Who is Ben of Aden Earthworks?
Ben Zlotnick is a dynamic character. He is a born entrepreneur, who built one of Toronto’s most successful landscape and construction companies from the ground up; from one truck to a full fleet covering the entire GTA. When asked how he built Aden Earthworks, Ben mentioned his Business degree from York and said, “but… school only gives you the bare bones… at the end of the day everything is sales.” Ben told us. “I love to sell because I have something fantastic to push. Everyone loves a beautiful landscape. In this day and age and especially this industry you need to be creative and always up and about; my brain won’t turn off. It drives my wife crazy at home, but serves me well in the office.”
What is Aden Earthworks?
Ben started the business in 2003. He had very little experience in landscaping, besides some sales experience. The secret, he says, was in surrounding himself with the right talent. “A good leader surrounds themselves with people who can do their jobs better.” In 2004 he expanded and opened a maintenance division for residential and commercial properties, which included snow plowing services for the winter months. Ben is always pushing, and experimenting with potential opportunities and underserved niches in the market, like Holiday Lighting or a Seasonal Urn division. “When it takes hold it’s great! If there’s real opportunity in the market, and you build the right team, you have it. Then it’s just, Sales, Sales, Sales.”
Ben was lucky to have steady growth, but it wasn’t just luck, it also had a great deal to do with quality control and exceptional customer service.
In 2009 Ben bought out his partner and, shortly after, he purchased Aesthetic Earthworks, which was a boutique landscaping horticultural company that focused on green services and low maintenance design. After the merger Ben was able to reach a different segment of the community and also become one of the most respected landscaping companies in the GTA.
Aden Earthworks now does everything from landscape design to lawn care to building landscape construction for condominium developments. Aden Earthworks has continued to expand to massive commercial projects including green roofs on skyscrapers and elaborate public park-like installations used by the people of Toronto. Stone Masonry and Decks & Fences are yet another addition that adds to Aden Earthwork’s comprehensive offering to its customers.
Aden Earthworks has won 3 awards this past year from the Landscape Ontario Association and they have also undertaken such innovative initiatives as investment in the development of The Plant Encyclopedia, which is an online platform that is not-for-profit and has grown into the largest database of plant material in the world. You can just Google “Plant Encyclopedia” to find this useful tool.
What does Aden Earthworks specialize in?
Aden Earthworks also has a strong green focus. Their eco-friendly initiative includes designing landscapes with zeriscape principles. Zeriscapes are landscapes strategically designed to thrive without the need for irrigation, or fertilizers. They are a huge cost-saver and that’s good for the environment.
What sets Aden Earthworks apart?
The staff is passionate about doing a fabulous job for their customers. They are a mix of highly talented and emotionally involved dedicated labours and skilled experts. No matter how big the company grows, Ben Zlotnick makes sure in hiring that the staff all have one thing in common that makes them a team; the love of creating landscapes. This may be the thing that sets Aden Earthworks truly apart.
Showcase Garden:
Existing mature garden design at this Markham property was re-designed to fit the couple’s retired lifestyle. Natural stone pathways were added to the front yard and driveway entrances to provide easier access to the home. Front gardens were redesigned to save some of the existing mature focal point plantings with new plantings added to provide year-round color and interest. Portions of the backyard gardens were replanted to minimize maintenance and provide a lush and colorful backdrop for their spa hot tub and entertainment patio. A new, custom built cedar arbour was designed and installed to provide some privacy and seating around the spa hot tub.
Have you hired Aden Earthworks? Tell us about your experience here!
