Company Culture Isn’t a Perk—It’s a Strategy: What Home Service Leaders Need to Know
Rusty McCommas, owner of Evergreen Lawn & Landscape, stepped away from nearly two decades in corporate America to buy a lawn care company — an industry he didn’t even know — with one bold mission: build an employee-first business. Since acquiring Evergreen in 2018, Rusty’s culture-first philosophy helped transform the company from $1.8M in revenue into a projected $5.5M in 2025. How? By treating his team like the greatest assets they are.
Culture is energy — are your team members excited to show up?
For Rusty, culture isn’t a tagline, it’s evident in that core daily feeling: do you walk in excited to work or dreading it? That simple lens can help you evaluate whether your workplace inspires or drains employees.
View labor as an investment, not just an expense
A shift in mindset is essential. Rusty urges leaders to track ROI on people (e.g., lower turnover, referrals, productivity), not just look at the dollar amount of payroll. This change alone can transform how you invest in your team’s future.
Small culture-building rituals create big impact
Some standout ideas that Evergreen rolled out:
Quarterly cookouts with tacos, tres leches cake, and birthday shout-outs
Sarcastic, light-hearted office traditions grounded in one of their core values: “We take our job seriously - ourselves, not so much.”
Even something as simple as greeting your coworkers with a “Good morning” earns trust and connection.
Core values aren’t posters, they’re non-negotiable filters
After defining core values, Evergreen reinforced them in hiring: “If you don’t align, you won’t last long here.” From the first interview to your desk, culture expectations are crystal clear.
Scale culture deliberately; hire slow, fire fast
As the company grew, Rusty leaned into EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) to clarify roles, metrics, and disciplines. Having the right person in the right seat is crucial, and tough conversations must happen quickly to protect the entire team’s momentum.
Transparency + overcommunication = culture preservation
During growing pains, including firings, Rusty leaned into honest communication and explaining the why behind the decision to his team. This level of transparency kept trust intact even in difficult times.
Measure what matters and hold everyone accountable
Once Evergreen tracked a 40% call abandonment rate, they cut it in half by making it visible in weekly meetings. Performance metrics aligned with core values give people ownership and clarity about where they stand.
Build culture by joining peer groups
Rusty credits much of what he’s implemented to insights from peer networks. If you're looking to raise your culture game, joining a peer group is a powerful start.
Culture dies when toxicity stays, so act fast
Rusty calls negative influences the “cancer” of workplace culture. He learned that keeping misaligned or toxic team members around, even if well-intentioned, only brings down morale. Swift, humane exits are in service of the team.
Final Thought
Evergreen’s journey is proof that investing in your people pays massive dividends. Culture isn’t optional, it’s the foundation that allows your business to scale ethically and effectively. Want to start making culture your competitive advantage? Begin with these nine ideas - and act today.
