LAS VEGAS, NV – When Pro Turf International purchased Las Vegas-area landscaping company Private Greens last year, it really bought two successful companies in one.
The highly reputable Private Greens and its 40-plus clients made PTI an instant player in the region’s landscaping business. It is now operating with its own personnel under the name Pro Turf Landscaping. The company offers a full range of services to Home Owners Associations, commercial properties and individual property owners.
That’s not all, however. Along with Private Greens came a company that carried with it a similar reputation for doing dependable work at affordable prices, but in a related yet distinctly different field. The tree maintenance brand Mr. Tree, a popular full-service company in the Las Vegas area, was part of the deal, as was its director Joe Noriega. And so far the marriage is flourishing.
“Tree care is a huge business in our region, and we are fortunate to have a highly regarded arborist like Joe Noriega to manage that portion of our company, ” said Mickey Brown, CEO of Pro Turf International, a longtime golf course construction and maintenance company that in recent years has successfully incorporated landscaping into its service offerings. “This company’s excellent reputation and work ethic matched our brand perfectly. It was a seamless transition, and we are excited by the prospects of growth in this business right in our own backyard.”
Noriega earned his arborist certification about seven years ago, and went into business with previous Private Greens owner Russ Griffin, who was looking to expand into tree trimming. The service took off right away and hasn’t slowed down.
“Mr. Tree has been very successful,” said Noriega. “We stopped doing advertising three years ago because I had a full schedule without doing it. We schedule about six weeks out now.”
While the bulk of PTI’s tree maintenance business comes from individual homeowners, that is a direct result of the company’s commercial landscaping contracts with the various homeowner’s associations (HOAs).
“The HOA contract may cover the front of the houses but not the back yards,” said Noriega. “So while we are in the communities doing our contract work, a homeowner may come up and ask us to take care of a tree issue in his back yard. That’s how we get a lot of our business.”
Most of the work is pruning and basic day-to-day cleaning of the trees. PTI also offers deep root feeding – injecting fertilizer into roots & soil, using big tanks to do so. And of course, tree removal, which is the most expensive service. And it is challenging.
“Tree work is not mindless labor,” said Noriega. “You have to have some skill, so it has always been a challenge to find the right manpower. PTI has a great human resources department, so I’m getting more assistance on the support side and that really helps us in bringing in the right people.”
One of those is Noriega’s foreman, Mike Wilhelmsen, a native New Yorker whom Noriega says “really knows the business.” He’s been with the company for about six years.
Tree men like Wilhelmsen have an adjustment to make once they move from the east coast to a relatively young region and an arid climate like the one in Las Vegas.
“Las Vegas is a unique place,” said Noriega. “The population development here is only about 30 years old, so you don’t have institutional knowledge from generations of tree work. Plus, the trees are desert-type varieties – smaller and wide-spreading. So a lot of the guys in Vegas who call themselves tree guys are actually palm guys.
“Dealing with palms is far different from trying to pull down a large tree. There is a science to that, dealing with roping, directions, etc. As an arborist, my standard for proper technique, things like how much of the tree to take – the science behind it all – is pretty high. Getting guys trained right is extremely important. That’s another reason people like the work we do. We deliver quality. The customers know we’re not going to go in and butcher their property.”
Many of those customers are eager to share their opinions.
“Mr. Tree has serviced our trees for several years, and we have always been thoroughly happy with their care. Under the guidance of Joe Noriega, this team of professional arborists do absolute magic, almost as if they were artists working on a canvas. “ – Jerry &Jeanne Ginier
“I highly recommend Joe and his team. Great company with excellent service. If you are looking for honest and cost effective service’s for your trees go no further. I would offer a higher rating if it was available. – Karmin & Bob
For information about Mr. Tree or Pro Turf Landscaping, or to inquire about services, call 702-399-6360, or visit www.proturflv.com.
ABOUT PRO TURF INTERNATIONAL
Pro Turf Landscaping is a division of Pro Turf International, a family owned construction, landscape and golf maintenance company with over 30 years of hands-on experience in the Southwest. They proudly serve the golf, sports and landscape industry to enhance quality and improve conditions in a safe, environmentally friendly manner. For more information call (702) 315-5121, or visit www.ptigolf.com.
Contact: Mike Jamison (407-474-0531), mike@jamisongolf.com