4 min read

Sailing to Efficiency

Picture of Jenna Patrick Jenna Patrick : Oct 6, 2023 11:00:00 AM

West

Industry Leader | Sal Hernandez on His Journey
From Military Ship to Business Ownership

Sal Hernandez, owner of Pacific Breeze Landscape based in California Those reading this from California may recognize the name Sal Hernandez from the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) board of directors. Sal is the organization’s director of membership and has been an active member for several years, joining shortly after starting his award-winning business Pacific Breeze Landscape in Orange County. Knowing this, it’s hard to imagine there was a time when Sal wanted nothing to do with landscaping.

Before he joined the Navy, Sal worked for his father, Sal Hernandez Sr., as part of his maintenance company. Mowing, edging, weed whacking, this was just about all Sal knew of the landscape industry at the time and he quickly learned it was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. After serving his country for nine years, however, Sal found himself directionless. Eventually, he approached his father with the idea to start his own landscape business.

Pacific Breeze Landscape began with a focus on maintenance—the Hernandez bread and butter—but the company quickly evolved. First, it shifted into softscape installation, then hardscape, then design and, now, Sal says the company has found its niche in the design/build sector. The company has experienced tremendous success in just seven short years, reaching revenue numbers far above average for the industry.

5_Pacific Breeze_Fall2023 “I thought all there was to it was gardening,” Sal recalls. “That’s what I thought because that’s what I did with my dad, not knowing there was a license to become a landscape contractor in California. When I first got my license about a year into it, I became a member of CLCA and I finally was able to see the different avenues I could go with my company. Now, I have my landscape license, my patio cover license, my pool license, and I will be pursuing a general contractor license soon.”

Aside from the behind-the-scenes support of his wife and guidance from his church, Sal holds profound gratitude for the Orange County Chapter of CLCA for openly sharing wisdom with him that first year. During our conversation, Sal mentioned Richard Cohen, from Richard Cohen Landscape, and his knowledge in both the landscape industry and trade; Dave Horten, the OC chapter president, who advised Sal on handling difficult customer service situations and gave tips on the design/build process; and Ed Wallace of Midwest Landscaping, who Sal says has a strong horticultural irrigation background and a wealth of knowledge in sales.

“I knew coming into the industry that I had to network and that I had to associate myself with individuals in the field,” Sal says. “Now I’m the one giving advice and mentoring. As a matter of fact, I’ve turned around, taken what they have given me and sort of innovated it. I can say, ‘Hey I’m doing it now and this is what I’ve learned using the software that I’m now familiar with.’”

Sal’s understanding of the design/build industry was rooted in CLCA, but it didn’t stop there. As a former member of the military, Sal was able to use his benefits to return to school and expand his knowledge by taking specific classes he knew would propel him forward. Having been formally educated in subjects like business, design and horticulture, Sal finds that what sets Pacific Breeze Landscape apart from similar businesses in the area is an objective perspective.

"Having that business background allows
me to see the industry through a different lens: not as a landscaper or technician per se, but from a management perspective."

6_Pacific Breeze_Fall2023 “I know how to do the hands-on dirty work in the field, but if I do it versus my guys, it’s more costly to the business,” Sal explains.

From Sal’s perspective, there are three major functions of a business: sales and marketing, operations and administration. When business slowed down after the pandemic boom, Sal made the difficult call to lay off much of his labor. Outsourcing was a necessity at the time, but Sal recognizes the long-term advantage that subbing out certain tasks can offer.

Sal on HGTV's HGTV’s Hidden Potential

Sal’s Google Ads are run by a company full of experts, his HR documents are managed through an online software, he hires freelancers for his photo and video needs, and he works with designers, as an administrator, using standard software. For on-site work, Sal likes to sub out demolition and plumbing work to specialists.

2_Pacific Breeze_Fall2023 About four years into running his company, Sal hired a temporary business coach who he says acted much like a COO, keeping everything and everyone associated with Pacific Breeze in check.

“Sometimes we can become tunnel-visioned as business owners,” Sal says. “Having a business coach on board helped me take it to the next level. He’s the one that influenced me to use software for estimation. He also inspired me to look into EOS.”

EOS stands for Entrepreneurial Operating System, a set of principles that help businesses like Sal’s run effectively and efficiently. Sal believes data-driven decision making is crucial and understands there is always room to learn from others. Although he is not currently taking guidance from a business coach, he seeks objective feedback from his network consistently to avoid stagnation.

In contrast to the authoritarian leadership style he experienced in the Navy as a petty officer second class, Sal describes his business leadership style as relatively laid-back. He’s comfortable allowing his team to make mistakes, so long as the final install checks all the boxes.

11_Pacific Breeze_Fall2023 “One thing I’ve always said to my guys from the beginning is, ‘If you mess up, fix it. It’s alright. Let’s correct it.’ I would walk my jobs and tell them when they needed to take something out and reinstall it because I did my due diligence by surrounding myself with true experts in the industry,” he says. “I’d pick up little things here and there that make our installs better like installing concrete pavers using ICPI standards for example.”

4_Pacific Breeze_Fall2023 Efficiency in business is key, but it should never come at the cost of quality work, service and leadership. Sal cares deeply about doing things right. To him, that means constantly reevaluating and remaining open to new ideas delivered by experienced voices. On the surface, Pacific Breeze Landscape is a veteran-owned company devoted to creating dream backyards for its customers. This company is also a benchmark for landscape businesses across the country.