Who We Are

Rubicon Divisions

 

Rubicon Landscape Group (Rubicon Landscape), located in Richmond, California, is not your run-of-the-mill landscaping company. The business was launched more than 30 years ago as a social enterprise to support the life-changing mission of its parent nonprofit, Rubicon Programs. Under the umbrella of Rubicon, we have three divisions which we refer to as REI, RPI, and RLC. Learn more about each division below:

Rubicon Enterprises
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About REI

Since 1997 REI, in partnership with One Treasure Island, a Treasure island-based nonprofit, has been working for San Francisco’s Treasure Island Development Authority (TIDA), providing grounds maintenance to all the common exterior areas of Treasure Island as well as Yerba Buena Island native areas and newly developed parks. 

Rubicon provides a job training program through our partnership with One Treasure Island. The job training program fulfills the mission started in 1997 when REI won the contract for grounds maintenance services on Treasure Island to provide entry-level job opportunities on Treasure Island to economically disadvantaged residents of San Francisco.  

The goal is for those trainees to graduate from this training program ready to be hired as Gardeners in the Landscaping industry. The program focuses on developing well-rounded individuals, which includes more than just labor. Trainees will develop practical job skills through professional development activities and personal development lessons.  

The REI team is supported by our Director of Operations Mike Gillett and managed by our Account Manager Sergio Calvario and Operations Manager/Trainer Juan Hernandez.

Sustainability

REI -Sustainability and commitment to raising folks out of poverty.  

At Treasure Island, we do our absolute best to help reduce chemical use on the island. We play our part by eliminating the invasive species of plants with a steam treatment or they get burned to the roots with a torch. Our crew will take the time needed to manually pull out as many invasives by hand. This type of practice reduces, if not eliminating, the use of any herbicides or pesticides to help conserve the natural habitat in the island as organically as possible. 

  

Rubicon values its staff and their future by providing training classes to tech candidates from the proper use of power equipment tools along with maintenance best practice to help create their professional resume. We also host courses on Native and Invasive plants. This provides opportunities to learn and continue advancing as it is related to work focused across the island along with work in San Francisco. The training classes that Rubicon provides are also designed to help develop better communication skills. All skills trained and used can also be used to motivate the paths our trainees choose for their future.

Meet the REI Team

The REI team is supported by our Director of Operations Mike Gillett and managed by our Account Manager Sergio Calvario and Operations Manager/Trainer Juan Hernandez.

Mike Gillett has worked in the landscape industry for 26 years, starting from a laborer and moving up through every position in the landscape trade. Previously he managed a landscape maintenance business in Southern California producing more than $17 million dollars in annual revenue. He has a BS in Business Management and an MBA with an emphasis in Finance and Global Sustainability. He holds several major landscape industry certifications and is certified DiSC as a facilitator. In his free time, Mike wrote a book about business management and general wellbeing as a guide to help individuals wanting to go into management or in management to help them find a better balance in life. He also regularly speaks to groups about mental health and mental illness and volunteers helping people find resources for help. Mike has three children and loves to hit farmers’ markets, cook, and generally experiment with food.

Sergio Calvario joined the Rubicon team in March 2022 and currently serves as the Account Manager for the Treasure Island location. He brings over 20 years of experience working in the landscape and agricultural profession across the Bay Area. His profession began while working as a nurseryman in Redwood City. Learning all he could about plants, he had the opportunity to become a master nursery professional. Sergio then began to do his own landscaping and maintenance at residential high-in properties around the peninsula. He has an eye for quality work and sets high expectations.

After doing residential maintenance and landscape for over a 10-year duration, he moved from the peninsula to the East Bay for better opportunities. He chose to broaden his career by applying as an Account Manager for a well-known landscape company that serviced commercial properties all throughout the country. Sergio’s drive and passion for his career continue to grow. As Sergio grew from the ground up in the profession, he holds a couple of certifications, such as QWEL and ReScape. He understands what it takes to learn and advance in the industry.  When not working, Sergio loves spending time with his family. He, his Wife, and his teenage son enjoys hiking, playing soccer, traveling, and watching action movies. 

Juan Hernandez has been working for Rubicon since July 1999. He started his path in the landscape industry and at Rubicon as part of on job training program, which provided him of basic landscape skills. After he graduated from the program, he was hired as a regular laborer. Then, Juan began to step up from laborer, lead person, crew leader, supervisor to operation manager/trainer. Juan’s growth mindset vision believes that with effort, perseverance, and hard work, he can better his life and overcome the most challenges situations. As his growth, Juan earned some specializations and a certification such us from UCDAVIS “Managing as a coach”, from COMMONWEALTH EDUCATION TRUST “Foundations of Teaching, Planning for Teaching and Learning”, and from ReScape “ReScape Qualified Professional-Landscape Maintenance” respectively.  Juan has 23 years at Rubicon. He currently manages operations at Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island. In addition, he is responsible for the success of our training program which is focused on teaching, training, specializing and developing residents of San Francisco. Juan has been specialized in native and invasive plants. His commitment is reducing to use herbicides and pesticides in landscaping practices. In his spare time, Juan plays soccer, and enjoys to have quality time with his wife, daughter, and his dog.  

