I
t's not uncommon to fi nd land-
scapers who are highly skilled
at their craft but not nearly
as good at running a company.
Landscape architect Joe Hanauer
isn't one of them.
The owner of Landscape Ar-
chitecture (landscapearc.com) in
Madison, Wisconsin, and a 23-
year veteran in the landscaping
fi eld, Hanauer has built a suc-
cessful company by combining
strong design sensibilities with
business smarts that minimize
operating expenses and maxi-
mize effi ciencies. That, in turn,
enables him to deliver great
value for customers and remain
competitive on price.
"I always tell our guys we
have to hit singles," Hanauer
says, explaining a central prin-
ciple of his cost-cutting phi-
losophy. "It's wonderful to fi nd
a way to save $10,000, but it's
not likely…it's rare to hit a home
F E B R U A R Y 2 014 To t a l L a n d s c a p e C a r e . c o m 2 5
How a Wisconsin
landscaper's
cost-cutting and
design skills help
him hit 'singles'
to score big
BY KEN WYSOCKY
Taking
Care of
Business
Joe Hanauer, Landscape Architecture