A garden showcase

In the midst of the toughest economic climate in recent memory – a recession that hit the metropolitan New York/New Jersey area particularly hard – one landscape business made a substantial commitment to an investment designed to give back to its neighbors and, in turn, open up possibilities both in business and community service. Jacobsen Landscape Design and Construction allows the community to use a former garden center for meetings and events.

Now in its 31st year in business in the competitive northern New Jersey region, Jacobsen Landscape Design and Construction has its headquarters and primary design center in Midland Park, N.J. – about 20 miles from downtown Manhattan.  A second design center and showcase for its work opened as an outdoor Landscape  Gallery in historic Barnstable Court in affluent Saddle River, N.J., a little more than two years ago.

This was, as owner and founder Glenn Jacobsen, recalls, just about when the financial markets were in free fall.

“When we started the Landscape Gallery project in July 2008, it was exactly when our core customers – those in the financial and service industries – were getting hit the hardest,” Jacobsen says. “It was bad timing. (The economy) had an impact, no doubt. Everybody saw their stocks go down, liquid assets. We’ve been affected twice in business in 33 years – that and 9/11.”

Set up. A lot of landscape companies have display gardens where they take clients and show them around. Jacobsen’s Landscape Gallery – housed in a former garden center – takes that idea and adds another element – usable space donated to local groups.

“It’s free of charge,” Jacobsen says. “As long as it’s a nonprofit group, it’s free. Art shows, chamber meetings, networking groups, churches. It’s a unique, outdoor setting.”

And while the idea proved a good one, it did put financial strains on the company – a new lease payment, six weeks of renovations and staffing costs coupled with a reduction of business in 2009 made it a tough year.

At that point, “it really wasn’t pulling revenue or leads. But we saw the turnaround in ‘10, when we had dedicated sales from the exposure. We saw a marked increase in ’10,” he says.

Leads and new business. The three-year investment at this new location is now paying dividends through a better connection to its customers and to its core Northwest Bergen County community, Jacobsen says. He’s reluctant to give specific numbers, but says the facility has resulted in “significant business” and solid leads for his company.

“It gave us exposure in towns we haven’t done enough business in. The leads that came in (from the Gallery) are larger-sized jobs, just because of the location,” Jacobsen says. “We got involved in the school systems, chambers of commerce, community groups. It’s not just a place, it’s a space to engage.

“That’s what makes it work. You can’t just put a building up. You’ve got to be engaged in the community. It’s an effort, it’s a cost too. A physical location is one thing, but you need to have relationships with whoever’s in the town.”

In the past year, Jacobsen hosted nearly 20 community-based meetings and cultural activities at the Gallery, including landscape educational seminars, garden club meetings, church member activities or Chamber of Commerce gatherings.

“This goes well beyond increasing the exposure of Jacobsen Landscape,” he says. “It is more about becoming a part of the business and residential community that has been so good to us for so long.”

Bottom line. Of course, the investment is not all about giving local groups a free place to hold their events. The bottom line, as always, is the bottom line.

“Clients today are more discerning than ever with their money and what they are willing to spend on their properties, and this gives us more visibility and legitimacy in their eyes when deciding where to invest.” Jacobsen says.

The author is associate publisher and editor at Lawn & Landscape. He can be reached at cbowen@gie.net.