Natural Solutions

Define the Scope of Work: There are significant issues regarding the procurement of #playground #surfacing throughout the nation. #Buildingsandgrounds #Managers or #Directors of #Facilities are responsible for ensuring #contractors and #vendors alike are supplying or installing #certified #engineeredwoodfiber (#certified #woodchips) on #playground surfaces. Unfortunately, the marketplace is flooded with non-certified #products creating serious potential for #liability and #injury. Additionally, the downstream affect of using non-certified product creates an unfair bid environment for contractors when #work is solicited. When there is a lack of oversight from decision makers, contractors and vendors have a tendency to supply bids that are not equal in comparison. The inability to standardize a bid process creates disadvantages for vendors who are "doing the right thing" compared to those that are simply looking to "acquire work" through any means necessary. The article below outlines the difference between certified playground #material compared to non-certified playground material. Naturally, certified material requires more testing and oversight to meet #regulatory standards, resulting in higher price point to secure #product. Contrarily, inferior product is substantially discounted and has a cheaper barrier to market. The result: contractors are able to charge less for services when using non-compliant material. Regardless of whether procurement managers are responsible for purchasing #certified #woodchips, #salt, #fertilizer or additional #costofgoods in the #landscape #industry, there needs to be a defined scope of work that establishes standards thus creating a fair #bidding environment for all contractors participating. #schooldistricts #municipalities #daycare #childcare #safety #insurance #liability #blowertrucks #mulchblowing #mulch #regulations Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) Ipema U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association

It has been a busy week at Natural Solutions. Today, I had the pleasure of visiting a project for a #commercial #propertymanagement #client that we had been prospecting for four years. Prior to this year, we had never been able to close a deal with this organization. This management company oversees high end commercial #office #properties, Class A #medical #facilities and large #industrial sites. They have extremely high standards and are incredibly particular about quality of vendor service. Finally, due to some #vendor communication issues, along with building ownership’s request to source multiple bids, we were given a chance to showcase our capabilities as we were selected to complete the work. Upon arrival today, I was incredibly proud to see how clean and well-maintained the site was, truly reflecting the high standards and expectations we set forth at our organization. Seeing our employee’s dedication to detail was rewarding. Will we be given the chance to perform more work? Who knows. Did we put our best foot forward to showcase our capabilities. I believe so. In the past, we have seen single jobs like this turn into major portfolio contract awards by property management organizations. Many of which are multi year contracts that have been in force for multiple contract renewals, some to the tune of 10 years already. Our #sales team opened the door. Our #field #operations team delivered. Our sales #team must now leverage this sample and build off the momentum created. Regardless, we have given our self a fighting chance to earn more work and that’s all we can ask for. #service #mulchblowing #bededging #quality #landscapemaintenance #landscapeconstruction #propertymanagement #facilitiesmanagement #blowertrucks

I want the best of the best. If you have a desire to succeed, are a high performer and want to join a company that is on a mission to continue our growth please apply or pass along this opportunity. This is a fast paced environment, and things can be stressful. This role is not for the weak minded or someone who wants to be “half present.” Highly organized individuals, who have a desire to serve customers and take full ownership of meeting client demands will thrive. We have high expectations at Natural Solutions, LLC. and mandate customer satisfaction. The infrastructure with key Front Line team members is built. With minimal employee turnover in our Field Operations staff, this role is meant for the right candidate to hit the ground running and manage a large book of business to allow our sales team to further our company’s growth. This is an integral role that is the next step in our company’s evolution. Winners only.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company is one of the most iconic brands in the country. Headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, Harley announced in 2023 that they were going to repurpose surface level parking and make a multi purpose park and community space at their corporate headquarters. This week Natural Solutions, LLC. was able to participate as one of the contractors inching the project to the finish line with the installation of #certified #woodfiber for the #playground component of this outdoor space. Being able to participate on projects like this are always fun. It’s also a reminder of the scale and accomplishments of how incredibly hard people have worked to create a massive brand like Harley Davidson. As someone who grew up in Milwaukee, it’s rewarding to see a brand this powerful reaffirm its commitment to the city and more importantly create something impactful for the community to enjoy. Well done, Harley-Davidson Motor Company. General Contractor: Greenfire Management Services, LLC Playground Installer: GRG Playscapes Landscaper: Trees on the Move Milwaukee Business Journal https://lnkd.in/gBX4-Rd4

In the right environment, a #blowertruck is unrivaled when it comes to installing #mulch. We have converted countless #propertymanagers, #facilitiesmanagers and #landscapemaintenance #companies into using this #technology. Not only is this a more cost effective way to reallocate #labor to more profitable work, but the efficiency in which material can be installed is second to none. If you look at the foreground of this picture you can see a massive amount of mulch coming out of our hose. Yes it looks messy, but if you look at the background of this same picture you can see our clean up #crews have diligently addressed the mess that was previously installed resulting in sharp, crisp edges, leaving nothing behind. As a #salesperson, you must know your limitations because not every job is suitable for this type of #equipment. With that being said, our client portfolio is growing by the day as the #labor market remains challenging. Hand labor can not outperform a machine. What we do is hard work and there is a price for our services. You pay to play. Natural Solutions, LLC.

