What James Martin Associates does

James Martin Associates is a privately held, founder-owned landscaping and snow management company headquartered in Mundelein, Illinois, serving the Chicago metropolitan area and operating an additional presence in Colorado. Founded by Jim Martin in 1977, the company runs two core service lines: a commercial division offering year-round landscape maintenance, lawn care, plant health care, landscape enhancements, and a 41-season snow and ice management operation supported by a fleet of more than 100 trucks, tractors, and plows; and a residential division providing landscape design, installation, and ongoing maintenance, with specialty offerings spanning pools, spas, outdoor kitchens, patios, fire features, lighting, decks, fences, holiday decorating, and robotic lawn mowing. The commercial GTM is sales-led via dedicated account managers with route density of 5-10 clients per square mile, while the residential GTM is consultation-based with collaborative design by in-house landscape architects.

The company operates with a primarily subscription-based revenue model: recurring monthly maintenance contracts on the commercial and residential side, and multi-year seasonal snow contracts that include plowing, de-icing, shoveling, and snow hauling, alongside project-based design/build fees and design retainers. Proprietary operational technology includes GPS-based route optimization, a custom online customer communication webtool for storm alerts and service reporting, an in-house yard-waste recycling system that processes 3,000-4,000 yards of material annually into organic mulch, and robotic lawn mowers. The company employs 101-250 people and has served more than 11,500 customers over its 49-year history, supported by subsidiaries L.I.D. Landscapes (low-impact development/green infrastructure) and Schwake Stone (custom masonry) that extend its service surface beyond core landscaping.

Name

James Martin Associates

Legal name

James Martin Associates

Website

https://jamesmartinassociates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

James Martin Associates is a privately held Chicagoland landscaping and commercial snow management company, founded in 1977 and headquartered in Mundelein, IL, serving commercial properties and residential homeowners across Illinois and Colorado.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscaping Services

NAICS

Landscaping Services (561730), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Grounds & Exterior Services (Landscaping/Snow Removal/Parking Lot Maintenance) (IMAIAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial Landscaping & Grounds Maintenance (IMAIAIAA), Landscape Construction Project Management & General Contracting (HSAIABAK), Seasonal Lawn Treatment Packages (Spring/Fall Cleanups, Winterization) (HSAIAGAJ), Landscape Maintenance Plans & Post-Installation Care (Establishment Services) (HSAIABAL)

Keywords

• Commercial landscaping services
• Snow and ice management
• Residential landscape design
• Landscape maintenance services
• Outdoor living installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Mundelein

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Landscape Maintenance Contracts: Recurring maintenance contracts with weekly or scheduled visits covering mowing, trimming, blowing, leaf cleanup, weed removal, and plant health care. Monthly billing for ongoing services.
2. Commercial Snow & Ice Management: Seasonal snow and ice management contracts with proactive communication, 24/7 fleet support, and comprehensive services including plowing, de-icing, shoveling, and snow hauling.
3. Landscape Design & Installation: One-time project-based services for residential and commercial properties including patios, pools, outdoor kitchens, driveways, retaining walls, and comprehensive site development.
4. Design Retainer: Design retainer fee required when landscape plans are needed, based on project size and scope. Becomes part of overall project fees.
5. Holiday Decorating Services: Seasonal holiday decoration services including installation, removal, and storage of lights, wreaths, and festive displays.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

James Martin Associates provides year-round commercial and residential landscaping services in the Chicago metropolitan area. Commercial offerings include snow & ice management (plowing, de-icing, shoveling, hauling), landscape maintenance, lawn care, and landscape enhancements delivered through dedicated account managers and a 100+ vehicle fleet. Residential offerings include landscape design, installation of outdoor living features (pools, patios, outdoor kitchens, lighting, decks), and ongoing landscape maintenance, supported by a proprietary online customer portal and GPS-based route optimization.

