Tom and Lori Couture started mowing lawns in a rather unusual way. After selling their 27-year-old commercial printing company, they purchased 40 mowing accounts on Craigslist. That was five years ago. Now, Pine Ridge Property Services in Naples, Florida maintains only a handful of those original properties. Yet its sales have grown, as has the owners’ knowledge of what it takes to be successful in the industry.
Feet First
Before getting into the lawn maintenance business, the Coutures didn’t know much about landscaping other than what they had done for themselves. Both enjoy cooking, so the idea of starting a bakery or even operating a food truck sounded attractive at first. But these types of ventures are often short-lived, not to mention the fact that they needed something that would generate immediate cash flow.
“We knew you didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to mow, and the entry fee was relatively low, maybe $50,000 or less to get fully equipped,” Tom remarks. So they purchased the mowing accounts for approximately five times their monthly billing, worked with the seller and his equipment for a month, and jumped in feet first. They found a pickup truck for $11,000, ordered an enclosed trailer, and purchased a Walker Mower Model MB.
For two years, the couple mowed and retained most of those original accounts. “Several homeowners, many of whom were ‘snowbirds’, only wanted us to mow and blow,” Lori recalls. “But as we became more knowledgeable, we wanted to do more to make the properties look nicer.
“Today, we have 19 customers, only four of whom were obtained on Craigslist,” Lori continues. “I essentially fired the other 36 because what we do now is so much different than what we were doing even three years ago.”
What they do nowadays, as the company name implies, is actually maintain properties. In addition to providing standard maintenance services, they prune trees and bushes, add seasonal color, maintain irrigation systems, and install hardscape features like paved walks and patios, among other services.
“Lawn maintenance is only part of the total landscape picture, but it is a big part,” Lori emphasizes. “Even the best, most well-maintained landscapes won’t look good if the lawn doesn’t look its best, as well. That’s one reason why we selected a Walker Mower; it leaves a great cut.”
“Lori also liked the way it steered,” adds Tom, “and the machine is a real time and money saver. Early on I couldn’t understand, and I still don’t understand, why so many trailers around here transport a large zero-turn mower and a mid-size mower. Sure, the zero-turn is for the front yard and the mid-size for the back since it can go through small gates. But the Walker Mower, with its 42-inch deck, can do the work for both in less time, save the cost of an additional machine, and leave the lawn looking nice.”
Hot Topic
Pine Ridge Property Services has never advertised or otherwise promoted its services. In most cases, new accounts came from neighbors who admired Tom’s and Lori’s work or arrived from word of mouth. “It seems that lawn maintenance is a hot topic at country clubs and other gathering spots in Naples,” relates Tom. “If someone likes the work you’re doing, you will get a good reference.”
Other than the service itself, one big difference between “mow and blow” and providing full service is customer expectation. Lori explains: “Some customers don’t care how much it costs. They just want us to make their property look perfect. Others can be more hands-on. One of our current customers, for example, prefers a more native look and will only allow us to do minimal trimming.”
Lori laughs thinking about another customer who mowed his own lawn. “He wanted us to do everything on the property except mow because he enjoyed doing it. But on one occasion he couldn’t mow, so we did with our Walker Mower. We’ve been mowing his lawn ever since!
“Tom and I wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing without our Walker Mower,” Lori continues. “It is our alpha and omega. It not only does most of our mowing, but we push leaves with the deck and have even used it as a tractor to drag around downed limbs. Being able to trim so close with the out front deck frees up our time to either provide additional enhancement services or work on a different account entirely.”
The Coutures also have a mulching deck for their mower and a 25-gallon sprayer attachment that Tom says comes in very handy for dealing with a white fly epidemic on ficus trees. “A GHS model would be very useful, too, handling oak leaves that fall twice a year,” he adds.
But the latter machine will likely have to wait its turn behind a new model MB that has only 13 hours on it. Tom notes that the old one is resting comfortably in the hospital waiting for some deck repairs. Five years of taking a year-round beating in Florida can be debilitating for any machine.
Not For Everyone
Tom and Lori have developed a good business. They are their own bosses, just as they were in the printing business, and long, grueling hours are not the norm. A typical work week finds them in “the field” about 30 hours, with the rest of the time spent maintaining equipment, billing and performing other business-related chores.
On site, they share lawn maintenance duties. Lori does most of the mowing while Tom does the trimming and edging. They both enjoy designing and installing flower beds, shaping trees and creating hardscape elements.
To say they are naturally pretty handy is an understatement. They designed and constructed the beautiful home where they’ve lived for more than 20 years and raised two daughters and a son. Both are hard workers and relish being outside, so a second career in landscaping was right up their alley.
“I wouldn’t advise other people to get in the industry the way we did,” admits Tom. “It was difficult at first and we struggled.” Lori agrees, adding, “More than a few customers questioned why we purchased their accounts without talking with them first. One, who had never seen us because he lives in Florida only part time, was very argumentative. We won him over though, pointing out that our vehicle, equipment, and overall appearance were very professional, not to mention we left his property looking neat and clean.”
But things have changed. Customers like him are long gone, and Pine Ridge Property Maintenance has developed a reputation for being a top-notch full-service provider. On the home front, Tom and Lori are looking to downsize by selling their property and moving into a smaller house. The “kids” have all left home, with one daughter in D.C.; another, the oldest, married and living nearby; and a son in graduate school.
Tom and Lori say they can deal with a much smaller house, but still require a good-size lot to store their vehicle, trailer and equipment lineup, which has grown over the years. In the meantime, it’s business as usual. No, the Coutures are not building rockets. But they are building a second career in an industry where knowing how to relate to people and maintaining landscapes is a science in itself.
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