Over the past several years, Florida-based Tree Amigos Outdoor Services has experienced growth in all facets. The company, which ranked No. 143 on the 2023 LM150 list, has been on both sides of the acquisition game over the last two years, acquiring companies in 2022 before joining Ruppert Landscape at the end of last year.
The company’s goal has been to find companies that align with its vision and values to help it grow and create more opportunities for its team members, says Jim Proctor, owner of Tree Amigos and now regional vice president of Ruppert Landscape.
Tree Amigos has three branches servicing Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Fleming Island and Orlando, Fla. It provides commercial landscape maintenance, design/build, irrigation, lawn care and pest control services.
Tree Amigos experienced a 151-percent change in revenue from 2021 to 2022, landing it on the LM150 list of the top landscaping companies in the country. One way it did that was by expanding into the Orlando market in 2022 with the acquisition of Green Orchid Landscape.
“We saw this as an opportunity to partner with a great team in an adjacent market, allowing us to extend our operations seamlessly and serve clients from Northern Florida to Central Florida,” Proctor says.
Prioritizing a positive and engaged workplace culture to retain team members has been another important component of his company’s success, he adds.
“We equip our team members with the information and skills they need to perform work that is horticulturally sound, safety-focused and delivers consistent high-quality results for our customers,” Proctor says.
“Accountability and empowerment were key areas of focus for us in the past few years. We worked with our exceptional front-line team to encourage personal responsibility, creative problem-solving and efficient decision-making for our customers.”
The double-digit growth Tree Amigos experienced from 2021 to 2022 was also a result of new account acquisitions, enhancement sales and a focus on existing customers.
The next phase of the company’s progress was its partnership with Ruppert Landscape. Proctor says the company was looking for a strategic partner to help accelerate its growth objectives and found that in Ruppert. Tree Amigos bring Ruppert’s branch count totals to more than 40.
“Our partnership with Ruppert Landscape was a strategic decision fueled by our desire to accelerate our growth, enhance our service offerings for our customers and provide more opportunities for our team members,” he adds.
Looking ahead, Proctor says being a new member of the Ruppert family will play a big role in Tree Amigos’ continued success.
“Ruppert is well known in the industry for providing opportunities for team members to learn and grow,” he says. “We are looking forward to having access to their systems, tools and training programs.”
Proctor says Ruppert’s processes and systems will also help his team enhance customer satisfaction and employee productivity to drive growth.
“I’m confident we’ve chosen a partner who is aligned with our values, focused on our employees, and committed to our continued involvement in the business,” he says.
