Connecticut Lawn Care Provider Cultivates a Crop of Corporate Clients

Bruce Moore Sr. initially fashioned his business as a residential lawn-care provider, but a little foresight positioned Eastern Land Management Inc. for the boom times to come.

When he started the business 30 years ago, Stamford, Conn. was just starting to develop as a corporate community, Moore said.

"Stamford was on the receiving end of major corporations coming out of Manhattan and setting up offices here. Most of the market had just been family owned, so we got into this niche early on," Moore said.

Today, he employs 12 full-time staff and 40 seasonal workers, and the firm's services have grown to include everything from pruning to irrigation to paving and snow removal.

Many corporations have consolidated or eliminated their work force for grounds-keeping, so Eastern Land Management's role has expanded to suit its clients' requests, he said.

"It's always been our goal to be full-service, but we become more in demand because most companies want to deal with a small number of vendors," Moore said.

Moore's corporate clients include Xerox Corp., General Re Corp., W&M Properties and the Westin Stamford hotel. The company maintains properties from Shelton through Westchester County, N.Y.

About 95 percent of Eastern Land Management's work is corporate, with the rest residential.

Moore said that his industry has changed in the past three decades, from increased competition and the entry of national companies into the market, to more government regulation and the introduction of advanced technologies.

Weather is always an issue in caring for lawns and landscapes, Moore said, and customers with damage from severe rains and winds want to know that they can call someone who will respond in a timely manner.

"We have more points of contact with our clients. We try to operate within a 30-mile radius to be cognizant of what's happening in the market and offer quick response," said the Stamford resident, who previously worked for F.A. Bartlett Tree Experts as a district coordinator in Columbus, Ohio.

Dick Tice, executive director of the Connecticut Grounds Keeper Association in Prospect, said Eastern Land Management services "a lot of volume and their quality of work is great."

Tice said he considers Eastern Land Management to be a company on top of its game.

"They know the local condition. They know the forecast for snow and know that August is humid and you need to watch out for turf disease. A local guy has a leg up, without question," Tice said.

Moore looks forward to future growth and to enhancing services for his clients. He also is grooming his son, Bruce Jr., to eventually take over the business.

"We've grown pretty steadily; it's been challenging and rewarding. It's nice to see our employees grow and coming up with solutions to fix our client's problems," Moore said.