YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR
SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE Matt Berg wins the Brandon Chamber’s 2021 Young Entrepreneur Award
W
hen Matt Berg got a job work ing for a neighbour when he was a teenager, little did he know he would go on to even
tually own the company. Berg is the president of Livingstone Land scaping, and a managing partner in Liv ingstone Outdoor. He initially got involved with the company back in the mid-1990s, working as the sole employee for his neighbour Drew Livingstone, who owned the company at the time. When he turned 18 in 1999, he purchased the business and went on to do his post-secondary studies in horticulture, as well as gain a business degree from Brandon University. In 2003, his brother Josh joined as a partner, and after graduation they moved the business to a proper facility and compound with a commercial address. Recently, the com pany expanded and moved to 1610 Byng Avenue and now also offer a store, Living stone Outdoor.
“We basically built a landscaping compa ny that was firing on all cylinders, but the missing link was to retail the products, so we launched the store last summer right when the COVID shut down happened,” says Berg, who also runs the company with his wife, Michelle. “So, we launched it and had to shut down and then lift our way through the summer which helped us plan the greenhouse construction. We built the greenhouse over the wintertime and it was ready to go on May 1, this summer.” In addition to landscaping, they also offer grounds maintenance, snow services, and sweeping and painting. Berg originally got into the business since he enjoyed being outside and creating things and watching them grow. “I remember one day I was driving to pick up sod and at that time it was a sod farm right on the river bank,” he says. “It was a beautiful summer day and I thought, ‘man, this is where I want to be’. I don’t want to be in an office with no windows and breath
Matt Berg is the president of Livingstone Landscaping, and a managing partner in Livingstone Outdoor. ing recycled air. This is what I want to do.” Berg was the recipient of the Brandon Chamber’s Young Entrepreneur Award at their 2021 Business Achievement Awards. Having been a member of the Chamber for over a decade, Berg, who is 40 years old, says that he was humbled to win this award as most times you don’t really get any recognition being a business owner. He also adds that although it’s his name on the award, he also credits his brother Josh and wife Michelle with winning this award. “I want to say how thankful I am for the rec ognition and for the community to be so inviting,” says Berg. “[We have a] great cus tomer base and great vendors and suppli ers. Brandon is a small town, so it’s tough to carve out a market share. A lot of our com petitors are really great at their jobs too, so I’m just thankful everything is working out for everyone and we were successful in this award.” ¢
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2021 ••• Brandon Business Review •••
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