Surviving 50 years as Northwest Indiana’s original lawn care company is a reason to celebrate! It all began in 1974 when Perma-Green started helping folks in Valparaiso with lawn care services. Over the next decade, turf science and equipment technology evolved. You could say Perma-Green grew up in the lawn care industry. As a lawn service rooted in science, Permagreen evolved and eventually split into two companies, Perma-Green Lawn Care and Permagreen Supreme.
While Perma-Green and Permagreen are both based in Valparaiso, share similar roots, and are considered NWI success stories, they are now separate entities. The original Permagreen Lawn Care distinguishes itself from its distant cousin by adding a hyphen and focusing on Lawn Care. At the same time, the other Permagreen adds the word “Supreme” in its name and builds fertilizer spreaders. It sounds straightforward until you try finding them on Google.
Permagreen | What’s in a Name… A Hyphen!
Everything seemed simple enough until Perma-Green Lawn Care announced it was celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2024. With exceptional lawn care specials and a storied history, people from around the region began searching the internet to learn more about Perma-Green, only to find the other Permagreen Supreme’s website. Permagreen Supreme customers also have issues. You might think it’s a matter of adding the hyphen until you enter your browser, “Permagreen Northwest Indiana.” Correct spelling, but you’ll be directed to the Lawn Care Service. Ughhh!!!
It was soon discovered that Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) wasn’t smart enough to distinguish a difference between the two Permagreens. Homeowners searching for lawn care services were pointed to an industrial equipment company. Conversely, businesses looking for industrial equipment found Perma-Green Lawn Care Services!
Ironically, with the AI’s inability to distinguish the two companies, people began searching, Permagreen vs Perma-Green | What’s the Difference?
In this article, you’ll discover more than just the differences between Perma-Green and Permagreen. You’ll also look at the common ancestry and culture of these two NWI success stories. Something must have been in the water because both Perma-Green and Permagreen have had tremendous success while taking completely different paths. Finally, you’ll also have fun looking at how lawn care has changed in the last 50 years.
The Values Established by Perma-Green 50 Years Ago Keep Them Going!
Is the world ready for AI? Can it replace human engagement? Perma-Green Lawn Care President Steve Daly embraces technology but believes it can never replace human interaction.
You won’t find many Lawn Care websites that are as forward-thinking as Daly’s! The Perma-Green website includes pages of online solutions, Apps, charts, and informative blogs. Perma-Green’s commitment to technology is evident in its fertilizing equipment, which uses Permagreen Supreme’s industry-leading lawn fertilizer spreaders.
Even lawn treatments used by Perma-Green are next-generation, including environmentally friendly fertilizer and weed and grub control.
But when it comes to customer engagement, Daly stands on the shoulders of Perma-Green’s founders, Butch Shiplov and Tom Jessen. According to Daly, “Perma-Green was founded on the values established in a small town 50 years ago. While we embrace innovation, technology works for Perma-Green, not vice versa. That’s why our inside support team still takes customer calls and assigns individual techs to every client. In the lawn care business, people matter!”
Will the Real Permagreen Please Stand Up, Please Stand Up, Please Stand Up!
While Perma-Green Lawn Care and Permagreen Supreme have similar names and origins, they are completely different companies. If someone needing lawn care solutions lands on a website with industrial equipment, they’ll likely feel disjointed. It’s critically important that customers find the right Perma-Green—or is it Permagreen?
The inconsistencies complicate the issue. For example, when you search Permagreen, it directs you to Permagreen Supreme. However, when you search Perma-Green with a hyphen, everything is still good!
But when we searched “Permagreen Lawn Care,” no hyphen was used. You would think the name would indicate we were looking for Permagreen Supreme, but Google sent us to the Lawn Care website. We then substituted Lawn Care with Northwest Indiana or Permagreen Northwest Indiana. Once again, Google sent us to the wrong “Permagreen.” Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t so smart!
Since Google’s AI can’t be counted on to deliver you to the right “Permagreen,” we will use this blog’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to put it at the top of the search engines. That way, this article with direct links will appear at the top of the search engines when someone searches, Permagreen vs. Perma-Green | What’s the Difference?
Links
Perma-Green Lawn Care (Services) (219) 462-3210
Pemagreen Supreme (Spreader Sprayer Manufacturer) 1-800-346-2001
Lawn Care History | 1974 to 2024
Fertilizing: Chemical fertilizers were widely used, but there wasn’t as much emphasis on the environmental impact. There was less awareness of issues like runoff into water sources or the importance of organic fertilizers.
Weed control: Herbicides were used to control weeds, but the range of products was more limited compared to today. People relied heavily on chemicals like 2,4-D, still used today but with more precautions.
