Employee Development

At Ruppert Landscape, we are committed to fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional growth. Through a combination of hands-on training, classroom instruction, and eLearning, we equip our team members with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their roles. From operational and safety training to leadership development and industry certifications, our programs are designed to support employees at every stage of their career. By investing in our people, we ensure the highest standards of quality, efficiency, and safety while providing opportunities for personal and professional advancement.

Management Training

Employees responsible for leading and developing teams have access to our management training programs designed to enhance leadership, communication, and operational skills. This program includes a series of classroom training sessions, covering key management principles to support professional growth and team success.

  • Management Development Day (MDD): Once a year, we hold a company-wide conference, bringing together employees from each of our locations to hear messages from leadership, financial updates, and more.
  • Recruiting, Selecting, and Retention Training: Early each year, our branches refresh their skills and dive into best practices for recruiting, selecting, and retaining top-notch talent.
  • New Field Manager Orientation (NFMO): This class is designed to equip a new manager with basic skills in the following areas: people management, employee evaluations, safety, ethics, and driving profit and customer service.
  • Knowledge, Attitude, Skills & Habits (KASH): Employees learn what knowledge, attitude, skills, and habits it takes to be successful at Ruppert. Topics include the “KASH Box,” basic project management skills, team building, and communication.
  • Elevate (Level 1) En Español: Employees gain a better understanding of the company’s history and career options. It introduces them to leadership and personal development so they can create a plan for their career at Ruppert.
  • Elevate (Level 2) En Español: This training takes the participants on a deep dive on the leadership and communications skills they learned about in Level 1.
  • Project Managers Summit: Annual training event for landscape installation project managers designed to review best practices and share insights to enhance PM efficiency.
  • Safety Conference: Annual training event for our safety representatives (one from each branch).
  • Training Conference: Annual training event for our training representatives (one from each branch).
  • Leadership Development Program: This three-year program is modeled after executive MBA programs and is designed to empower and advance the future leaders of Ruppert.

Operations Training

Our training program provides team members with essential skills in horticulture and equipment operation, following standard procedures to ensure quality and efficiency. Training is delivered seasonally and made available through our learning management system, RuppertLEARNS, allowing employees to learn at their own pace.

To reinforce eLearning, designated trainers and subject matter experts in each branch provide hands-on instruction. Throughout the season, our maintenance branches host interactive training events to ensure all team members receive practical, real-world experience, including:

  • Mulch-o-Rama – Focuses on safe, efficient, and high-quality mulching practices at the start of mulch operations.
  • Mower Rodeo – Dedicated to mowing techniques, equipment training, and best practices.
  • Flower Training – Introduces proper bed preparation and flower installation techniques.
  • Snow Operations Training – Covers snow equipment operation, safety, and winter procedures.
  • Specialty Equipment & Operations Training – Led by Branch Training Reps and Leadership as needed for specialized skills.
  • Weekly Safety Topics – Discussed in Field Manager Meetings and reinforced with crews through Tailgate Talks.
  • Operational Knowledge Assessments – Used by managers to evaluate employees on safe and correct equipment use, providing coaching and identifying areas for improvement.

Career Growth & Continuing Education

We believe in growing from within and invest heavily in training and development to help employees advance in their careers. We strongly encourage continuing education and support team members in pursuing programs that enhance their skills and industry knowledge. Depending on an employee’s role and career goals, we provide access to:

  • Industry-specific certifications & seminars
  • Skills-based training programs
  • College & university courses

We offer full or partial reimbursement for continuing education at the company’s discretion, based on supervisor recommendations and successful course completion. Each branch also has a discretionary training budget to support employees’ learning goals and career growth.