NALP's ELEVATE Conference Brings Landscape Industry Insights

Author, Megan Lockhart, Marketing & Media Communications Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

From Left: RMI Landscape Group VP Drew Garcia, BHHC Sr. VP Chief Marketing Officer Margaret Hatmann, and Loss Control Supervisor Steve Hamilton

From Left: RMI Account Executive Greg Garcia and RMI Landscape Group VP Drew Garcia, stand at RMI Booth

From Left: RMI Landscape Group VP Drew Garcia, RMI Account Executive Greg Garcia, BHHC Sr. VP Chief Marketing Officer Margaret Hatmann, and BHHC Loss Control Supervisor Steve Hamilton

On November 3-6, our Rancho Mesa team had spent time learning and networking at the National Association of Landscape Professionals 2024 ELEVATE Conference in Charlotte, NC.

RMI President David Garcia, Landscape Group Vice President Drew Garcia, and Account Executive Greg Garcia also enjoyed hosting clients and partners at our OneofOne© Reception prior to the conference.

Following the event, Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley sat down with Greg Garcia to recap NALP’s ELEVATE Conference and share important takeaways for the landscape industry.

Supporting Landscape Professionals: Rancho Mesa Sponsors NALP’s Leaders Forum 2024

Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa President Dave Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group Drew Garcia, and Account Executive Greg Garcia attended the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) Leaders Forum in Litibu, Nayarit, Mexico last week, January 17 to 20.

Rancho Mesa continued its support of Leaders Forum 2024 as a Gold Sponsor this year. Our executives enjoyed networking with other landscape professionals and gaining more knowledge about their industry.

“Leaders Forum is a great opportunity to connect, build relationships and spend time with some of the industry’s best.  NALP does a great job hosting and cultivating plenty of opportunities for businesses and industry partners to network.” Drew said.

The team cultivated business relationships with the many green industry leaders who attended, as well as built more personal bonds while enjoying the destination’s offerings, such as surfing, cornhole, and live music.

“NALP and those who attend Leaders Forum all understand how to make everyone feel welcome,” Drew said. “We are very intentional at this event to listen, this helps our business better develop current and future needs of the green industry.”

Dave, Drew, and Greg were joined by Rancho Mesa clients, partners, and friends, including President of Stay Green, Chris Angelo, CFO of LandCare, Dan Krems, and Allen Sweeney, CEO of Aphix.

About NALP

The National Association of Landscape Professionals is the national trade association representing nearly 100,000 landscape industry professionals in the United States, with additional members in Canada and overseas. Member companies specialize in lawn care, landscape design and installation, landscape maintenance, tree care, irrigation and water management, and interior plantscaping. Members also include students, consultants, industry suppliers, state associations and affiliate members.  For more information, visit www.landscapeprofessionals.org.

Rancho Mesa and BHHC Attend SDSU Football Golf Tournament

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Daniel Frazee, Greg Garcia, SDSU Head Coach Brady Hoke, Dave Garcia, and Rob Darby.

On Friday, July 29, 2022, Rancho Mesa’s President Dave Garcia, Executive Vice President Daniel Frazee, and Account Executive in the Landscape Group Greg Garcia were joined by President of Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies Rob Darby at the SDSU Football Golf Tournament at the Rancho Bernardo Inn. 

“I’m a proud graduate of San Diego State and longtime supporter of their efforts to help shape future generations of young people both on the field and in the classroom,” commented Dave Garcia at the event. 

“Having Rob come down from San Francisco and join us was awesome, it just shows his and BHHC’s commitment to both Rancho Mesa and organizations that we value – can’t thank him enough for making the time and effort,” Dave added.

Rancho Mesa is excited to have a suite at SDSU’s new Snapdragon stadium where the agency plans to entertain clients, carriers, and other partners when the it opens in September 2022.

Dave concluded, “getting to talk with Aztec’s Head Coach Hoke and hearing the excitement in his voice about both the opening of SnapDragon Stadium and the upcoming season, really fired us all up for the September 3rd game vs. Arizona.”

Employee Spotlight: Greg Garcia is Guest on Baseball Radio Show 97.3 The Fan

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Rancho Mesa’s Greg Garcia was recently interviewed on 97.3 The Fan Ben & Woods show. Before joining the Rancho Mesa team, Greg played 10 years of professional baseball, five of which came at the major league level playing for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres.

