Forbes names Outdoor Pride a 'Small Giant'

Mark Aquilino, president of Outdoor Pride Landscape & Snow Management in Manchester, New Hampshire, says his company insists on a triple bottom line—accounting for people, planet and profit.

That’s one of the virtues that made the business one of 25 companies on Forbes’ 2019 Small Giants list of companies that would rather be great than big. Aquilino took over Outdoor Pride, which as its name suggests provides landscaping and snow removal services, in April 2015; it was founded by his parents in 1988 and serves much of New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. When he took charge he intensified a focus on going green and becoming more sustainable.

He has been adopting electric mowers, electric backpack blowers and electric trimmers, to try to minimize the use of devices that spew carbon dioxide. “We want to try to go as electric as possible,” he says. He’s also asking his personnel to work four 10-hour days in the summer, rather than five 8-hour ones, to minimize drive time on the road. In the winter, he’s reducing the use of salt by switching to a brine solution for melting snow.

This complete story was first published by Forbes and is available by clicking here. The magazine's list of 2019 Small Giants can be viewed here.