Company Profile: The Top Priority

Go home from work the same way you came in. This is what employees with The Greenery landscape company say each morning as a commitment to stay safe and healthy on the clock.

The Greenery is a full-service commercial landscaping organization operating through 12 branches across the southeast. Seventy percent of the business operations are commercial maintenance, and they provide some construction and design services. The Greenery launched in 1973 and became employee-owned about 12 years ago. The company has a lot of success stories, but their proudest accomplishment is not their widereach or profitability, though. It is their lowinjury record.

Administrators for The Greenery say safety is their top priority. They’ve developed an extensive safety plan and training course to integrate safety protocols in all daily activities.

“Any meeting we have starts off with safety.If it’s a crew meeting, if it’s an admin meeting,if it’s a meeting in the field or in operations, they all start with safety,” says Director of Workforce Development and Safety Jerry Ashmore.

Jerry joined the green industry by cutting grass in high school, then earned two landscaperelated degrees and worked his way up during 21 years with the company. He tells teams that he understands firsthand what it is like to be in the field and will even still drive a skid-steer if need be.

“I can relate well with our folks. I can understand some of the issues that they face, and hopefully I can help them resolve things,” he says.

That connection helps Jerry develop and push out safety strategies to field teams. He played a key role in developing the company’s safety standards using direction from similar sized companies in the U.S., resources from industry associations and advice from the company’s insurance providers. It took several years and extensive training to create The Greenery’s unique protocol, but Jerry and his team managed to weave the standards deeply into the company’s culture.

Every morning, there are safety briefings during dispatch meetings. Teams discuss the projects they have, brainstorm what threats to expect and plan out how to deal with potential safety issues. Crews go through stretch routines each day, and physical therapists visit each branch once a year to teach proper stretching techniques. Crews must always wear safety vests and hearing and eye protection. Jerry admits these practices are a big investment, but it is a part of the company leader’s moral responsibility.

“Safety can honestly be a hassle,” he says. “People say, ‘oh man, I forgot my safety glasses. Do I have to walk all the way back to the truck or do I just do this last 100 feet without them.’ No, you must go to your truck and get your safety glasses.”

Poor safety has numerous financial stipulations. Jerry says less accidents means less dollars going out to pay for those accidents and more money being invested into the company.

“If you have an accident, it changes your entire day,” he adds. “Now, your focus is on that accident. It’s not on the meeting that you were supposed to go to later, or lunch or getting a job done. It’s giving the care and attention to that accident, the investigation and the injured employee.”

To keep teams healthy in the field, leaders equip them with things like Gatorade, cool towels and wraps and extra sunscreen. They also give positive reinforcement and gift card rewards for hard work. They work alongside the crews to learn and meet their needs and ensure a positive environment.

While rules, training and meetings help, Jerry says the biggest way to keep a workforce safe is by developing a strong company culture. Jerry, The Greenery President Lee Edwards and the rest of the management team wants employees to feel that they’re part of a family.

“We’ve got a pledge, and we say it every morning,” Jerry says. “‘I promise to myself and my team to be safe today because my family deserves to see me again.’”

The Greenery leaders say being employeeowned pushes teams to take pride in their work and decisions.

“It’s just like renting a car. When you return it, you don’t wash it, change the oil and vacuum it out. You just take it back. Your personal car though, you wash it, put gas in it, change tires and take care of it overall. It is because you own that,” explains Jerry.

The Greenery’s mission statement is to be the best landscape company in the markets they serve. Their goal is to grow plants, grow personally and grow professionally. The foundation for each of those goals is safety.

The Greenery, Inc.

Hilton Head, South Carolina

Tel: (843) 592 – 3818

www.thegreeneryinc.com