Condo Media - February 2018 - 68

Ask a Busy Person
What career path led you to the landscaping industry? I started in the
green industry when I was 14, working
at a golf course near where I lived. I got
paid $1 per cart to wash golf cart seats
and not much more than that to rake
sand traps. I studied business in college,
because business interested me generally. I didn't have any specific career goals
when I graduated, but I knew I didn't
want to spend my life sitting inside
someone's office. I'd worked part time
for a landscaper when I was working at
the golf course, and I thought I could
start my own residential landscaping
business. So that's what I did.
That was a pretty gutsy move for
someone just out of college. It didn't
seem so gutsy at the time. Actually, it
was pretty easy. It didn't require a lot
of money-I just needed a few pieces of
equipment-and all I had to do was get up
every day and go to work. After three or
four years, it wasn't just me working for
myself anymore; I had five employees and
I was running a landscaping business.
What made you decide to
give up your own business
and work for someone
else? I got married.
Landscaping is a seasonal
business-there are always
peaks and valleys. It didn't provide
the predictable, sustainable income I
needed to start a family and buy a home.
I needed a job with a salary and benefits.
I worked as grounds manager at a university for about three years, and then I
took a position as general manager at a
locally owned landscaping firm. I stayed
there for 17 years, until I joined ND
Landscape about three years ago.
Your title is "commercial business
developer?" What does that entail.
I'm responsible for prospecting-for
identifying and developing new business opportunities in all the sectors we
serve-office parks, retail properties,
sports facilities, schools and colleges,
and condominiums.

CONDOMEDIA

hand, owners don't always understand
that living in a condominium community isn't like owning a single-family
home. If the snow plow is still on the
property, they may complain because
their driveway hasn't been shoveled yet.
They don't understand that the company
works for the entire community, not just
for them. Meeting owners' expectations
can sometimes be a little challenging.

BILLY BUTTS, MCLP
COMMERCIAL BUSINESS DEVELOPER
ND LANDSCAPE, INC.
What do you enjoy most about what
you do? I enjoy the networking, talking to people, learning about what they
do and coming up with solutions for
their problems. Not just their landscaping problems. I have a vast network, so
when people ask for referrals for fence
contractors or recycling companies
or other vendors, I can usually
recommend someone. I like being
able to help in that way. It makes
my network stronger and it builds
trust with my clients.
Are their components of your job you
don't enjoy? I don't enjoy being out
plowing snow on long, cold nights, which
I have to do sometimes after a major
blizzard, when we need extra hands.
The older I get, the less I enjoy it.
How does working with condominium
communities compare with working
for other clients? Condominium
owners are passionate about their
landscapes; they care a lot about how
the community looks, because they
know that directly affects the value of
their property. They see landscaping as
an investment, not just as a budget line
item, and that is rewarding. On the other

How did you get involved with
CAI-New England and why
do you remain involved? A
condominium association board
member invited me to play golf
at CAI-NE's annual tournament. I met
some really good people and saw membership in the association as a valuable
way to connect with decision-makers in
a pleasant setting. It wasn't a hard sell to
persuade me to become involved; I saw
the value in it right away. I enjoy the interaction with members and I like being
able to contribute to the organization.
What would it surprise people to know
about you? There's a dance I lead at
every wedding I attend. It's called "The
Buttsie." That was my nickname in college. It's a group dance with a lot of different moves. I always do it to the BlackEyed Peas song, "Let's Get It Started."
What do you do in your spare time?
I spend time with my wife, Diane
(getting to the beach as often as we can)
and with my two college-aged daughters,
Nicole and Lauren, when they're home
from school. I also like to play golf-I'm
not bad at it-at least, I don't embarrass
myself. And I follow all the Boston
sports teams, but I'm passionate about
the Patriots. I also serve on the advisory
board of the local tech high school and
that gives me a lot of satisfaction. It's a
way to share what I've learned the last
30 years with the next generation. I like
knowing that what they learn from me
may help some students go
on to have a 30-year
career like the one
I've enjoyed.

Condo Media - February 2018

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