Mark Aquilino is a man on a mission—several actually. His primary mission? To bring white-collar benefits to blue-collar jobs and help make the trades what the next generation of workers want instead of being their plan B or C.
“I feel like the trades has this stigma about it. Like, it’s not a place where you can go to make a living. It’s old school. It’s a seasonal job, right?” Aquilino says, emphatically saying the answer to each is no. He says there is no reason blue collar workers can’t enjoy the same perks as white-collar workers, including 401(k)s, health benefits, and bonuses. “I really wanted to help be part of changing that narrative on a broad basis.”
Aquilino’s understanding of what it takes to be successful in the trades started at home, almost literally. He is the second-generation to lead the family business, Outdoor Pride, taking the reins as president and CEO 11 years ago from his parents who founded the company in 1988. He not only began growing the company but growing the culture and benefits to attract and retain workers long-term.
Aquilino added benefits and created a culture of transparency, development, and advancement. That worked. The company grew from 40 employees in NH in 2017 to just shy of 300 in both NH and Massachusetts today. Outdoor Pride has been named to Business NH Magazine’s list of the Best Companies to Work For in NH and in 2024 was named the magazine’s Business of the Year in the construction category.
Aquilino grew his family business into the largest self-performing landscape and snow management company in NH and a Top 10 firm in New England, according to Milestone magazine. Outdoor Pride ranked #73 on Business NH Magazine’s list of the Top 100 Private companies in NH in 2025. Aquilino grew Outdoor Pride’s revenue by more than 15% annually, creating 15 to 40 new jobs in NH each year. Forbes Magazine named Outdoor Pride a “Small Giant” in 2019.
To grow the company and provide more resources and opportunities to his employees, Aquilino brokered the company’s acquisition in 2025 by Visterra Landscape Group, a national firm. Through this strategic partnership Aquilino secured benefits rarely seen in the landscape and snow industries. The transaction provided dozens of employees with stock and options in Visterra, granting them ownership stakes, vesting opportunities, and dividend income—wealth-creation tools typically reserved for white-collar sectors. Employees also received 100% employer-paid health care.
“Making it a great experience here really is the driving force behind the growth. It wasn’t just to [generate] more revenue. It wasn’t just to get bigger to get bigger. It was like this infectious cause of people that we had that I didn’t want to let down. So, I needed to grow the business so I could continue to offer them more opportunities,” Aquilino says. Several employees, including Aquilino, have been promoted into larger leadership roles in Visterra.
His mission to attract more workers to the trades goes well beyond Outdoor Pride. “For every four people that are retiring from the trades, there is only one person in line to replace them, so we have a problem,” Aquilino says. That is why he and Outdoor Pride have supported Bring Back the Trades—a nonprofit that works to change young people’s perceptions of the trades and to highlight the opportunities the sector provides. “Bring Back the Trades is awesome,” Aquilino says.
Another mission for Aquilino is to support the community, particularly causes that help veterans, children, and people with breast cancer, which has affected his family. He launched the Aquilino Foundation and over the past year donated more than $100,000 to various charitable organizations throughout NH, including supporting literacy programs at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Manchester, where he serves as a board member.
He is also involved with March of Dimes, serves on the board of the Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA) Boston, and as a board member of Swim With A Mission (SWAM), which raises money for veterans causes. In 2025, he helped SWAM raise more than $13 million through more than 10
major events.
“Mark doesn’t just show up to the meetings; he drives that mission. He has a unique ability to bridge the gap between corporate success and community service. During his tenure, Mark has not only donated hundreds of thousands of dollars from his own family foundation, but he has been a force of nature in raising hundreds of thousands more. He has spent countless hours ensuring that when our men and women in uniform return home, they have access to the scholarships, jobs, and art therapy programs that help them thrive in civilian life,” says Phil Taub, co-founder and board chair of SWAM, whom Aquilino considers a mentor.
While Aquilino did not serve in the military, he has always held those who have in high regard. “If they’re going to sign up for the ultimate level of sacrifice, then we need to sign up to take care of them when they get home,” Aquilino says.
Aquilino credits his parents for raising him with strong values. “I was raised to give back,” he says. “What I’m most grateful for with my parents is the work ethic that they instilled in me.”
And he is committed to giving back more and continuing to create opportunities for others. “I genuinely want to make things better,” Aquilino says. “I just want to keep focusing on the things that give me joy and give me passion. And that is my family, my business, and my community.”
oin Business NH Magazine, in partnership with the NH Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, in honoring the 2026 Business Leader of the Year, Nonprofit Leaders of the Year, Businesses of the Year, and Nonprofit of the Year.
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