A comprehensive growth approach incorporating organic and inorganic strategies helped Sunrise Landscape reach No. 34 on the 2024 LM150 list. Sunrise Landscape experienced an 80 percent increase in revenue from 2022 to 2023, giving it the No. 6 ranking on the 2024 list of fastest growing companies.
Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., the company serves all of central and west Florida and plans to expand across the rest of the state and Southeast. It provides full-service commercial landscaping, including maintenance and installation.
On the organic growth side, Sunrise built out a professional sales function, including implementing a CRM and a suite of technology tools to help facilitate the sales process, says CEO Austin Ashmore. It also completed multiple acquisitions in existing and adjacent markets to supplement the company’s organic growth strategy.
“The key to both organic and inorganic strategies has been great people,” Ashmore says. “We want to ensure we grow sustainably and continue to build a great company, and we could not do it without the folks in our organization from top to bottom.”
Sunrise invested in its sales team early on, and Ashmore says that approach has been critical to creating recurring cash flow. That money has allowed the company to invest in its people and processes, ensuring it can consistently provide a first-rate customer experience that drives long-term relationships and business.
Acquiring businesses also has allowed the Sunrise team to invest in systems and talent they wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise, Ashmore adds.
“Many folks assume that companies acquire other companies to cut costs and reduce overhead, but our approach is different,” he says. “We believe in using the additional scale from acquisitions to invest back into our team to build best-in-class capabilities.”
Ashmore says he often uses the metaphor “building the plane while flying it” to describe how the company implements its growth strategy. He says the leaders at Sunrise aren’t satisfied with the status quo and continue pushing the organization to be its best.
“Change is hard, and it’s not for the faint of heart,” he says. “We strive to have an entrepreneurial culture, which often sounds fun — and it is — but it’s also a lot of work.”
Sunrise’s team is a major component of achieving that goal. From its employees in the field to the ones in the back office, Ashmore says they are all focused on providing an exceptional client experience each day.
“The reality is that not everyone is cut from that cloth, and that’s OK. We’re looking for great teammates who embrace our entrepreneurial vision,” he says. “Our philosophy is that the only real differentiator in our industry is talent, so we strive to have best-in-class talent across the board. I’m incredibly grateful for our team.”
For other professionals looking to grow their companies, Ashmore advises them to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
“Make a decision based on the best information you have available,” Ashmore says. “If it turns out to be the wrong decision, that’s OK as long as you’re humble enough to admit the mistake and adaptable enough to course correct.”
Looking ahead, Sunrise plans to continue supporting its employees with the training, technology and capital they need to provide successful customer experiences. While organic growth will remain a priority, Ashmore says acquisitions will also play a major role in the company’s strategy.
“We’re always looking for great companies to buy, and we’ve found it to be a true win-win,” he says. “We’re able to add great talent and experience to our team while creating awesome opportunities for career advancement for the teams that we acquire.”