ABOUT RUBICON PROGRAMS
Rubicon Programs

About RPI

Rubicon Programs, Incorporated 

RPI is the original no-profit of which our other two branches grew. RPI is comprised of military and federal contracts. VA, US Coast Guard, and Navy, all of which participate in the Ability One Program.  

Through the AbilityOne Program, Rubicon provides employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities. These individuals can enjoy full participation in their community and market their AbilityOne-learned skills in other public and private sector jobs.

Sustainability

RPI -Sustainability and commitment to raising folks out of poverty. 

Rubicon landscape understands the principles necessary to maintain a healthy and vibrant landscaping through sustainability. The practice of water conservation is pivotal to sustainability. Water conservation can be accomplished through selecting drought tolerant native plants and installing mulch to help to hold water in the soil. Lawn aeration also helps to retain water in turf. Overhead watering systems can be converted to drip irrigation helping to provide water directly to a plants root zone and preventing water waste. Another sustainable practice is to reduce waste. Waste reduction can be accomplished through grass cycling which is the practice of leaving grass clippings in order to return nitrogen back into soil.  Woodchips from tree removals provides numerous benefits as it prevents waste, retains water and reduces potential weeds. Rubicon has educated customers to reduce turf areas and covert to sheeting mulching in order to help reduce watering.  

Other examples: Use of organic materials such as compost and organic fertilizers in rose gardens. Converting part of our equipment to electric equipment. Using local resources.  

Meet the RPI Team

Eric Hage was hired as a Foreman for Rubicon in 2013 and has over 12 years experience in the landscaping industry. Eric has a B.A. in History from the University of the Pacific and studied Environmental Horticulture at Foothill College in Los Altos. He is a Rescape Qualified Professional (RQP) and has a C-27 landscape contractor’s license. Passionate about landscape improvement, helping the environment and is an impressive asset to the Rubicon Landscape team. Eric excels in customer service going the extra mile for Rubicon’s customer and staff. 

Charlie Kansaku began his journey into the landscape industry in 1974 working at a Sod Farm in Southern California. This experience planted a seed as he work his way up to become a foreman for a growing landscape company, a residential landscape business owner and eventually hired as an Operations Supervisor for Rubicon Landscape in 2010.Charlie is an Army Veteran and takes pride in overseeing and maintaining the beautiful Palo alto, Menlo Park and Livermore Veteran Hospital landscapes. He has a wealth of landscape industry knowledge including sales and estimating, commercial landscape installation, field operations, best landscape maintenance practices and manages a team of 15 workers. He holds a C-27 license and is the acting RME for our RPI division. Charlie emphasis’s safety, communication and goes above and beyond to provide excellent customer satisfaction. His dedication to Rubicon Landscape and providing quality work is unparalleled all while mentoring and training many employees on how to become skillful landscapers.   

Enrique Chaidez got his start with The East Bay Conservation Corps where he developed a passion for improving landscapes and working with power equipment. He has now worked for Rubicon Landscape over 17 years, starting with the installation department then transitioning to Richmond, Treasure Island and V.A. maintenance accounts. Enrique started as a laborer and worked his way up to Operations Manager gaining valuable skills and qualifications along the way. He’s well versed in operating heavy equipment, power tools, irrigation installation and repairs, tree trimming, holds a QAL spray license and is currently working to obtain his C-27 contractor’s license. Enrique enjoys being a steward to nature in the workplace all while helping individuals with special needs teaching work and life skills. Enrique is a valuable member of the Rubicon team and his hard work and dedication continues to shine.

RLC - Rubicon landscape corporation
Rubicon Landscape Group

About RLC

Rubicon Landscape Corporation 

RLC was founded in August of 2018 and is our only for-profit company that works with municipalities, HOA’s and commercial properties.  

At Rubicon Landscape, we’re in the business of transformation with an expanded approach to landscape services that addresses your maintenance, water management and construction needs, as well as ensuring a healthier environment and more productive lives.

We hold our work to a higher standard, bringing attention to service, initiative and detail to every job. We pride ourselves in meeting and anticipating your landscape maintenance, water management and construction needs, increasing property values for you, the owner and the occupants. And by building a healthier and thriving community, our partnership with you yields both economic and social value that benefits your company.

