When a little is a lot

For those expecting to see the monthly column from Editor Chuck Bowen, you must have missed last month’s column. Chuck will be stepping away to follow his dream of being an Olympic bobsledder, and has to dedicate all of his time to training for the 2018 Olympics.

Just kidding.

Chuck will be on a sabbatical until September, where I’m sure bobsledding (or bobsleighing as it’s actually called) will not cross his mind once. I’ll be attempting to fill this space with the same thought-provoking words every month like Chuck does.

I planned to write my first column for June, but Chuck threw me a curveball, and wrote his last one for our April issue.

Originally, panic set in, until I realized this column would appear in our Top 100 issue – a topic I could write about for pages. Besides our State of the Industry Report, it’s the issue I’m asked about the most.

While this list is made up of very successful companies, every year the L&L staff talks about how this is a list of the biggest companies, not the best. There are great companies out there with owners who never want to or won’t be able to make more than $1 million a year in revenue.

The industry needs companies who gross less than $1 million, just like it needs the BrightViews and Rupperts of the world.

There are great companies with owners who never want to or won’t be able to make more than $1 million a year in revenue.

LandCare’s Mike Bogan sums it up the best in our interview with him, which starts on page 55. He says one idea that’s always stuck with him is: “It doesn’t really matter how big you are. It matters how good you are.”

I was recently talking with an owner of a Top 100 company about the list, and his tone of voice led me to believe he wasn’t that impressed with being on the list.

But, he said the main reason he submits his company’s financials is because it’s a source of pride for his employees. They can look at the list and know they work for a top-notch company that is pulling in a lot of revenue each year and being recognized for it.

So, whether it’s a mention in our publication, an award from the local Chamber of Commerce or a story in the community paper, it all comes back to one thing – sometimes a little recognition can go a long, long way.

– Brian Horn