Troy Clogg, Founder of Troy K. Clogg Landscape Associates, based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, sits down with Jeffrey Scott to share the unfiltered story behind building a $20 million landscape and snow business from the ground up. Troy started the way most of us do — knocking on doors as a teenager, cutting grass four square miles at a time. Fast forward a few decades and he’s closing in on $20 million in revenue, with his first employee still on the crew after 40 years, a supply house built around a hot pink de-icer, and a company culture rooted more in humanity than P&L margins. He pulls back the curtain on what actually drove his growth — from offering full-time salaries in the trades before it was common, to running door-hanger campaigns with handwritten notes, to an upcoming acquisition that marks his first real move away from purely organic growth. He’s also refreshingly honest about what doesn’t work: he straight-up tells you the supply house doesn’t make money and why most contractors shouldn’t open one. Troy is a co-host at the Summer Growth Summit, August 18–20 in downtown Detroit — and if you’re a landscape or snow business owner ready to stop guessing and start scaling, this episode is your preview of what’s coming.

🎟️ Super early bird ends May 8th! Register now and save $400 per ticket. 👉 https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Starting from zero works — if you’re willing to knock on doors. Troy built a base of 447 customers within four square miles as a teenager using nothing but door knocking and flyers — no internet, no social media, no shortcuts.
• Paying full-time salaries before it was industry standard was a game-changer. Offering year-round employment in the trades was rare in Troy’s early days — and it’s a big reason why his first employee, Greg, is still with him after 40 years.
• Employee retention is a culture decision, not an HR strategy. Troy attributes his long-tenured team to transparency, high expectations, safety, security, and genuinely caring about people — treating the business more like a family than a corporation.
• Snow and design-build drive the highest margins. Troy breaks down which parts of his business are most profitable — snow removal, design-build, tree work, and fertilizer all lead, while lawn cutting has become increasingly tight.
• The supply house is a passion project, not a profit center — and Troy will tell you that straight. He’s transparent that the supply yard rarely makes money, and cautions other contractors to think hard before opening one unless the motivation isn’t primarily financial.
• Hot pink branding wasn’t a gimmick — it became a philanthropic movement. The Hot Pink De-icer started as a product and grew into a charity-driven brand identity that now funds community fundraisers and gives Troy a platform to give back while building business.
• Door hangers + handwritten notes still work in 2025. Troy still uses neighborhood door-hanger campaigns combined with personal handwritten messages when crews are working nearby — and he measures results to prove it.
• Organic growth is powerful, but smart acquisitions can accelerate it. Troy has grown almost entirely through organic means, but reveals he’s about to sign his first acquisition deal — a strategic move for good people in a great location.
• Authenticity is your brand. From the hats he wears to still cutting his own grass with a vintage mower, Troy’s identity and business identity are the same — and he credits the years he tried to be different as the ones that didn’t go well.
• The Summer Growth Summit in Detroit is the place to dig deeper. Attendees will get a company tour, meet the long-tenured crew, see how Troy designs his facility for both summer and winter operations, and hear him speak on branding, charity, and scaling.

  🔗 Link mentioned by Troy Clogg: https://hotpinkhelpers.com/

  The post From Door Knocking to $20M+: Troy Clogg’s Blueprint for Building a Landscape Empire The Right Way appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Ivan Katz, founder of Great Lakes Landscape Design just outside Detroit, Michigan. Ivan’s been in the game for 37 years, but he’s moving like he’s just getting started. They dive into four surprise questions—from what he wants attendees to notice during his new facility tour, to the one thing he believes he does better than almost anyone else (hint: it’s not just design work). Ivan gets real about the hardest transition he’s made: moving long-time, loyal employees off his leadership team and bringing in outside talent without blowing up the culture. He also calls out where too many contractors settle—especially around training and promoting people into roles they’re not ready for. Plus, Ivan shares why he keeps bringing big teams to the Summer Growth Summit year after year, and what’s changed now that he’s co-hosting. If you’ve ever struggled with scaling, loyalty vs. performance, or keeping your team hungry, this one’s for you.

Summer Growth Summit (Aug 18-20):
The super early bird discount ends May 8th. For more info and to register, click this link: https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/

Key Takeaways:

• Facility as a growth tool: Ivan’s new 33,000 sq. ft. space isn’t just bigger—it’s designed around workflow, team movement, and intentional growth. He’s staying disciplined to avoid “deferred maintenance” creep.
• 70%+ repeat business isn’t luck: Most of their revenue comes from existing clients, and over a third is recurring contract work. They treat projects like annuities, stretching big visions over multiple years.
• Hardest move? Removing legacy leaders: Ivan pulled four long-term employees off his leadership team—including a 24-year vet—to make room for new thinking. It was emotional, messy, and necessary.
• Where owners settle: Promoting a good foreman to production manager without real training. Ivan says the industry gets complacent—real growth means building people up intentionally, not just filling seats.
• Bringing the whole team to a summit: Ivan’s not just attending the Summer Growth Summit anymore—he’s co-hosting. He’s using the event as a catapult, giving his people speaking slots, Slack channels, and real ownership over the experience.
• Being present > being busy: After losing his phone and dealing with IT outages, Ivan’s doubling down on showing up fully—with family, team, and clients. Clear words and real presence beat speed every time.
  

  The post Building a Growth Machine: A Landscape Founder’s Raw Take on Leadership with Ivan Katz appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Desiree Bouchard, Integrator and General Manager, and Ellen Moore, Director of Continuous Improvement — both from Great Lakes Landscape Design in the Detroit, Michigan area. These two have built one of the most intentional leadership structures in the green industry. Des shares how she rose through the ranks over 13 years, from office support to becoming the obvious choice for integrator when the company adopted EOS. Ellen brings an unconventional background — from nuclear power to an MBA to landscape — and now serves as what she calls “the integrator’s integrator,” diving deep into process fixes so Des can focus on running the company. Together, they break down the real work of operational leadership: building meaningful KPIs, implementing daily huddles that actually stick, standardizing sales estimating in LMN, and using tools like the Five Why’s and tabletop customer journey exercises to eliminate process breakdowns for good. They’re honest about what change management actually requires — patience, persistence, buy-in strategy, and the courage to go through the hard stuff, not around it. If you’re a landscape business owner, integrator, or anyone trying to scale with better systems and a stronger culture, this one is packed with actionable insight straight from the field.

🌱 Great Lakes Landscape Design will be co-hosting the Summer Growth Summit — August 18–20th! Des and Ellen will both be speaking, and you won’t want to miss it.

👉 Grab your spot here — Super early bird discount ends May 8 – https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/