Today we’d like to introduce you to Marisa Gora.
Marisa, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first got introduced to landscaping through a summer job in college working for the Wilmette Park District where I fell in love with the idea of working outdoors and creating beautiful spaces. I graduated with a degree in psychology and instead of continuing on to medical school as I had intended, I began working for the design and build department at Gethsemane Garden Center. It was there I was able to learn what I know about local plants and the constraints of planting in small urban spaces.
I left there to start Kemora Landscapes when my daughter was born to have a more flexible schedule and be able to be home and available for her. The first 3 years I was full-time mom and part-time landscape designer as I then had my son as well by then. From there the business had grown organically so fast, I transitioned to full-time designer and business owner and quickly hired on additional help.
We have grown over the past 15 years to be a full-service landscape company with design, build, and maintenance services as well as a dedicated crew for seasonal annual rotations. My primary role in the company is still to work directly with customers through the design and build process and find that brings me the most joy in what I do.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The growth of the company had been smooth. The personal growth and the transition from a designer to a business owner has been more challenging. I had to make the decision to step up and be the leader in the company and find a way to identify and refine a process that I could then share through all my employees so that we could deliver the same type of service that I individually delivered. I never want to lose the small company, personal connections we have with our customers no matter how large we grow.
Please tell us about Kemora Landscapes.
We are a design-driven landscape company that strives to be a reliable resource for our client’s outdoor needs. Everything from new design to long-term maintenance, we have our designers involved in driving the direction of the services provided and remain available for our client’s questions. We love to educate and cultivate an appreciation for utilizing the outdoors even in an urban environment.
We design and build unique outdoor spaces that are created to meet each individual client’s vision and budget. We take pride in utilizing unique materials and challenging ourselves to think outside the box when looking for solutions. We can create anything we envision, whether it be with plants, stone, brick, wood, or iron and bring an attention to detail and quality in the finishes.
Our designers walk their clients through every phase all the way down to ongoing care. We are able to accommodate jobs of all sizes and particularly excel in residential urban spaces.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3105 N. Rockwell Chicago, IL 60618
- Website: www.kemoralandscapes.com
- Phone: 773.910.1800
- Email: info@kemoralandscapes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kemoralandscapes/
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