2024 Amenity Report: It’s a Green Light for Outdoor Green Space

With commercial real estate getting back on solid ground, prestige amenities are changing the value narrative. The more innovative, the better.

If you’re looking to differentiate your property, landscaping is a relatively easy way to fast-track progress on goals, mitigate risk to extreme weather, and meet the objectives of all stakeholders with improved aesthetics, reduced energy and water use, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and improvements in net zero.  Consider the dovetailing wants and needs of building owners and their tenants, and how both benefit from a greener footprint.

  • People want to work at properties with quality of life amenities that offer sun and shade, outdoor places with flowers, benches, lighting, fitness areas, walking trails and bike paths, courtyards and plazas, bocce ball and putting greens, no mosquitos, and always, more trees.
  • Property investors and owners want finance upsides–increased reduction in energy use, improved carbon capture, improved water use, green credits and offsets, integration of smart technologies, and a landscape partner that can successfully deliver return on investment and return on value in equal measure.

Improving a landscape is like improving a building. Start with a good foundation, a high-functioning infrastructure, and state-of-the-art technologies to make it greener, make it marketable, and make it profitable.

30% of your site should be high-performing vegetation. Convert turfgrass to meadow plantings or eco-lawn ground cover; create natural areas and restore damaged ones to provide habitat and improve biodiversity; plant more trees to reduce heat island effect; install smart irrigation controllers; improve hardscape with sustainable materials; plant blooming perennials to improve pollinator population; and use integrated pest management, plant health care and best cultural practices to maintain healthy and vigorous plants; and seek less hazardous alternatives to chemicals to improve public health.

About Eastern Land Management.

ELM is a high-value partner, working directly with property owners as well as property and facility managers across Connecticut and Westchester County, NY.

Our CRE portfolio includes trophy Class A, green roof/on-structure mixed-use, multi-family/HOA, hospitals, senior living, and private universities. ELM received the ChangeMaker Award for Sustainability from Fairfield County, CT.

To learn more about green performance and which amenities can fast track your sustainability goals, Call ELM President, Bruce Moore Jr. at: 203-316-5433

Affiliations:

Member, Board of Directors, BOMA Southern Connecticut & BOMA Westchester County; Member, National Association of Landscape Professionals; Member, Snow & Ice Management Association; Certified Landscape Professional; Certified Advanced Snow Professional

 [Photo:  ELM received two NALP (National Association of Landscape Professionals) Awards of Excellence in Landscaping for Merritt7, Norwalk, CT.]

 

The ABCs of RFPs: What property & facility managers need to know about finding a landscape partner.

Whether you’re a property or facility professional, RFPs – Request for Proposals – will sooner or later fall within your task bucket.

As a procurement tool, RFPs can be a great leveler. But they also don’t tell the whole story; they can feel like tedious wheel reinvention for both parties, and when they’re ‘kitchen sink’ approaches – or ask for everything but, there is no room for differentiation.

We think there’s a better way.

With spring start-up season just around the corner, here’s our advice for tailoring your landscape services RFP to give you the best partner for the job.

RFPs don’t tell the whole story

Service companies that respond to RFPs end up in a pool of commodity contractors who compete on price. When landscape companies compete on price, it’s because they often look for cheaper options to deliver on apples-to-apples specs. The bad news for property and facility professionals who contract landscaping services through RFPs is that you get what you pay for – a hamster wheel of RFP-won contractors who offer price instead of value.  We believe that value is a competitive advantage. When you eliminate value, you lose the upside value brings.

How to make RFPs a win-win   

For both landscape services contracts and complex landscaping projects—those with upgrades, renovations, and performance and environmental improvements—a well-written RFP can be effective at filtering out weak players. To create a consistently good RFP and RFP process, think about making your RFP an RFV – or Request for Value.

In addition to describing what you and your commercial property or facility needs and your expectations for delivery, include your sustainability goals and context for what the landscaping itself will meet, such as: talking points from your site performance plan (are you targeting carbon neutral or qualifying for LEED?), include the ‘need to haves’ and the ‘nice to haves’, criteria for curb appeal and improved asset value, and a realistic deadline for the contractor to respond. Avoid generalities, proof-read for typos, edit for clarity, and eliminate redundant questions and contradictory requirements.

