Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Szafranski.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was 12 when my father and I stumbled across some broken lawn mowers left to waste. We took them home and, thanks to his mechanical skills, managed to get them running. I saw an opportunity and started knocking on doors offering to mow my neighbors’ lawns.
My first client, David Kingman, played for the Cubs. I was lucky enough to be offered regular work on the property, and quickly got a taste for earning my own money. With help from my parents, who often drove me to and from jobs, I continued to find clients throughout my neighborhood. My brothers, Billy and Bobby, soon joined my growing business, and by the time I was 16 and could drive, I was distributing promotional flyers to thousands of local homes. To manage the expansion, I purchased professional equipment and a trailer, and continued to work after school with my brothers until dark.
While I attended college at Illinois State University, I was able to entrust the daily operations of the business to my brothers, who maintained our clients’ properties during the week until I returned home on weekends to help take on extra jobs and grow the clientele.
The economy was at its worst as I prepared to graduate in the spring of 2010, and the job market for my business degree was full supply and no demand. It was then that I decided to continue to grow my company while the economy worked its way out of the recession. As my brothers pursued other interests, I began hiring outside help and expanding our offerings.
During this first year I began learning landscape installation from a friend, Charlie Ruegsegger. Having retired from his own landscaping business, Charlie asked me to assist him on several projects on his property. Through my work with Charlie, I decided that I would expand my business to include design and installation services.
Now, 17 years later, what began as a 6th grader’s desire to make some extra cash, has grown into a diversified business with five crews offering landscape design, installation, and maintenance services. At TS Landscaping, it is our joy to provide and maintain beautiful, enjoyable outdoor living spaces for our clientele.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest struggle we continue to face is finding qualified, reliable labor to help fulfill our clients’ needs. The demand for landscaping services has strengthened over the past five years (not a bad problem to have), and we’re very lucky to have grown during a time when a lot of larger companies had experienced severe decline during the recession. At the time, we were running very lean, which allowed us to capture market share while others were suffering decline.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with TS Landscaping – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am most proud of our continued advancement in education and service offerings as a company, which is something that truly sets us apart—this enables us to accommodate our clients’ needs and to exceed their expectations, no matter the project. We’re passionate about providing our clients with enjoyable outdoor living spaces, and our commitment to making them happy is what helps us cultivate long-lasting partnerships.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We’d like to continue to grow our service offerings and expand into new regions. As we continually refine our recruitment and retention efforts, we also look forward to hiring leaders who can help pave a strong future for the company.
The biggest change on the horizon will involve securing a single operating site for our vehicles, equipment, and office staff. Once we have a dedicated location, we can focus on growth, and can continue to evaluate products, services, and trends that will ultimately bring more value to existing clients while helping to attract new business.
Contact Info:
- Address: 800 W Central Rd
Suite 145
Mount Prospect, IL 60056 - Website: https://www.tslandscape.com
- Phone: (847) 562-6581
- Email: ts@tslandscape.com
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ts-landscaping-mount-prospect-3
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