News Briefs
Contractor Focus: Lakeland Landscaping
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n 1975, a young man with a passion for the outdoors and a uniquely creative mind decided to buy a 1966 GMC pickup truck and a used 21” mower. He was left with only a few dollars in his pocket and didn’t have help or a garage to store his newly purchased equipment. What he did have though, was a dream to pursue. It was at this time, Dan Skarbnik Sr. founded Lakeland Landscaping. Fast forward 43 years and many things have changed, but some remain the same. Dan Skarbnik Sr. is still driving a pickup and pursuing his dreams. He has an office and nursery, shop to store his equipment, excellent employees and a large family to support him. In those 43 years, he is accredited with having a strong record for reliability, an unmatched level of experience in the trade, and an unparalleled creativity for landscape design. Over the years he has developed a reputation that extends throughout the Morris, Sussex, Somerset, Essex, Warren and Hunterdon counties. He has built a company that covers all facets of the landscape, from concept to completion. In 2005, after graduating from the University of Delaware studying Landscape Horticulture and Plant Biology, Dan Skarbnik Jr. came aboard full time to pursue and share the passion his father and he have for their work and the business. Dan Jr’s role is to continue the legacy his father had started many years ago by utilizing the same core values and principles that got them to where they are today. Lakeland’s foundation is simple, its family. Today, Dan Jr. is responsible for managing all of Lakeland’s maintenance accounts and daily operations. His job is to keep their landscapes looking the way they were designed and intended to look. He is known for being a passionate, particular, perfectionist with his work, much like his father. He enjoys riding motorcycles, snowmobiling, working on his home and time with his dog Bella.
28 FALL | 2018
Their family extends beyond their next of kin and to their long term valued employees and clients. They are a team that has a love and passion for what they do, a creative perspective, and a hard working mindset. “This is the formula that helps us achieve the results we deliver to our clients from job to job and from year to year”, says Dan Jr.
Janae Skarbnik is a landscape designer for Lakeland and a certified professional floral designer. Janae has attended Morris County Community College and Rutgers University for landscape architecture. She is known for her exquisite artistic ability in her designs and creative floral displays. Janae custom designs floral gardens, potted planters and indoor silk flowers for our residential and commercial clients. Debbie Skarbnik, Dan Sr.’s wife, also helps with the business. She oversees the duties of the office work and is the ever-important moral support behind her husband and son. Her other full time job is raising six kids and a handful of animals. She enjoys reading, time with her dogs and kids, and the nights when she doesn’t have to cook dinner. Bella Skarbnik is the mascot for Lakeland Landscaping. She is in charge of greeting all the employees each morning and putting a smile on everyone’s face. She likes to receive treats of all kinds and enjoys riding in the truck and going to the jobsite and supervising. Lakeland Landscaping provides landscape design, construction and renovation. They also handle property maintenance, lighting, gardens and snow and ice management to their clients. They have won several Landscape Achievement Awards in the past and have been a member of the NJLCA for over 15 years.
