Steve Corrigan knows the secret to his success in the landscape industry.

“My people are my greatest asset because they’re the ones who make it happen,” he said. “They make sure the job comes out right. We want satisfied customers.”

Corrigan, 60, owns Mountain View Landscapes and Lawncare, which has served western Massachusetts and Connecticut since 1976.

His company philosophy is “growth through people and profits.” The people part includes a team of 75 to 80 talented and dedicated employees in a company that rang up $14 million in gross sales in 2015.

Building a long-term customer relationship requires account managers to communicate with clients on a regular basis, he said. “And we try to find the right fit for us. We seek out someone who is going to settle in with us so we get to know them.”

Customer retention is one area where LandOpt has helped him strengthen his business, Corrigan said. LandOpt is a national network of landscape contractors that provides proven business systems to its members. Mountain View joined LandOpt in late 2009, and recently renewed its membership for another six years.

“We felt that we would regress if we didn’t renew,” Corrigan said. “LandOpt keeps us on track with relationship requires account   managers to communicate with clients on a regular basis, he said. “And we try to find the right fit for us. We seek out someone who is going to settle in with us so we get to know them.”

Customer retention is one area where LandOpt has helped him strengthen his business, Corrigan said. LandOpt is a national network of landscape contractors that provides proven business systems to its members. Mountain View joined LandOpt in late 2009, and recently renewed its membership for another six years.

“We felt that we would regress if we didn’t renew,” Corrigan said. “LandOpt keeps us on track with its success coaches.” The coaches visit LandOpt member sites several times a year as well checking regularly on progress.

Corrigan said that he initially joined LandOpt because of his frustration with the inconsistent performance of his commercial maintenance and snow removal division. “We would gain, and then we would lose, then grow again and lose again.”

In the first six years of adopting LandOpt’s financial planning tools, Mountain View’s sales rose from about $1.5 million to $4 million for commercial maintenance and snow removal. The plan is to grow that to $6 million in the next six years, he added.

Training is another area in which LandOpt gives Mountain View support, which increases employee retention. Corrigan’s team includes several employees who have been with the company for more than 25 years. The average tenure is 10 years.

LandOpt’s regular schedule of boot camps and training sessions make it easy for him to find the right classes for his people, Corrigan said. And knowing his employees know their jobs make it easier for Corrigan, now a grandfather, to think about slowing down.

“I’m starting to think about retirement,” he said. “My goal in the next few years is to start taking some larger chunks of time off. Now we have the systems in place that I can do that.”

Family members also play a role in the business. Corrigan’s son, Sean, oversees large construction projects with his civil engineering background, while his daughter-in-law, Stephanie, does the payroll. His brother, Jim, works in the field as a landscape/irrigation foreman. And the company mascot is Corrigan’s dog, Bailey, a yellow Lab who is always by his side.

Some of Corrigan’s favorite projects include transforming vacant land into parks and playgrounds. One such park project, completed last year in the town of Agawam, Massachusetts, included natural grass ball fields, a water spray park, a bandstand, picnic pavilion and playgrounds.

“That’s what excites me about this work,” he said. “Or just taking someone’s back yard and installing patios and other spaces to transform it. There’s a great satisfaction in that process. Taking pride in our work is important if we want to be around for the long term.”

LandOpt partners with qualified, independently owned landscape contractors across the U.S. who want to transform their organizations. They provide a proven business operating system including sales and marketing, human resources, operations management, and business management. Support is provided by coaches who guide contractors through the process.

Let LandOpt take your business beyond mentoring.