Greenscape Inc. at 35: Its All About the People

Big ideas often come from small kernels things that percolate in our minds over time or sometimes

simply hit us with sudden inspiration. Sometimes these ideas shift and change as we learn and discover

what we thought we wanted was not, in reality, our dream. Starting a new

business can be a challenge. You must have a vision, direction and a

passion for the dream. More important, you must communicate that dream

so your passion is shared by those you hire to make your business a reality.

Ultimately, you dont have customers if you dont have great people. This

philosophy has driven the success of Greenscape Inc. for the past 35 years.

Greenscape Inc. was started in 1979 by Michael Currin. In the mid-1970s

Michael was finishing up his degree and completing an internship with Stan Owen at Owen Garden

Center in Fayetteville. He had started the internship certain he wanted to open a retail garden center in

Raleigh. He had a business plan and was talking to others about financing. It took only 30 days for

Michael to decide retail simply wasnt where he wanted to be. He found it much more gratifying to be

outside, solving problems and working creatively with clients to turn their yards into their dream

landscapes.

Stan saw potential in the direction Michael was taking, so when the internship

was finished, he hired Michael on full-time to develop the landscape side of the

business. Arthur Walters, an older gentleman in his 60s who had worked for

Owen for several years, joined Michael in completing the work in those early

days and continued to help as

new team members were

hired and business grew.

The early days were not always easy. The

landscaping division initially operated in the back

room of Owen Garden Center, where they handled

office work from a pegboard desk built from scraps

and pegboard walls separated them from the retail

center (these walls were used to hang wreaths and

Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Walters

Greenscape, Fayetteville, early 1980s

other items for sale at Christmas time!). Brad Goodrum was one of the first full-time hires in 1979, and

was a major contributor to the companys success. Brad ran the Fayetteville office until it closed in

2001, and he left to teach at Fayetteville Technical Community

College. He recalls the pegboard desk fondly: When we hired

our first administrative person, we werent sure if we were up

to her standards. She was so professionalfrom the

meticulous resume on high-quality classy gray stationery to

her suit, stockings, and heels! She came to work on her first

day, sat down at a funky desk and wooden chair in the cramped

corner of that one room, and

opened the ledger (oh, yeah,

it was all on paper back in the

Dark Ages!) to open the mail

and record the revenue. At that point, we picked up sledge hammers

and knocked the wall out behind her deskthe goal being to create an

appropriately professional space. She looked up, asked if this kind of

thing went on around here often. We told her yes, she blew the dust off

the ledger, shook her head, and kept on working! Her response was

typical of what became the norm for Greenscapers. Sure, things

werent perfect, rarely routine, and frequently messy, but folks persevered, understanding that there was

a common goal and a common good to achieve. Eventually, the company purchased an office trailer

(with real office furniture!) that sat behind the retail store and became the operations center for the

Fayetteville office for many years; later Michaels father, Frank Currin, and another friend of the family

help put up a building behind the Garden Center that became Greenscapes shop and equipment shelter.

It took only three years of hard work before the landscaping division had grown into a viable business

entity. Stan made me a tremendous offer in 1979, says Michael Currin. We both shared the same

values and there was mutual trust. Stan suggested setting up the landscaping division as a separate

corporation. I became president of the company with a 45% ownership stake. While Stan held majority

ownership, he allowed me the independence to run the business, continuing to hire great people and

grow the company. He is a tremendous mentor and collaborator, always focusing on people and how he

can help others.

Ron Price, a landscape architect, was another early Greenscape hire, joining the company in 1987 and

remaining for almost 20 years. Ron was instrumental in establishing Greenscape as a leading landscape

design company. It was exciting to be a part of the commercial expansion in the Triangle and working

to establish Greenscape as a presence there, says Price. I remember one project where wed built

retaining walls around a storm water pond for a client. We had an issue with the project that required us

to stay up for 24 hours to finish working on it. We put lights up and everyone was out there working in

Did You Know?

The leaf in the Greenscape

logo is a part of the Owen

Garden Center logo. The

Greenscape logo was

designed to be an extension

of Owen Garden Center.

ALCA Award 1986

the dark until it was done. It felt good to know that at the end of it we met the deadline and achieved our

goal.

In 1989, Michael bought out Stans majority interest in the company and moved the business to Reilly

Road in Fayetteville. The company set up permanent headquarters

in Holly Springs, NC in 1991. Throughout the years, the one thing

that has not changed is the companys commitment to hiring and

training the best team members. From day one, I tried to hire

people who were passionate about the landscape industry and

wanted to grow their careers, even if that meant leaving

Greenscape, says Michael. I truly enjoy mentoring younger

landscape professionals and watching them grow in the business.

