To “turbocharge performance”, five landscape company CEOs and their senior teams from Next Level Network, a peer group of market leading CEOs, gathered at the group’s 11th annual university, held for the second time at Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The group’s “Leadership Summit” was hosted by peer group member, John Munie, CEO, Focal Pointe Outdoor Solutions, and facilitated by national peer group organization, Bruce Wilson & Company.

This year, the Summit’s mandate was to explore trends that are transforming the future of leadership, including societal and market shifts and automation, and featured world renown speakers Verne Harnish, founder of EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organization) and author, Scaling Up, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits; The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time, who spoke on why yesterday’s tools won’t work in tomorrow’s workplace, and John DiJulius, best-selling author of The Relationship Economy, Customer Service Revolution, and Secret Service Hidden Systems That Deliver Unforgettable Customer Service.

Speaker Michelle Backes, senior consultant at The Trust Edge Leadership Institute, and former chaplain for the WNBA Minnesota Lynx, spoke on the importance of trust.

“Every year, we challenge our peer group colleagues to live up to our Next Level name, and this year exceeded all expectations. I’m so grateful to our sponsors for their continuing support, and appreciate the enthusiasm and engagement from all who were able to attend. The opportunity to learn from world-class experts, who have contributed to the success of some of the most iconic brands in business, and help us rethink what’s possible, is just tremendous,” said Munie.

Event activities included a Busch Stadium tour, where attendees tested their swings in the batting cages; a tour of Focal Pointe’ Caseyville facility and discussion on Lean management practices; and a tour of Washington University in St. Louis, that included Francis Field from the 1904 Olympics, the East End Campus renovation project (recipient of a Gold Large Project Award by the National Association of Landscape Professionals), and a discussion on the intricacies of maintaining complex properties. Busch Stadium and Washington University are long-time clients of Focal Pointe.

“The Leadership Summit” was sponsored by Site One, Ewing, Caterpillar, John Deere, Enterprise Fleet, Toro, Wright, RedMax, Aspire, Weathermatic, Envue GPS, Integrated Payroll Solutions, Ariens/Gravely, and Hunter.  A vendor expo at Busch Stadium gave attendees the chance to talk with green industry equipment manufacturers about automation, technology, sustainability, and supply chain.

About Bruce Wilson & Company

Bruce Wilson & Company is an award-winning landscape business management consultancy and CEO peer group company founded by Bruce Wilson in 2004.

About Next Level Network

Next Level, formed in 2010, is the oldest continuing CEO peer group in the Wilson portfolio. The 2021 Leadership Summit CEO attendees included: Bob Grover (president of the National Association of Landscape Professionals Board of Directors) and Elias Godinez, Pacific Landscape Management, Oregon; Chris Angelo and Steve Seely, StayGreen Inc., Los Angeles; Brad Cox and Randy Ferrari, LMC Houston; Loren McIrvin, Allied Landscapes, San Francisco; and John Munie, Focal Pointe Outdoor Solutions, St. Louis.

About Focal Pointe Outdoor Solutions

Founded by John Munie, Focal Pointe Outdoor Solutions, Inc. is a full-service grounds maintenance, lawncare, and landscaping company that has been serving high-end residential and commercial properties since 1998. With an expert professional staff of more than 200, and annual revenues in excess of $20 million, Focal Pointe is one of the largest and fastest growing landscape companies in the Midwest.