Putting together our annual list of "20 great companies" was
a difficult task. We took a number of criteria into account. The most encouraging
thing we discovered is that the number of "great" companies within
our industry is literally beginning to explode.
The name makes this landscape company
sound like a law firm, but when founder John Barringer was deciding
on a name, Barringer Landscape and variations were taken. Barringer and his partner, John Ormond don't have law backgrounds,
but both were bankers prior to their landscape lives. Ormond quit
his banking job one day after six years to join Barringer, and found
himself with a blower strapped to his back the next day. Friends
heading into the city for work catcalled at him when they saw him
slaving under the sun, but now Ormond is the one laughing. The company
grossed $1.8 million last year. Their most prestigious job was the
installation and maintenance of the landscape at The Inn on the
famous Biltmore Estate.
Tens of thousands of Minnesota residents
enjoy the volunteer efforts of six designers and the more than 600
direct labor hours that it took to turn an open grassy field at
the Minnesota Fairgrounds into an incredible garden complete with
ponds, a waterfall, gazebo and deck, and decorative pavers. The
garden is dedicated to the memory of the late Tom Bever, who co-founded
this company with his brother Jim in 1969, and who drew more than
1,500 plans in his 13 years as a designer. At $3 million in sales
annually, this top award-winning landscape contractor doesn't
count its success on sales volume but on quality.
Since 1989, Borst Landscape and Design has been a well-honored
landscape contractor. Most recently, the firm won consecutive awards
in the Residential & Commercial Landscape Maintenance category
from the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association . With nearly
60 employees, the single site operation is shooting for $4.1 million
in revenues for 2004, with 70% coming from design/build contracts;
maintenance, lawn and shrub care are expected to bring in the balance
of the revenues. In addition to being a top award winner for its landscape designs,
Borst also provides a winning, user-friendly Web site where a client
clicks anywhere on a picture and an explanation of the landscape
detail is shown, be it a wall, stairway or patio.
This long-established landscape contractor
is no stranger to the Oregon Landscape Contractors Association,
which recently recognized and honored Dennis' Seven Dees with
its President's Award and Grand Award for the Moak residence.
Founded in 1956, Dennis' Seven Dees anticipates annual revenues
of $15.5 million for 2004, up from $13 million last year. With 250
employees, this landscape contractor does 25% of its business in
maintenance and 40% in design/ build, with the balance coming from
irrigation and other services.
Introducing the "baby"
of this year's Top 20 Great Companies: Enchanted Garden Landscape.
At only eight years old, this youngster has garnered a lot of recognition
in a short period of time. With one location and 67 employees, the
firm offers 90% of its services in design/build with the balance
going to maintenance. This charismatic contractor received the best
of show Presidential Award from the Arizona Landscape Contractors'
Association for the Stadheim residence for Residential Redesign
Over $250,000. ALCA also gave Enchanted Garden an Award of Excellence
for a Single Family Installation between $250,000 and $350,000.
Well on its way to continued growth and more Green Industry recognition,
Enchanted Garden is a contractor to watch for in future issues of
Landscape Management.
Attention to the smallest detail
is what put Peter Kudlata, President of Flagstone Landscaping Inc.,
in the winners' circle with two 2004 Wisconsin Landscape Contractors
Association awards. The Cedarburg-based firm, located just north
of Milwaukee, received Gold awards for Residential Landscape Design
& Construction Greater than $80,000 for a private residence
in Milwaukee, and for one in Mequon, WI. Today's technology-centered
living, such as gas grills and hot tubs, is combined with existing,
historic residential architecture "to make them look like these
new additions had always been there," emphasizes Kudlata. With just
one location, Flagstone anticipates $5 million in revenues for 2004
with the help of 65 employees. Established in 1976, the company
receives 20% of its revenues from maintenance business and the balance
from design/build.
How do you get to be one of the leaders
in the tough Columbus, OH, landscape market? You do so by providing
value, a hallmark of William Gerhardt's operation since he
got into the business upon graduation from The Ohio State University
in 1978. Now at $8.3 million in sales, the design/build portion
of the company (28% of its revenues) consistently wins awards and
custom designs everything from swimming pools to perennial gardens
with the help of 86 employees.
