JULY 2025

Team,

We are in the full swing of summer, and I want to start by saying, great work! July has been a strong month for us, especially on the sales side, and that’s a direct result of your commitment, hustle, and focus. Whether it’s been supporting customers in the yard, loading trucks, delivering material, keeping things moving at our sites, or making the sale, your hard work is paying off.

It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture when we’re all buried in the day-to-day, but I want you to know it’s making a difference. We’ve seen solid growth, we’re winning new business, and we’re holding strong despite everything the season has thrown at us.

As many of you may already know, we’ve also made a strategic decision to separate from Cooper Disposal. While change is never easy, after seven years of working together, it was simply the right time for both organizations to take their own next steps. As we move ahead independently, we’re better positioned to focus on our core strengths and grow even stronger in the markets we serve.

As always, I want to remind everyone to stay safe. Keep an eye on each other, stay in communication, and don’t hesitate to raise your hand if something isn’t working. We get through the tough days the same way we reach the great ones, together.

Let’s keep it going strong. I’m proud of the work you’re doing, and grateful to be on this team.

Mid-Year Financial Update

Six months in, and overall, we’re performing very well. Revenue is up 19% year-over-year, and Net Income has increased by an impressive 70%.

Areas Needing Attention:
While Store Sales are up, Store Net Income is down. This is primarily due to a shift in sales mix, higher-margin production items are down, while low-margin winter items have tripled compared to last year.

Production Revenue and Margins are also down significantly year-over-year. This decline is tied to CDF related issues and an administrative discrepancy between work performed and billing authorizations. We’re actively addressing these differences, though it may take a few months to fully resolve and recover.

Highlights and Wins:

• Contract Revenue has more than doubled compared to last year.
• Against budget, we’re still in a strong position
  • Revenue is up 14%
  • Net Income is up 40%

While post 4th of July sales have slowed as expected, staying on budget through year-end would add another 10% to the bottom line.

Additionally, we have several promising projects, both underway and scheduled for the fall, that are expected to further strengthen our financials and deliver meaningful profit gains.

Great work and let’s have a second half just as strong as the first half!

The first phase of the Grand River dredge deepening project in Fairport Ohio is coming to a close. In total the site will receive around 170k yards of sediment. This is phase 1 of a three phase project with the Army Corps of Engineers. The Grand River Sediment Recycling Facility has been able to accommodate the dredged sediment material and we will begin dewatering as soon as the project concludes later this week. This project is the largest volume of material that the site has taken with larger volumes of material to come in the subsequent years. I would specifically like to thank Andres Torres and CJ Johnson for their help with the project and management of the facility. I cannot stress the importance of the work that they did and overcoming the obstacles that we faced. Great team work, but even better individual effort from those team members. Its projects like this that continue to showcase Kurtz’ ability to perform as the leaders in sediment beneficial reuse in the Great Lakes region.  

Landscape Season Still Going Strong – Serving Through Summer and Beyond

The 2024 landscape season is pushing full speed ahead—and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. With many contractors facing delays due to persistent rain earlier in the year, the pressure is on to finish projects before winter sets in. We’re continuing to support our customers and distributors with flexibility, patience, and responsiveness—even as delivery schedules shift from “on” to “off” with the changing weather.

A huge shoutout goes to our Transportation Team, who have been instrumental in adapting to last-minute changes and reschedules. Their ability to pivot quickly has kept jobs moving and customers satisfied. Your efforts are appreciated!

Meanwhile, our Sales Team is staying busy with a steady stream of new quote requests. Government spending on infrastructure is fueling demand, with utilities and roadwork projects now extending well into 2026. On the private sector side, we’re also seeing high demand for materials and support across a variety of markets.

Our Lunch and Learn sessions have become a key strategy in building relationships and securing new business. These sessions allow us to introduce our full range of products and services to contractors, engineers, municipalities, and decision-makers in person. This targeted outreach will continue through the fall and winter seasons and remains one of the most effective ways to communicate our value.

Current Projects in Motion Include:

• Geauga Lake Landscaping
• Green Middle School
• Hawthorne (Sagamore)
• New Mormon Church (Independence)
• Rocky River Rooftop Mix
• ODOT I-90 West
• Akron Zoo
• Akron YMCA Camp Noah
• Solon Route 43
• Seven Hills Schools
• Fairmount Blvd. Improvements
• Hudson Ellsworth Project

As always, our approach is rooted in Quality, Service, and Fair Pricing—three pillars that continue to set us apart from the competition. Use these strengths to your advantage when building trust and closing deals.

