In 31 days we'll be in Gaithersburg, Maryland for the 2021 NALP Field Trip: Frank & Marty's Excellent Adventure. This year our host company is Ruppert Landscape, a commercial powerhouse known for the quality of work they do and the scale they do it at.

This week, Marty Grunder and Frank Mariani of Mariani Landscape shared what they most admire about Ruppert, and are most looking forward to learning when we're on-site next month.

Ruppert is a success story not uncommon in our industry; the company was founded in a garage by a pair of brothers, Craig and Chris, in 1971 and has grown tremendously since. What sets Ruppert apart is the scale at which they've grown: in 50 years they've expanded into 9 states with 29 branch locations doing a combined $219 million in annual revenue. 

This growth is driven by Ruppert's constant focus on innovation and maintaining the quality of their work. They're always looking ahead and laying the groundwork now to implement changes that will help them get ahead in the years to come.

This trip will be an opportunity to look ahead, to find changes you can make at your company now that will set you up for success in 2022. We'll find inspiration for new ways we can build a culture where quality is at the forefront and our teams feel valued, learn about their approaches to truck and equipment purchases, and see the systems they use to manage jobs large and small. 

If you can't join us, we encourage you to think this week about where you can look for inspiration to keep improving. Look for projects you can do when work slows, and find changes to make now that will set you up for success in 2022 and beyond. All planning is good, take the time this week to start the planning process and get ahead of the curve.