A Strategic Partnership

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. – Two heads are always better than one. With that in mind, Kevin Kehoe, founder and president of Kehoe & Co., and Judith Guido, former chief marketing officer and vice president of Environmental Industries, recently decided to put their heads together and pool their industry resources to form KehoeGuido, a consulting management firm.

The partnership signifies an attempt to align Kehoe’s financial and organizational skills with Guido’s marketing and sales knowledge, Guido noted. The two originally met about 10 years ago when both were working for Ed LaFlamme at LaFlamme Services and the professional rapport between the two immediately made an impact, she recalled. “Our methodologies toward business were very complementary,” she said. “From that point I’ve had a very productive relationship with Kevin.”

Both Kehoe and Guido bring strong industry experience to the partnership. Kehoe boasts a 23-year tenure as a management and training consultant, establishing Kehoe & Co. consulting firm in 1993. In turn, Guido has worked for ServiceMaster and LandCare USA, in addition to Environmental Industries. “I’ve worked for the three largest companies in the industry, and since Kevin hasn’t worked in the green industry day to day, I bring that experience,” Guido noted. When Guido’s position with Environmental Industries didn’t pan out the way she had hoped, joining forces with Kehoe seemed like a natural choice, she said.

The KehoeGuido consulting firm will concentrate on three major areas of the business, Kehoe identified. “We’ll look at the operational aspects: how the company delivers its services, the management, the production – all those things concerned with delivering the product,” he said. “Then we look at the marketing and sales pieces and how to increase value with the right customers. Finally, we examine the financial piece and work with our customers to make sure their balance sheets are in good shape.”

Kehoe pointed out that his strong operational skills and Guido’s sales strengths naturally come together to help companies focus on these three points. “I’ve been at this a long time in the green industry, and we have a wealth of data and information on what makes good companies run well,” he said.

Similar personal goals, in addition to aligned professional ideals, further strengthen the Kehoe-Guido relationship, Guido maintained. “I’ve known and trusted him for years, and since we spend more time at work than anywhere else, we might as well have the same type of plan,” she said.

Ultimately, both Kehoe and Guido hope to implement their three-pronged business focus to help companies succeed in the present and position themselves for maximum earning potential in the future, Kehoe stated. “I think we see an opportunity in the industry to help contractors exit their businesses,” he said. “Our approach is to work with contractors in the industry whether they want to exit their businesses and sell or simply maximize the value of their companies.”

The author is Assistant Editor – Internet of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at kmohn@lawnandlandscape.com.