A Sister Success Story!

When you picture the typical landscaper, who do you think of? If you are like most people you likely pictured a male. This is because in the landscaping industry, men have historically dominated the positions and have filled most of the roles. However, this norm is changing as more and more women begin to immerse themselves into the landscaping industry. As women join the industry, they are not only filling the positions, they are bringing creativity, insight and an invaluable perspective that has not been in the industry previously. At Terracare, we have been fortunate to have has two incredible sisters that are rising through the company and creating a massive impact as they do.

Sam Earleywine graduated with bachelor’s in biology from Wayne State University in 2012 and the following year began working with TCA as a Maintenance Foreman. Following that, she was promoted to Field Supervisor in 2018 and recently was promoted to an Area Manager in 2020. Sam has had experience managing some of Terracare’s largest projects including the City of Longmont and the Arapahoe County Parks and Recreation District. With Sam managing these projects, she and her crews transformed these projects into award winning properties. For an example, this past year, the parks at Arapahoe County Parks and Recreation District received accreditation from the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) and locally from the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (ALCC).

And if that weren’t enough, Sam’s sister Aeriell Earleywine also attended Wayne State University as well as the University of Iowa and Front Range Community College. While attending school she also began interning at Terracare. During that time, she began contributing to the company and worked alongside some of our top managers gaining valuable insight from them. After graduating, Aeriell came back to Terracare and became a Foreman. Over the years, she has held various roles such as an Estimator, a Service Operations Manager and is now an Area Manager. Having this vast experience has made Aeriell a great asset to the Terracare Team.

The Branch Manager of our Colorado landscape team, Matt Pharis, could not be more thrilled to have the two Earleywine sister on his team, “I have had the opportunity to work with Sam and Aeriell for a relatively short amount of time, but in that time several things were apparent. It was clear to see their passion for the green industry, their incredible talent, and their desire to learn and grow. They always have positive attitudes and  words of encouragement for all crew members making them feel appreciated. In my 25 plus year career, I have not seen such raw talent. Sam and Aeriell are the future of our industry and it will be exciting to watch them shine and be difference makers here at Terracare.”

Terracare is beyond grateful to have these two sisters on our team and cannot wait to see what their futures hold as they continue their journey with Terracare!

Bailey Winfield- Leadership Earned

Bailey Winfield began his career with Terracare in 2013 and has continued to make a positive impact at our Centennial branch. He began his career with TCA as a Snowplow Driver and continued on to a public infrastructure General Laborer, then transitioned to Asphalt Crew Member. From there he went to be a Yard and Sweeping Foreman and Trainer and currently is an Assistant Production Manager.

Bailey’s career at Terracare however is only half the story. Before he began his career with Terracare, he enlisted in the United States Army, serving as a sniper and a Platoon Sergeant in Afghanistan. He also was responsible for managing 23 million dollars’ worth of equipment. This experience in the army combined with his understanding from working his way up at Terracare has made for a phenomenal leader. As Ruben Alonso Garcia Hernandez, a Labor Maintenance Crew Member who reports to Bailey said, “he is one of the best leaders we have at Terracare right now because he understands what it’s like to be in the field. He worked his way up from the bottom to where he is now. He can really relate to the crews he is in charge of and he builds them up with the understanding he gained from being in their same position throughout his career.” TCA is grateful to Bailey for his many contributions and his leadership in the field. We are proud of your service to our country and all you have done for Terracare Associates.

Mario Ramos- Thank you for your service

MarioMario Ramos is like no other, with his 21 years of service with TCA, he continues to show exemplary service every day on every job. He does this because he cares. Mario is an invaluable part of the Colorado landscape operations team here at Terracare Associates. He is a member of the field leadership team, taking care of the Fairmount Cemetery and is responsible for deploying field crews, prioritizing projects, making recommendations on maintenance improvements and handling all on-site emergencies. Each Memorial Day, Mario and his team take meticulous care of the hundreds of veteran grave sites. To make this magic happen all year, he and the account managers have an open book policy with field leadership teams to ensure excellent customer service. Mario is always loyal dedicated to everything he does. Nate Adams, Colorado landscape branch manager at TCA, says “I am extremely lucky to be able to work with Mario. He brings a new level of professionalism, and a get it done attitude unlike any I have ever seen.” We are so proud to have Mario as a member of the Terracare team!

