BrightView Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BV) (“the Company” or “BrightView”), the leading commercial landscaping services company in the United States, today announced that it would pay $6 million in one-time bonuses to frontline team members for their work during the peak of the coronavirus outbreak. More than 13,500 employees in branches across the U.S. will receive the bonus.

A BrightView Landscapes crew member tends a client's property during the coronavirus outbreak. BrightView today gave $6 million in bonuses to more than 13,500 frontline workers. (Photo: Business Wire)

“Very early in the pandemic, landscaping was designated an essential service by federal and state authorities, allowing us to continue to serve our clients and help assure the safety of their properties,” said BrightView President and CEO Andrew Masterman. “For our frontline team members, this meant working outside, day after day, providing those essential services. This bonus is our way of acknowledging their work and commitment to BrightView and our clients under very difficult circumstances.”

Those eligible for the one-time bonus include frontline workers and leaders employed by BrightView on May 1, 2020 and remaining with the Company through October 31, 2020 in BrightView’s Maintenance, Development, Golf Maintenance and Tree Care businesses.

“I have never been more proud to be part of this team,” Masterman said. “Every employee in every role has stepped up during this challenging time and made significant contributions to BrightView. We created custom protocols for equipment and vehicle sanitation, personal hygiene, face coverings and social distancing that were appropriate for the nature of our work, but our frontline workers in the field still had to leave their homes every day and do the difficult work of serving our clients.”

Frontline BrightView team members eligible for the bonus will begin receiving checks over the next several days. Masterman said the bonus is one small way BrightView can show appreciation for those team members who have worked in the field with clients during these months of quarantine and lockdown.

For the past two years, BrightView has proudly served the campus of Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, keeping the grounds and landscaping a focal point for the employees and visitors. BrightView recognizes that no matter the weather, our job is to deliver safe and navigable walkways, parking areas, and entrances that help reduce liability and minimize safety risks.

As COVID-19 began impacting our entire country, BrightView recognized that while landscapes continued to grow and need maintaining, facilities had bigger issues to worry about. Nowhere was this truer than for those in the healthcare industry. BrightView continues to work closely with the team at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital to keep them informed of the service schedule, handle any requests they may have, and make their experience during these trying times as pleasant as possible. While we recognize nothing can ease what the brave healthcare professionals are going through, BrightView was happy to donate cupcakes and flowers to Holy Cross Germantown Hospital staff to help brighten their day.

BrightView looks forward to continuing to serve this valued client.

BrightView Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BV), the leading commercial landscaping services company in the United States, today announced that it has entered into a national partnership with Saluting Branches: Arborists United for Veteran Remembrance, a charitable foundation that provides much-needed tree care services to nearly 70 U.S. veterans cemeteries across the nation.

BrightView has joined the ranks of other Saluting Branches national partners as well as committing skilled landscapers and arborists for the organization’s national Day of Service this fall. On September 23, 2020, thousands of volunteers, working under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and prominent local and national tree care and landscaping firms, gather to make needed improvements to cemeteries providing a final resting place for America’s veterans.

“Saluting Branches is grateful for the commitment that BrightView is making to our organization. The contribution they are providing will make it possible for us to support the thousands of green industry professionals who dedicate their time and services to our cause. We appreciate BrightView sharing in our mission and commitment to serving veterans through this national day of service,” said Ben Cooper, Saluting Branches president.

“It is a great honor to support Saluting Branches and to help them in this important work,” said BrightView President and CEO Andrew Masterman. “Ours is a company that has long supported the U.S. military and we are proud to join with others in our industry to be part of an effort to make these sacred spaces safer and more beautiful.”

The partnership is part of BrightView’s larger commitment to those who have served in the U.S. military. Last fall the company launched BrightView Recognizing and Acknowledging Veteran Opportunities – BRAVO – an internal resource group that works to recruit, hire and retain former service members. BRAVO also supports groups and initiatives that celebrate military service and provides support for veterans transitioning out of military service, including combat-disabled veterans.

About Saluting Branches

Rainbow Treecare, located in Minnetonka, Minn., created the Saluting Branches Day of Service in 2015. Since its inception, thousands in the industry have joined together to donate an estimated $4.5 million in services at veterans’ properties across the U.S.

