If you have seen our trucks around Dayton or Springboro lately, you might have noticed a bit more activity than usual. We have been keeping our heads down and our boots muddy, focusing on the work in front of us. But every once in a while, it is important to look up, take a breath, and actually talk about what is happening behind the scenes. We aren’t the type to shout from the rooftops about every little change, but recently, we have made some significant shifts in how we operate. We realized that while we are busy building patios and clearing snow, we haven’t done the best job of explaining why we are making these moves and, more importantly, how they impact you as a homeowner or property manager.
Growth is a tricky thing in the landscape industry. If you grow too fast, quality drops. If you don’t grow at all, you can’t offer the services people need. We have been trying to walk that line carefully. We want to be big enough to handle the complex, heavy-lifting projects, but small enough that you can still get one of us on the phone when you have a question. Over the last year, we have made substantial investments in our fleet, our team, and our internal processes. We wanted to take this opportunity to break down the top five “headlines” from our shop and explain what this new chapter means for the level of service we can bring to your doorstep.
1. We Are heavily Investing in “Heavy Metal” to Increase Efficiency
One of the biggest bottlenecks in construction—whether it’s digging a pool or grading a commercial lot—is equipment availability. You can have the hardest working crew in Ohio, but if they are working with shovels instead of excavators, the job is going to take three times as long. We decided recently that we were done with the “rent and wait” game. We have made a concerted effort to expand our fleet of heavy machinery.
For our clients, this might just look like a shiny new skid steer parked in the driveway, but the reality is much more impactful. Owning our own specialized equipment means we control the timeline. We don’t have to wait for a rental company to drop off a mini-excavator before we can start digging your trench for drainage. It also means we can handle unexpected complications immediately. If we find a massive boulder while excavating for a patio, we have the hydraulic power on hand to move it that same day, rather than pausing the project to source a bigger machine.
This investment also applies to our trucks. Reliability is the name of the game, especially in our line of work where weather dictates everything. We have upgraded our hauling capacity so we can bring more material—gravel, mulch, pavers, salt—in fewer trips. Fewer trips mean less traffic on your street, less fuel burned, and a faster completion time for your project. We aren’t trying to have the biggest fleet for the sake of appearances; we are building a toolkit that allows us to say “yes” to tight deadlines and complex site conditions without flinching.
2. Expanding Our Reach in the Commercial Sector
For a long time, a lot of folks knew us strictly for our residential work—the backyard makeovers, the retaining walls, and the paver patios. We love that work. There is something satisfying about helping a family reclaim their backyard. However, as our capacity has grown, so has our ability to serve larger, more demanding properties. We have officially shifted gears to place a much heavier emphasis on our commercial division.
Managing a commercial property is a different beast entirely. It isn’t just about aesthetics; it is about risk management and functionality. A pothole in a residential driveway is an annoyance; a pothole in a retail parking lot is a liability lawsuit waiting to happen. An unplowed driveway at home means you might be late for work; an unplowed lot at a medical center means patients can’t get care. We have structured our new commercial teams to operate with a “zero-tolerance” mindset regarding safety and accessibility.
If you are a facility manager or business owner looking for a reliable commercial landscape company, you know that communication is usually the first thing to break down with contractors. We are trying to fix that. We have implemented new field reporting software that allows our commercial crews to log their visits, document completed tasks (like salting or mowing), and send that data directly to the property manager. It sounds boring, but for the person paying the bills, knowing exactly when the salt truck arrived is crucial. We want to bring the same level of personal care we give our residential neighbors to the commercial market, proving that you can be professional and corporate-capable without losing that local, handshake feel.
3. A Renewed Focus on Employee Training and Retention
It is no secret that the construction and landscaping trades are facing a labor shortage. You hear about it everywhere. We aren’t immune to it, but we decided to attack the problem differently. Instead of just trying to hire more bodies, we are focusing on making the team we have better. We are putting a lot of energy into training and certifications this year.
This matters to you because the guy installing your pavers is the most important person in our company. If he doesn’t understand the science of soil compaction or the proper way to cut a stone, the patio will fail in three years. We are sending our crew leads to industry workshops and bringing in manufacturer reps to teach the latest installation techniques. We want our guys to view this as a career, not just a summer job.
We are also cross-training our teams. The guys who mow in the summer are learning how to service the plows for the winter. The hardscape crew is learning about drainage systems. This creates a more versatile workforce. If one guy gets sick, the project doesn’t grind to a halt because someone else can step in and run the laser level. It also means that when you ask a crew member a question on-site, they are more likely to have the answer—or at least know exactly who to ask. We believe that if we take care of our guys, they will take care of your property. It’s a simple philosophy, but it pays off in the quality of the finished product.
4. Why We Are Doubling Down on Hardscape Durability
In the “Instagram era” of landscaping, it is easy to get caught up in how things look on day one. But living in Ohio, we have to worry about what things look like on day 1,000. Our freeze-thaw cycles are brutal on outdoor structures. The ground here expands and contracts constantly, which can wreak havoc on concrete and stone.
Recently, we have been auditing our own build processes. We aren’t interested in being the cheapest bid if it means cutting corners on the base. We have updated our standard operating procedures to exceed the typical industry minimums for excavation depth and base material. For example, where some might use 4 inches of gravel base for a walkway, we are pushing for deeper excavation and using geo-textile fabrics to separate the clay soil from the stone base.
We are also experimenting with new polymeric sands and joint stabilizers that hold up better against ants and washouts. We want to build things that last. We know that a call-back to fix a sunken paver two years later is a loss for everyone—it costs us money and it frustrates you. By investing more upfront in better materials and stricter installation standards, we are aiming to eliminate those future headaches. We want our “press” to be about how our patios still look brand new five years later, not just how fast we installed them.
5. Streamlining the Client Communication Process
The number one complaint in the construction industry isn’t bad work; it is bad communication. “The contractor never called me back.” “They didn’t show up when they said they would.” We have heard it all, and to be honest, we have probably been guilty of it in the past when things got crazy busy. We are working hard to change that narrative.
We have overhauled our office side of things. We implemented a new CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system that helps us track every lead, every quote, and every project status. This means your file doesn’t get lost on a messy desk. When you call, we can pull up your info and know exactly what we talked about last time.
We are also trying to be more transparent about timelines. If the rain delays us three days, we want to be the ones to text you first, rather than you having to call us wondering where we are. We are creating “project roadmaps” for our larger builds so you know what to expect: “Week 1 is demolition, Week 2 is base prep, Week 3 is pavers.” It helps set realistic expectations. We know living in a construction zone is stressful, and the only way to lower that stress is through information. We aren’t perfect, but we are committed to being better at the administrative side of the business so that the experience is as smooth as the concrete we pour.
Ready to See the Difference?
These updates might seem like “inside baseball,” but they are the engine that keeps our service running. Whether it is a new excavator that speeds up your project, a training program that ensures your wall is built right, or a software update that ensures we never miss your call, every decision we make is about serving you better.
We are excited about where Cable Bros Outdoor Living & Landscaping is heading. We are growing, we are learning, and we are investing in our community. If you have a project in mind—whether it is a massive commercial contract or a simple backyard refresh—we would love the chance to show you what we can do. We are just a couple of brothers who love playing in the dirt, but now we have better toys and a better plan to get the job done right. Thanks for sticking with us.
