Acquisition merges two Indianapolis-based landscaping companies

The owners of landscaping firm Heath Outdoor LLC have acquired True North Landscaping LLC, creating an Indianapolis-based company that is expected to have 60 employees and bring in $5 million in revenue this year.

The acquisition closed Jan. 10, according to brothers Travis Hurst and Heath Hurst, who are now sole owners of the combined firm.

The Hursts said the two near-northeast-side businesses will continue to operate under their own names with their own websites, but “the invoicing, some of the marketing, and the bookkeeping will be combined” to create efficiencies.

Heath Outdoor, 1302 Columbia Ave., was founded by Heath Hurst in 2009 as a full-service landscape company, and started focusing on hardscape and design-build projects in 2014. It began taking on historic preservation work in recent years.

Heath employed 36 workers and brought in $2.7 million in revenue in 2019, the Hursts said.

True North, 2817 Massachusetts Ave., was founded by Cory Gliege in 1999, doing tree and plant sales. It offers residential and commercial landscaping with an emphasis on water features and stonework featuring an organic, natural look and feel.

True North had 20 employees and realized $1.3 million in revenue in 2019.

Gliege is expected to remain with the combined firm in a consulting and sales capacity, the Hursts said.

The Hursts expect the company, which now has 25 trucks providing services, to add four employees and boost revenue by at least $1 million in 2020.

During the snow and ice-management months, True North will focus on sidewalks while Heath will concentrate on drives and parking lots.
“We just really complement each other,” the company said in written comments. “We both do the same things, but our focus has been different.”

Officials say the company will continue to offer services in the entire Indianapolis market and the suburbs.

With expanded services, it also expects to serve larger downtown companies such as Eli Lilly and Co. Anthem Inc. that are located downtown, including Eli Lilly, Anthem Inc., Eskenazi Health, IU Health and more.