It Happened at iLandscape On family tradition
(continued from page 35) Rocco Fiore – “I’ve been fortunate. I want my employees to take ownership of what they are doing. I’m there for questions, but I want them to be the best that they can be. I think most of those who have left me have started their own businesses; they are still in business and we are still friends.”
Rocco Fiore – “When I graduated, I thought I was a hot shot. My father said, you have talent, but you have to have hard work. Our house rules were, ‘Do the best that you can; treat everyone the best that you can and make customers happy.’
Harry Vignocchi – “I can’t even tell you how many vendors helped me. They would call and say you can’t plant that there or I think you’ll do better with this.” C.J. Fiore – “If you try to slide today, you will pay for it tomorrow.” Rocco Fiore – Rocco Fiore recounted a story that happened early in his career. Ralph Synnestvedt called him on a Saturday morning and said that he was at the nursery and he wanted Fiore to come there. When he arrived, Synnestvedt told him that he didn’t do maintenance and handed him a sheet of paper with the names of 25 accounts on it, asking, “Can you handle that?” He asked that anything over $3,000 in plants be referred to him (Synnestvedt).
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Don Fiore – “I always taught my daughter to do the best that she can. I’ve taught her a lot over the 15 years that she has been out of Michigan State University. She’s better than I ever was.” C. J. Fiore – My brother and I decided that family ownership is not a right of birth. If one of our children wanted to work, that child would have to work and we would find out whether he or she was ownership material. It’s important to us that the company goes on. We’ve been very fortunate that my brother’s son, David, is one of our owners and my daughter, Lisa, is one of our owners. I think they learned their work ethic from us.” C.J. Fiore – “It’s not an old boy’s club anymore. There are some amazing young ladies and they have brought a lot of great things to this industry. I’m proud to be a part of it. The industry has just blossomed.”
Over 300 Varieties of Perennials Over 550 Acres of Nursery Stock Over 250 Varieties of Trees & Shrubs
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The Landscape Contractor April 2015