By Cheryl Higley
Herrick Mann, owner of H.A.M. Landscaping, is standing in the swirling snow, shivering in the frigid Cleveland cold, smiling patiently for the photographer. Despite the inclement conditions, Mann knows things are about to get a lot warmer. In a few short days, he and Lisa, his wife of almost 30 years, are heading for their boat in the Bahamas.
After 40 years in the landscaping business and 29 years in snow and ice management, Herrick is making good on a promise that he made to Lisa almost 20 years ago.
“After about 10 years of plowing, I promised that when the kids (Jeffrey, Stephanie and Andrea) were grown that I was done,” Herrick explains. “Thirty years is a long time to work in this business. It’s a wild, strange lifestyle.”
Three years ago, after countless sleepless nights, missed birthdays and holidays, the nest was empty. With the kids off to college, avid sailors Herrick and Lisa grabbed a can’t-miss opportunity to buy into a boat charter and have spent about 12 weeks of each of the last three winters sailing throughout the Caribbean and other idyllic getaways, leaving the company in the capable hands of their employees.
Preparing to set sail
While the promise had been in the planning stages for awhile, Lisa says making good on it took a little longer than anticipated. It wasn’t until the right people were in place, especially Operations Manager Joe Wise, that Herrick felt comfortable letting go.
“We’ve told the employees that our long-term plan is to sell the company to them,” Herrick says. “They see the lifestyle we’re leading, and that’s a great motivator for them to take good care of it, so that in 20 years maybe they’re the ones running operations from a boat in the Bahamas.”
The ultimate goal, Herrick says, is to step back from the day-to-day operations in two years, but to remain involved for another 10. For the past three years, his primary responsibilities have been sales and estimating, but he still is involved in nearly every aspect of the operations, except one—plowing.
“If I’m in town, I’ll jump into the truck and plow for fun,” he says. “Once a week for six hours is fun. Five nights in a row for 10 weeks out of the year isn’t so fun anymore.”
Technology makes it work
The Manns are able to sail midwinter thanks in large part to the technology available.
“Without technology, we wouldn’t be able to do this. It wouldn’t run as smoothly,” says Lisa, who is vice president of legal and accounting.
Having built a “comfort zone” that includes cell phones, remote desktops, wireless Internet and cameras, Herrick and Lisa are always “here but we’re not. Available but not always present,” she says. But more and more, as Wise has grown into his role as the go-to guy, the Manns are content to let him chart the course, stepping in only if a major problem occurs.
Delegation and trust
Finding and training great employees has helped Herrick become more comfortable stepping aside, which he admits has been difficult.
“We run a lean office, because that’s not where you make your money,” Lisa says. “We don’t have
supervisors driving around checking up on our employees. We hire good people so we don’t have to do that.”
Adds Herrick: “Our guys know what to do. We train and train and train; the more they learn, the better they are. That commitment is reflected in our phenomenal customer retention rate.”
The hardest part in transitioning themselves out of the winter operations, Lisa says, has been educating their clientele, which reflects a mix of residential, commercial and religious facilities, and apartment complexes.
“They are used to calling Herrick when something’s not going right,” Lisa says. “We had to reassure them that the service they’ve always received would continue, even if he wasn’t here.”
Looking ahead
With their transition plan in the works, what’s next on the horizon? Herrick and Lisa have been friends since third grade, will be married for 30 years in March and are reaping the benefits of running their successful business. Sailing off into the sunset … what could be more perfect?
Hot in Cleveland
H.A.M. Landscaping owner Herrick A. Mann is a Buckeye at heart. He was raised in Shaker Heights, east of Cleveland, and graduated from The Ohio State University. His company has serviced the greater Cuyahoga County area
for 40 years:
Keeping it local. Mann admits finding good employees is difficult, despite Greater Cleveland’s unemployment rate of almost 9%. Instead of going the H2B route to hire seasonal employees, Mann insists on hiring locally. “We keep all of our people year-round. This work is hard work, so when you find great people you keep them,” he says. “I want my money to stay here to support the local economy. That’s why I buy our plows from Meyer Products, because they’re made in Northeast Ohio.”
Residential in the mix. Mann has about 400 residential clients and considered exiting the market a few years back. He realized that, to meet his clients’ needs, moving out of the market wasn’t in the company’s best interest. His residential clients make up about 25% of the company’s portfolio.
A side of ingenuity. In addition to building a successful landscaping and snow and ice business, Mann’s entrepreneurial spirit is alive at Land Escaper Products, LLC, which markets his EZ Rod Driver, a tool designed to reduce skin contact while driving fiberglass snowplow markers into the ground. He also manufactures handcrafted and custom-painted Adirondack chairs.
A run for their money. Mann says he has lost accounts to national service management companies. He doesn’t lament the losses: “When I drive by and see their trucks, I think: ‘Good luck. That client was a real pain.’ We don’t want clients who will hire you for a low price, cut your margins and fire you for a low price. Our clientele expects—and is willing to pay for—excellent service. They are loyal and are interested in building relationships with us.”
Herrick Mann’s teachable moment
“It’s free to be nice. The nicer I am to my clients and employees, the nicer they are to us.
To lose that politeness always seems to cost you. I try to emphasize that to employees. The nicer you are, hopefully it will be returned back to you.”
Herrick Mann’s top three challenges
1. Labor
2. Growth
3. Letting others lead
Editor’s note: Congratulations to Herrick and Lisa Mann of H.A.M. Landscaping in North Randall, OH, who won Snow Business’ first Greatest Story Never Told video contest on
GoPlow.com (and a special shout out to their daughter, Stephanie, for filming their story). Thanks to all who submitted videos. The contest returns in October, so start planning now. Do you have The Greatest Story Never Told?
Cheryl Higley is editorial director of Snow Business magazine. Contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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Herrick A. Mann & H.A.M Technology - photos by Jerry Mann
