Mariani Premier Group Acquires Phoenix Estate Landscaper Mitschele’s

What happened

Mariani Premier Group, the Lake Bluff, Illinois-based landscaping group, announced on July 30, 2026 that it had acquired Mitschele’s, a Phoenix landscaping company that works in the Paradise Valley and Scottsdale estate market. President Aaron Mitschele and General Manager and Vice President Taylor Vache will continue to guide the company as part of the Mariani Premier Group team. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The seller

Mark Mitschele founded the company in 1978, after four years at Bill Carl’s Landscape Maintenance, which he joined in 1974. The family’s horticultural roots in Phoenix go back further. The Mitscheles moved to the city in 1950, and in 1955 Mark’s father, Albert, started a mulch business called Cactus Compost at 32nd Street and Greenway, blending organic material from the Turf Paradise racetrack, local ranchers and landscapers.

Mark’s son Aaron now runs the business as president, alongside Vache. Mitschele’s serves an exclusive, high-end residential client base, and Mariani describes it as one of the leading estate landscaping firms in Paradise Valley and Scottsdale. The work centers on estate garden management and horticulture, with irrigation, enhancements, general maintenance and installation around it. The company holds Arizona ROC license 261680.

“It was essential to find a partner that respects our family’s heritage and shares our commitment to quality,” Aaron Mitschele said in the announcement. “Joining them gives our talented team incredible resources for growth while ensuring our clients continue to receive the dedicated, personal service they’ve always valued.”

The buyer

Mariani Premier Group is backed by CI Capital Partners and led by CEO Bryan Christiansen. It grew out of Mariani Landscape, which Vito Mariani Sr. founded in 1958; his son Frank Mariani, who became its president in 1973, is the group’s founder and executive chairman. The group was announced as a platform supporting landscaping companies in May 2023. In that announcement, it said companies joining it continue to operate under the same brand, with decision-making remaining at the local level where possible.

“We are thrilled to welcome their team and support Aaron and Taylor’s continued leadership,” Christiansen said. “This partnership is a key step in our strategic growth in the Western United States.”

Mariani’s build-out in Greater Phoenix

Mitschele’s is not Mariani’s first Phoenix business. Berghoff Design Group and BDG Maintenance, both in Phoenix, were among the companies in the group when it was announced in 2023. In October 2024, Mariani added three Greater Phoenix companies in a single transaction it called its 21st acquisition, among them Benhart Landscaping, a Scottsdale company founded in 1997. The three served residential and commercial clients and together employed more than 200 people.

Mitschele’s base is narrower: a high-end residential estate firm, working the same Scottsdale market as Benhart. Owners weighing this kind of buyer can read our guide on selling a landscaping business to private equity.

What this means for landscaping owners

Owning Benhart did not keep Mariani from buying another firm serving Scottsdale estates. For a residential specialist in the Valley, a buyer that already operates in your city is still a buyer. What Mariani bought here was a family business founded 48 years ago that works one high-end niche, and it kept the second-generation president and the general manager in their roles. For an owner whose value sits in long estate relationships, who runs the business after closing is part of what gets sold.

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 Arizona.

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: Mariani Premier Group - https://marianipremiergroup.com/mariani-premier-group-expands-presence-in-arizona-with-the-addition-of-mitscheles/