The Level Up series is a collection of articles sharing the successful strategies that help landscape and lawn care companies reach the next level. Check out some of the most-read stories in this series for 2024.
Click on each company’s name to read the full Level Up article.
5) Level Up: Ziehler Lawn Care Is Focused on Enhancing Their Customers’ and Employees’ Lives
Ziehler Lawn Care, based in Centerville, Ohio, is currently working towards growing their active customers to over 20,000 by 2030 and to build their team to 150 employees. Owner and CEO Andrew Ziehler says creating opportunities for team members and having a great reputation in their community is his definition of success.
“It’s always been that we’re building an organization that people want to be a part of, that we’re doing the right things by our team members,” Ziehler says. “We have a great reputation in our community that we service and in within the industry.”
4) Level Up: Specialization Fuels ALPHA Landscapes’ Success
ALPHA Landscapes, based in Johnston, Iowa, has been growing at a rapid pace, going from four employees in 2019 to 45 people on staff now. The company’s current annual revenue is between $10-11 million this year. President Riley Marvin credits his company’s success to their specialization as a turn-key landscape contractor for commercial new construction projects.
“I think it’s something that trips a lot of people up, is you can’t be everything to everyone,” Marvin says. “We do one type of work for one type of customer and being siloed like that has allowed us to really embrace that type of work and set ourselves up to do that work well, do it efficiently, and price competitively.”
3) Level Up: K&D Landscaping Grows Aggressively By 25 to 50% Annually
Justin White, owner of K&D Landscaping, Inc., based in Watsonville, California, was born into the landscaping business as his parents started the company in the 80s. Since taking over his parents’ company at age 26, he has grown the business to $20 million in annual revenue. His goal is to reach $30 million by 2030.
“We’re starting to actually recalibrate our vision and our structure in terms of shooting a little bit higher,” White says. “We’re looking at starting to move into acquisitions and growing more rapidly as we approach the $30 million mark.”
2) Level Up: Inside Yardnique’s Steady Organic and M&A Growth
Brian DuMont, CEO of Yardnique, based in Morrisville, North Carolina, started his company after dealing with a workplace that treated employees poorly. At the time, he hoped to grow his business to five employees and now he employs 3,000 individuals throughout the Southeast. The company finished last year at $125 million in annual revenue. This year, their goal is $150 million.
“As quick as we’re growing, we’ve been blessed to do some M&A stuff,” DuMont says. “We have a philosophy where for every M&A deal we’re doing, we’re going to grow right alongside that so 50/50 M&A and organic growth.”
1) Level Up: Sunrise Landscape Grows by Almost 300% in Three Years
When Austin Ashmore acquired Sunrise Landscape, based in Tampa, Florida, along with some outside investors in 2019, he considered it “writing another chapter in an already great book.” The company began to grow rapidly after the acquisition and currently has an annual revenue of $90 million. Ashmore attributes his company’s success to great people, an entrepreneurial mindset, and investments in both organic and inorganic growth initiatives.
“That rate of growth can be extremely rewarding for our team, as we get to cut our teeth on new challenges daily,” Ashmore says. “However, it can also be extremely stressful, as there aren’t always enough resources to go around. That being said, we’ve been able to accomplish it by continually adding great people to the team.”
Do you want to share your company’s success story? Contact Jill Odom to be considered for a future Level Up feature.