Its wonderful to see former employees who have found success

starting their own companies and giving back to the industry.

Michael understood from the beginning that in order for Greenscape to truly grow and get to the next

level, he needed to hire managers and give them the authority to run day-to-day business operations so

that he could spend his time working on the business. In

his mind, the business needed to be able to stand on its

own as a strong corporate entity, even if he was no longer

in charge. While his children were young at the time

(Daniel was born in 1979 and Casey in 1983), his hope

was to have a strong business to pass along to them

should they be interested in running the company.

Education has always been a focus of the company and

employees are encouraged to pursue industry

certifications, speak at events or serve on boards. As I

think about it, there are at least seven Greenscapers who

have served as President of the NC Nursery and

Landscape Association, the Green Industry Council, or a state regulatory board, says Goodrum.

Greenscape has encouraged and supported employees to participate as members of civic boards and

commissions, reflecting a commitment to serving the communities that have been so good to the

company. The ultimate contribution: All employees have been encouraged to grow their skills through

continuing education and training. There are scores of people out there doing great things in the Green

Industry because they learned, at Greenscape, that in order to be on top, an organization has to

continually evaluate its practices, innovate, and be ahead of the others in trends, technology, and

service.

Raleigh Home & Garden Show

Green Team Members 2013

The company purchased several smaller landscape operations through the years to expand its footprint in

the Triangle area. This included Village Landscape in Pinehurst, Creekside Landscape in Fayetteville,

and Francis Landscaping in Raleigh. By 2004, Michael identified some shifts in the industry that made

him look at the companys offerings. There was more competition for residential design-build work and

an increase in demand for lawn care services a lower-priced, high volume, commodity service.

Michael considered starting a lawn care company from the ground up, but then found a franchise

opportunity with Weed Man USA to purchase the Southern Wake/Chatham County franchise location

(since renamed Cary/Holly Springs). The deal went through in 2004 and operations began in 2005. Paul

Brooks was recruited in 2004 to lead the Weed Man operations across the state. As demand grew in this

market, the company purchased additional franchises in Wilmington (2011) and Raleigh (2013).

Michaels son, Daniel, had shown an early interest in the

company, working in various positions while in high school

and college to learn the ropes. He came on board full-time in

2002 after earning his degree in finance from James Madison

University. Through the years, Daniel learned the business by

working in it as a crew person, commercial maintenance

salesperson, commercial branch manager, and a sales and

marketing manager. As his abilities grew, Michael gradually

shifted management of the company to

Daniel, with the formal transition

occurring in 2009 when Daniel became president of Greenscape and Michael

moved out of a day-to-day management role.

Greenscape has continued to evaluate ongoing changes in the landscape industry,

looking for new opportunities to succeed in a market impacted by the downturn in

the economy and shifting additional focus toward the commercial side of the

business. There is also a growing desire from Green Team members to bring a

fresh perspective to the green industry, focused on health, wellness, social

connection and the environment. While many other landscape firms struggled in

the mid-2000s, Greenscape continued to grow and hire team members. Daniels heavy involvement in

industry organizations, commitment to programs like Come Alive Outside, and the firms ongoing

community service participation through a formalized outreach program have made the Greenscape Inc.

name highly visible in the industry. The companys commitment to people both in terms of supporting

and educating internal Green Team members and delivering great service to clientscontinues to be an

important emphasis under Greenscapes new leadership.

Outreach at Marbles Kids Museum

Daniel and Michael Currin

Greenscape has grown dramatically over the last 35 years, says Daniel. No matter what transitions

the company takes over the next 35, our focus will always be on people. For our Green Team members,

we want to be the employer of choice in the industry. For our clients, we want them to have confidence

that well handle their landscaping needs while providing exceptional service. As my dad has always

said, take care of the people and the business will grow.

Wheres Michael Now?

Michael is not your typical retiree. The idea of spending his days alternating between playing golf and

propping his feet up did not appeal to his drive to build something and watch it grow. When the

opportunity came up to take over the nursery on Franklin Hill Farm, Michael decided it would be a good

next challenge.

After 35 years of participating in and watching the growth of Greenscape, Michael doesnt yet feel

finished. He knows the company is in good hands with Daniel, but he still has great concern and care for

the business and its people. Thinking back to his days at Owen Garden Center and what Stan taught

him, he wants to ensure that it will always be a place where employees and customers are treated as

being valuable to the company.