Inside Scoop – January 2026

January 2026
In This Issue

Maria Jehs
AJ’s Landscaping

Dear CLCA East Bay Chapter Members,

I am truly honored to serve as President of the CLCA East Bay Chapter this year. Our chapter exists to support, educate, and elevate landscape professionals across the area by advancing best practices, promoting professionalism, and strengthening our community of skilled creatives and tradespeople.

That commitment to excellence and community is something I’ve experienced firsthand throughout my own career in the landscape industry. My husband, Chris, and I founded AJ’s Landscaping and Outdoor Construction in 2008 as a small residential maintenance company. Over time, we’ve grown into a full-service design-build firm specializing in luxury outdoor living spaces that are both beautiful and functional.

What I love most about our work is how it extends the home into the outdoors, creating spaces where families gather, play, and make lasting memories. Every project matters because it becomes part of someone’s everyday life.

Outside of work, I’m a mom to two incredible teenagers, and our family is actively involved in 4-H and FFA. This time of year, our evenings are often spent in the barn, doing everything from washing show pigs to feeding animals. On weekends, we’re usually serving as our kids’ “pit crew” at Jr. Livestock shows, where some of our favorite moments are spent working side by side. Those experiences reinforce the importance of patience, hard work, accountability, and practical life skills, values that shape how I run my business and how I show up in service to this chapter.

I’m incredibly grateful to serve alongside an exceptional East Bay board and honored to build on the strong foundation established by Cassidy Lundin. This year, my focus is on strengthening the value of our membership by expanding education, engagement, and connection for both maintenance professionals and design-build firms.

As President, I bring a commitment to thoughtful leadership, active listening, and community building. I am dedicated to creating opportunities for professional growth, collaboration, and celebration of our craft throughout the East Bay.

Having grown up with a love for the outdoors, it is a privilege to serve an industry that helps others create spaces to relax, connect, and call home. I’m truly honored to lead the CLCA East Bay Chapter in that mission this year.

Maria Jehs
President, CLCA East Bay Chapter

Beyond the Noise in 2026:
Turning Mixed Market Signals into a Playbook for Landscaping Firms

Mixed signals across markets reveal opportunity for landscape firms that understand client mix, positioning and 2026 strategy.

If a headline reads: “New home sales down 3%,” it sounds definitive. It isn’t. Dig even a little deeper, and a different picture emerges. In many markets, starter and lower-priced homes are indeed struggling. Interest-sensitive, price-sensitive buyers are on the sidelines. Some builders are laying off staff and slashing budgets, including landscape allowances.

But in those same metro areas, mid- to high-end homes are selling before completion. These buyers are less rate-sensitive, more focused on lifestyle and long-term positioning. If your firm’s core is high-end residential, amenity spaces or master-planned communities, the national “down 3%” story may have very little to do with your real opportunity set.

If you forget that base effect and build your 2026 strategy on a simplistic narrative of “we’re down from last year,” you risk cutting muscle instead of fat or missing the moment to invest in the right segments. READ MORE on Lawn and Landscape.

Landscape Contractors Insurance Services, Inc.

Upcoming Events

CLCA East Bay Chapter Events for 2025

East Bay Chapter Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, February 10th @ 11am
Zoom
CLCA Members are welcome to join
Contact Laura Leuer lleuer@comcast.net
East Bay Chapter Irrigation Training Luncheon

SAVE the DATE

Thursday, February 19th @ 11am

Las Positas College, Livermore

View Our Calendar

Partner Spotlight

Belgard

This Month’s Partner Spotlight is:

Belgard

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH BELGARD

Belgard supports contractors at every stage of your business – with unparalleled service and business-building tools to help you attract customers, close sales and increase profits.

Pro-Quality
From the pavers to the partnership, we’ve built our business around helping you build yours. Because your jobs deserve the absolute best and our award-winning Research & Development department works tirelessly to ensure that this is true of every single pallet.

Pro-Partnership
As North America’s number one hardscapes brand, Belgard is committed to serving you. Get access to a full spectrum of game-changing outdoor solutions plus in-person training, on-demand product demos, and educational tools to help you grow your business like the Pro you are.

CONTACT Belgard