COMPANY OVERVIEW

Heritage Landscape Services, Inc. (HLS), established in 1986, has developed a reputation for quality landscape services at many high-profile properties.

Our company has landscape installation and landscape maintenance divisions. We have 55 full-time employees and 4 supervisors with 20 company vehicles traveling throughout the Greater Columbia area. The result is superior service and a quick response to requests.

The unique organizational structure of HLS gives a competitive edge to provide quality work.

The landscape installation division uses a variety of equipment to improve time and efficiency. We choose only the highest quality plant material available and install it according to standard. We are also flexible on design changes and time restrictions.

The company’s landscape maintenance division performs the maintenance of a property. This includes mowing, edging, trimming, blowing, and debris removal. We have specialized crews that prune and mulch, repair irrigation, control weeds, install and maintain flowers, and manage the turf. This arrangement of our crews allows each to become proficient in their job.

We pride ourselves on presenting a professional image. All employees wear uniforms with company identification. Trucks are consistent in color and signage and are equipped with GPS to help manage crew status.

Additionally, HLS trains employees to work at properties with security concerns and large customer parking areas. This training includes watching for pedestrians and parked cars to prevent injuries or accidents. Employees are required to wear proper safety equipment at all times and attend safety meetings on a bi-weekly basis.

Our company standards have helped retain valuable employees. Crew leaders have an average of 5 years experience with HLS and some have as many as 20 years.

Staffing Structure

Robert McLeod is the President and General Manager. His leadership of the company and dedication to customers’ needs has allowed Heritage Landscape Services (HLS) to grow into one of the most reputable landscape and maintenance companies in the South Carolina Midlands.

Debbie McLeod assists in designing landscape plans and performs weekly inspections as needed.

The following supervisors manage HLS’ daily operations:

• Kevin James manages the lawn maintenance crews. He leads each of his crews to perform the highest quality work. Kevin attended Clemson University and studied Turfgrass Management.
  
  
• Ashley McLeod manages the fertilization, irrigation, and flower crews. He is a certified pesticide applicator and certified to maintain two wire irrigation systems. Ashley is a graduate of Clemson University and studied Business Management.
  
  
• Kleck Harman manages the landscape division. He selects and installs top quality materials for each job large or small. Kleck has a certificate in installation of two wire irrigation systems.
  
  
• Darrell Adair manages the shop and equipment inventory. His preventive maintenance program enables work to be completed without costly delays or breakdowns.
  
  
• Ian Randolph manages the office. He oversees bookkeeping and human resources. Ian attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and has his associate degree in computer animation & multimedia.

A Brief History

For the founders of Heritage Landscape Services, interaction with the outdoors has been a part of their lives since childhood. Robert McLeod remembers visiting his grandfather's nursery in Clinton, S.C., to help grow and ship creeping phlox plants. His wife and co-founder, Debbie, has fond memories of playing in her granny's yard in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where roses, red poppies, pansies, and vegetables flourished.

In 1986 a devastating drought on the family farm in McBee, S.C., led Robert and Debbie with children Holly, Carey, and Ashley to Lexington to begin Heritage Landscape Services. Settling on the Midlands region for their new business was a decision guided by the advice of family. Building on their knowledge of farming and gardening, Robert and Debbie decided to become "urban farmers", a.k.a. landscapers. Columbia, the capital city of South Carolina, was ideal because it was more resilient to economic downturns.

Initially the company was based from their home and had one additional employee. In the early years, Heritage served a variety of residential and commercial customers, performinglandscape installation and maintenance. "We would go out and do whatever we could to get established, even if it was pulling weeds for an elderly lady," Debbie reflected. It soon became clear the type of work they excelled at was commercial landscaping.

When a recession hit in the early 1990s, installation work lagged. At the same time, opportunities opened up to start maintaining the landscape of shopping centers and office complexes, with an emphasis on renovating older properties. Heritage stepped in and grew at a steady pace over the years, focusing on providing quality service at a reasonable price.

By 1996, when Robert and Debbie relocated the company to Gilbert, S.C., Heritage had 17 employees. Moving to Gilbert meant the company was closer to its employee base and had more property to expand the business. Currently Heritage employs 60 people. Twenty trucks travel the Midlands region and serve a variety of properties, which include medical facilities, banks, shopping centers, apartment complexes, and companies' headquarters. As the company's leadership transitions to the second generation, Ashley McLeod and his brother-in-law, Kleck Harman, will continue to focus on quality service with a personal touch.

Thank you for your support and we look forward to serving our customers for many more years!

²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
(Colossians 3:23-24, NIV, 2010).