By Rich Kang, President/COO
Over the past two and a half years, Ruppert Landscape has partnered with five businesses—and we’re not slowing down. These partnerships have brought far more than new customers, locations, or service lines. They’ve introduced us to innovative equipment, diverse approaches, and most importantly, new people and perspectives that are enriching our culture and capabilities.
In each case, we’ve been fortunate to align with experienced landscape contractors whose values mirror our own. For me personally, it’s energizing to continue learning and evolving through these new relationships.
As with any period of rapid growth, integrating new teams comes with both opportunity and complexity. While elements like truck branding and uniforms help create a unified visual identity—and are relatively straightforward to implement—the transition to standardized systems such as payroll, benefits, job costing, and accounting is more complex. These operational areas have often evolved over many years within each company and require careful coordination, input from multiple team members, and a longer timeline to fully align. One of the more nuanced challenges is mapping out roles and responsibilities, especially when similar functions are handled differently across organizations. Our aim is to simplify, align, and adapt while preserving the unique strengths that made these companies successful to begin with.
We know that change isn’t easy, and we sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience and partnership. Please continue to share your feedback—we promise to listen, even if we can’t implement every suggestion. Wherever possible, we will make adjustments to support a smoother path forward. One recurring message we’ve heard: simplicity is key. That’s why we’re doubling down on streamlining everything from information sharing to reporting structures, meeting agendas to job roles.
To support this work, we’ve taken two major steps:
Establishing a Dedicated Integration Team—We’re excited to announce the formation of a dedicated Integration Team, focused on supporting new partners and aligning processes across the organization. Leading the team is Angela Howes, newly appointed Director of Integration, who brings over 20 years of Ruppert experience. She is joined by Lexie Bittner, recently promoted to Integration Manager; Rob Groves, who has served in that role for the past 18 months; and Melanie Halsey, Integration Specialist. Together, this team will work closely with incoming branches to train them on Ruppert systems, tailor processes to meet both local needs and company standards, and provide reporting tools that help teams track progress using our performance metrics. With this consistent and knowledgeable point of contact, we aim to deliver a supportive onboarding experience that reinforces our culture and sets each team up for long-term success.- Hosting an Integration Summit—We have brought together key voices from across the organization to collaborate on ways to streamline due diligence, improve communication, and align our systems and processes. By addressing challenges head-on and brainstorming practical improvements, we’re working to ensure that each integration is a learning opportunity—one that strengthens our organization while honoring the unique strengths of our new team members.
Establishing a Dedicated Integration Team—We’re excited to announce the formation of a dedicated Integration Team, focused on supporting new partners and aligning processes across the organization. Leading the team is Angela Howes, newly appointed Director of Integration, who brings over 20 years of Ruppert experience. She is joined by Lexie Bittner, recently promoted to Integration Manager; Rob Groves, who has served in that role for the past 18 months; and Melanie Halsey, Integration Specialist. Together, this team will work closely with incoming branches to train them on Ruppert systems, tailor processes to meet both local needs and company standards, and provide reporting tools that help teams track progress using our performance metrics. With this consistent and knowledgeable point of contact, we aim to deliver a supportive onboarding experience that reinforces our culture and sets each team up for long-term success.
Hosting an Integration Summit—We have brought together key voices from across the organization to collaborate on ways to streamline due diligence, improve communication, and align our systems and processes. By addressing challenges head-on and brainstorming practical improvements, we’re working to ensure that each integration is a learning opportunity—one that strengthens our organization while honoring the unique strengths of our new team members.This journey hasn’t been without its challenges, but the rewards—shared growth, stronger teams, and a more unified future—make it well worth the effort. We’re grateful to everyone who has contributed to the integration process so far, and especially to our new partners for their collaboration, patience, and valuable input as we learn and grow together.