Mark A. Cammisa Joins ELM as CFO

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Eastern Land Management, a regional leader in commercial landscape and snow services, is pleased to welcome Mark A. Cammisa as Chief Financial Officer.

Mark joins ELM with 40 years’ experience in financial management. In his new role, Mark will oversee the firm’s financial and administrative operations.

“We are delighted to add Mark to our leadership group. He comes with the dynamic mindset we’re looking for and as a growth-oriented leader and mentor, he will be a major asset to our entire team as we accelerate our momentum toward our half-century milestone—and beyond.  We look forward to Mark helping us as we continue to grow across every facet of our business,” said Bruce Moore, Jr., ELM president.

A native of Ardsley, New York, Mark graduated Maga Cum Laude with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Iona College. He is a member of AICPA.

In addition to a proven track record in financial leadership, Mark is a nationally-recognized coach with a life-long involvement in Youth Amateur Wrestling. A former middle school head coach, Mark is a Member of the Junior Olympic Committee for USA Wrestling and was inducted into the CT chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016. Mark is active in the Danbury community where he and his wife raised three children.

Please join us in welcoming Mark to ELM.

 

Roberto Chuquiano Named Enhancement Project Manager

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Roberto Chuquiano, a recent recipient of ELM’s Branch Impact Award, has been promoted to Enhancement Project Manager, reporting to Scott DiStasio, Stamford, Connecticut branch manager.

“Roberto’s experience is second-to-none,” said company president, Bruce Moore Jr. “Not only is his promotion well-deserved, but it speaks to our commitment to grow career opportunities within our organization and build a clear path for advancement. Roberto’s a role model – his passion for the job, his knowledge and integrity, and the high-trust he has with our clients, is an inspiration to the whole team.”

A native of Peru, Roberto joined ELM in 2006. He holds multiple certifications in landscape, arboriculture, equipment operations, and snow/ice.

When he’s not creating harmony in the landscape, he pursues his passion for music. An avid collector of vinyl, Roberto DJs on weekends to bring people together, and says that music and outdoor spaces both have the power to make people happy.

Roberto says his best advice for customers is not to give up on plants. The cycle of life – whether in a home garden or in a commercial landscape – is about renewal and patience, and respect for the opportunities each season brings.

Please join us in congratulating Roberto on his leadership and next chapter at ELM.

Georgia M. Vlanis Joins ELM as Controller

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Georgia M. Vlanis has joined Eastern Land Management as Controller, with oversight of ELM’s central accounting functions, including reporting systems, budgets, and cash management.

Georgia has more than 20 years progressive financial and administrative management and business experience in banking and law. Prior to joining ELM, Georgia was the controller and financial manager for a legal firm in Manhattan.

“Our growth requires increasingly more complex strategic support, said Bruce Moore Jr., ELM’s president. “Georgia’s expertise from her tenure at private and public organizations gives us the knowledge we need as we continue to expand.”  He adds, “Georgia has the perfect background; she brings experience and professionalism, coupled with a keen interest in learning about our industry, and a hands-on management style that has quickly integrated her as a key leader.”

Georgia was born in Brooklyn, NY and spent her childhood in Athens, Greece. She attended Adelphi Academy in New York, and graduated from St. John’s University in Queens, NY, with a bachelor of science in Psychology. She and her husband reside in Connecticut with their corgi-boxer mix.

Georgia is fluent in Greek, and is an avid league bowler who says she also finds time to indulge her love for music and football. “I am relatively new to the landscape industry, but I love the Eastern Land family. They have welcomed me with open arms and I feel like I have been here all along. I am super excited for what the future holds and look forward to growing with ELM, and working alongside some of the finest people I have ever met,” she says.

Please join us in welcoming Georgia to the ELM team.

Christopher Koenig Joins ELM as Area Manager

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West Haven, Connecticut native Chris Koenig says the green industry is a perfect fit for him because he’s loved the outdoors since he was a kid.

With passions ranging from ice hockey to ice fishing, Chris is well-positioned to lead Eastern Land Management’s cold weather crews on ice and snow management, in addition to his role advancing service delivery to ELM clients throughout Fairfield County.

