Stark County-based business employs 265 people at six locations, and already is in the top two percent of landscape companies in the nation.
Being an entrepreneur often means building a business from the ground up.
That’s what Todd Pugh, CEO of Enviroscapes, did. Literally.
More than 30 years of sweat and dirt under the fingernails later, Enviroscapes, headquartered right here in Stark County, ranks in the top two percent of landscape companies in the U.S.
Pugh’s drive was inspired by his hard-working family and love for the outdoors. His father and mother both worked full time, and the family owned a 40-acre hobby farm. His grandparents operated a dairy farm a few miles down the road.
“As a first-generation business owner, I had to fight, scrape and work endlessly,” Pugh said. “I started with nothing. I had nothing to fall back on. That foundation continues to drive me.”
Pugh began mowing lawns in 1987 at age 14 to earn spending money and begin saving for college. He started with one $5 per week customer.
Today, Enviroscapes is a multi-million dollar business, with 500+ customers, managing more than 2,600 sites. The company employs 265 landscape professionals, with about 160 working full time with health, retirement and multiple other benefits.
“Two-hundred-and-sixty-five families rely on Enviroscapes being profitable,” Pugh said. “Our employees give us 110 percent, so we give 110 percent back.”
Enviroscapes’ vision is striving daily to become the No. 1 landscape company in the world.
“We need to be No. 1, but we need to act like we’re No. 2,” Pugh said.
That means continuous improvement. Enviroscapes is a trendsetter when it comes to lean business practices, and is always looking to improve productivity and performance.
In addition to its headquarters at 7727 Paris Ave. in Louisville, Enviroscapes has service centers in Akron, Austintown, Boardman, Canton and Columbus.
The company services all of Ohio and regions of Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia, and has received numerous national and state landscaping and business awards.
Enviroscapes is much more than lawn mowing. The company provides landscape design and build, landscape maintenance services, commercial snow and ice removal, site development, and much more.
The bulk of Enviroscapes’ business is commercial work, but the company is also one of Northeast Ohio’s largest snow removal contractors and is known for landscaping select high-end residential homes.
Well-known customers include Alliance Country Club, American Electric Power, MAC Trailer, Malone University, Mount Union University, North Canton Commerce Center, Robertson Heating & Cooling, Timken, Walsh University and Youngstown State University.
Pugh said the foundation of Enviroscapes’ success is its team of passionate, dedicated and driven “industrial athletes.” Enviroscapes believes in a competitive work environment, and challenges team members.
Pugh said Enviroscapes is the perfect place to work for those who love the outdoors. About 70 percent of new team members are referrals from current employees, a testament to the positive work environment.
“Our employees have grit, they work hard and they take pride in what they do,” Pugh said. “This area has a lot of wonderful workers. We just need more.”
Enviroscapes is a combination of knowledge gained from other landscape companies across the nation as well as local businesses.
Mike Rorie, founder of GroundSystems in Blue Ash, Ohio, is one of Pugh’s early and ongoing mentors. Pugh also does some mentoring of his own.
Pugh said some of the greatest entrepreneurs are in Stark County, whose spirit has led his business. He cited Beaver Excavating, Coon Restoration, Gervasi Vineyard, Kenan Advantage Group, MAC Trailer, Morgan Engineering, Robertson Heating & Cooling, Timken and United Glass.
“Stark County is a special place to live, work and play,” he said. “I’ve learned some valuable lessons from the business leaders here.”
Pugh also received excellent work-life balance advice from one colleague.
“He told me to put my kids’ athletic and academic events in my planner,” Pugh said. “Since then, I haven’t missed an important family event.”
Pugh’s wife, Anna, and his children, Elizabeth, Lindsey and Maverick, have been involved in the business. But, only as much as they want to be. They’ve been great supporters of Enviroscapes.
Enviroscapes believes in giving back to the community. Pugh serves on 10 community boards, and other team members get heavily involved in their communities as well.
“Much has been given to me, and I hope to inspire others to give back,” Pugh said. “It’s contagious.”
Previous growth was due to customer growth, and Enviroscapes has the right team and structure for further growth.
“You’ll see us continue to grow to service our clients and create opportunities for our team to grow,” he said.
Pugh loves what he does for a living and the people he does it with.
As long as that continues, Enviroscapes will keep inching closer to becoming the World’s No. 1 landscape company.