LOVING has introduced Wes Miller as its new president.

Miller formerly served as the co-founder and president at Icon Management in Florida. He boasts a career spanning multiple roles since 2007. His leadership transformed a team of three into a workforce of 2,000 employees, extending services into five states.

Miller’s expertise in customer service and operations yielded substantial results for Icon, including its sale to Troon Golf Management, the world’s largest golf course management company.

“I’ve known Wes since our expansion into Florida and have gained an immense amount of respect for who he is and how he leads,” says Mike Haynes, founder and CEO of LOVING. “We’ve been on the search for a seasoned leader to assume the duties of president for over a year, so when discussions began with Wes of his interest in joining our organization, I was elated to say the least. Wes has both the skills and experience that will serve our organization extremely well as we enter our next phase of opportunity and expansion.”

“What truly drew me to LOVING is its team,” Miller says. “To be a part of and help lead an organization that values people as much as profits, alongside leaders who embody the company’s culture daily, is a remarkable opportunity. I am grateful to Mike for this chance and am so excited for LOVING’s future, our dedicated team members and our valued clients.”

Miller’s roots trace back to Johnson City, Tennessee, and he later graduated from Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City with a degree in business administration. During his college career, Miller was named captain of the NCAA Golf Team. In 2000, Miller married the love his life, Meredith, with whom they have two children: Claire (11) and Caleb (9). Outside of his professional life, Miller enjoys spending time with family, volunteering with the local church and always loves the opportunity to slip in a round of golf.

HeartLand sold to PPC

Sterling Investment Partners sold the Top 100 company to Pritzker Private Capital.

Kansas-City based HeartLand has been sold to Pritzker Private Capital.

Founded in 2016, HeartLand, previously owned by Sterling Investment Partners, is a commercial landscaping company with more than 4,000 employees and more than 60 branches servicing 26 states. HeartLand operates through 18 local operating companies.

HeartLand’s leadership team includes Founder and Chief Executive Officer Edward Schatz Jr, Chief Operations Officer Bill Dellecker, Chief Financial Officer Peter Welch and Chief Development Officer Rob McDonnell.

Heartland ranked 6th on Lawn & Landscape’s 2023 Top 100 list with $434 million in revenue.

“In partnership with Sterling, we’ve built a scalable national landscape services platform, establishing ourselves as an acquirer of choice in the industry while continuing to be a trusted service provider for our customers,“ Schatz says. “Our shared vision and strategic early investments in people, processes and systems have fueled our exponential growth and I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished in just over four years together. Sterling has been an ideal partner and we’re incredibly appreciative of their mentorship and support.”

SavATree expands its canopy with 3 new mergers

SavATree has merged with Arborscapes, Mr. Amoto Lawn & Tree Service and Sussex Tree, expanding their national reach to 34 states.

SavATree is merging with Arborscapes, Mr. Amoto Lawn & Tree Service and Sussex Tree. These partnerships will bring SavATree to Nebraska and North Carolina for the first time, enabling SavATree to service 34 states throughout the U.S.

"Our vision at SavATree is to cultivate a national team where expertise, resources, and passion for the environment are shared and valued. Partnering with Arborscapes, Mr. Amoto, and Sussex Tree exemplifies the magic we create together – it's an environment where companies thrive, cultures blend, and the future is greener," says Carmine Schiavone, CEO of SavATree.

Arborscapes, with two decades of experience in enhancing outdoor living for Charlotte, North Carolina residents, is a trusted leader in tree and plant health care services, as well as landscape implementation, design, and maintenance. Founded by Jason Tebben and Nathan Morrison, their entrepreneurial path began when they were kids as classmates in school.

“Our lifelong passion for nature blossomed into Arborscapes, a brand that's become synonymous with excellence in the greater Charlotte market. For us, this partnership is about scaling our reach and enhancing our capabilities without losing the essence of what has made Arborscapes a household name,” Tebben says.

Since 1996, owners Rob Boyd, Matt Boyd and Matt Miller, have run Mr. Amoto Lawn & Tree Service in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“There is a strong alignment between our values and services and those of SavATree, which is why we chose them as our partner. With the resources SavATree provides, we see a huge opportunity to offer customers industry-leading quality in the Lincoln market and the greater Omaha area,” Boyd says.