Chris’s journey to area manager began at the ground level, as a gardener. “The cutting edge of what we do as landscapers starts with the soil. Getting our hands dirty, nurturing and improving plant health, dealing with insects and the weather, and making sure all the dots connect on everybody’s needs. Front line ‘boots-on-the-ground’ work is a tough assignment. But it’s great on-the-job training,” said Chris.

Chris has held several landscaping positions over a dozen years, from field operations to production and customer service.  “Chris’ experience is inspiring,” said company president, Bruce Moore Jr. “When people work their way up, they can be phenomenal leaders. Chris’ crews respect his understanding of their jobs and customers value his impressive impact as a problem-solver.”

Please join us in welcoming Chris to ELM.

Leading From the Heart

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Our company’s core reason for being is to be a force for good. Whether it’s creating value by giving back to our communities or strengthening our environmental stewardship or finding new ways to channel innovation, our success ultimately depends on the quality of the impact we have on the world around us.

As ELM expands its vision to make what we do more meaningful, eight things have become part of our organization’s practice:

  • We’re addressing environmental stewardship to reduce costs, improve water efficiency and soil health, and paying attention to improving biodiversity and minimizing waste.
  • We’re investing in ways to play a leading role in our snow and landscape industry’s transition to a lower-carbon economy.
  • We’re approaching environmental risk and reduced impacts by a combination of improved snow and landscape practices that protect and conserve water and natural resources.
  • We’re rethinking our operational footprint with an eye to a clean energy future.
  • We’re partnering across our communities with organizations and stakeholders that share our sense of commitment and accountability to positive impact.
  • We’re helping our workforce link their passions and strengths through training and opportunity.
  • We’re making the impact of our work more visible in the community.
  • We’re building a culture that values purpose, brings enthusiasm and collaboration to work, and and keeps purpose at the top of everyone’s mind, every day.

We are grateful for the people at ELM who go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others; for the culture of appreciation that is the backbone of our workplace, and to our clients and friends whose well-being, energy and engagement continue to inspire our path forward.

To learn more about ELM’s commitment to build a company that makes a difference, contact President Bruce Moore Jr. at (203) 316-5433.

 

 

 

 

Cool Boules! It’s Game-On for Bocce Ball

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Outdoor game courts are going in faster than we can say “baci”. And whether you play French-style pétanque, British bowls or Italian bocce, the simple bowling game that some say dates back to 5,200 B.C. is a hip, hot and happening trend for corporate campuses with outdoor space to spare.

Lucky for us, ELM has a growing game court niche, having built more than a few over the last few years, with more bocce projects in the pipeline. Enhancement Project Manager Bobby Papotto, who oversees our game court portfolio, says that a bocce court is easy to set up and there are different design features to take into consideration.

A recent example is ELM’s installation of a landscaped bocce court at a global headquarters in Fairfield County, Connecticut—a two-part campus renovation project that included drainage and grading, boundary construction and material installation, plus tree-shaded seating space, and border plantings to encourage employee team-building, as well as provide an upscale amenity area for corporate events.

ELM has a long history of constructing, renovating, resurfacing, re-turfing, and repairing performance and athletic fields, and sport courts are a natural next step, says Bobby.

For this project specifically, materials included constructing 200 linear feet of concrete curb, installing 400 yards of topsoil and over 10,000 square feet of sod; planting maple trees, ornamental grasses, red twig Dogwoods, and designing and installing a high-tech irrigation system.

As Connecticut’s top-performing companies continue their rapid growth, it’s becoming more important than ever for Class A property owners and managers to re-energize workplaces with healthy amenities designed to enhance people’s lives.

Whether the enhancement is a recreation pavilion, a landscaped gathering place, or outdoor conference space, giving executive teams and employees camaraderie and well-time outside the office is not only good for company culture and recruiting—bocce, volleyball, basketball, and walking and biking trails, give employees the next best way to build sweat equity.

