STRATEGIC PLAN
8/14/2025
Strategic Plan
OHIO LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION
PURPOSE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The strategic plan serves as a short-term roadmap, identifying key issues that impact the organization and aiding in future success planning. This plan, developed by the current board of directors, outlines the visionary strategies and goals to guide the Ohio Landscape Association in its mission to serve the landscape industry and its members. The plan was facilitated by Past OLA President Greg Malone, M.Ed., MBA, from Cuyahoga Community College (retired), and developed by the following board members and OLA staff:
Ryan Drake, J.F.D Landscapes, Inc., OLA President
Brandon Barker, J. Barker Landscaping Company, OLA President Elect
Matt Malone, Kurtz Bros., Inc., OLA Treasurer
Cameron Maneri, McCaskey Landscape and Design, OLA Immediate Past President
Jeffery Ardo, En Garde Deer Defense, OLA Board Member
Amy Gatoo, Sajovie Brothers Landscaping, Inc., OLA Board Member
Jason Deuble, C&S Lawn Service and Landscape, OLA Board Member
Gil Kupetz, Yardmaster, Inc., OLA Board Member
Patty Lampert, OLA Executive Director
A NEW ERA OF LEADERSHIP
The Ohio Landscape Association is at a pivotal moment in time. With the retirement of the long-serving Executive Director and changes among internal staff, the organization is transitioning to a new era of leadership. Historically, the organization operated with a working board structure. However, the current board of directors has decided to adopt a strategic board structure that will provide vision, strategy, and guidance to the Executive Director, who will be responsible for achieving the set goals. The board of directors acknowledges that this transition will take time and require additional resources to be successful. This strategic plan will serve as the starting point to determine the long-term success of this goal. Page 1
Long-term Visioning
In an effort to develop short-term goals, it is often helpful to perform a long-term visioning exercise that asks; What is your ideal vision of the organization in the future? The results of this exercise developed the following:
A significantly larger statewide membership base where most members of the organization is actively involved.
A go-to resource for all things green industry-related, with an exceptional web presence and shared resources.
Well-developed education opportunities that support the organization’s mission with the possibility for state or national certification and apprenticeship placement.
Enough staff dedicated to specific areas like marketing, education, events, etc., to provide efficient operation of the association.
A REVIEW OF OUR PREVIOUS PLAN
In September 2022, the Board of Directors of The Ohio Landscape Association enacted a new strategic plan. This strategic plan was created to support the mission statement reaffirmed during the session and the current strategic plan session.
Elevating the landscape industry through education and advocacy
The Ohio Landscape Association continues to excel in its foundational principles, serving the landscape community in Ohio. Its core functions include:
Education that helps members improve their business and technical skills so that their clients can be assured of high-quality, professional service.
Advocacy in both state and federal issues that impact the landscape industry in areas of labor, safety, and regulatory requirements.
Providing networking, leveraging the experience and knowledge of established members to help others develop the soft skills and business knowledge that drive positive change and foster both personal and professional growth.
Progress on the 2022 Strategic Plan
The primary focus of the goals and strategies in the previous strategic plan was membership growth, with a target of 500 new members over five years. This objective was
Ohio Landscape Association Strategic Plan
to be achieved through various strategies, including increased personal engagement from board members, annual reviews of membership dues, enhanced educational events, the implementation of association management software, improved marketing efforts, and other initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and overall membership. While some strategies were successfully implemented, others were not, and the organization did not experience the desired growth in membership.
STRENGTHS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES
For any organization to grow, it is essential to recognize its strengths, which can be leveraged to overcome challenges and capitalize on the opportunities these challenges present.
Strengths
The Ohio Landscape Association is a vibrant, highly respected organization that serves its members with the following identified strengths:
Members are knowledgeable, like-minded companies and individuals who are loyal to the association, exhibit care and camaraderie with other members, and freely offer help and mentorship to less established organizations.
The association has an excellent national reputation, especially in legislative matters.
The association offers high-quality education opportunities at low or no cost.
The association provides scholarships for students studying horticulture and landscape technologies.
Members work together to support a strong landscape industry.
Challenges
Challenges that were identified that face the organization are:
Unforeseen circumstances have created some financial challenges that will have an impact on future staffing and operations.
Membership growth is challenging due in part to geographic limitations, limited member diversity, and limited utilization and understanding of member benefits.
Recruiting members to become active in the association as board members, volunteers, and committee members is challenging.
Recruiting vendors and associate members to become more involved as sponsors.
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State and federal regulatory pressures surrounding immigration, safety, environmental protection, licensing, etc.
