Benchmarks are important in business, as most landscape company owners know. They provide touchstones by which others can measure themselves. They’re useful for gauging achievement and setting growth goals, too. These are the reasons the Lawn & Landscape staff painstakingly researches the Top 100 list every year. It’s not because we believe big means better, or that the largest 100 firms are necessarily the best. But their achievements in generating revenue are notable; and the list has perennially provided valuable information for those inside and outside the green industry – in terms of identifying market leaders, marking potential M&A targets and tracking trends that may trickle down. Consider:
| COMPLETE TOP 100 COVERAGE |
Growth Under Control (ISS Grounds Control) Priority No. 1: People (Teufel Landscape) Many Eggs, Many Baskets (Lipinski Outdoor Services) Adapted Role (Reyburn Landscape Contractors) Doing More with Less (Hazeltine Nurseries) City Girl (Christy Webber Landscapes) |
- Top 100 companies scaled back growth in 2007. On average, Top 100 companies reported 7.7 percent growth over 2006; in 2006 average growth was 17 percent.
- Top 100 companies plan for an average of 6 percent growth in 2008.
- The aggregate revenue of companies on the list grew by $370 million for a total of $7.1 billion in 2007 annual revenue.
BEYOND THE NUMBERS. For the second year in a row, we looked beyond the revenue to get a picture of how some Top 100 firms got to where they are today. This report’s profiles of six executives and their growth strategies reflect stories as diverse as the green industry – from snow-plowing giant Lipinski Outdoor Services in New Jersey (page S10) to the well rounded ISS Grounds Control, based in San Antonio (page S8). The executives we profile share their firms’ thoughts on association involvement, creating value and making it through tough times, among other insights.
HOW WE DID IT. Starting in February, Lawn & Landscape began requesting Top 100 submissions via fax, e-mail, on our Web site and in print. We asked companies to report 2007 revenue and growth figures, number of employees, service/client mixes and additional data. We calculate and omit any reported revenue streams that aren’t widely offered green industry services (structural pest control, for example). Some companies choose not to disclose their revenue and therefore are not included on the list.
Our goal is to provide the industry with the most comprehensive and accurate Top 100 List. We make every attempt to identify and contact firms we deem eligible for the list. If you know of a company we missed, please let us know. Contact Senior Editor Marisa Palmieri at 330/523-5375 or mpalmieri@gie.net.