Maintaining quality on the job is a competitive advantage for Van Zelst Landscape Development & Management. The Wadsworth, Ill.-based firm fulfills this promise to clients by keeping specialists on staff, including those who focus on the intricate stonework projects Van Zelst creates.
The company subcontracts out select components of jobs – for example, swimming pool construction and irrigation. But those subcontractors are carefully chosen, says David Van Zelst, president. “Our subs are basically an extension of us – if I need our irrigation contractor, if I called him now I would absolutely guarantee he would be on a property before 5 p.m. the same day, maybe sooner,” Van Zelst says. “That’s the level of service we expect and that our clients expect."
Van Zelst can’t afford to take chances on sub-par vendors. For stonework, Van Zelst eventually brought on a specialist after working with a number of vendors who “fell flat on their faces and disappointed clients,” he says. “Because of others’ failures, we brought that service in-house.”
Offering a breadth of design/build services, including the capability to do pools and intricate stonework, appeals to clients who have the economic resources to go all out on a project. “We are in one of the more sophisticated markets,” Van Zelst says, “So that has given us an opportunity to take on quality projects with clients who hire to help them realize their dreams.”