The National Association of Landscape Professionals, Fairfax, Virginia, announced its leadership, project and safety awards during the association’s annual Landscapes conference in Louisville, Kentucky, on Oct 26.
NALP awarded Bruce Wilson, the founder of Bruce Wilson and Company of Scottsdale, Arizona, with the lifetime leadership award for his years of industry work with NALP and other industry organizations and as a mentor and business coach to industry professionals. Loriena Harrington, owner of Beautiful Blooms LLC of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, received the women entrepreneur of the year award for her efforts in building her company, participating in industry groups like the Women in Landscape Network and her guidance of her predominantly female staff.
Andrew Ziehler, president of Ziehler Lawn and Tree Care of Centerville, Ohio, was honored with the young entrepreneur of the year award for his success in building his lawn care company and his involvement in numerous industry causes. Brandon Sheppard, Weed Man franchisor in the Mid-Atlantic, was given the advocate of the year award for his work as the chair of NALP’s government affairs council and his thorough grassroots efforts on industry issues.
During the conference, 140 landscape projects received awards of excellence for being noteworthy landscape maintenance, design/build, installation, lawn care and interiorscape projects.
NALP also awarded 19 companies with safety recognition awards for their ongoing adherences to safety. Chalet of the Chicago metropolitan area was given a judges’ award, the conference’s highest honor for a landscape project.
“It was wonderful to be back together in person to recognize such exceptional industry leaders and celebrate the outstanding landscape projects that make America’s backyards and green spaces healthy and beautiful,” NALP CEO Britt Wood says.
NALP also gave 316 safety awards to 119 companies for the performance period of Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020. Open to the entire landscaping industry, the safety award categories spanned from “no vehicle accidents” to “overall safety achievement.”
Nineteen companies received the “best of the best” award for having maintained the “overall safety achievement – gold level” status for the past three years.
