COLUMBIA, Mo. – Columbia LandCare LLC continues to grow forward.
Mid-Missouri’s premier commercial landscape design, maintenance and installation company had already acquired or merged with four other businesses in five years before Creative Surroundings Inc. caught and held its attention. A phone call in May 2016 led to a September handshake. Columbia LandCare officially acquired Creative Surroundings and absorbed all of its full-time staff on Dec. 30, 2016.
“Our interest in Creative Surroundings was really three-fold,” Columbia LandCare owner Jed Taylor said of the 34-year-old company just acquired. “One, their horticulture expertise with regards to annual flowers and overall plant care is second-to-none in the industry. Two, we wanted the remarkable staff at Creative Surroundings to join our team. And finally, Creative Surroundings had great clients and it was apparent they put a lot of value in maintaining long-term relationships. It was too good to pass up.”
The acquisition was made possible when Creative Surroundings owner Gloria Gaus expressed interest in retiring. Gaus will remain on board for 2017 as the transition takes place, and all other full-time staff have begun working at Columbia LandCare’s headquarters, located at 7105 Henderson Road. This move adds to Columbia LandCare’s fluctuating roster of approximately 100 staff members.
Columbia LandCare has roots in mid-Missouri that trace back more than 20 years, when it was founded as Columbia Turf. Jed Taylor became majority owner in 2012, three years after his company Missouri Mowing merged with Columbia Turf. Columbia LandCare provides year-round landscape maintenance services, including snow removal, mowing, irrigation, floriculture, landscape design and installation.
