Insights from Executive VP Greg Epstein on Progressive Landscape Equipment Tools
Greg Epstein, the Executive Vice President of Enhanced Landscape Management, started the company with a dream and powered it with his own passion. He was born and raised in landscaping, earned a Horticulture degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and has grown his business to 8 offices across multiple states, with over 750 people in the maintenance side of the business alone.
You don’t build a career like Greg’s just by cutting some lawns, and staying on top of new efficiencies is critically important to his success. That’s why he’s stayed current with the industry’s shift away from gas powered tools, including the gas ban in California, the primary state where Enhanced Landscape Management operates. California has banned the sale of all gas-powered lawn equipment, so companies that want to look towards the future need an alternative.
When the time came to start converting his teams to battery power, Greg chose the Greenworks OPTIMUS line. For him, the decision came down to a few key questions:
- What brand can provide the power my teams need?
- What brand has tools that my teams will actually want to use?
- What tools can last through an entire day of heavy use?
- What tools will be most profitable for my company, in the long term?
- What brand can serve as a selling point to help close jobs?
After his research, Greg decided that his answer to all these questions was Greenworks. Enhanced Landscape Management has been working with Greenworks to modernize and electrify their teams in the field, and in January 2025, became the inaugural recipient of the Greenworks Commercial Performance Landscaper Award. This award recognizes landscaping companies that follow innovative, sustainable practices in their pursuit of excellence.
POWER
Firstly, there is the question of power. Electric tools haven’t always compared to gas in terms of power or performance. Enter Greenworks, with our decades of battery-first design and engineering experience. From the beginning of our product development, we’ve focused on making more efficient and powerful electric tools to meet the needs of commercial landscaping professionals.
Now, we’re happy to say that Greenworks OPTIMUS tools aren’t just as strong as gas powered alternatives—they’re stronger. Technological advancements from our 750+ R&D engineers spread across 3 continents have led to battery power surpassing gas, putting out all the mowing, trimming, chopping, mulching, and blowing force that your team needs to tackle full-scale professional jobs.
PERFORMANCE
For a lawn maintenance professional in the field, however, power is just the tip of the iceberg. For someone using a tool all day, every part of the design matters—how does it feel to hold? How does it sound? How much does it vibrate?
In all these categories, electric outperforms gas. Greg found that his teams were asking to use the Greenworks tools over other options, and that the tools were helping them close jobs. The electric power of OPTIMUS is cleaner, quieter, more powerful, and starts instantly. Plus, Greenworks tools require less frequent maintenance, meaning fewer delays from ordering belts or filters. Even lifelong landscapers are making the switch from gas, and once teams feel the difference that electric tools make, they don’t want to go back.
LONGEVITY
The next key concern is the 8-or-more hour workday. With gas powered options, refueling is a simple but costly trip to the gas station. But what about modern electrical tools? We know that longevity in the field is essential, so we have made quick charging, quick swapping, long-lasting batteries a key pillar of our platform.
This key differentiator was one of the things that led Greg and his Enhanced Landscape Management teams to Greenworks. Our OPTIMUS EnergyCube™ mobile charging systems allow for charging on the go, refueling multiple riding mowers and a whole host of batteries from your trailer. That, plus extended runtimes for all our highly efficient equipment, results in tools that can work all day and charge all night.
PROFITABILITY
There’s no ignoring that cost is a major factor for both landscapers and their clients. Electric has a few important advantages over gas when it comes to profitability: electric tools have less downtime, keeping your teams on schedule, and electricity is cheaper than gas as a fuel source. Over just a few years, these reduced costs can add up to thousands of dollars per tool.
Many companies want to make the switch but can’t afford the upfront cost; Enhanced Landscape Management has some great insights on this point. Firstly, there are government rebate and subsidy programs available in certain areas, which can be a great incentive. Secondly, converting your equipment in waves or on a team-by-team basis can offset the costs. Lastly, Greg is using this as an opportunity to get old equipment off the road. Every team has a few aging tools that are underperforming as they wear down; upgrading those first will improve efficiency and avoid hefty repair costs.
CLOSING JOBS
The final factor to consider is how your equipment impacts your job bids and closings. Some clients have preferences or rules around pollution and noise, preventing teams that use gas equipment from working at certain times, or at all. Plus, for upscale properties, the fumes and smells of gas equipment can be a factor.
The environmental advantages of electrical tools can also be a selling point to an eco-conscious client. An all-electric landscaper using the OPTIMUS platform can deliver an overall better customer experience, with less noise and mess, ideal for everything from golf courses to college campuses. When it comes to peace of mind, for the client and the maintenance professional, electric equipment has the clear edge.
Greg knows that electric power is the right choice for Enhanced Landscape Management, and Greenworks is the best choice for electric lawncare. That’s why their organization is continuing to invest in upgrading their equipment and charging infrastructure.
“Enhanced Landscape Management is not just talking about it,” says Greg. “We are doing it. We are committed to a sustainable future, and a major part of that is investing in our teams with equipment that gives all of us peace of mind.”
For commercial lawncare and landscaping companies considering the switch to electric tools, Enhanced Landscape Management can serve as an effective case study and provide direction about how to make the change. Upgrading is a major decision, so choose a partner in your company’s success who knows the industry and cares about your teams, your reputation, and your bottom line. Greenworks is happy to be that partner.