Strategic partnerships drive Fairwood Brands forward
Created to acquire existing landscape companies and help them grow, Fairwood Brands invests in established outdoor living businesses across the country. This business model helped the company reach No. 39 on the 2024 LM150 list, and they experienced a 96-percent increase in revenue from 2022 to 2023.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Fairwood Brands is comprised of eight companies located throughout the country that provide premium residential design/build and maintenance services, according to CEO Mike McRae.
Founded in 2022 as a parent company to help five established landscape companies thrive, Fairwood Brands was developed by Crane Group, a Columbus-based investment company. McRae says Crane Group acquired the five landscape companies in distinct geographic markets from across the country, choosing companies that fit within their specialized space of luxury outdoor living services.
“We have since grown to a family of eight brands, creating and maintaining premium outdoor spaces with gold-standard customer service,” McRae says.
Fairwood looks for existing landscape companies that have consistently delivered results with revenue of $10 million to $30 million, have a solid local presence, are known for designing and building luxury outdoor living spaces and have management teams that want to stay in the business.
“We partner closely with them to provide back-end support, including systems, financial and operational process improvement, upgraded employee benefits, legal support and marketing capabilities,” McRae says. “My job is to provide the brands with strategic direction and unwavering support.”
McRae says the company’s overall growth has come from a balanced blend of acquisitions and organic growth. The individual companies also focus on organic growth, and this roster includes Bear Creek Landscaping and Construction in Redmond, Wash.; Bruss Landscaping in Wheaton, Ill.; Enchanted Garden Landscape in Phoenix; Executive Landscaping in Cape Cod, Mass.; Fine Landscapes in Sterling, Va.; Kuppe’s Landscape Services in Clinton Township, Mich.; LML Estate Management in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, Ind.; and Signature Landscape Contractors in Maitland, Fla.
“Each brand has employed different strategies to drive organic growth in their respective markets,” McRae says.
These landscape companies benefit from building peer-to-peer relationships with others within Fairwood Brands, McRae says. They are also partnering with a family-owned company in Crane that has 75 years of operating experience, which provides them with access to flexible capital and extensive business expertise.
While Fairwood Brands has experienced large-scale growth since the company started, McRae says it all comes back to the small things, like honing in on their services and people. Investing in people and offerings has paid dividends, and McRae encourages other professionals to do the same within their companies.
“I would advise them to find a niche within this large and broad industry and focus intensely on people — your employees and customers,” McRae says. “Growth will follow.”
Looking ahead, McRae says the support Fairwood Brands receives from Crane Group and the working relationships the companies have developed will continue to play a large role in their success.
“The demographics, housing market and overall wealth position of our country should offer tailwinds for some time,” McRae says.
Originally featured on landscapemanagement.net