunter, Aidan, and Hannah.
