Case study: How a Nashville-based landscaping company transformed HR operations with Adams Keegan

In a high-turnover industry where margins are tight and growth moves fast, landscaping businesses often lack the time or internal resources to manage HR functions and employer compliance. 

One landscape company owner knows this all too well. As their home services business expanded, they found themselves pulled away from strategic growth and culture building – immersed in the day-to-day burden of onboarding, payroll, employee concerns, and ever changing compliance regulations. That’s when they turned to Adams Keegan.

Before Adams Keegan
Prior to engaging Adams Keegan, the landscape company utilized a payroll provider for HR. It became evident that the service model did not adequately address the complexities of their hourly, seasonal workforce. The onboarding process was cumbersome and paper-intensive, paid time off (PTO) tracking presented significant challenges, and field time tracking was inconsistent. Furthermore, the revolving door of account managers and lack of support from their provider left them helpless when they needed answers.

Without dedicated HR personnel, the owner personally managed all HR functions, which detracted from strategic initiatives such as hiring, building workplace culture, and long-term planning. Executives needed a partner that could provide guidance when questions arose and help them with sustainable growth.

Our Solution
With a dedicated team of experts at the helm, Adams Keegan delivered a fully integrated, high-touch HR and payroll solution tailored to the unique needs of the business. Adams Keegan’s “People Plus Technology” model gave the client both a human advisor and a platform to manage HR tasks efficiently. Personalized support and digital tools helped the company stay lean while scaling, without sacrificing the support needed to grow responsibly.

By replacing the manual onboarding system with a streamlined digital asset, new hires could get started easily and quickly. Adams Keegan also seamlessly integrated with Aspire, a time-tracking system widely used in the landscaping industry, allowing the client to pull accurate job costing and payroll data directly from the field.

Additionally, Adams Keegan’s dedicated HR consultants helped clean up the client’s employee handbook, PTO policies, automating accruals and certifying alignment with wage and hour laws. They also assumed the administrative burden of managing onboarding, terminations, unemployment claims, and garnishments. This freed their team to focus on growing the business and their people – giving the owner time back to focus on culture, recruiting, and driving revenue.

The Adams Keegan Difference
We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Our team provides proactive, hands-on support from HR experts who understand the nuances of seasonal hiring, hourly wage structures, and compliance challenges in the landscaping industry.

The client no longer has to act as the de facto HR manager. With Adams Keegan professionals on their side, they have access to real-time HR guidance and the peace of mind that their operation is running compliantly and nothing is falling through the cracks. Plus, the digital tools Adams Keegan introduced support scalable growth.

A Stronger Foundation for Growth
In an industry where acquisitions are increasing and buyers expect operational excellence, having HR in order can be a competitive advantage. 

For this Nashville-based landscaping company, partnering with Adams Keegan positioned them for long-term success and sustainable growth.

Key Takeaway: Your time is better spent building your team and your brand. With Adams Keegan as your partner, you can offload the administrative tasks and focus on what really matters: growing a business you're proud of without sacrificing your time or team culture.