ValleyCrest managers get hands dirty in incredible park effort
2 Mar, 2007LOS ANGELES – ValleyCrest Landscape Companies (ValleyCrest), the nation’s leading provider of integrated
|
.gif)
landscape services, gathered more than 150 managers and executives from across the nation to participate in a corporate philanthropy project – building Sylmar’s newest park in one day and offering green space to the children and families of this San Fernando Valley, California community.
ValleyCrest donated design talent, plants, material and labor to design and build the park, named ValleyCrest Telfair Park. California State Senator Alex Padilla and Jim Combs, assistant general manager, City of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation, joined Richard Sperber, president of the company, for the naming ceremony and block party welcoming the community to the new park.
ValleyCrest designed and built the new park in a single day; a task that would otherwise have cost the city and taxpayers over $500,000 and more than five years to accomplish.
“ValleyCrest has always been firmly committed to giving back to the communities in which it works,” said ValleyCrest’s Sperber. “As a business resident of the San Fernando Valley for the past six decades, we thought
|
.gif)
this was the perfect location to donate our time and resources and build the residents of Sylmar their new park.”
ValleyCrest put a new spin on the annual corporate meeting opting for an unconventional team building experience instead. Following the annual dinner that reunited top executives from across the nation on Wednesday evening, all staff were surprised with news of the project and promptly divided into teams. The next morning, they were whisked away from their hotel and deposited in Sylmar before an empty and barren lot. Donning their trademark red company t t-shirts, the executives got to work immediately, cooperating with their national counterparts to give the neighborhood a green make-over. Teams were evaluated at the end of the day by a panel of judges on their teamwork and performance.
The new park, designed by ValleyCrest Design Group,the company’s landscape architecture practice, will offer local residents green space for recreation, including a playground, picnic area, soccer field, barbeques, and much more. “Our primary goal was to create a welcoming park for the local kids,” explained design team lead and landscape architect Jim Hellinger, ASLA.
|
.gif)
The day’s activities culminated in a block party and a naming ceremony. Telfair Avenue was closed off to accommodate amusements and activities for the community, including balloons, face painting, and other arts and crafts.
"It is inspiring to see what can be accomplished in the span of one day. I applaud the forward-thinking people of ValleyCrest who had the vision and personal commitment to transform this space into a positive and safe place for kids," said Senator Padilla. "This is an incredible example of a company and its employees stepping up, reaching out and making a difference in the lives of local residents. It was a great idea, and one that will benefit the community for years to come," Padilla added.
“We hope that we’ve created an innovative model with this project that can be emulated by other companies in other cities throughout the region,” said Sperber. “This was a really rewarding experience for ValleyCrest and such a dramatic transformation for the community. Judging by the success of this project, there really is no telling what we might accomplish during our next annual meeting!”
|
Founded in 1949, ValleyCrest Landscape Companies is the nation’s leading full-service landscape company offering landscape architecture, landscape development and landscape maintenance, as well as a supplier of trees.. The company has more than 9,000 employees and expects sales approaching $850 million this year.
Please send any technical comments or questions to our webmaster.