In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with John Vlay, a seasoned leader in the landscape industry, to explore his impressive career and his vision for the future. Starting as an assistant estimator at Jensen Landscape in 1983, John worked his way up to CEO, where he helped transition the company to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). He shares the benefits and challenges of ESOPs and why Jensen ultimately sold to Monarch Landscape in 2015.

John’s post-Jensen career is just as inspiring. He discusses his work promoting battery-powered and robotic equipment with Garden Land and his latest venture with Cold Bore Capital, where he’s building a platform to acquire and grow landscape companies using cutting-edge technology like AI, robotics, and battery power. Throughout the episode, John emphasizes the importance of partnerships, innovation, and staying connected in the industry.

A special episode drop, with some exciting news!

In this episode of TradesTalk, CEO and co-founder Mark Tipton and Senior Product Owner Whitney Griffin take us through Aspire’s incredible 11-year journey, from a small startup to a powerhouse serving over 1,500 customers in the landscape industry. They reveal how Aspire’s partnership with ServiceTitan has fueled growth, tripling investment in new features like estimate revisions, equipment scheduling, and enhanced site audits. Whitney dives deep into how customer feedback drives innovation, while Mark shares the company's vision for the future amidst an evolving industry and economic uncertainty. Mark's LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-t-tipton/

Whitney's LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-griffin-phd-acspo-01357040/