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Tri-City Lawn Care's Thread...

117K views 315 replies 57 participants last post by  TriCityLawnCareLLC 
#1 ·
I've just ended my third year in business. I started my company when i was 22 shortly after returning from a 2 year mission in California. After two years of making my own schedule and being my own boss, i knew it would be difficult to come back to Ohio and work for someone else. I saw a lot of Latinos doing outdoor maintenance, so in our daily travels i would take time to talk to them and gather information. I decided, shortly before returning to Ohio, that I was going to just mow lawn when i got home and then take it from there. Needless to say, I've fell in love with this industry. I love business, and this has been a great fairly fail safe way of getting my feet wet in the business world. I have a vision for my lawn care company and am working diligently to accomplish it. Since 2009 I've met my beautiful wife, bought a house and am expecting our first (boy, heir to my throne :) this January. That's me in a nutshell.

I got into fertilizing this year, and i really enjoy it. It's been a great addition to my company. I'm gearing my company towards maintenance only, with the exception of Mulch. I will also be getting into the snow removal arena this year as well. I bought two snow blowers, as I will start with what i can handle and go from there. Mainly:

Mowing
Fertilizing/Weed Control
Mulch
Aerating/Overseeding
Snow Removal

All of equipment is basically paid for, I got the truck new in 05' and when i returned form California i had zero equipment. I used my dads red Huskee riding mower and loaded into the back of my pickup with ramps. I shortly thereafter financed the Kubota. I've since made the decision to pay cash for my equipment, and it's made a big difference. The two lesco's, walk behind and leaf loader, i got for a GREAT price on Craigs List.

http://www.tricitylawnsllc.com

:usflag:

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#6 ·
I bought the ariens deluxe 28 and used MTD from my dealer. All the grass was loaded in there with my leaf loader. It was from a job for the Army. There are closing a small reserve unit down and wanted me to clean it up. That's my dad unloading it.

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#10 ·
Dang! Is that my lesco I sold you? It looks nice! Congrats with all your success!
 
#12 ·
I've got to ask...what happened to the rear window on your truck? And what is that broken rod thing in the first set of pics?
Mike
Loading some debris and old cement pillars for a lady, one rolled the wrong way. It's a grounding rod.

Puddle of oil- YES, that is your Lesco. I fixed it for under $50, $45 to be exact.
New idler pulley and belt to drive the pumps.

Cat- It's a kubota zg222 with a 48'' pro deck
 
#14 ·
You have some nice looking equipment. Dose the truck have the 4.8 or the 5.3? How well dose the truck pull the trailer?
 
#15 ·
You have some nice looking equipment. Dose the truck have the 4.8 or the 5.3? How well dose the truck pull the trailer?
She has the 5.3 in her. She pulls it just fine. Even loaded with leaves.

Looks great! Is that a kubota bx 24 or 25? is it yours? How do you like it?
It's a BX25, and no it's my Old Man's. He's retired and helps me often, especially during leaf season. The BX25 comes in handy, i use it at least monthly on a job.
 
#20 ·
Very nice work. congrats on your business and family getting started.

How long did that last leaf job take. And how long did that pile on the drive take to suck up with the loader.

That Kubota stripes pretty nice, nice pics
Five points, Thanks for the compliments. The large leaf job took two of us 8 hours and four truck loads of leaves. I'm lucky, my father's house was just down the road and that's where i dump all my debris (free) :) I love my Kubota, it lays nice stripes.
 
#21 ·
how big is your trailer, a 12 footer? Tiny for a tandem but they pull way better than a single. Nice work brother. Thanks for the post. I started just as you focusing on maintenance but with a background with planting installation grabbed everyone I could. Now I focus on them and hardscapes....keep up the good work!
 
#23 ·
how big is your trailer, a 12 footer? Tiny for a tandem but they pull way better than a single. Nice work brother. Thanks for the post. I started just as you focusing on maintenance but with a background with planting installation grabbed everyone I could. Now I focus on them and hardscapes....keep up the good work!
Thanks man. I like my trailer. bought it used at the beginning of the season, it's an upgrade from my 5x10 single axle. It has electric brakes, but something is off with the wiring in my dash, i'm not getting any juice for the brakes at the tail end of my truck, I'll figure it out this winter. As for pulling easier, it's debatable. It's harder on the tires and more difficult on tight turns, but other than that i love it. Good luck to you.

Everything looks great man.
Thanks for checking out my thread.
 
#24 ·
Cool thread, its cool that you've started a family and got your foot in the door in this business. I hope all goes well for you. I love the little BX25 also! So are you pleased with where you're at now? Or are you always looking to grow the business? Because it looks like your trailer is getting a little crammed, and you're definitely working your truck.
 
#25 ·
Cool thread, its cool that you've started a family and got your foot in the door in this business. I hope all goes well for you. I love the little BX25 also! So are you pleased with where you're at now? Or are you always looking to grow the business? Because it looks like your trailer is getting a little crammed, and you're definitely working your truck.
First of all, thanks for the compliments. Our first little one is due any day now. Next month I'll be a quarter of a century old ;) and I love this business. I plan on continuing to grow my business. I'm taking it slow and steady. I will be heading into my fourth year in business and this year I'm really hitting the commercial side hard. By that i mean trying to get my foot in the door with property managers. I'm putting in a dozen or so proposals for work in 2012, but my biggest objective is getting my foot in the door for more/bigger contracts for 2013 and beyond. So I guess that was a long answer for YES i'm growing my business. My biggest thing is I'm still trying to do it debt free for now, but come fall I'll be buying a new/used 2500hd to add to my young fleet. Trailer is cramped but works well for now. Thanks for looking, man.:usflag:
 
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