Employee Spotlight: Sergio Atayde

Sergio

Sergio Atayde has been working his way up with the San Jose TCA branch for the past two years. He is currently a production supervisor/field supervisor maintaining many properties throughout San Jose. He started working in the landscape industry over 20 years ago and has held multiple positions including an account manager and an IRR tech. Eva Sarracco, account manager at the San Jose branch, said, “he takes pride in his work and is always willing to go the extra mile; (he) understands the importance of prompt follow-up, attention to detail is a very good communicator and is very reliable.” This desire to go the extra mile can be seen in the way he supervises. Sergio always tries to set a good example for his crew, through his hard work, he empowers them to do their best. Sergio takes the extra steps to help others to succeed, this, in turn, leads to top-notch quality work by his crew. In his free time, he loves being with his family including his son and daughter. Thank you, Sergio, we appreciate all that you’ve done!!

Employee Spotlight: Fausto Bahena

Fausto

Fausto Bahena began his landscaping career more than fifteen years ago with VMC and now he is a field supervisor at the Dallas branch of TCA. Since Fausto has been with TCA, he has continued to advance through the ranks. He began as a field staff, learning everything he could about land care.  He most recently became the dedicated landscape supervisor at Blue Cross Blue Shield, which is approximately 16 acres of landscaped area.  Fausto strives for exemplary maintenance services and to guarantee this quality, he spends extra time with the crews and the foremen to carefully walk the property and being proactive property needs.  On top of that, Michael Hensley, Client Relationship Manager, says “he is always willing to help newer team members understand our quality expectations and how to effective communicate service needs of a property.” Fausto takes pride in not only keeping the property in quality condition and enjoys mentoring his crews to help the team perform their best. Outside of work Fausto enjoys spending time with his family and his two sons keep him quite busy. TCA is proud to have Fausto as part of our Dallas team!

Employee Spotlight: Gabino DeLaCruz

GabinoGabino DeLaCruz has been a dedicated part of the Terracare Associates team at the Milpitas branch in California since 2012. He works as a crew leader overseeing maintenance work for the City of Livermore. His main responsibilities include directing his crew, training new workers on the City of Livermore contract, and knowing all work sites and maintenance requirements for the City of Livermore. Above all, Gabino values the safety of his crew and the citizens of Livermore. He always thoroughly inspects sites before beginning work and makes sure to implement proper traffic control to ensure the safety of his crew and those who pass by.

“Gabino knows all of the work limits and requirements for the City of Livermore and always follows them. I can count on him to get the job done well and to keep his crew safe no matter how difficult the conditions,” said Sam Galvez, Operations Supervisor for the City of Livermore.

The City of Livermore has field inspectors who monitor maintenance activities of the crew performing work. Gabino works closely with the inspectors and when their priorities change he makes adjustments to maintenance services being performed to meet the inspector’s needs. He takes pride in maintaining a beautiful landscape that the citizens of Livermore can enjoy. Thank you for all of your hard word Gabino!

Employee Spotlight: Jose Quinterro

Cypress grove

Jose Quinterro has been working at the Sacramento branch of Terracare Associates since 2004. He followed in the footsteps of his brother Francisco, who is now an account manager for the City of Brentwood. Jose has worked his way through the ranks at TCA. He started as a maintenance worker before receiving his irrigation license and moving on to tech work, which he has continued to do for the past six years. Jose takes pride in what he does and works very well with his fellow employees and management.

“When Jose is asked to do extra work on top of his already busy schedule, he gets it done with no complaints. His customers value his hard work because their job sites are always well-maintained and properly irrigated,” said Steve Thinger, Account Manager at the Sacramento branch.

Jose is happy when he sees healthy sod, beautiful color beds and green shrubs. He loves learning as much as possible about the industry and is always looking for a way to improve and learn new skills. Jose is a valuable asset to TCA and we are grateful for his hard work keeping things green in the Sacramento area.

Employee Spotlight: Lupe Saldana

LupeLupe Saldana is the type of employee you can always count on. He is a field supervisor at Terracare’s Martinez branch in California and he has been with the company since 1995. He does a variety of work for the City of Brentwood and the City of Oakley, ranging from street repairs to park maintenance.

“Lupe is always responsible, respectful and ready to work. He goes above and beyond what is asked of him,” said Francisco Quintero, account manager at the Martinez branch.

