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Building a $220M Landscaping Business with Private Equity
What does it really take to build a category-leading company?
In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with Brian Dumont, Founder & CEO of YARDNIQUE, one of the fastest-growing commercial landscape companies in the Southeast.
Brian shares the unfiltered story behind building the business—from nearly losing everything after two major customers failed to pay, navigating divorce, rebuilding his leadership team, partnering with private equity, and scaling from approximately $25 million in revenue to more than $220 million through disciplined execution, acquisitions, and an unwavering commitment to people-first leadership.
This isn't a conversation about overnight success.
It's a masterclass on resilience, leadership, culture, acquisitions, private equity partnerships, and becoming the leader your company needs at every stage of growth.
Whether you're building toward your first $10 million or scaling beyond $100 million, this episode offers practical lessons every founder should hear.
In This Episode
Why Brian almost walked away from the business
The turning point that changed YARDNIQUE forever
Lessons learned from divorce, business setbacks, and leadership failures
Why recurring revenue transformed the company
What founders misunderstand about private equity
How to choose the right PE partner
Building an executive team capable of scaling
16 acquisitions: successes, failures, and lessons learned
The importance of culture during rapid growth
Why customer service, not landscaping, is the real business
AI, sales, and the future of commercial landscaping
Brian's daily leadership habits, faith, journaling, and intentionality
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
03:45 – Starting a business after working for a terrible boss
08:00 – Discovering recurring revenue
09:20 – Losing two major customers and rebuilding
13:00 – Deciding whether to sell
15:15 – Walking away from a sale
17:20 – COVID changes everything
19:10 – Choosing private equity over selling outright
22:40 – Building with Plexus Capital
25:30 – Life after private equity
29:30 – Building an executive team
31:15 – Lessons from 16 acquisitions
37:00 – Hiring leaders who can scale
42:30 – The four pillars of growth
45:30 – Building a world-class sales organization
47:50 – AI and the future of landscaping
50:30 – Faith, leadership and daily habits
59:15 – Final leadership lessons
View all episodes
By Jeff HarknessWhat does it really take to build a category-leading company?
In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with Brian Dumont, Founder & CEO of YARDNIQUE, one of the fastest-growing commercial landscape companies in the Southeast.
Brian shares the unfiltered story behind building the business—from nearly losing everything after two major customers failed to pay, navigating divorce, rebuilding his leadership team, partnering with private equity, and scaling from approximately $25 million in revenue to more than $220 million through disciplined execution, acquisitions, and an unwavering commitment to people-first leadership.
This isn't a conversation about overnight success.
It's a masterclass on resilience, leadership, culture, acquisitions, private equity partnerships, and becoming the leader your company needs at every stage of growth.
Whether you're building toward your first $10 million or scaling beyond $100 million, this episode offers practical lessons every founder should hear.
In This Episode
Why Brian almost walked away from the business
The turning point that changed YARDNIQUE forever
Lessons learned from divorce, business setbacks, and leadership failures
Why recurring revenue transformed the company
What founders misunderstand about private equity
How to choose the right PE partner
Building an executive team capable of scaling
16 acquisitions: successes, failures, and lessons learned
The importance of culture during rapid growth
Why customer service, not landscaping, is the real business
AI, sales, and the future of commercial landscaping
Brian's daily leadership habits, faith, journaling, and intentionality
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
03:45 – Starting a business after working for a terrible boss
08:00 – Discovering recurring revenue
09:20 – Losing two major customers and rebuilding
13:00 – Deciding whether to sell
15:15 – Walking away from a sale
17:20 – COVID changes everything
19:10 – Choosing private equity over selling outright
22:40 – Building with Plexus Capital
25:30 – Life after private equity
29:30 – Building an executive team
31:15 – Lessons from 16 acquisitions
37:00 – Hiring leaders who can scale
42:30 – The four pillars of growth
45:30 – Building a world-class sales organization
47:50 – AI and the future of landscaping
50:30 – Faith, leadership and daily habits
59:15 – Final leadership lessons