During the opening panel at Aspire Software's Ignite event, host Jon Gohl — the director of customer experience at Aspire — asked Britt Wood about misconceptions people have about the industry.

Wood, executive director of the National Association of Landscape Professionals, recalled a recent NALP field trip to Washington DC with more than 40 representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The point of the field trip was to show the EPA how professionals apply lawn care products. He said the representatives were surprised at how professionally the pesticides and fertilizers were applied. With many not realizing the professionalism of the industry, Wood urged the audience to realize how much education a green industry professional can provide the public.

“Stop being so humble; you do amazing stuff," Wood says. “You may think it’s boring, but they are very interested. Brag about what you do.”

Aspire and Field Routes hosted the event in Orlando in late August. The event included a keynote speech from Kat Cole, the CEO of AG1. Education sessions included lessons on continuous software implementation and key steps to leadership delegation, which you can read in our full coverage online at bit.ly/ignitelawn or by scanning the QR code above.

Questions and more questions

When Cole was nine years old, her mother made the decision to leave her husband and Kat’s father, who she says was an alcoholic. Cole, who kicked off the final day of the event, says her dad, who has now recovered, was arrested twice for drunk driving with her in the car. When Cole’s mom told her they were leaving, Cole said “what took you so long?”

Not quite the reasoned reaction one might expect, so it’s no surprise Cole has gone from a Hooter’s restaurant hostess to a successful CEO. Cole is now CEO of AG1, formerly Athletic Greens, but also led the turnaround of Cinnabon in the early 2010s.

Cole applied a business lesson to her mom not leaving her dad sooner. She says that the people closest to an action know what to do sooner than the leader, but the leader has so many more considerations.

“People close to action lack language to articulate the full problem or solution and they don’t have the authority to make a wholesale change,” she says.

Cole climbed the ladder from hostess to helping owners open new Hooters restaurants all over the county. After opening a restaurant, she would apply her "Make My Day Difficult" approach. She would ask employees what made their day difficult, look for patterns and then try and fix the most commonly mentioned. Cole adds now that she established a culture where employees felt comfortable responding honestly. This meant employees could tell her that Cole was doing something to make their days difficult, too.

She asked a series of questions when she helped turn Cinnabon around during the Great Recession. Cinnabon was in malls and airports, and during the recession, people weren’t travelling or flying as much as they did before the recession. Cinnabon took a hit.

She would ask store owners, “What’s one thing we should stop doing to make the business better, what’s one thing we should start doing and what’s one thing you would do differently?” She would also dig deeper and ask them what they have to say no to a lot. That means customers want something they don’t offer. Overall, Cole says the more you communicate with people, the more open they will be to giving you feedback.

“Confront reality…sometimes employees don’t see it like you,” she says.

Caterpillar loads up new SSLs, CTLs

The company expanded its loader lineups with new skid-steer loaders and compact track loaders, which were revealed at a media event in Peoria, Illinois.

By Jimmy Miller

Caterpillar has expanded its lineups of skid-steer loaders and compact track loaders.

The company revealed its Cat 250, 260, 270 and 270 XE skid-steer loaders and Cat 275, 275 XE, 285 and 285 XE CTLs at a media event in Peoria, Illinois. Notably, the 285 and 285 XE mark the company’s largest-ever entries in its CTL lineup, which expanded in 2023 with the introduction of the 255 and 265.

The event included a grand reveal at its 150,000-square-foot dirt testing arena, machine walkthrough stations and a customer panel with those who tested out the new skid-steers and CTLs.

Lawn & Landscape was on site for the demonstrations. Below is some information about the machines’ lift heights, rated operating capacities, and tilt and lift breakout forces. Catch up with more on the loaders’ hydraulic standards, new Caterpillar engines and how the company has improved its cab by visiting bit.ly/lawncat or by scanning the QR code above.

Delivering more

Marketing Manager Dante Thomas joked often at the event that Caterpillar’s motto for the day was “more.” At one point, while he walked attendees through the new machines in a press briefing, he likened the increased performance of the machines to getting ice cream with your choice of caramel, chocolate or sprinkles on top.

“You’re able to get a little bit more for what you’re looking for to accomplish different jobs,” Thomas says.

Ultimately, the new models all offer more rated operating capacities and tilt and lift breakout forces over the D3 series they replace. All machines are made with a vertical lift design. The smallest of the new skid-steer loader models, the 250, offers a rated operating capacity at 2,916 pounds. The rated operating capacity on the additional SSLs, which is measured as 50% of the machine’s tipping load, is 3,390 pounds on the 26 and, 3,914 on the 270. The 270 XE, which offers the high-flow hydraulic capability option like all other XE machines Caterpillar revealed, offers a rated operating capacity of 4,372 pounds.

On the new CTLs, the rated operating capacity is calculated by using 35% of the tipping load. The 275 offers 4,261 pounds of rated operating capacity, while the 275 XE manages 4,484 pounds.

