Matt Martin named 2015 Sposato Employee of the Year

When it comes to the landscaping business, Sposato installation manager Matt Martin could have felt a little like Michael Corleone felt about the mob in Godfather III, “Just when I thought I was out…they pull me back in.” But that feeling is long gone as Martin was named Employee of the Year for 2015 at Sposato Landscape.

Martin’s aversion to dirt and all that grows in it developed over 25 years of working in his family-owned nursery in Rehoboth. In addition to working there selling trees, shrubs and topsoil, he helped family and friends with gardening advice, planting and landscape design. By his early 20s he had a strong desire to try something else.

His parents, who wanted him to join the family business full time, were delighted when he entered Virginia Tech and majored in landscape design. But Martin decided after one year that a landscape career wasn’t in the cards and withdrew. “I really didn’t see myself doing it for a living, so I decided to go in another direction,” said the Ocean View resident.

After working in the hospitality industry building bars, opening restaurants and bartending, Martin was slowly lured back into the landscape business seeking the stability of benefits and a steady paycheck. And Sposato founder Tony Sposato is glad he was. “Matt has been a great addition to our team,” said Sposato. “He is highly skilled, a great teacher and an excellent leader. He has had a positive influence on our company. His award is well deserved.”

Martin’s 10-person crew installs flower beds, trees, sod, driveways and irrigation systems. In addition, they set customers up with maintenance contracts that keep lawns, plants and flowers looking fresh and healthy.

“It’s an honor to win this award,” said Martin, who admitted that working at Sposato has rekindled his love of landscaping. “‘But it’s really an award for my team. My people are the ones that made this possible.”

Martin and his team, designers Marcus Richardson, Jason Kehler and Megan Fransisco, and install administrator Mary Radliff, work closely with customers to understand what their vision is for their landscape. “Do they want to highlight a particular area of their lawn, enhance an entrance or improve curb appeal? Do they want privacy? Then we guide them through the process. But it involves more than just vision. You have to deal with the variables of sun, shade, wind, soil and plants.”

Martin, who did some drawing in his youth, said he approaches his work with an artist’s eye. “I can see art in everything,” said Martin. “Some people spend a lot of time and money building and decorating their home without putting much thought into decorating the outside.”

Martin stressed that a beautiful landscape adds not only to the aesthetics of a property. “Beautiful landscaping increases the value of a home. It’s like a one-of-a-kind work of art. You can create something unique and give people a great first impression of your home.”