Marty Grunder: Make A Wish

Marty Grunder

If I could change one thing in the green industry, it would be the professionalism of the industry. Hold on, don't go berserk on me. As a whole, our industry is professional but I feel we still have room for improvement.

The entry into our line of work is easy and will most likely always be easy. Get a business card printed and buy a wheelbarrow and a shovel and you're in our business (for the most part). I started out that way; many of you reading this column started out that way. But along the way what drove us to success was a commitment to excellence.

The first landscaping jobs I did were not well done. In fact, to be honest with you, they were terrible. I have a hard time thinking about how awful they were. But gradually I learned a ton. And I learned by reading, going to seminars, networking with other landscapers and reading this magazine.

Today, I'm proud to say the work Grunder Landscaping Company does is high quality. I proudly show my friends, family and clients photos of our work today.

The success our company has had and will have is rooted in our high standards – high standards for all that we do. We select high quality people, plants, equipment, processes and the like. Twenty-seven years later, we ought to do something right. Our competitive advantage is our high standards. And yet, we still have so much we can improve. We're nowhere near where we could be, and I firmly believe because of our commitment to excellence, we'll be a much better organization in 10 years. And there lies the one thing I'd change about the green industry if I could.

I see some landscapers who just don't care. They don't care about the quality of work they do. They don't care about the quality of people they hire. They don't care about how they look, how their equipment looks and they sure as heck don't care what the public thinks of them.

On one hand, I'm glad for the minority that operates that way. It makes those of us who do it right look that much better.

However, if I had a choice, I'd like to see consumers know all landscapers are professionals. I'd like for all of us to be fanatics about doing everything we do the best possible way. I'd like to see us have the commitment to excellence that I see from many physicians or the commitment to excellence I see in the U.S. military.

I know the one thing I would like to see changed about our industry is impossible to ever see happen. And I can deal with that. However, I won't quit trying to get better, and I'll study amazing landscaping companies like Lambert's in Dallas and Mariani's in Chicago and other companies like Apple and Zappos and keep on improving.

A commitment to excellence makes one a winner in the green industry. I only wish everyone saw it this way.
 

Marty Grunder is a speaker, consultant and author; he owns Grunder Landscaping Co. See www.martygrunder.com; mail
marty@gie.net.