And remember:
Never say “We can’t” to an opportunity—say “How can we?”

Let’s keep this momentum going strong into the fall!

Our production teams are keeping things moving across all locations as we continue to meet the growing demand for high-quality materials.

• Bridgeview: Grinding operations are underway, along with active topsoil production.
• Avon: Focused on producing topsoil to support current and upcoming projects.
• CDF: Topsoil production is in full swing, with additional efforts focused on chute cleanout to maintain site efficiency.
• Hudson: Dedicated to producing consistent, quality soil to meet delivery needs.
• North Canton: Screening and producing topsoil as orders ramp up for the season.

Big thanks to the teams at each site for keeping materials flowing and quality high!

Transportation stayed active through July, moving a total of 12,432 loads between June 1st and July 21st—8,474 commercial and 3,958 residential. We wrapped up the Cleveland Cliffs project in early July, finishing strong with an average of 2,800 tons hauled per day. Since then, we’ve transitioned into several sizable hauling efforts, including CDF work, projects with our sister company KB Bio Energy, continued work with Urban Organics, and a new job with a national environmental contractor. On the distribution side, our top six commercial partners have accounted for more than 850 loads so far this season, keeping our fleet moving steadily despite slower overall market conditions.

🌟 Contest Winners & Store Highlights! 🌟

🎉 Full Contest Winners
Congratulations to Debbie C. from Avon, who took the top spot in the production store category with 48 entries, and Tiffany M. from Valley View, who led the non-production store with 19! Both will receive a $50 gift card for their outstanding performance—way to go!

🌱 Bagged Mulch Contest – June
A huge shoutout to Strongsville, the winner of the Bagged Mulch contest, with an impressive 679 bags sold! Their reward? A spin on the always-popular Favorite Prize Wheel!

🏗️ Valley View Transformation
Valley View underwent a total transformation last week—turning the showroom into a pick row—and it looks absolutely AMAZING! Huge kudos to the team for making it happen.

🎯 New Customer Goals Update
Our new customer initiatives are going strong:

• Garfield: 84%
• Strongsville & Avon: 75%
• Overall: 70%

We’re almost there—we got this!

🍔 Red, White, and BBQ!
We recently hosted our Red, White, and BBQ event for customers, and it was a fantastic success with a great turnout. Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen!

☀️ Beating the Heat
During these dog days of summer, we’re keeping our guests cool and happy with water and popsicles—just a small gesture to show we care!

We’re excited to share that retail sales are finally trending in a positive direction—helping to close the gap after a rain-soaked May and June. Thank you to everyone who’s kept things moving forward!

In other exciting news, our website rebuild is officially underway! We’re moving to a new platform called BigCommerce, which will significantly improve user engagement and streamline the online experience. The upgraded site will support expanded product ordering, online account management, and ordering capabilities for our Wholesale customers. Once complete, it will be a one-of-a-kind digital experience in our industry—and a major step forward for our brand.

Stay tuned for more updates as we build something that sets us apart in the market!

2024 Employee of the Year Trip

Cindy Sapp, our 2024 Employee of the Year, just enjoyed her trip to Hawaii!  Check out the amazing photos she shared. How the program works: All Employee of the Month winners (Jan-Nov) are voted on by the employees in December.  The top 5 are then voted on by SLT.  The employee of the year wins a one week paid vacation and paid trip for (2)!   

New ADP Homepage Coming 

ADP announced a new homepage design is coming.  Along with the new overview layout, there will be an updated Company News area, Helpful Links, and more!  Here is a preview:

Keep Your Information Up to Date in ADP!

If you move, change your e-mail address, or other important information, be sure to update it in ADP.  This is the source for all Company communications, as well as important notices, tax forms, and more.  

Summertime Financial Wellness 

July is a great time to check in on your budget and get ready for back to school. Are you hitting your spending and savings goals? Do you need to adjust your budget to save more? If you still need a little help, read Voya’s article for tips on creating your budget

It’s also time to create your budget for back-to-school shopping. Your family might need new clothes, notebooks, and other supplies. Keep an eye out for any sales or tax-free shopping!  Ohio’s Sales Tax Holiday runs from August 1 – August 14! 

🎓 Employee Spotlights & Celebrations – We want to celebrate YOU! Don’t forget to submit your family celebration photos to share in our Employee Corner!  Submit photos to hr@kurtz-bros.com