Pros in Excellence Award, sponsored by Ariens, STIHL and GIE+EXPO,

The first-ever PRO Magazine Pros in Excellence Award winners were recently named at the GIE+EXPO in Louisville. Sponsored by Ariens, STIHL and GIE+EXPO, the awards recognize landscape contractors who are successfully growing their businesses with professionalism and innovation.

This year's winners are:

- Chestnut Oaks Lawn & Landscape in Greenville, SC

- Spruce It Up in Springfield, MO

- Reinhart Grounds Maintenance in Bloomington, IL

- Vila & Son Landscaping based in Miami, FL

Chestnut Oaks Lawn & Landscape in Greenville, SC

After a successful 25-year career in sales management, Dean Cox wanted to start a business of his own. It wasn't going to be easy. He had no customers and very little equipment.

One thing he did have, however, was a strong desire to become the preeminent lawn and landscape professional in the area. Just as the slogan states on the sides of his trucks, Cox wanted to be in the business of "creating yard envy." Five years later, Chestnut Oaks is helping 60-plus high-end residential customers do just that.

Cox says he's built up his business by maintaining his zeal for professionalism. He's proactive, personally visiting properties at least once a week to check for problems and simply visit with customers. He's also very easy-going. "I don't put pressure on anyone to use our services," he says. "People can distinguish between a typical salesman and someone who's honest and upfront. Our work sells itself. So we don't have to."

Spruce It Up in Springfield, MO

Even at the age of 16, Jeremy Eck displayed a level of maturity that was rather unusual for a teenager looking to mow neighbors' lawns during the summer. That maturity is what won his first customers over, and it's what has enabled him to make all the right decisions for his growing business.

Now 24, Eck has grown his company through acquisition, diversification and strategic partnership with the recent formation of a stand-alone sod installation business. "I do act impulsively at times," Eck says, "but my willingness to take calculated risks is what has made the company grow."

Despite his company's steady growth since it was founded in 1999, Eck maintains focus on quality and professionalism. "My business could probably be bigger, but would it be better?" he asks. "Superior quality of service is more important to me than adding customers. That philosophy has seemed to keep the quality referrals coming in, which keeps our company growing anyway."

Reinhart Grounds Maintenance in Bloomington, IL

For the past 20 years, Todd and Chad Reinhart have built up a $2 million-plus business in the relatively small market of Bloomington, IL. Todd says they've done it with professionalism, innovation, sheer determination and an increased focus on systems. Most importantly, they've done it with the right people.

"We invest a significant amount of money and time in training and leadership development," Todd says. "We have learned over the years that developing employees is probably the fastest way to see a return on your investment in a company."

The Reinharts have also developed systems to enhance production and improve job scheduling, fleet maintenance and overhead recovery. The company has also gone through the Ariens/JP Horizons lean management training to remove waste, increase efficiency and add value for their customers.

Vila & Son Landscaping based in Miami, FL

The fourth and final winner is one of the largest privately held landscaping firms in the U.S. With four Florida branches, annual revenues have reached an estimated $69 million. However, the company wasn't always the green industry powerhouse it is today. Even when it was a small company just starting out, the owner had a clear vision of what it would take to build a prosperous company he, his family and his employees could all benefit from. An ongoing culture of learning and development is the main reason why this company has thrived.

Rick Leal is living proof of that. Leal joined Vila & Son Landscaping back when it was just one of the many small, up-and-coming landscape companies in south Florida. "It became apparent to me right away that Juan Vila wanted to build something," says Leal, who today is a company vice president. "The owners were fully engaged and invested heavily back into the company. They weren't just in it for their own personal gain. It's about growth and building something for the long-term that every employee can benefit from."

Now a $69 million company with roughly 700 employees, Vila & Son has taken a leadership role in the industry. The company is an active member of the following organizations: PLANET, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Florida Nurserymen Growers and Landscapers Association, Florida Transportation Builders Association (FTBA), Irrigation Association (IS), International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), Latin Builders Association (LBA), National Safety Council (NSC) and the Symbiot Landscape Network (Symbiot).

For complete articles on these four winners, along with the other nine finalists, see PRO Magazine's December 2007 issue.