|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Top picture) American Wholesale Nurseries, Simi Valley
Site. (Inset) Moving box tree with a American
Landscape Companies- In the early seventies, Gary Peterson and Mickey Strauss worked side-by-side at ValleyCrest Landscape. While they were expending their youthful energy for the company they fostered a friendship, which slowly came to include the plans for a company of their own. Neither of them were strangers to the construction industry as a whole, but they did have a distinct affinity toward landscaping and their related industries. Strauss' father was a homebuilder and contractor, while Peterson's father was an engineering contractor and bridge builder. By early 1973, they had decided two things. The first was that they wanted to start their own company and the second was that they wanted to do it completely on their own, without the assistance of their respective families.
That year marked a turning point in the lives of the young men, as well as the beginning of a challenging future. Both men had young families to provide for and possibly this is what propelled them the extra mile to success. Both men stated that it took a good five years to get the company off of the ground, "the timing had to be right for us," said Strauss. Before the adventure began, Strauss was torn between commercial art and horticulture landscape design. He decided to go on to college and study landscape architecture after taking a look into his past. As a kid he would spend hours and days planning landscaping designs for the custom homes his father built. Strauss worked at ValleyCrest for four years even though he only wanted to be there one. He soon found that there was more to the business than what he knew. His first job was the estimating of the California Exposition at the Sacramento Fair Grounds. What was a $2.5 million dollar over thirty-five years ago would probably be about $30 million today.
Peterson, on the other hand had little prior knowledge of the landscape industry until he worked for his present-day competitor. While going to school, Peterson worked for the family engineering construction company during the summers. He enjoyed engineering, but was afraid that his long-term interest would wane as time went on. He began working full-time for his father after graduating, and settled in to become a bridge builder. Unfortunately, his father retired due to health reasons, soon after he began working with him presenting a crossroad decision. With his engineering experience, he found site development and grading appealing, therefore opening the door to his employment at Valley Crest as a superintendent. "Since the creation of the American Landscape Companies, the industry has changed rapidly and has become much more sophisticated," said Peterson. "Technology, communication, software applications and construction equipment have changed the way we do business and we are far more efficient today. Procedures and reports help us manage. It is a competitive business," quotes Peterson, "but full of opportunities." According to Strauss and Peterson, the company's experience and longevity in the industry is their greatest badge of success. Their seasoned managers and experienced personnel are their greatest assets. They feel that they have been able to help build the industry through raising overall standards as well as impart their experience and wisdom in the form of members of organizations. Strauss has been a stalwart proponent of landscape organizations. Among honors of being named "Man of the Year," by the San Fernando Valley Chapter of The California Landscape Contractors Association in 1975, as well as "Member of the Year," for the CLCA in 1980. Strauss has also served as the association's president in the early 80's. He has also spent time as the past president of the California Landscape and Irrigation Council, Inc. as well as the president for the Greater Los Angeles Green Industry Council and a director and secretary of the Council for a Green Environment. In 1996 he was appointed to serve on the California State Assembly's, "Select Committee for Construction Issues."
With knowledge and experience hand-in-hand, the combined efforts at American Landscape have been able to accomplish several large and small contracts. They re-landscaped much of LAX prior to the 1984 Olympic venues. More recently, the Salt Lake City branch office was contracted to be the official snow-removal company for the Winter Olympic events, which happens to be one of the unique offerings that the branch specializes in. American landscaped Jurassic Park- The Ride, at Universal Studios, the Aquarium of The Pacific in Long Beach, and the Academy of Arts and Sciences in Burbank as well as the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. The snow removal contract for the Olympics was a logistical nightmare, according to Strauss and Peterson. "The games were only 2 weeks long, but the contract began in October of 2001 and we had to have several security checks by the secret service for clearance."
The American Landscape Company corporate offices are situated in an industrial park in the west San Fernando Valley. The corporate offices are located in Canoga Park, with branch offices in Ventura, Sacramento, San Diego, Anaheim and Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as nurseries in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The growth that American has enjoyed along with the expansion into geographic areas has created the need for upgraded facilities. The company has begun a program to build or buy office and yard facilities for each of the branches, which matches a model they have established. The need for larger corporate home is in the works as well.
Their fleet is over 250 vehicles, most of which are Ford trucks. All are specified and ordered for the division they are assigned to. Such as, Rangers for supervisory personnel or small routes, or large four wheel drive for golf and snow operations. Their large equipment, such as John Deere Wheel Loaders, New Holland Backhoes and Ditch Witch and Vermeer Trenchers are owned and maintained by the company. Much of it is specialized and moved throughout the branches as the workload dictates.
They have total personnel of about 800 employees, who range in responsibilities
from gardeners to upper management. American is separated into four distinct
but related divisions including landscape construction, golf course construction,
landscape maintenance, and nursery production. Mickey Strauss is President
of American Landscape Companies and handles sales, estimating, contract
and office administration. Gary Peterson is Executive Vice President in
charge of operations and equipment. Jason Strauss serves as the Los Angeles
Division Manager, while Jeff Strauss functions as the Nursery Manager
of the Ventura County nurseries.
During the days that work is not beckoning with a strong hand and the founders are able to escape for a moment, they both involve their families and themselves in boating and water skiing as well as winter sports. Strauss also engages in regular equestrian activities including trail riding, but they stress that their main passion is found at the business they have built from the ground up and the people they have working there with them. Many of them have been with the company since it's inception, 29 years ago, and are now bringing in the second generation of future landscapers. In the future, American Landscape Companies anticipates continued growth by jumping on opportunities in various areas. "A growth of 10-20% as the business allows us, will be just fine," said Strauss.
RETURN ME TO THE LANSCAPING PROFILE DIRECTORY PAGE
|
