Read more about these NALP members and partners in the news.
BrightView Names New CEO
BrightView has appointed Dale A. Asplund as the new president and CEO starting Oct. 1, 2023. Along with his appointment as CEO, he will join the BrightView board as a director on that date.
Asplund succeeds interim president and CEO Jim Abrahamson. Abrahamson will remain a member of the board. Asplund was selected after a months-long search. He has 25 years of extensive operational, service provider and publicly traded company expertise from United Rentals, Inc., the world’s largest equipment rental company.
“We are excited to welcome Dale to the BrightView team,” says Paul E. Raether, chairman of the board of directors. “Dale is an outstanding leader whose proven operational excellence and exceptional strategic capabilities make him an ideal choice for our next CEO. As BrightView continues its transformational journey, the Board looks forward to working with Dale to deliver long-term growth and value for shareholders and is grateful to Jim for leading the company through this transition period and his continued involvement in BrightView.”
BrightView’s cost containment initiative has been expanded and is transitioning into the implementation phase with the intent of driving continued growth in revenue, profitability and margin expansion.
Additionally, an affiliate of One Rock Capital Partners, LLC, a private equity firm, has made a $500 million strategic investment in the company in the form of convertible preferred stock.
BrightView will use 90% of the proceeds from the investment to pay down debt, helping to significantly de-lever the company’s balance sheet to 3.1x net debt to LTM Adjusted EBITDA and position it for transformative growth under Asplund’s new leadership. The remaining funds from the new investment are expected to provide BrightView with the flexibility to pursue acquisitions of complementary landscape businesses and other initiatives.
“We believe this investment from One Rock is a strong vote of confidence in BrightView’s strategy and continued efforts to increase growth and profitability,” Raether says. “We look forward to partnering with One Rock and leveraging their operational expertise, including extensive experience in the landscaping industry, as we continue to drive BrightView’s future success.”
In connection with the transaction, One Rock operating partner Kurtis Barker and One Rock partner Joshua Goldman will join BrightView’s board.
Balanced Environments, Inc. Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Balanced Environments, Inc. marks 20 years in business and they will be celebrating the rest of the year with a series of employee recognition articles and events, stories and customer appreciation experiences on their company blog and social media pages.
Founder Bruce Church says it’s the people that count, the employees, the legacy customers and the amazing contacts and clients that have become friends and confidants over the years.
BEI has been in existence since 2003. However, Church’s father, Denny Church, started D.R. Church Landscaping in 1963. BEI now boasts a $30 million a year client book full of gorgeous properties, including some legacy properties that have been maintained throughout the Church line of succession.
The company has won numerous awards from NALP, BOMA, and SIMA.
SavATree Adds to Executive Team
SavATree has added several key members to their executive team. Ben Stevie has been appointed COO, succeeding current COO Don Becker. Phil DeGisi is taking on the role of Chief Growth Officer. These appointments come as SavATree accelerates national growth and lays the groundwork for expanding internationally.
“The addition of Ben and Phil to our executive team marks a significant milestone for SavATree,” says Carmine Schiavone, SavATree CEO. “Their extensive experience building at-scale, top-quality customer experiences will help propel SavATree on into the next phase of growth and expansion. As we step into the future under their leadership, I also wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to Don for his remarkable 36 years of service to our organization. His contributions have been invaluable, and his legacy will continue to inspire us all.”
Becker will retire this year after four decades with the company. He helped expand the company in to the 30 states it now operates in. He will stay on through the end of the year to aid a smooth transition and will continue as an advisor for the company.
Stevie spent the past 18 years with General Electric and has a strong track record in scaling operations and service delivery, and a deep expertise in field services. Phil DeGisi joins SavATree after six years at residential real estate firm Orchard, where he was a co-founder and president.
Stay Green CEO Recognized by C-Suite and Los Angeles Times
Chris Angelo, CEO of Stay Green, has been listed as one of the visionary CEOs in Southern California by the Los Angeles Times.
This list highlights CEOs who have steered their company through the pandemic, are a pillar of their company culture and are looking toward smart and sustainable growth in the future.
Angelo became CEO in 2009 and is ranked No. 64 on Lawn & Landscape’s Top 100 landscape companies. Stay Green leads in adopting California’s emission laws, utilizing propane lawn mowers as an alternative, and integrating innovative technologies to remain at the forefront of industry advancements.
The company also places a strong emphasis on employee well-being. They believe in engaging and listening to their workforce, enabling them to provide top-notch client services. With daily application of health, wellness practices, and safety protocols, Stay Green demonstrates their caring culture and unwavering dedication to excellence.
Davey Resource Group Announces New Service Offering and Three Appointments
Davey Resource Group, a subsidiary of The Davey Tree Expert Company, has added a new service offering of transportation engineering. This new service offering is available for clients in the Ohio and Great Lakes region.
The new transportation engineering team will be able to conduct area-wide transportation studies related to clients’ projects that can include designing roadways, stormwater mitigation concerns, safety precautions and more.
DRG has also appointed three new team members: Eric Smith, director of transportation engineering; Ben Morgan, lead transportation engineer; Shawn Monahan Jr., traffic engineer.
Smith has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The University of Akron and a master’s degree in real estate development from Virginia Commonwealth University. Morgan, formerly a transportation engineer, holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The University of Akron. Monahan, who formerly held a cooperative education position, holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from The University of Akron and is a licensed engineer intern.
LandCare Education Assistance Foundation Grants 14 Scholarships
The LandCare Education Assistance Foundation (LEAF) has awarded 14 scholarships to first-generation college students for 2023. Each recipient is a child of a LandCare team member. This marks significant applicant growth for LEAF and shows LandCare’s commitment to team members’ families.
The scholarship program provides up to $1,500 for community college students and $3,000 for students attending four-year university programs. Last year, five of these scholarships were awarded.
“We’re thrilled and so proud of the participation we saw in this year’s scholarship application process,” says Jose Mondragon, LEAF program director. “To see the grants awarded grow nearly three times this year versus 2022 is exciting. We look forward to the continued expansion of our scholarship program with a goal of seeing higher education available to every child of our team members.”
LEAF also provides continuing academic support for all students, including tutoring, academic counseling and financial aid counseling.
“Support for students doesn’t start or end with providing a scholarship,” says Mike Bogan, LandCare CEO. “We know that the path to college begins at an early age and that there are additional obstacles for first-generation students. A scholarship is just one way for us to say, ‘We believe in you.’ LEAF champions students from pre-K through college so they always know they have a team working on their behalf.”
The program has also seen its first graduate: Cecilia Ibarra, a 2022 recipient, graduated from Arizona College of Nursing this year.
