The Ohio Landscape Association (OLA) welcomed more than a hundred landscape professionals to Brian-Kyles Landscapes of Distinction in Lorain, Ohio, for a facility tour on Sept. 20.
The family-owned and operated company was founded in 1988 by Doug Maurer after merging the two companies he started and named after his sons: Brian Builders and Kyle’s Landscaping. The company became second generation when Doug’s son, Brian Maurer, recently took the reins from his father as president of Brian-Kyles.
The company specializes in landscape design, installation, maintenance and snow and ice operations.
Supplementing its extensive portfolio of residential and commercial clients, Brian-Kyles requires its 42 employees to adhere to a strict set of core values that include professionalism, consistency, integrity, vision and stewardship.
“I want us to be the best, hire the best, just be great,” said Brian Maurer.
The OLA chose Brian-Kyles for this year’s Northeast Ohio facility tour because of its focus on culture and education, both of which result in high-quality work and employee retention, said Sandy Munley, executive director of the OLA.
“(Brian) believes in education. He believes in empowering our employees,” said Christine Tubbs, office administrator of Brian-Kyles.
As an example of his dedication to education, Maurer requests all of his employees to become Landscape Industry Certified within three years of employment.
The facility tour included stations on snow and ice operations, culture and safety, green waste and bulk material, higher education, human resources and onboarding and preventive maintenance and fleet safety.
Led by Brian-Kyles staff members, each 10-minute station gave attendees an inside peek at how the company operates on a daily basis.
After the tour, attendees had the chance to network with fellow area professionals and discuss topics covered during the tour with Brian-Kyles team members.
