Leadership Lessons: David Snodgrass

David Snodgrass, President, Dennis’ 7 Dees
 

What have you been up to since winning the award in 2004?

That's about seven years ago, time flies. I have stayed involved with PLANET in a big way. I've focused on growing our business and just making this company all that it can be. I've done a lot of traveling, which I've always done. I like to work hard, play hard and usually go somewhere exotic every year when we slow down in January and February.

I usually pick somewhere real tropical and just get away for four to six weeks, don't call back once. It's a really good recharge. I've been doing that for about 35 years now nonstop. Since 2004, I've been to Brazil, St. Martin, the Philippines, Nicaragua. That has been an important part of my life.
 

Where are you traveling next?

This year, probably toward the end of December, we're going to go back to Nicaragua. It'll be the southern tip of Nicaragua and then down into Costa Rica probably.
 

How has the company changed since 2004?

It's been a pretty good ride. In 2004, we were doing $15 million in business. Since then, we grew it up to $24 million in 2008. Then it settled back down. Now we're doing about $18 million. So we definitely are focused on growing the business but to a point that makes sense.
 

Things seem to be going well ...

With the economy and less work out there, we still want to be responsible with the work that we do – there's just been less work for everybody and our numbers show that. When the opportunities start to show up in a bigger way as the economy starts to heat up, which it's always around the corner, it seems like we never quite got there in the last three years, but it is around the corner, we plan to be very positioned to take advantage of those opportunities and continue our growth.

Especially as things have tightened up, we've really worked on efficiency and cutting out any waste or overhead that's not necessary. We see the green movement and sustainability as something that is going to be long lived and a shift in how companies do business. And we are in the green industry, so we've made a point to be a leader for other businesses, other industries around sustainability.

We have worked really hard; even though sales dropped, our margins have risen, so we've been profitable through even these hard times. As I talk to people, that seems to be a little bit of the exception.

We're a four-generation, family business, and we've got our fourth generation really stepping in and starting to make a difference. That's exciting.

Not only the fourth generation of our immediate family – our business is really an extended family. We have a lot of our employees' children working for us, which is so great, because if they feel good enough about the company they work for to invite their children to work there too, that's probably the ultimate compliment.
 

What was the experience like being president of PLANET?

I always knew this was the industry I would end up making a career at. I just enjoy every part of it. Getting involved with PLANET is just playing at one more level, the national level. Becoming president, that was certainly a highlight of my career. Hands down it was one of the best things I've ever done. It was a goal I had set, and so not only did I achieve the goal, but I benefited so much from that experience.
 

What did you take away from the experience?

A lot of things. I've got a lot of great connections with the best companies across the country. I've got a much bigger picture of the industry and all of the moving parts. I have a bigger view of what's possible.

I was playing at the next level being president, and actually, so did the rest of my company – step up and play at a higher level. You can't have one person step up without having an impact on everyone else, and that's exactly what happened. It's not that I'm not hands on with running the business (but) I have a lot of people who make this happen and the recognition should be spread through to many.
 

Read more from Snodgrass, including his predictions for the industry and his 2004 Leadership profile, at www.lawnandlandscape.com, search “Snodgrass.”