Al Perreault shares how he scaled Green Collar from a weekend gig into a $10M landscaping company by investing in people, building systems around repeated problems, and leading with integrity—even when things got tough.
“I was all in—there was no turning back. It had to work, so we built it to work.” — Al Perreault of Green Collar Landscaping
MERX – Canada’s leading platform for accessing public and private procurement opportunities, including municipal landscape contracts.
Latham Pools – North America’s largest manufacturer of fiberglass pools. Green Collar became a certified installer in 2020 to expand construction offerings.
Google Ads – Used by Green Collar to target residential and commercial leads during seasonal slowdowns and market shifts.
Facebook & Instagram – Platforms used for increasing brand visibility and reaching residential landscaping customers
[00:31] Intro – Rob welcomes Al Perreault of Green Collar
[01:06] The origin story – From weekend grass cutting to multi-million dollar growth
[03:19] The breaking point – When Al had to choose between a 9–5 and his business
[06:30] Going all-in – Scaling from 10 to 80 employees in under 5 years
[08:55] COVID pivot – Adding pool installs during lockdown and surviving material shortages
[10:43] The all-in-one advantage – Why customers prefer one company for everything
[11:41] Career building – Creating long-term jobs, not just seasonal gigs
[13:08] Leading from a distance – The surprising benefits of growing before going full-time
[15:57] Growth constraints – Why lack of process and culture holds companies back
[18:16] Internal growth – Promoting from within and creating pride in the team
[21:44] Core values – How they actually implemented them (not just posters)
[24:56] Vision casting – Communicating direction through casual, consistent check-ins
[27:31] Marketing in 2025 – Where Green Collar spends budget and why
[30:18] Commercial acquisition – How networking and performance lead to invites
[32:45] Building processes – Start with what keeps breaking
[36:42] Why landscaping – Loving the craft, building with pride, and mentoring the next gen
Fix what keeps breaking. If it’s a recurring issue, build a system around it.
Use motivation wisely. Fueling at night works better because people want to go home.
Promote from within. It builds buy-in and makes employees proud to be part of growth.
Don’t overcomplicate it. Simple, useful processes beat complex ones that collect dust.
Communicate the vision. Whether it’s at a BBQ or team meeting, keep your team in the loop.
Be present—on purpose. Even if you lead from a distance, culture needs constant care.