Product overview

James Martin Associates is a landscaping service company operating since 1977 that offers a unified suite of residential and commercial landscaping services. The commercial division provides snow & ice management, landscape maintenance, lawn care, and landscape enhancements with dedicated account managers. The residential division covers landscape design, installation, and ongoing maintenance, with specialized service modules including pool and spa installation, outdoor kitchens, decks and fences, landscape lighting, holiday decorating, and robotic lawn mowing. All services are delivered through company-owned crews and equipment from their Mundelein, Illinois base serving the Chicago metropolitan area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Proactive snow-scouting team deploys at anticipated storm start time, keeping crews ahead of expected storms
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.

• SIMAmoderateOthersSnow and Ice Management Association - industry membership organization providing standards and best practices for snow removal professionals.
• BOMAmoderateOthersBuilding Owners and Managers Association - industry organization for commercial real estate professionals.
• ASLAmoderateOthersAmerican Society of Landscape Architects - professional organization for landscape architects providing standards and continuing education.
• Landscape IllinoismoderateOthersIllinois landscape industry association promoting professional standards and networking among landscaping professionals in Illinois.
• ILCAcoreOthersIllinois Landscape Contractors Association - primary industry organization where Jim Martin was named 2024 Person of the Year. Company participates in committees and industry events.
• NALPcoreOthersNational Association of Landscape Professionals - national organization where company has won multiple Gold and Silver awards. Jim Martin served as PLANET President 2007-2008.
• Orren PickellminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured partner logo on website - likely landscape industry peer for referrals or collaborative projects.
• Smokin-DealsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured partner logo on website - marketing or promotional partnership.
• Russo Power EquipmentmoderateOthersEquipment vendor and partner. Made substantial contribution to Wounded Warrior Project donation at JMA's Partner Appreciation Event. Long-time friend of Jim Martin.
• Wilson NurseriesminorOthersNursery partner that won raffle at Partner Appreciation Event. Contributed to charitable donations.
• DeBaker Design GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning design firm that designed a property for which JMA created rain garden and drainage solutions.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BrightView Landscapes: Largest U.S. commercial landscaping services company with national scale across maintenance, snow & ice management, and enhancement services for commercial properties — directly comparable to JMA's commercial maintenance and snow offerings, just at significantly greater scale.
• Yellowstone Landscape: Regional commercial landscaping and snow & ice management provider serving commercial properties across multiple Sun Belt and Midwest markets, with similar service-line breadth in maintenance, enhancements, and snow operations as JMA.
• Ruppert Landscape: Mid-Atlantic-based commercial landscape maintenance, snow & ice management, and landscape construction company with comparable service mix and dedicated account-management model, though operating in a different geographic region.
• LandCare: National commercial landscape maintenance company providing recurring maintenance, water management, and snow & ice services to commercial properties — direct overlap with JMA's commercial maintenance contracts and snow business.
• Bartlett Tree Experts: National tree and shrub care specialist with residential and commercial plant health care services comparable to JMA's plant health care and lawn care offerings.
• Mariani Landscape: High-end residential landscape design, build, and maintenance firm in the Chicago metro area — direct local peer for JMA's residential design-build and maintenance business with comparable premium positioning.
• Schill Grounds Management: Ohio-based commercial landscape management, snow & ice, and irrigation services company serving commercial properties — comparable service mix, account-management model, and scale to JMA.

Broad incumbents

• Davey Tree Expert Co. Large national tree care, landscape management, and utility vegetation management company with broad service offerings that overlap with JMA's plant health care, lawn care, and commercial landscape maintenance.
• TruGreen: National lawn care and treatment provider offering fertilization, weed control, and similar recurring turf services to JMA's lawn care and seasonal treatment programs, but at much greater scale.

Regional players

• Aspen Group / Lacebark Landscaping: Midwest regional commercial and residential landscaping provider with similar full-service offerings including design, installation, and maintenance across multiple Midwestern states.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jmartinasso
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPnFv-4iqDEW1X9sGBUFTbQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/landscapechicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/james-martin-associates
• Instagraminstagram.com/jamesmartinassociates
• Pinterestpinterest.com/JamesMartinAssociates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about James Martin Associates