A cautionary note about AI-enabled technology:  When the RFP response process is automated, do the math.  While automation offers efficiencies and fills out things at a much quicker pace, the scope piece when compared to non-automated bids may not add up. Always double check to make sure you’re not getting apples-to-oranges.

If you’re looking to save cost, remember: low-bid doesn’t tell the whole story. The best return on investment is calculated by actual and perceived value, and the long-term value that comes from a strong relationship.

We do our best work when we work with people—face to face, building connections, friendships, and opportunities to gain trust.  Our advice? Use your RFP as a solid starting point. A way to open the door and start a conversation, and a way to make sure you’re getting more than a team of qualified vendors, but a strategic partnership where value is created and delivered every step of the way.

If you’re renewing your contracts, seeking a new landscape partner, or just interested in keeping the conversation going, give us a call to share your thoughts.

{This blog was originally published in February 2023).

 

 

How to Leverage the Benefits of Scale and Gain Market Share Through Landscaping

What property and facility owners and managers need to know.

It’s no secret that maintaining a healthy commercial landscape is a big job. And although it may seem that all commercial landscape contractors do the same thing, thanks to smart technologies and automation, there is a stark difference in the way commercial landscape and grounds services are delivered and the value landscaping brings to the bottom line.

The most obvious difference is impact landscaping has on property value. Landscapes need to look good all year-round; they need to be safe for people and the environment, reduce risk and liability, and deliver higher returns all while making a lasting impression.

This is where ELM comes in to help property and facility owners and managers capitalize on the benefits of scale.

ELM is a single-source provider. This means that all landscape and grounds services are integrated and strategically delivered across all seasons, including snow and ice. A single-source provider not only simplifies the process of managing your landscape and reducing the number of companies you need to contact, it’s the best way to reap consistent cost savings through economies of scale.

If you’re looking to contract with a professional commercial landscape services firm, here are five questions to ask:

  1. How long have they been in business?
  2. What is their client retention rate?
  3. Do they offer year-round maintenance, including snow and ice services?
  4. What value-added benefits are included? Do they use low-noise equipment, electric or autonomous equipment, clean energy and options that help earn LEED credits?
  5. Will they make your landscape as technologically smart and as digitally-advanced as your building?

Here’s what you can expect from ELM in the day-to-day:

  1. Meticulous about clean and complete. No task left undone.
  2. No drama.
  3. Proactive about little things before they become big things.
  4. Make suggestions that make you look good.
  5. Willing to go above and beyond.
  6. Prepared, trained, and experienced emergency response.
  7. Highly responsive and easy to reach.

ELM commercial landscape maintenance services include expertise in the following:

  • Commercial property and facility landscape and grounds services
  • Landscape maintenance and horticultural services
  • Enhancements and renovations
  • Irrigation and water management
  • Hardscape projects, corporate terraces, plazas and patios
  • Parking lot and median maintenance
  • Snow and ice control, and winter management
  • Site safety
  • Spring plantings
  • Fall clean-up

If you’re a commercial property and facility manager seeking quality, excellence and cost-efficient contracting services for your landscape and grounds, working toward LEED accreditation and greater sustainability, ELM is your partner of choice.

ELM is a proud member of BOMA Southern Connecticut and BOMA Westchester County, and actively supports the greater multi-sector commercial real estate community in Connecticut and New York.

Wow-Worthy Containers are Welcoming Employees Back to Work

After a year of change and transition, property owners and managers are using flowers – and lots of them – to restore a sense of normalcy as tenants and workers return to the office.

Outdoor planters with cascading greenery, sensational pots of fall foliage, freshly mulched borders of mums, and impeccable outdoor green spaces are a sign that life is gradually finding its way back.

Although the impact of hybrid work will be felt across all aspects of the workplace for some time, investments made in bringing more nature into the workspace will be one of the healthiest legacies of the pandemic era.

