Six lawn and landscape companies across the U.S. were awarded Jeffrey Scott’s 2017 Mighty Oak, based on their performance as a business leader and outstanding achievements made by their landscape companies.

The honorees, who belong to Scott’s Leader’s Edge peer groups, were chosen for the awards by their peers.

Criteria for winning this award are:

• Serving as a positive example to others in the profession;
• Working with the highest levels of integrity, ethics and accountability;
• Achieving significant growth benchmarks;
• Contributing to the advancement of the landscape industry; and
• Engaging in continual personal and professional development.

The six recipients of the Might Oak award are:

Seth Kehne
The Lawn Butler
Knoxville, Tenn.

“Our success is owed to the high quality of our team. We work really hard at having the right people on our team. We treat them well and focus on their personal development. Success to me is making our company a destination company that serves people well.”

Loriena Harrington
Beautiful Blooms Landscape & Design
Menomonee Falls, Wis.

“I learned at a young age that success comes after dedication, and is easiest to find when you are passionate about why you are doing something. For me, I know I have been successful when the progress toward a large goal has been achieved. Success is not always instant, and it is not always obvious. The most humbling measure of success within my profession that I have had is when someone wants to follow in my footsteps to start a career as a landscape professional or asks me for advice on how to overcome a challenge they are facing as a fellow landscape entrepreneur. “

Douglas McIntosh
McIntosh Grounds Maintenance
Milan, Mich.

According to Scott, McIntosh’s motto is: Treat others the way you want to be treated, work hard, be nice, chase excellence and everything else will follow.

Bob Drost
Drost Landscape
Petoskey, Mich.

“We made a corporate decision to bring on Jeffrey Scott about four years ago. Jeffrey definitely righted our ship that I felt was heading toward a rocky shore. There was no doubt in my mind that having a general manager for my company to help orchestrate was a necessity. In all our minds, Dale Drier a multiyear veteran was the clear choice. Through Jeffrey’s guidance, Dale has brought this company into a profitable, well-organized destination company. We developed project managers inside our company that help to direct and nurture the foreman and younger staff members of Drost. As Jeffrey and our peers have watched since we joined the Leaders Edge peer group, we have hugely increased our profitability and efficiency. As a team, we have truly tried to build what we feel is a destination company. “

Sean Baxter
Lawn & Landscape Solutions
Olathe, Kan.

“I think success happens when you are doing what you love and you find a way to share your passion with others in a way that lifts them up. In growing a company this could be through training and promoting our staff, this could be in the ability to give back to our community through raising profits and this could be in creating a product that brings satisfaction and deep enjoyment to our clients. I have been fortunate to help build a system that participates in doing all three and that is success in my eyes.”

Chris Cotoia
Executive Landscaping
South Yarmouth, Mass.

Cotoia strives for happiness and success, in that order, Scott reports. “Success is sweet, happiness is sweeter.”

Photos: Jeffrey Scott