Sussex Tree, with two locations in Bridgeville and Lewes, Delaware and over 35 years of local expertise, is renowned for its high-quality tree care, plant health care, irrigation, landscaping and crane services. Run by the father-son team of Jeffrey Meredith Sr. and Jeffrey Meredith Jr., the company built a legacy based on integrity, quality and expertise, which they bring to SavATree to create a greater presence in the Delmarva region.

“I'm incredibly proud of what we've built with Sussex Tree, and I'm thrilled about the opportunities that partnering with SavATree brings. This partnership enables us to bring arboricultural expertise to a broader group of customers, while also offering our customer-base an expanded suite of services, like professional lawn care,” Meredith says.

Electric Sheep acquires 2 more landscaping businesses

The AI Robotics company recently acquired Westar Landscaping and Caliscapes.

Electric Sheep has made two new acquisitions of landscaping businesses — Westar Landscaping and Caliscapes. This makes four landscaping businesses that Electric Sheep has acquired in recent months.

Electric Sheep is an outdoor maintenance company powered by artificial intelligence and robotics. It acquires traditional outdoor service providers and progressively transforms operations by deploying its proprietary AI software and robots. Electric Sheep has grown revenues 8x since implementing this model and has a growing pipeline of interested businesses that can enable the company 10x growth in 2024.

“The ESR business model of acquiring landscaping businesses and improving their margins by augmenting workers with automation is radically innovative, and a sustainable, rapidly scalable way to build moonshot robotics,” says Pieter Abbeel, professor in AI and Robotics at UC Berkeley, co-founder and chief scientist at Covariant, and long-time scientific advisor to Electric Sheep. “As this model scales, ESR is poised to build an RL factory to train AI agents for sustainable outdoor work. I'm excited to support their mission.”

Electric Sheep’s ML models are designed to automate various physical tasks like mowing and sweeping and knowledge work like inventory management, customer success and marketing. The robots explore, map, navigate and manipulate the physical world around them including HOAs, parks, university campuses and more. Electric Sheep’s robots don’t require an engineer on site — they can just be shipped to the site and begin tasks alongside the crew. This is only possible through Electric Sheep’s full stack data channel and the large volume of data that the robots are continually trained on.

“Electric Sheep is at a critical point in its growth; acquiring Westar and Caliscapes builds on our successful business model of injecting advanced AI and robotics into traditional landscaping companies and significantly increasing their value,” says Nag Murty, CEO and co-founder of Electric Sheep. “We’re bringing a new business model to an industry that is ripe for innovation; by acquiring these businesses first and incorporating this full data and AI deployment engine, we are creating a fully scalable and sustainable business that is really a first in the outdoor services market.”

“We continue to acquire companies in major metro areas that have a strong customer base, well-maintained equipment and exceptional facilities,” adds Jarrett Herold, COO and co-founder of Electric Sheep. “In California in particular, electrification is a major priority, and starting in 2024, the sale of new gas-powered blowers, mowers, weed trimmers and chainsaws will be banned in the state. With both Westar and Caliscapes based in California, we are building out our footprint to bring electrification to landscaping for regions that are demanding it. We will also be focusing on implementing robotics for tasks like fire abatement which is becoming a more urgent issue for counties in California.”

Bartlett Tree Experts acquires Town Branch in Kentucky

Bartlett enters the Lexington market with a new team of 10 arborists and founders Jesse and Sara Hesley.

Bartlett Tree Experts has entered a new market in the state of Kentucky by acquiring Town Branch Tree Experts in Lexington. The acquisition closed Nov. 6.

Town Branch Tree Experts was founded by Jesse and Sara Hesley in 2011. With Bartlett’s acquisition of the business, the Hesleys have joined Bartlett in Bartlett’s new Lexington office, along with their team of 10 arborists.

Jesse Hesley brings a wealth of experience and credentials in the tree care industry to his new role as local manager and arborist representative. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, Hesley worked as a crew leader for a consulting arborist in Lexington. He then moved to California and gained experience working for Bartlett Tree Experts as an arborist representative and crew leader in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving back to Kentucky, eventually launching the company with his wife, Sara. Jesse Hesley is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist and TCIA Certified Tree Care Safety Professional.

“We are excited to welcome back Jesse Hesley and the talented Town Branch team,” says Jim Ingram, president and chief operating officer of Bartlett Tree Experts. “Expanding our full range of scientific tree care services in Lexington, Kentucky assists us in providing a full range of scientific tree and shrub care services for our customers to maintain healthy, beautiful landscapes.”

