Green for Green
LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
So, you're a landscape contractor looking to expand your business
model by offering green roof services. I spoke to four landscape
professionals (who are designing and building green roofs) about
what you need to know to break into this growing market. They
are as follows:
Leslie Herndon, senior client relations manager and
floriculturist, Greenscape Inc.
Jon Crumrine, president, Enviroscapes Northwest, Inc.
John Vlay, president, Jensen Landscape Contractors
Rose Seeger, owner and president, Green City Resources
Q: Have you always offered green roof services as a landscape
contractor? If not, how, and why, did you get into this market?
And what steps did you take to do so?
Herndon: We have not. Greenscape Inc. is a commercial and
residential design/build/manage landscape company in the
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area. We have done some green
roof projects over the years, but not on a regular basis. They were
usually planter-style projects, and usually done as part of a greater
landscape installation project. We started with green walls about five
years ago, and just began in the green roof market with a hospital
in our area. The roof was existing, and we did a renovation (after it
had been neglected for a few years by a previous contractor). There
are not that many green roofs in our market, so the demand really
has not been in place. But as a result of our work, we have recently
been asked to bid on another larger project.
Crumrine: Enviroscapes Northwest was started as a specialty
contractor focusing specifically on green roofs. I learned of green
roofs in the early 2000s while planning a career change. I took
classes, I studied, and eventually I took a position in business
development with a landscape contractor so I could learn the
landscape construction business. When I thought the timing
was right, and I had enough experience, I started Enviroscapes
Northwest.
Vlay: In 1994, Jensen was asked to do a design/build green roof
for GAP Headquarters in San Bruno, California. When asked if we
could, I said "sure," and then figured out how to do it. We worked
with Paul Kephart (now with Rana Creek) to design the plant
How to expand your business model
by offering green roof services
■ BY JENNIFER FODEN
16 October 2015 Landscape and Irrigation www.landscapeirrigation.com
The green roof at Levi's Stadium (home of the San Francisco 49ers).
PHOTO
BY
JENSEN
CORPORATION
LANDSCAPE
CONTRACTORS
