Schill Grounds Management Blog

In 1993 we started Schill Grounds Management (SGM) with our first office in a garage. Here we are 25 years later with 3 office locations, nearly 130 employees and around 400 commercial properties serviced each year.

There's been good times and learning experiences, victories and growing pains but through it all, not only did we become successful in business, we've gained an invaluable amount of wisdom and experience.

Here are 5 lessons we've learned from 25 Years in Business:

With winter weather being so unpredictable and the cold slowly creeping in, here at Schill Grounds Management our number one priority is safety and preservation.

The harsh cold can take a serious toll on your property if unprepared, which is why we’ve compiled a list on preparing your property for the harsh cold in Northern Ohio. If your property is located in the Midwest or eastern United States, then you know how rough winters can be.

Safety is the ultimate goal of snow and ice management. At the end of the day, snow removal services secure the well-being of people who drive and walk on your grounds and prevent major liabilities for property owners. That’s why we spend most of the year thinking about and actively planning for the upcoming season.

Whether or not you hire Schill to manage your commercial property throughout the winter threat of inclement weather, we think it’s critical to share industry information that helps you make the best decisions for your grounds and your budget.

Here are four factors to consider that will help you maximize your snow and ice management budget and plan your strategy for the coming winter.

Another growing season is here, and because it’s still a bit too early to install flowers, many property managers’ attention is focused on the part of their property that starts thriving first: turf. Because winter weather in Northeast Ohio tends to linger, we don’t plant flowers until the danger of a spring frost has past. So it’s understandable that our clients want their green space looking great ahead of spring color. To help, we’ve put together a list of common turf myths so that our customers will have a better understanding of how to keep their lawns healthy.

Not having to worry about things like maintaining curb appeal is one of the big perks of living in a homeowner’s association or condo property, but that doesn’t mean that as a resident you can be completely hands off. HOA landscaping comes with it's own set of challenges and complications, so while it is your landscaping company’s job to be familiar with your property, there are still some things that are important to communicate to make sure things go smoothly.

It’s that time of year again. You’re thinking about changing your grounds management provider and you’re collecting bids.

Maybe you’re compiling them to submit them to a board of advisers or trustees for review, or maybe you’re just doing your due diligence to make sure that your property is getting the best value.

Over the years, we’ve heard from a lot of property managers that comparing bids from prospective vendors is one of the most difficult and time-consuming things they have to do. Unfortunately, comparing landscaping contracts is often not any easier, as bids differ depending on the scope of work and service offered. But beyond the ins and outs of what’s included in your contract, it’s also important to make sure (to the best of your abilities) that whichever company you choose is going to do the work to your satisfaction. After all, depending on the length of the agreement, you might be in bed with your grounds maintenance provider for multiple years.

Now is the time to secure your snow removal contract for this winter. And you might be wondering, “What’s the best way to pay for the service?”

Should you pay “per push,” every time a snow event requires the contractor to plow your property? Or, is a seasonal contract a better way to budget and keep your Northeast Ohio parking lots and walkways clear and safe?

Basically, do you want to pay only when it snows and the contractor clears your site? Or, do you prefer to secure a fixed price for the five-month winter season so whether there are 40 snow events or 100, your cost is the same?

At Schill, we like to give our commercial clients payment options so they can select the best fee structure to suit their budget. Here’s a closer look at the three types of snow removal contracts we offer commercial properties in Cleveland and the rest of Northeast Ohio.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about what we think are the most important factors for delivering great customer service. This series on C.A.R.E.—our four part recipe for providing an exceptional experience for our clients—is finally coming to an end as we discuss the last piece of the equation: expertise.

Consistency, accessibility, and reliability are all important values, but without expertise none of them matter. A company who is not adept in the landscaping space can’t be consistent or reliable. And what does it matter if your landscaping or snow removal contractor can be reached at all hours of the day if they don’t know what they’re doing?

Below, we take you through several questions to ask to determine whether the grounds management provider you’re considering are truly experts in their field.

Trust: it's something that can take years to build and just seconds to destroy, and it's the glue that holds people together in both personal relationships and professional ones. So, it makes sense that when you’re looking for a landscaping or snow removal company for your commercial property, you want them to be reliable.

We think reliability is important too, which is why it’s the third component of our C.A.R.E. customer service philosophy. Long story short, we take our customer’s trust very seriously and know we can’t operate a business without it. If you're looking for a grounds maintenance provider, this article has some questions you should keep in mind while searching that will help you figure out if a landscaping or snow removal company is reliable. And if you're a long time customer of ours, this post will show you how the Schill team works to win your trust every day.

January 19^th, 2018 marked 25 years that Schill has been in business. On that date in 1993, three brothers set out with the simple mission to make Northeast Ohio landscapes look their best. Since then, the business has changed drastically, and we know that we wouldn’t have made it to where we are without our customers, our rockstar crews, and the community this business operates within.

So, over the course of 2018, we’re going to be unveiling a variety of projects and charitable giving to show the people and communities who have had the biggest impact on our success just how much we appreciate them.

Here’s what we have planned: