the grow group

What the grow group does

The Grow Group (legal entity: Marty Grunder! Inc.) is a private coaching and education firm headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio, that serves owners, leadership teams, and sales professionals of landscaping businesses across the United States. Founded and led by Marty Grunder — who also operates Grunder Landscaping Co. — the firm uses the operating landscaping company as a 'living laboratory' where every tactic taught is first tested in real business conditions, providing a practical, lived-experience basis for its curriculum. The target market is narrowly segmented by vertical (landscape contractors) rather than by company size, with content spanning sales training, leadership development, operations, financial management, and team building.

The product portfolio combines live events, peer-group subscriptions, virtual instructor-led training, self-paced online curriculum, and owned media. Flagship offerings include the annual GROW! Conference (with 2026 and 2027 editions publicly scheduled), ACE Peer Groups (facilitated executive peer groups for owners with an ACE Discovery funnel), GLC Field Trips (on-site training at Grunder Landscaping Co. in Dayton, Ohio), and Aspire Software workshops held in partnership with Aspire Software. Virtual offerings include The Landscape Pro's Sales Training and Virtual Sales Manager Bootcamp, plus an exclusive self-paced curriculum of 11 courses delivered through Greenius by Granum. Content marketing and brand-building channels include the weekly Great Idea newsletter and The Grow Show podcast (powered by STIHL).

The business model is primarily event- and subscription-driven within a single niche vertical. Revenue streams comprise (1) coaching and education services sold as recurring peer-group subscriptions, (2) events and conferences priced per attendee at $1,395–$1,995 (with tiered pricing for standard registrants, alumni, and ACE members), and (3) virtual training programs offered on subscription/self-paced terms. Go-to-market is event-driven and content-led: top-of-funnel demand is generated through the free weekly newsletter and podcast, with conversion into paid programs via event registration and ACE Discovery enrollment. Core technology partnerships are with Aspire Software (software-vertical co-development), Greenius by Granum (exclusive digital curriculum integration), and McFarlin Stanford (ACE Peer Group facilitation). No external funding, M&A activity, or public-market involvement is disclosed.

Name

the grow group

Legal name

Marty Grunder! Inc.

Website

https://martygrunder.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Grow Group is a private coaching and education firm that delivers events, peer groups, and training programs to owners and leadership teams of landscaping businesses in the United States, using its affiliated Grunder Landscaping Co. as a real-world proving ground for all taught tactics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Coaching and Education for the Landscaping Industry

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Horticulture, Nursery & Greenhouse Operations (EDAOAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps (EDAMALAL)

Keywords

• Landscaping business coaching
• Landscape industry training
• Executive peer groups
• Business consulting services
• Sales training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Miamisburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Coaching and Education Services: Professional coaching and education programs for landscape professionals including peer groups, consulting, and business advisory services.
2. Events and Conferences: Annual GROW! Conference, GLC Field Trips, Aspire Workshops, and ACE Discovery events. Revenue from event registration fees.
3. Virtual Training Programs: Online sales training curriculum, virtual sales manager bootcamp, and self-paced courses for landscaping professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Grow Group is a coaching and education firm that sells consulting, peer group memberships, conferences, and training programs to landscaping business owners and their teams. All advice is built from tactics the team tests in real time at its affiliated operating company, Grunder Landscaping Co. The portfolio includes paid annual conferences, onsite field-trip workshops, software training workshops, instructor-led virtual sales courses, self-paced online sales curriculum, and ongoing facilitated peer group memberships.

