Where do you want to be seven years from now? Scott Hayward, owner of T & S Landscape, Chester, New Hampshire, asked himself that seven years ago and today he owns and operates a $1 million plus operation. Scott is the first to admit he hasn't done it by himself. He's had a lot of help, from employees, from the equipment they operate and from little things that just make landscape companies stand out.
People Power
Scott's business is really three businesses in one. T & S Landscape is the business he and his brother Tom (the T of S) started right out of college. The company is comprised of two divisions, a maintenance division and a landscaping division. Both are geared toward commercial properties.
The third leg is a new venture, Sports Turf Technology. As the name implies, the company maintains and renovates athletic fields. Although Scott owns both companies and oversees all three distinct operations, he relies heavily on supervisors to carry the day and to make a profit.
On the maintenance side, Scott looks to Rick Carter to manage two mowing crews and provide customers with timely chemical and fertilizer programs. Among properties they service are area hospitals, office complexes and condominiums. Residential properties, once the heart of the business, were recently sold because, in Scott's words, "They came with too much curb time." As he explains, being in the lawn business in Chester is unlike other, more metropolitan areas of the country. Residential customers, especially, are spread out, making it difficult to mow and maintain them profitably. During the early stages of his growth, when his overhead was lower, the residential business was more lucrative. Not anymore.
Rick's counterpart in the landscaping division is Kirk Huehls. Interviewed by Scott last fall, Kirk arrived this spring just in time to oversee a huge commercial installation project. Kirk manages anywhere from 10 to 15 workers at the site. When completed, the project will include the installation of more than 600 plants and trees over 62 acres of landscape. By completion, crews will have put down 92 rolls of erosion control fabric over 38 acres and applied in excess of 10,000 pounds of custom-blended grass seed.
Sports Turf Technology, a separate company, was initiated last year and already it is expected to break even in its first full season of operation.
"We specialize in renovating athletic fields without disrupting play,'' tells company manager Bob Bradway. Among his customers are 15 to 20 colleges in the Boston area and a number of municipal parks and public fields.
According to Scott, renovating athletic fields provides excellent growth opportunities. Institutions and municipalities lack both the capital and space to construct new fields so they renovate their old ones, and liability is always an issue which makes upkeep a priority for all of his customers.
With Sports Turf, Scott is positioned for even more aggressive growth. But he emphasizes he couldn't do it without the help of his three supervisors and office manager, not to mention his other full and part time employees.
"They're all extremely dedicated,'' says Scott proudly. His three supervisors all have horticulture degrees and many years of combined experience in the industry. The owner admits they could probably make more money working for larger landscape maintenance businesses or in other areas in the green industry, but his company offers new opportunities and the flexibility and freedom to grow.
Equipment Power
One of the opportunities for Sports Turf's Bradway was the equipment Scott had "lined up" for the new business. "Equipment is the key to maintaining and renovating athletic fields and other large commercial properties," Bob explains. In addition to traditional pieces of equipment such as pull-behind aerators, spreaders, overseeders, top dressers and a turf tractor, the young company operates a deep tine aerator. The latter, he notes, penetrates and shatters the soil to a depth of 12 inches. The process not only increases air, water and nutrient movement, but also relieves compaction on heavily used athletic fields, to the tune of between $700 and $800 per acre. Yes, it's expensive to operate, tells Bob, but it's also the only machine that will solve compaction problems.
Sports Turf doesn't hold a monopoly on equipment. T & S operators have their share of metal, too. Kirk's installation crews rely on four main pieces of equipment to get their jobs done, a 3,000 gallon hydroseeder, two skid steer loaders with attachments and a tractor. And Rick's maintenance crews operate two 20-hp grass handling Walkers with 48-inch decks and four Toro intermediates as their mainstays. The Toro's are for the hills, Rick explains. And there's plenty of them in and around Chester. As for the Walkers, "They're the cleanest mowers I've ever used,'' says Scott, whose actual mowing experience belies his seven years in business. Like so many contractors, he started out mowing lawns before high school. T & S bags everything and Rick relies on the Walkers to get the job done, even during wet New England springs when consistent mowing and speed are both of the essence.
Technique, Too
Walking around the T & S job sites, one can almost feel the energy, drive and dedication of the company's employees. Best guess, it starts right at home with Scott. A confessed type A personality who literally ran his way on a scholarship through Wake Forest University, Scott seems to have an unlimited supply of energy and enthusiasm. And despite his rigorous work schedule, the company has just completed construction of a new headquarters barn on a 20-acre site in Chester.
But it takes more than energy and enthusiasm to run a business and even the best employees in the world need guidance. Scott sets the tone.
"I've learned over the years, there's more than one thing that counts in this business," he tells. "You can't just go in and wow customers and expect to maintain their loyalty. It's an accumulation of things that count." He includes the simple, yet important functions of pricing the job fairly, which doesn't mean being the lowest bidder, to showing up and performing quality work. Beyond that, he adds, perception is reality.
"Appearance is so important especially in this highly competitive market. All points of contact with the customer or prospective customer have to be positive." Here, he includes driving habits, attitude of employees, the appearance of trucks and equipment and even answering the phone as vital points of contact.
These things all count, whether the company is on an aggressive growth path or maintaining a level keel. If you're bridging the growth gap, like T & S, these things are mandatory, as are the people and equipment to keep the gap as narrow as possible.
Site Search