Beautifying homes and commercial
buildings in desert surroundings with a mountain backdrop is a challenging
but award-winning combination for The Groundskeeper in Tucson, AZ.
With 600 employees in six branches, this company has chalked up
Lifetime Achievement Awards, Awards of Excellence, Commercial Installation
Awards, Commercial Maintenance Awards and Judges Awards for Large
Tree Care, not usually associated with Tucson plantings where water
is scarce and cacti are plentiful. Established in 1976, The Groundskeeper,
with Kevin Killmer at the helm as president, the $32 million-a-year
company gets 55% of its revenues from landscape maintenance; design/build,
30%; irrigation, 10%; and other services, 10%.
In 1975, a local chapter of the Mississippi
Garden Clubs selected teenager Michael Hatcher to participate in
a weeklong horticulture seminar at Mississippi State University.
It opened his eyes to opportunity. Hatcher eventually earned a degree
at MSU, and went on to co-found a landscape company that now approaches
sales of $4 million annually. Hatcher remains an enthusiastic supporter
of MSU and each year hires several interns from its excellent landscape
program. "One of our goals is to provide a dynamic work environment
for young people," says Hatcher. Another is to grow to $6 million
within two years in the competitive Memphis marketplace. "I
like to swim with the sharks because then I know where they are."
Where in the world is Wauwatosa?
It's just west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It's the home
of Hawks Landscape by Design, which would be a typical landscape
contracting operation, except that it is so old — in the historic
sense. Founder Charles Hawks sold trees in upstate New York in 1875,
and one of his partners had ties to Wauwatosa, where a nursery was
soon established. For 129 years, the award-winning Hawks has served
its clientele well, not only with the availability and sales of
trees but with its garden center, floral services, design and construction
division, as well as landscape management services. Several awards
line the walls at Hawks, including the 2004 Wisconsin Landscape
Contractors Association Gold and Judges Choice Awards for Residential
Landscape Design & Construction greater than $80,000. Though
really up in years as far as landscape companies go, Hawks isn't
yet ready to retire to the "nursery home," where it more
than likely would have designed the grounds.
Order. Efficiency. Focused service.
These are just some of the descriptions that fit Heaviland Enterprises,
Inc., headquartered in a tidy, well-maintained industrial park about
35 minutes north of San Diego. Founded by Ron and Tom Heaviland
20 years ago, this 30-truck operation continues onthe growth path
because of its excellent core of managers, office personnel and
field supervisors. And they know how to have fun, too, whether it's
surfing, cycling or camping. President Tom Heaviland's team
is hard to beat.
This 35-year-old frequently honored
landscape company can do it all — design, horticulture and
arboriculture, masonry, turfgrass, water management. That explains
why it's one of the premiere companies in a marketplace that
features some of the largest and most respected regional landscape
companies in the country. With '04 revenues approaching $13
million (56% design/build), this company gives back to the industry
with VP Donna Vignocchi serving as an ALCA director, and Manager
Mark Polinko heading ALCA's garden/park project honoring the
heroes of 9/11.
Awards just rain down on Kale's
Nursery & Landscape Service for its captivating landscape designs
and installations — and have been for more than 50 years. Where interior designers need paint rollers, wallpaper and floor
tiles to create a pleasing atmosphere, Kale's uses trees, shrubs,
terraces, walkways and spas to brighten and enhance residential
and commercial exteriors. One of Kale's award-winning projects
is the Healing Garden at the Cancer Institute of the Robert Wood
Johnson University Hospital. Patients receive treatments, then relax
in the peaceful garden atmosphere created by Kale's. This well-known
landscape contractor has clients in The Garden State as well as
western New York and eastern Pennsylvania.
To say that Maldonado Nursery &
Landscaping is a family affair is an understatement. Founder Rogelio
Maldonado, President, and sons Roy, Jr., Treasurer, Jerry, Vice
President and Oscar, Secretary, run this San Antonio-based, $15
million operation.
