Eight Contractors were presented with The 2016 Mighty Oak Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Landscape Industry

Eight outstanding lawn and landscape companies across the United States were awarded Jeffrey Scott’s 2016 Mighty Oak, based on their performance as a business leader and outstanding achievements made by their landscape companies.

These awards were announced at Jeffrey Scott’s recent Leader’s Edge peer group meetings held across the USA and Canada. Criteria for winning this prestigious award are:

• Serving as a positive example to others in the profession.
• Working with the highest levels of integrity, ethics, and accountability.
• Achieving significant growth benchmarks.
• Contributing to the advancement of the landscape industry.
• Engaging in continual personal and professional development.

Honorees are chosen from the international participants in the Leader’s Edge peer groups for landscape business owners run by Jeffrey Scott.

Here are the 2016 winners with a photo and an excerpt of their citations:

Shawn Edwards and his firm, A+ Lawn and Landscape, Des Moines, Iowa were awarded The Mighty Oak based on his having built a great multi-person ownership team that together has grown their company significantly in revenue, profits and employee buy-in and satisfaction.

Paul Fraynd and his firm, Sun Valley Landscaping, Omaha, NE, was awarded The Mighty Oak due to his innovative leadership style and high activity in the industry, and his company’s dedication to becoming a Destination Company®.Paul is inspiring to all who work with him in his company and in the Leader’s Edge peer group. He takes action and never sits still.

Jeff Ronhaar and his firm, Jeff’s Lawn Care, Binbrook, ON, were awarded The Mighty Oak, because of how they overcame a tremendous setback (that might have capsized most companies) and within 12 months transformed his business into a very profitable highly cohesive team of landscape professionals. They showed huge resilience and growth in their rebound.

Barry Schneider and his firm, Surrounds Landscape Architecture + Construction, Sterling, VA, was awarded The Mighty Oak, based on his steadfast approach to building his team, setting high level goals with his team, and everyone being accountable to meeting those goals. Easy to say, very hard to do! Barry and his team also give back to the industry in many ways.

Mike Prokopchak and his firm, Walnut Hill Landscape Company, Annapolis, MD, were awarded The Mighty Oak based his strong leadership of his company. Mike loves the water, and he represents what it means to have a steady hand on the tiller. He emulates strong leadership, vision and sustained success that would make any Fortune 500 CEO jealous.

Nathan Helder and his firm, Gelderman Landscape Services, Waterdown, ON were awarded The Mighty Oak for showing constant and never ending learning and improvement both for Nathan personally and throughout the business—while supporting the industry to do the same. He is humble and fair, and these qualities pervade his business.

Terry Collins and his firm, TJ Collins Landscaping, Needham, MA, were been awarded The Mighty Oak twice, for showing constant personal growth in the face of adversity, ongoing business innovation, significant profit improvement, and a positive attitude that pervades all his efforts and results.

Brian Cotter and his firm, Lloyds Landscaping in Pickering, ON were awarded The Mighty Oak two out of the last 3 years due to their grit and perseverance to transform his family business into a highly professional organization based on integrity of product and service.