Providing widespread access to knowledge and training that improves the skillset of member companies, their staff, and clients.
Transition of Board of Directors and Executive Director responsibilities.
Competition from other trade organizations.
Opportunities
Challenges create opportunities that can be achieved by building on the strengths of an organization. The following opportunities have been identified:
Improving the reach of digital communications, including better web presence, expanded social media presence, and digital education for both members and the public.
Becoming the best source for media inquiries.
Demographic expansion outside of Northeast Ohio.
Expand the membership base to include other green industries like nursery/greenhouse growers, turfgrass specialists, retail garden centers, etc.
Explore opportunities to collaborate with other green industry associations.
Develop strategies to address regulatory challenges pertaining to H2B, EPA, OSHA, BMV, etc.
Explore other member benefits that create greater membership value
Engage past presidents to become more involved.
Explore new revenue sources.
STRATEGIES AND GOALS
The primary goals for the Ohio Landscape Association are centered on membership and revenue growth to ensure the continued provision of high-quality services and benefits to its members. With the potential opportunities made available to the association through the appointment of a new executive director and transition to a strategic board of directors, the following strategies and goals have been created to be achieved within the next three to five years.
NOTE: Strategies and goals are of no use unless they are referenced frequently to gauge progress and success. Any future initiatives approved by the board of directors should have
Ohio Landscape Association Strategic Plan
the purpose of achieving the strategies and goals that follow. The developers of this strategic plan have committed to reviewing these strategies at future board meetings.
1. Create a marketing plan for revenue growth from member partnerships. Leveraging the expertise and experience of the executive director, efforts will be made to engage both existing and potential associate members. This initiative aims to generate revenue by offering vendors and associate members access and marketing opportunities through sponsorship of OLA events, educational programs, and digital platforms such as emails, webinars, and newsletters. The goal will be to develop a plan by the end of 2025. Rated as a high priority.
2. Develop a sales plan to strengthen the relationships with prospective members that target the Northeast Ohio geographic area, and include industry-related entities like nursery, turfgrass, retail, and greenhouse organizations. The Ohio Landscape Association has the highest number of members in Northeast Ohio due to its geographic location. However, there is still significant growth potential in Ohio from landscape companies, related green industry organizations, and vendors who provide goods and services to the members. By targeting these potential members, substantial growth can be achieved. Success in Northeast Ohio can be replicated to other geographic regions like Columbus, Cincinnati, and Toledo. Rated as a high priority.
3. Evaluate current recurring events to eliminate those that are not profitable and align the remaining events in a way that improves efficiencies or combines them into a single event, such as a tradeshow or conference. Additionally, explore low-touch educational opportunities. With limited staff and resources, the current type and number of events require a significant amount of time that could be directed towards membership growth and achieving the goals stated herein. By assessing current events to ensure they meet the needs and interests of members, they can be streamlined to reduce the resources needed to provide them. Rated as a high priority.
4. Take steps toward a strategic board and consent agenda by giving the executive director greater autonomy to make decisions. Members of the Board of Directors are typically business owners and leaders who face time constraints that limit their physical involvement in the affairs of the Ohio Landscape Association. To strengthen the association and create more efficient operations, it is necessary to grant greater autonomy to the executive director. Board members will continue to provide high-
Ohio Landscape Association Strategic Plan level strategies and direction while delegating execution responsibilities to the executive director and their staff. Rated as a high priority.
5. Engage a marketing firm to assess and advise on an overall marketing strategy. The Ohio Landscape Association aims to strengthen its market presence with a consistent marketing plan that incorporates social media, website updates, evaluating the Growing Concern and other print or digital media, webinars, sponsorships, and advertising. Rated as a secondary priority.
6. Develop a culture of inclusion that welcomes prospective members from other geographic areas and groups in other green industries like nursery, turfgrass, retail, and greenhouse organizations. To increase membership growth, the Ohio Landscape Association will build relationships with other green industry-related companies and trade organizations throughout Ohio. Rated as a secondary priority.
NEXT STEPS
To ensure a smooth transition of board responsibilities, this strategic plan should be reviewed at board meetings and incorporated into the onboarding process for new board members. The strategies and goals outlined above are high-level, visionary statements. As the Ohio Landscape Association moves towards strategy number four and adopts a more strategic board structure, board members will have less hands-on responsibility and will rely on the executive director and their staff to determine how to accomplish the goals. Therefore, it is imperative that the board of directors provide guidance and resources to the executive director and support the decisions they make.
Elevating the Landscape Profession through Advocacy and Education