EMI Celebrates 30 Years- A Look at Where it Started

Mark Wehinger and Gary Clark started EMI in 1992 as a two-man crew with ambitious goals of improving the environment, developing Landscape Professionals, and serving their customers. In 30 years, their passion and drive for success has made EMI the largest family-owned landscape company in Ohio.

Throughout the year we will be celebrating this milestone by highlighting the people, projects, and partnerships that have gotten us here. But first, lets look back at how it all started:

Mark Wehinger,
President.
Connoisseur of cigars, cars, and wildlife conservation.

Gary Clark,
Vice President of Operations.
Skilled carpenter, devoted father

Mark and Gary went into business together in the fall of ‘91, selling maintenance contracts and preparing for their first season. They did the jobs themselves, building a reputation for excellence and reliability. The business doubled each year, allowing EMI to branch into other areas including construction and irrigation. They were able to bring on more employees and grow their fleet of trucks and equipment. Today EMI employs over 450 people with a fleet of 150 vehicles at 4 locations around central Columbus.

“Success is the Only Acceptable Outcome” has become the driving motto of the company, especially during challenging times. When national competitors moved in, many local companies made quality cuts to be able to compete on price. EMI chose to go the other direction, making changes to differentiate themselves. The focus turned to better turf, bigger flowers, and doing right by the customer. The company kept growing and was able to create partnerships with local companies, most recently with the Columbus Crew.

EMI is also driven by innovation. In each department; construction, irrigation, design & build, maintenance and employee services, there is a passion and drive to be at the forefront of new technology, practices, and employment.  These innovations benefit the clients, employees, and especially the environment.

When talking with Mark and Gary, you realize that their passion isn’t only in landscaping, but in their people. They take great pride in providing stability for the over 400 families that rely on EMI, because at its core, EMI is about people. Gary and Mark want their employees to be excited, passionate, and educated about the landscape industry. Because of this, they rebranded their Human Resources department to Employee Services. This created a team that supports employees and is focused on ensuring everyone takes advantages of the opportunities provided by the company.

“We believe here at EMI that our people are the best in the industry and we want to give them every opportunity to be successful.”

– Gary Clark

Gary and Mark chalk their success up to taking risks, reaching for excellence, having the right people, and having a passion for the industry. Looking back at 30 years, their initial goals of improving the environment, developing Landscape Professionals, and serving their customers have been surpassed and they continue to set the bar higher. Please join us on social media and our blog this year as we celebrate these successes and the people who got us here!