What began over 30 years ago as a local landscaping company has grown into something much more, a passion rooted in our values and driven by delivering an extraordinary experience to our teams, clients, and the communities we serve.
Along the way, we have built relationships with some of the most respected and driven leaders in our industry, people who share our beliefs, standards, and commitment to creating lasting opportunities for their teams. It became clear that by coming together, we could build something stronger as a group than any one company could on its own.
The vision was to create a foundation that supports our people and our clients, while striving to become the undisputed leader in our industry, recognized for exceptional customer care and as the premier place to build a career.
We are proud to partner with leaders in their markets, bringing together strong local businesses aligned in values and purpose.
That is what brought us together as the Schill Landscape Collective, focused on delivering exceptional care and extraordinary experiences across every market we serve.
Founder and CEO of Schill Landscape Collective and Schill Grounds Management
Jerry is a nationally recognized leader in commercial landscaping and snow management. A trusted expert, he champions excellence, sustainability, and community service.
Executive Leadership
Mary Vales
Chief People Officer
Mary Vales is the Chief People Officer at Schill Grounds Management, a fast-growing commercial landscaping platform with operations across the Midwest and Ontario, Canada. She brings broad leadership experience across non-profit, insurance, financial services, technology, and manufacturing sectors.
Known for her business-first approach to HR, Mary has led strategic initiatives focused on organizational transformation, talent development, and the employee experience. Her ability to build trust, drive alignment, and execute with discipline has made her a key partner in scaling high-performing teams. She also spent several years leading a business unit outside of HR, reinforcing her belief that people strategy must directly support business outcomes.
Often described as “not a typical HR leader,” Mary is straightforward, practical, and action-oriented. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace University. She lives in Greater Cleveland with her two daughters.
Aaron Whittaker
Chief Integration Officer
25 years in operations, technology & process improvement across a wide range of industries; success in building people centric organizations that perform predictably and remain fun.
Bob Stopar
Chief Financial Officer
25+ years in Finance and Accounting across multiple industries.
Jono Fries
VP of Operations
25 years developing multi-unit businesses in both the restaurant and green industry.
Cris Poggi
VP of Integrations & Optimization
Based in the Chicago market, she brings over 20 years of experience in full-service landscape contracting and snow management, along with a background as a former Director at Aspire Software and training in project management and Kaizen continuous improvement.
Jacob Szeliga
VP of M&A
Jacob brings nearly a decade of experience in mergers and acquisitions across both private equity and corporate development. He has played a key role in the acquisition of more than 30 businesses across a range of industries, with a recent focus on high-end residential landscaping.
Prior to joining the Collective, Jacob served as Senior Director of M&A at Mariani Premier Group, where he led strategic inorganic growth initiatives and end-to-end transaction execution. His work helped support the company’s expansion into the largest high-end residential landscaping platform in the United States. Earlier in his career, Jacob was an Associate at Akoya Capital, where he contributed across the full private equity lifecycle, including sourcing, underwriting, transaction execution, capital raising, and portfolio management.
Jacob lives in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife, Danielle, and their dog, Leo. They are excited to be expecting their first child later this year. Outside of work, he enjoys golfing, playing tennis, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Michael Palmer
VP of Marketing
Palmer is a creative marketer with a foundation in design thinking, seamlessly blending strategic insight with hands-on execution to elevate brands and drive business growth. His diverse experience across Fortune 500 companies, growth-stage startups, and entrepreneurial ventures—ranging from global leaders like Procter & Gamble to innovative startups like StrongArm Tech and hospitality brands like Boca Restaurant Group—has made him a versatile expert in brand building, marketing strategy, and customer engagement, consistently delivering effective solutions that drive growth and bring brands closer to their customers.
Palmer’s passion for creativity and collaboration, combined with his ability to turn ideas into measurable results, makes him makes him a great new partner for our business as we look to enhance our brand presence in each region, streamline marketing efforts, and build meaningful connections with our customers. Outside of work, Palmer enjoys outdoor adventures, boating, and spending time with his wife, Jocelyn, and their three children in Cincinnati.
Purpose: To cultivate meaningful relationships and opportunities for lasting value
Our Core Values
Employee Centered
We value our people as the foundation of our success. By fostering a network of industry-leading professionals and equipping them with the tools, resources, and opportunities to grow, we create an environment where careers thrive. We prioritize safety, well-being, and support—empowering every team member to succeed.
Customer Focused
We put our customers first, delivering proactive, reliable service that drives lasting value. Through honesty, transparency, and accountability, we build trust and deliver extraordinary results—strengthening every relationship and ensuring our actions reflect the high standards our clients expect.
Community Champions
We proudly serve as stewards of our communities—embracing a localized approach, supporting environmental responsibility, and engaging as active partners and neighbors. By doing the right thing and making a positive impact, we help create stronger, more vibrant places to live and work.
Our History
1993
Schill Grounds Management
Jerry Schill launches the business in Cleveland.
2000
Residential Services
The company focuses on personalized high quality residential services.
2012
Transition to Commercial
The company pivots to recurring revenue model via commercial clients.
2020
Acquired by Argonne Capital
With the new partnership the company is positioned to grow through acquistion.
2020
First Acquisition
The platform is launched as Schill partners with McCoy.
2021
Ohio Expansion
Enviroscapes, Ohio Valley Group, Ward + Thorton, and Fredericks acquired to provide coverage across Ohio.
2022
Breaking Into Ontario
The network crosses the boarder with TLC in Ontario and fills in Ohio with Grounds Elite, Mattingly, Ameriscape and GrassCor.
2023
East & West
BAM Outdoor and Strauser Nature join the platform extending our reach into Indiana and Pennsylvania.
2024
Adding More Depth
Elevations Landscaping joins adding Chicago area, Gelderman Landscaping provides more coverage in Ontario, and Pinnacle Landscaping adds expertise in Columbus.
2025
Philadelphia & Michigan
Andrews and Brogan Landscaping join in Southeastern, PA while the network adds Michigan to the team with Begonia Brothers and Atlas Outdoor.
2026
Introducing the Landscape Collective
The Schill Landscape Collective is formally introduced galvanizing the network and making it easier for our client's to find expert coverage across regions.
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