Buying a landscaping company in Space Coast and Volusia

• A base of commercial maintenance contracts that renew year after year, spread across several associations and property managers.
• Tight routes: customers clustered so crews spend their day working, not driving between jobs.
• Upgrades, plant replacements and irrigation work sold to existing maintenance customers, which usually earn more than mowing.
• Licensed applicators on staff if the company fertilizes and treats for pests, so that work isn't at risk.
• Crew leaders who stay, and a dependable way to recruit and keep crew members.
• Equipment replaced on a schedule, so mowers and trucks don't all come due at once.
• Account managers, not just the owner, who know the commercial customers and their boards.

• The contract list: customer, monthly value, services, length, renewal date and cancellation terms. Associations put contracts out to bid regularly; ask when each is up next.
• How much rides on a few associations or property managers.
• The profit on each contract, since some large accounts are underpriced.
• Who holds the fertilizer certificates and pest control certification, and whether they'll stay. The pest control license depends on its certified operator, and each fertilizer certificate belongs to the worker who earned it.
• Labor: pay, turnover, how crews are recruited, and whether every worker is properly employed and documented. Florida requires employers with 25 or more employees to check new hires through E-Verify.
• The equipment list with age, condition and any debt.
• Storm cleanup revenue, which can inflate some years.
• Fuel, dump fees and yard waste disposal costs.
• Insurance claims for damaged cars, windows and sprinkler heads, which add up on mowing routes.

• How many maintenance contracts do you have, and how many renewed last year?
• Who are your biggest commercial customers, and when do their contracts come up for bid?
• Do you apply fertilizer or pesticides, and whose licenses cover it?
• How do you price contracts, and when did you last raise prices?
• How long have your crew leaders been with you?
• Beyond maintenance, how much revenue comes from upgrades, irrigation and installation?
• How has hurricane cleanup affected revenue in recent years?

This region covers Brevard, Volusia and Flagler counties: Melbourne, Palm Bay, Titusville, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, DeLand, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach and Palm Coast. Brevard's economy is built around space. Rockets launch often from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and aerospace and defense manufacturers and their suppliers employ engineers, technicians and machinists across the county. Port Canaveral is a major cruise port.

Volusia depends more on tourism, beaches and big events, with Daytona's motorsports and motorcycle rallies drawing crowds. Health care and a large retired population matter too. Flagler County, around Palm Coast, is mostly residential. Machine shops, electrical and engineering firms, home service companies, marine businesses and restaurants all have a place here.

Brevard's fortunes follow the space and defense programs. A company that sells to aerospace firms should be able to show you how many customers it depends on and how secure their work is. Business in Volusia spikes around big events and the winter season, so look at revenue by month.

The whole coast faces storm risk. In 2022, Hurricane Ian brought flooding to much of Volusia, and Hurricane Nicole, which came ashore near Vero Beach six weeks later, washed away beaches and seawalls along the Volusia coast. Beachfront property needs careful insurance and structural checks. The Indian River Lagoon and the St. Johns River make boating and fishing part of daily life, which keeps the marine trades busy. Palm Coast and the Palm Bay area have added many new homes, and companies serving those areas have grown with them.