News

Ruppert Acquires The Watchman Group

From Landscape Management: LAYTONSVILLE, MD.—Ruppert Landscape has acquired The Watchman Group, based in Kensington, Md. The company specializes in project management and site development and is focused on sports field and golf course development; including building structures, site infrastructure and wastewater treatment facilities. Company Founder Jim Wachter (pictured) will be joining Ruppert as a senior project manager. “Not only will this bring more opportunities through our door, but it brings a level of value-added services to our existing customers,” says Ruppert president Chris Davitt. “We have worked with Jim over the years, and are thrilled to have him as a full-time addition … Read more

Finding Growth in the Green Industry: Sustainability

I just read a very intesting  article from Inc magazine’s website entitled, “Start a Business in the Cheap: Ten Growth Industries.”  The author used data from the IbisWorld research service to identify ten industries with exceptional growth anticipated in the near future that someone concluded could be entered cheaply. One of the industries that was identified was green and sustainable building construction, with a forecasted whopping  23% compounded annual growth rate over the next five years.  The author did note that public projects will be waning as stimulus funds are expended, but private projects are on the rise as more … Read more

An Interesting Trip Home from Louisville

We got a late start Saturday morning heading back to Memphis from Louisville after a very positive Green Industry Conference.  Unfortunately, the trip expanded from the expected six hours to about nine. Long  before we reached Bowling Green, traffic began to back up on Interstate 65.  It slowed to a stand-still.  After waiting (somewhat) patiently for around an hour without being able to even see what might be ahead and considering how far behind us traffic might be backed up as well, we pulled out the iPad toinvestigate using one of my favorite road trip apps -Waze.  It seemed there … Read more

Check Out the New Issue of Landscape Management

The October issue of  Landscape Management is out.  The October issue features LM’s  Business Planner 2013, which includes 21 “How to” articles, including one on “How to Prepare Your Business for Sale” (pages 78-81), written by Ron Edmonds of The Principium Group.  There are a number of other interesting articles, including “How to Overcome Exit Planning Myths” and  “How to Build a Company That Runs Itself” (by Jeffrey Scott). In addition, Ron Edmonds is quoted extensively in an article by Beth Geraci entitled, “Playing their cards right”, (pages S21-S 2 ), which analyzes merger & acquisition trends in the green … Read more

Brackett Resigns at ServiceMaster’s TruGreen Unit

In a Securities & Exchange Commission filing on Friday, October 12, The ServiceMaster Company announced that Thomas G. Brackett, the President of the Company’s TruGreen segment, has resigned from the Company, effective October 9, 2012. The Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Hank Mullany, will serve as interim President of TruGreen until a new President is hired. Here’s a link to the SEC filing:  http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1052045/000110465912068965/a12-23870_18k.htm