Professionalism at its Best

CLEVELAND - Interior Business magazine announced the winner of its first Professional of the Year Award - David Liu, president, Foliage Design Systems, Orlando, Fla. - at the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The Professional of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding business owner with more than 10 years of management experience, exceptional horticultural knowledge and extensive activity within the industry and his community.

Liu was nominated for this award by Kenny Gallt, vice president, Foliage Design Systems, Lombard, Ill. Gallt noted that Liu's crowning achievement has been his ability to successfully manage the 36 autonomous business owners that make up the Foliage Design Systems chain.

Liu's career, however, began in his family's greenhouse business, where his father sold plants to industry pioneer Everett Conklin. Growing up in the business, much of his horticultural knowledge was learned through trial and error. His was a hands-on education.

"In a small business, you develop an awareness of the hundreds of components that make things work," he said. "There are not a lot of departments to handle things mysteriously."

As a result, Liu learned the importance of innovation. At age seven, Liu recalled using a dental pick to try and clean his father's Scheffleras. "My father enthusiastically supported the idea, even though I cut all kinds of interesting lines in the (plants)," he remembered.

After years in the family business and working various jobs in the horticulture industry - including doing plant parties - Liu went to Washington, D.C., to answer an ad Rolling Greens had placed looking for a technician. Instead, Paul and Teddi Levy, who own and operate the business, hired a manager.

At Rolling Greens, Liu "helped keep the plants alive" and gradually took over personnel matters. Managing people was difficult to learn, he admitted. "You have to think, 'Would I like to be treated like that?' and always treat people with fairness," Liu said.

Teddi Levy, vice president, Rolling Greens, said Liu was able to rise to the challenge. "(David's) energy and undying interest in horticulture brought Rolling Greens to the forefront of national landscape companies," she said. "His desire to succeed and to be the best in the industry both personally and professionally has never diminished."

After 15 years with Rolling Greens, Liu was lured to Florida by Foliage Design Systems Franchise Co. In the seven years since he came on board, he has served as general manager, executive vice president and now president.

Liu said his goal is to influence the layers of management in the company, and even though everyone has his own management style, "I want people to be consistent and be aware of my objectives and style," he said.

This style is to correct incorrect behavior at the moment it occurs rather than after fact, months later, during a performance review. "I'd rather say, 'Put down that hose - let's review this. Let me show you a technique you're going to learn from," Liu said.

For the future, Liu's objective is to maintain a high quality standard for each franchise.

"I want the property manager who moves from Dallas to Philadelphia to have the same consistent high regard for our company," he said. "Our business is founded in personal relationships and delivery of quality service. We post gains every year because we strive to have that client who moves from Dallas to Philadelphia say, 'This is a superb company and we know we can expect the same thing here.' It's important and it's a task to maintain that standard." - Ali Cybulski