Tom Lied passed away peacefully on Aug. 12, 2024, at the age of 90. Lied was the former CEO and co-owner of Lied’s Nursery Company, based in Sussex, Wisconsin, and was a founder of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA), now known as NALP.
Lied spent a lifetime landscaping, starting in 1946. He officially joined his father’s company after earning a degree in ornamental horticulture and landscape architecture from Michigan State University. He became a partner in his father’s business in 1957.
He grew the company and diversified their service offerings. At its peak, Lied’s Nursery had 285 employees and $17 million in annual revenue.
“His impact with his company was taking us from a mom-and-pop planting and nursery business to professionals,” says Judson Griggs, head harvester for The Harvest Group. “He was an ultimate professional in how he treated his employees and how he treated his clients. He taught me how to be firm, but fair with clients.”
Robb Lied, Lied’s son, says his father cared deeply about the client and always encouraged others to listen to and understand the client.
Lied eventually sold the business to David J. Frank Landscape Contracting, based in Germantown, Wisconsin, in 2012. Lied joined the company as a senior landscape architect and continued to work there for the past 12 years.
“The client was always first, even three weeks before he passed; he wanted me to call the office for him and was talking to supervisors relative to getting some things fixed on job sites,” Robb says. “He was still working at 90 years old.”
Lied left a profound impact on the landscape industry. Not only did he help found ALCA in 1962, but he also played a role in founding the Wisconsin Landscape Contractors Association, Wisconsin Nurseryman’s Association, as well as the Wisconsin Landscape Federation.
Robb says his father had a desire to increase the professionalism in the industry, and he has a vision of where he wanted the industry to go.
“Tom was a professional through and through, from his attitude and demeanor right down to his attire,” says Dan Klemencic, marketing manager for David J. Frank Landscape Contracting. “Tom always treated his clients and co-workers with great respect.”
As a visionary, Lied started the Crystal Ball Committee in the 1970s after noticing many owners had little time to plan for their future growth. The goal of the Crystal Ball Committee was to identify the condition of the industry and help members plan for future growth and profitability.
Lied assembled a group of industry leaders and decided that they needed a few quiet days to brainstorm, so he hosted the committee at his fishing cabin in Wisconsin, where there was no electricity or telephone. After this first meeting, the group hosted an annual Crystal Ball Committee meeting for 25 years and was responsible for creating a ten-year master plan of growth and development for the industry.
“It took a different topic every year, and then you would take all of the ideas, and he would formulate them and condense them into a Crystal Ball Report,” Griggs says. “Writing the reports, he did that personally. That was a monumental task.”
Lied also helped author the ALCA certification program. He was said to have been instrumental in providing a long-range look at where the program could lead. Linda Lied, Robb’s wife, says many people would come up to her at industry events to tell her what a difference Lied made in their lives.
“He was always so helpful and willing to share info,” Linda says. “He was never petty like he wanted all the business. He really believed there was enough business for everybody. So he welcomed the new landscapers. He was willing to share with them and help them realize that their potential.”
Griggs agrees that Lied was one of the people who shared the most in the industry.
“People would ask him, ‘Why are you sharing your estimating?’” Griggs says. “He would say, ‘I want them to become better. I want them to compete. I don’t want to lose projects to them because they don’t know what they’re doing.’”
Lied served as ALCA’s president in 1969, was awarded NALP’s Lifetime Leadership Award in 1993 and was named one of Landscape Management’s People of the Year in 1997. There is also an NALP scholarship, the Tom and Carol Lied Scholarship, in Lied and his wife’s name that is awarded to a college student each year.
Lied valued his family and his clients the most. Robb says his father was a man of faith.
“At the end, he was only looking to do two things, spend more time with family and more time with his clients,” Robb says. “That’s what he wanted to do right till the end.”
Linda adds that Lied was a hardworking, dedicated person and attentive listener.
“He was all in,” Linda says. “He was 100% there when he met with clients. If he was at Christmas dinner, he wasn’t taking calls about work. He was there with family.”
Lied is survived by his children Susan, Robb (Linda), Steve, and Marjie; grandchildren Carolyn (Corey), Erica, Drew (Amanda), Eric (Lauren), Ruth, Anna, Nikita, and Natasha; and great-grandchildren, Cameron and Chloe.
Funeral arrangements will be on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at St. John Vianney, 1755 N Calhoun Road, Brookfield. Visitation is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., mass at 11 a.m.
If you would like to donate to the Carol and Tom Lied Memorial Scholarship, click here.
