From 1993 to 1996, Tony Sposato taught health and physical education at a junior high school where he also coached three sports. In the summer of ’96, he traded in his whistle and blackboard for a full-time ride on his Walker Mower. Eleven years later, he finds himself running a multimillion dollar company that employs more than 150 people during the busy season.
His mower numbers have grown, too. Today, his primarily two-man crews operate 30 Walker Mowers, 14 Wright Standers and 10 Exmark riding mowers. The former coach grew his young business the old fashioned way: by hiring good people and providing excellent customer service. It also helped to be located in a growing resort area where property owners were hungry for a little tender loving care. Sposato was more than willing to deliver.
He started mowing lawns in 1992, shortly after graduating with a degree in health education from Salisbury University on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Unlike other “part-timers” who mowed to supplement full-time jobs, Sposato turned the tables and realized there was more opportunity in mowing lawns than in teaching.
He purchased his first Walker in 1995. A year later it was off to the proverbial races with his new business. Mowing led to installation work, which soon led to irrigation accounts and a lawn care division. Today Sposato Landscape is a full-service landscape management, design/build company, with maintenance (both commercial and residential) accounting for nearly 80 percent of its annual revenue.
Mowing Niche
“We have a niche for our Walker Mowers,” Sposato relates. “New developments, including golf course communities, all want their entrances to look nice. They want clippings collected and a manicured cut. Only two of our Walker Mowers are equipped with a side-discharge deck; the rest have 48-inch GHS decks and are powered by 26-hp Kohler engines. We don’t trade in our Walkers. Our intent is to keep them running as long as we can. In fact, we still have the first Walker Mower that we purchased.”
Fleet maintenance manager Jim Leidner credits the mower’s longevity to routine maintenance and what he calls a “winter freshen up” campaign. “Every winter, the fluids get drained and the engines yanked out of the chassis,” Leidner explains. “We clean the engines and under the flywheels. We also give the engines a compression check. If they meet specifications, we reinstall them and ‘mothball’ the mower until spring. Our goal is to get 2,500 to 3,000 hours out of every engine before replacing it.”
Sposato adds, “The Walker is not an inexpensive mower, but it is reliable, has a nice cut, and is the best bagging unit on the market. I know, because we’ve demo’ed them all. Each crew usually operates with two Walker Mowers. Over the years, we’ve found this arrangement to be efficient for most properties. Our trailers are configured so operators simply back up a ramp and dump the clippings.”
Unlike some companies that require their mowing crews to prune and deliver other detail maintenance services, Sposato’s mowing crews mow and trim only. Follow-up crews provide pruning, weeding and other detail services.
Growth Spurt
Sposato Landscape is headquartered in Milton, Delaware, only a few miles from Rehoboth Beach and several other resort communities. Its $10 million annual book of business is divided among the Milton location and two other sites: an Ocean View satellite office and a direct-report crew at Sea Colony Resort. “In Milton, we operate 10 mowing crews that are out the door by 7:05 a.m.,” explains Mark Paine, director of operations. “We’re big on efficiencies, because you have to be when so many crews are involved.”
Paine came to work for Sposato two years ago. At the time, the company operated 48 trucks. Today it has 73. “Knowing how to grow successfully is no secret,” Paine says. “It’s all about providing excellent customer service and training and retaining good employees. We’re also big on image. Trucks are rinsed daily and washed with soap weekly. We supply crew members with uniforms furnished and cleaned by a service company.
“Standardizing equipment and procedures is important for any size company, but it becomes even more important when other locations become part of the mix,” Paine continues. “We have many of the same reporting systems in place here and at Ocean View. Both locations employ the same type of equipment, too, including cab-over trucks for maintenance crews and Toyota pickups for managers.”
Having been a teacher and coach, Sposato is big on teamwork, along with fostering camaraderie and friendly competition. Crews that get out on time in the morning receive a green dot after their name on the control board. Those that are tardy get a red dot. “Little things like this make a difference,” says Sposato.
Events such as the monthly “burger night” gatherings show appreciation for employees and their hard work. Throughout the year, A-plus work is rewarded when employees receive notes of encouragement or praise with their paychecks. The other half of the note goes into a drawing that is held on burger night. Winners receive phone cards, lunch boxes, cameras and other gifts.
An “employee of the month” receives a gift certificate to a retail store. An annual fall awards banquet honors Charlie Hustle, Iron Man, Rookie of the Year and Employee of the Year award winners. Once a year the company hosts a field day/pig roast, the highlight of which is a soccer tournament. Managers and supervisors also attend an annual retreat. This year, they will meet off campus in Washington D.C. and listen to keynote speaker and green industry consultant Jack Mattingly.
“Everyone in this business wants to grow,” says Sposato. As he explains, running a successful business is not unlike coaching a winning team. Both require a winning attitude, the right players, excellent training, good equipment and competitive instincts.
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