By Dave Fairburn, Co-Founder of CrewHero

Tags: #Mission, #Backstory, #WhyCrewHero, #FounderMessage

CrewHero was created to end the daily chaos that landscape crews face—standing around waiting for assignments, trucks, and equipment. This disorganization drains motivation, causes frustration, and costs companies non-billable hours before the day even begins.

We built CrewHero to streamline dispatch, clarify crew assignments, and improve communication—so teams can start their day smoothly and stay engaged.

With four core features—People, Fleet Maintenance, Operational Processes, and Weather Integration—CrewHero helps:

This isn’t just software. It’s a daily-use tool that reduces friction, boosts retention, and helps owners run more organized, respectful, and successful operations.

Like many landscapers, I grew up in a blue-collar family with work boots on and dirt under my nails. I spent summers mowing lawns, fixing trucks, and running loaders with my dad—not because I had to, but because I loved it.

I thrived on the grind, battling weather and solving problems. But as our company grew, I learned that the real battle wasn’t the job—it was leading people.

That responsibility—to support others, build systems, and help hardworking people succeed—shaped everything I did at North Point Outdoors. It still does. Our internal mantra became:

Every day for 15 years, I watched motivated workers show up on time… only to stand around waiting:

It was chaos. And the frustration on their faces made it clear—this isn’t what they signed up for.

Meanwhile, I saw how this lack of structure destroyed motivation and crushed profitability. Non-billable labor hours piled up. Good people left—not because they didn’t care, but because no one had a plan.

I knew there had to be a better way.

CrewHero is the product of that frustration—and the solution to it.

We didn’t build this to help you sell more jobs or track CRM activity. We built it to improve the workday for your crews, to:

When people are clear on their plan, they start their day with confidence—not confusion. They stay longer. They work harder. And they feel like they’re part of something that respects their time.

The labor shortage in landscaping is real—but it’s not the root issue. Retention is.

You don’t have a labor problem if you don’t have a retention problem.

CrewHero gives you the tools to solve this from the inside out. When frontline workers feel supported, they stick around. When they stick around, your business stabilizes. Customers are happier. You become more profitable.

Here’s how we got here:

Everything still revolved around one major flaw: the frontline team was still in the dark.

So we built CrewHero—a custom Frontline Operations App that allows every team member to:

Since launch, we’ve been running North Point Outdoors on CrewHero—and it’s transformed our business. Not because it replaced people, but because it supports them.

Today, our crews show up prepared. Our systems run clean. We’ve held a 99% retention rate for two years straight.

CrewHero is not a tool to make managers look good. It’s a tool to make teams feel seen.

CrewHero is a product of sweat equity. It was built by people who lived the pain, felt the chaos, and worked through it. Now we’re helping others cut through the noise and operate with clarity.

We’re not just solving problems—we’re reshaping how service-based companies support their people. One morning at a time.

Let’s build something better together.

– Dave Fairburn, Co-Founder of CrewHero