Yardnique, a major player in the landscaping business, has announced that its Kissimmee facility will be closing. This is the latest in a string of big layoffs in Florida. The closing is set to happen in October 2024 and will mean the loss of 106 jobs. This is another big drop in the number of jobs in the state this year.
This comes after other companies, like iVox Solutions and Winn-Dixie, made similar statements, citing economic problems and stresses specific to their industries. The choice comes at a tough time for Yardnique because the landscaping business is dealing with a tightening job market and rising costs.
Yardnique’s Legacy in Landscaping
Yardnique was started in 1997 by a college student who wanted to make money for school by doing gardening. Since then, it has grown into one of the biggest service companies in the southeast of the United States.
The company has its main office in North Carolina and now has more than 2,000 employees. It does gardening for businesses and homes in several states, including Florida.
Even though the business has grown, workers have had mixed feelings about it. Yardnique has a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars on Indeed. Some employees have said nice things about the company’s culture and learning chances, while others have said bad things about how management works.
The Impact of the Layoffs
A WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) letter from August 21, 2024, says that Yardnique’s location at 650 W. Southport Road in Kissimmee will be closing, and all of its workers will be let go. Jobs like team leaders, irrigation technicians, spray technicians, and account managers will be affected.
Unfortunately, the company has confirmed that senior employees will not have the right to be bumped. This means that long-term employees will not be able to move up in the business.
The closing in Kissimmee shows that the job market in general, especially in Florida, is having a hard time. Lawn & Landscape Magazine did a poll in 2024 and found that 59% of landscaping companies said the job market has gotten worse in the last four years.
Also, more than three quarters of those businesses have had trouble filling at least one job. This shows that it’s getting harder and harder to find and keep skilled workers in an industry that’s facing the effects of rising wages and a lack of workers.