Akehurst, Akehurst, Akehurst, Akehurst and Akehurst! Five generations later and this family-owned business shows no signs of slowing down. Why? The answer is in their genes and the family's ability to adapt to changing times.
Over the years the Akehurst horticulturists have changed their focus according to market demands. They raised carnations, for example, until a weak market forced them to discontinue production in favor of roses. They grew roses until imports eroded the market. A nursery business that included the production of ornamental trees, shrubs and container-grown plants later flourished until it, too, was replaced by landscaping and lawn maintenance.
Today, Akehurst Landscape Service, Inc., Joppa, Maryland, is a full-service landscape company. Company president and fourth generation William E. Akehurst heads up the company and its three divisions, each operated by, you guessed it, an Akehurst. John is in charge of interiorscape; William K., the landscape division; and Brian, grounds maintenance. ''I guess you'd have to say the nursery business is in our blood," tells William E. "That, in combination with our ability to adapt, has allowed us to be competitive over the years."
Competitive they are, in one of the most hotly contested landscaping and lawn maintenance markets in the country. The company does between $2.5 and $3 million in business annually with 19 crews and 65 people. Maintenance, with 10 crews, accounts for approximately 55% of this business.
Challenging Scenario
Grounds maintenance manager Brian Akehurst quickly identifies his division's biggest challenges as competition, the cost of doing business and labor. The big three keep Brian on his toes, and work to keep the fifth generation in that ever-adapting mode.
"Companies our size are being squeezed on one side by the big national companies, and on the other by the small operators," he relates. "At the same time, the cost of labor, if you can find employees, is going up. So, too, is the cost of fuel, insurance, equipment and more. The solution for us has been to find a market niche and work to be more productive with the equipment and employees we have."
The niche in maintenance is high-end commercial accounts, including the upscale malls around Baltimore, the high-end residential communities, and the new business parks. The company maintains 100 such properties in all from which it hauls away anywhere from 60 to 100 cubic yards of grass weekly, depending on the season.
These high-end properties can be too demanding for large companies and too big for small companies. It's a perfect fit, Brian adds, as long as the family can keep costs in line and profits in sight. To do that, they've been forced to change the way they do business.
One change was the appearance of the company's first Walker Mower in 1993, nearly 10 years after Brian entered the business to start the lawn maintenance division.
"I saw what the Walker could do in a video and in trade magazines," Brian remembers. "We purchased one without even demonstrating it." Another one followed and so did a dozen more.
Today the company operates fifteen 25-hp models. Thirteen of them are equipped with 48-inch GHS decks. One is left behind for backup; the other is being fitted with a spray tank and fertilizer spreader. Crews also have access to a 62-inch deck for wide-area mowing, a leaf blower for fall cleanup, and one sweeper attachment and two snow blades for the winter regimen.
But it's because of their mowing and bagging capability that Akehurst Landscape Service purchased the Walkers. That move has paid off.
"The Walker is ideal for high-end commercial maintenance where customers want the grass on the front and sides of the properties collected," Brian explains. "We use them on all our properties now because they save us time and make us more competitive. Among other things, they save us cleanup time, especially on sidewalks and around swimming pool areas."
Field managers point to other advantages, as well. "Once you get on one you're spoiled," says project supervisor Tom Wallace. "You're quickly amazed by what they can do."
"They're light, which means they don't tear up the grass," adds grounds maintenance supervisor Tom Beishl, whose job responsibility calls for demonstrating new mowers. "They're also the best machines I've seen for this type of mowing."
Crew members pattern-cut with both their Walkers and 48-inch Scag walk-behinds. The same deck sizes on both mowers serve to enhance their striping effect.
New last year, the company is leasing its Walkers. According to Brian the move was made to further increase productivity by giving the company access to new technology on a regular basis and keeping downtime to a minimum. As planned, one-third of the fleet will be replaced annually.
Other Competitive Moves
Using and leasing Walkers is only one way Akehurst works to compete in the marketplace. Two years ago, the company added a mulch truck to speed up the mulching operation. It is also gradually changing its spring fertilization program to reduce the amount of nitrogen and subsequent top growth.
Grass grows enough in the spring, and there's no need to make it grow faster, Brian points out. "A fertilizer program with enough iron keeps the grass green, but doesn't overburden crews with grass collection," adds plant health care specialist Louis Schweigman. The selective use of growth regulators on trees and shrubs helps keep pruning to a minimum during the early growing season, as well.
In addition, Brian looks to grow business in the most economical way possible, with current customers. Hence, he spends a large portion of his day talking with property managers about add-on projects, including the installation of spot color and turf renovation. The three divisions have a natural synergy, as well, with brothers sharing ideas and business leads for landscape designs and new interiorscaping projects, including holiday decorating during the Christmas season.
William E. is optimistic about the future of a company that has roots that extend back to 1876. "The fact that each of my sons has his own division gives them the freedom to express themselves," he explains. "They were never pressured to join the company, either. Again, I guess they just had the green industry in their blood."
"Oh, there's no question we have plenty of challenges in this industry." But as he points out, the company survived its share of challenges in the past. Some solid planning now for the future and the willingness to adapt should clear the way for the next Akehurst generation.
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