TLC - The Landscape Company has come a long way since its founding in 1998. Now a $2 million company with more than 40 employees, owner David Spector hasn’t forgotten those early years—because those early years are what’s made TLC the company it is today.
“We still have the first employee we ever hired, the first maintenance contract we ever signed, and the first truck we ever drove,” Spector relates. “The truck just sits out back at our shop now, but it’s a reminder of where we came from.”
The real secret to TLC’s success is described by Spector as “feet on the ground.” “Face-to-face client interaction is as important as it was 12 years ago” Spector says. Both he and son Louis spend a lot of time in the field meeting with property managers and attending association meetings. TLC has specialists on call 24 hours a day to jump on any emergency a client may have.
To attract quality personnel, TLC offers health insurance, along with paid vacation, holidays and personal days. To encourage good attendance, TLC will pay back unused personal days—unless the employee uses three or more.
Bonuses are also part of an employee’s compensation package. The company sets a goal for net profit. If the goal is met at the end of the year, certain modifiers kick in, such as safety and client retention. A certain percentage of the net profit is placed in a pool, and is allocated to employees based on the modifiers and seniority.
