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Key members of the SiteScapes’ team (left to right): John Brogan, Director of Snow and Ice Management; Ryan Mitchell, Director of Maintenance; and Steve Lawton, CEO.

This complete deconstruction and reconstruction project in Johnston, Rhode Island, earned recognition as “property of the year” from SiteScapes’ client, The Dolben Company, Inc.

If there’s one thing Steve Lawton is most passionate about, it’s looking for fertile soil upon which to plant the seeds of business growth. He saw that opportunity in landscaping.

“I felt like I could approach the landscaping space differently than others had done in the past,” he reflects. “I knew that if I had the right team, together we could apply the structure, marketing and outside-of-the-box thinking to the industry and see what would come of it.”

In 2008, Steve did just that. He established JTL Landscaping and got to work applying corporate-level strategy and savvy business tactics. By 2012, it had become one of the largest landscaping companies in New England.

That got the attention of just the right person at just the right time: the retiring owner of a landscaping company called SiteScapes. He was looking for someone to carry on the legacy of the reputation and client base that he’d lovingly tended to and cultivated throughout his career, and he believed Steve was the right guy to do it.

Thus, Steve became CEO of SiteScapes and merged the two companies into one powerful brand that creates and maintains beautiful landscapes for commercial properties and private residences throughout southern New England.

The Rhode Island-based design-build firm provides year-round services to its clients, offering everything from landscaping installation and maintenance to snow removal, ice management, irrigation and outdoor lighting.

While the business has grown to $10 million in annual revenue, Steve insists that the way he measures the value of his company is through his team, which is the true key to that success.

“Our primary investment isn’t how many trucks or shovels we’re going to buy, but who we can promote and provide with opportunities to learn and grow,” he says. “Our core group of employees has been with us since I bought the firm, and they’ve been incredible. I’ve seen them buy homes, get married and have children. They are the company’s true success story.”

A Natural Investment

That commitment to people goes both ways. Not only does Steve invest in his team; his team demonstrates a strong investment in the company as well.

“Those who work for us have this entrenched feeling of ownership—they’re emotionally tied to the job and committed to their clients,” he says. “In business, people often say, ‘That’s not my problem,’ but I have a team that cares about the end result. The company would not be what it is without them.”

That team of receptionists, managers, directors, designers and field personnel consists of 100 or so employees and can ramp up to as many as 400 in the winter during peak business months for snow removal and ice management. With a mission to bring beauty, functionality and safety to clients’ landscaping needs, they operate with a sense of teamwork and creativity.

Two individuals helping SiteScapes achieve its commercial and residential designs are co-directors of the company’s Landscape Construction Division: Ryan Menges and Chris Lawton.

Ryan brings more than 15 years of industry experience to his role as the Landscape Construction Manager and Landscape Designer, and he works closely with clients to understand their needs and future visions for projects. He does so in partnership with Landscape Manager Chris, who then works in the field to bring those design ideas to life.

Whether it’s tackling an important safety or drainage issue for the corporate “who’s who” in the local area, or creating a vacation-like oasis in a residential backyard, the two work closely with clients to understand their goals and offer timely and creative solutions that are on budget.

“I love the fact that I can take something that is unsightly or unusable and make it into something that’s absolutely breathtaking in the end,” Ryan says. “We’re a full-service landscape company, so we can handle any landscape-related issue in-house—whether it’s irrigation, lighting, planting or masonry. There’s nothing we can’t do.”

Chris, who is also Steve’s brother, says he gets satisfaction in looking back at the growth and success of the company over the years.

“I’ve been with SiteScapes since Steve bought it and it’s been amazing to see what we’ve accomplished in such a relatively short period of time,” he says. “We’re excited to see what this upcoming year holds for us.”

"I love the fact that I can take something that is unsightly or unusable and make it into something that’s absolutely breathtaking in the end.” Ryan Menges, Landscape Construction Manager and Landscape Designer, SiteScapes

Residential Retreats

In the years since SiteScapes was established, the company has tackled many projects; but to Steve, the ones that stand out involve the biggest transformations and overall improvements for clients.

