Weed Man reflects on 50 years of service

TORONTO – Weed Man, a professional lawn care, weed control and pest management service business is celebrating 50 years of success in the green industry.

The company was originally inspired by late founder Des Rice and his surviving wife, Brenda. Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Lemcke recently announced the lawn care franchise is fixated on the next major milestone ahead – hitting the $200,000,000 mark – thanks in part to a 9% system-wide sales jump in 2019.

Once a small Canadian operation that started with nothing more than a $500 loan and a single pick-up truck, this company has grown into a 684-unit operation. In January, Weed Man was featured on Entrepreneur’s prestigious 2020 Franchise 500 List (No. 102). 

“With the merger last year, we were hard at work unifying the best of our U.S. and Canadian operations,” Lemcke said. “Bringing together our two franchise systems included aligning resources, streamlining communication and ensuring customized business plans remained at the center of our service offering for franchisees.”

What happened in 2019?

Lemcke and the team met with Canadian franchisees across the country to introduce them to the systems and tools used on the U.S. side of things, and on the U.S. side, the 548 American territories ended the year with a revenue total of $129,003,163.

Weed Man’s 2019 Annual Conference brought franchisees from both the United States and Canada under one roof for the first time in many years. Additional company initiatives that will continue to advance the company’s success include the recent addition of Mosquito Control and Perimeter Pest Control, as well as the unveiling of a brand new website.

“We’ve been leading up to this moment as an organization. From the start, Weed Man has been about making a difference on the lawns and in the lives of our customers,” Lemcke said. “We’re not just in the lawn care business, we’re also in the leaving-a-legacy business. Every franchisee is committed to doing good by their customers and in their communities, and the results are longevity and a prosperous future.”

What's next?

As Weed Man reflects on the last 50 years in lawn care, Lemcke shared a couple key takeaways and best practices with other leaders in landscape at the 2020 GROW! Conference. Led by executives and professionals in the green industry, the GROW! Conference was held in Charlotte, N.C., February 24-26.

A video highlighting Weed Man's 50-year growth can be viewed here.