Concrete, Excavation, Landscapes, General Contracting

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Our most common jobs deal with landscape construction whether it's pavers, retaining walls, concrete work or overhauls on existing landscapes.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. It is important to get several estimates for any type of job. Picking the cheapest bid is not neccesarily the wisest choice, because the cheapest contractor is most likely the one who's uninsured or will cut corners. In the end, you should pick the one that seems knowledgeable on the subject, and offers a fair price; the one that gives you a good "vibe".

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Landscaping and Lawn Care is like any other trade, there is an infinite amount of knowledge to learn about the industry. It's important as a contractor to stay up to date on the latest technology, and be self motivated enough to continue training and learning to be a true professional. As a customer, it is important to find these contractors to ensure quality work that will last for years.

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. We will come to the property everytime to take a look before giving an estimate, all you need to have is an idea!

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. We are trained professionals and it shows in the quality of our work. Our smaller size means that we know what we're doing but you'll still have the personal experience of dealing with the same workers through out the project.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. We love working outside and getting dirty along with meeting new people and keeping our customers satisfied!

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. What time can you meet?

We can meet anytime!

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. We started the business in 2009 shortly after I completed training for the Marine Corps. I got off active orders and was unable to find a job since the economy was down. After getting a part time job serving at Timberlodge Steakhouse, I decided to start landscaping on the side. Since then it has snowballed into my full time job and I love being my own boss. I always loved working outside when I worked for a landscape company before the Marines, and I'm still loving it!

Q. Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

A. We're proud of all our work, but seeing a thrilled customer makes it 10 times better!

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. Yes, we are members of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association. We are also certified paver installers through the Interlocking Concrete Paver Institute (ICPI), and level 1 retaining wall installers through the National Concrete & Masonry Association (NCMA). My business partner has had extensive training through Dakota County Technical College and I will continue my training in Business Management among other things.

Q. What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

A. There's some good and bad happening in the industry right now, Emeral Ash Borer is casting a shadow over the Twin Cities area and has already killed countless Ash trees. Over the next couple years we will see many of the Ash trees being removed and replaced with new species, much like Dutch Elm Disease in the 70's. If you have ash trees on your property, call us today for a treatment that can help save your trees.

On a brighter note, the next step in pavers has begun with permeable pavements. Permeable pavements allow water through the pavers which reduces run off. Permeable pavements can be designed to harvest that water to be used for irrigation or other things. This is an exciting new trend and to make it even better, many counties offer THOUSANDS of dollars in grants to help reduce costs to the homeowners!

Q. Describe your most recent project, what it involved, how much it cost, and how long it took.

A. A project we're working on is a hillside that has overgrown with brush and weeds. We tore out all the plants and did some light grading. Our next step is to install a two tier boulder wall that will cover approximately 800 square feet. The tiers will be replanted with low maintenance shrubs and landscape rocks. The rest of the hill will be graded and replaced with sod. The total cost of this project is approximately $20,000.00

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. There are too many factors in an estimate to give pricing with out seeing a property.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Start small and grow with your business. Use your competitors to your advantage. You will not be able to offer every service right off the bat so it's important to use sub contracting to grow your network and skills. Always make sure you do quality work and keep your customers informed.