Providing Tailored Cost Savings for LMA-IRG

As a facility manager of a Northeast Ohio industrial facility, you have a lot to worry about. 

When you have an industrial site with multiple buildings and multiple requests coming in, you want to make sure work is being completed in a timely manner and that you don’t have to worry about things not getting done.

When you have to hire someone to help with your commercial landscape maintenance, you may find yourself looking at several bids and not sure how to make your final decision.

You want a company with high standards that performs quality work. After all, you have a lot of eyes on your site – from employees to tenants to building owners and managers – and your commercial landscape service provider becomes an extension of your facility management team.

Choosing the right industrial grounds maintenance partner can certainly be challenging.

For LMA-IRG in Akron, Ohio, the facility manager wasn’t happy with the quality of snow removal they were receiving. They needed a company focused on consistent, high-end work and regular, clear communication.

LMA-IRG: Industrial Grounds Maintenance Challenges

LMA-IRG is Lockheed Martin and the commercial property management firm, IRG Realty Advisors, LLC, with headquarters in Richfield, Ohio.

IRG specializes in managing industrial sites like LMA. In fact, the company manages more than 75 million square feet of space in 25 states.

LMA’s biggest challenge is industrial snow removal with a number of tenants requiring 24-hour service. The facility has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to snow and ice accumulation to ensure each visitor and employee is provided safe working conditions and easy access to every building. Since snowfall is unpredictable, this can be challenging.  

As new tenants move in, the work requirements change – not only during the snow season but also during the growing season when large fields and 30-plus acres of parking lots require mowing and vegetation control.

LMA wasn’t happy with the level of service or communication they were receiving on their industrial site, so in 2009 they hired Turfscape.

LMA-IRG: Industrial Grounds Maintenance Solutions

To receive better industrial grounds maintenance, LMA-IRG invited Turfscape to take over the work.

The Turfscape crew got to work, asking about their company goals, how they wanted their property to look, and what kind of communication they wanted to receive.

Then they developed a plan that included grounds maintenance, snow and ice removal, fertilization, and enhnacements, as well as covering communication needs, to ensure a smooth transition, solid partnership, and improved property appearance. 

1. Pre-Season Meetings

Another important component of the LMA-IRG and Turfscape partnership is setting a pre-season meeting to determine the upcoming season’s industrial grounds maintenance expectations.

During this meeting, they determine the amount of equipment, people, materials, and time needed. Then LMA-IRG reviews their needs and can reassess this, adjusting the flex pricing contract based on their budget.

2. Comprehensive Snow & Ice Removal Using Gantt Charts

In Northeast Ohio winters, an industrial facility cannot survive without having a solid snow and ice management plan.

To stay ahead of storms, the Turfscape team uses Gantt Charts for the snow season, as well as for the lawn maintenance season.

With the data they collect, they can compare the amount of work done in certain time periods compared to the amount that was planned. This allows Turfscape to reassess and tailor the contract each year to the true needs of the facility landscape.

This data also enables Turfscape to identify waste and assign the proper amount of people and equipment to complete each job. For commercial snow removal, this means Turfscape knows how much time it will take to clear the entire site of snow or ice.

3. A Solid Relationship & Communication Strategy

As the LMA-IRG team worked closely with Turfscape over the years, they have developed an ideal working partnership.

LMA-IRG property manager can simply send a text to the Turfscape crew about concerns, trusting they will resolve the issue in a timely manner.

Turfscape is committed to same-day communication, following up when an issue or concern is resolved. This helps put the property manager’s mind at ease, helping limit worries and headaches.

LMA-IRG: Industrial Grounds Maintenance Impact

Not only has Turfscape been able to provide LMA-IRG with cost savings by using reliable data and consistently measuring expectations of the facility manager and tenants.

As weather, situations and tenants continue to evolve, having a working partnership in place helps increase or decrease service levels, allowing everyone to feel comfortable with the relationship and quality of service they are receiving.

Because of the long-term relationship, Turfscape crew members are also familiar with the names of each building and can easily understand when a facility manager calls or texts them in the middle of the night asking them to clear a particular doorway at a certain building.

Build a Solid and Trusting Partnership for Your Industrial Grounds Maintenance

You want to have confidence in your commercial snow removal and industrial grounds maintenance service partnership. After all, trust goes a long way in keeping the process smooth when you have so many eyes on your property and so many tenants with specific requirements and expectations.

A strong partnership between Turfscape and LMA-IRG has helped elevate the property’s trust in knowing their facility will be taken care of – no matter the season or the situation.

The relationship even extends beyond maintenance. Every year, Turfscape sponsors and its employees play in the F.O.R.E. Charity Golf Outing. It benefits the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Cleveland, Ohio, which provides meals and housing for cancer patients and their families while receiving treatment.

LMA-IRG is confident in its business partnership with Turfscape, enjoying the high level of communication and active community involvement.

Want to learn more about our commercial landscaping services in Northeast Ohio? Get started today with a free quote. We’ll review your options together so you can make a great choice.