GROW SUCCESS SNAPSHOT
From newcomer to employer A full-circle GROW story
By Amir Yani
Learning through GROW Soon after joining the company, he was enrolled in the GROW program. Delivered online during the pandemic, the program offered practical, industry-specific training. Teixeira focused on courses that would help him move beyond an entry-level role, particularly in leadership. The training helped him build confidence and better understand the day-to-day realities of landscaping in Canada, from equipment use to client expectations. It also had a direct impact on his work. After completing the program, Teixeira and his team began raising standards across their site. Their efforts led to winning a provincial award. The following year, they earned a national award for the same client. “That showed we were on the right path,” he said. He moved from crew member to crew leader, then into site and field supervisor roles. Today, he serves as an operations manager for the company’s Toronto branch, while also handling account management and supporting sales. With each step came new responsibilities. That perspective shapes his approach to leadership. Teixeira focuses on coaching his team, building trust and helping employees develop the skills needed to advance. He encourages staff to take on new challenges and sees Moving into management Teixeira’s career progression followed steadily.
Aurelio Teixeira knows what it means to start over. He also knows what it means to come full circle. In 2020, Teixeira joined the GROW program offered by Landscape Ontario as a newcomer to Canada, determined to rebuild a career he had already established in Brazil. Today, he is an operations manager hiring graduates from the same program that helped him get his career started. His journey reflects both personal determination and the long-term impact of industry training. Starting out in Canada Teixeira arrived in Toronto in 2017 with a background in agricultural research. In Brazil, he held a senior position working in horticulture. But like many newcomers to Canada, he faced the challenge of starting over. Rather than holding out for a similar role, he chose a different approach. That opportunity came with Strathmore Landscape Contractors, where he started as a crew member. At the time, he was part of a small team responsible for maintaining a single site. It was a step back professionally, but a deliberate one. “I told them, you don’t know me,” Teixeira said. “Give me one year. Let me show you who I am.” Teixeira saw it as a chance to prove himself in a new market while learning the expectations of the Canadian landscape industry.
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12 | LANDSCAPE ONTARIO
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