Lawn Care Franchise Ownership Tips - Spring-Green

Veterans Day Is Special To Spring-Green Lawn Care

With military veterans in many different roles at Spring-Green Lawn Care, the company recognizes Veterans Day every year. Spring-Green Chairman Tom Hofer is a Navy veteran, and the company has many franchisees and employees with military backgrounds. Spring-Green has 10 franchisees who are military veterans: Bruce Mohns, Jeff Anderson, Jim Hoelsworth, Kevin Holker, Lenny Geibel, Matt Denney, Mike Bell, Pat Mahoney, Roger Grose and Scott Humphrey. At the corporate office, business consultant Aaron Gieser is a veteran.

Hofer’s military background played an integral role in Spring-Green’s participation in VetFran, a subsidy program offered through the International Franchise Association that aids veterans in buying a franchise. Through VetFran, the company will apply up to $5,000 of the initial lawn franchise fee toward start-up expenses designated or approved by the company. Spring-Green also reinvests another $10,000 back into new owner’s second year local marketing efforts.

Additionally, Spring-Green participates in GreenCare for Troops, a nationwide outreach program coordinated by New Prague, Minnesota-based Project EverGreen that connects local lawn and landscape firms with men and women serving our country in the armed forces away from home. To date, GreenCare has helped over 1,900 volunteers provide free lawn and landscape services for over 7,000 military families nationwide.

Spring Green Lawn Care's Dual Focus

 

 

It's not that difficult to juggle two things...especially if you're an experienced franchise industry veteran.

 

According to Spring Green's president, James Young, those two things include;

 

1. Providing support and marketing for local franchisees

 

2. Growing the franchise throughout the country.

 

Both are important pieces of the puzzle in a franchise business..

Local Search; An Important Component in Local Franchisee Marketing

 

If you're starting to look for franchises to buy, where are you "looking?"

The answer to that question is an easy one, and it's something that's really important these days.

That's right; you, (and practically anyone else that has running water and fairly modern electricity) that's looking to invest in a franchise business, is going online. 

Spring-Green Lawn Care Honors Top Performing Franchisees at National Conference

Proceeds of silent auction to be donated to Aflac Cancer Center

(Plainfield, IL)--Spring-Green Lawn Care welcomed more than 225 franchise owners, managers, employees and spouses to its National Training Conference in August at Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, Ill.  Themed “Building for Profit,” the focus of the event leveraged the collective knowledge of the organization and its strategic vendors as they worked to continue growing local businesses and market leadership in these challenging times.

“Spring-Green franchise owners had an excellent year in an economy that has not stabilized,” said Ted Hofer, Spring-Green Lawn Care’s CEO.  “We were joined by keynote speaker Thom Winninger who spoke about market leadership, Susan Black-Beth who spoke on the realities of running a family business, as well as other experts and strategic vendors in the fields of operations, marketing and technology. Along with knowledge gained from other owners, our franchise owners went home armed with dozens of practical solutions to grow their business. To be successful in these times, you must execute.”

Spring-Green raised $20,000 through a silent auction that included prize donations from event sponsors John Deere Landscapes, Pro Ap, Real Green Systems, Agrium and others in the name of 4-year-old Jack Geibel for the Aflac Cancer Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Jack was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in November 2010 and is being treated at the Aflac Cancer Center. ALL is a form of leukemia characterized by excess lymphoblasts that affects approximately 45,000 people per year, mostly children between ages 2-4. Lenny Geibel, Jack’s father, has owned Spring-Green Lawn Care in Lawrenceville, Georgia for four years, and his wife, Paula, works for Bank of America. In addition to Jack, they have two more boys: Lenny, 10, and Max, 2. Lenny chose the Aflac Children’s Cancer Center as the recipient of Spring-Green’s donation.  He will present the $20,000 check with Jack on Sept. 7, 2011. “Our family feels very blessed that Spring-Green offered to so generously support a cause that has directly touched our family,” Geibel said. “We are thrilled that $20,000 will go to help the cancer center where Jack is being treated.”

Founded in 1977, Plainfield, Illinois-based Spring-Green Lawn Care has been delivering both traditional and organic lawn and tree care services nationwide for over 34 years. Its service is centered on the beautification of local neighborhoods and communities with both residential and commercial customers. Spring-Green is an attractive opportunity for candidates who do not want to be tied to a storefront operation, retail hours or set appointments. Franchise owners enjoy flexibility of schedule and an outdoor-based business with recurring revenue. Spring-Green currently has approximately 75 franchisees operating more than 120 territories in 27 states and projections call for eight new franchises in 2011.

For more information about becoming a Spring-Green franchisee, contact Nancy Babyar at 800-777-8608 or via e-mail at nbabyar@spring-green.com or visit the Spring-Green website at www.springgreenfranchise.com.

 

Thom Winninger Keynotes Spring-Green's National Convention

Spring-Green Lawn Care doesn't mess around when it comes to getting great speakers for their franchisee conventions. Case in point; Thom Winninger.

