Balvino Verdugo is May’s Spotlight winner

The spotlight for May was on Balvino Verdugo, a foreman in our Commercial Construction department

“Balvino has an excellent aptitude for construction work,” said Jeff Peterman, GM of Construction Operations “He doesn’t mind getting in there and doing what needs to be done regardless of the task He is a long-time employee with MHA, and his understanding of getting things done in the proper way is second to none ”

Balvino celebrated eight years as a member of our Team on April 16 He said he likes everything about his job, especially the people, and he thinks part of his success as a foreman is having a Positive Can-Do Attitude

“You have to make your people happy,” he said “Talk to them nice and they’ll do their job right.”

Balvino’s experience, construction knowledge, and smile make him a huge asset to our team

“We appreciate his dedication to making us the best landscape company in Memphis,” Jeff said.

“Thanks, Balvino!”

By Ginny Shikle, Communications Specialist

MEET THE TEAM: SHANNON SMITH

His goal is striving for perfection

By ginny shikle communications specialist

For some folks, the thought of working inside is unbearable Instead, they crave the fresh air, natural beauty, and physical activity that come with working outdoors

That’s Shannon Smith to a tee

“I’m not stuck in one place,” he said “I like being out in the field I’ve always liked agriculture and stuff ” on one of our Master Lawn residential customers or a Michael Hatcher & Associates commercial account,

Smith, a Lawn Care Specialist with Master Lawn, has tried working other places, including in a warehouse, and said it wasn’t for him Neither was the lawn spray company he was recruited from back in August 2021

“We actually do a lot of stuff here compared to other places,” he said, such as employee appreciation events, safety incentives, and training opportunities.

“They give you everything you need I get everything I ask for ”

In addition, “The pay is really good in this industry,” Smith said “Here you can actually move up in the company if you choose to ”

That’s exactly what Smith has done, said Davey Hooper, Memphis Market GM for Master Lawn

“During his short amount of time with the company, he has helped us grow our residential routes in Bartlett, Arlington, Lakeland, Oakland, Millington, and Atoka, and he was quickly promoted to a Z-Spray operator on some of our larger residential/commercial accounts,” Hooper said.

Smith sets the bar high, is knowledgeable, and always strives to improve, Hooper said

“Whether he’s working on one of our Master Lawn residential customers or a Michael Hatcher & Associates commercial account, he’s always striving to push the envelope for perfection,” he said “We couldn’t do what we do for our customers without team members like Shannon ”