Jim Huston

About J. R. Huston Enterprises, Inc. (formerly Smith-Huston, Inc.)

J. R. Huston Enterprises, Inc. is a full-service and industry-specific management consulting company, created to serve the needs of landscape and irrigation contractors, vendors and related associations. Huston Enterprises provides educational seminars, hands-on training workshops, on-site consulting, computer software installation and training, and a speaker’s bureau for dinner talks. The seminars, workshops and talks are designed not only for the contractor but also to assist associations and vendors by
1. Providing additional member/customer benefits
2. Augmenting membership/customer drive efforts
3. Supporting educational/training goals by providing cost-effective educational programs.

Profile of James R. Huston

Jim Huston has over 25 years of diverse business experience. While a Captain in the United States Marine Corps, he filled positions in finance as well as in aviation supply inventory management and procurement. After his tour with the Marines, he was a senior production control analyst at the electronics Division of General Dynamics.

Since the beginning of 1987, he has been a management consultant to the Green Industry. He travels throughout the United States and Canada consulting with landscape and irrigation contractors, conducting seminars and estimating workshops, and installing estimating software.

Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MBA degree in finance. He has written four books for the landscape and irrigation industry:

How to Price Landscape & Irrigation Projects
Estimating for Landscape & Irrigation Contractors
Preparing for & Responding to a Down Economy
Strategic Planning for Landscape & Irrigation Contractors

His latest book, How to Price Landscape & Irrigation Projects, is also available on six audio CDs.

The author has also developed four software programs for the landscape and irrigation industry:

The Estimating Budget
Quick Bid
The Estimating Platform
The Bid Board/Lead Tracker

Jim is a member of the American Society of Professional Estimators and he is one of two Certified Professional Landscape Estimators in the world. He is a Certified Intuit Solutions Advisor for Master Builder. This means that he can sell and install Master Builder Business Solution Software and thoroughly train his clients on all aspects of its use. Jim has assisted in the computerization of the estimating and/or accounting of hundreds of companies in the Green Industry. He has also closely monitored a number of those companies over an extended period of time. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada consulting with Landscape and Irrigation contractors, conducting estimating workshops, and installing estimating and accounting software.

BOOKS - AUDIO CDS - SOFTWARE

Book: 56 Chapters with over 600 pages. Detail reviewed by two of the top University Professors in Landscape Contracting from Penn State and Colorado State. Contains everything from Jim’s 1994 book, Estimating for Landscape & Irrigation Contractors, the most used college textbook in the industry, plus an additional 300 pages. Twenty-seven new chapters covering exit strategies; buying, selling and evaluating a business; Green Industry benchmarks; the Six Sigma Quality Management Revolution; bonuses & incentive plans; company structure & growth patterns; maximizing the value of your business; numerous Green Industry specific scenarios for outdoor lighting, outdoor ponds, T&M pricing, tree work, fertilization, maintenance packages and much, much more. Audio Book: All of the above on 6 new Audio CDs that you can listen to as your drive from job to job. MS Excel CD Worksheets: Include all of the diagrams and illustrations in the book that you can apply directly to your business. Use them to bid your work and prepare your company budget. Master Builder Construction Business Solutions Software: Intuit's construction management accounting program. Green Specialty Software: Prepare your bids, calculate all of the costs needed for estimating your jobs using the most comprehensive green management system and software available.

CONSULTING & TRAINING

J. R. Huston Enterprises, Inc. is a full-service and industry-specific management consulting company, created to serve the needs of landscape and irrigation contractors, vendors and related associations. We provide educational seminars, hands-on training workshops, and a speaker’s bureau for dinner talks. These events are designed not only for the contractor but also to assist associations and vendors by:
1. Providing additional member/customer benefits.
2. Augmenting membership/customer drive efforts.
3. Supporting educational/training goals by providing cost-effective educational programs.

Consultation

Bid With Confidence - One-Day On-Site Consultation

Strategic Planning - On-Site Consultation

General Consulting to Meet Your Needs

Workshops

Estimating Workshop

Strategic Planning Workshop

Seminars and Dinner Talks

Estimating System Overview

Preparing for & Responding to a Down Economy

Strategic Planning for Landscape & Irrigation Contractors

Other Seminar Topics and Dinner Talks are available. Please contact our office for details.

What Can We Do For You?

CONTRACTORS (see Consulting & Training)

Consultations - hourly (by phone or on site), half-day and full-day
Seminars, half and full day
Workshops, one and two day
Dinner talks

ASSOCIATIONS (see Training)

Seminars, half and full day
Workshops, one and two day
Dinner talks
Become resellers of JRHEI books and software

VENDORS (see Training)

Seminars, half and full day
Workshops, one and two day
Dinner talks
Become resellers of JRHEI books and software