To learn more about ways ELM is integrating nature into the future of work, contact ELM President Bruce Moore Jr. at 203-316-5433.

Celebrating 45 Years of Trust & Growth

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“Every decade has its detours,” says ELM founder and landscape industry legend, Bruce Moore Sr. “From good times to lean times, we learned to adapt. The pandemic, and a fire we had a few years ago that wiped out our archives, was nearly just another day at the office,” he added with the wisdom born of time and persistence, and a willingness to work very hard at what he loved.

ELM recently celebrated its 45th year in business and Bruce Sr. says, “agility is our middle name.”  Like a lot of entrepreneurs, Bruce Sr. had a broad focus starting out and discovered his survival kit along the way.

“Adaptability became our strong suit,” he said, “as the only thing that was constant in those days was change. We were good at keeping customers and building relationships, and it was the relationships that kept us in business.”

Fast forward to 2021, and it’s clear that relationships continue to drive the company’s collective success. Not only does ELM still have some of its original – going on four-decade relationships, but the company’s service quality and consistency keeps its customer retention at nearly 95%.  Which, given quarantines and confinements, and a chronology of unprecedented events that unfolded in real time, is a remarkable lesson for business leaders.

Today, ELM is proud to have had the foresight to invest in developing a high performing team.  “Even in the midst of turbulence, we’ve always had an ‘all for one, one for all’ spirit,” says Bruce Sr. “We were lucky then – and we’re lucky now – that we built a company of trust and ideas, so when push came to shove, we could improvise quickly and push through together.”

The result is impressive. ELM reaches across Connecticut with a multi-branch operation and an engaging workforce where team members trust the people they work with and are willing to collaborate on the next big thing.

As it turns out, team spirit is critical to the firm’s ability to pivot.  “I credit Bruce Jr. for embracing uncertainty and inspiring ELM to adapt to new normal realities,” says the proud father of the firm’s next generation leader who is ushering in new, innovative ideas, green technologies, and concepts for growth.

ELM mandates contingency planning as part of its operational strategy and the ability to switch gears is built into its culture.

“Working in the New England snow belt, we’re already aligned with the fluctuations of nature. We expect the weather to change. We plan for plant life cycles and seasons and weather events, and are always assessing risk and economies of scale. If you know anything about nature, even with technology forecasting, she can be imprecise. So, we have to be on our toes and proactive. Just like getting out in front of change in business, nature demands a fast and super-flexible response. Our training to do that well has become our value-add,” said Bruce Jr.

For more than four decades, ELM has kept the company going with its integrity and an ‘all hands on deck’ spirit at the helm.  With the firm’s half-century mark on the horizon, ELM continues to think beyond what’s possible.

“Creating a new future for what we do, without compromising what made us who we are, is our new leadership imperative.”

Over the next few months, ELM will be rolling out its legacy for the future. “With the health crisis more or less behind us, and enthusiasm for revitalized landscapes in all its forms – parks, open spaces, habitats, green roofs, and amenity zones – benefitting from a pent-up demand for being outside, we don’t want to lose sight of what made us great. Because what brought us here, will take us forward,” said Bruce Jr.

What inspired ELM back in the day – the solid relationships, the decision-making that helped the company think through challenge, and the firm’s strong commitment to people and community – that, and the high value support from all levels of its team, that’s the advantage ELM says they will always bring to the table.

Eastern Land Management was founded in Connecticut in 1976 by Bruce T. Moore Sr. Under the leadership of its president Bruce T. Moore Jr., ELM is one of the northeast region’s leading provider of commercial landscape, water management and snow services.

Bruce Moore Jr. is an active member of the National Association of Landscape Professionals, the Snow and Ice Management Association, Southern Connecticut BOMA, Bridgeport Economic Development Council, a member of the board of directors for the Fairfield County House, and a former long-time member of the board of the Stamford Boys & Girls Club. As a team and company, ELM is a committed corporate citizen and community partner, and shares time and resources to support organizations and people in need.

For its efforts in advanced water management and resource conservation, ELM was honored in 2019 with the Fairfield County ChangeMaker Award for Sustainability.

