The Level Up series is a collection of articles that share 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 in 2022.
Click on each company’s name to read the full Level Up article.
5) Level Up: Mullin Focuses on Providing the Best Experience for People
Chase Mullin grew up working in the construction industry and has done everything from flooring to painting. He says while they don’t have an ideal company size, they do have a lot of growth ahead of them.
“It literally hit me as a 23-year-old, not only was I making ends meet, I was helping men like him support their families,” Mullin says. “If I can do this for him, if I choose to scale this business I can do this for more people and give them, both the customer and team member, a better experience than they would have elsewhere.”
4) Level Up: Shifting to Recurring Revenue Boosts Yard Solutions’ Growth
Eric Remeis, president of Yard Solutions based in Groveport, Ohio, grew up landscaping with his friends in the summer. This drew him to the agricultural branch of Ohio State, but it was when he registered for a small business course that planted the seed for his company.
“On the first day, my professor addressed the class and informed us that if we did not intend to start our own business, we needed to drop his class,” Remeis says. “Nobody was brave enough to walk out that day, but the class definitely got smaller. I decided to stick it out. We had to get our vendor’s license, file for the name of our business, and then do a 30-page report that would plan the first three years of my business. The goal at the end was to be able to take that report to the bank and get my first loan. It worked. I got a $5,000 loan and bought my first truck and some hand tools to do design/build work for family and friends.”
3) Level Up: Doctor Lawn Landscape Management Grows in Their Niche
Jeff Fliginger started his lawn mower with a four-wheeler when he was twelve years old and named his business Flik’s Lawn Service. After graduating from high school in 1998, he renamed the business Doctor Lawn Landscape Management and now brings in $2.5 million in annual revenue. Their primary customers are regional retail centers.
“I think our customers like that they can make one call and we can take care of everything that’s outside for them,” Fliginger says. “If it’s something that we can’t take care of, we have a pretty good network of other companies that we work with electricians, painters, etc. so we can be a resource for them for other projects as well.”
2) Level Up: Blue Claw Associates, Inc. Is Scaling Up Rapidly
Blue Claw Associates, Inc., based in Osterville, Massachusetts, has experienced explosive growth over the past four years. They’ve gone from having two employees in 2018 to 59 on staff currently.
However, this isn’t owner Ian McCarthy’s first foray into the landscape industry. He bought his first landscape company in 1996, which he later grew and sold. After a reunion with some of his former employees, he started Blue Claw Associates. The business caters to high-end residential customers, and they are known for their masonry and stonework. Blue Claw is on track to do $8 million in annual revenue this year.
1) Level Up: Natural Concerns, Inc. Focuses on Growing Their People, Not Their Revenue
Roland Harvey founded Natural Concerns, Inc., based in Sparks Glencoe, Maryland, in 1989 with the desire to provide quality landscaping services utilizing a natural approach. He had worked for other landscape companies but decided to go out on his own.
The company’s main customer base is high-end residential clients located in the subdivision in north Baltimore County. Only about five percent of their business is commercial, but they have been working on expanding this since implementing the Aspire software. They want to work with institutions in particular and bring a residential flair to this side of the business.
Currently, Natural Concerns has an annual revenue of $6 million. They don’t have an ideal company size, but they are trying to have over 100 people on staff.
Do you want to share your company’s success story? Contact Jill Odom to be considered for a future Level Up feature.
