From residential landscaping to varied site services
Jacobus traces the business back to grass-cutting while he was in school and says its focus shifted over time toward clearing, dirt movement and drainage. He describes specialized crews for site work, stone or masonry work and other site services.
Commercial snow work as a seasonal fit
HLC maintains commercial snow contracts in North Carolina and travels when its national-account client needs coverage elsewhere. Jacobus says winter rain can pause other work, making snow response a useful way to deploy crews and equipment, though storms still require preparation.
Play episode 07.
Why relationships beat ill-fitting leads
After years of referrals and subcontract relationships, Jacobus tested online lead generation and won some jobs, but says too many inquiries were residential and outside HLC's commercial-oriented fit. He now emphasizes repeat clients, general contractors and equipment reps as sources of suitable work.
Build office support around field leadership
Jacobus likes sales and field operations and says an office manager and outside support handle books and systems. Looking back, he wishes he had hired people strong in those office functions sooner, rather than trying to carry every role himself.
The equipment representative is also a referral connection
Jacobus describes a close relationship with his Caterpillar representative that goes beyond buying or renting machines. The representative hears about projects from other contractors, knows what HLC can do and, in one example, passed Jacobus's number to an out-of-town prospect seeking a bid. Jacobus says the connection works both ways: when HLC needs a rental, the representative knows whose equipment is likely to be on the job. This is not a claim that a dealer formally supplies HLC with a guaranteed stream of projects. It shows how commercial leads can arise from people who understand a contractor's work through recurring transactions rather than from a public lead form.
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Small commercial sites remain a deliberate niche
Although HLC has multiple crews and national snow-account work, Jacobus says smaller commercial site projects can still fit the company. He points to sites in roughly the two-to-ten-acre range as work some larger contractors may not prioritize. The niche sits alongside clearing and grading rather than requiring a wholesale change of trade. He also describes a progression from early residential landscaping to a developer relationship that brought parks, trees and retaining-wall assignments. That history is more concrete than a simple instruction to pursue bigger clients: a company can build the equipment and relationships for commercial work gradually, while still judging each site's size against its crew and operational capacity.
Planning systems mix familiar software with outside help
Jacobus says HLC still uses QuickBooks and has discussed changing platforms without making the switch. He also mentions outside help building tracking spreadsheets, snow routes and procedures, and talks about experimenting with AI for specific tasks. He does not claim that a new automated platform now runs the whole company. The distinction matters because field crews, dispatch and office records have to work with the tools people actually use. A replacement can be costly in attention as well as money, while a narrow spreadsheet or route improvement may solve a real problem sooner. This is an account of the systems he described at recording, not a software endorsement.
Ideas to take back to the work
- Multiple specialized crews allow HLC to offer more than one site service without treating every crew as interchangeable.
- Lead volume is less useful when most prospects seek work the company is not built to do.
- Commercial growth in this account rests heavily on relationships and operational support.
Questions from this conversation
What snow-removal work does HLC pursue?
Jacobus describes contracts for commercial and industrial locations, including retail sites, rather than a residential driveway focus.
Did online lead generation work for HLC?
It generated some worthwhile jobs, but Jacobus says most inquiries were residential and not a great fit for the firm's commercial focus.
What would Jacobus change about his early hiring?
He says he would bring in stronger office, accounting and business support earlier.
Can a commercial site contractor get work through equipment suppliers?
In Jacobus's experience, yes. He says a Caterpillar representative familiar with HLC referred a prospect from out of town who needed a bid. It is one example of relationship-driven business, not a guarantee that a rental or equipment purchase produces referrals for every contractor.
Has HLC replaced its bookkeeping system with AI?
No. Jacobus says the company still uses QuickBooks, while outside support helps with tracking spreadsheets, snow routes and procedures. He also discusses learning to use AI on specific tasks. The episode does not establish an AI-run bookkeeping system or a completed switch to another accounting platform.