Something to consider

Here at Lawn & Landscape, we try every month to produce content that helps you run your business better. We focus on culture, operations, hiring and retention and all the nuts and bolts to help you lead a successful landscaping company.

But every once in a while, we put the spotlight on a topic that’s outside the box. This month, Brad Stephenson, an occasional contributor and CEO of New Castle Lawn & Landscape in Pennsylvania, shares his story of addiction and recovery and how it ties specifically to the industry.

“Landscaping is an incredibly demanding job, both physically and mentally, and it often comes with its share of aches and pains,” Stephenson told me. “I remember being 18 years old, working for a landscaping company, and heading to the bar with my coworkers after a long day. I’ll never forget how we’d hold cold beer glasses with just our fingertips because our hands were bloodied from lifting and setting pavers without gloves. Our bodies ached, and drinking became the way we numbed that pain. And, yes, I got served at 18.”

Some of you are still in the field, while some of you have transitioned from being an owner who works in the field to an owner who works on the business in a leadership role. Do you remember those physically taxing days and how you dealt with the pain?

I’m not saying you need to hold every employee’s hand but remember to check in with them and try to lighten the load where possible. That could be by improving your equipment or, if possible, adding a person to a crew even if it hurts the bottom line a little. Review your safety procedures and work with your employees on improving them to avoid future injuries.

Hopefully this column and Brad’s story prompts you to stop and think about the aches and pains of working in the field, and how those aches and pains carry over even after employees are off the clock.

— Brian Horn