When you've been in business only four years and you're looking grow, what's the best form of advertising? Mike Stegner, owner of Image Lawn and Landscape, Belton, Missouri, believes it's the work you do. In the "show me" state, seeing is believing. When prospective clients pass by Image properties, Stegner wants them to see the best. And they do.
Whether it's a large residential community, one of 12 NationsBanks or a selection of high-end residential and smaller commercial properties, one thing stands out: They are as neat as a pin. The grass is lush green (weather permitting) and there's a tell tale striping effect that says Image crews and their Walkers have paid a visit.
A city of 25,000 residents, Belton is located one-half hour southeast of Kansas City
"The area is really into striping and the checkerboard effect," says Mike. As he points out, his crews deliver the effect wherever they can and wherever it gets the most mileage for the clients.
At the 18-acre Pickering residential community, for example, a GHS Walker with a 48-inch deck mows the front of the properties leaving behind a series of straight lines that parallel both sides of the frontage roads. At one NationsBank in town, the undulating hills are striped creating a checkered effect that not only can be seen but can't be overlooked from the main highway.
The Walker's ability to stripe was just one reason Image invested in the machine. "What also caught my attention originally," Mike tells, "was its one hand control and low center of gravity," not to mention, he adds, its ease of operation compared to a walk-behind. "We will never go back to walk-behinds," he says.
Image Lawn and Landscape bought its first Walker, powered by a 20-hp Kohler, in the spring of 1993, its first official year in business. As Mike relates, they had a 15-acre cemetery to do and really needed the machine. The following year, they bought another Walker. More followed, and today, Image crews operate four 20-hp Walkers, two GHS models and two with side-discharge decks. They combine to operate 48-, 52- and 62-inch decks. The company still has the first diesel-powered Walker it purchased, too.
"We run these machines day in and day out," explains Mike, "mowing a total of 70 acres a week."
Tough Start
In only four full years of business, Image Lawn & Landscape has grown into a full-service landscape company that last year grossed $240,000 in sales. Revenue is divided among 30 percent landscaping, 20 percent fertilization and 50 percent mowing. The company also repairs and installs irrigation systems and Mike is involved in a second company that does retaining walls. He looks for Image to grow between 10 to 15 percent this year.
If this growth pales to some other larger companies, one reason would be the tragic loss Mike suffered last year when his mother - his mentor and cheerleader - died unexpectedly.
"It's tough to lose a loved one," he tells. "The loss itself is horrible, but it also makes you reassess your life and the need to live life to its fullest."
Mike says his mom's death took the "wind out of his sails." Although his current business and clients didn't feel the consequences, he emphasizes, he just hasn't been able to generate the enthusiasm required to grow as fast as he originally planned. But as he relates, his mom would have wanted him to grow and succeed, so he's now pushing forward and doing so with a planned and more pragmatic approach.
Team Effort
Like so many lawn maintenance professionals, Mike literally started mowing lawns while in high school, even before he had his driver's license. He depended on his stepfather to drive him from account to account. Later, when he hung his shingle, he knew the mowing ropes, but not the business end of it.
Last year, he brought in a consultant to help fine tune his operation. "Before then, I really didn't know my costs," he tells. "It was like playing basketball without a scoreboard. We had plenty of business and were working hard, but we didn't know if we were making money. We do now because we have a better handle on job costing."
Mike carries the sports metaphor further by comparing his business to coaching. He played football in high school, coaches soccer for six-year-olds on weekends and plays softball in a men's league on Monday evenings.
"I'm the coach, the production manager is the pitcher, and the rest of the employees fill in the different positions. To get the most out of the team means everyone has to play their positions to the fullest."
The Walkers have helped in this area, too, he adds. "Using Walkers allows me to use fewer players (employees) and play (pay) them more. It allows them to view their job as a career and not just a temporary job. That strengthens the team and, as we all know, you're only as good as the rest of the team."
Mike's team is quickly making a reputation for itself, one that clients and prospects can literally see. With more than a little help from a consultant and yes, from his Walker mowers, he adds, the team expects to climb into the first division soon. Play ball!
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