BrightView-maintained FCA US headquarters wins prestigious landscape award

The FCA US headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich., maintained by BrightView, has been honored with the Grand Award for Turf Maintenance by the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). The NALP’s annual Awards of Excellence recognize exceptional landscape, lawn care, and interior plantscape design projects from around the nation. This year, 136 awards were presented for maintenance, design/build, or contracting projects.

Working closely with FCA US management, the BrightView team has cared for the Chrysler World Headquarters and Technology Center (CTC), which sits on 504 acres about 30 miles north of Detroit, since 2009. The landscape company is responsible for preserving the quality of 147 acres of turf and landscape beds and more than 1,000 trees.

“The expectation is that the turf always looks freshly cut and is completely weed-free,” said Ron Dickerson, BrightView landscape architect. “We have a great team on-site every day to ensure the expectations continue to be met or exceeded every year.”

CTC is the only automotive facility that brings together cutting-edge scientific research, industry-leading creative design, vehicle development, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, and corporate leadership all under one roof. With 5.4 million square feet of office space, the FCA US complex is the second-largest building in the U.S. in floor space (all under one roof) and is the workplace home to more than 15,000 people each day.

The campus is divided into five zones that are cut and detailed weekly, including regular turf fertilization. Plants and trees also are reviewed weekly to ensure any disease or pest issues are addressed immediately. The irrigation system includes 325 zones, all monitored by computer, and a weather station measures wind, precipitation, and ground conditions.

“There are so many things that could happen with a site this size, whether it’s too much water, too little water, pest issues, fungus, or the weather,” said Jessica Volpe, BrightView Account Manager. “We are constantly monitoring and adjusting our approach to keep the turf healthy and beautiful.”

As cold weather approaches, the BrightView team will conduct detail work, clean up, and install hardscapes before beginning winter pruning on more than 1,000 crab trees.

“We enjoy working with FCA US management to keep its headquarters campus at the highest level of quality and believe our dedication to meeting their needs is unmatched,” Volpe said. “The exceptional condition of this property is a testament to the hard work that each team member puts in every day. We all take a lot of pride in seeing the campus recognized as one of the best.”

NALP’s Grand Awards can only be won once every 10 years for the same property in each category. The FCA US campus also received a Grand Award for Landscape Management in 2015.

BrightView also took home a Commercial Landscape Maintenance Merit Award for 200 Spectrum in Irvine, Calif., and a Commercial Landscape Management Merit Award for Santa Clara Square in Santa Clara, Calif.