In 1988, Pizzo & Associates, Ltd. was created to provide landscape, design-build, and maintenance services throughout Chicago-land.  Started in Chicago in Jack’s home in the Roscoe Village neighborhood, in 1989 we moved to Cicero in the western suburbs and expanded our operations. We quickly grew and changed the focus to naturalized landscapes and then to ecological restorations and stewardship. We also started growing native plants for our own installations which evolved into Pizzo Native Plant Nursery LLC. In 1999, we moved to our current location on 40 acres in Leland, IL. The site has 32.5 acres of remnant prairie and wetland, which Jack placed a conservation easement on to permanently protect it. This little slice of nature sits among 22,000 acres of production agriculture. It has become an oasis for migratory birds and monarch butterflies. The property is a laboratory, we have used it to understand restoration, stewardship, and propagating native plants.

 

In 2002, Jack and his family moved to Clare, IL, after purchasing 40 acres comprised of farmed wetland and built a home there. He restored it to prairie and wetland. It is a thriving ecosystem now. Jack also placed 37 of the 40 acres in a conservation easement to permanently protect that land. This little slice of nature sits among 38,000 acres of production agriculture. It too has become an oasis for migratory birds and monarch butterflies.

 

In 2004, the logo was redesigned to include the Monarch Butterfly. Highlighting the Monarch is our way of bringing attention to the loss of habitat which is causing a decline in their population and the need for restoring their habitat. Butterflies go through a complete metamorphosis and there are four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult. There are four stages to restoration: design, grow, build, management, and those represent the four companies of the Pizzo Group.