Sales /Project/Operations Management

WILLIAM R. SWANN

P.O Box *** Lebanon, NJ ***** 908-***-**** *****************@*******.***

General Manager – Landscape Contracting Industry

Strategic Leadership Operations Oversight

Business Expansion Sales Growth Profit Improvement

Forward-thinking leader: a recognized catalyst for sales growth and profit improvement.

Profit-driven business executive with stellar record in launching new businesses and growing sales, successfully adding millions to corporate bottom line in all executive positions held. Respected, hands-on leader who capitalizes on wealth of ground-up industry experience to read clients, develop quotes, close deals, manage teams, and execute contracts –consistently turning a profit while gaining repeat and referral business from satisfied clients.

Core Expertise:

Providing leadership and vision to organizations, developing strategies to drive sales and profitability goals.

Building strong teams of loyal employees, minimizing turnover with policies that engage and motivate staff.

Identifying new business opportunities, driving growth by recognizing needs and trends and generating sales in untapped markets.

Revitalizing under-performing businesses, implementing strategies to reduce costs and jump-start sales.

Executing full range of landscape/grounds maintenance contracts, leveraging planning, organization, and problem-solving skills to maximize profitability by making the most of available resources.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Greenscape Landscape Contractors 2011 to present

Vice President of Operations/Sales

Joining landscape company specializing in municipal/government contracts, drove change and improvement to deliver revenue and profitability growth. Oversaw 30 staff members while managing multi-million-dollar projects and overseeing 100-vehicle and equipment fleet.

Transformed business, driving strategic and tactical initiatives that more than doubled revenue.

Positioned company as general contractor, building relationships with specialized contractors to attract mega-contracts with municipal organizations. Increased annual from ~$2 million to $4+ million.

Provided meticulous end-to-end support of projects, successfully maintaining profit margins despite size of projects and potential for problems and overruns.

Brought in new talent at all levels to drive performance excellence. Reorganized staff to maximize output.

Won new snow removal contracts that added 50% to revenue from that line of business.

Advocated and gained approval for plan to pare down shop, reducing number of mechanics 50%. Improved efficiency and lowered overhead, leading team in successfully meeting needs with fewer resources.

Team Landscape Services Inc. 2001 to 2011

Owner/President

Oversaw all operations of family of companies offering comprehensive landscape maintenance and design/build services. At peak, managed 35 employees through 5 division managers in one of the largest landscape companies in New Jersey, providing services in Warren, Hunterdon, Somerset, Mercer, and Burlington counties.

(Continued)

Team Landscape Services Inc. Continued

Owner/President

Grew start-up from nothing to highly profitable landscape contracting conglomerate.

Taking over ownership of fledgling start-up with no assets and no revenue, built up company, growing sales from zero to $3.65 million in 6 years. Delivered more than $31 million over 10 years.

Identified growth opportunities and successfully launched new complementary businesses to capitalize on them:

Opened Team Nursery and Garden Center for do-it-yourselfers that drew in $0.5 million in first year.

Launched Team Construction to meet building needs of customers via partnership with subcontractors. Built revenue first on contracting relationship, then benefitted again as subcontractors referred landscape design/build and maintenance work back to Team Landscaping.

Established Team Real Estate Services that purchased, renovated, and sold 28-unit apartment building, turning 40% profit.

Managed business to maintain profit, leveraging extensive industry experience to foresee and capitalize on trends to expand operation and grow sales. Identified creative solutions to control costs. For example, saved capital by buying used trucks in good condition – at 1/3 the cost of new.

Built strong team by recognizing and attracting the right talent. Implemented rewards and incentives – including pioneering profit-sharing plan – that engaged employees in meeting shared goals and kept turnover low.

All-Pro Landscape 1998 to 2001

General Manager

Reporting to owner, launched business development initiatives to drive sales growth. Oversaw broad range of commercial grounds maintenance contracts. Managed company fleet.

Charged with growing sales, achieved 5-fold gain in just 3 years.

Tasked with driving substantial growth, launched several new lines of service – design/build, irrigation, chemical applications, and tree care – to complement existing landscape maintenance operations. Increased sales from $1 million to $5 million during tenure. Personally closed $2 million in sales.

Grew number of crews from 3 to 12 to support new business, identifying and hiring strong talent.

Hired 3 full-time sales people to promote new services, initiating performance targets and accompanying incentives to drive achievement. Brought on designer/estimator to facilitate sales process.

Shearon Environmental 1996 to 1998

Vice President – Ground Maintenance Division

Hired to lead maintenance operations in Princeton location, subsequently tapped to drive improvements across firm’s 3 locations (Princeton & Voorhees in New Jersey and flagship Plymouth Meeting location in Pennsylvania).

Stabilized operation with influx of talented, reliable employees – facilitating $0.5 million in new sales.

Successfully stabilized Princeton location, attracting new crews for maintenance/enhancements division based on reputation for progressive management. Reduced turnover while expanding sales.

Moved to tackle Voorhees office, Shearon’s least profitable location, identified leadership deficiencies and cleaned house, bringing in new management and laborers to turn around sales and return unit to profitability.

Added $0.5 million in new sales across Princeton and Voorhees sites, bringing combined sales to $1.5 million.

Reduced overall turnover from 50+% to virtually nothing across 3 locations, identifying and attracting loyal, right-fit talent to man crews.

Dubrow’s Nursery 1988 to 1996

General Manager (1993 to 1996); Branch Manager (1988 to 1993)

Managed and improved each of 3 branch locations (Livingston, Pittstown, Princeton) before being promoted to oversee all 3 operations. Oversaw maintenance contracts and snow removal operations for some of the most renowned commercial and condominium properties, delivering the best in workmanship and customer satisfaction.

Delivered quick hit improvements in sales and profitability across 3 locations.

Joining Dubrow’s as branch manager for Livingston location, grew business from $1 million to $2 million in 2 years. Moved to improve Pittstown location, grew sales from $1.5 million to $2 million in 2 years.

Tapped to open new location in area with no previous presence (Princeton), launched business that generated $1 million during 2-year tenure.

Background includes 10 years of additional experience in landscape management and related services: sales, design, installation, landscape maintenance (including tree and shrub pest management and fertilization), equipment/truck maintenance, and grounds maintenance/snow removal.

EDUCATION

A.S. Degree, Landscape Management/Horticulture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

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