Wells Fargo Capital Finance Provides $32.5MM for TruGreen Landcare Purchase

From ABF Journal: Wells Fargo Capital Finance, part of Wells Fargo & Company, provided a $32.5 million senior secured credit facility for TruGreen LandCare L.L.C. The facility was used to support Aurora Resurgence Group’s acquisition of TruGreen LandCare, L.L.C. from The ServiceMaster Company, and will be used to fund the company’s ongoing working capital, capital expenditures, and general corporate needs. Founded in 1998 and based in Ijamsville, MD, TruGreen LandCare is a provider of commercial landscaping services to corporations, municipalities, universities, airports, apartment buildings and homeowner associations. “TruGreen is another demonstration of the complimentary partnership between Wells Fargo Capital Finance … Read more

Terracare Acquires Cimarron Landscape of Sacramento

Littleton, Colorado – September 1, 2011 –Terracare Associates LLC, a full service landscape and public infrastructure maintenance services company and its financial partner, Progress Equity Partners, Ltd. today announced that it has acquired Cimarron Landscape of Sacramento, California. With the acquisition of Cimarron Landscape, Terracare Associates now serves the greater Sacramento metropolitan area with a combined workforce of over 50 professionals. The transaction marks the second addition to the Terracare Associates family. In 2008, the company acquired Perry Lake Management; a Sacramento based lake management company specializing in developing site specific lake management plans, water quality monitoring, compliance and control … Read more

John Warrillow on Turning Your Expertise into a Product

 John Warrillow has started and exited four companies and is the author of Built to Sell: Creating a Business Than Can Thrive Without You.   You can find his blog at www.builttosell.com. In this column, John Warrillow explains how professionals-such as architects, accountants, doctors and dentists-can grow their business beyond themselves. Dear John: I’m a criminal defense lawyer. As much as I would like to, I don’t see how I could apply the Built To Sell philosophy to my practice. In my field, clients hire the lawyer to represent them individually in court and get mad if the lawyer they hire sends … Read more

Davey Tree is the 18th Largest Employee-Owned Company in the U.S.

KENT, OHIO – The Davey Tree Expert Company is the 18th largest employee-owned company in the U.S., according to data from the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). The list is compiled annually by the non-profit NCEO and requires a company have a majority of its stock owned by an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) or another qualified employee ownership plan in which at least 50 percent of full-time employees are eligible to participate. Companies on the list now employ more than 610,000 people. The smallest company on the list has 1,200 employees; the largest has 146,000 employees. Davey has … Read more

Vila and Son Runs Out of Time (and Money) Before Finding a Buyer

  From Lawn & Landscape    Read this story in its entirety on lawnandlandscape.com MIAMI – In the midst of finding a buyer, Vila & Son, one of the largest landscaping companies in the country, ran out of cash and ceased operations. “We had a couple of offers, but unfortunately we ran out of money before the prospective buyers could finish their due diligence,” said Alan Goldberg, who joined the company in March as its chief restructuring officer. “The company has ceased operations and is in the process of closing down.” The company’s last day of operation was Aug. 5. … Read more