Blog Wide - The Commercial Landscaper Podcast

72

How to improve your company culture.

Investing In Your Employees

Ivan Giraldo November 22, 2022

Clean Scapes was founded in 2005 and quickly became the fastest-growing company in Central Texas. We have since opened additional locations in San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and Fort Worth. Our founders were driven by a lifetime working in, and passion for the commercial landscape industry. With a unique understanding of the value of quality labor, we recognize that our employees are critical to the continued success of our clients’ projects, and therefore Clean Scapes. As such, in 2021, we transitioned to a 100% employee-owned company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Today, we are the largest commercial landscape company based […]

36

Business Strategy

Where is your company headed?

How To Leverage Lessons Learned

Bruce Wilson November 15, 2022

Described as a mentor, advisor and true friend, Bruce Wilson stands as one of the visionaries in the landscape business, with insights and expertise developed over forty years. He’s quietly played a major role in leading the transformation of the industry from small, family-run operations to larger, dynamic companies driven to the highest performance standards. Never the center of attention, Bruce listens intently, asks probing questions and facilitates the most effective paths to success. According to an industry colleague, “his ability to get to the heart of the matter and to offer constructive, experiential advice is truly standard setting.” As […]

98

HR

How to overcome some of your HR challenges

How To Rethink Your Recruitment Strategy

Chris Lee November 8, 2022

Chris Lee is the president of EarthWorks and has over 24 years of green industry experience. He has worked for EarthWorks since 1998 and is a certified apartment supplier, licensed irrigator (LI 18300), and licensed pesticide applicator (#078546). Chris studied business at the University of Arkansas, and horticulture and landscape design at Tarrant County College. In 2000 Chris completed a Certificate in Financial Planning from Florida State University. He also is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program and of the Dale Carnegie Leadership Institute. He is also pursuing ongoing education through the Texas A&M Agrilife System.

58

Business Execution

How to better execute on your goals.

Do You Have Your Affairs In Order For Your Family and Employees?

Jerry Schill November 1, 2022

Jerry Schill founded Schill Grounds Management in 1993, and as CEO he sets the strategic vision for the company and makes executive and financial decisions that drive profitable growth and scale. Beginning in 2020, Jerry partnered with Argonne Capital to proactively drive consolidation in the highly fragmented commercial grounds management and snow and ice removal industry by acquiring independent privately held businesses that add contiguous geographic expansion for Schill. Jerry has three decades of leadership experience, and he believes in running the business with family values, integrity, respect and honesty. He also holds leadership positions with industry professional organizations including […]

39

Landscape

General landscape knowledge and principles.

Comparing Landscape Trends Across The Atlantic Ocean

Neville Stein October 25, 2022

Neville Stein, 61 trades as ‘Neville Stein Horticultural Business Consultant’. Primarily working in the ‘land based’ sector Neville has become recognized as an expert business consultant amongst SMEs and family enterprises and has worked with a wide range of organizations both in the UK and internationally including Ireland, Israel, Eastern Europe and China. Beginning his career in the UK nursery industry in 1977 Neville completed a Diploma in Nursery practices at Pershore College of Horticulture, UK. After leaving college he had a variety of positions in the nursery stock industry before becoming a sales manager for Notcutts Nurseries who were, […]

8

Finance

How to understand your finances better or become profitable

How to Leverage Insurance to Save Money and Improve Your Safety Program

Drew Garcia October 18, 2022

Drew grew up in San Diego, California and chased his childhood dream of becoming a Major League Baseball Player up through his late twenties. In October of 2015 he shifted careers, joining his father at Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, a 16 time National Best Practices Independent Insurance Agency with a focus on the Green Industry. Drew and his team are relentless in their effort to bring process, foresight, and strategy into the insurance services space for landscape businesses. In his personal time, Drew enjoys spending time outside with his Wife Lauren, Children Avery and Henry, Staffy Amiga, and 12 chickens.

59

Leadership

How to become better leaders in your company.

Understanding the Stockdale Paradox

Jim McCutcheon October 11, 2022

Jim is a passionate and innovative leader. His primary focus for over 30 years has been to help his team, clients, and company achieve their respective goals. He has experience in all facets of building and operating a high-performance landscape company. Jim received his Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia and began his career with Post Properties as a Landscape Designer. In 2001, Jim bought the company from Post and created HighGrove Partners, one of the largest landscape companies in the southeast with over 200 employees. Jim has been an active member of the landscape industry. […]

13

Landscape

General landscape knowledge and principles.

Using Your Voice to Help Shape the Future of the Industry

Andrew Bray October 4, 2022

Andrew Bray is a driven Government Relations professional and a tireless advocate with over 15 years of legislative, regulatory, campaign and legal experience. Andrew is currently the Vice President of Government Relations at the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). In this role Andrew leads all legislative and regulatory initiatives at the federal and state level. Andrew routinely engages Congressional offices on Capitol Hill, Regulatory Agencies and industry coalitions to craft policy initiatives that protected the interests and needs of the landscape industry. Prior to joining NALP Andrew also worked in a government relations capacity for the National Pest Management […]

63

Business Strategy

Where is your company headed?

The Master of Scaling Up

Verne Harnish September 27, 2022

Verne Harnish is founder of the world-renowned Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), with over 16,000 members worldwide, and chaired for fifteen years EO’s premiere CEO program held at MIT, a program in which he still teaches today. Founder and CEO of Scaling Up, a global executive education and coaching company with over 200 partners on six continents, Verne has spent the past four decades helping companies scaleup. He’s the author of the bestseller Mastering the Rockefeller Habits; authored The Greatest Business Decisions of All Times,” for which Jim Collins wrote the foreword; and wrote Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0) which has been […]

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1

Landscape

General landscape knowledge and principles.

Changing Trends In The Landscape Industry

Ron Kujawa September 20, 2022

Ron and his wife Sally were operating a small garden center when in 1966, a chance encounter landed them a lifechanging contract doing landscape restoration work for a local utility. Over the next 53 years they grew Kujawa Enterprises, Inc. (KEI) into a nationally recognized, four-season, full-service commercial landscape management company serving Southeastern Wisconsin. Ron was an early member and active leader in ALCA (now NALP), serving in several capacities, including president. Even at 90 years old, he still regularly attends industry events. Within ALCA, Ron is most proud of uniting three major trade groups (ALCA, PLCAA and PGMS) in […]