BrightView Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BV) , the leading commercial landscaping services company in the United States, today posted details of the Company’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

A presentation outlining the measures BrightView has taken to protect the health and safety of its team members and customers as well as real and potential business impacts resulting from COVID-19, can be found on the Company’s investor website. The presentation includes landscaping’s designation as an essential service as defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The safety and well-being of team members, customers and the communities in which we operate is BrightView’s highest priority.

This past holiday season, the BrightView Northern Virginia regional team participated in a Toys for Tots toy drive. This is the 10th consecutive year that the Northern Virginia region has supported the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve program. This year’s drive had full participation from all five branches including Alexandria, Chantilly, Dulles, Fredericksburg, and Lorton. The region has provided more than 500 gifts to the charity over the last ten years.

The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community. In 2018, the local Virginia region distributed 106,947 toys to 89,755 children.

Thank you to all the Northern Virginia branches for their continued charitable efforts.

BrightView’s trucks are typically filled with landscaping equipment – but during the holiday season, some are stuffed with something else: canned food. The food is being collected and donated to benefit needy residents of the Southern Arizona city of Tucson.

BrightView Tucson West and Tucson East are collaborating to collect canned goods to “Stuff the BrightView Truck.” The program aims to pack as many non-perishable goods into BrightView trucks as possible to give back to the community. The branch is working together to collect and distribute food to help many local food pantries and programs.

“Our community is very close knit and anything BrightView can do to help give back is a top priority for us,” says Glen Killmer, Tucson West Branch Manager. “The community knows of BrightView as an industry-leading landscape provider so this is a small gesture to help give back to those in need.”

The Tucson branches plans on donating the first “Stuff the BrightView Truck” to local food pantries at a time when food donations are at a peak: the holiday season. BrightView will be matching all contributions made during this program.

The Gary Sinise Foundation honors the nation’s defenders, veterans, first responders and their families, administering programs designed to inspire, strengthen, and build communities.

A recent Foundation program received support from BrightView, a project that benefited veterans of the U.S. Marines Corps and Air Force. BrightView provided around $7,500 worth of landscaping to a new home for retired Army Sgt. Stefan Leroy, a double amputee. The BrightView crew designed and installed the irrigation system for Sgt. Leroy’s new home in West Palm Beach, Fla. BrightView also installed more than 500 plants and trees and laid 5,000 square feet of sod.

Leroy was wounded in Afghanistan after stepping on an IED while helping carry a wounded comrade to an evacuation helicopter. Leroy has been making headlines since his retirement as a four-time Boston Marathon competitor.

”As a veteran myself, it was really nice to see that people do still care,” said Carlos Sanchez, BrightView Account Manager in Sunrise, Fla. Carlos oversaw the installation, which was fulfilled by 30 industry-wide volunteers.

BrightView recently launched an internal advocacy group called “BrightView Recognizing and Acknowledging Veteran Opportunities,” or BRAVO. This idea was proposed by a group of veteran BrightView leaders and will celebrate military service, assist in the recruitment of veterans for every BrightView line of business, and help establish BrightView as a veteran-friendly organization both internally and in the community.

“BrightView worked with local suppliers to have all landscape materials for the project donated, which enforced a community of support for this important donation,” said Kenneth Catalano, BrightView Branch Manager in Florida South.

Team members from BrightView joined forces with residents of Thousand Oaks, Calif., to honor the 12 victims of the Nov. 7, 2018, mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill. One year after the tragic event, the community came together to create a new healing garden that pays tribute to the victims.

The garden features 12 vertical water jets, 12 natural stone slab benches, 12 natural granite boulders, and one massive oak tree.

BrightView Tree Company donated the 50-year-old oak tree as the centerpiece of the garden. The 30-foot coast live oak tree was delivered to the healing garden in September from BrightView’s nursery in Fillmore, Calif.

“During the selection of the oak tree for the healing garden, our goal was to find a large, healthy specimen that would tie into the existing mature trees on site,” said Andrew Mooney, Conejo Recreation and Park District Senior Park Planner. “The selected tree provides an anchor for the garden, which offers a background element to the space while also providing texture and shade through its foliage.”

The oak, which is 20 feet wide, was set to be destroyed before being rescued by BrightView Tree Company. It was relocated and cared for by BrightView’s experts and nursed back to its former glory.

“Much like the community of Thousand Oaks, the donated tree is healing,” said Robert Crudup, President and chief operating officer of BrightView Tree Company. “BrightView is honored to be a part of this memorial.”

The mission of the garden is to pay tribute to the Thousand Oaks community and honor the strength they showed in the aftermath of the tragic event.