The acquisition introduces Bartlett’s scientific tree care services in the state of Kentucky, with Bartlett’s new Lexington office serving commercial and residential client landscapes in Lexington and surrounding counties. The acquisition raises the number of U.S. states that Bartlett now operates in to 40.

“Town Branch has an incredible reputation as a resource for excellent arboriculture, and that success made them an attractive company for Bartlett Tree Experts to bring onboard,” says Vinny Rozette, vice president of Bartlett’s Western Pennsylvania and Ohio Division. “They have a skilled team of arborists and a strong culture which aligned very well with ours. They care about each other, care about learning, and care about delivering great arboriculture. Our team is excited to grow in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky with such a passionate and talented group of arborists for the benefit of our clients’ landscapes.”

Joshua Tree Experts sign second franchise

The tree and lawn care franchise is expanding with a father-and-son team of franchisees in the Pittsburgh area.

Joshua Tree Experts, the Pennsylvania-based home services franchise that provides tree maintenance, lawn care and pest control services, is expanding in Pittsburgh. Seth and Caleb Hill, a father-and-son duo, are set to open two territories in the Pittsburgh area on March 1, 2024.

Caleb Hill, 27, first considered the idea of franchising with Joshua Tree Experts while serving with the Army in Iraq.

“While serving, I had the opportunity to complete a tour in Iraq alongside Dylan DeGroat, the director of franchise development for Joshua Tree Experts,” he says. “One night, we were talking about our lives back in Pennsylvania, and he brought up his family business. It struck me as a fantastic idea, and given my experience, I decided to look into it more.”

Seth Hill has more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing engineering. During the pandemic, he was laid off and in need of a new opportunity.

Though Seth and Caleb Hill previously considered starting their own business, they felt unsure of where to start.

“Before franchising, we opened an LLC where we did some real estate work,” Seth says “What we’ve learned is that getting into business by yourself can be daunting, but having someone to guide us through the process has been incredibly beneficial.”

“The industry is really booming right now, and single-family homes, our target demographic, account for the largest component of that market,” says Joshua Malik, founder and CEO of Joshua Tree Experts. “It is the recurring revenue that we want franchisees to know can be a great asset to their business.”

Joshua Tree Experts is looking at the following markets to continue its growth: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Juniper acquires Houston-based Shooter and Lindsey

This is Juniper’s first acquisition outside of the state of Florida and brings the company to a total of 26 branch locations.

Juniper Landscaping has acquired Shooter and Lindsey, a landscaping maintenance and installation provider serving the greater Houston market.

Juniper’s partnership with Shooter and Lindsey represents Juniper’s first acquisition outside of the state of Florida and brings the company to a total of 26 branch locations. The company ranked No. 19 on Lawn & Landscape’s Top 100 list last year.

Shooter and Lindsey’s President, Brian Schmitt, will remain a co-owner and continue to lead the branch with support from Juniper’s corporate team in Florida.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Juniper team to continue scaling our business in Houston and other Texas markets,” Schmitt says. “This partnership will allow us to take on additional maintenance accounts and larger landscape installation projects while continuing to provide the highest service quality to our existing clients. We are excited to also pursue additional acquisitions in our core markets with help from Juniper’s dedicated corporate development team and infrastructure.”

Founded in 1979, Shooter and Lindsey has served customers for more than four decades, serving the greater Houston metropolitan area since 1990.

“Partnering with Shooter provides Juniper with an excellent opportunity to build a platform for further expansion across Texas,” says Brandon Duke, CEO of Juniper. “Brian has built an outstanding business and we are looking forward to welcoming his talented team to the Juniper family.”

Great Lakes Ground Management acquires Raymond’s Landscaping

Raymond’s Landscaping served clients in Amherst, Ohio, for 14 years.

Great Lakes Ground Management has acquired Raymond’s Landscaping in Amherst, Ohio.

Great Lakes Ground Management provides a range of aesthetic and maintenance services that span grounds management, landscape installation, tree care, weed and pest management, snow and ice management.

Raymond’s Landscaping served Amherst for 14 years, and current clients will resume their work with Great Lakes services.

LandCare promotes Hiltzheimer, Bogan to market VPs

Hiltzheimer and Bogan will respectively oversee the company’s operations in Georgia and central Texas.

LandCare has promoted Tre Hiltzheimer and Jensen Bogan as market vice presidents. Hiltzheimer and Bogan will oversee the company’s operations in Georgia and central Texas, respectively.

Having joined LandCare in 2003, Hiltzheimer was responsible for account management and enhancement solutions in the Atlanta market before assuming a branch manager role in 2011.