Research suggests that plants, in or out of the office, are more than a decorative touch. In fact, across high performing buildings and green-certified offices, nature equals higher productivity, improved morale, and an increased ability to focus.

As the return-to-work workplace continues to evolve, ELM will continue to innovate with plants and sustainable landscape strategies that improve well-being and meet the demand for healthier environments.

To learn more about green workplaces and how landscape amenities attract and keep tenants, contact President, Bruce Moore Jr. @ 203-316-5433

 

Think Outside the Job: Why ELM’s All-Hands-On-Deck Workplace Means You’re Not Just a Cog in the Machine

The best people are fast on their feet, says Bruce Moore Jr., ELM president, and chief culture officer.  “We’re a business of specialists who end up doing a little bit of everything. Including me.”

The whole business of commercial landscaping is shifting and no one knows what’s going to happen in the next ten years. But one thing is certain. Our customer will still be in charge.

For ELM, that customer is the vast commercial real estate industry in Connecticut and Greater NY metro, an economic powerhouse that spans multiple sectors—from retail and industrial to office and multi-family, and the property and facility managers, and owners who call the shots.

“Making sure the properties perform and contribute value is our job,” says Bruce, who leads a diverse team committed to a seamless bucket brigade of seasonal landscape maintenance services and a portfolio of green site infrastructure, irrigation and water management, construction and improvements.

The ability to understand and apply value-added concepts is critical to the success of a commercial landscape team and the concept of creating value has shaped how ELM’s culture works. At the most basic level, it’s about increasing effectiveness of the processes, understanding why quality is so important, and why the flow of work must exceed customer expectations.

“The most important thing we look for when hiring,” says Bruce, “is personality and the ability to work well with others. We can always teach a skill or provide training to ramp up expertise, but we can’t teach compatibility. When success is on the line, the team has to fit.”

7 reasons why ELM is a great place to work:

  • Team Spirit. Henry Ford said “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. And working together is success.” We agree and believe that more ideas, better decision making, fewer mistakes and getting faster results is one of the significant characteristics of ELM’s winning team spirit and the energy behind the company’s high performing teams.
  • Awesome People. Choosing the right people and treating them the way we want them to treat our customers helps the whole company work smoothly. We’re looking for the right skills, the “yes we can” mindset, a willingness to jump in no matter what, and people open to change.
  • Common Purpose. ELM teams share a distinct characteristic of shared purpose, and people who are organization-oriented, know what they are required to do, and willing to work together on SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and timely) goals for better productivity are the kind of high-value people who can harness the real potential of what’s possible.
  • Trust & Respect. Mutual respect is critical in companies where members of teams don’t have the same level of authority. At ELM, team members function best when there is mutual trust and where it’s the responsibility of the team leader to lead by example.
  • Innovation. We encourage creative problem-solving, practice constructive criticism, and know that great ideas can come from everyone on our team if we empower people to think differently. From faster ways of doing business to the better use of tools and equipment, ideas—and our ability to execute them—are our secret sauce.
  • Training. We believe that the more we invest, the better our return. ELM supports training, and technical and professional certification programs specific to sustainability, landscape maintenance, irrigation, and snow and ice management. And once we have a well-trained team, we do everything we can to give them a reason to stay: appreciation days, opportunities to grow, and team building time to get to know one another better.
  • Readiness. Working outdoors means weather is a constant companion and being prepared to manage uncertainty is part of the job. From climate events to storm watch, our ‘extreme team’ is not only top notch when it comes to safety and risk management, our winter management specialists are our region’s best. As an ASCA (Accredited Snow Contractors of America) Snow Leadership Award winner, we know that being vigilant and proactive will go a long way to make sure our clients, their properties, and our own great team stays safe when it counts.

ELM is hiring at both locations, Stamford and Monroe, Connecticut, and has open positions for full time and seasonal work.

Contact us for job applications at careers@easternland.com, or go to https://www.facebook.com/EasternLandManagement for job postings.

ELM is a member of NALP (National Association of Landscape Professionals), SIMA (Snow & Ice Management Association), ASCA (Accredited Snow Contractors of America, and the Irrigation Association.