Host Steven Woods, along with producer Paul Reindl, interview Garcia about what life was like during and after professional baseball. Greg specifically speaks about his time with the San Diego Padres, the overwhelming support he felt from the community of fans, and the fortunate opportunity to join Rancho Mesa with his father President Dave Garcia and brother Vice President of the Landscape Group Drew Garcia.

Listen to Greg’s interview below (starting at 30:15). To learn more about the Ben & Woods show on 97.3 The Fan, please visit www.audacy.com/973thefansd/authors/ben-woods

Sentry® and Rancho Mesa Build Relationships Through Golf

Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Personal relationships often mean the difference between earning the client’s business or losing out on a deal. That’s why many organizations use golf as a backdrop to develop personal relationships with those in which they choose to do business.

“Personal relationships are the cornerstone of success,” according to Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. President Dave Garcia in a recent article distributed within the Sentry® insurance company’s intranet.

Sentry’s article outlines reasons why the company uses golf to connect with their prospects, customers and partners.

“We’ve learned that golf—whether playing a round or attending a top-tier event—provides the perfect backdrop for business conversations and helps us get to know our customers in a way we couldn’t in an office,” the article explains.

Greg and Dave Garcia pictured at 2021 U.S. Open.

Rancho Mesa’s father and son duo Dave Garcia and Account Executive Greg Garcia were invited by Sentry to the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pine in San Diego. They spent the day building upon their relationships with the carrier.

“In my view, Sentry not only understands [relationships], but lives [relationships]. We see that day-to-day with our business interactions. Then, at an event like the U.S. Open we get the opportunity to meet the executive team and see that this is a belief not just talked about but held in esteem from the top down,” Dave said.

Events like these provide “the chance to meet with the decision makers of those we serve,” Scott Miller, President of National Accounts with Sentry was quoted in the article.

Both Rancho Mesa and Sentry understand the importance of building long-lasting partnerships that are based on relationships with people.

Whether you’re playing a round or spectating, golf provides a relaxed venue to get to know people, their personalities and the organization.

Garcia Brothers Head to Nashville for GROW! 2022

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Pictured from left, Greg Garcia, Marty Grunder, and Drew Gracia in front of Milosi Landscape.

Drew Garcia (left) and Greg Garcia pictured tabling at GROW! 2022.

Drew Garcia (left) with President of Rancho Mesa Dave Garcia at GROW 2022! conference.

On February 23 - 25, 2022, Rancho Mesa’s Vice President of the Landscape Group Drew Garcia and Account Executive Greg Garcia attended GROW! 2022 annual conference in Nashville, TN to help landscapers with their risk management needs.

GROW! is led by Marty Grunder, President and CEO of The Grow Group.

“Marty Grunder and his team put on an incredible event,” said Drew Garcia. “I would highly encourage any landscape business, no matter your revenue size to check out the event. From the professional development, business operations insight, and networking, it’d be impossible not to come away with a sizeable amount of new knowledge.”

Landscape professionals throughout the country enjoyed three days packed-full of energizing speakers, stimulating group sessions and networking, and gained an inside look at the operations of a longtime successful landscape company, Milosi Landscape.

 “Just from getting to know Marty and his team, I knew [GROW! 2022] was going to be a great event. I was blown away with how well this event was set up, as well as the amount of knowledge being passed along, and the ability to network with others in the green industry,” said Greg Garcia. “I’m excited to bring back some of the things that I was able to learn to Rancho Mesa to help continue our growth!”

About The Grow Group
Led by Marty Grunder, The Grow Group is a premier consulting firm for landscape professionals, providing innovative programming, peer-groups, and real-world resources to help business owners and their teams succeed. Everything our professionals teach is based on what we know works: We test it ourselves at our “living laboratory,” the business Marty began as a teenager and still leads today, Grunder Landscaping Company. To learn more, please visit GrowGroupInc.com.

Garcia Brothers Give Professional Safety Guidance on NALP Podcast

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Image provided by NALP.

In a most recent podcast episode of Growing in the Green Industry, Rancho Mesa’s Drew Garcia, Vice President of the Landscape Group, and Account Executive Greg Garcia discusses the importance of effectively communicating with your team and building awareness around safety. The episode is hosted by Brett Lemcke with R.M. Landscape, Inc. and Macey Robinson with LandCare LLC.

