[packerbacker]

Just wondering if any of you ever recieved a letter from Chem Lawn offering to buy your company? I recieved one a few weeks ago. Funny thing is all i do is mow. No chemicals at all. Why would a fertilizing company want a mowing company????

 

[tiedeman]

I thought that they were getting into maintenance, or am I confusing them with Scotts?

 

[rob1325]

They wanted to buy my chemical part, a while back.

 

[Shuter]

They are a big maintenance company as well as fert. The only mailing I get, almost monthly, is to be a fert customer.

 

[Shuter]

Also, was the offer good??

 

[jajwrigh]

I think they are aiming to eat up their competition! Makes sense to me!

 

[specialtylc]

TRU GREEN has been a fert/spray business only for many years, I.E. #1 in U.S.A. sales. They are trying to get into the maintenance side for the past few years. And the easiest way to do that is to buy an existing mowing company. Gets them instant customers,employees and equipment. They started in my area 3 years ago. Here they are targeting commercial account only. They are using sub contractors to do the mowing. And let me say that the subs they are using are small time scrubs.Crap equipment,no name on trucks,and poor workmanship.

 

[packerbacker]

I dont know if the offer was good as i never called them on it, i have never had luck with them before, i think they are a borderline joke, a week ago they tried to sell my sister and brother in law a 10 step program, they said 75% of their customers were fertilized 10 times a year and that was the only way to get a green yard, she told me that and i told her to tell them to stick it ( in not such nice terms)

 

[Runner]

Their "10 step program".... It probably consisted of their usual 6 aps at half the rate like they usually do, one lime ap (whether it's needed or not, because THEY have no clue), 1 insecticide, 1 grub control, and one fungicide treatment. Then, they would probably try to upsell them on all sorts of OTHER things they don't need!

 

[tiedeman]

Originally posted by Runner
Their "10 step program".... It probably consisted of their usual 6 aps at half the rate like they usually do, one lime ap (whether it's needed or not, because THEY have no clue), 1 insecticide, 1 grub control, and one fungicide treatment. Then, they would probably try to upsell them on all sorts of OTHER things they don't need!

I love it when they try to sell lime. They tried that on one customer of mine a year back and I asked her whether they came out and did a soil test. She said no. So I told her to tell them to come out and do a soil test and then you would consider the lime application. She called them back and told them, and they said forget about it.

 

[[email protected]]

As a former employee of the Trugreen Companies, I can say that they will try to "eat"/buy up any company that they believe is large enough to pose somewhat of a threat in certain territories. They will also buy companies in areas that they may not be as strong as they would like them to be so that they can "own" the majority of the areas that they cover.

Regarding mowing...

...I don't know about other areas of the country, but here in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area, they are strong in the Landscape maintenance field. They primarily target commercial properties, but they do have some residential properties as well.
This started in our area when Trugreen bought out Minors Landscape. You might have heard the name David Minor if you have any dealings with ALCA. He started his company in this area and eventually sold to Trugreen. That is when I began to see everything change around here. It was about 3-5 years ago.

I know of other Lawn Care & Maintenance companies in our area that have received a letter from them as well. I know that a few of them took the offer and took a break for a while. Others don't want their companies broken up so they keep holding out.

Remember, the choice is yours, choose wisely.

 

[Randy Scott]

Originally posted by packerbacker
i think they are a borderline joke

As far as what we actually know from a professionals point of view, yes, their services and how they are performed are quite pathetic. From a business standpoint, they are the best. There's no denying their success. You maybe should have entertained a proposal from them. When you have ridiculous amounts of money, you buy the competition out two-fold. It will come back to them even more in the long run. I wish they'd call me. I'll listen to what they have to say. There are plenty of business opportunities out there for me to venture down. I'll sign a five year no-compete, educate myself during that time, and enter the market even stronger next time.

 

[Mdirrigation]

Buying companies out is the fastest way to dominate a market, buy out the largest company for more than what it is worth , now that you have established yourself strongly in a market you start bidding low , setting the benchmark for pricing in your area. Large national companies can afford to lose money in an area long enough to force the competition out. If 2 national companies come to an area and do battle on price you will see the rates drop considerably.

 

[Norm Al]

tru greens program is no differant than anybody elses! ummm remmeber there is only 1 pesticide and a couple other products,,,,,their are bad "techs" make them look bad!

ill bet that most of you guys have a hard time keeping 3 good people all the time,,,,,think about it!

 

[Runner]

Originally posted by Norm Al
tru greens program is no differant than anybody elses!

Well, they're alot different than mine! By leaps and bounds!

 

[Danimal]

I think they are crap. You don't sell people what they don't need. Their success is only because of the ignorance of people. When I by new tires for my truck they don't try to sell me six tires because they know I just need four. I think ethics are missing from this company. It scares me to think of what they are doing to our industry. I moved to this area because companies like them were absent but the other day I saw an add on alocal channel for trugreen. Is the green part of the name what they are doing to your lawn or what they are getting from your bank.

 

[hortboy]

Tru Green Landcare is the name of there maint. co. Now I will say this again we all here are lawn companies selling lawncare, tru green is a marketing company that happens to sell lawn care. Everybody has there niche, just rise above the competitor.

 

[[email protected]]

As far as the techs go, there are some that cut corners and are only there for the paycheck, but most of the techs I worked with were good guys.

TruGreen's problems are from higher up. The management pushes the salesmen to sell regardless, so they sell for rock bottom prices (which affects the tech) and sell services the customer may or may not need. Then they set daily and weekly goals for the techs to meet in order to get a decent paycheck and Saturday off. Problem is the Sales team undersold the property so it doesn't bring in the revenue for the tech. Now the tech has to work twice as hard to make that up. Let's face it, I don't care who you are, even the best applicator can only do so much in one day. So there is a "rift" between the management who set the goals, the salesmen who sell the property, and the tech who does the work.

The post that said TruGreen is a marketing company that sells lawn care is right on. Also, they are owned by ServiceMaster Companies (they own Merry Maids, TruGreen, Terminix, ect) That's why they are in the playing field they are in.

Our best defense as a smaller companies is to push the quality of service and personal attention that TruGreen lacks.

They are not our issue. Be confident in who you (we) are! Take pride in your (our) work and let them do their thing.