Starting his business in 1973 with a lawnmower and serious ambitions, John Denison has built a $36-million full-service landscaping empire by not only working harder, but smarter. Today with the help of John Deere compact equipment and lean management principles, the company runs lean and mean.
Denison chose Deere skid steers and CTLs primarily for their lift capability, fuel economy, and durability. "We're getting the same productivity out of a smaller, more fuel-efficient machine," says Denison. "With skyrocketing fuel costs, we're saving quite a bit of money. And Deere has really delivered in terms of eliminating downtime."
Today a Deere 430 tractor is parked proudly out in front of Hartley Brothers Landscaping's office in Westfield, Massachusetts, like a statue commemorating a bygone era. When he was a teenager during the early '80s, President Dan Hartley used the tractor to bring in apples and peaches from the family orchard. The company also owns a B and an 820.
But if the green machines are for show, the yellow machines are for dough, including two John Deere 250 Skid Steers, a CT322 Compact Track Loader (CTL), a 110 Tractor Loader Backhoe, a 244J Compact Loader, and a 35ZTS Compact Excavator. "My family and I have owned John Deere equipment since the 1940s," says Hartley. "And we will continue to use it because of its outstanding productivity, durability, parts availability, and dealer support."
Like its name implies, Oasis Tree Farm is on fertile ground. But the fertile soil can get wet and boggy at times. And when the soil dries, dust becomes a problem. Because the company prides itself on being able to deliver large orders on time, Oasis needs compact machines that can work productively and reliably in these conditions. That's why they chose John Deere.
"When a machine goes down it costs us a lot of money," says Gene Brooks, general manager. "Lost production, lost efficiency, late orders, idle workers—in today's world it's all about getting the most from every asset. Going with John Deere has been a good decision."