Pesticides: Insecticides were commonly used to combat pests like grubs, ants, and beetles. Again, the environmental impact wasn’t a major concern, and there were fewer regulations regarding pesticide use.
Watering: Automatic irrigation systems were not as common, so people often watered their lawns manually with hoses or sprinklers. Water conservation wasn’t a significant consideration for many.
Overall, while the basics of lawn care were similar to today, there were fewer options, less awareness of environmental concerns, and a heavier reliance on chemicals for fertilizing, weed control, and pest management.
Established in 1974, Permagreen was Northwest Indiana’s Original Lawn Care
Permagreen was established in Valparaiso in 1974
Established in 1974, Perma-Green was a lawn care company that, you might say, “grew with our Northwest Indiana and the lawn care industry.” Lawn care in the early 1970s was quite different from today’s. As one of the earliest lawn care services, Permagreen helped establish Valparaiso’s competitiveness for a healthy, plush lawn.
Perma-Green combined forward-thinking technology with local expertise and experience. The insatiable drive to be the best inspired its founders, Butch Shiplov and Tom Jessen. Shiplov had a green thumb and a passion for helping homeowners find lawn care solutions in Northwest Indiana’s challenging soil compositions.
Permagreen Co-Founder Tom Jessen is with the Perma-Green Supreme Team
Co-founder Tom Jessen was an innovator who always focused on improving efficiency. As a lawn care service, advancements in equipment can improve efficiency and help reduce the homeowner’s cost. The right equipment can also reduce the lawn service’s footprint. While the founders found their paths, the two disciplines feed on each other.
In 2024, Perma-Green Lawn Care will use 100% fertilizer spreaders, while Perma-Green Supreme can count on Perma-Green for product testing and field-testing.
Perma-Green’s Steve Daly Discovers his Field of Dreams.
Years later, Steve Daly joined Shiplov’s team and used his expertise and Certified Turf Management credentials to optimize Perma-Greens Lawn Care outcomes. With today’s advancements in turf grass sciences, environmental concerns, and best-practice solutions, it’s not likely Daly would have been familiar with lawn care practices. But back then, the only practice Steve cared about was Little League practice!
Perma-Green Lawn Care | Established in 1974
When Steve Daly joined Perma-Green Lawn Care, he brought his Purdue Education and passion for turf science. With his scientific approach and team leadership, Daly eventually bought Perma-Green from his former boss and friend, Butch Shiplov.
With Daly’s strong reputation and team approach, Perma-Green Lawn Care attracted some of Northwest Indiana’s best lawn techs. With local talent from Lake County, Porter County and LaPorte County, Perma-Green Lawn Care was positioned to grow and grow. Soon, Perma-Green went from Porter County’s best lawn service to Northwest Indiana’s biggest and best.
While Daly is proud of his company’s growth, he still maintains the values the original Perma-Green founders instilled.
Permagreen Supreme | 26 Years of Experience in Spreader Sprayers
Permagreen Spreme’s Triumph. The other Perma-Green’s secret weapon!
While Perma-Green flourished in NWI under Daly, the other Permagreen grew on the national stage. Branded as Permagreen Supreme, Tom Jessen built his company around innovating and manufacturing lawn fertilizer spreaders. Permagreen Supreme invented and patented the first dual-injection spray gun, the first mechanized walk-behind spreader sprayer, low-volume spraying, and the industry’s first stand-on sprayer.
According to Permagreen Supreme’s website, with a 26-year track record and thousands of machines in the field, PermaGreen has remained the industry leader, both for the originality of design and for the quality of products built from the ground up.
Today, the Permagreen is one of the most versatile and sought-after spreader sprayers on the market. Permagreen Supreme comes closest to the money-making goal of one machine, all properties, daily.
Permagreen vs Perma-Green | What’s the Difference?
There’s a lot of fanfare surrounding Northwest Indiana’s longest-running lawn care these days, and why not? 50 years ago, a small lawn care service called Perma-Green was established in Valparaiso, IN. The grassroots fertilization company earned a reputation for growing grass in Northwest Indiana’s diverse and challenging soil types.
Today, the company that started as Perma-Green has grown to become Northwest Indiana’s best and longest-running lawn care service. While the original lawn service is distinguished by having a hyphen in its name, one of the founders who started Perma-Green in 1974 has branched off to become one of the nation’s leading lawn spreader sprayers.
While Google’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) struggles to differentiate brands, we have listed both companies’ links and phone numbers. Better yet, give us a call. While Perma-Green Lawn Care and Permagreen Supreme are different companies, they share one thing in common. They both share the same passion for helping people find solutions.
Permagreen was established in 1974.
Links
Perma-Green Lawn Care (Services) (219) 462-3210
Pemagreen Supreme (Spreader Sprayer Manufacturer) 1-800-346-2001
Written by Jim Jano Janesheski