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Author: Marisa Palmieri

Marisa Palmieri

Marisa Palmieri

Marisa Palmieri is an experienced Green Industry editor who's won numerous awards for her coverage of the landscape and golf course markets from the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA), the Press Club of Cleveland and the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). In 2007, ASBPE named her a Young Leader. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, cum laude, from Ohio University’s Scripps School of Journalism.

Arizona’s Paramount Landscape acquired

Paramount Landscape & Maintenance, headquartered in Chandler, Ariz., was acquired by a private investor. Terms of the acquisition, which closed on Jan. 31, were not disclosed. Founded in the mid-1990s, Paramount is a full-service landscape company primarily serving homeowner associations and commercial properties. The company, formerly owned by Brian Golembiewski, had a 2013 annual revenue […]

Brickman acquires Dallas-based Metheny

The Brickman Group, Rockville, Md., acquired Dallas-based Metheny Commercial Lawn Maintenance on Dec. 31. Terms were not disclosed for the transaction. Metheny is the first company Brickman purchased since being acquired by investment firm KKR in November. Former owners Andy Metheny and Lewis Metheny will remain with the company as Brickman vice presidents in the […]

What I’m Reading Wednesday: Leadership and to-do lists

I have leadership and productivity on the mind today, which I’d say is a good mindset to be in, as I’ll be departing for PLANET’s Great Escape at Disneyland in the morning. If you’ll be there, give me a shout at mpalmieri@northcoastmedia.net. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind as the second month of […]

February 2014 Web Extra: Why is it so difficult to ‘work on the business?’

Here’s one more question and answer from the exclusive Landscape Management interview with Michael Gerber, author of legendary small business book The E-Myth. For the rest of the interview, read “Beyond The E-Myth“ from the February issue of LM. LM: I believe you coined one of the phrases that I’ve heard landscape professionals quote very often—“work […]

February 2014 Web Extra: ‘How We SERV’

Landscape industry subcontracting guru Terry Delany of Fayetteville, Ark.-based GroundSERV, who was featured in the February 2014 “1-Minute Mentor” department, attributes part of his company’s success to its commitment to helping subcontractors (aka “strategic partners”) make money. “The minute you start investing in (subcontractors), the profit will come naturally to you,” says Delany, whose business […]

What I’m Reading Wednesday: Brand consistency and toddlers

Sorry for the awkward headline this week. It sounds like expect toddlers to be consistent with their branding. I don’t; although I’d be pretty impressed with any who could pull it off. My point is, here are two separate links (one about brand consistency and one about toddlers) I think are worth reading this week. […]

Recommended reading

The Pew Research Center reported last month that nearly a quarter (23 percent) of American adults had not read a single book in the past year (that includes e-books and audiobooks). This number has nearly tripled since 1978, when Gallup reported only 8 percent of the population was non-book-readers. That figure hovered between 13 percent […]

Beyond ‘The E-Myth’

The Landscape Management interview with the author of the legendary book.  When I started writing about and for small business owners nine years ago, one phrase I heard pop up time after time was the importance of “working on your business not in your business.” When I finally discovered where it originated—The E-Myth—I shouldn’t have […]

1-Minute Mentor: Terry Delany

Owner, GroundSERV, Fayetteville, Ark. Who’s your mentor? (Green Industry consultant) Bill Arman. He taught me the importance of building a great culture. I used to rule things with an iron fist and be a mean dude. I felt I had to have a hand in everything and it just about killed me. That really changed […]

What I’m Reading Wednesday: Everything’s amazing

There’s just one link I’d like to share this week, and I hope everyone clicks through to read it. We all need a little positivity sometimes, especially when it’s based in facts and not merely good cheer. “50 Reasons We’re Living Through the Greatest Period in World History” The Motley Fool I’m absolutely fascinated by […]

Makhteshim Agan rebrands to ADAMA

Makhteshim Agan Industries (MAI), a global crop protection product manufacturer, will transition to a new name and brand, ADAMA, beginning in April. MAI is a partner company to Pasadena, Texas-based Control Solutions (CSI), which sells turf and ornamental products under the Quali-Pro brand. The CSI and Quali-Pro brands will be unaffected in the transition. The name […]

