Bland Landscaping Buys Charleston Grounds Management and an Aquatics Firm

What happened

Bland Landscaping Co. has acquired Charleston Grounds Management, a commercial landscaping company in Charleston, South Carolina. Vesterra Capital Partners, Bland's private equity owner, announced the deal on August 20, 2026, together with Bland's purchase of Clear Lakes and Wetland Services (CLAWS), an aquatics company in Myrtle Beach. The announcement gave no price or other financial terms.

The seller

Lee Hickman founded Charleston Grounds Management, which is based on Johns Island. It does landscaping for commercial customers in the Charleston area, mainly homeowners associations, townhome communities and multifamily properties. Its work covers landscape maintenance, enhancements, irrigation and seasonal flowers, and it also offers aquatics services.

CLAWS, founded by Ken Robinson, does lake and pond management, sells and maintains fountains, and stocks fish, mostly for HOAs in Myrtle Beach. Kurt Bland said both founders "have built respected businesses with strong reputations for quality." The announcement did not say what roles Hickman or Robinson will hold after the sale.

The buyer

Bland was founded in 1976 in Apex, North Carolina. CEO Kurt Bland and CFO and COO Matt Bland run the company. Comvest Private Equity, since renamed Vesterra Capital Partners, recapitalized Bland in December 2024. At that point Bland had more than 700 employees across 12 branches and had completed seven acquisitions since 2019. It had 14 branches by September 2025, when it bought C.S.S. Landscaping of Jacksonville, Florida, a company serving HOA, multifamily and office customers. It now reports 17. Kurt Bland puts the total at 11 companies acquired "over the last seven years," and Landscape Management ranks Bland No. 37 on its 2026 LM150.

Bland has bought a water-management company before. In January 2024 it acquired Foster Lake & Pond Management, and Kurt Bland said then: "I have always believed these two disciplines would have synergistic benefits to the needs of the customer who owns, manages, or develops real estate and infrastructure." On this deal he said, "We are excited to expand our landscaping and aquatics capabilities in Charleston and Myrtle Beach, which are key growth markets for Bland." Vesterra partner Matt Kunz said the acquisitions "reflect Bland's success partnering with established, founder-led businesses in great markets."

What this means for landscaping owners

Bland has now bought a pond and lake specialist twice, and in South Carolina it bought one in the same announcement as a Charleston landscaper that already offered aquatics. The customer base matches its last deal as well: like CSS in Jacksonville, both South Carolina companies work mainly for HOAs and other residential communities. For a Lowcountry or Grand Strand contractor with water work, that belongs in the description of the business rather than in a footnote, because it is a line this buyer has now acquired twice. Owners weighing an approach like this one can read our guide to selling a landscaping business to private equity.

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 South Carolina.

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Source: Bland Landscaping - https://blandlandscaping.com/2026/08/bland-landscaping-co-expands-in-south-carolina