John Akehurst

President

Growing up in one of the oldest family-owned horticulture firms in the United States (Established in 1876), John has grown up around plants. He is a part of the 5th generation in leadership at the family firm.


John has spent his life creating and maintaining landscapes and has been tapped with his expertise over the years. For 2010 and 2011, he served as President of the Maryland, Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association (MNLGA). A State trade organization that serves the two billion dollar per year Maryland Horticulture Industry. To this day, John is still active with the organization assisting with testimonies and opinions regarding industry related bills in Annapolis, Maryland. In 2018 John, along with a group of other business owners in Maryland formed The American Landscape Institute (ALI). This organization was founded to attract, educate and train the next generation of landscape and horticultural professionals. The program combines on-the-job training with college classes pertaining to horticulture at the Community College of Baltimore (CCBC).  John has also been called in as an expert witness to testify in trial cases involving disputes over landscape-related issues.


John is a member of the following organizations:

  • Building Owners Management Association (BOMA)
  • Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA)
  • National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)
  • Maryland Multi Housing Association (MMHA)
  • Christian Waterfowlers Association (CWA)
  • Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association (MNLGA)
  • Maryland Green Industry Council (MaGIC)


Currently John is the CEO of the family firm Akehurst Landscape Service, Inc., which provides landscape installation, grounds maintenance and snow and ice management services to commercial properties throughout the state of Maryland. During John’s tenor as CEO, along with his goal-oriented style, he has pushed and led the family firm to grow their market share in the greater metropolitan area by over 65%. 


John holds the certifications and licenses of Professional Fertilizer Applicator and Pesticide Applicator by the Maryland Department of Agriculture.


John has won numerous awards for his designs and installations as well as holiday décor designs for projects completed in the Baltimore Region. In 2006, he was awarded The Carville Milling Akehurst Award by the MNLGA. Also, in 2006, he received the David E. Laird, Sr. Memorial Award in Atlanta GA, from the Southern Nursery Association for outstanding service to environmental horticulture. 


When John is not at work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and 4 children, gardening around his home, volunteering at his local church and the Char Hope Foundation as well as waterfowl hunting and amateur waterfowl photography.