Product overview

The Grow Group is a coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Their product portfolio consists of: (1) ACE Peer Groups - a peer networking and coaching program for landscape business owners; (2) The Landscape Pro's Sales Training and Virtual Sales Manager Bootcamp - instructor-led virtual training programs; (3) Greenius Sales Training - a self-paced digital curriculum in partnership with Greenius by Granum; (4) GLC Field Trips and Aspire Workshop - onsite training experiences at Grunder Landscaping Co. headquarters; (5) The Grow! Conference - an annual industry conference; (6) The Grow! Show podcast and Weekly Great Idea newsletter - content products delivering practical business advice. The company operates as a 'living laboratory' using Grunder Landscaping Co. as a real-world case study to validate their teachings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GROW! Annual Conference Annual conference for landscape business owners and their teams offering education, peer networking, and professional development across sales, leadership, operations, and growth topics.
• ACE Peer Groups Recurring facilitated peer group membership for landscape company owners, providing executive coaching, peer accountability, and ongoing meetings (including ACE Discovery onboarding events and ACE Connect sessions).
• The Landscape Pro's Sales Training A two-day sales training program for landscape salespeople, estimators, and business developers that covers the full sales cycle: prospecting, building trust, pricing, closing, and growing long-term client value.
• Virtual Sales Manager Bootcamp A two-day virtual bootcamp for landscaping sales managers on building and managing a sales team, forecasting, setting goals, aligning with marketing, and handing off jobs to production.
• GLC Field Trips In-person facility tours and training at Grunder Landscaping Co. headquarters in Dayton, Ohio, where attendees learn about operations, leadership, sales, marketing, HR, fleet management, and finance from the GLC leadership team.
• Aspire Workshop at Grunder Landscaping Software training workshop for Aspire landscaping business management software users, covering performance improvement, software optimization, and the use of Aspire across operations, marketing, sales, and financial processes.
• Greenius Sales Training Self-paced online sales curriculum of 11 courses covering prospecting, client definition, presentations, and overcoming objections for landscape sales professionals, delivered through an exclusive partnership with the Greenius by Granum platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95+ years combined experience in the field teaching real-world tested tactics

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Aspire SoftwarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership where Aspire Software collaborates with The Grow Group to deliver specialized landscape software training workshops at Grunder Landscaping Co. Events are specifically designed for Aspire users to maximize their use of the platform. The partnership leverages GLC's facilities and The Grow Group's coaching expertise combined with Aspire's software platform.
• Greenius by GranumcoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive partnership to provide self-paced sales training curriculum through Greenius platform. The collaboration offers 11 self-paced courses covering prospecting, client definition, presentations, and overcoming objections for landscape professionals.
• McFarlin Stanford (ACE Peer Groups)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcFarlin Stanford partners with The Grow Group to facilitate the ACE Peer Group Program, a structured peer learning network for landscaping company owners. The program includes ACE Discovery events, ACE Connect meetings, and ongoing peer group sessions with executive coaching.
• STIHLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSTIHL powers The Grow Show podcast as a marketing partner, providing visibility and credibility through the podcast sponsorship.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Strategic Coach: Dan Sullivan's Strategic Coach delivers tiered coaching programs and peer-group experiences for entrepreneurs. Comparable to The Grow Group in its subscription coaching model, peer-group structure, and focus on helping business owners grow and operate more effectively.
• Vistage Worldwide: Vistage runs CEO peer advisory groups and executive coaching for business leaders. Highly comparable to The Grow Group's ACE Peer Groups and coaching model, with a similar focus on facilitated peer learning and one-to-one coaching for owner/operators.
• EOS Worldwide: EOS implements the Entrepreneurial Operating System through certified coaches, peer groups, and workshops for small-to-mid businesses. Directly comparable to The Grow Group's operating-system, peer-group, and coaching delivery model.
• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): EO is a global peer network of entrepreneurs offering forums, events, and learning programs. Comparable to The Grow Group's peer-group format and event-driven engagement for business owners.
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): YPO provides peer learning forums, executive education, and networking for chief executives. Comparable to The Grow Group's premium peer-group and conference offerings for business owners.
• Gazelles (Verne Harnish): Gazelles coaches companies on scaling using the Rockefeller Habits and scaling-up framework. Comparable to The Grow Group in delivering business-growth coaching, workshops, and peer learning for owner-operators.
• John Maxwell Team: John Maxwell Team licenses leadership and coaching curriculum to certified coaches who deliver training, workshops, and events. Comparable to The Grow Group in its training-based, multi-channel delivery model for professionals.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP): NALP is the largest industry association for landscape professionals, offering education, certification, and events. Comparable to The Grow Group as a broader industry education and event provider serving the same customer base.

Others

• Aspire Software: Aspire provides business management software specifically for landscape and snow removal companies. Relevant as a strategic partner of The Grow Group and serves the same landscaping customer base with complementary software and training.
• LMN (Landscape Management Network): LMN offers estimating and business management software for landscapers, including training and educational resources. Comparable as a landscape-industry-focused software and education provider serving the same end market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 the grow group