Ares-Backed Landscape Workshop Acquires Tampa Bay's Big Yellow Services

What happened

Landscape Workshop, a Birmingham, Alabama, commercial landscape maintenance company, announced on August 18, 2026 that it had acquired Big Yellow Enterprises, Inc., which does business as Big Yellow Services. Big Yellow is based in Odessa, Florida, and serves the Greater Tampa Bay area across Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Owner Daniel Chiarito has joined Landscape Workshop as a senior account manager, and all Big Yellow employees are joining the company. Stuart Maxey, Butler Sparks and Ben Glicklich of Bradley Arant served as legal counsel to Landscape Workshop, and Chip Purcell of MD Purcell, Jr. represented Big Yellow. The announcement did not state a price or any other financial terms.

The seller

Big Yellow Enterprises was incorporated in Florida in 2003. The company does landscape design, installation and maintenance, with seasonal flower rotations and interior landscaping alongside the outdoor work, and offers irrigation, hardscapes, water features and aquatic management in select counties. Its maintenance model assigns one crew, headed by a crew chief, to each property for every visit, with regional supervisors checking each site weekly. Its customers have included Hilton, International Mall and Baystreet, and the Live Oak Preserve, Steeplechase and Sanctuary on Livingston properties.

"Finding the right partner was important to me, and Landscape Workshop was a natural fit," Chiarito said. "We share a commitment to quality work and customer service, and I'm excited about the opportunities this partnership creates for our employees and customers."

The buyer

Landscape Workshop has maintained commercial properties since 1984. An Ares Private Equity fund acquired a majority stake in May 2025; Carousel Capital had been the company's partner for the five years before that. At the time of the Ares deal it had 38 locations across the Southeast. It now operates from more than 50 locations across 16 states, from Utah and Kansas to Maryland and Florida.

"We're excited to welcome Dan and the Big Yellow team to Landscape Workshop as we continue strengthening our presence in the Tampa Bay area," said CEO J.T. Price. "Dan has built a respected business known for dependable service and long-standing customer relationships, and his team will be a great fit for our company."

Where Florida sellers landed at Landscape Workshop

Big Yellow follows two Florida acquisitions Landscape Workshop announced in May and June, and the three releases describe different outcomes for the people who ran the companies. In May it acquired Landcrafters, Inc., also in Tampa. Landcrafters' head gardener, Michael Tomaino, became general manager, and the company's commercial operations team continues to lead that business locally. In June it acquired Palm Atlantic Landscape Maintenance in Fort Lauderdale, where owner Bob Bollon joined as a senior account manager and all employees came over, the same arrangement announced for Big Yellow. Owners comparing buyer types can read our guide on selling a landscaping business to private equity.

What this means for Tampa Bay landscaping owners

Big Yellow came three months after Landcrafters, so the buyer across the table already operates locally. That makes the owner's own role after closing the question to raise first, because the three Florida deals above answered it two different ways, one keeping local leadership in charge and two bringing the owner over as an account manager. An owner who expects to keep running his operation after a sale should settle his title and responsibilities in the letter of intent rather than assume them.

OffDeal is an advisory firm that helps lower-middle-market business owners sell with confidence. Reach out to learn more about our expertise with landscaping businesses in Florida.

Own a landscaping business with $5M–$100M in revenue? We’re glad to give you an honest read on what it’s worth and who would buy it — no pitch, no pressure. Get a free valuation.

Source: Landscape Workshop - https://landscapeworkshop.com/landscaping-blog/landscape-workshop-acquires-big-yellow-services