4 min read

Blooming Into Design + Build

Picture of SYNKD Writer SYNKD Writer : May 8, 2023 9:00:00 AM

McPlants Project (1)

Craig McManus’ goal after graduating from Auburn University was to find a niche where he could thrive, while serving people in his own business.

It took him a few years to settle on the garden center business.

His first challenge was that he thought he knew something about the business. He quickly realized he didn’t know anything after getting his feet wet at Pike Nursery in Atlanta.

“I followed some great advice and went to work for a successful company,” Craig says. “It put me so far ahead in opening my own business. I was there with my eyes and notebook open”.

Craig McManus

Craig McManus, Owner of McPlants, Inc.

Retail or even personal computers were not a common thing for small businesses then. The highest level of technology for a small business at that time was pushbutton, wire-connected phones.

First Garden P.O.S. in Georgia

First Garden Center Point of Sale Checkout in Georgia
ca 1990

Ready or not, two years later McManus gave birth to McPlants on a three-acre parcel in Douglasville, Georgia. The garden center was designed so a customer could get their plant fix— rain or shine—with a 4,500 square-foot retail area and a 10,000 square-foot attached greenhouse. An acre of puddle-free paths led the way for shopping.

McPlants Garden Center

McPlants Garden Center
ca 1990

For years, Atlanta had experienced explosive growth and was unprepared for drought. The drought solution was to ban outdoor watering. “Have you ever tried to sell plants to someone that can’t water? It’s hard,” Craig says.

McPlants pioneered computerized retail garden center point of sale in the state. “We adapted a pre-barcode system from the hardware industry,” explains Craig. “We learned some valuable lessons from that experience. Everything had to have a number attached to it for the system to work.”

Christmas Season at McPlants

Christmas Season at McPlants
ca 1990

After seven years in garden retail, the business completely transitioned into a landscape design and build company. The focus was on trees, shrubs and sod.

“Getting a subcontractor to show up when you needed them for irrigation, lighting and hardscapes became a challenge,” Craig says. “Our solution was to learn how to do it correctly ourselves and begin handling it in-house.”

Craig Selecting Plants

Craig Selecting Plants for the Next Project

Education & Experience are Keys to Success

Today’s green industry looks a whole lot different than it did 40 years ago and has evolved with new technology, plants, better methods and new avenues to profit.

How does Craig keep up? “I believe it starts with certification and education,” he says. “My degree is not in horticulture, but I’ve learned so much by preparing and maintaining certifications. Becoming a Georgia Certified Landscape Professional and ISA Certified Arborist created a strong knowledge base from which to operate,” he says.

"Knowledge becomes an asset that clients value. You become a resource that will separate you from the competition & clients will seek out."

Landscaping on a Project Site

Why Design + Build?

McPlants Inc. primarily focuses on residential design/build projects. It is a different process than with commercial projects.

“The process tends to be more artistic,” explains Craig. “I like it because I believe it is more personable than bidding on static themes. You’re able to diagnose challenges and then create solutions using science in creative ways.”

McPlants Inc. primarily focuses on residential design/build projects. It is a different process than with commercial projects.

Considering that not all companies merge the sectors and the services that fill
in-between, is there a benefit to connecting the process?

“Absolutely,” says Craig, “because then the design can become fluid and react to new information quickly. It may require new solutions and creativity. I like problem solving and implementing the solutions, bringing to reality what I see in my mind.”

Craig believes that a lack of knowledge can lead to problems and increased costs.

“A poor design impacts maintenance cost,” he says. “Wrong plants in the wrong place require constant attention to keep them in bounds and may invite plant health challenges. A person operating a mower should know the variety of grass they’re cutting and the proper cutting height and why it is important.”

“I would have never considered myself an artist 20 years ago, but today I realize there’s so much art to what we do. The art in it is using the science behind the plant material, behind the hardscape material, behind the drainage, behind the low voltage lighting and irrigation,” he says.

"Everything that do & incorporate into spaces,
there’s an art to that"

Landscaping on Project Site (2)

Bringing the Client’s Outdoor Dream to Life

McPlants focuses on making the client’s dream of their outdoor space a reality, while also educating and guiding. Craig starts off by discovering desires and setting the client’s expectations. “They usually don’t understand the process and the time required,” he says.

Landscaping on Project Site (3)

Ultimately, budget becomes the question in achieving the client’s goals. “Most people’s desires are greater than their budget,” Craig says. “Projects can be completed all at once, phased in or scaled back. We try to keep the client focused on enjoying their future garden space.”

Sharing Through Experiences Within the Industry

McPlants has seen the green industry change. With his passion for learning and sharing experiences in mind, Craig shares some tips that could benefit up-andcoming companies.

What level do you want to grow your company?” Bigger might not be better for you.

Are you ready to grow your team’s knowledge and understanding to deliver a higher level of service or do you see them as just filling a position? Growing your team members as a person motivates them.

Have a plan for generating the revenue to meet increased overhead and the capital requirements to be successful.
Get more educated, network with folks, learn how to grow people as individuals, because that’s a key to any scalable success at whatever level you want to be.