2023 LM150: Sky-high numbers

(Graphic: LM Staff)

This year’s LM150 list set another record, with a combined revenue of $16.2 billion. This is $1.9 billion up from our 2022 list.

Aspire Software, Ewing Outdoor Supply and Weathermatic sponsored this year’s list.

BrightView Holdings remains at the top of the LM150 list with almost $2.8 billion in revenue. The Davey Tree Expert Co. came in at No. 2 this year, with $1.5 billion. TruGreen moves down a spot to No. 3 with $1.49 billion. Yellowstone Landscape remains at No. 4 with $539 million in revenue and Bartlett Tree Experts remains at No. 5 with $437 million.

Three operations on our list each saw an increase of more than 100 percent from 2021. Leading our growth list is the Mariani Premier Group at 174 percent. Next is Tree Amigos Outdoor Services — a newcomer to our LM150 list — at 151 percent. Elite Team Offices grew by 108 percent.

Mariani Premier Group acquired Southview Design, No. 80, in April 2023, so Southview remains separate on this year’s list. Learn more about Mariani’s growth here.

Challenges

Labor, weather and inflation created headwinds for companies on the 2023 LM150 list.

Jackie Ishimaru-Gachina, president and CEO of Gachina Landscape Management, No. 81, says record-breaking rains in California delayed enhancement, irrigation and water management projects.

“We used rain days for training ops crews so they wouldn’t lose wages,” she says. “We also communicate with clients to plan near-future projects to be ready to go.”

Lane Plaisance, CEO and president of Landry’s Landscape, No. 129, says inflation affected everything from labor to equipment. Landry’s Landscape deploys technology to help combat these issues, Plaisance says.

“We have developed an internal matrix that categorizes employees based on skill level and experience to be able to increase wages,” he says. “We have expanded our search for suppliers. We have also created a system to analyze our projected equipment and fleet needs further into the future.”

To combat rising inflation, Manny Gonzalez, CEO of Westco, No. 54, says transparency with clients is key.

“(We include) annual increases on contracts and discuss inflation challenges with customers and partners about solutions and end results.”

How we calculate our figures

LM seeks submissions from landscape companies for the magazine, on the web, via email and over the phone from January through May. Companies submit their details through an online form. LM editors compile the results and, where applicable, remove nontypical green industry revenue sources from the totals.

For example, we omit revenue from pest and janitorial services.

We estimate revenue for firms that didn’t provide data if they participated in last year’s list and report a projected 2022 revenue figure.

The LM150 information is self-reported unless otherwise noted. Some companies do not break out individual service lines, so we can’t be sure what revenue is specific to typical green industry services. Several firms opt not to participate in the list, there are others we are unaware of, and it is possible some revenues overlap due to subcontracting agreements.

Read more LM150:

• LM150: 2023 rankings
• LM150: 2023 Top 25
• LM150: 2023 list by region
• 2023 LM150: How the growth of Mariani still keeps things all in the family
• 2023 LM150: An inside look at Senske’s ambitious growth plans
• 2023 LM150: Genesis is creating something big in the desert
• 2023 LM150: The Greenery celebrates growth and community for 50th anniversary
• Seth’s Cut: Cruising along with Frank Mariani
• 2023 LM150: These companies are on the rise, discover their secrets

To view the complete list, breakdowns and company profiles, check out a PDF version here.