April 12, 2023
Winter finally seems to be in our rearview mirror and with better weather, Continuum’s Exterior Services is poised and ready to grow! On the heels of two very good years, and with the expectation of an excellent 2023, Jonathan King, Continuum’s Director of Exterior Services Operation, is feeling optimistic. In celebration of National Lawn Care Month, Jon shares news about the team, including strong sales and client retention, and a boost in labor force that will increase the size of the department.
Q: How have the past couple years impacted Exterior Services?
A: The landscape industry has proven itself recession-resistant year after year, even through the pandemic and our current economic climate. Customers are still willing to invest in improving the places where they spend most of their time; where they live, work and play! Two of our biggest growth years were in 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic.
A large part of our success is our solid team. We attract and employ true industry professionals and have several key employees with 30-plus years of experience. These experts know how to meet client expectations with communication and execution of services. This drives the customer service piece of our business and ultimately leads to growing relationships and sales.
Q: What is the outlook for 2023?
A: The work is out there, and we’re gearing up with an excellent sales and operations team and an estimated 40 percent increase in our labor force. We look forward to the opportunity to promote from within and reward team members who grow with us. While there are many jobs available in the current job market, they don’t always offer a sense of permanence within the organization. With Continuum Services, our team members are trained and encouraged to develop a career path within the landscape industry. If the opportunity arises, they may also shift to our other service areas.
We anticipate growth in Michigan and will be opening a branch in Florida as we continue to expand the footprint of Continuum Services. Concurrently, we are working on implementing new internal operational systems to improve communication within our organization and with our client base. This will continue to drive the foundational infrastructure we need to grow at our current pace.
Q: How does a strong sales team impact growth?
A: A key to our growth is having the right sales team that understands the industry and can network throughout multiple organizations to drive renewals and new sales. Strong enhancement sales are typically driven by knowledgeable contract maintenance sales, which leads to additional project type work at our current customers’ properties.
Current indicators point to a strong 2023 for the Exterior Services team. The team looks forward to exceeding our customers’ expectations, reducing costs and driving value through solutions that solve problems.
If you found winter temperatures have taken a toll on your landscaping, give Continuum a call today at 248.286.5200 or email us at info@continuumservices.com.
We hold our team to the highest of standards, and are constantly conducting site quality assessments to make sure that all of our properties are exceeding our customers’ expectations.
Our clients come from different industries and thus have different needs when it comes to exterior services solutions. That’s why we create custom plans for all our clients, including:
