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Maintaining Momentum
Banking on a wealth of experience and a love of the landscape gives Greenscapes its edge.
December 2009
Linda Rae Nelson and Steve Pruchansky, Greenscapes
Photos by Paul Rusnak
Having a passion for your profession not only makes going to work more enjoyable, but also it can have a positive impact on your workplace environment. Linda Rae Nelson, president of Naples, FL-based Greenscapes, clearly enjoys what she does and has surrounded herself with people that have the same kind of desire she has for landscaping. Along with company CEO Steven Pruchansky, Nelson has expanded and solidified the full-spectrum landscape company started by her mother in 1962. Today, Greenscapes is known throughout the Charlotte, Collier, and Lee County areas for providing complete landscape-management services such as design, installation, pest management, mowing, pruning, and irrigation for a large database of commercial, residential, and retail clients.
Growing from a small start-up into a Southwest Florida stalwart did not happen overnight and it certainly wasn’t accomplished alone. After joining Greenscapes 19 years ago, Pruchansky’s knack for number crunching and business experience has partnered well with Nelson’s tenacity and deep roots in Florida horticulture know-how. Recognizing how far the business has come, Nelson acknowledges her good fortune in having a solid partner and a loyal, dedicated team that has helped the operation achieve over the years and hold its own in all types of marketplace conditions. “Between my production managers and our client-service managers, we have more than 300 years of experience sitting at our production table,” Nelson says. “That’s our foundation.”
Competitive Juice
One of the biggest challenges in today’s market, according to Nelson, is excessive competition. A low-cost point of entry has led to an influx of unqualified companies entering the field. “They have little to no concept of what it costs to provide services they are offering,” Nelson says. “This has depressed the price and forced us to focus more on the way we do business.”
Part of that focus is dedicated to educating clients on the differences between a professional landscape operation and an average mow-and-go outfit. “Very few of them have any type of FNGLA certifications, arbor certifications, or any training in irrigation,” Nelson says.
Primarily dealing with homeowner associations, Nelson says contracts often aren’t thoroughly read or properly understood by the client, and that the value of having certified personnel to do a job is not taken into account, thus leading to a job going to the lowest bidder. She says clients who take this route eventually see the error of their ways. “In this quarter alone, we brought back four accounts we lost last year due to pricing. They realized there was a value to that dollar.”
In addition to educating
the consumer, Nelson says it’s important to look inward for improvement. “We are constantly looking for ways to maintain a higher level of quality at a much more competitive price,” she says. “We are selling them minutes. How many minutes can we get in and get the best possible job done in the least amount of time.”
Other recent adjustments include switching production trucks from the larger commercial pickups to a mid-range model. “We have increased our fuel mileage from 13 miles per gallon (mpg) to 23 mpg,” Nelson says. “You really have to watch where you spend every dollar.”
In addition to educating
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Other recent adjustments include switching production trucks from the larger commercial pickups to a mid-range model. “We have increased our fuel mileage from 13 miles per gallon (mpg) to 23 mpg,” Nelson says. “You really have to watch where you spend every dollar.”
A lot of attention is being paid to routing now, Nelson adds. Efforts are made in scheduling to streamline travel time and eliminate excessive turnarounds. Part of the solution to keep crews moving has involved getting the trucks on the road and in the flow of traffic in the morning and getting them back with the flow of traffic in the afternoon.
The Nuts And Bolts
Investing in the right people has paid dividends for Greenscapes. Having the right equipment in the hands of its professionals is a necessity to keep things running smoothly. Nelson says they take detailed measures to keep equipment in working order. In-house mechanics, a strong preventative maintenance program, and a qualitative understanding of when to scrap worn-out pieces keeps the essentials of the operation running like a well-oiled machine. While trying to get six to eight years out of larger, longer-lifespan equipment like mowers, Nelson says in the last two years, they have been taking a new approach in hand-tool maintenance. “Once they outlive their two-year warranty, they are kept a little longer, then scrapped out for parts, and we get new units,” she says. “It has been a considerable savings for us.”
A standardized fleet of tools such as weed eaters, hand edgers, and chain saws makes it easier for mechanics to diagnose and turn repairs around quickly. While familiar equipment streamlines training and aids in longevity, Nelson says the biggest key in equipment maintenance is having enough spares. “If you have enough spares, you can set aside some time to make sure everything has the proper lubricants and cleaning,” she says.
Little things like dirty air cleaners can become a big problem if not addressed properly. “When air cleaners get clogged, you shorten the life of that engine tremendously,” Nelson says. “We do a lot of training to make sure the guys pop out the air cleaners every day and blow them out.”
Learn And Earn
Training, education, and certification are the pillars of Greenscapes’ success. Pushing staff to expand their knowledge base helps workers raise their workplace and personal bar, Nelson says. “We want to keep employees motivated,” she says. “They are our biggest asset.”
An in-house training system helps employees stay on track with continuing education credits (CEUs). Nelson says when employees are up for evaluation, they have to have a certain number of Greenscapes CEUs that can be applied toward a recommended raise. “Each month, they can earn a half-credit CEU by attending training classes,” she says. “It makes them appreciate they are part of an orchestra that produces a living piece of art.”
Last year, Nelson required all team captains (mowing, pruning, spray tech, and irrigation) to complete and be certified in best management practices before they can hold that position. Cash incentives and rewards are used to motivate employees to complete education courses and earn certifications. These learning opportunities are valuable in helping adjust to the landscape and be able to deal with the human aspect of the job. “Too many times, clients manage by emotion and not knowledge,” Nelson says. “If you strive toward being that educator, that is what is going to set you apart as a professional company.”
To increase its professional image, Greenscapes
invested in closed-equipment trailers.
In an effort to keep her management team engaged and growing, Nelson started a book club. Every six months, a motivational book is chosen for all managers to read and write an essay on. For example, the next reading assignment is How To Win Friends And Influence People. The essay is turned in and the book is discussed during an informal luncheon. Nelson says it is her job to keep her team thinking and growing, and the book club has turned out to be a fun and useful exercise. “This helps keep them focused,” she says. “All day you are bombarded with comments and requests. Sometimes we forget we’re in the service industry. We’re enhancing the landscape, but also servicing the client.”
Cautiously Optimistic
Today’s depressed economic marketplace has challenged Nelson and Pruchansky to examine every angle of the business to keep moving forward. Efforts have been made to work with clients who are struggling to maintain their accounts. Offering a modified maintenance schedule that might include fewer prunings or mowings per year can help save money while still retaining the client. “Our industry is changing every day,” Pruchansky says. “If you are not staying up to date, then you are not providing the professional service you should be.”
While many landscape business are holding tight, Greenscapes is exploring the possibility of expanding its reach north into the Sarasota and Venice area. According to Nelson, they also are looking into the idea of breaking some of its divisions up into standalone operations. The goal is to open up the market and provide a broader range for creating new income.
“Every economic environment offers a different opportunity for us,” Pruchansky says. “We want to grow, but we maintain growth as far as positive cashflow can allow it to grow comfortably.”
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