Executive summary: I acquired a low-seven-figure commercial landscaping business and led a post-acquisition turnaround by installing field execution standards (scope alignment, service-time targets, route cadence) and job-level profitability reporting, supported by digital timekeeping, standardized estimating, and an in-house route optimizer/capacity model that drove an immediate step-change in direct field labor % of revenue, improving peak-season performance from ~51% to ~31%. I led an 18-person team (General Manager, four foremen, sales). Since October 2025, the GM has led day-to-day execution with my oversight.
Results snapshot
Format: 2023 → 2025 unless noted.
- Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE) margin: 13% → 23%
- EBITDA margin: 5% → 14%
- Gross margin: 29% → 41%
- Win rate: 25% → 40%
- Net Revenue Retention (Recurring): 105% (2024) · 110% (2025)
- 2025 Logo churn (Recurring): 1.7%
Diagnosis
I treated the turnaround as a repeatable sequence: use data to make the operation legible, define execution standards, install systems that enforce those standards, and then develop leaders so performance does not regress.
Three primary gaps drove underperformance: (1) no job-level visibility, (2) undefined service standards (“done,” time-on-site), and (3) weak management cadence (issues surfaced at month-end; overtime was the buffer). Without shared standards or visibility, frontline execution drifted and customer expectations weren’t aligned.
Playbook
- Establish visibility. Establish job-level costing and weekly variance visibility so issues surface in-week, not at month-end.
- Align price to work. Define what “done” means (scope boundaries, quality standard, service-time targets) and profitability expectations; re-scope/reprice the existing recurring book and tighten estimating so scope creep and overtime are not the default.
- Implement systems. Replace manual workflows with standardized systems.
- Improve retention and client experience. Align expectations to delivery through proactive communication cadence and consistent, transparent service levels.
- Reduce leakage and unnecessary spend. Eliminate recurring margin leaks (overtime, admin friction, avoidable cost) with budget gates, tighter purchasing discipline, and vendor/subcontractor optimization.
- Build a durable leadership model. Build a management cadence and develop leadership so performance persists without owner dependence.
Establish Visibility
I started with job-level costing and labor tracking so we could compare what the work actually required versus what contracts funded. If you can’t see it at the job level, you can’t manage it. Initially, we enforced job-level tracking with simple job codes and weekly reconciliation. I moved performance review to a predictable cadence to surface issues at week-end rather than at month-end, and I pressure-tested the data with the crews to make sure it reflected real field conditions.
Align Price to Work
Once performance was visible, I standardized what “done” meant at the property and job level—scope boundaries, frequency, quality standard, explicit exclusions—then translated that into measurable service expectations to help us manage delivery and confidently sell new contracts. I applied the same workflow across both lines of business—recurring maintenance (time-on-site standards and contract rescoping) and installations (estimate discipline and change-order control)—but the operating levers differed.
For existing, recurring contracts, I reconciled scope versus reality and brought contracts back into alignment so “silent” scope expansion and overtime-as-buffer weren’t the default. With scope and time-on-site defined, I rebuilt the pricing approach around cost-plus with overhead recovery so that the contract economics matched the service standard we committed to deliver.
That same discipline applied to installation work. Estimating and scope definition weren’t tight enough to predict labor and material cost reliably, so installation projects were absorbing excessive overtime. I enforced more consistent scope definitions and used job-level tracking to close the loop between estimated and actual performance. As a result, we could improve, price accurately, execute against a plan, and stop subsidizing installs with inefficiency.
Implement Systems
Within the first 90 days, I built an in-house route optimizer and capacity model to set visit cadence and service-time targets, size crews, and plan headcount for recurring maintenance. It enabled capacity planning without relying on overtime as the buffer and drove an immediate step-change in direct field labor percentage of revenue, improving peak-season performance from ~51% to ~31%. Once service expectations were tied to job costing and timekeeping, we could see variance by job and route and intervene before it compounded.
With standards and pricing logic defined, I made the operating model enforceable by replacing paper time sheets with detailed digital timekeeping (NFC clock-in/out) and implementing standardized estimating tools so scope and pricing were consistent.
Improve Retention and Client Experience
I reduced surprises by aligning client expectations to delivery through a tighter communication cadence and consistent service standards. With “done” defined and service-time targets in place, we set clearer expectations at kickoff, confirmed scope changes early, and made service levels more consistent and transparent across properties and jobs. The result was fewer reactive escalations, more stable relationships, and field teams executing against clear targets instead of guessing.
Reduce Leakage and Unnecessary Spend
With visibility and systems in place, I addressed recurring leakage, especially administrative inefficiency and uncontrolled spend. I rightsized back-office capacity to match the operation’s needs, established purchase approval gates tied to a real budget, and ensured purchases were consistently linked to operational requirements. I also strengthened subcontractor and vendor partnerships—specialists by service line—to improve delivery reliability and lower unit costs where it made sense.
Build a Durable Leadership Model
A lot of the work was leadership and cadence. The business was top-heavy and focused on pulling cash out instead of building a healthy operation. I put the business first in decisions and rebuilt around long-term execution. I formed a real partnership with the General Manager who I hired in my first 30 days, setting priorities together, running a weekly management cadence (priorities, KPIs, variance review), and making changes stick at the frontline. I mentored him from a field role in his previous life into managing the team, client relationships, and sales, so the business could run without depending on me day to day. Since October 2025, our GM has led day-to-day execution with my oversight.