New Member Profile Snapshot
LandCare USA, LLC 580 Old Skokie Road Park City, IL 60085 (847) 886-0901 www.landcare.com
by Meta Levin
Since July of 2019 LandCare USA, LLC, has
Work for the industrial sector has not been impacted. In fact, says Carter, “industrial real estate had one of its best been owned by its employees, as well as small investment years.” HOA spending also was good. Hospitals have been group of friends, headed by Mike Bogan, CEO. busier than ever. Over the 25 years before that, the national company grew Carter has a long history in the green industry, working by buying other companies, targeting the best in each market, for Brickman for most of his career. In fact, he was an ILCA says Neil Carter, executive vice president. In October 2020, member for 20 years while with Brickman, spending some the company re-entered the Midwest market. time volunteering as a member of the regulatory affairs comSixty-five percent of LandCare’s work is landscape manmittee. “It’s a great organization,” he says. “I’m anxious to agement and its clientele span the commercial, office, industriget plugged back in.” al, healthcare, hospitality and HOA sectors. It’s no secret that A family man, Carter loves being outdoors. His daughthe hospitality industry took a beating in 2020. LandCare has ter does performance dog training. One son is an industrial concentrated on helping these customers maintain their curb designer with Milwaukee Tool and the other works for appeal, while making their dollars go farther. Gordon Food. He has been married for 38 years and his wife, To do that, they have worked to extend seasonal color rotaamong other things, is a beekeeper. tions, doing two, instead of three changes per year, as well Carter owes his career to Greg Pierceall, now professor as selecting plant material that will prolong the season, says emeritus of landscape architecture from Purdue University. Carter. They are finding the plants that they need, but have An agricultural economics major at Purdue, Carter, who learned that growers are not speculating as much in 2021 as grew up in central Indiana and whose family owned several they have in the past. agriculture related businesses, was looking at some drawings Large office buildings are in similar situations. “Our clienin the horticulture department, when Pierceall came out of tele is looking at ways to use its office space efficiently,” says his office and began talking with him. “He influenced me Carter. “They are trying to find ways to make their money go most to get into the green industry,” he says. farther and to be proactive.” During the pandemic, those who Carter used a lot of electives to study landscape archicould, began working from home. Eventually, businesses contecture, horticulture and turf management. Then, one day, sidered the fact that many of their employees might continue Pierceall called him and told him that he had an appointment this practice, saving them money, but leaving some office with a representative from Brickman. The same thing hapspace vacant. pened with another national landscape contracting firm. He LandCare is using lessons learned from their hospitality went with Brickman. customers in working with large business property. Even their Pierceall and Carter stayed friends. “I can’t thank him snow and ice business has been affected. With fewer people enough,” says Carter. going to the office to work, LandCare often doesn’t have to plow 100 percent of the parking lots. That is not the case for hospitals or industrial clients. Landscape management varies from location to location across the country. LandCare also does landscape design/ build, irrigation and water management, as well as snow and ice management. The Landscape Contractor 54 June 2021
