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Look out for the Young, Emerging Leaders entering the Industry Zech Strauser
As SNH’s ‘chief inspiration officer’, Zech Strauser never runs out of ideas or passion for finding ways to do things better. Whether it’s focusing on company skills and capability development, continuous improvement in risk management, snow and ice technologies, or leadership in environmental sustainability, Zech inspires a thriving worplace that’s always looking for new ways to learn.
Because Zech believes in inspiring from the top down but leading from the bottom up, employee engagement runs high, with an empowered organization that walks the talk on being a happy place to work, with work that is rigorously grounded in the betterment of nature through better education.
As Zech works with his team to build the SNH platform for 2020, he is focused not only on being a learning-driven executive, but also a cheerleader for SNH’s initiatives: to lead by example in all things sustainable, to inspire his region-wide team to be all they can be, to drive a vision that produces positive results, and to bring more innovation to opportunity.
Zech is a leading voice and advocate for bringing green practices to the landscape and snow management industries, and for creating value through all-season eco-friendly best practices. He sits on several community boards, is founding member and helps run a give back to nature program, and is an active member of SIMA, NALP, ASCA, Come Alive Outside, Ecological Landscape Alliance, CAI, BOMA, CBLP, and his CEO peer group.
Founded in 1998, Strauser’s Nature Helpers (SNH) serves commercial Class A and HOA properties throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York from its locations in East Stroudsburg, Lehigh Valley and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The habitat of Zech Strauser’s childhood were the farms and free-ranging open spaces of eastern Pennsylvania. During a time when most children’s lives move indoors, Zech was homeschooled by parents who inspired his curiosity in the natural world, giving him a powerful connection with nature that defines him to this day. Zech’s journey, from playing outdoors to making a living outdoors, was the road trip of a lifetime. He pursued the life of a ski instructor and mogul coach In Vermont, became interested in outdoor performance apparel, and in 1998, he launched one of eastern Pennsylvania’s most recognized regional landscape companies, a firm – Strauser Nature’s Helpers that was acquired by Schill Grounds Management in 2023. Zech remains a senior advisor and investor in Schill Grounds Management and is an ongoing advisor and investor in Strauser Nature’s Helpers. He’s an investor in robotic mowing technology and owns and manages a commercial real estate portfolio. He’s shaped nature-focused non-profits and sat on the board of Come Alive Outside. Recently, built a sustainable farm retreat in southern Vermont and launched Urture, a green collar workwear and outfitter specializing in gear for careers outside. “Urture brings me full-circle,” said Zech. “Growing up and being outdoors my entire life, I had a dream to have an outdoor clothing brand with the ability to make an impact. The rapid growth of green collar jobs gives me an opportunity to make sure that the people doing next generation green jobs have the right protective gear and apparel to do their jobs well.” Part of Urture’s platform is its Patch Project passion project, a program that gives back to vocational schools that advance green collar careers. “We know that children need to play outside more. But it’s also true that everyone needs to be outside more. It’s on us to make nature a daily, ordinary part of everyone’s life and do what we can to make green jobs and the green economy a great career choice, supported by opportunities for training and growth.” “Public school was a challenge and a vocational horticulture class in the 9th grade was an inspiration. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the teachers and the opportunity they gave me, gratitude I can repay through the Patch Project products we sell and the performance apparel we make, and our continued commitment to make sure that everyone who works in nature has what they need to succeed.
Katty and Jamie celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary recently with a renewal of their vows. They are both entrepreneurs, and members of EO as well as forum facilitators who work […]
