Condo Media - September 2014 - 50

VENDOR SPOTLIGHT

The GroundsKeeper Inc.
Customized Full-Service Landscaping by Certified Experts
by Pamela Schweppe

I

t is shortly after noon on a hot
July day, and WestRidge, a condominium complex under development in Hudson, Mass., is
bustling with activity. At the center of
the complex is a grassy common with
white Adirondack chairs invitingly set
against the lush green. Surrounding
the common is a neatly landscaped
ring of tidy buildings with yellow,
blue, and gray facades.
Beyond this serene enclave, however, construction is proceeding at full
bore. In a yet-undeveloped area, heavy
equipment maneuvers around towers
of dirt, while along the swirl of streets,
buildings at all stages of construction, from foundation work to finishing touches, are surrounded by gravel
shoulders, machinery, and concrete.
And at the center of it all, creating
beauty out of chaos, is The GroundsKeeper, a full-service landscaping firm.
Two crews are positioned throughout
the grounds, planting trees, weeding,
and hardscaping.

A Deeply Rooted Skillset

Pulling off a complicated project requires organization and skill, and a visit
to The GroundsKeeper's headquarters
in Ashland, Mass., quickly reveals that
this is a firm with the sophistication to
accomplish it. "A lot of people have the
perception that landscapers are all the
same," says Beth Sullivan, who serves
as office manager and more for The
50

Condo Media * Advertisement

GroundsKeeper. "Nothing could be
further from the truth."
Take the WestRidge project, for example. The GroundsKeeper crews have
myriad responsibilities on the property.
Trees are being selected, procured,
and planted, and - since an irrigation
system is not yet in place - crews are
watering them from a specialized truck
the company owns for that purpose.
Others are building terrace walls and
patios, offering unit owners a choice
of materials and designs. Drainage is
being installed.
It's up to Vice President of Operations Brian Churchill to coordinate all
of these activities with other contractors on the site, including construction, electrical, and paving crews.
And that's just on the landscape construction side. A separate maintenance
crew handles mowing, fertilizing, and
weed whacking.

Nipping Any
Issues in the Bud

Now celebrating 20 years in the business, The GroundsKeeper services a
larger number of condominium associations, as well as commercial properties.
Separate crews handle pruning,
mulching, construction (including
masonry and installation), irrigation,
and fertilizers, and a large whiteboard
in the business office neatly shows
where each will be deployed weeks in
advance.

However, organization is only a part
of what makes the business successful. The GroundsKeeper prides itself
on taking a proactive approach to
landscaping, actively monitoring each
property and offering short- and longterm solutions to issues that crop up
over the course of the season.
As co-founder and president Richard
Churchill puts it, "If all you want is to
have your grass mowed, don't call us."
For one thing, The GroundsKeeper has hired dedicated account
managers whose job is to provide
this oversight. One of these account managers, Justin Littlehale,
walks each of his assigned properties weekly, biweekly, or monthly, as
needed, noting issues and proposing
enhancements or repairs. "We try
to make the property manager's job
easier," he says.
Of course, each property has its
own distinct characteristics and challenges. Carriage Hill Condominiums
in Southborough, Mass., winds along
a hillside and offers lofty views that
stretch all the way to Boston on a clear
day. A pleasing color scheme of ecru
with white trim is set against a vibrant
backdrop of green lawns and colorful
flowers. Crowning the property is an
inviting clubhouse with immaculately
groomed flowerbeds, a graceful trail of
river rock to promote drainage, a pretty
gazebo, and bocce and shuffleboard
courts.



Condo Media - September 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - September 2014

Condo Media - September 2014
From the CED’s Desk
Editorial Board
CAI News
CAI Regional News
Asked & Answered
Homeowner’s Corner
Insurance
Finance
Homeowner Column
2014 CAI-NE Annual Condo Conference & Expo
Vendor Spotlight
Volunteer Spotlight
Self-Managed Association Boards
Legislative Update
Classifi ed Service Directory
Advertisers Index
Condo Media - September 2014 - Condo Media - September 2014
Condo Media - September 2014 - Cover2
Condo Media - September 2014 - 1
Condo Media - September 2014 - From the CED’s Desk
Condo Media - September 2014 - 3
Condo Media - September 2014 - Editorial Board
Condo Media - September 2014 - 5
Condo Media - September 2014 - CAI News
Condo Media - September 2014 - 7
Condo Media - September 2014 - 8
Condo Media - September 2014 - 9
Condo Media - September 2014 - 10
Condo Media - September 2014 - 11
Condo Media - September 2014 - 12
Condo Media - September 2014 - 13
Condo Media - September 2014 - CAI Regional News
Condo Media - September 2014 - 15
Condo Media - September 2014 - 16
Condo Media - September 2014 - 17
Condo Media - September 2014 - 18
Condo Media - September 2014 - 19
Condo Media - September 2014 - Asked & Answered
Condo Media - September 2014 - 21
Condo Media - September 2014 - Homeowner’s Corner
Condo Media - September 2014 - 23
Condo Media - September 2014 - Insurance
Condo Media - September 2014 - 25
Condo Media - September 2014 - 26
Condo Media - September 2014 - 27
Condo Media - September 2014 - 28
Condo Media - September 2014 - 29
Condo Media - September 2014 - Finance
Condo Media - September 2014 - 31
Condo Media - September 2014 - 32
Condo Media - September 2014 - 33
Condo Media - September 2014 - Homeowner Column
Condo Media - September 2014 - 35
Condo Media - September 2014 - 36
Condo Media - September 2014 - 2014 CAI-NE Annual Condo Conference & Expo
Condo Media - September 2014 - 38
Condo Media - September 2014 - 39
Condo Media - September 2014 - 40
Condo Media - September 2014 - 41
Condo Media - September 2014 - 42
Condo Media - September 2014 - 43
Condo Media - September 2014 - 44
Condo Media - September 2014 - 45
Condo Media - September 2014 - 46
Condo Media - September 2014 - 47
Condo Media - September 2014 - 48
Condo Media - September 2014 - 49
Condo Media - September 2014 - Vendor Spotlight
Condo Media - September 2014 - 51
Condo Media - September 2014 - Volunteer Spotlight
Condo Media - September 2014 - 53
Condo Media - September 2014 - 54
Condo Media - September 2014 - 55
Condo Media - September 2014 - 56
Condo Media - September 2014 - 57
Condo Media - September 2014 - Self-Managed Association Boards
Condo Media - September 2014 - 59
Condo Media - September 2014 - Legislative Update
Condo Media - September 2014 - 61
Condo Media - September 2014 - 62
Condo Media - September 2014 - 63
Condo Media - September 2014 - 64
Condo Media - September 2014 - Classifi ed Service Directory
Condo Media - September 2014 - Advertisers Index
Condo Media - September 2014 - 67
Condo Media - September 2014 - 68
Condo Media - September 2014 - 69
Condo Media - September 2014 - 70
Condo Media - September 2014 - 71
Condo Media - September 2014 - 72
Condo Media - September 2014 - Cover3
Condo Media - September 2014 - Cover4
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