Adam Linnemann had a lawn business before he could even drive himself to his clients’ properties. “I had a push mower and a wagon when I was 14,” Linnemann recalls. “When I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, that’s when things really started to take off. I started working all around town over the […]
Brandon Sheppard is a member of the Weed Man Sub-Franchisor team and operates the Weed Man franchises in Winchester, Virginia; Annapolis, Maryland; Bethesda, Maryland; Rockville-Gaithersburg, Maryland; and Frederick, Maryland. His journey with Weed Man began in 2000 as part of the Canada-founded company’s brand launch into the American market. Sheppard joined the Weed Man team […]
Mark Hopkins, regional vice president of LandCare, says the landscape industry is all he’s ever known—and he wouldn’t change that for a second. During his time with The Brickman Group, he credits Scott and Dick Brickman as being big influences in his life. And, today, with LandCare, Hopkins says he’s inspired every day by the […]
Mason Shaffer says his story of making his way into the landscape industry is much like many others. He had parents who gave him the “freedom to play outside.” And even as a child, that meant playing with dirt, rocks and plants to “change the environment.” Though in college he started out in engineering, Shaffer […]
Before Neil Bales became NALP’s 2020 Young Entrepreneur of the Year, he was following in his older brother’s footsteps at the prospect of working together. Though his brother eventually went into ministry, Bales says he knew he’d found home in the green industry. Most of all, he’s been inspired by the people—including not only clients […]
What does it mean to you to be an NALP member? Every time we do a member story, you tell us. And, quite frankly, your answers make us smile. We take great pride supporting our members throughout the year–whether it’s by offering peer networking or mentoring opportunities, educational events and webinars, insightful blog and magazine […]
Chase Mullin has always known the value—and reward—of hard work. He grew up working construction jobs within the residential home building field for a family friend. When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, Mullin was enrolled at University of New Orleans and immediately jumped into action helping local families to rebuild by installing projects designed by […]
Working in the food industry and dealing with crazy hours and a young son at home, Skip Thompson of Tidewater Landscape Management actually found his way to the lawn and landscape industry in order to be able to obtain more manageable hours. He started at a golf course making minimum wage and filling sand traps […]
Christopher Brown’s start in the industry began as a summer job working on a golf course. He loved being outdoors in the fresh air. That and his fascination with grass maintenance science lead him to pursue a turfgrass science degree from Penn State. Though he imagined he’d wind up back in the golf course industry […]
As a senior majoring in landscape contracting in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Jack Pohutsky has already been actively involved in recruiting for the industry both to high school students as well as undeclared majors at Penn State. He may still be a student but he’s that excited about what the landscape industry has […]