Acres Group

Mission Statement

PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE INDUSTRY LEADERS, COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE AND QUALITY SERVICES

Guiding Principles

• Our customers are the focus of everything we do.
• Continuous improvement is critical to our success.
• Employee involvement is an integral part of our culture.
• We will not compromise our integrity.

The Acres Group – A Brief History

• Founded In 1983 By Jim Schwantz In Arlington Heights, IL
  • Original Facility – Jim’s Garage & Home
• Doubles Staff In 1984 To 4 Employees – Added Uniforms, Policies, Procedures, Office Equipment And Accountants
• Moved To Palatine In 1985
• Moved To A Palatine Farm House And Yard In 1987
• In 1989, Opened Corporate Headquarters On 7 Acres In Wauconda, IL
  • Currently 8,500 Square Feet Of Office Space, 23,000 Square Feet Of Dry Storage, Fully Staffed Maintenance Garage And Construction Division – Facility Now Totals Over 12 Acres
• Added 100 Acre South Branch Nursery, Union, IL In 1996
• In 1997, Added A Second Facility In Naperville On 6 Acres To Better Serve South Region Customers
• Purchased The R. Glass Landscape Company In 1998
  • Doubled Acres Staff
  • Doubled Equipment And Vehicle Fleet
  • Added Acres Third Facility In Roselle
• Effective With The R. Glass Acquisition, Acres Becomes The Largest Independent Landscape Contractor In Northern Illinois
• Effective October 16, 2000, Acres Purchases The Bill Fenn Landscaping Company And Incorporates Their Staff And Equipment Into Acres Naperville Facility
• Purchased The 160-Acre Goodmark Nursery, Wonder Lake, IL – August 2001.
• Purchased Advantage Decorative Paving, Wauconda, IL – March 2003
• Effective March 2003, Relocated Naperville Facility To 23940 W. Andrew Road In Plainfield.  This Facility Provides An Expanded Yard/Materials Area To Enhance Customer Response Time With Improved Plant Material Quality Control.
• Added 75 More Acres To Goodmark Nursery In July 2004
• Acquired Edmund M. Hayden, Inc., Landscape Contractors – Woodstock, IL – January 2005
• Added 149 Acres To Goodmark Nursery In August 2005
• Improvements In Our Business Model And Capability; 85% Direct Reporting, Modeco Time Scapes, GPS, Information And Reporting Systems Effective 12/1/08.
• Acquired Northwestern Landscape Contractors, Inc. In May 2011. With This Merger, Acres Moves To Roselle, Utilizing The Northwestern Facility And Yard To Efficiently And Cost Effectively Serve The Expanded Client Portfolio.
• Acres Owner & CEO, Jim Schwantz Is Named The Illinois Landscape Contractor “2011 Man Of The Year”
• Acquired Walsh Landscaping, Bolingbrook, IL – March 2012 – And Incorporates Their Staff And Equipment Into Acres Plainfield Facility. Along With A Substantial Client Base Of Multi-Family & Commercial Maintenance & Snow Removal, This Merger Adds Enhanced Residential Design Build & Residential Maintenance To The Organization.
• Acquired Plainfield, IL Based Green Up Landscape, Inc. – 11/15/12. This Merger Not Only Brings The Green Up Team To Acres, It Also Adds A Wonderful Long-Term Group Of Clients Which Enhances The Already Strong Plainfield Facility Customer Team.
• Added 12.5 Acres to South Branch Nursery In January 2013

Professional Association Memberships

1.    ACTHA          Association of Condominium, Townhouse, and HOA

2.    ASA              American Subcontractors Association

3.    ASLA            American Society of Landscape Architects

4.   CAA               Chicagoland Apartment Association

5.   CAI                Community Association Institute

6.   ILCA              Illinois Landscape Contractor’s Association

7.   INA                Illinois Nurseryman’s Association

8.   ISA                International Society of Arboriculture

9. NHRC               Northwest Human Resources Council

10. NSC               National Safety Council

11. OGA               Ornamental Growers Assn. (Goodmark)

12. PLANET          Professional Landcare Network

13. TCIA              Tree Care Industry Association

Chambers of Commerce

• Wauconda Chamber of Commerce
• Plainfield Chamber of Commerce
• Roselle Chamber of Commerce
• Wonder Lake Chamber of Commerce

Awards

• PLANET Grand Award Recipient – 2009 Landings at the Glen
• Chicago Wilderness Conservation & Native Landscaping Award – 2010 Grand Haven Prairie
• PLANET Merit Award for Landscaping Management – 2012 Gregg’s Landing North HOA
• Boeing Headquarters (CBRE) Leed Certification Gold Level – 2012 100 North Riverside Plaza
• PLANET National Community Stewardship Award – 2012
• JDRF Ron Santos Walk To Cure Diabetes Silver Achievement Award – 2012
• JDRF Ron Santos Walk To Cure Diabetes Bronze Achievement Award – 2013

Official Landscaper of the Kane County Cougars since 2004