From a private residential perspective, Steve says the team’s largest transformation can be seen in what he calls “a jaw-dropping improvement” to a homeowner’s backyard on Meadow Tree Farm Road in Saunderstown, Rhode Island.

With the help of Ryan’s designs and Chris’ oversight in the field, SiteScapes created a backyard oasis for the homeowner, consisting of an inground swimming pool surrounded with a new paver patio and fire pit area, natural stone walls, an irrigation system and aesthetic landscape lighting.

“This was our largest residential installation to date,” Steve says. “Now that it’s finished, we’re confident that the homeowners will be able to enjoy it for generations.”

Another standout project is an ongoing multiyear urban redevelopment of University Heights Apartments, an affordable housing community in Providence, Rhode Island.

In order to create a better environment and improve the use of the outdoor space for University Heights, SiteScapes has been undertaking major renovations to beautify the space.

“That project has been highly impactful because Rhode Island has affordable housing zones and they’re usually high volume, low footprint in order to fit as many people as possible into a small area,” Steve says. “That means there’s rarely much thought into how well those folks are going to be able to enjoy outdoor spaces, so this really is an outside-of-the box approach.”

Now in its sixth year of the unique project, SiteScapes has completely removed the preexisting landscape and redesigned it with beautiful concrete walkways, railings, patios, picnic tables and irrigation systems so the grass stays green year-round, full of flowers and trees.

“It really just changed the way people live in that development because now the kids can come out and play,” Steve says. “The children and families that live in that complex have as nice of a backyard and outdoor area as a homeowner. It’s been great to be part of that.”

The project also raised the standards for other housing communities in the area that decided to improve the living conditions of their buildings too.

“Other complexes saw what University Heights was doing and they’ve all stepped up their game,” he says. “Now we build a lot of outdoor areas like kitchens and fireplaces for other apartment buildings, and it all started with one urban renovation, which is really cool.”

Planting with Purpose

Not only does SiteScapes play a role in beautifying the community by providing useful outdoor spaces to enjoy, but also gives back to it in other ways as well.

Every year, the company donates thousands of dollars’ worth of toys and bicycles to the Marine Toys for Tots Program via popup locations at various urban properties it’s helped to transform. The business also supports local youth by sponsoring various sports activities and making annual playground improvements for local elementary schools.

“We’ll often go out to metro center-type schools and redo their flowers or mulch, and leave that elementary school looking really nice,” Steve says.

SiteScapes also contributes to charitable golf tournaments organized or hosted by companies and organizations such as Cox Communications, Rhode Island Assisted Living Association, Mercedes-Benz, Special Olympics Rhode Island, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

“We do that because we’re grateful,” Steve says. “You’re only as good as the community you’re in and the people who work for you. If the community isn’t thriving, and children aren’t in an environment where they can learn and grow, and see something better and want more, then it’s my personal belief that one entity can’t be flourishing when everything else is dying.”

Fruits of Labor

At the end of the day, what Steve cares about most is being able to offer his team and community opportunities to grow, bloom and thrive.

“My literal objective is that as we grow as a company, my employees grow too,” he says. “I love when I see nice cars in the parking lot, or hear that an employee has bought a home for their family. The way I see it, if my company is growing and doing well and no one else is, then it’s not a good company.”

Just like tending to the soil of the landscapes SiteScapes creates, Steve continues to advance his staff members by offering competitive salaries and benefits, as well as development opportunities, bonuses and tuition reimbursement in order to advance their careers and show his appreciation for everything they do.

Their efforts, he says, are the true foundation of the company’s success.

“They make SiteScapes what it is, and they help to continue the company’s legacy of commitment to delivering beautiful, quality landscapes for our clients,” he says. “I’m just so proud to grow and enjoy the fruits of our labor together.”