Photo: ELM Team Monroe celebrating 365 days of no accidents.

 

Create a Sustainability Framework for Your University Landscape

Campus landscapes are advancing higher education’s sustainability mission.  As universities adopt and improve on energy efficiency, green infrastructure and water conservation initiatives, landscape performance is becoming essential to generate best-in-class environmental metrics.

ELM is working with colleges and universities across Connecticut and New York metro to address both landscape construction and maintenance objectives, as well as innovative water and resource conservation, watershed and stormwater management, responsible approaches to pest and disease management, meeting zero waste to landfill, and reducing carbon footprints in the following ways:

  • Modifying our production processes to meet resource reduction targets.
  • Using less toxic or non-toxic substances.
  • Implementing conservation techniques through water management and smart water technology.
  • Improving water governance.
  • Providing solutions in stormwater management, flood control and drainage systems, bioswales and rain gardens to enhance water quality, filter runoff, and recharge local aquifers.
  • Reducing heat island effect by replacing surface space, and implementing and maintaining green roofs and vertical gardens and outdoor spaces to address heat absorption and filter water.
  • Using strategic planting and plant health care and maintenance strategies to improve air quality, and provide attractive, cohesive park-like settings that serve as both healthy respite and multi-purpose outdoor learning space.
  • Protecting wildlife corridors and habitats, watersheds, and riparian zones by reducing pollutants.
  • Reusing and recycling materials rather than putting them into the waste/landfill stream.
  • Using renewable energy, flexible fuel or low emissions vehicles, and autonomous equipment.
  • Upgrading equipment and approaches to better deliver on goals for safety, efficiency, service and innovation.
  • Training our team for sustainability engagement and greener mindsets.
  • Using lean approaches to minimize waste without sacrificing productivity.
  • Embracing responsible consumption by minimizing fuel consumption, mapping routes, production and logistics for optimum efficiency.
  • Supporting LEED and green building goals to reduce environmental impacts and overall exposure to water, waste, and weather events.
  • Including SMART goals in our planning to take landscape planning and higher education green objectives to the next level.
  • Investing in continuous green improvements.
  • Receiving the ChangeMakers Award from Fairfield County for sustainable water conservation program.

About Us

ELM is recognized as a leader in campus landscape sustainability planning and implementation and offers five ways in which our specialists can customize a working relationship with campus facility managers to improve sustainability:

  1. Full service outsource partner – landscape construction and renovation; green infrastructure; site improvements; landscape maintenance; plant health care; water management; and snow and ice/winter management.
  2. Specialty landscape contractor for grounds maintenance and management, snow and ice, irrigation and water management, performance turf and athletic fields.
  3. Specialty landscape contractor for broad site improvements and green infrastructure, stormwater and drainage systems, and site amenities.
  4. Full-service landscape maintenance.
  5. Team partner with general contractors, design-build teams, or onsite horticultural and/or grounds professionals.

Whether refreshing iconic campus footprints, innovating for a next generation of students and  faculty, or to lead capital improvement for conservation and development, ELM is shaping campus green spaces to connect people to nature, to each other and to the future they serve.

Rich Veenhuis Joins ELM as Area Manager

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.

Meet our Super Duty® F-350 4x4s

From utility to performance and durability, we’re all-in on the rugged reliability of our new fuel-efficient Ford 350s.

Landscapers can’t live without a heavy-duty delivery system and for us, this next generation model promises to out-haul and out-perform any truck we’ve had before. 

Our quest for fuel economy, technological advancements, and smarter ways of working never ends and the impressive mileage data on this model will make our fleet upgrade more cost effective overall.

We customized our crew cabs with Covid-compliant acrylic safety dividers, and added high-capacity cargo containers that will generate less drag, deliver greater engine efficiency, and offer our all-season team greater endurance.

We know there’s no end in sight for ways to shrink our environmental footprint. From streamlining trailers, to burning less fuel, to making major improvements in energy savings, our team is stepping up to power smarter growth. 

