2021 PGMS Green Star Awards | SSC’s Winning Campuses

October 22, 2021

The annual PGMS Green Star Awards® Program brings national recognition to grounds maintained with a high degree of excellence. The program complements other national landscape award programs that recognize outstanding landscape design and construction.

This program salutes the grounds manager responsible for maintaining a well-manicured landscape year-round. Grand, Honor, and Merit Awards are offered in 15 categories, covering all types of private, public commercial, and industrial landscapes. We are proud of our SSC grounds team and their continued efforts to make our campus partners’ spaces beautiful. We are excited to receive recognition from PGMS for the fifth year in a row.

We are happy to announce our 2021 winners:

Murray State University: Honor Award

Murray State University, located in Murray, Kentucky, was recognized with an Honor Award. The SSC Grounds team at Murray State focuses on three rotations of annual color to keep the campus looking fresh and beautiful. With many varieties of perennials planted each season, the campus is always bursting with color. The landscape team stays busy changing out the annuals, trimming shrubs and deadheading perennials.


Lake Sumter: Honor Award

Lake Sumter State College, located in Central Florida with three campuses that lie more than 25 miles apart individually, was recognized with an Honor Award. At Lake Sumpter State, the SSC team focuses on creating and maintaining a strategic and sustainable environment. By mixing soft and hardscapes on campus, a friendly setting is created for both man & animal.


Lawrence Township: Honor Award

The Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, was recognized with an Honor Award. At Lawrence Township, SSC Services for Education has transformed the athletic fields. The SSC Team strives to create and manage sustainable, healthy, competitive surfaces that meet or exceed ISHAA safety guidelines. The grounds team has done everything from daily and weekly maintenance of existing fields, to transforming a football field into a soccer field to meet the needs of the school.


Simpson College: Grand Award

Simpson College, located in Indianola, Iowa, was recognized with a Grand Award at the 2021 PGMS Awards. At Simpson College, the SSC Grounds team strives to continually improve and enhance the campus every day. Simpson College is very pedestrian-friendly, so a focus is put on enhancing curb appeal and incorporating plants and trees that provide color throughout the year. The SSC Grounds Team pays close attention to tradition by planting with the school color scheme in mind in specific areas like “The Gates,” where freshmen walk through to symbolize the beginning of their journey and Seniors pass back through to end their journey on campus.


Congratulations to all SSC Grounds Teams and campuses recognized for their excellence this year. For more information on SSC Grounds Management services, check out our grounds service page. We are excited for another year of customized approaches to enhancing curb appeal on campuses.