LM150: Think big
We analyze data from the Green Industry’s largest 150 firms. Plus, 13 ideas any size company can implement to boost revenue and profits.
Whether your company’s goal is to make this list someday (or stay on it)—or to remain the same size and improve other metrics, there is good reason to think big. Think: Benchmarks. Ideas. Growth strategies. That’s what you’ll find in issue’s LM150 report on the Green Industry’s largest companies and the accompanying stories.
Benchmarks
The industry’s top 150 revenue-generating firms logged a combined $7,689,821,749 in 2012 annual revenue—up 2 percent from last year’s list totaling $7,543,372,333 in 2011 annual revenue. Notably, this is the first year since 2009, when LM began tallying a list of the largest 150 firms, that there’s no billion-dollar company ranked. TruGreen reported revenue of $979,100,000 for 2012, down 11 percent from the previous year.
Seventy-three percent of companies experienced revenue growth in 2012 vs. 2011; 9 percent reported no growth and 17 percent reported a revenue decrease. The ones that shrunk? Many of them are snow market firms that experienced the pains of the 2012 winter that wasn’t. (Two percent were unknown or the data couldn’t be compared). Overall, LM150 companies averaged an 11 percent growth rate from 2011 to 2012.
See the full list for individual company figures.
Ideas & Growth Strategies
We’ve culled some of the best revenue- and profit-improvement tactics from companies on the list to spread the wealth of good ideas.
Looking to rev up training? See The Pattie Group’s expansive program, or check out how Yard-Nique has trained its way through a tough time. Does your team need to reconnect with clients? Terracare and Mission Landscape Cos. are doing just that. Need to boost the bottom line? American Landscape Systems has found one solution, as has Southern Botanical.
Methodology
LM sought submissions from companies online, in print, in direct email requests and through phone calls from February through May. Companies submitted their details via an online form. LM editors compiled the results and, where applicable, removed non-typical Green Industry revenue sources from the total reported by the company.
We estimated revenue for firms the editors couldn’t reach from the 2012 projected revenue data they submitted last year. Additionally, LM editors calculated the figures for growth rates, service segment revenue charts and customer mix revenue charts from the data companies submitted.
Be on the 2014 list
Should your company be on the LM150 list? If so, please contact Editor Marisa Palmieri to be notified in early 2014 when the submission period opens. We encourage companies with $5 million-plus in annual revenue to apply.
LM150 Related Links
Staying power: Celebrating 40 years
About the Author: Marisa Palmieri
Marisa Palmieri is an experienced Green Industry editor who's won numerous awards for her coverage of the landscape and golf course markets from the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA), the Press Club of Cleveland and the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). In 2007, ASBPE named her a Young Leader. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, cum laude, from Ohio University’s Scripps School of Journalism.Subscribe to Landscape Management
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