Schill Grounds Management is expanding into the Cincinnati market with the purchase of two full-service landscaping companies that have served southern Ohio for a combined 90 years.
Schill has acquired Ward + Thornton Landscapes, which was founded more than 50 years ago and is based in Maineville, Ohio. Ward + Thornton provides full-service landscape, maintenance, snow management and design-build services to numerous customers in northeast Cincinnati and beyond, including Fortune 500 companies as well as local businesses of all sizes.
Schill also purchased Fredericks Landscaping, which is based in Cincinnati and has been providing full-service landscaping and snow management to customers in central Cincinnati and northern Kentucky for more than 40 years.
The southeastern Ohio acquisitions expand Schill’s presence beyond its primary markets of Cleveland and Columbus, and represent the third and fourth acquisitions Schill has completed in recent months.
Schill will operate out of the existing Ward + Thornton and Fredericks facilities, while approximately 200 employees from the companies will join the Schill family.
“We are delighted to show our new employees and customers in Cincinnati what makes Schill a best-in-class partner for year-round grounds management services,” said President Jerry Schill, who co-founded North Ridgeville, Ohio-based Schill Grounds Management more than 25 years ago.
Mike Ward, the former owner of Ward + Thornton, will oversee the consolidated operations in the region in a new role as Schill’s Market President for Cincinnati.
Schill continues to actively seek additional opportunities with landscaping and snow and ice removal providers of all sizes in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest regions.