Larry Ryan steps down as Ryan Lawn & Tree president

After 38 years, Larry Ryan, the founder and president of Ryan Lawn & Tree, is stepping down from his role.

He will continue to serve Ryan as the executive chairman of the Ryan board of directors. The move coincides with two key leadership changes at the company: Chuck Monico has been promoted to CEO and Derek Osburn has joined as the new vice president of revenue generation. 

© Ryan Lawn & Tree

Under Larry’s leadership, Ryan Lawn & Tree grew from humble beginnings into a Lawn & Landscape Top 100 company. During his time as president, Larry grew Ryan from his garage to a company with six branches in major cities, over 500 associates and $80 million in annual revenue. Larry led the company with faith-based leadership principles and made the company employee-owned during his tenure in charge.

“Because of you, working together, we have built a wonderful legacy,” Larry stated in a message to employees, “Our greatness of Ryan is in each of you. Continue to build your great legacy.” 

“We have a large duty to carry on Larry’s legacy," says Phillip Fisher, Ryan's chief operating officer who's worked with Larry for 23 years. "It is a significant shift for Ryan Lawn & Tree, and we have a responsibility to our employee owners to carry on that legacy.” 

Carrying that legacy starts with Monico, who brings over three decades of industry experience. Before earning his new role as CEO, Monico served as senior director of Ryan Lawn & Tree’s Omaha branch, formerly CM’s Outdoor Solutions Group. Monico founded CM’s in 1993 and led the company for over 25 years, growing it from a team of three to 55 associates and increasing annual revenue from $130,000 to $7.5 million. Since its acquisition by Ryan Lawn & Tree in 2022, Monico has fostered mentorship and professional development, emphasizing a faith-based approach to leadership. 

“We are really pleased because Chuck comes from a company that we acquired three years ago," Larry says. "Chuck brings a unique vision into the future that is going to be so important for growing our employee-owned company.” 

“Larry envisioned and built a company founded on honoring God and serving each other and the communities where we live and work," Monico says. "We have work to do, but the foundation is strong. I will work tirelessly to ensure Larry’s mission and foundation for this company remains strong. My goal is that when I pass the torch to the next leader, that they will be able to say the same.

“Larry and his wife Kathy have demonstrated that faith and work are meant to live harmoniously," Monico adds. "They have shown us that honoring God in all that we do will set us on a firm foundation, and that our workplace is a mission field where we encourage each other to be better than we were the day before. Larry and Kathy have always and tirelessly put others first. Their legacy will live on through the service and generosity to Ryan associates and the communities we serve.” 

© Ryan Lawn & Tree

Meanwhile, Osburn joins the team with over 18 years of experience in sales and marketing. Osburn brings expertise in consumer research and data analysis, as he held key roles at brands such as Milwaukee Tool and Bushnell. 

In his new role at Ryan, Osburn will focus on driving alignment and a shared strategic vision between marketing, sales and branch operations. His work will aim to enhance growth and strengthen the Ryan Lawn & Tree brand in both existing and emerging markets.

Before joining Ryan Lawn & Tree, Osburn served as global product lane director for Bushnell’s optics division. Within that division, he was responsible for overall product strategy, as well as leadership of marketing, product development and engineering.

“Because of our growth mindset, we are taking it to the next level, with a leader to align both the sales and marketing moving forward as we expand across the nation," Fisher says. "Derek brings a unique skillset of having done both sales and marketing. He understands our adding value sales process, what the customer needs, and how it aligns with the premium services and products that Ryan offers.”