Colonial Williamsburg Outsources Landscaping to BrightView

When Colonial Williamsburg decided to outsource some aspects of their business, they turned to us for help with a portion of their landscaping needs.

As one of America’s most beautiful and historic locations, we are honored to partner with Colonial Williamsburg’s horticulturalists to help with routine maintenance of the Historic Area gardens and the properties outside the Historic Area.

“We are honored to bring our expertise to this great attraction,” said Andrew Masterman, President and CEO of BrightView Companies. “When an organization makes the decision to source a service like landscaping to an outside company, they must have every confidence that work will be done to the highest standard and in a manner that respects not only the guest experience, but in the case of Colonial Williamsburg, the attraction’s historical significance.”

THE CHALLENGE

Saving Money While Maintaining Control and Employees

Colonial Williamsburg’s landscaping is run by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and they knew, from a financial perspective, that they needed to make changes. However, a larger concern for the foundation was keeping their current employees, who had amazing benefits and many of whom had been with the company for several years.

THE SOLUTION

Forming a Partnership Between BrightView's Crews and Williamsburg's Horticulturalists 

Since Colonial Williamsburg has such a long-standing history of beautiful gardens, as well as a staff of employees who know the property inside and out, we knew that forming a partnership with them would be the most beneficial for both parties. To that end, Colonial Williamsburg’s horticulturalists maintain control of the Historic Area, with the help of our maintenance crews, to do the routine work. We handle the areas outside of the Historic Area with constant input from the Colonial Williamsburg management team.

Our plan for their contribution to Colonial Williamsburg was based on four key indicators: admissions, guest experience, community engagement, and finances. The goal was to generate excitement for guests, provide the best experience for those guests, be a local partner with national resources, and make smart business choices while honing in on core competencies.

The plan to execute these goals was based on extensive experience and expertise in the landscape business. With 70-plus years of world-class customer service and fully-vetted landscape professionals, we assisted Colonial Williamsburg to enhance the landscape. We have committed extensive resources to ensure they exceed the expectations of the world’s largest living-history museum.

Colonial Williamsburg’s connection to the community is part of their foundation. We made it a goal to understand how they connect with the community on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis and to ensure that they are a part of that message.

One of the most important concerns businesses have when outsourcing landscaping is the future of their current employees. We made it a point to hire and train existing Colonial Williamsburg employees wherever possible and to ensure the relationship was a true partnership.

THE OUTCOME

An Opportunity Offered to Every Current Employee

We were able to offer an opportunity to every current employee. On Aug. 1, 2017, more than two dozen in-house landscapers joined our team, working exclusively for the foundation. One of those professionals, Roger Charity, has worked at Colonial Williamsburg for over four decades.

“I am very pleased to become a part of BrightView and to see their commitment to Colonial Williamsburg,” Charity said. “It’s a great company to work for.”

We are excited to be a continued partner with Colonial Williamsburg and the surrounding community.

“We all take great pride in every detail at Colonial Williamsburg, and our gardens and grounds are a critical feature of what our guests experience when they visit,” said Robert Underwood, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's Executive Director of Operations.