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Building on trust
Growing up on a farm in Maryland, brothers Chad and Ritchie Thurman didn’t realize that one day they would be operating a highly successful plant health care and turf operation servicing the Delaware and Maryland area. Yet here they are, 11 years after starting AC Plant & Turf, with a full staff of 40 employees and a double-digit year-on-year growth rate.
“This company is my brother’s brainchild,” says Chad Thurman, AC Plant & Turf Vice President. “Ritchie’s strengths are my weaknesses and my strengths are his weaknesses. We work really well together.”
When they started the company in 2014, Chad says they focused on plant health care, but about two years in, the company started adding in turf care after partnering with several landscapers.
“Normally, you start as a turf care company and you do a little plant health care,” he explains. “We were different and started as a plant health care company that morphed into caring for turf as well.”
Since its inception, the company has grown substantially year over year, and its client list consists of about 70% residential and 30% commercial customers with a solid mix of both plant health care and turf operations.
Dedication to the customer
What’s the difference-maker? Thurman believes it’s been the company’s honesty and customer focus. That’s not to say there haven’t been bumps in the road, which Thurman is quick to point out; but overall, customer dedication has been the foundation of their company philosophy.
“We just focus on our work and let that speak for itself,” he adds. “When someone calls, we get back to them within 24 hours, if not that same day. People choose us because of this – they know we will show up and do quality work.”
In addition to ensuring customer calls are answered in a timely manner, Chad asks all employees to treat each property as if it were their own while being transparent to customers about the process and the quality of the job.
“We expect our employees, and ourselves, to do the right thing and always be honest,” he continues. “I’ve always told the guys that when you go to a property, imagine you’re paying for the service out of your own pocket.”
Partnership advantage
In addition to honesty, AC Plant & Turf relies on partnerships to keep their business moving. From partnerships with landscapers around the area to collaboration with companies like Corteva Agriscience, Chad says that having trust in a partnership is the cornerstone to a relationship and continued loyalty.
“We’ve been with Corteva almost from the beginning,” he continues. “I want to use products that I trust. That’s a big thing for us. Year after year, they just deliver the results that we’re looking for. It’s a true partnership. I just feel like there’s real trust there with Corteva, so I have always been very loyal.”
When looking at the Corteva turf and plant health care portfolio, Chad leans into both Dimension® and Defendor® specialty herbicides to help with crabgrass, grassy weeds and winter broadleaf weeds. While Dimension is a preemergence herbicide that offers some early postemergence control, Defendor is a post-emergence herbicide that controls broadleaf weeds like dandelions, clover and chickweed.
Using high-quality products from a company he trusts gives him peace of mind when talking with customers about the application process.
“If our customers ask us, we’re always quick to give them the label for the product being applied,” he adds. “We’ve always been transparent because that’s just the best way to be. I wouldn’t put something down on somebody’s property that I wouldn’t put down on my own. We’ve always had that mindset.”
Culture-driven business
Having honesty and trust as the baseline is just the beginning for AC Plant & Turf. Additionally, the company centers on culture to help with employee retention and growth of the business.
“We’re just grateful for our employees, our customers and our partnerships,” he adds. “We’re very picky about who we hire because we want them to fit in with our culture. Most of our guys have been with the company for years.”
State restrictions on the sale and use of Defendor® or Dimension® apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details. Always read and follow label directions.
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