"Winninger's market strategies have been featured on CNBC, First Business, Boardroom Reports, Venture and Success Magazineand he is published in over 300 other trade journals, publications, and newspapers. He is frequently referred to as America's Leading Market Strategist and the man who is reinventing the way companies differentiate themselves." His website

Spring-Green Offers Different Ownership Options

Did you know that Spring-Green offers different options for starting a lawn care business? Traditionally, Spring-Green Lawn Care has offered franchisees an owner/operator franchise model that awards the franchise owner one exclusive territory. Owner/operators start as a home-based business and run the business on their own at first. In 2010, Spring-Green debuted a new business model targeted to different types of potential franchisees.

The executive owner franchise model is a way to appeal to management-orientated businesspeople. The executive model awards a franchisee two exclusive territories, which accelerates the marketing investment and helps drive revenue the first few years of operation. This approach requires the hire of one full-time field service professional and the implementation of two service vehicles.

Sound interesting? Want to learn more? Contact us today to request more information.

Happy Arbor Day From Spring-Green Lawn Care

Did you know that today, April 29, is National Arbor Day? Did you also know that Spring-Green has been teamed up with the Arbor Day Foundation for the last two years to plant a total of 20,000 trees in forests that have been damaged by wildfire, insects or disease?

We’re committed to being environmentally responsible by enlisting the best practices in lawn and tree care and helping to create both beautiful and beneficial lawns and landscapes. That’s just part of the ‘Green’ in Spring-Green. We’re also a founding member of the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) and a proud supporter of Project Evergreen. Here’s just a couple benefits of lawns and trees:

• A turf area 50x50 feet absorbs carbon dioxide, ozone, and other atmospheric pollutants, and releases enough oxygen to meet the needs of a family of four.
• By using trees and turf to modify temperatures, the amount of fossil fuels used for cooling and heating is reduced. Properly placed deciduous trees allow air conditioning units to run 2-4% more efficiently, but allow the sun to warm the house in the winter.

We encourage you to learn more about the Arbor Day Foundation including the History of Arbor Day and to make a donation to this worthwhile cause. Happy Arbor Day!

Franchise Owners Have Their Voices Heard

So what happens when you become a lawn care franchise owner? It's important to say involved by giving feedback and opinion. We are strategic partners and have a mutually beneficial business relationship. One of the best ways to stay involved and represent other franchise owners is by becoming a member of the National Advisory Council. The purpose of Spring-Green's National Advisory Council is to promote constructive, open communications between all Owners and Support Center management. Our Owners are an integral part of our planning as we grow and develop our franchise system. The Council consists of five appointed Owners from throughout the country. Spring-Green believes the strength of franchising lies in the collective knowledge of the system.

This week Spring-Green hosted a 2-day National Advisory Council meeting near our Support Center in Plainfield, Illinois. There were many topics and conversations to discuss the future of our lawn care franchise business and how to grow the organization. It's an exciting time at Spring-Green! We just celebrated our 34th birthday and are looking forward to the next 34 years.

Sound like a good fit for you? Don't hesitate to inquire about our franchise opportunity.

Happy Birthday To Us!

It’s hard to believe, but Spring-Green Lawn Care turns 34 years old on January 31. We’ve come a long way since being founded in Naperville, Illinois in 1977.  We’re now providing our lawn care services in 27 states, 121 franchise territories and more than 7,500 communities around the country. We didn’t get there by accident. We have always been committed to the Higher Standards of Quality, Service, Professionalism and Value that our customers deserve. We follow a creed, a set of values and a culture that makes Spring-Green exceptional. Here are some of the important events in Spring-Green’s history:

1977 – Founders William R. Fischer and Richard G. Gretz form Spring-Green Lawn Care Corporation. Tom Hofer begins with one truck as a neighborhood-based lawn and tree care service in Naperville, Illinois.

1980’s – The Spring-Green franchise network expands rapidly throughout the Midwest, East, South and Pacific Northwest.

1982 – William R. Fischer assumes presidency of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America.

1987 – A former Navy Lieutenant, Tom Hofer assumes the role of President and CEO, managing the company with disciplined leadership to sustain consistent growth.

1999 – Corporate staff grows into new facility

2005 – Spring-Green creates Flex-Start Program for new franchisees. Ted Hofer rejoins the company with a long-term succession plan in mind.

2007 – Spring-Green receives a 4-star rating from the Franchise Business Review. Spring-Green celebrates its 30^th anniversary.

2008 – Spring-Green receives World-Class Franchise distinction by the Franchise Research Institute.

2009 – Spring-Green Corp. campus expands with build-out of a state of the art call center facility.

2010 – Spring-Green introduces Executive franchise model. Tom Hofer assumes the role as Chairman. Ted Hofer becomes CEO.

We’re proud of our lawn care franchise history and we’re looking forward to another 34 years!

Illinois Franchise Adds 2nd Location

Congratulations to franchise owner Jason Jordan of Rockford, Illinois who is expanding his business by adding a second Spring-Green franchise territory. Jason was at the Support Center on October 22 to sign new franchise documents. Jason currently services Boone County and part of Winnebago County including Belvidere, Rockford and Loves Park. His new territory adds the rest of Winnebago County and all of Stephenson and Ogle Counties including the communities of Freeport, Oregon and Rochelle.


Jason bought this Spring-Green franchise in 2008 from previous owner Dan Helgerson. Before that, he owned a Spring-Green franchise in New Jersey. Jason was also a member of the Support Center staff until 2006. Congratulations Jason and good luck with your expansion plans across northern Illinois!

Here's the local area website for Spring-Green in Rockford.