Landscape Management, April 2012

LAWNCAREPRO LMS OPERATOR OF THE MONTH BY DAN JACOBS Danny Milligan president of Strathmore Landscape is proud of the companys latest environmental initiative We cannot change from gas powered trucks completely but we are moving in the direction of sustainability one step at a time Milligan along with daughter Jessica and son Gordon talked a little bit about how the industry has changed over the years and how business is different in Americas northern neighbor 33 APRIL 2012 LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET AT A GLANCE NAME Danny Gordon Jessica Milligan COMPANY Strathmore Landscape YEAR FOUNDED 1960s YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY 40 plus INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT Members of ASHOQ Quebec Ornamental Horticulture Association and CNLA Certi cation Committee EDUCATION Very little formal education Lots of learning at industry conferences and seminars HOBBIES DM Reading walking JM and GM Cross t All 3 Family vacations FAMILY Danny is married to Cathy and together they have 6 children They also have one granddaughter Jessicas daughter Mia WEBSITE pslc ca How did you get into the industry Dannys father Elmer did landscaping when Danny was a child Danny helped him Elmer opened a garden center and Danny started taking planting jobs for garden center customers when he was 17 Gordon joined the company while he was still in high school and Jessica started in 2004 What makes your company unique Our clients dont simply need a contractor they need us to be their eyes and ears for their buildings exterior appearance We offer them proactive professional management Tell us about your electric vehicle Strathmore launched Quebecs only zero emissions landscape maintenance team in April 2011 This team of skilled horticultural technicians drive Québecs rst privately owned Goupil electric vehicle This compact truck can operate for a full week on a single electrical charge The zero emissions team does not use gas powered tools Their work is done by hand or with professionalgrade battery powered tools All green waste is composted and used to enrich acres of local topsoil Do you have challenges in Canada that your American counterparts dont face Herbicide restrictions in the past ve years Weve adapted our systems and processes to focus more on total lawn health preventative rather than reactive treatments Can you describe your market and your customers Urban commercial properties and suburban shopping lifestyle centers We work with property managers who are focused on balancing their budgets while maintaining an excellent exterior image To what do you attribute your 100 retention rate in 2010 We dont wait for customers to tell us theres a problem We partner with the customer and propose upgrades and improvements establish long term plans and budgets and participate actively in the success of their building What is your strategy for growth We focus on what we can be the best at Any new growth has to be in line with our budget and has to be done systematically Instituting standardized work practices has allowed us to grow quickly and pro tably with very little stress Whats the best part of your job DM Touring jobs after the owers are planted GM Being outside JM Seeing our employees succeed at work and in life What is the most signi cant moment in your business career Writing our value statement together with the employees and then turning it into a living document that guides our daily decisions and practices WE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR CLIENTS DONT SIMPLY NEED A CONTRACTOR THEY NEED US TO BE THEIR EYES AND EARS FOR THEIR BUILDINGS EXTERIOR APPEARANCE JESSICA MILLIGAN