Raimondi Moves Outside

After nearly 30 years of operating Raimondi Horticultural Group, Ridgewood, N.J., President Chris Raimondi decided to turn over a new leaf. Raimondi handed over his company to employees and family members, who will continue to run the interiorscape business, while he joins Jacobsen Landscape Design and Construction, Midland Park, N.J., as director of property management and business development.

As a result of Raimondi’s move, Raimondi Horticultural Group, which serves the New York tri-state region, redefined its core business. Previously a full-service landscape company, Raimondi Horticultural Group will now focus entirely on interior plantings and holiday display work, Raimondi explained. “We realized it was more cost effective to subcontract the larger exterior work, and we subcontracted it to Jacobsen,” he said, adding that he will take his exterior accounts to Jacobsen.

Raimondi said he believes the move will benefit both companies – “redefining and refocusing for RHG on the interior side and enhancing the corporate environment as far as the contracts and relationships I bring to Jacobsen.” Raimondi added that because a strategic relationship was in place before he accepted his new position with Jacobsen – and because the two companies are located within 1 mile of each other – there is a great synergy between them. “We are able to pass referrals to each other and share business leads,” he pointed out.

In his new position, Raimondi will manage all aspects of Jacobsen’s residential and commercial property maintenance department, including sales and business development. “Although my background is primarily interior, I have been doing exterior for many years,” Raimondi said. “I am very familiar with the exterior side of the business, and the reason for me moving is that I was growing faster, personally, than the resources of the company could handle. I am a team player, and Jacobsen gave me the opportunity to be part of their team environment.”

According to Glenn Jacobsen, president, Jacobsen Landscape Design and Construction, Raimondi’s years of experience in the Bergen County landscape arena, industry knowledge and education will be an asset to the company.
Meanwhile, Leann Surz, director of customer service, and Debbie Diaz, office manager, both longtime employees of Raimondi Horticultural Group, will take the reins from Raimondi. Surz, Diaz and an interim board of directors will run the company until they determine the new leadership structure. “The company is stable and in great hands,” Raimondi said. “These are senior people who have been here for many years.”

Raimondi Horticultural Group, which brought in nearly $1 million in revenue in 2000, was ranked No. 37 on Interior Business magazine’s ranking of the industry’s 40 largest companies.

Overall, Raimondi said he looks at his career move as a growth experience, change in venue and an opportunity to bring his skills to another company while learning from its employees. And he doesn’t rule out the possibility of returning to the interior market one day. “I felt that working with a new company would add to my professional skills and re-energize me,” Raimondi said.
Raimondi has played an active role in the green industry, serving in leadership roles with the Associated Landscape Contractors of America and the now-defunct Plants for Clean Air Council. In addition, he was featured on the Martha Stewart Living television show in March of 2000.

The author is Managing Editor of Interior Business magazine and can be reached at acybulski@gie.net.