Meet Erwin Jakober. Twelve years ago this phrase meant a single man and his Walker mower. Today, this phrase means a company of 120 full-time employees and the most recognized lawn maintenance company in Switzerland.
Erwin Jakober AG now operates as a full-service maintenance and installation business for customers throughout the Zurich area, looking after some 450 accounts per week. They're so busy they have to turn work away. The company is made up of three branches:
- Lawn care/ installation
- Janitorial
- Building maintenance, including appliances
Jakober explains his endearment to the Walker by relating a story from five years ago when his banker called and told him he thought Jakober could afford to stay in the office instead of mowing on one of his crews. "I just love using the Walker," Jakober says behind a chuckle. "I didn't realize that everyone else was working while I was having fun." Jakober's enthusiasm has rubbed off on his employees. "It's the only mower I want to use," says grounds care manager Andreas Kast.
Today the company runs seven Walkers and has owned a total of 20 over the years. For Jakober, replacing his old Walkers started only after 10 years. "The only reason we started buying new ones was because of all of the new improvements like tilt-up decks," expresses Jakober. "Believe me, those mowers were still working hard, even the day we sold them."
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