When four warehouses located in Regina, Saskatchewan picked up their stakes and left for Calgary, Alberta, Dan Todd not only lost his job, he lost nearly any chance of finding a new one. He and wife Shelley had two choices: They could move to Calgary and Dan could have his old job back, or they could stay behind and Dan could try something different. They chose to stay.
That was the inauspicious beginning of Top Notch Lawns. Shelley kept her job, and Dan decided to get serious about his two hobbies: mowing lawns and trimming trees. Without a bona fide customer in sight, they loaded a push mower onto their old “beat up” Toyota pickup and went hunting for work.
Those initial years were slow and rather difficult, Shelley recalls. At the end of the first year, the couple had only 13 residential customers. They picked up more accounts the following year and added still more residential and commercial accounts a year later. In between, both took horticulture courses on the side to gain more knowledge. “As we grew we wanted to increase our knowledge base for our customers,” Dan relates. “We wanted to be able to answer their questions and provide more services.”
The fourth year proved to be the “charm.” By then, Top Notch Lawns had more than 100 accounts. But the owners still mowed the majority of them with a push mower. The walking came to an end after a dealer demonstrated a Walker. “I realized immediately that this was just the machine we needed to go forward,” says Dan. “That year we purchased our first Walker, a 20-hp gas model with a 48-inch deck.”
He continues, “Having the Walker allowed us to take on more work. We also purchased a snow thrower attachment for clearing snow at our condominium accounts.” Thinking back, Dan says they truly abused their new mower, cutting anything and everything in sight. “I’m amazed at how well the machine held up. I expect a lot from my equipment, but I put that mower on properties I wouldn’t consider putting our new mower on today.”
Leverage
Dan and Shelley credit the Walker with their ensuing growth. The following year, they retained their first full-time employee and offered more services. Shelley even quit her job.
“The amount of work we could do with the Walker gave us the leverage we needed to grow,” Shelley relates. “We took on more work, bought more equipment and targeted larger commercial properties.” Gradually, the company built a reputation of being a full-service provider. “Our customers didn’t want to call 10 people to work on their properties,” Dan recalls. “Instead, they wanted to make just one call, and we wanted that call to come to us.” When it did, the Top Notch owners offered plant and shrub installation, irrigation installation and repair, tree care, and mowing and maintenance. The only service the company subcontracted was rough mowing.
Throughout, other services were added. Shelley launched a silk plant cleaning business, and Dan filled in the off season cleaning stables for area farmers. The couple also recently opened a composting facility for landscape contractors. Top Notch charges them a nominal fee for dumping their yard debris, then uses the compost on its installation jobs or sells it to property owners.
Today, all the services are grouped under a new company name: Top Notch Enterprises. Dan runs the installation crew and oversees the field work, whereas Shelley supervises the maintenance crew and runs the office. During the busy season, Top Notch Enterprises employs 13 people. Most are laid off for the duration of tough Regina winters, with the exception of those who remain on call for snow duty.
A new Walker Mower appeared on scene this past spring and, like its predecessor, was put in the traces to mow at least 40 hours a week. “We would like to leverage our new Walker like we did the old one to grow more business and possibly even buy a second mower,” notes Dan. “The challenge isn’t mowing, it is finding employees.” To solve the dilemma, Top Notch Enterprises is considering a plan that would allow key employees to literally take ownership of their jobs. Under the plan, Top Notch gives maintenance accounts to employees and supplies them with the equipment to do the job. In return, the employees buy their own fuel and supply the labor. Owners and employees then split the revenue 50/50.
“We probably don’t have all the logistics down yet,” Dan emphasizes. “But it is apparent that if a company wants to expand today, the owners will need to be more creative.” Whatever arrangement employee and employer reach at Top Notch, a Walker Mower will be part of the equation. “I can’t imagine using one of those other mowers with big steering levers,” says Dan. “They are so cumbersome. We want to expand, we want to grow, and we will continue to do it, with the help of Walker Mowers.”
Site Search
