August Park & Reflect

Leigh Thomas

August 2025

Three Sisters: Collaborative Success in the Parking Industry

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Over coffee this morning, my friend Alanna taught me about a three sisters garden. It is a farming technique developed hundreds of years ago by Native Americans. The three sisters are squash, pole beans, and corn; when planted in the same area, these three plants benefit from and help each other. According to Catherine Boeckmann, corn supports the beans; the beans add nutrients to the soil; the squash’s thorns and prickly leaves deter predators and weeds. Additionally, when these three foods are consumed together, they provide a well-balanced diet. I so appreciate conversations with gardeners – I always learn something fascinating! 

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Collaboration and interdependency, like that found in the three sisters technique, come up a lot at the TPN table. Earlier this year, in a podcast interview with Tim Maloney, the conversation turned to building, buying, or partnering. Although partnering is often the most efficient way to meet business needs, a thriving operation occurs when all three work together. Like the corn, squash, and beans, the parking industry enjoys symbiotic relationships with the hospitality and transportation industries, and many others. These collaborative relationships drive innovation and growth! 

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This triad of interdependence exists inside parking establishments as well. Organization, communication, and attention to detail work together to sustain a well-run parking operation. These three elements are their own system, but when placed among the other two, we noticed that they help the operation run effectively. We discussed this in the Our Parking Industry Podcast, which was published on September 12, 2024. 

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Boeckmann mentions a fourth sister in her article: the sunflower or amaranth. Sometimes, these tall flowers are added to a field to attract pollinators! In the parking industry, I propose that the fourth sister is an expert. If you have questions about your parking operation that you cannot answer in-house, call us. Also, we will be at NPA next month in Indianapolis and would love to talk with you about your parking operation if you’re there! 

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Reference: https://www.almanac.com/content/three-sisters-corn-bean-and-squash