Diva Landscapes director Simon Leversedge is too humble to sing his own praises –
although he doesn’t really have to. Two Landscapes of Distinction (LOD) awards say
plenty about the achievements of a business he has put his heart and soul into since
taking over almost ten years ago
With typical understatement, Simon says he was simply in the right place at the right time when asked about the success of his Queenstown landscaping business, which he bought in 2015.
“I’d been working in the business for three years when the opportunity came up to buy it,” he
explains. “We were a team of four back then and have grown to 16 permanent staff and 14 on fixed term contracts.
“In terms of the timing, I guess we got lucky that Queenstown property development exploded over that period. There was plenty of opportunity and we grabbed it with both hands!”
Timing is only part of the story. A high quality of work and customer service are key to generating the word-of-mouth recommendations that help win new contracts. Simon ensured Diva Landscapes delivered excellent results and remained flexible in its approach to taking on jobs outside the business’ traditional scope.
“We weren’t really setting targets for growth; it was something that happened naturally, which
was enjoyable,” says Simon. “While our bread and butter work is maintenance, we haven’t been afraid to expand our services if clients have wanted jobs done outside of that area.
“In Queenstown, there’s a big demand for predator control to stop rabbits, goats and deer from ruining gardens, which forced us to diversify to provide that service.
There’s no point putting plants in the ground if you know they’re not going to survive! Another area we’ve diversified into is the installation of irrigation systems.”
Growing in-house skills
To continue growing his team and services in the right way, Simon recruited carefully and upskilled existing staff in-house.
“Instead of contracting out work, we recruited people with skills we needed and asked them train those in our crew, who were keen to learn.”
One of those key recruits was an in-house designer, which has allowed the business to implement beautiful new gardens for residential builds and then keep in pristine condition through its maintenance arm.
“That’s been a big growth area for us and we really enjoy doing the installations. It also creates a solid pipeline of work, as we’ll often be retained to provide maintenance services. Because we install irrigation, drainage and earthworks for garden beds, the maintenance becomes easier because we know what the underground infrastructure is.
“The consistent stream of work lets you keep on more staff, which means we always have the
numbers available to take on projects as and when they come up.”
Keep your house in order
Simon has built a strong in-house team that includes an office manager, operations manager
and accounts supervisor – and he says they’re worth their weight in gold.
“Having back of house staff supports our on-site staff and means we’re able to field a lot more
incoming potential work, as there’s always someone to answer the phone and respond to emails.
“Plus, it takes a lot of pressure off myself as the business owner, as I don’t need to spread myself too thinly across all aspects of the business and I can focus on being on-site” Much like the people manning the tools, recruiting the right person to run the office is crucial – and Simon says he attributes much of his success to general manager Sally Marriage.
“I’ve been very lucky to employ her for the past 11 years. She’s helped shape the business with a focus on staff retention, which is not easy in transient Queenstown! We provide a great package with as much flexibility as we can offer, solid career advancement, job security and great pay.
“Another thing that’s helped is how landscaping is viewed in general. When I started 20 years ago, someone might pay a high school kid to mow the lawns but now people understand landscaping is a professional industry and, if you hire professionals, you can get professional results.”
Professional backing
Improved recognition of landscaping as a professional industry is one of the aims of the Registered Master Landscapers (RML). Diva Landscapes became a member in early 2020
– and Simon says that he immediately experienced the benefits.
“It was great to know there was a whole industry body backing us and engaging with the Government to get a clearer idea of what lockdown meant for us. Having the RML going to bat for me made me feel like I wasn’t doing it alone and that the big picture was being taken care of.”
As a double-award winner at the Landscapes of Distinction awards (winning the Premier Landscape Maintenance award in 2021 and 2023), Simon speaks highly of the positive impact winning can have.
“The 2021 win was covered by the Otago Daily Times and, as a direct result of that article, I fielded a few phone calls – the best thing is those people are still clients today! The benefits were immediate, and we'll definitely be entering next year’s competition.”
Strong networking opportunities
Membership of the RML also provides a network of landscapers for Simon to bounce ideas off.
“The meet-ups are a great chance to hear from others in the industry,” says Simon. “Whenever I go, everyone considers the other people there as an extended support network, rather than a room of competitors. That mindset creates camaraderie and a solid network, which is good for the industry.
“It’s always interesting because there are businesses represented at all different stages of growth. Some people downsize on purpose, or keep their staff numbers to two or three, and you can always pick their brains and learn why different structures work for different people.”
Simon certainly seems to have settled on a model that works for Diva Landscapes and, with a well-rounded team at the top of their game, could well be on song for a third LOD win!