Whether it was during Landscape Management’s travels in 2025, responses to our annual State of the Industry survey or as part of our conversations at the LM Growth Summit, the Friends of LM have had plenty to tell us about the health of the landscape and lawn care industries in 2025 and their thoughts on what 2026 has in store.
Here’s what a number of them had to say, plus the resolutions and business goals they’re focused on heading into the new year:
Sam Gembel, founder/CEO, Atlas Outdoor, Flint, Mich.
“My top three goals for 2026 are to strengthen our leadership, scale the culture and sharpen the processes so Atlas can continue to grow without chaos. Our more specific resolutions are to:
1. Grow topline revenues by $1 million through acquisitions and $1 million organically.
2. Leverage artificial intelligence, our company SOPs and leadership training for efficiency and scale.
3. Get A.T.L.A.S. — ambitious, teamwork, learners, accountable, safety — ingrained into every decision, every hire and every promotion.
4. Strengthen intentional training, coaching and growth ladders.
5. Strengthen second-in-command leadership.
6. Continue to implement the 5S lean principles across all departments/branches.”
Robert Olsen, CEO, Goldenstate Landscapes, Camarillo, Calif.
“We’re resolving to focus on building for the future while maintaining the high standards of daily operations and customer service that define Goldenstate Landscapes. We honor our past with gratitude for what we have accomplished, while recognizing that the systems that brought us here must continue to evolve to ensure long-term success.”
Bob Brower, general manager, Lawn Plus, West Alexandria, Ohio
“Our main resolutions are to make sure we continue to take care of our employees and continue to provide the best customer service possible. Taking care of employees has always been one of our core values, and as a result, our retention is very high. We don’t lose many employees. Without great people, you can’t get great results … so we put a lot of emphasis on training and on making sure our employees feel like we’re investing in them and taking care of them. That’s got to be number one.
“Then on the customer side … we want to build relationships with our customers. We’ve always been that way. We use technology as best as we can to help with that, but we still want to be able to knock on the door and make sure we meet and greet our customers; develop that intimacy with them. It’s much harder for them to get rid of a company where they really know the people, their family stories and things like that than it is to get rid of a company they don’t know, right? For us, 2026 will be about people — those inside our company and the customers we serve.”
Dave Fairburn, CEO, North Point Outdoors, Derry, N.H.
“The North Point Outdoors team resolutions and business approaches for 2026 are to protect the system that has been supporting our growth. We want to maintain a frontline-first culture, operational clarity and predictable chaos-free mornings. We’re going to focus on and maintain elite staff retention, keeping frontline and manager retention above 95 percent. And we want to continue to refine and enhance a predictable operating system where daily performances don’t depend on last-minute heroics or problem-solving.
“Ultimately, we believe that growth that degrades the system is failure, while growth that strengthens the system should be the goal. We are determined to continue to build something unmistakably strong, a company that people want to work for, for leaders they want to show up for and be owners that support the frontline to make it happen.”
Rodney Sykes, owner, Lawn Squad, Collingswood, N.J.
“My resolution will be to focus on commercial growth for my company. I am a one-person operation, which is by choice because I wanted to be on the ground and understand the business versus hiring somebody who’s trying to tell me to use this product or not use this other product. That said, I am thinking about bringing on an outside person to help me look at the business side of things, to provide some thoughts on business development and growth. I’m not ready to dive too much into tech or business software, but on the business development and commercial side, another perspective could definitely help.”
Mike McCarron, owner, Image Works Landscaping, Fairfax Station, Va.
“We’re stepping into a new chapter — one that raises the bar for who we are and how we work. We’re building real-world training materials using our own people, our own equipment and our own standards. This isn’t just documentation. This is us defining the way we operate, the way we deliver and the way we set ourselves apart in the industry.
“We’re starting with the sales team, creating clean, accurate maps and designs that flow seamlessly to our installation and maintenance crews. When we say we’re going to deliver something, this process ensures we deliver it with precision — every time, at every site, with every customer. It’s a big challenge, but it’s the kind of challenge that pushes us forward.
“To make this happen, we’re equipping our teams with tablets and weather-proof GoPro cameras to capture high-quality videos and photos. Every piece of training content will be built in both English and Spanish, so every crew member has the tools to succeed. This is about clarity, consistency and pride in our craft. We’re not just preparing for the future — we’re building it.”
Joshua Rupani, owner, Advanced Turf Pros, Yarmouth Port, Mass.
“(My resolution) is to try and be more accepting of new technologies like artificial intelligence, business software, things like that. We’re a little more old school. We do use RealGreen, but we still do the paper invoices, enter stuff manually, just because of that fear of taking the leap. I feel like this event (the 2025 LM Growth Summit) helped us understand more about what tools are out there that can help us and how others are using them. So, I would just say (my resolution is) taking advantage of new opportunities, or at least investigating them a little more versus just being so dismissive and sticking with the ‘if-it’s-not-broke-then-I-don’t-need-to-fix-it’ mentality.”
Bryan Stolz, CEO, Winterberry Landscape and Garden Center, Southington, Conn.
“My professional New Year’s resolution is to better drive a culture of ‘Total Sales.’ Everyone, regardless of position, is a spokesperson and salesperson for the Winterberry brand.”
