At Summit Landscape & Design, Hondo, Texas, the company president, Josiah Peterson (left), gets the help of a feathered friend to hand out turkeys to his employees in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday. (Photo: Summit Landscape and Design)
Our GROW! 2023 tour hosts, Summit Landscape & Design, in Hondo, Texas, made a name for themselves within the industry for their fun and unique company culture. It’s one of the many things I admire about this team and a key reason we chose them to host GROW! The team is fiercely protective of its company culture, and there are three strategies they follow to build a place where people want to work.
1. They’re careful about who they hire.
Most of their team members were referred by existing team members and they carefully interview new team members to ensure they’re a culture fit before inviting them to join the team.
Once someone joins the team, they take good care of them. In 2022 alone, they raised wages by nearly 10 percent across the board to fight inflation and remain competitive with other available jobs in the area. They want their team members to have careers with Summit and see opportunities staying. They don’t want their team looking elsewhere and pay is part of that.
2. They make work fun.
They bring breakfast tacos for their team, celebrate milestones with the company and their team’s personal life and make an effort to have fun together. They plan annual spring and summer bashes to bring their crews and support staff together and regularly celebrate small wins.
3. They show appreciation and genuine interest in their team.
When asked about their leadership style, owners Jonathan and Josiah Peterson said “The ‘work for you’ culture doesn’t work anymore. We work WITH each other. You have to be good to your people and appreciate what they bring to the table.”
The Summit leadership team makes time to listen to the needs of team members. This doesn’t mean throwing money at personal problems but rather being a sounding board and a friend. They feel that creating trust and friendships sets their company culture apart from other employment options their team members have.
I can’t wait for you to get a behind-the-scenes look at this special company and learn more about how they operate so that you can take little lessons home to strengthen your company. Are you signed up to join us Feb. 28-March 2 for GROW! 2023 yet? I hope to see you in San Antonio!
About the Author: Marty Grunder
Marty Grunder is president and CEO of Grunder Landscaping Co. and The Grow Group, based in Dayton, Ohio.Subscribe to Landscape Management
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to Landscape Management to receive more articles just like it.
