Mike Rhode, Vice President of Earthscapes, was born and raised in Chandler, Arizona. During his high school summer breaks, Mike worked for a family friend doing residential landscape construction, which is where his interest in the field began. Upon graduating high school, Mike joined the Navy where he was a helicopter rescue swimmer for five years. After his service, he decided to pursue a professional career in residential landscape construction.
Throughout the early years of his career, his attention to detail and genuine passion for building his team helped transform how the industry views landscape construction. He’s completed many high-end commercial and civil landscaping projects throughout the Phoenix area. Mike is known for his vast experience in the business; he has worked in nearly every position, from Project Manager to the Vice President of Earthscapes, where he thrives today.
Culture
When it comes to culture at Haydon, Mike believes teamwork is something that has pushed the Haydon and Earthscapes team forward. “Building a cohesive team that offers many different services provides our clients the unique benefit of all-around expertise. You can see how many multi-divisional projects Haydon is working on and how successful those projects are as we come together as a group. It’s fun to watch the teams come together with one common goal, not just on a project level, but as a whole as a company.”
Leadership
Mike has transformed the culture of Earthscapes through his unique brand management, personnel development, and his commitment to integrity. Mike is actively involved in all of Haydon’s community and field outreach events. He values service and spends much of his time mentoring his team and helping them reach their goals. “The best part of my job is our people – watching and helping them succeed on projects. Almost all our field superintendents are celebrating, or very close to, their 10-year mark. They have had the opportunity to watch Earthscapes grow.”
Future
“Earthscapes is Haydon. We have a different name, but we are one in the same.” Mike speaks about Haydon’s growth and broadening their market sectors, “I think the future here as a whole is transitioning into different market segments. We’re making good hires and expanding the company, which is really starting to come to fruition. It’s exciting to see those changes. We’re capable of building anything that’s out there.”
