Unlike the plants he works with every day, Darrell Turner's Bradenton, Fla.-based company has stopped growing for a while, and he is fine with that.
"We do not plan on expanding," said the owner of Turner Tree and Landscape. "Business is good. The economy has never been better in this area."
Co-owner with his wife, Mary Ann, Turner continues to draw in business locally, where jobs are ripe for the picking. His company has 100 jobs in the works now, and revenues are up 15 percent compared to last year.
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Turner Tree and Landscape is a full-service landscape contractor, handling jobs with irrigation systems, wells, fountains, sodding, signage and retaining walls. Past projects include golf courses, airports, resorts, theme parks and office buildings.
While his residential work has been cut in half, Turner said the commercial side is booming. It makes up 90 percent of his business, he added.
"We have not seen a slowdown in commercial development," he said in his matter-of-fact manner.
Some of the larger jobs include work at the Lake Club at Lakewood Ranch, a $3.5 million job, the golf course at Country Club East and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, all in Lakewood Ranch.
The company also is working on the expansion of the Pittsburgh Pirates practice facilities, the Promenade at Riverwalk and Manatee Memorial Hospital. In Sarasota, Turner is working on landscaping Alinari at Rosemary Place and Legends Bay with Ruben-Holland Development. Turner also landscaped the new building at the University of South Florida's Sarasota Manatee campus.
Turner estimated that 80 percent of his business is from repeat customers.
"I'm our only salesman, so if we're not busy, it's my fault," he said.
Turner used to do work in Tampa and points north, but he said high traffic and the number of accidents north of Interstate 4 have deterred him from traveling that far. Less travel also helps his prices stay competitive.
"I had to leave on Tuesday and get back on Friday," he said. "Now, if we can't get there in an hour, we don't go."
Turner covers more ground in Manatee County, however, recently adding a 160-acre farm in Myakka City. He owns a total of 1,500 acres, allowing him to get back into the wholesale tree sales business.
The company also draws upon 60 nurseries and has five full-time buyers on staff.
Earlier this year, Turner established a fitness program for his workers, including a workout room and a half-mile walking trail. A trainer works with employees, half of whom participate. He calls the program Fit to Plant.
"It helps a lot with injuries and attitude and attendance," he said. "Landscaping only works part of your body, so the program helps strengthen the core muscles."
Turner also serves as the president of Meals on Wheels and has been involved with the building of the new senior center in downtown Bradenton near McKechnie Field.
Vernon DeSear, vice president of marketing at Manatee Memorial Hospital, has worked with Turner through Meals on Wheels and has seen his company's work in the community.
"They do an excellent job and they're very nice to work with," DeSear said. "They're very thorough."
Turner will do the landscaping for the hospital's expansion once construction is complete.