Photo: Jimmy Miller

The 285 and 285 XE respectively manage 4,719 and 4,816 pounds of rated operating capacity.

Up, up and away

Caterpillar product experts say all new models offer increased lift heights over the previous machines they replace. The Cat 250 skid-steer loader’s lift height reaches 124 inches, which is three inches higher than the 242D3. The Cat 260’s lift height of 132 inches is seven inches higher than the 262D3. The 270 and 270 XE reach 133.5 inches in lift height, which is 6.4 inches taller than the 272D3.

Meanwhile, the 275 and 275 XE CTLs also include higher limits than the D3 models. They reach 134.4 inches, which is eight inches more than the 299D3. The 285 and 285 XE enter a new class size for Caterpillar, so while there’s no comparable machine in its lineup, they reach 146 inches of lift height.

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Senske Services acquires Nutri Green Lawn Treatment & Weed Control

Nutri Green was founded in 2007 by Mark Monroe, who started the business from his garage with his stepson.

Senske Family of Companies has acquired Nutri Green Lawn Treatment & Weed Control, a lawn care company in Fort Worth, Texas.

Nutri Green was founded in 2007 by Mark Monroe, who started the business from his garage with his stepson. Over the years, Nutri Green has become a trusted name in the North Texas area, offering specialized lawn fertilization, weed control and tree and shrub care services.

In 2017, the company moved to a larger facility to accommodate its growing team and customer base.

“Senske is thrilled to welcome Nutri Green Lawn Treatment & Weed Control to our growing family of companies,” says Casey Taylor, CEO of Senske Family of Companies.

“Mark Monroe's focus on quality and strategic growth in the Fort Worth area has created a solid foundation, and we are excited to build upon it as we continue to grow our presence in Texas."

“I’ve always believed that if we provide honest service, great results and education to the customer and create a culture of doing only our very best for employees, vendors, and everyone concerned that in the end, we will win by leaving a legacy of good will and best intent. I carefully chose Senske as the best fit to carry on that legacy,” Monroe adds.

LawnPro Partners acquires Fairway Lawn & Tree Service

LawnPro’s newest acquisition was founded in 2004 by Tom Fair in Massachusetts.

LawnPro Partners, a platform focused on residential lawn care treatment, tree, shrub and pest control services that is backed by HCI Equity Partners, has acquired Fairway Lawn & Tree Service. Fairway represents the sixth acquisition for LawnPro Partners, which also recently acquired LawnRx.

Financial terms were not disclosed for the Fairway deal.

Founded in 2004 by Tom Fair, Fairway Lawn & Tree Service provides lawn care treatment and tree, shrub and pest control services to residential and commercial customers in Cape Cod, Massachusetts through two locations located in Harwich and Mashpee. Fairway expands LawnPro’s geographic footprint to New England and represents the first acquisition in Massachusetts.

“We’re proud to welcome the tremendous team at Fairway Lawn & Tree Service to the LawnPro Partners family of lawn care brands, says Bill Viveen, CEO of LawnPro. Fairway has been delivering exceptional services to their Cape Cod customers for over 20 years in large part due to the high-performing culture of the business. The entire LawnPro Partner family is enthusiastic about our growing strength across the Northeast.”

Bower & Branch acquires Tilly

On the heels of the design acquisition, private investment firm Denver Angels will lead a Series Seed funding round for Bower & Branch.

EdenGrene (dba Bower & Branch), an online marketplace for independent growers to sell trees and plants direct to consumers, has acquired Tilly, a virtual landscape design service that creates custom design plans for homeowners and landscape contractors.

The newly combined company will focus on building Tilly’s existing Pro Network to offer landscape design fulfillment and professional installation of landscapes to clients across the country.

All customers will have access to design solutions and tree and plant fulfillment, whether they seek a singular tree or a multitude.

Private investment firm Denver Angels will lead a Series Seed funding round for Bower & Branch.

Don Eaton, CEO of Bower & Branch, founded Bower & Branch while managing his family’s 175-acre farm in Pennsylvania. He spent years studying the industry and recognized the need to digitize grower inventories for sale online.

Bower & Branch specializes in trees that cannot be shipped in a box but are delivered via an extensive trucking network. Their product includes bulk plant orders and trees up to 30 feet tall which are delivered straight from their expansive grower network to the homeowner’s curb.

Tilly allows homeowners to collaborate directly with a professional over video chat rather than outsourcing the work overseas. The team includes landscape designers across the U.S. who are matched with a customer based on their regional expertise.

Tilly’s CEO, Alexis Sutton, CMO Sarah Finazzo and design director Cate Singleton will transition to Bower & Branch, with Sutton becoming president of the combined entity and focusing on the expansion of the Pro Network and Finazzo becoming chief communications officer.

