The Edge September/October 2025

with the community, take the time to share these efforts with your team. Nasrallah says even during their onboarding and training, they go over their community service. “Not only do we talk about it, we also give the people the opportunity to be involved in it as well,” Nasrallah says. “We also have conversations where people will pitch me suggestions on some way we can donate or be a part of something. I’m always open to everything.” MEASURING IMPACT All of these companies choose to volunteer in their communities simply because it is the right thing to do. However, they have also reaped tangible benefits on a personal and professional level. Nasrallah says his efforts to fund Alzhei

communications, confidentiality concerns, etc.,” Kujawa says. “All the contractor really needs to do is meet with your beneficiary, set the scope and expectations, and show up to do the work.” Koehn says they typically choose to help install a specific project versus doing main tenance work. They have installed pergolas, brick paver patios, landscape lighting, and other enhancements for the nonprofits they work with. He says he reaches out reg ularly to see what these organizations need and what would be the most impactful. For instance, when Seamark Ranch installed a pool last year, Koehn’s compa ny did all the landscaping as an in-kind donation. “It probably would have been $50,000 job if we ran it through as a full project, but I had the nursery give them a heavy discount on the plants,”Koehn says. “They bought the plants directly for $13,000. We came in and put all the material in. So a $50,000 install only cost them $13,000. So those are huge benefits for those types of organizations because, of course, they operate on donations.” No matter how you choose to engage

passionate about? So I extend it out, and then I get feedback.” Koehn’s director of construction at the time introduced him to K9 for Warriors, which pairs service dogs with veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma. Meanwhile, Koehn learned about Seamark Ranch, a children’s home, and Rethreaded, an organization that empowers survivors of human trafficking, through his church. Now, they continue to support these organizations as well as participate in Bland Landscaping’s annual Day of Service. “That’s something that they’ve been doing for a long, long time,”Koehn says. “That was a core alignment when I was going through the transition, and I was really pleased. We were being acquired, and I’m going to be partnering with some like-minded owners who also give back.” TYPES OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Once you’ve identified an organization you’d like to support, then you can meet with your team to determine the best way to give back. If your staff has selected a cause related to disease research or aiding those current ly suffering from an illness, hosting events and fundraisers like Ground Works and Franz Witte is a good way to raise money and involve your team. “Our marketing team is also very involved in the planning and working the day of,”Hull says. “Many of our owners and employees volunteer to help at the event also.” Initiatives like GreenCare for Troops can be easily integrated into your current routes. Kujawa says their crews are assigned by geography. They let the team know they are engaged and why, but keep the exact location private. “Project Evergreen handles all outreach, matching families with contractors, initial

Photos: (Above) Franz Witte Landscape Contracting, Inc. (Below) Kujawa Enterprises, Inc.

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