Ken Hutcheson Continues Growing U.S. Lawns

Hutcheson’s promotion from director of franchise development comes on the heels of some upper management restructuring following former USL President Tom Oyler’s resignation from the company. Rounding out the management changes, Burton Sperber, owner of Environmental Industries Inc. (EII), Calabasas, Calif. - which in turn owns USL - has assumed the role of president and CEO of USL.

ON THE ROAD TO BUILDING A FRANCHISE COMPANY. During a 15-year stint with a Central Florida-based interior landscape franchise company named Foliage Design Systems (FDS), Hutcheson used his horticulture degree from the University of Florida and work experience in the nursery and greenhouse industries to move FDS into a leading player in the interior market. As general manager of FDS and also an owner of three FDS franchises, Hutcheson honed his franchise management skills and unknowingly planted the seed to his future involvement with USL.

While at FDS, Hutcheson acted as a consultant in 1986 to the USL founding members to help develop USL’s franchise system. In February 1995, Hutcheson sold his FDS franchises and resigned from the company with plans to spend time with his family. However, not two weeks after leaving FDS, Hutcheson received a phone call from USL’s Todd Moerchen who was looking to start USL on the road to growth. All Moerchen was looking for were recommendations on candidates for a position at USL focused on franchise growth, but Hutcheson joked that by the end of the call, he was asking Moerchen when he could start.

Hutcheson initially started as consultant and within a few months became a full-time USL employee as a facilitator. Hutcheson explained that a facilitator is essentially a field support representative who mentors franchisees to help them create sustainable businesses. USL continues to use facilitators, and they are accountable for the success of its franchises. "You think about [franchisees] late at night," Hutcheson explained. "Unlike a consultant who can give wonderful advice and gets to leave, facilitators give that advice, but then we have to help implement what we’ve advised."

In early 1996 EII purchased USL, and USL started on its road to growth with Hutcheson taking the reigns of franchise development. "At that point, we started driving the company up to the next level," he explained.

FUTURE GROWTH. Hutcheson said his new job is dramatically different from before. "Now my responsibilities include not just franchise development, but really the operation - the leadership - of the company overall," he explained. Under his leadership, Hutcheson is looking to grow the company to more than 100 USL franchises by year’s end.

He said that he has some initiatives he would like to have accomplished on a short-term basis. This includes developing programs that will benefit USL franchisees directly, such as new purchasing and sales programs. "That’s really our short-term goal to benefit each individual franchisee in a very dramatic way," he noted.

Naturally, franchisees are the focus of Hutcheson’s long-term goals as well. "The ultimate goal is to develop extremely profitable franchisees and continue that profitability," he said. "If we have profitable franchisees, life is easy."

With his background as a franchise owner and later a mentor and franchise development director, Hutcheson truly understands how important it is to provide support. "I know each and every USL franchise owner," he said. "I know their business history, their families - even what Church they attend. That leaves me with an overwhelming sense of responsibility to the franchisee, their families and their customers."

Hutcheson said USL’s greatest strengths are within the organization - its corporate team and its team of franchisees. Through the corporate team, USL is able to provide financial management and develop a model that allows a franchisee to create a lucrative business of selling and operating in the commercial landscape maintenance industry, said Hutcheson.

However, promoting the idea of joining a franchise is not always easy. "The challenge I have is educating the landscape contractor market to who we are," he explained. "This industry does not have to be a struggle. You can be successful. You can create a sustainable business. That’s what our job is - not to sell franchises - our job is to invite people to join this team."

Even with its recent growth, Hutcheson explained that USL’s focus continues to be on helping contractors develop a system for success. "The vision we had from early on in 1995 has not changed," he said. "Our vision has been enhanced - it has evolved - but it has not changed."