Landscaping company logs record numbers

For one Westlake landscaping company, the novel coronavirus pandemic approaching a year has left business booming.

Tony Nasrallah, president and founder of Ground Works Land Design, said the assumption in March was that the pandemic would slow business down.

“It was the complete opposite, because of the pandemic and people staying home and not traveling,” Nasrallah said.

That growth was so intense that it led the company to decline new clients in June or July due to the excess in demand, leading to a record 20 percent increase in sales from 2019 to 2020.

Sales already have increase 23 percent from this point in the year in 2020.

To accommodate this new growth, Ground Works hired two new directors to its team: Joseph Stark as new marketing director; and Adam Swank as director of technology.

Stark was hired in March and Swank in December.

The company also plans to hire as many as six more employees in the near future, and currently is looking to hire a landscape architect, account manager and enhancement sales representative.

Nasrallah said since the landscaping season is only eight months out of the year, “there can be a lot of chaos to stay organized.”

By hiring Swank, Nasrallah said optimizing online and technological resources for customers can help decrease calls and streamline communication.

A client portal is available online for the business, which allows it to sign on, look at designs and invoices, make requests and upload pictures.

Having worked in technology for 10 years, Swank has worked for multiple start-ups through “hypergrowth” phases that resulted in buyouts collectively exceeding $275 million, said a news release.

In his new position at Ground Works, he will play a large role in leading project teams and implementations and working closely with customers and partners to provide better service through enhanced technology.

With Stark, Nasrallah said he made strides to take brand development online via social media accounts.

Stark has over 10 years of marketing, sales, public relations and communications experience.

He has worked with brands like Rolex, Breitling, Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Audi,

Angel’s Envy Whiskey and Barrell Bourbon, the release said.

The new employees are coming at a time of physical expansion for Ground Works.

Nasrallah said the company is working on constructing a 12,000-squarefoot facility in Avon, with groundbreaking slated to start this year.

Originally planning to expand on three acres, Nasrallah said the company now will build on five and a half acres.

The facility will include a design room of indoor and outdoor displays.

Swank

Stark