Breaking down Yardnique's latest acquisition

Joe Chiellini believes in getting his house in order before inviting people inside.

Before he sold his company, ASI Landscape Management, he wanted to fix the company’s EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). After being in growth mode for so long, Chiellini says he needed to tighten up operations and even shut down their construction division.

“I knew it would be more appealing to companies that were out there if I got my affairs in order,” Chiellini says. “And listen, I only get to do this once, right? So I had to make sure of two things: my family was taken care of, and my team was taken care of.”

Recently, Chiellini completed an asset sale to Yardnique, the No. 22 company on Lawn & Landscape’s Top 100 list in 2024. Chiellini and Yardnique’s CEO Brian DuMont kicked the M&A tires two years ago, but Chiellini – who still has some ownership in his company – says ASI wasn’t ready for the sale.

Still, Chiellini remained open to the idea. While there were other suitors along the way who approached ASI about acquisitions, DuMont’s story of how he built the company resonated most.

“That’s one of the reasons I was so interested in Yardnique – we might have equity behind us, but we are landscapers. We’re going to go together,” Chiellini says. “We’re horticulturally minded, and that is needed in this industry bad.”

So, the two got to know each other. They visited each other’s houses and texted about how their kids were doing in sports on the weekends.

“When we first had the opportunity to talk, I was blown away with Joe’s personality, his larger-than-life attitude, and the team that he built was really, really impressive,” DuMont says. “There’s a lot of deals out there, a lot of companies out there, but when you find somebody like Joe and the culture that he really focused on, the team that he built, it was somebody that I wanted to get to know more. Joe and I really became friends before we did anything.”

That’s not to suggest there weren’t still big emotions to navigate. Chiellini says he “bawled like a baby” in his truck the moment lawyers all finalized the deal, which he’s heard for years from other landscapers is part of the M&A process. After all, Chiellini spent 28 years building ASI. “I had 200 team members, we took care of their families, we put kids through school and put dinners on tables, and now we’re going in a different direction,” he says.

But now, Chiellini’s 200 employees at ASI join a company with 2,500 employees and $155 million in annual revenue. He believes it creates even more upward mobility for his team, plus if anyone’s interested in geographically relocating, there’s an opportunity to stay within the company even after moving to states like Georgia or the Carolinas.

Still, DuMont recognizes that the employees need to trust that the acquisition creates opportunities, not complications. The two teamed up to jointly make the acquisition announcement to ASI employees the day after the deal closed. DuMont says that less is more in terms of operational changes, and they stressed that the deal was a partnership, not a takeover.

DuMont and Chiellini.

“It starts with putting yourself in their shoes. I’ve never sat in the seat that they’re sitting in,” DuMont says. “There’s probably a lot of fear, and that time is the only thing that’s going to help with this deal. Being completely honest and open to suggestions and comments – I’ve always said we’ve got to earn the right to respect.”

There are still things on the operations side to iron out. Chiellini is the vice president of operations and expects to manage employees on the Gulf Coast in Florida, where his branch exists. For the moment, ASI will retain its brand but be a part of “the Yardnique family of companies.”

“Our goal is to have all companies that come into us, whether it’s previous owner who’s still on board or key leadership people, that say, ‘Hey, DuMont, we want to be part of Yardnique,’” DuMont says. “That could take six months, that might be three-plus years and we’re still operating as ASI. We’re doing what’s right for our customers and employees, but that doesn’t mean we’re not integrating and rolling into the Yardnique family.”