Todd Huston
Owner/President
Grounds Control
Phoenix, Ariz.
Education
Woodbridge High School
Irvine, Calif.
Class of 1983
Arizona State University
1983-1985
“I went to ASU to become an architect. I felt like school wasn’t my thing. I took a job at ValleyCrest in 1986. I learned a lot there.”
Work Experience
1986-1990
ValleyCrest Landscape Estimator
Phoenix
1990-1995
Terrain Systems
Estimator/Sales & Marketing
Phoenix
“In 1990 I came to Terrain Systems to work with Dale Micetic. He was here through the Sanitors and ISS days and retired in 2012. He’s a mentor and a big part of my success.”
1995-2005
Terrain Systems/Grounds Control
Sr. Project Manager/VP of Sales & Marketing
Terrain Systems was acquired by Grounds Control, the landscape subsidiary of Sanitors in 2002. “My passion is more construction than maintenance, but I like maintenance because it pays the bills. When Sanitors bought us, we got more into that.”
2005-2014
ISS Grounds Control
General Manager
Grounds Control/Sanitors was acquired by ISS, an international facility services firm, in 2007.
2014-2016
ISS Grounds Control
Managing Director
2016-present
Owner/President
Grounds Control
Huston purchased the North American division of ISS Grounds Control in 2016. “Buying a company that was in business since 1974 was really a no brainer. I’ve been here so long, and I’ve seen every aspect of the business. The challenge was buying it and cash flow, but ISS really helped me out on the purchase.”
Did you know?
Huston with his son, Cory (far left); wife, Kellie; and daughter, Taryn (far right). “Just being around family and friends is something I love more than anything. And I play a lot of golf.”
“Safety is our No. 1 priority—employees go along with that.”
“I’m a diehard Cardinals fan. I like my Diamondbacks, too.”
Words of wisdom
“Always be fair and true to yourself, your employees and your clients. Always give them what they expect—both employees and clients.”
“One of my mottos is ‘building your dream.’ Ultimately, you have to keep the architect happy. That’s where the project starts.”
“‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’ is one of my favorite sayings. If you ask for something, most of the time people say ‘yes.’”
Photos: Todd Huston
