Charitable cause created for the green industry

Now in its second year, Industry Collective is ready to welcome any and all lawn care and landscape companies that want to make a difference in their local community but don’t know where to start.

“We oftentimes have people ask us, ‘How do you do outreach?’” said Mike Haynes, president of Gastonia, N.C.-based The Loving Cos. “We thought, let’s simplify the process and then get other landscapers across the country, big and small, to lock arms and do quarterly service projects together.”

The events take 20 to 30 minutes and can be performed in a boardroom, a warehouse or even the tailgate of a truck. Projects include packing food, hygiene products and backpacks for school kids.

Jamie Waldron, programming director for Industry Collective, assists companies with how to start and complete the projects. Participating companies are responsible for the financial and time investments. Industry Collective does all the behind-the-scenes work.

“It’s pretty simple for groups,” Waldron said. “The supplies show up, and (you) follow the instructions. We’ve found there are a lot of people that want to do good. But oftentimes, you’re just paralyzed; you don’t know what the first step is. We’ve been able to come alongside them and give them options.”

Events are planned for this month, in July and October.

“Our goal with this vision is crazy-simple projects that are so easy to do that maybe they don’t make a massive impact individually, but when linked up with hundreds of other companies, take those stats, and they make it significant,” Haynes said. “You get so much more than you put in. It doesn’t require a lot of time, money or resources. But ultimately, it could be the difference in someone’s life.”

To learn more, watch Waldron and Haynes expand on the organization here or visit their website.