Carl Polite, owner of Polite Lawn Care in Aiken, South Carolina, started his business in a rather unusual way. One summer afternoon, two of his four sons approached him and asked if they could borrow the mower. They came back later that day and asked to be taken to the gas station to fill the gas can. Finally, his sons asked the key question: “Dad, could you give us a hand?”
Polite had been curious about his sons’ afternoon requests, and now the mystery was about to be solved. They were mowing a neighbor’s lawn to earn some spending money, but the single job spiraled out of their control. One neighbor’s property led to another; they needed more fuel and dad’s help. “They were only charging $20 to mow the lawns,” Polite recalls. “It wasn’t very much for what they were doing, but they were generating extra cash for themselves.”
Within two months the sons (with their father’s help and encouragement) were mowing eight lawns a week. “All we had was a push mower, and I emphasize the word ‘push,’ says Polite. “We had to find a different mower. I drove to the Sears store and found a self-propelled model on the floor that had a small defect. I bought it for $100.”
This all transpired 14 years ago while living in Columbia, South Carolina. Five year later, the family moved to Aiken. By then, the enterprising sons had “backed away from the business,” but dad kept the fire alive.
“I didn’t have a trailer or a large mower when we moved to Aiken, but the small business was profitable,” says Polite. “I figured that if I could find a bigger mower and upgrade to a trailer and other commercial equipment, the business would grow accordingly. I started looking around and saw several Walker Mowers on trailers. When an operator told me that the Walker was the Cadillac of mowers, I drove to nearby Augusta to talk with a dealer. It was a bit pricey, but I wanted the best mower money could buy and one that would do more than mow a property. I wanted one that could manicure it, too.”
Polite purchased his first Walker Mower, a 20-hp model with a 42-inch GHS deck, nine years ago. He’s still using that mower today.
Sharp Learning Curve
Polite laughs when he thinks about the first few days with his new mower. “I was practicing mowing at my home, but was disappointed in the cut. It appeared that only half the deck was mowing and the other half was pushing the grass down. Then a neighbor told me that the Walker Mower deck has right- and lefthand blades. Embarrassed, I spent the rest of the afternoon doing what I should have done in the first place: reading the Owner’s Manual.”
After that inauspicious beginning, Polite started to seriously grow his business. With his Walker and trailer equipped with Shindaiwa and RedMax handheld equipment, he carved out a niche among high-end residential property owners. Aiken had become a popular destination for northern retirees, and subdivisions were sprouting up to accommodate them.
“My name circulated pretty quickly,” Polite relates. “I charged a fair price and always left a property looking neat and clean, thanks in large part to my Walker. But even more importantly, my customers learned to trust me, knowing that my word was good. You know, people are funny. If you break a sprinkler head and tell the customer, chances are the customer will say, ‘That’s no big deal, I have an extra one in my garage. I’ll replace it tomorrow.’ If you don’t tell the customer and he or she finds out later about the head, you’ll be going back to fix it yourself. That’s human nature. It just pays to be upfront with people, all the time.”
Not a Nickel More
After being in Aiken nine years, Polite has seen his business grow and mature. At one point, his crew was mowing and maintaining 50 accounts year-round. The figure has backed off to 35 now because the owner wants to keep the jobs manageable. He still holds down the same full-time job he had in Columbia, working as a senior asset manager specialist for nearby Washington/Savannah River Site. In fact, Polite has been with the company for a total of 30 years.
His crew, comprised of four Hispanic brothers, mows Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They also do several odd jobs that might pop up during the week, such as cutting down small trees, installing color or putting down pine straw. Polite says he has learned the value of never saying no to customers. “If a customer wants you to do something and you have the ability, do it,” says Polite. “Otherwise you run the risk of another contractor coming in and taking over the entire project. Regarding my employees, they’re the best. They know what they’re doing, and all four can speak English and communicate with customers.”
Polite attributes his ongoing success to his employees and something his dad taught him years ago when he ran a gas station. His dad said, ‘Son, a half nickel is better than no nickel at all.’ What he meant, Polite explains, is not to get greedy. “Keep your prices reasonable and treat your customers right and you’ll always stay busy.”
Polite has done all three. He charges a minimum of $40 a lawn and routinely communicates with all of his customers. For those who only winterover in Aiken or simply are away for an extended period of time, Polite will e-mail digital photos of their properties, keeping the homeowners up to date on maintenance practices.
His motto is: “The polite way to treat your lawn,” but the same can be said for how he treats his customers.
What does the future hold for this contractor? Retirement is still a few years away. But when Polite hangs it up with his day job, it will be full steam ahead for his lawn maintenance business. “When I retire this business will grow,” Polite says adamantly. “Right now, I’m turning down work. If I were to retire three years from now, I would only be 56 and hopefully still have plenty of energy to work hard. I plan to buy a covered trailer and I already have a second 26-hp Walker that I purchased last year. My plan is to hire a few more people, possibly get more involved in the commercial market, and train someone to be my operations manager. Then, maybe in a few years I can step away a bit and spend more time chasing that little white ball around the course.”
Polite smiles and says, “I’ve been fortunate. I have a wonderful wife, great family and a nice home. The business that started out as a way for my sons to earn some spending money has been very good to them and to me. Even as small as my business is, I am living proof that if you’re serious about your work, charge a fair price, do good work and find your niche, this business can be profitable.”
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