To learn more about how landscape efficiencies benefit long-term requirements for doing more with less, contact Bruce Moore Jr, @ 203-316-5433.

Welcoming Students Back. A landscape blueprint for campus health & safety

Schools are reopening for summer in Connecticut with restrictions for health and safety. Among these are guidelines for health and safety and protocols for precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

We are privileged to work with some of the finest educational institutions in our region and are prepared to take on responsibility to help them ensure the health and safety of their students and staff.

Based on state and federal guidelines and our current understanding of infection control measures, our campus health and safety program now includes a broad range of services that mitigate risk, improve logistics, functionality and delivery, and ensure that school landscape and grounds are sustainable and healthy from the ground up.

  • Athletic fields, high-performance turf installation and care
  • Complete outsource landscape and grounds maintenance package available
  • Custom on-site service schedule
  • Disinfecting and sanitizing services
  • Hardscape construction, renovations, rehabilitation of walkways, and outdoor amenities to meet social distancing requirements
  • Horticultural services
  • Lighting
  • Non-toxic plant health care program
  • Plant disease and pest control
  • Sanitizing and disinfecting services
  • Seasonal color, perennials, gardens for school garden clubs
  • Snow and ice management
  • Stormwater management/bioswales/drainage and grounds stabilization
  • Tree care
  • Uniforms and PPE protocols, and enhanced health and safety training
  • Updated equipment safety and functionality procedures and training
  • Vector-borne disease control, and mosquito/tick habitat reduction
  • Water conservation, water audits, smart irrigation technology and water management

For information on getting your campus ready to welcome students back, to disinfect, deep clean, spruce up your grounds, or upgrade irrigation and drainage, contact ELM President, Bruce Moore Jr., at 203-316-5433. 

Or email at bmoorejr@easternland.comto learn more.

ELM is a full-service landscape and snow and ice contractor, licensed and bonded in the States of Connecticut and New York. 

Photo: ELM is proud to be full-service landscape partner to Sacred Heart University Fairfield County Connecticut.

Introducing a New Standard for Clean: Property Sanitization & Disinfecting Services Now Available

To help contain the spread of Covid-19, ELM is offering enhanced protective measures to help property owners and operators mount an effective, precautionary response against pathogens, infectious agents and vector-borne disease. 

I. Disinfecting & Sanitizing Treatments Tackle Infectious Agents

Our disinfecting and sanitizing applications focus on high-touch points, environmental surfaces, and fixtures and furniture found in high-traffic common areas. These include, but are not limited to, patios, dining terraces and picnic areas, railings, entries, green roofs, recreational amenities, artificial sports fields, benches and bleachers. 

II. Exterior Pressure Washing Removes Pollutants

High-pressure water jets effectively remove environmental dirt, dust, tree pollen, and bird and insect residue on walls and walkways. Our service unclogs rain gutters and downspouts and freshens non-porous surfaces without leaving corrosive residues. 

III.     Vector-borne Disease Control Inhibits Mosquitos, Ticks, Fleas

Source reduction is the key to ridding outdoor areas of fleas, ticks and breeding environments for mosquitos. ELM’s seasonal pest control program reduces the risk of virus such as West Nile, Zika, Eastern equine encephalitis, and Lyme disease. Other insect control strategies, such as bio-control agents, landscape habitat modification, pesticide and non-toxic methods of control can be applied.

ELM’s Safety & Best Practice Guidelines

ELM technical services crews and grounds cleaning protocols adhere to guidelines issued by the public health departments of the States of Connecticut and New York, the CDCP and OSHA. All treatments are applied in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations, in consultation with property and facility owners/managers, and with ELM’s safety best practices oversight.

ELM is the leading provider of commercial and institutional landscape and grounds services in Fairfield and New Haven Counties, Connecticut and Greater New York Metro. Family-owned and operated for over 40 years, ELM tailors its services for every situation–whether an essential facility still in operation or a property currently unoccupied–to ensure that your outdoor environment and public spaces are maintained, cleaned, and protected exactly the way to need.

Contact Bruce Moore Jr. at 203-316-5433 or email bmoorejr@easternland.com to learn more.