April 2012

Lost and found: Be willing to ask for help … and use common sense

April 11, 2013By

A few years ago, I lost our son Jamie while I was looking for a new pair of jeans at a JC Penney store. After organizing a search party comprising just one increasingly frantic father, I decided the best course of action was to run around the department store like a mad man. Failing to uncover a single trace of... read more

My Biggest Mistake: Mark Ahronian

April 12, 2012By

While getting in a groove can be good for business, Mark Ahronian, MCH, president and designer of Ahronian Landscaping and Design, Holliston, MA, says he now recognizes the importance of paying closer attention to the “ups and downs” and making business moves accordingly. That includes making bigger moves when times are good —something Ahronian says he failed to do. In... read more

A Cut Above: John Watson

April 12, 2012By

By Mark Leitman John Watson, owner of Knoxville, TN-based Common Grounds Landscape Management, operates his business around a set of core values. He also promotes sustainable practices for the industry. Watson started his career in the professional landscaping industry through a high school internship and is now the president of the Tennessee Nursery & Landscape Association. “As members of the... read more

Battling the emerald ash borer

April 12, 2012By

By fighting the pest, one man’s business soars Joshua Taflinger, certified arborist, took what started out as an add-on biz and parlayed it into a full-time career. Taflinger was running a tree removal business and performing injection services on the side, and it soon became obvious to him that the emerald ash borer problem in the Indianapolis area was worsening.... read more

Project Portfolio: Building Community

April 11, 2012By

Provide beautiful, meditative and functional outdoor spaces to help a community center better serve its members. As one of nearly 100 subcontractors on this $33 million project, the DeSantis Landscape team was continually faced with coordination, scheduling and logistics challenges. But as President Dean DeSantis notes, “We are proud to say that we have become the general contractor’s landscape contractor... read more

Lawncare pro: Danny Milligan

April 11, 2012By

Danny Milligan, president of Strathmore Landscape, is proud of the company’s latest environmental initiative. “We cannot change from gas-powered trucks completely, but we are moving in the direction of sustainability one step at a time.” Milligan, along with daughter Jessica and son Gordon, talked a little bit about how the industry has changed over the years and how business is... read more