Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/85694
landscaper of the year winner Denmark was voted Company of the Year in the Crowne Excel- lence awards through the Greater Lexington Apartment Association. Caring for Community Another key to Henkel Denmark's success is taking care of their em- ployees and donating their time and resourc- es to the community. In the beginning, be- fore the company was even profitable, they Maintenance contracts provide 60 percent of Henkel Denmark's business. adopted a city park that was in need of improvement and regular maintenance. "We wanted to give back before we were receiv- ing," Denmark says. The park remains under their care today and boasts a colorful playground for children in a low-income area. In addition to how Henkel Denmark cares for its community, there are many stories regarding how it cares for its 60-plus employees. There's the time Henkel and Denmark purchased a plane ticket to Mexico for a crew member so he could go home to visit his dying mother. The plane ticket saved him a long bus ride. And when financial manager Debbie Harrison gave birth to her second child, they paid her full maternity leave and later let her work a portion of her full-time hours from home. She is now the company's CFO. They also help seasonal employees find afford- able housing and winter jobs and give them gift certificates to grocery stores during the off season to help make ends meet. They recently purchased and refurbished a house near the office for those in need of a place to stay. "Gordon and Bill really care about their employ- ees," says Bart Hufnagel, a maintenance account manager. "They understand the people on the front lines make the company what it is. Other owners I've seen treat their lower-paid employees as dispens- able. Gordon and Bill understand what all employ- ees mean to the face of the company." Partnership What stands out most about Henkel Denmark is the partnership between the two owners. Seeing them together is like watching best buddies at a high school reunion. They laugh a lot and finish each other's sentences as they tell their shared stories. Not only is work profitable, it's fun. "People warned us about the dangers of form- ing a partnership, especially at our age and stage of life," Henkel says, "but we promised we'd take care of our clients, take care of our team and take care of ourselves." Every Friday, they walk four miles together at a nearby arboretum, discussing the challenges of their personal and professional lives. They say it gives them and their staff peace of mind. "It's the most valuable time we spend together," Henkel says. "We help each other with our fami- lies and our work. We've gone rain or shine, in the dark, in the snow. We usually get lunch or breakfast afterward. We also honor each other, praise each other and thank each other for the support that we can count on." 34 TOTAL LANDSCAPE CARE / January 2012