Landscaping Business; Employee Relations

There are few industries or service type businesses, which are more labor intensive then that of the Landscaping Profession. Whether it is the installation of new landscape designs or the maintenance or mowing of the existing properties; it is done by people power working with the proper tools. Efficiency is king and teamwork is the key to staying on schedule and wasting little time or effort getting the work done.

One Expert Landscape Manager, Mr. Jon Bitzer, explains his secrets of maintaining his team of 42 employees. He breaks his employees into specialty crew teams. One of his teams is a group, which consists of four members, which mows 52 properties per week. Since the schedule is stacked there is little room for error or missed appointments. Especially since Jon is in charge of all the parks, downtown areas and many of the shopping center areas in and around Atlantic City. As a matter of fact much of the turn-around of Atlantic City is in fact due to its new image and nowhere is it more evident than the ambiance created by the landscaping out front.

How does John keep his crews motivated and the teamwork atmosphere strong? Each day he picks a different team and meets with them for breakfast and buys them pancakes, sausage, bacon and egg deluxe hardy style meal. On the clock of course; the team discusses family, hobbies and gets to know one another. They discuss suggestions of schedule changes and efficiency improvements. He gets total buy in from the team; using their ideas to propel the mission of staying on schedule and making Atlantic City, the city for lovers that it is. Jon and his crews and specialty teams are in-charge of your first impression when you come to the city. His strategy is working; the crews work as a perfectly well oiled machine and have the motivation of a Navy Seal Team. They flat get the job done each and every day and you know what? It shows, think about it.

Lance Winslow V