Central Valley Fund (CVF) invested $7.2 million in growth capital financing in two large landscape contractors, Signature Landscapes, based in Reno, Nev., and Coast Landscape Management, based in Napa, Calif. The transaction includes equity investments in both companies, which will be merged into a single entity during the fourth quarter. Signature ranks No. 122 with $14.7 million and Coast ranks... read more
Origin stories from a few LM150 firms. As told to Dillon Stewart Think back to your humble beginnings. The starry-eyed days where you had nothing but a mower and a dream. There are many reasons the leaders from LM150 list companies may be different from the average landscape company—scale, scope and sometimes just pure luck. But a modest beginning is... read more
Kelly Solomon CEO, Coast Landscape Management No. 128 Kelly Solomon got her start as a salesperson at TruGreen after it bought LandCare USA, which had acquired Lebo Newman’s company. In 2000, Solomon left to start Up Valley Landscape, which bought Coast Landscape Management in 2005 and began operation under that name. Later that year, Newman signed on as chairman and... read more
Two Northern California companies, Marizco Landscape Management and Coast Landscape Management (Coast LM), merged operations on Oct. 1. “Both companies have similar values and a commitment to excellence,” said Kelly Solomon, CEO of Coast LM. Both Coast LM and Marizco were dubbed “Best Places to Work” by the North Bay Business Journal earlier this year. Coast LM, ranked No. 146 on... read more
Strategies LM150 firms are using to up their employment game. Finding and keeping good people are fundamental to success for any business, but in the landscape industry, companies are discovering these to be increasingly difficult tasks. We spoke to several LM150 business owners who’ve been dealing with these challenges and are employing a variety of solutions. One challenge landscape business... read more
Three LM150 contractors share their customer relations efforts. Client relationships will make or break a company, landscape professionals agree. So it’s important to listen, be proactive and meet expectations. Three professionals from the LM150 list share how they’ve grown their businesses by focusing on client communication. Landscape Workshop Birmingham, Ala. To get a real sense for what clients want, J.T.... read more
