Industry Leader: Cultivating Success

Industry Leader: Cultivating Success

Nate Moses on Growing a Business & Lessons Learned Along the Way

Growing up in the small town of Waterford, Michigan, Nate Moses learned early on in life the importance of hard work. His large family, including 11 siblings, never did without the essentials, but finances were tight. At the age of 10, his entrepreneurial spirit began to blossom when he was given the opportunity to cut his neighbors’ lawns for a small income. Little did he know at the time, but that experience would not only help establish his strong work ethic, but would also lay the foundation for a successful future in the landscaping industry.

At age 18, Nate left home and moved to Greenville, South Carolina, to attend college. He soon realized that formal education wasn’t for him. Seeking a new path, he began soul-searching and trying to figure out where his future would lead. Thinking back to his childhood, he remembered how much he enjoyed working outside and being in nature, and it quickly became apparent that landscaping was the answer he was looking for.

Nate Moses, Owner of Precision Landscape Management

On March 2, 2010, Precision Landscape Management officially opened its doors for business. Because he had to work a full-time job in a different industry to make ends meet initially, Nate started with just a few small residential and commercial accounts that he could manage in the evenings and on weekends. Eventually, he was able to quit his other job and start working at the company full-time.

According to Nate, the main focus during the first five years of the business was just getting the work done and doing it well, regardless of how large or small the project. Although lacking experience in sales and management, he knew how to work hard and would take on additional help as needed to be able to complete larger jobs. With a small fleet of trucks and trailers operated out of his basement garage, he continued to turn out consistent, quality work. With word-ofmouth referrals being the only advertising and marketing utilized at that time, Precision began a period of rapid growth.

Due to the recovering economy and its budding reputation in the industry, the company doubled its revenue from $550,000 in 2015 to $1.1 million in 2016. Although there were major growing pains associated with how quickly the company grew, Nate says it “was a big learning experience for me to grow a company that quickly.”

From the outside looking in, Precision appeared to be very successful financially, but upon closer inspection, that wasn’t the reality at all. In fact, the company actually lost money in 2016, even with such a large revenue stream. At that point, Nate knew he had to decide if he wanted to continue investing and pushing to expand his company or call it quits.

After attending the Green Industry Expo that year, Nate left with restored inspiration and a shift in perspective. His eyes were opened to numerous possibilities of what his company could become on a larger scale. He feels that there is tremendous value in networking and sharing experiences with other companies.

One thing you’ll find true about the landscape industry is we’re very welcoming , & we share a lot of information.

“Anyone in the industry is willing to help somebody else out. One of the things that’s helped me so much in my growth as an entrepreneur is when other people have shared their story, and so if there’s anything I can do to continue to share my story and help other people out, that’s where my heart is, and I am so happy to continue a conversation,” he says.

Instead of continuing with a mindset focused on his own goals, Nate became inspired to build a strong team and focus on the collective goals that would outlast any personal aspirations. “I would say that for me the most exciting part about business is the people side of it,” he explains. “Seeing other people learn and grow and take responsibility and provide better means and better opportunities for themselves, for their families and beyond.” This new approach motivated him to continue pushing through any difficulties the business faced with the determination and expectation that the company would succeed.

Although moving in the right direction and with a renewed sense of purpose, the company continued to make a minimal profit each year. Things would soon change late in 2019, however, when Nate discovered a book called Traction. The book helps small businesses get organized and develop important processes in order to operate as efficiently as possible. At the end of 2019, Precision’s revenue was $2.4 million. By maintaining mostly residential customers and offering a large variety of services, including designing, building, maintenance and lawn and plant care, Precision

Landscape Management has either met or exceeded its annual growth target each year since implementing the Traction principles. This year alone, they are expecting to bring in over $4 million in revenue.

With the continued financial success of the company, Nate is now looking for ways to invest back into his employees and create a workplace culture that supports personal and professional development. “Early on, what was particularly satisfying was doing good work and having customers be happy and satisfied with the end result,” he says. “While that still has a measure of satisfaction for me, what really keeps me excited and driving forward is seeing people that learn and grow, and so my core motivation is to continue to provide those opportunities for people to come into an organization, enjoy a good culture and grow within the team.” At Precision, teamwork does, in fact, make the dream work.

By having qualified people in leadership positions, Nate’s role at Precision has evolved over the last few years. Since his natural strengths are in sales and finance instead of operations, he delegates the operational responsibilities to his competent management team, while he functions as the sales manager and CEO. In addition to these roles, Nate has also done some consulting, coaching and teaching in the industry and participates in a Jeffrey Scott peer group to help advance his own leadership skills.

“I would say, ever since 2016, I’ve really made it a point to try to meet people that lead incredible companies,” he says.

I attribute some of my growth as a leader to the friendships that I’ve developed in the industry

Nate’s ability to adapt to and overcome the challenges associated with being a business owner speaks volumes about his commitment to his trade, employees and customers alike. With him at the helm and the amazing team of employees working with him, Precision Landscape Management will continue to be a positive presence in the landscape industry for many years to come.

Get In Touch With...

Nate Moses

CEO of Precision Landscape Management, LLC

Phone: (864)729–0116

Email: nate@precisiongvl.com

precisiongvl.com