The episode shares tips of starting your own company, implementing a safety plan and different strategies on how to be proactive when it comes to safety in the workplace. Listen to Season 2, Ep. 40 Being Proactive with Safety with Drew Garcia and Greg Garcia below, or on your favorite podcast platform: anchor.fm/nalp-young-professionals

About Growing in the Green Industry Podcast
Growing in the Green Industry is a podcast for the specifically centered around the landscape industry. Each week their hosts and guests discuss topics that matter most for landscape professionals, including career advancement, hiring, professional development, retention, sales, operations, and more. Growing in the Green Industry is produced by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), Young Professionals Network. Growing in the Green Industry is produced by NALP's Young Professionals Network. To learn more, please visit www.landscapeprofessionals.org/youngprofessionals.

Garcia Brothers Featured in Landscape Management Magazine

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

In the December issue of the Landscape Management magazine, Rancho Mesa’s Vice President of the Landscape Group Drew Garcia and Account Executive Greg Garcia shared their insights on how landscape companies benefit from insurance checkups.

Drew and Greg explain how not having the correct coverage can be detrimental to a business in the occurrence of a catastrophic event. The Garcias also go over the importance of a company reviewing their insurance policies with their insurance broker, and the best time to do this to ensure the company is properly covered.

“You hear a lot of landscape professionals who are frustrated with last-minute insurance renewals and decisions,” Drew Garcia says. “Having a ‘pre-renewal’ meeting 90 to 120 days in advance of your policy effective date can just about eliminate this pain” (LM Staff 23).

To learn more, please contact Drew Garcia at (619) 937-0200 or drewgarcia@ranchomesa.com.

Understanding Client Risk: Rancho Mesa Account Executives Become Safety Star Certified

Author, Megan Lockhart, Media Communications and Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Pictured: Rancho Mesa’s Assistant Account Executive Jack Marrs and Account Executive Greg Garcia.

Earlier this year, several Account Executives at Rancho Mesa earned their Safety Star certification as part of the RM365 Advantage Safety Star™ Program.

Account Executives Amber Webb and Greg Garcia earned their certification in Construction Safety and Associate Account Executive Jack Marrs earned his Safety Star in Human Services.

“I personally decided to complete the Safety Star Program so that I could have a better understanding of the most frequently exposed risks my clients and prospects are facing,'' Amber Webb, Account Executive in the Construction Group said. 

The Safety Star Program is important for all business owners and their employees as it teaches important topics relating to safety in the workplace in order to mitigate job-related injuries.

“The Safety Star Program is an important tool that our clients can use to bring common safety topics to the forefront of their workforce and ensure they are properly trained on these topics. It also allows me to showcase my client’s dedication to safety to our carrier partners,” Webb said. 

Rancho Mesa takes safety seriously. We aim to be as knowledgeable and prepared as possible in order to meet our clients’ needs and understand their industry.

“It was important for me to complete the RM365 Advantage Safety Star Program because I wanted to make sure I understood the courses and training that I was sending out to my clients, and how and why it can benefit them,” Greg Garcia, Account Executive in the Landscape Group, said. “Now that I have my Safety Star certification I can better understand the value and content this training can bring to my customers.”

Garcia Brothers Attend LANDSCAPES 2021

Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Pictured left to right: Margaret Hartmann, Senior Vice President & Cheif Marketing Officer, Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies; and Greg Garcia, Account Executive of the Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa.

Rancho Mesa’s Landscape Group headed back to Louisville, Kentucky for LANDSCAPES 2021, the largest annual conference for the landscape and lawn care industry. Hosted by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP),  the event took place on October 19-22nd, during which landscape professionals were able to learn from industry leaders and connect with peers.

Rancho Mesa’s Vice President of the Landscape Group Drew Garcia, Account Executive Greg Garcia, and President Dave Garcia walked away with gained knowledge of industry techniques, challenges, new technologies, and best practices through peer-to-peer discussions and insightful seminars.

“This event is a great opportunity for Rancho Mesa to network with other landscape industry professionals, from software providers, manufacturers, contractors and other industry leaders,” says Drew. “It’s important for our team to remain in the loop on things impacting the industry so we can remain proactive for our customers and anticipate change before it becomes an issue. The education sessions offered by NALP are incredible, it’s a great chance to learn and prepare for the future.”

Also in attendance, were Rancho Mesa partners Margaret Hartmann, Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer and Steve Hamilton, Loss Control Manager with Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies.

Pictured left to right: Greg Garcia, Account Executive of the Landscape Group, Rancho Mesa; Margaret Hartmann, Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, BHHC; Steve Hamilton, Loss Control Manager, BHHC; and Drew Garcia, Landscape Group Leader, Rancho Mesa.

LANDSCAPES is held every October in Louisville, KY. We hope you mark your calendar to join us, next year, for another incredible event!