Business Consulting for Landscape, Construction & Design Build Firms
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Residential Advisory & Design for Homeowners
I bring more than four decades of experience and an independent perspective to help business owners and homeowners make better - informed decisions.
For business owners and leadership teams, that may mean improving profitability, operations, sales processes, and organizational effectiveness. For homeowners planning significant outdoor projects, it may mean evaluating the design, proposals, and contractors before making a major commitment.
How I Can Help
Choose the area most relevant to you.
Business Advisory
A business can be successful and still have parts of the organization that aren’t working as well as they should.
Revenue may be growing while profitability isn’t. Processes that worked when the company was smaller may no longer work well. Employee turnover or hiring problems may be creating frustration. Too many decisions may still come back to the owner. Sales, estimating, and production may not connect smoothly. Leadership may know something needs to change but not where to begin.
My business consulting and advisory work starts with understanding how the business actually works—how the different processes, people, and functions connect—identifying what is driving the issues, and helping determine where change can make the biggest difference and in what order.
That may involve profitability, operational efficiency, business processes, sales, organizational structure, employee retention, leadership, growth, or owner dependency.
Based in St. Louis, Missouri, I work with owner-led businesses throughout the St. Louis region and nearby Illinois, as well as select companies beyond the area.
Fractional Executive Leadership
Some businesses need an adviser. Others need someone who can become more involved.
I provide fractional executive leadership for companies that need experienced senior-level help for a period of time, without necessarily adding another full-time executive.
In one business, that may resemble a fractional COO role focused on operations. In another, the greater need may be sales, marketing, organizational development, accountability, profitability, or helping leadership implement changes already identified.
The role should fit the needs of the business—not the other way around.
Experience From the Owner’s Side of the Table
My perspective comes from more than four decades of industry experience, including 30 years building and operating my own successful landscape architecture design-build company.
Over that time, I built Poynter Landscape Architecture into a leading and highly recognized St. Louis firm known for complex, creative, high-end residential design-build work. The goal was never simply to be the biggest company. It was to take on projects that challenged our design ability, construction knowledge, people, and processes.
My experience extended beyond the landscape industry. I bought and leased commercial properties, developed offices and operating facilities, owned rental properties, personally navigated the design and construction of several custom homes, and managed large residential projects involving a broad range of construction disciplines.
That gave me experience from several sides of the table—as a contractor and business owner, but also as the person hiring professionals, reviewing proposals, committing capital, and living with the decisions afterward.
Where My Experience Runs Deepest
Landscape & Design-Build Businesses
This is where my experience runs deepest, and it started early—my first job in the industry was at age 14. Thirty years of business ownership later gave me firsthand experience with profitability, estimating, sales, operations, staffing, project delivery, and leadership.
Construction & Contractors
My business consulting experience translates well to construction companies and contractor businesses, where estimating, sales, staffing, communication, project execution, and financial discipline all have to work together.
Home Services & Related Businesses
Many owner-led service businesses face similar challenges as they grow: building the right team, developing better systems, improving sales, maintaining margins, and reducing dependence on the owner.
Residential Advisory & Design
Clients hire me for independent guidance on significant St. Louis landscape design, swimming pool, landscape renovation, and outdoor-living projects.
Plans and proposals may look complete, but it can be difficult to know whether the design is right, whether important parts of the scope are missing, or whether the contractors being considered have the experience the project requires.
An experienced, independent second set of eyes can help.
Helping people make better decisions when the situation is complex, expensive, and difficult for them to evaluate on their own.
Evaluate the Design
Does the design accomplish what you want? Could adjustments to the design or construction approach create efficiencies and reduce cost while maintaining the same overall visual character and design intent?
Evaluate the Proposal
What is included, excluded, or only partially addressed? Are contractors really pricing the same scope, or could differences lead to additions, changes, and unexpected costs later?
Evaluate the Contractor
Does the contractor have the experience, people, systems, and resources necessary to execute a project of this complexity successfully?
Independent Advice
I have no allegiance to any contractor you may be considering and no financial interest in who you ultimately choose. My role is to give you the clearest, most objective information I can so you can make the best decision for your project.
Confidence Before Commitment
For projects that still need design and planning, I can also help develop the project, define the scope, identify appropriate contractors, and provide additional guidance or selective implementation involvement where it makes sense.
I also work selectively with residential clients at Lake of the Ozarks and in nearby Illinois.