“When neighbors drive by this property, they kind of do a double take,” says Elmer Groom. It’s something this landscape contractor is proud of because drawing their attention is his handy work—what he calls the “Walker Wave.”

Old before his time? Hardly. Mature? You bet! Jason Binder, owner of Jason’s Lawn Care in Fleming Island, Florida, is only 17 years old, but already has been mowing lawns for six years. His truck and second-season Walker Mower, along with the rest of his equipment, are squeaky clean, and Jason approaches each of his 25 lawns with the same commitment to quality.

For Greg Hays, cemetery sexton at Loveland Burial Park/Lakeside Cemetery in Loveland, Colorado, having a mower that easily moves between markers saves more than time—it saves the city money.

Unless you started mowing at the young age Jason Binder did, your next purchase right after your first mower was likely a means to carry it around. Walker user Gerry McCarthy, owner of Mac’s Landscaping in Burlington, Massachusetts, did the next best thing 35 years ago when he started his business. “I made my first trailer,” McCarthy recalls. “I purchased the running gear and built a make-shift frame on it.”

What would you do if you were six months from celebrating your 60th birthday and your boss walked into your office and said, “The company has been sold and you are not part of the sale”?

In 2010, it will be 30 years for Walker Manufacturing in the lawn mower business. My brother and I, our sisters, our parents and our families count it a real privilege to have lived this story from the start; what a ride it has been!