An inside look at Natural Solutions, LLC. Greasing, blowing out radiators, preventative maintenance, loading trucks, and installing mulch. A lot happens in one day. The little things are beginning to make the difference. All of the tasks that could easily be neglected where no one would notice are being completed on a regular basis. Every working season is its own journey, but #consistency leads to #improvement. When you have a group that is not only willing to be consistent but then do all of the small things - magic starts to happen. It’s been really fun to watch the evolution from a different perspective this time around. Normally, I was in the trenches with our team so I was living in the same pressure cooker they were. Through growth, we now have an Operations Manager who is the first point of contact for our #fieldlabor staff. In return, I am able to see our #teams #development from a different vantage point. Maybe that #growth has always been there, but I was too close to it to have clarity. Regardless, our team right now is doing things we have never done before and it shows that we are intentionally making the effort to try and get better. A lot of times that’s easier said than done. I personally believe it requires the right level of self #accountability to accomplish. This is a testament to the #character of the people we have working at our #company. Not everyday is sunshine, but we definitely have a lot to celebrate when it comes to the quality of people who put on our uniforms and their willingness to buy in to our group’s mission rather than their own selfish motivations. It really feels like the “name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back” More importantly, it’s really starting to feel like a #family. #team #mulch #mulchblowing #employees #dedication #facilities #propertymanagement #facilitiesmanagement #propertymanager #facilitiesmanager

This time of year is controlled chaos at Natural Solutions, LLC. There are a lot of logistical challenges that must be overcome and project #deadlines that must be met. That’s been the nature of our #business ever since I have been a part of it. I would like to think we’ve made countless improvements over the years and we have gotten better at knowing what we do well and don’t do well so we can meet the demand of each working season. Every single morning our teams arrive to work at 5:00 AM. There is something to be said watching the #bluecollar #employee show up after physically putting their body on the line for 10-12 hours the day before just to support their family. Day after day, year after year. The smell of fresh #diesel is pumped into fuel tanks. 15W40 oil is funneled into engine oil fill tubes. #Caterpillar engines roar and then our teams are off to take on whatever the days itinerary encompasses. But after each #crew leaves the #shop, and there are no more #trucks or wheel loaders running, there is nothing but silence. The #industrial corridor that our shop resides in hasn’t even seen a light inside of another building turn on yet. This is when I usually try and take a moment and recognize where I reside in this #universe. Many days, I am offered spectacular beauty where I get to watch mystical #sunrises ☀️ peak over the horizon as if Picasso 🎨 was mixing blues, purples, and oranges on a fresh white canvas. It allows me to find a moment of #serenity to appreciate what the world has given us. While it is a great honor to lead our #company, I consciously attempt to sit with my thoughts rather than living in the noise during these moments of calm. No phone 📱, no computer 🖥️, no #CRM. The five to ten minutes I spend outside of our shop, drinking coffee ☕️ by myself is essential to maintaining perspective on what is really important. It allows me to remain grounded when the first fire alarm 🚨 of the day is sounded. Some days there are trucks that break down, clients that have an immediate need, or logistical adjustments to our schedule. Regardless of the challenge, I find it necessary to embrace the good and the bad knowing that tomorrow the sun will rise again and we will start all over. More importantly, these morning sunrises are pure beauty, and it reminds me of how big this world truly is and what is ultimately important. Family. Caring for one another. And simply doing the best you can. #attitudeofgratitude #mulch #blowertrucks #mulchblowing #propertymanagement #facilitiesmanagement #propertymanager #facilitiesmanager #commercialrealestate #cre

Monday morning the 2024 #mulch season begins for Natural Solutions, LLC. This past Friday, we gathered our #teams for our 2024 orientation to lay out the next two months of work for our #company. Marching orders were assigned, and teams descended on different markets throughout the country. The upcoming eight weeks will be challenging. Our #crews will be on the road working throughout the #Sunbelt, #Northcentral, and Southern #Midwest part of the country. #Equipment will break, long days will be worked, and our resolve will be tested. I like to think that our willingness to handle these difficult situations while managing the demand of work we have contracted is what our competitive advantage is built off of. Our #clients remain our top priority. We have increased our out of state working capacity by 60% for 2024. Last year, we were intentional in #training and #promoting #team members who had novice #equipment operating experience knowing that we had future opportunities to service a larger client portfolio this year. You never know how a plan will work until you're in the trenches and arrows start getting thrown at you. Hopefully our time preparing and the experience we have, will yield the results we are looking for. At the end of the day, the most difficult thing in the world is "consistency." We will be consistent in our approach of striving to be the best version of our company that we can be. Let the games begin... #mulch #mulchblowing #blowertrucks #landscape #landscapemaintenance #landscapeconstruction #woodchips #soil #playgrounds #propertymanagement #facilitiesmanagement #commercialrealestate #cre #bluecollar #workhard