“Tre has been a driving force behind the flourishing growth in the Atlanta market,” says Scott Watson, LandCare’s southeast divisional vice president. “Not only has he cultivated lasting partnerships that have necessitated branch expansion, but he has created development opportunities for team members in the Atlanta area. I look forward to the impact that Tre will have on the growing Georgia region as it continues to expand.”

Bogan began her career with LandCare’s Austin branch team in 2020, integrating her background in hospitality management. She was soon promoted to branch manager and while in this role, she increased the branch portfolio 1.5 times in less than 12 months. Under her leadership, she developed and promoted two team members, including one to a branch manager role.

“Jensen has exemplified the drive and culture of a LandCare leader,” says Zachary Belcher, central division vice president. “Her commitment to fostering a strong team and focusing not only on the client and team relationships, but also on branch operations has prepared her to lead and grow the Austin and San Antonio teams.”

Ruppert Landscape promotes Wells to regional VP

Sam Wells will continue to oversee operations in the company’s three North Carolina landscaping branches and will take on oversight of the company’s Georgia branches.

Ruppert Landscape recently promoted Sam Wells to regional vice president in the company’s landscape management division.

In this capacity, Wells will continue to oversee operations in the company’s three North Carolina landscape management branches (Raleigh, Durham, and Charlotte) and will take on oversight of the company’s Georgia landscape management branches (Lilburn, Mableton, and Alpharetta).

Wells holds a bachelor’s degree in applied horticulture from SUNY Cobleskill and is a landscape industry-certified technician and certified commercial applicator. He has over 29 years of landscape industry experience, having begun his career as an intern with Ruppert in 1994.

After the sale of the company in 1998, he held branch manager positions with some of the largest organizations in the industry before deciding to rejoin Ruppert in 2017. In 2019, he was recognized with the Achievement Award, one of the company’s top honors. In 2021, he helped facilitate the opening of the Durham branch and stepped in as branch manager. He was shortly thereafter promoted to Region Manager overseeing all of North Carolina.

Ruppert ranked No. 14 on Lawn & Landscape’s Top 100 list last year.

“We eagerly anticipate the ongoing development and leadership that Sam will bring to the North Carolina and Georgia regions and the branches he will be supporting,” says Tom Barry, president of Ruppert’s landscape management division.

Takeuchi founder inducted into AEM Hall of Fame

Akio Takeuchi was inducted into the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Hall of Fame during AEM’s Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Akio Takeuchi was inducted into the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Hall of Fame in November during AEM’s Annual Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A few weeks past his 90th birthday and the 60th anniversary of founding the company, Takeuchi traveled from Japan to receive this honor. He is the first person from Asia to be inducted into the AEM Hall of Fame.

“Since 2008, the AEM Hall of Fame has honored the dedicated individuals who have invented, managed, built and led the off-road equipment industry, and we are pleased to welcome Akio Takeuchi into this elite group,” says AEM President Megan Tanel. “His innovation and creativity have inspired the next generation to continue our industry’s commitment to enhancing productivity, sustainability and economic and social prosperity.”

In 1963, Akio Takeuchi founded Takeuchi Manufacturing Co. A few years later, a local business partner and builder asked him to develop a machine that would help his employees do their jobs faster, easier and with less manual labor. The result was the world’s first compact excavator. Takeuchi’s desire to keep innovating continued in 1980 with the world’s first offset boom, allowing the operator to dig on either side of the machine.

In September 1986, Takeuchi developed the world’s first track loader after Mr. Takeuchi noticed a conventional wheeled skid-steer loader getting stuck in the mud, rendering it useless. The first use of hydraulic pilot controls took place that same year, allowing for precise operation of the machine and attachments. More recently, Takeuchi met the wave of electrification head on, introducing the new TB20e electric excavator in February 2022.

“For more than 40 years, Mr. Takeuchi has visited our Research & Development department every day to discuss the ideal Takeuchi machine,” says Hiroshi Yokoyama, Takeuchi’s R & D manager. “He asks us to create new products and services no one else offers. He wants our machines to be more durable and reliable than the competition, with more robust features that can change the way our customers do business.”

“It has been both a personal and professional honor to spend my entire career working for Mr. Takeuchi,” says Clay Eubanks, Takeuchi’s director of global sales. “The passion, creativity and humility with which he has built our company is truly inspiring. His focus on the customer, combined with always doing the right thing, has set an example that his team of global employees have followed for decades.”