December 16, 2021
Gardenzilla owner Michael Chudy.
GROW Success Snapshot: Gardenzilla
This past spring, Gardenzilla joined the GROW New Entrant Worker Job Bank with the goal to find the right people, right away. With their free company profile, they connected with recent graduates from the GROW New Entrant Training Program, who quickly became valued members of their team.
Owner, Michael Chudy started Gardenzilla in 2014 on a shoe-string budget. “In the beginning, it was just me and my hatchback,” said Chudy. Operating in midtown Toronto, Gardenzilla now offers a portfolio of year-round services, including maintenance, installation, garden care, snow removal, and more. The company currently employs 31 staff, including full-time office staff at their company headquarters located in the Leaside neighbourhood of Toronto.
Another GROW graduate is now a member of the Gardenzilla garden team — a position that requires strong customer service skills, plant identification knowledge and a passion for gardening. “We didn’t expect to find someone for our garden team because of the combination of skills the role requires,” said Chudy. “She has been a great addition to the team and we’re happy to have her.”
GROW graduates have demonstrated a commitment to establishing a career in landscape and horticulture. As Gardenzilla discovered, this combination of passion and relevant workplace knowledge helps them quickly become valuable members of a team.
Owner, Michael Chudy started Gardenzilla in 2014 on a shoe-string budget. “In the beginning, it was just me and my hatchback,” said Chudy. Operating in midtown Toronto, Gardenzilla now offers a portfolio of year-round services, including maintenance, installation, garden care, snow removal, and more. The company currently employs 31 staff, including full-time office staff at their company headquarters located in the Leaside neighbourhood of Toronto.
After completing four weeks of skills training with GROW, program graduate Yu was ready to leverage his new skills to launch an outdoor career. That’s when Chudy connected with Yu via the GROW New Entrant Job Bank. “We love him,” said Chudy. “We knew he’d be a great fit the moment we spoke with him.” Yu is now a proud member of Gardenzilla’s maintenance team.“Now, when we see the GROW Program on an applicant’s resume, they move to the top of our list.”
— Michael Chudy, Owner, Gardenzilla
Another GROW graduate is now a member of the Gardenzilla garden team — a position that requires strong customer service skills, plant identification knowledge and a passion for gardening. “We didn’t expect to find someone for our garden team because of the combination of skills the role requires,” said Chudy. “She has been a great addition to the team and we’re happy to have her.”
GROW graduates have demonstrated a commitment to establishing a career in landscape and horticulture. As Gardenzilla discovered, this combination of passion and relevant workplace knowledge helps them quickly become valuable members of a team.