 

 

Sustainability

Our techniques work in harmony with the natural environment and we put a big emphasis on understanding how one input affects the whole. We take inspiration from the regenerative landscape principles our industry partner, ReScape California, has identified as being core to maintaining healthy ecosystems. 

Eight core Principles for Regenerative Landscapes

  • Act Local 
  • Reducing 
  • Nurture Soil 
  • Sequester Carbon 
  • Save Water 
  • Conserve Energy 
  • Protect Water & Air 
  • Create Habitat 

Meet the REI Team

Our professional service team brings experience, in-depth industry knowledge and years of service to your project. Ongoing Professional Services Training, provided in-house and required, ranges from Horticultural Best Practices to Water Management Techniques ensuring consistency in know-how and application of skills. Our team, in turn, appreciates the investment in their professional education and stays with us for many years.

Our teams include professional Landscape Technicians, Gardeners, Irrigation Technicians, and Integrated Pest Management Specialists. A typical team structure for an integrated landscape services project includes an Account Manager and Operations Supervisor who are responsible for identifying your goals and ensuring we deliver successfully.

Jim Miranda has worked for Rubicon for 26 years. Jim began in the industry in 1989. He started at Rubicon as a licensed Pest Control Operator. Jim is the Safety and IPM Manager. In the last few years, he became an Account Manager as well. Jim cares deeply about people and seeks to help where he can.  He enjoys seeing the work that RLC does on the physical landscape and the growth that takes place in our employees. He loves that not only is he making a living working at Rubicon, but that the end result is helping the community. Jim is a Bay Area native. Jim is married to his high school sweetheart and has grown-up twins. Jim loves sports and the outdoors. He is very involved in his church. He plays guitar and sings at church and in one of the local prisons. 

Pedro Torrez has worked for Rubicon for 8 years, starting in the landscape industry since 2001, starting as a gardener, working his way up to foreman, irrigation technician, operations supervisor, operations manager, Pedro is passionate about water conservation and the environment, Pedro is certified by ReScape and QWEL, Pedro likes the challenges of construction work, Pedro is passionate about soccer, horse racing, the American and Mexican rodeo and hunting, Pedro has a daughter, a stepson and his wife, Pedro loves bbq.

 

 

An Enterprise of Rubicon Programs

Rubicon Programs Logo

Our 30-year legacy of professional landscape services began as an initiative of Rubicon Programs, a Bay Area non-profit. 

As an enterprise of Rubicon Programs, Rubicon Landscape transforms the futures of families and individuals by supporting the organization’s life-changing work. 

We direct our profits to Rubicon Programs, enhancing its capacity to support the progression of their clients out of poverty while creating employment opportunities for persons with barriers to employment. Rubicon Programs, a 501(c)(3), provides vital supportive social services to some 4,000 clients annually.

When you contract with us, you invest in the enhancement of your property value as well as the transformation of the lives of the clients and families served by Rubicon Programs.

 

“I have learned from from Rubicon and they have helped me overcome a lot stuff for work. Rubicon is treating me well and thanks to Rubicon, I've been able to move forward and I am really grateful for them.”

JOSE J. CRUZ
Maintenance, Crew Leader, Trimmer

“I would recommend people to apply to Rubicon, because they have a lot of different programs and stages to learn. When I started, I didn’t know anything about gardening. Now, I know how to trim trees and at what time of the year and their names, Irrigation and general maintenance."

JAIME HERNANDEZ
Crew Leader

“The training program that I lead on Treasure Island is for six months. It’s a program that when people complete it, they come out with a lot of knowledge and are ready for jobs. That’s a start for them.”

JUAN HERNANDEZ
Operations Manager, Treasure Island Training Coordinator

Our Experienced Management Team

Jessica Morales

ROGER CONTRERAS

Chief of Finance and Landscape

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VP of Rubicon Landscape

Nancy Emery

Vice President

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Michael Gillett

Director of Operations

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Eric Hage

Account Manager,
VA & Navy Fleet

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James Miranda

Account Manager, East Bay & Safety Manager

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Sergio Calvario

Account Manager, Treasure Island

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Rubicon Operations Manager

CHARLIE KANSAKU

Operations Manager

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PEDRO TORREZ

Operations Manager

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Juan Hernandez

Operations Manager, Treasure Island Coordinator

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Director of Administrations

michael brito

Director of Administration

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ENRIQUE CHAIDEZ

Operations Manager

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Rubicon Landscape logo

510.221.4400
Rubicon Landscape
2500 Bissell Ave.,
Richmond, CA 94804
CA Contractors License Numbers: 1044063 / 750715 / 633002 (C-27)

Regenerative Landscapes

Rubicon Landscape has incorporated many ReScape concepts into our landscape maintenance and landscape installation practices. We have had ReScape Qualified Professionals on staff continuously since 2008.