Editor's Focus: Nov. 1997

Apparantly, consolidation can be quite the unsettling word, one that elicits few positive thoughts throughout the lawn care industry.

This month’s look at the effects of consolidation on the lawn care industry brought us into some enlightening conversations. Obviously, the acquisition of (in most cases) smaller companies by larger companies has been a trend among lawn care companies since Ecolab’s headline-making purchase of ChemLawn in 1987.

What was perhaps most interesting about this month’s article, was the unmistakable passion accompanying contractors’ comments as we examined consolidation’s impact on their businesses.

For most local contractors, the word consolidation prompts immediate thoughts of one company: TruGreen-ChemLawn. And rarely were those thoughts positive.

Many of the comments we heard overflowed with disgust or contempt for the industry giant, and many more couldn’t be printed because of the “colorful wording” used to explain what TruGreen-ChemLawn is allegedly doing to the industry.

When one is confronted by such repeated attacks against one specific entity – be it a person, company, ethnic group or nation – it is easy to get swept along by the tide.

I admit I saw myself being swept along by these comments at first. When so many different people from so many different areas are saying the same thing, it must be true. Right?

Well, not necessarily. Yes, I do think there’s a basis of truth and factual observation from which these accusations grow. But how many contractors also have accused their local competitors of unethical practices or practices which could harm the industry?

Quite a few, I would bet. Now, if that local competitor were to grow to a national power that was in fact a “local” competitor in 280 markets, wouldn’t that increase the number of charges against it?

Competitive business people make accusations – some just, some unjust – against competitors. It’s the nature of business. So doesn’t it stand to reason that a company like TruGreen-ChemLawn, who has more competitors than any other company, would have the most accusations leveled against it?

I’m not saying that TruGreen-ChemLawn or its employees have never committed some of the wrongs they’re accused of. I’m sure they have, in fact, regardless of whether or not they admit it.

But contractors may as well accept that TruGreen-ChemLawn isn’t going anywhere but up in this industry. It’s a company relatively impervious to venomous speech. If you believe TruGreen-ChemLawn, or any company for that matter, is bad for the industry, then compete against them and beat them. I doubt TruGreen-ChemLawn would have ever reached the size it has if the rest of the industry approached their own businesses with the same passion they reserve for attacking the competition.