DOWNTIME IS LIKENED TO A SWEAR WORD HERE. BUT THANKS TO A DEDICATED AND EXPERIENCED STAFF OF LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS, AN ARMORY OF VERSATILE AND RELIABLE BOBCAT EQUIPMENT AND A RESPONSIVE, SUPPORTIVE DEALER, THE MANY DIVERSE JOBSITES OF LANOHA NURSERIES REMAIN VOID OF CURSING
Every year, when Old Man Winter succumbs to spring’s resurgence, the soil begins to warm and landscapes erupt in color, Chris Lanoha and the more than 300 landscaping professionals on his staff launch into what Lanoha describes as controlled chaos — and they wouldn’t have it any other way. Yet despite what many consider a seasonal business, by divesting into other ventures, Lanoha is able to keep the majority of his 300 employees engaged year-round.
“We’re not a
seasonal company,” says Lanoha, vice president of Lanoha Nurseries and one of several family members currently involved in the
business. “Essentially we do everything under the sun here
and are committed to our people. There are many facets of our company that keep us busy throughout the year. And we don’t
22 WorkSaver | FALL 2012
cut our people’s hours or their pay during slower times. One of the many things I learned from my dad is that loyalty is everything. It’s how he established and grew the company and has given us a big competitive edge. It’s a philosophy that adds a lot to the grand scheme of things.”
Chris Lanoha, vice president of Lanoha Nurseries.
From humble roots that began with a pickup truck, a couple of lawnmowers, a few landscaping implements and a vision, Lanoha Nurseries was founded in 1974 by Lanoha’s father, Dave, on a modest 10-acre plot of land in an area now considered central Omaha. With the Missouri River comprising the eastern border of this thriving business mecca and separating
the cornhusker state from Iowa, the senior Lanoha anticipated Omaha’s growth would likely move in a west/southwest direction.
So like the resilient pioneers who settled this vast, rich-soil frontier, Lanoha, too, expanded west.
DIVERSITY KEEPS SEASONALITY IN CHECK
Lanoha Nurseries grew to become one of the largest landscape companies in the Midwest and a leading commercial and residential landscaping entity largely by divesting. Over the years, Lanoha expanded operations by establishing other divisions, including commercial development, landscape construction, grounds maintenance, retail garden centers, irrigation systems and recycling/mulch. Now situated in the far western edge of Omaha, this landscaping leader has more than 1,400 acres of fertile Nebraska soil dedicated specifi cally to growing their own stock — an approach that assures quality and hardiness with plantings that will not only survive, but thrive, in the often harsh Midwest climate.
“We started growing all of our own trees, annuals, perennials and shrubs in