We recently updated our Privacy Policy. By continuing to use this website, you acknowledge that our revised Privacy Policy applies.
The success of your company depends on the success of your people. Many team members have diverse backgrounds that impact their foundational knowledge āBy ensuring every employee feels seen, respected, and equipped with the resources they need, leaders can boost productivity, reduce turnover, and cultivate a culture of empowerment and engagement,ā says Telma Batres, HR […]
Unlike others who took a more winding path before finding a career in the landscape industry, Javier Suarez started his very first job in the industry in 2001. āThe people I worked with back then taught me everything they knew and made me feel comfortable working in this industry,ā he says. In 2005, he joined […]
Yenni Rivas was working as a janitor for a tech company when she first saw a woman taking care of the plants in the building. Curious, she asked if there were open positions for a similar role. The plant technician told her yes, and so Rivas applied. She landed the job with Ambius, a company […]
Francisco Garcia, a senior at the College of DuPage majoring in business management with an emphasis in horticulture, was named this yearās Kevin Kehoe Leader of the Year Award recipient at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition. This award recognizes aĀ student who has demonstrated strong leadership within their academic community, has a passion for helping others, […]
Chuy Medrano passed away on March 14, 2025, at the age of 70. Medrano was the co-founder and owner of CoCal Landscape, based in Denver, Colorado. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, Medrano was the oldest of eight siblings and only finished the third grade before he began working to help support his family. He took whatever […]
This information came from a session during the 2024 ELEVATE conference and expo. Donāt miss ELEVATE in Phoenix, Arizona, on Nov. 2-5, 2025. Latinos make up more than 80% of the workforce in the landscape industry, but less than 10% of Hispanics are leaders in the industry. āAs leaders, we are not doing enough to truly empower […]
Ivan Giraldo founded Clean Scapes Landscaping, based in Austin, Texas, with Rex Gore in 2005. He has more than 30 years of experience in the industry and served as a branch manager with TruGreen before starting his company. In 2021, Giraldo and Gore transitioned Clean Scapes to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Did you […]
āYeah, why not?ā was Eddie Ramirezās response to Mark Chaffin when he suggested Ramirez join him as he started his own landscaping company. That was in 1979, when the two were working together at a restaurant. Chaffin left the restaurant industry and started EarthWorks, Inc., based in Lillian, Texas. Ramirez started as a laborer, then […]
Many lawn and landscape companies have a diverse workforce, but if youāre not taking the time to understand your teamās cultural differences, you could fail to retain your workers long-term. āAny company or industry that has and embraces diversity can benefit tremendously,ā says Pam Berrios, president of Infinity Group, LLC. āDiversity helps companies grow and […]
Ever since he was a kid, Nelson Alvarado has been interested in mechanical maintenance and fixing things with his hands. However, for most of his life, he considered it just a hobby. When life threw him some curveballs 10 years ago, Alvarado was forced to make some tough decisions. He moved from the banking industry […]