To learn more, go to: www.easternland.com or contact ELM President, Bruce Moore Jr., at (203) 316-5433.

 

Rich Veenhuis Joins ELM as Area Manager

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Eastern Land Management is pleased to announce Rich Veenhuis has joined its team as Area Manager. Rich will be based out of ELM’s facility in Monroe, CT.  

Rich brings a solid combination of business and snow industry experience to his new role, ranging from project management to operations.

“I am delighted to be part of the ELM team. I got the ‘landscape bug’ at a very young age and have enjoyed working in this industry my whole life. I look forward to sharing my enthusiasm for smart technologies and high performing landscape systems, and working with our regional team, customers, partners and community to deliver great and safe service, and perfect the experience people have with us,” said Rich.

“Rich is an exceptionally motivated professional, whose genuine passion will bring out the best in his team,” said ELM President, Bruce Moore, Jr. “He has a great blend of technical and people skills and will play an important role is driving consistent, year-round quality.”

A Chicago native and a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, Rich’s professional certifications includes Six Sigma, CNLP (certified nursey and landscape professional) and a lifetime safety ranking from OSHA.

He holds a pesticide applicators license in the states of Illinois and Wisconsin, is a graduate of the New England Tractor Trailer Training School and a veteran of the Illinois Army National Guard.  He attended College of Lake Country in Grayslake, Illinois and was a member of the famed Chicago Second City improvisational theatre group.

Please join us in welcoming Rich to the ELM team.

Tina Zayas Joins ELM as Branch Administrator

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We’re pleased to announce the recent addition of Tina Zayas to the staff at ELM. Tina will take on responsibilities as Administrator of our corporate HQ and branch office located in Stamford, CT.

Reporting to Branch Manager, Scott Distasio, Tina will be responsible for monitoring branch performance, tracking and implementing business practices and policies, and maintaining relationships with customers, clients, and community partners.

Tina is a certified project management professional and proven administrator, with experience running the offices of medical and dental practitioners, schools, and banks, and corporate sales and events.

A Stamford, CT native, Tina attended Norwalk Community College, where she pursued an associate degree in liberal arts and general studies.

With all the great places to work, why choose ELM? Tina says, the level of trust and fun, the level of pride the teams have in their jobs, and the opportunity to pull together to achieve something great together. “Any company that celebrates team success is a place I want to celebrate, too.”

Please join us in welcoming Tina to our success-driven team.

ELM Team Logs 55,000 Hours Incident Free

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This year redefined expectations for the better. With return to work strategies, shifting mindsets, and attention to health and hygiene, ELM’s integrated health and safety system became mission critical.

“For as long as I can remember,” said Bruce Moore, Jr., ELM president, “we’ve focused on customers first. But Covid made us realize that if we don’t care of our team first, they won’t be as effective in running a smooth service operation or serving our customers. So, we’re doing all we can to protect our team, and their families, from risk of infection and contribute to flattening the curve in our region.”

Updated health and safety procedures at ELM’s facilities in Monroe and Stamford, Connecticut, include increased sanitation technologies, adequate PPE, hygiene and communications protocols, protective dividers between workstations and in truck cabs, and physical distancing to reduce risk of contagion.

This month, the team at ELM’s Monroe facility is celebrating a major milestone: 365 days incident free.  “That’s 55,000 hours, if we count seasonal crews,” said Branch Manager, Greg Gross. “In any year, it’s an impressive safety metric. In a year with as many disruptions as this one, it’s an achievement worthy of a special celebration,” he added.

So, what’s ELM’s secret to safety success?  “We empower our employees by bringing their ideas to the conversation.  They’re out there every day often under demanding circumstances and they know what’s needed to perform, how to determine and assess the best approaches and work practices, and how to keep their teams and their worksites safe,” said Greg.ELM promotes a proactive approach to safety through awareness, teamwork and training as a job requirement. 

To learn more about ELM’s culture of safety and performance, contact Bruce Moore Jr., at 203-316-5433, or bmoorejr@easternland.com