Well, the answer to that would be they are but not in its original form. ChemLawn was started in 1968 by one man and his son. It quickly evolved into a national company with branches all over the United States and even international with some branches in Canada.
In 1987 the company was bought by Ecolab. The two were not a good fit at all and in 1992 they sold the company to ServiceMaster. While ServiceMaster is a much more service-focused business than Ecolab was, there were still struggles. It was during this time that the TruGreen name was added to ChemLawn and eventually the name transitioned from TruGreen ChemLawn to just TruGreen.
While under ServiceMaster’s umbrella, there was a great deal of customer turnover and issues with customer service. In 2013, TruGreen was spun off from ServiceMaster to once again be a private company.
Most industry experts claim that ChemLawn (TruGreen) suffers from the same problem that many other nationwide companies do. They rely on providing the same range of products and services in all locations. Going to your local McDonald’s is pretty much the same as going to one in Florida, New York or California. That works fine with food, but it doesn’t work well with lawn care because there are so many location-specific variables.
New England and specifically the North Shore is very different from other regions of the country. Our climate is very different and quite variable from the coastline out to the Berkshire Mountains. The amount of clay or sand in our soils varies as does depth and pH. It is because of these and many other factors that a national company that tries to use the same products at the same rates across the country is going to have quality issues. Simply put, you don’t want the same lawn application in Massachusetts that someone gets in Texas or California.
More and more homeowners are now realizing that in order to ensure their lawns are healthy and green throughout the year, they need customized services tailored for their specific area, weather patterns, snow accumulations, summertime temperatures and more. As a national company, ChemLawn (TruGreen) is unable to provide that type of solution.
A local lawn care company can offer lawn care services designed for the types of soil and weather we have here in the North Shore and Boston area. Whether you’re looking for standard or organic lawn care, tree and shrub care, pest control or any other types of lawn services, going local is always the best option!
Looking for more information on lawn care or just ready to let the professionals take over your lawn care needs? The Grassmaster Plus team is ready and willing to answer any questions you have and can provide you a free quote on your lawn care services for the season. Contact our local office today!