Almost half of the company's
revenues derive from its design/build work, and slightly less from
maintenance and irrigation. If you're serious about competing
in the central Texas landscape market, you better know irrigation.
The last sentence in the company's mission statement says a
lot about this company — "Striving to maintain a work
place where all employees obtain their full potential and are content
doing so."
Mountain
View Landscaping, Chicopee, MA
From site development such as athletic
field construction to landscape development including brick and
concrete walkways, 28-year-old Mountain View Landscaping keeps abreast
of all landscaping needs with 30 full-time employees in Chicopee,
MA. Stephen M. Corrigan, President, reports revenues for 2004 may
reach $8.8 million with 39% of those monies generated from commercial
landscape construction; 20% each from irrigation, design/build and
lawn care services; and 1% from maintenance services. According
to Corrigan, one of the largest contracts just completed was a $1.17
million project at Hampshire Regional High School where Mountain
View provided a new 400-meter running track and athletic field,
fencing, irrigation and site improvements, including loam and seeding,
paving, field lighting and foundations for future projects.
Family-owned Pine Ridge Landscaping
is one of many excellent and long-established companies operating
in the incredibly competitive northern Virginia marketplace. The
company practices what it preaches in terms of employee training,
wielding a largely foreign-born H-2B workforce that tends to stick
around for quite awhile. "The program has worked well for us and
for our team members," says Bill Cumberland, CEO. "We have very
little turnover in employees." Adds Wayne Shively, President: "Communication
is invaluable. We wanted to build an open and honest environment
not only with our clients but with our staff as well." A consistent
award-winning landscape contractor, Pine Ridge participates in charities
such as Ronald McDonald House, Christmas in April and others.
Everybody in Arlington Heights, IL,
knows the name "Rooney" as in Rooney Landscape. Or they're
going to — all 21,655 single-family households. David Rooney
admits to some pretty ambitious growth plans. He's set a goal
of 1,000 accounts there. This is in addition to what his company
does in surrounding communities.
Why not? Arlington Heights is his
hometown, and if he doesn't know just about everybody there,
he figures it's because he just hasn't had time yet. When
we made the short drive from O'Hare Airport to visit David
in June, his 14 two-man crews were going full blast. "We're
building this company on efficiency," says Rooney. Active in
community affairs and generous with community service, Rooney Landscape
fits our description of a "great" small company with lots
of growth in its future.
The smallest of our "great"
companies with '04 revenues of $1.2 million, award-winning
Roundtree is one of the biggest in heart. Owner Johnette Roundtree
Taylor's company provides real-life landscape training opportunities
to the only public high school in Dallas with a horticulture program
and has inspired several of the students to consider careers in
the industry. Taylor, who started the firm in 1984, is a great example
for her co-workers and employees. A graduate of Louisiana State
University with a degree in landscape architecture, this lifelong
learner is personally involved in the development and growth of
each of her company's 14 employees.
A fixture within the communities
on Colorado's Front Range for 57 years, you can make the case
that Swingle Tree & Lawn is one of the Green Industry's
"Great Communicators." In addition to its ability to be
an award magnet, the company's customer newsletter is one of
the best that we've seen. It's colorful and, from issue
to issue, gives clients a great read on the issues affecting their
landscapes. Regularly recognized for its community service projects
and active in association affairs, this diversified tree/landscape
operation employs 189 and will approach $15 million in revenues
this year.
Vila & Son Landscaping has been
raking in industry plaudits since its founding in 1984. Most recently, Vila was awarded the Florida Nurserymen & Growers
Association Commercial Maintenance Award between $250,000 and $500,000
for The Village of Merrick Park, Coral Gables. According to Vila's
award entry application to FNGA: "This mixed use commercial
center consists of various city blocks of offices, apartments, and
some of the most exclusive retail shops and boutiques in the world.
The exclusive nature of the center requires a very high degree of
maintenance..." Though the design/build operation at Vila represents
2% of its revenue, more than half of that comes from bid/build.
Landscape maintenance, irrigation and a nursery/tree farm bring
in the balance of monies on an annual basis.
Mountain
View Landscaping, Chicopee, MA