Virginia Green welcomes new director of acquisitions

Matthew Austin brings over 20 years of experience in private equity, investment banking and financial.

Virginia Green has appointed Matthew Austin as the company's director of acquisitions.

Austin brings over 20 years of experience in private equity, investment banking and financial planning and analysis. His experience includes strategy and business development, business valuation, transaction diligence and execution, as well as assisting management teams in building businesses.

As a managing director at Keiter Advisors, Austin sourced and executed a sell-side advisory, buy-side advisory and consulting assignments in a variety of industries. He has worked with owners of companies to successfully sell their businesses, led efforts to buy businesses for clients and provided strategic advice to business management teams.

As a director with the private equity firm Virginia Capital Partners, he participated in the origination of new investment opportunities, led due diligence efforts and assisted portfolio company management teams in executing their business plans.

His expertise in identifying opportunities and executing strategic initiatives aligns with Virginia Green's commitment to providing lawn care services to its growing customer base

TruGreen appoints new CMO

Alyssa Puketza previously served as a vice president.

TruGreen has appointed Alyssa Puketza as its senior vice president & chief marketing officer.

As part of the company’s executive team, she will be responsible for all marketing efforts, including brand management, partnerships, campaign programs, market research and advertising.

Prior to this promotion, Puketza was serving as vice president, digital marketing & communications at TruGreen.

Puketza has over a decade of experience in the strategic marketing field. Before TruGreen, she served as head of performance marketing at Culligan International where she emphasized her skills in e-commerce, website-user experience, and marketing strategies with data-driven results.

Earlier in her career, she also held leadership roles at Timberlane and Proscape Technologies.

“From the beginning of her TruGreen career, Alyssa has been instrumental across all aspects of marketing, making significant contributions that have paved the way for this well-deserved promotion,” says Kurt Kane, president and CEO of TruGreen. “Her proven track record is a testament to the ongoing success of our marketing team. With her enhanced leadership, we are confident that, as ‘One Team Together,’ we will continue to elevate our brand’s presence and deepen our engagement with our customers.”

As CMO, Puketza will oversee all marketing initiatives including TruGreen’s PGA partnership, field marketing, digital presence and customer communications.

Massey Services promotes Wiggins to manage SW Florida region

Tim Wiggins will oversee operations of all service centers in Naples, Sarasota, Bradenton, Port Charlotte and more.

Massey Services has promoted Tim Wiggins to regional manager of the Southwest Florida Region. In this new position, Wiggins will oversee operations of all service centers in Southwest Florida, including Naples, Sarasota, Bradenton, Port Charlotte, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs.

Wiggins joined the Massey Services team in 2011, serving in a number of operational positions including inspector, service manager and general manager. Most recently, Wiggins served as a director of sales for the Southwest, Southeast, East and Northeast regions in Florida.

“Tim brings a wealth of experience to his new role. His excellent leadership and sales skills will help provide continued support and strength to our Southwest Florida team,” says Ed Dougherty, executive vice president and COO of Massey Services. “We congratulate him on this well-deserved promotion and look forward to his continued success in this new role.”

Wiggins graduated from University of Central Florida, receiving a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Massey Services ranked No. 30 on Lawn & Landscape's Top 100 list in 2024.

Fairway acquires 3 companies in Tampa Bay region

Texas-based Fairway added Earth’s Best Natural Pest Management, Arbor Bay and Southern Care Lawn and Pest.

Fairway has grown its footprint and service portfolio in the Tampa Bay region by adding Earth’s Best Natural Pest Management, Arbor Bay and Southern Care Lawn and Pest.

These new businesses offer pest control, tree services and full-service lawn and horticulture services.

Earth’s Best offers natural and organic pest control, using eco-friendly treatments in Florida with their orange oil termite spot treatments. Arbor Bay historically focused on tree trimming and removal but has recently expanded into tree and ornamental plant health services. And Southern Care Lawn and Pest delivers a full selection of services from traditional lawn fertilization and weed control to insect, pest and disease management, and tree and ornamental care.

“Florida is a key state for green residential services," says Fairway CEO Greg Harbison. "The Tampa Bay area provides a great hub for Fairway to grow our portfolio of brands, and most importantly, to provide a greater variety of services to our customers. Earth’s Best, Arbor Bay, and Southern Care allow us to do just that. Even better, they all share our values of delivering service excellence to our customers and an employer-of-choice culture to our employees.”

“Finding the right platform that would not only help us grow Earth’s Best but also respect the unique nature of our business was really important to me,” says Bill Ezzo, founder of Earth’s Best. “Fairway offers both of those things.”

“It wasn’t about selling for us. It was about finding the right strategic fit to help us take Arbor Bay in new directions for the future, to build on what we have already accomplished," say Arbor Bay founders Michael and Christine Marciniak in a joint statement. "We found that with Fairway.”