Lupe and his team’s hard work shows in the properties they maintain. In 2015 the City of Brentwood won an Award of Excellence from the National Association of Landscape Professionals for commercial landscape management.
“Doing good quality work and doing it right the first time is the most important thing. Our goal is to make the customer happy and to make sure people enjoy our work,” said Lupe.
Thank you, Lupe, for more than 20 years and counting of excellent service.

Employee Spotlight: Enrique Duran

enrique picEnrique Duran is the kind of employee everyone wishes they had. He started with Blue Skies Landscape in San Diego in 1978, now part of Terracare Associates, as a team member of one of the first crews in the branch.  After almost 40 years of working with the same company, his dedication has made him into a true industry expert continually leading improvements. He began his career with the company as a gardener, but he had a love for landscaping and a desire to learn as much as possible about the industry so he could advance within the company. Over the years he earned his Qualified Applicator Certificate and his California Landscape Certificate. As the business grew, Enrique was promoted to foreman before becoming the head supervisor overseeing San Diego South’s operations. His current responsibilities include guiding, educating and leading the crews in the field and serving as the main point of contact for clients.

“Enrique is one of the main reasons our team has such a great reputation in San Diego. He always takes care of customers, is very responsive and has excellent knowledge in the field,” said Matt Ziskin, San Diego South Branch Manager for Terracare.

Enrique prides himself on nurturing good relationships with his clients and the workers he oversees in the field. He believes that communication is the key to maintaining these relationships.

“I always get to know my clients in a professional manner. I am reliable and attentive to their needs, because our customers are very important, and I provide them with advice based on my years of experience. I take pride in what we do every day, I make sure to always be on time, safe, informative, easy to approach and to be a problem solver,” said Enrique.

He knows that he owes his success to the teams he works with on each project. When it comes to fellow employees, he believes that communication, trust and training are the foundation of successful field crews. He forms relationships based on mutual respect and trust and in doing so, instills high standards of workmanship at every property.

“Enrique’s experience and work ethic make him a great team member and leader. He always goes above and beyond and he never does anything halfway. Nobody works harder than he does,” said Matt Ziskin.

Terracare Associates is proud to have Enrique representing us in San Diego South operations.

Team Spotlight: Giving Thanks to Tino Alba

 

This is our second feature in the Team Terracare Employee Spotlight series. This series highlights our hardworking and dedicated team members.

 

In this edition of our Spotlight series, we’re showcasing Tino Alba, a Senior Account Manager based in our Dallas / Fort Worth branch.

 

20161020_112654It started with a good old baseball game.   Bruce Verdick, Vice President of Texas operation first met Tino Alba playing in a men’s softball league back in the early 90s. Over many games and social events associated with the league, Bruce and Tino became friends, and eventually, Tino joined Bruce’s team in 1992. Over the years, they’ve developed a deep friendship and have continued to work together ever since.

 

Bruce describes Tino as, “an old school, honest guy who is a natural born leader, customer centric and extremely reliable. Through his hard work and dedication, Tino creates deep respect from his field crews and colleagues. He sets and maintains high standards, for both himself and the team which drive outstanding and consistent results for our client’s year round.”

 

Tino is a Senior Account Manager leading one of Terracare Associates’ largest accounts, the City of Grapevine. Tino has been essential in creating a strong, trusting public-private partnership with the historic city and tourist destination. Each year, the city welcomes more than 20 million visitors and is home to more than 50,000 citizens. The city boasts more than 22 miles of paved and natural trails, an 8,000-acre recreation lake, Lake Grapevine, 48 parks, a botanical garden, and many more attractions. Presenting a clean, well-kept and beautiful landscape is a high priority for the City of Grapevine – and Tino and his team are eager to deliver, taking pride in high-quality work. Regularly, Tino meets with the City of Grapevine to discuss current and future projects, regular maintenance and to troubleshoot any problems that might occur. He works with his crews to ensure the teams are delivering top-notch service and results to keep the City of Grapevine and other clients looking pristine.

 

The City of Grapevine recently received the Award of Excellence from the National Association of Landscape Professionals.  This prestigious national recognition for superior landscape maintenance services is given to a few hundred properties across the country each year.

 

We give our thanks to Tino Alba and his crews for a job well done.

 

Interested in joining Tino and our stellar team in the Greater Dallas / Ft. Worth area? We’re hiring! https://myterracare.com/careers/