From Garage Startup to Private Equity Exit: My Organic Turf’s Growth Story

In this episode of The Landscaper Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with Nick Bisset of My Organic Turf in Tampa, Florida about how he turned a garage “organic lawn experiment” into a multi‑million‑dollar pest control and lawn treatment company that was acquired by Fairway Lawns in just six years. Nick explains how he carved out a niche as a fully licensed pest control operator focused on lawn and ornamental care—fertilization, weed control, fungus, and insects—while staying out of mowing and installs and positioning his company as a boutique, safer alternative to big national brands. He shares the backstory of being fired from a high‑paying corporate role, using his agronomy and farming background to formulate organic OMRI‑listed products, and growing a route‑based, recurring‑revenue model with monthly lawn treatments, bi‑monthly household pest service, and mosquito programs. You’ll also hear the inside playbook on selling to private equity: why having clean CPA‑managed books and clear EBITDA mattered more than anything, what the year‑long due‑diligence process was really like, and how he’s now using the resources of a Morgan‑Stanley‑backed platform to expand My Organic Turf into new markets while staying true to its “people, pets, and planet” mission. What you'll learn on this episode: The full scope of services My Organic Turf offers: lawn and ornamental fertilization, weed and fungus control, GHP (general household pest), termites (non‑fumigation), and mosquitoes How Nick went from getting fired from a national sales role to bootstrapping an organic lawn‑care concept in his garage and turning it into a multi‑million‑dollar recurring‑revenue business Why he chose to stay strictly in pest control and turf health (and not mowing or installs), and how that focus helped him partner—rather than compete—with landscapers How My Organic Turf structures service frequency in Florida’s warm‑season turf market: monthly lawn visits, bi‑monthly exterior pest control, and monthly mosquito treatments The key steps that made his company “acquisition ready”: hiring a real CPA from day one, keeping clean monthly financials, understanding add‑backs, and knowing his true EBITDA What to expect when selling to private equity: brokers, multiple interested buyers, intense financial due diligence, and why a good attorney is worth every dollar How the Fairway/Morgan Stanley backing changes the game for growth—access to capital, marketing, and sister companies—while still keeping Nick incentivized through an earn‑out Nick’s advice for contractors who want to sell in 3–5 years: tighten your books now, invest in professional accounting and legal help, and build a brand that can thrive beyond the owner