Brickman and councilman work together

ELYRIA, Ohio – The Brickman Group of Avon, Ohio and 5th Ward Councilman Marcus Madison of Elyria, Ohio teamed up for a beautification project at a city intersection. Brickman and Madison worked together to renovate and expand the current flower garden at the intersection of Oberlin Road and Middle Avenue on the South side of Elyria on Aug. 20.

"This is a great community project and is something that the Brickman team takes great pride in doing. It makes you feel good about what you do, to be able to give back,” said Ryan Marhefka, operations manager for Brickman. Branch manager Matt Krems added, “Our staff is excited to be able to play some part in the great work that’s taking place on this side of town.”

The existing landscape consisted of just a single tree and a few solitary shrubs. Brickman cleaned out everything else and started from scratch. The goal was to create a durable and low-maintenance landscape that will survive the harsh conditions created by the surrounding roadways. The planting also consisted of easy to care for shrubs and hardy perennials that can survive without supplemental watering and withstand the heavy use of road salt in the winter.

This project was made possible by the donations from Brickman’s business partners including, Davis Tree Farm, Kurtz Brothers, Willoway Nurseries, John Deere Landscapes, Pinehaven Greenhouses, Snow King, Salt Connection and Worcester’s Inc.

“I would like to thank the Brickman Group and its business partners for their proactive involvement in restoring the quality of life in our neighborhood by removing these eyesores,” said Madison.

In 1990, Brickman instituted a company-wide Founders Day to honor the memory of Theodore Brickman, whose own commitment to community outreach dates back to when he started the business in 1939. During Founders Day, Brickman encourages employees to take a paid day off to pursue community service activities.