LONG GROVE, Ill. - After the acquisition announcements by TruGreen-ChemLawn and LandCare USA in February, most of the action has since taken place out of the public’s eye as deals are discussed and negotiated.
The Brickman Group has obviously been busy in such discussions, and it has been productive as well, as it recently announced four acquisitions: KT Enterprises, Chan-tilly, Va.; Kopabianco Landscape, New Haven, Conn.; BMI, Indianapolis, Ind.; and Maryland-based Cannon Landscape Services.
In the deals, Brickman acquired $15 million worth of commercial or multi-family landscape maintenance revenues, but elected not to purchase the companies’ landscape construction operations.
Scott Brickman, president and CEO, said the company has already begun the process of integrating the different companies into Brickman’s 60-plus branches by having them operate under the Brickman name. “These companies are being immersed in our processes, training, policies, and so on, and they will have the benefits of our expertise and sharing of best practices,” he explained, contrasting Brickman’s plan with the approaches he sees TruGreen-ChemLawn and LandCare USA taking. “We didn’t buy them just to let them operate as stand-alone operations. What added benefit is there to customers when that happens?”
Brickman explained that these deals are probably just the beginning for his company. “We’re pretty confident that we do more maintenance now than any other company in the country,” he said, estimating the company’s maintenance revenues at $130 million for 1998. “But we have just a minute percentage of the total market. We’ll be doing some acquisitions in other parts of the country so that we can be a national service provider.”
In particular, the company would like to develop a greater presence in the western U.S., with its western-most branch now in Dallas.
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