Kevin Manning

Kevin Manning

Kevin has deep roots in the Chicagoland area, growing up in Plainfield and now residing in Naperville. He holds a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Illinois and serves on the board for the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA). Since KD's inception in 1998, Kevin has loved creating outdoor environments to match the lifestyles of thousands of customers. In his spare time, you can find him spending time on the water with his wife, daughter, son, and labradoodle.

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Recent Posts

How Landscape Construction Can Help Your Corporate Campus Stand Out

How Landscape Construction Can Help Your Corporate Campus Stand Out

If you manage an office park in Greater Chicago, you know you want to be competitive and attract and retain great businesses.

Just as your interior is essential to your corporate campus clients, so is your exterior. Your landscape must reflect a professional and positive brand — whether sleek and modern, natural and eco-friendly, or traditional and formal.

The right plant selection, hardscape materials, and design elements can create a cohesive look that aligns with your building’s architecture and image.

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7 Top Commercial Landscape Design Trends for Chicagoland

7 Top Commercial Landscape Design Trends for Chicagoland

Everybody thinks about flowers out front as a way to spruce up a commercial property. Still, when it comes to attracting attention, increasing customers, and boosting positive perception, you have to think bigger.

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Understanding LEED-Certified Landscaping for Commercial Properties

Understanding LEED-Certified Landscaping for Commercial Properties

Eco-friendly commercial landscaping is more than just a trend in Greater Chicago. You might even say it’s part of the future of commercial property management.

Environmental concerns and cost efficiency drive this shift toward sustainable and low-maintenance landscaping.

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4 Signs Your Commercial Snow Removal Provider is Destroying Your Property

4 Signs Your Commercial Snow Removal Provider is Destroying Your Property

Greater Chicago snowstorms can be pretty intense.

In fact, in January 2025, the polar vortex brought us some of the coldest weather on record with sub-zero temperatures and wind chills as low as negative 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

Not only did this lead to wet and slick roads full of ice, but flurries also piled up the snow.

Moments like this that last a few days or weeks can wreak havoc on your Greater Chicago commercial property.

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Solving Landscape Maintenance in Greater Chicago: Shorewood Glen HOA Case Study

Solving Landscape Maintenance in Greater Chicago: Shorewood Glen HOA Case Study

As a condominium or homeowners’ association (HOA) property manager, you have more than your fair share of concerns.

From the daily traffic of homeowners coming in and out of your neighborhood as they travel to school and work, to managing common areas and addressing individual questions and requests, to ensuring that property amenities are well-maintained and accessible, it can be easy for your commercial landscape maintenance in Greater Chicago to become overwhelming.

However, a top-notch, attractive HOA is important if you want to continue attracting new homeowners to your site and retain the ones you have, keeping complaints to a minimum.

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The Benefits of Pre-Treating Commercial Properties Before Winter Weather

The Benefits of Pre-Treating Commercial Properties Before Winter Weather

In winter in Greater Chicago, you can’t let the people who frequent your commercial facility down.

Large piles of snow and thick sheets of ice can be incredibly unsafe. In fact, Chicago can average 28.1 inches of snow and an average temperature of 26.4 degrees Fahrenheit each year, with the winds from Lake Michigan making it feel colder.

The area occasionally gets polar vortex conditions, like in 2019, when temperatures dropped to negative 21 degrees with a wind chill of negative 51 degrees.

Situations like this can cause a lot of ice to form, leading to a lot of slipping and falling, accidents, or building maintenance issues on your commercial site. No one needs liability concerns like this.

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How to Avoid Environmental Contamination With Professional Landscape Applications

How to Avoid Environmental Contamination With Professional Landscape Applications

First impressions always matter.

In today’s competitive market, whether you manage a corporate office park, retail center, industrial facility, hospital, school grounds, or other commercial property, the condition of your landscape can significantly impact your business's perception and reputation.

A well-maintained outdoor space elevates the visual appeal of your site and fosters a welcoming environment for clients, tenants, visitors, employees, and guests.

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Case Study: Commercial Landscape Services for McCollum Park

Case Study: Commercial Landscape Services for McCollum Park

When you manage large municipal landscaping, you face many challenges, including keeping the property safe for the many people who visit your site regularly.

When creating beautiful landscaping for parks doesn’t just happen, especially the impressive manicured planting areas, walkways, and colorful, cooling retreats that grace Chicagoland’s best public parks. The playgrounds at these sites encourage artistry and originality in efforts to promote physical activity and exercise in natural surroundings.

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The Comprehensive Guide to Commercial Landscape Design/Build Services in Chicagoland

The Comprehensive Guide to Commercial Landscape Design/Build Services in Chicagoland

As a property manager, developer, or business owner of a Greater Chicago commercial facility, you’re always looking to improve the appearance of your site and better serve your visitors.

Whether customers come to a retail facility, tenants live and use the amenities at an HOA, students attend an educational institution, workers and businesses report to an office park or industrial facility, or patients visit a healthcare site, you can’t sacrifice aesthetics, safety, and function when refining your commercial grounds.

While you may have a grasp on the commercial landscape maintenance services you need regularly, you might feel a bit lost when it comes to commercial landscape design/build, what these services entail, what they can do for your property, and how to get started with any landscape installation or landscape construction projects.

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