Cover Story

Member Highlight: Windridge Landscaping & Hardscaping

Jeffrey Walter Howe formed Windridge Landscaping in 1987, just west of Charlottesville, in Ivy, VA. What began with cutting grass with a walk-behind mower transported on a small wooden trailer behind a Ford Courier pickup, quickly became so much more. By the fall of the following year, he had about 30 clients and was busy studying horticulture at Virginia Tech during the week and mowing grass on the weekends. In a few years, Jeff finished his Bachelor’s Degree in Ornamental Horticulture and soon after became a Virginia Certified Horticulturist (VCH) and began to focus on installation and maintenance. The company quickly grew into the early 1990s after moving the shop to his family’s Red Horse Farm in Barboursville, VA.

By 2000, Windridge had earned a solid reputation as being a professional and knowledgeable landscape contractor in the central Virginia region. Continuous education and professional development continued to be a priority for Jeff. He pursued and holds the following credentials:

• Landscape Industry Certified Manager through National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)

• LiveRoof Certified

• Certified Concrete Paver Installer through Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI)

• Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) installation through Masonry wall through National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA)

• Certified Landscape Designer through Virginia Society of Landscape Designers (VSLD)

• Level 2 Design and Installation with Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals (CBLP)

Additionally, Jeff has served on the VNLA Board since 2016, most of which has been as a committee chair or on the Executive Committee. In addition, Jeff served as President of the Virginia Society of Landscape Designers.

Soon after achieving this high level and solid foundation of professional development, Jeff realized more education was needed. It was labor that really lacked consistency and Windridge started using the H2B program. With a solid, reliable workforce, Windridge could expand its focus on commercial landscape installations and include landscape maintenance services from snow removal to wetland installations and meadow establishment and care. Windridge grew to a staff of just under 30. Large projects included Monticello High School, several large apartment communities, Hollymead Town Center as well as one of the first commercial biofilters in Albemarle County.

Of course, Jeff wasn’t doing this solo. Friends have been involved with Windridge since the beginning and more so through the 1990s. The majority of the company’s management remains the same today as it was back then. Fraternity brother since college and longtime vice president and co-owner Andy Guercio (VCH) was a big part of the Windridge family from the early 1990s to 2013. Andy was instrumental in Windridge’s expansion into hardscaping and the landscape construction work that he was overseeing and helping execute. Although Andy is no longer with the company, his dedication to clients and desire to ensure quality is engraved in the mission and values at Windridge.

Jeff Thompson has been with Windridge since graduating Albemarle High School in 1996. He moved from residential to commercial maintenance and became fluent in Spanish. He quickly proved himself a valuable asset to the company by learning hardscape and horticulture. Now he is a senior project manager on prestigious projects – most notably the “Rotunda Hardscape” at the University of Virginia in 2013. Jeff has built retaining walls 30' tall and ponds 20' deep.

Christy Howe, Jeff’s devoted wife and best friend has helped develop systems, guide advertising and labor sourcing efforts. She is the Treasurer and has overseen all financial management of the company as well as scheduling and Human Resources since just before their marriage in 1995.

Saul Valdovinos started in the H2B program, ran commercial crews for maintenance and became a U.S. citizen in 2015. He is now a senior foreman for both hardscape and softscape projects.

Jennifer Hughes (VCH) has been integrating her knowledge of horticulture since 2005 and now knows more about hardscape materials and swimming pools than she ever expected. Jen’s passion for the right plant in the right place has helped Windridge exceed the expectations of many residential and commercial clients.

Paul Clarke is Jeff’s brother-in-law and shop manager. Paul is the person who knows where everything is and how it is supposed to work! Paul is nearing retirement but since 2008 has kept Windridge running water on plants, supplied materials and delivered and repaired equipment to job sites for years.

Windridge Landscaping and Hardscaping: providing Expert Hardscapes and Stunning Landscapes since 1989. Core beliefs include establishing relationships and a trust with our clients first, then providing them a quality project experience from concept to completion.

Jeff believes in giving back to the community both financially and educationally. He works with the local high school and another local landscaping company (Creation Appreciation) to host workforce development field days and demonstrate to youth that landscaping today is a lot more than mowing grass! •