Super Bowl, super snow removal plan

In the run-up to Super Bowl Sunday, there has been as much talk about the weather as there has been about who will win, the Denver Broncos or Seattle Seahawks. Why all the fuss? The game, being held at MetLife Stadium at Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, N.J., is the first Super Bowl to […]

HR topics headline Lawn Care Summit

Despite frigid temperatures and some travel difficulties courtesy of Winter Storm Leon, the show went on in Nashville, Tenn., where about about 200 lawn care professionals and suppliers gathered Jan. 27-29 for the Lawn Care Summit 2014. The fifth annual event, which focuses on the chemical- and fertilizer-application side of the industry, was co-hosted by […]

What I’m Reading Wednesday: A novel idea

I’m sitting at the Nashville airport on my way home from the Lawn Care Summit, which was co-hosted by the Professional Landcare Network and the National Pest Management Association this week. I’ve already been at the airport for a few hours and it looks like I’ll be sitting here for at least four more, thanks […]

What I’m Reading Wednesday: Labor outlook, email marketing and optimism

Happy hump day, LM readers! Here’s this week’s line-up of helpful articles for your reading pleasure. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Grounds Maintenance Workers” BLS.gov A PLANET tweet tipped me off to the latest figures about landscape industry employment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency says, “Employment of grounds maintenance workers is projected to grow […]

What I’m Reading Wednesday: Home building on the rise

Here’s this week’s round-up. What are you reading that your peers might like? We’d like to know. Email me your links (mpalmieri@northcoastmedia.net) or tweet them to @LandscapeMgmt. “How to Be a Better Boss” MIT Sloan Management Review You may have heard of the Net Promoter Score to measure customer service efforts. Many companies swear by […]

ServiceMaster completes TruGreen spin-off

ServiceMaster completed the separation of its TruGreen business on Jan. 14, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Memphis, Tenn.-based ServiceMaster spun off assets and certain liabilities of TruGreen through a tax-free, pro rata dividend to private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. The deal was first announced in November during […]

Frequency illusion

Have you ever had one of those days or weeks where multiple bits of information—all with the same message—seem to materialize out of thin air, like they’re screaming, “Hey, you! Pay attention to this!” It feels like fate, but it’s really just a matter of the brain’s ability to recognize and call attention to patterns. It’s called […]

Certified Wildlife Landscaping Professional program launches

The National Wildlife Federation aims to certify 300 Green Industry pros by the end of the year. National Wildlife Federation (NWF) launched its Certified Wildlife Landscaping Professional (CWLP) designation late last year as an offshoot of its Certified Wildlife Habitat, Schoolyard Habitat and Community Wildlife Habitat programs. The new program certifies landscape professionals who commit […]

AmericanHort debuts

AmericanHort, the Green Industry’s new trade association, formally began Jan. 1, following the closing of the consolidation of the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) and OFA–The Association of Horticulture Professionals Dec. 31. The more than two-year effort to bring the groups together was initiated by the volunteer leadership of the legacy organizations. OFA and […]

All systems go: Weed Man USA

Weed Man USA’s strategy banks on planning, processes and people. How you can learn from its model. While visiting with his neighbor one evening in the mid-1980s, Roger Mongeon ventured down to the man’s basement office to take a look at his business. The neighbor ran a two-truck Weed Man franchise from his home in […]

What I’m Reading Wednesday: LM’s best of 2013

On this day of R&R, I truly hope you’re all enjoying some down time and mentally revving up for 2014. To be quite honest with you, I’m not doing any reading today. In fact, I wrote this post on Monday. I’m probably fighting off a headache from too many cups o’ kindness last night while […]

What I’m Reading Wednesday: A sad story about a “no-show landscaper”

This week, “What I’m Reading Wednesday” is more about what I watched earlier today. This story about “no-show landscaper” David Roskiewicz and his company, Rosko Outdoor Services in Grand Rapids, Mich., is one that has no doubt occurred countless times in the landscape industry. You’ve seen these companies come and go. You’ve cleaned up their […]

Bobcat debuts Tier 4 loaders

Bobcat Co., West Fargo, N.D., has released its first Tier 4 loaders, which will debut with a new Bobcat-branded engine. The Bobcat engine is a non-diesel particulate filter (DPF) engine, a feat that was achieved by designing an ultra-low particulate combustion (ULPC) engine, said Bobcat Marketing Manager Chris Knipfer. The ULPC is accomplished through an engine […]

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