New Member Profile Snapshot
Heritage Landscape Design, Inc. 2728 41st Street Moline, IL 61265 (563) 529-4028
www.heritagelandscapedesign.com
Heritage Landscape Design, Inc. of Moline,
approached the challenges of COVID-19 the way they manage the rest of their business: “We took our cues from our customers,” says Jamie Lewis, company president. They emphasize care and safety. Everyone wears a mask. They limited their crews to two people in a truck at any one time and give everyone the option of driving their own vehicles to job sites. Schedules split the crews to different starting times and they made it clear handwashing is a must. “We want to made sure everything is safe,” Lewis says. That attention to detail and the needs of their clients is one of the big factors that has contributed to Heritage Landscape Design’s growth. Begun in 1995 in Troy and Jamie Lewis’ basement, the landscape company has outgrown the basement and expanded offerings. Troy Lewis, who earned a horticulture degree from Western Illinois University had nine years’ experience working for another landscape contractor when he and his wife decided to start their own business. Initially, he did the sales and design work, subcontracting labor to a friend who had a small landscape contractor business. Their first customers came from family and friends. Then clients from his previous job found him. “We’re still doing work for some of them,” says Jamie Lewis. Within nine years, they stopped subcontracting the labor and hired their own crews. Now Heritage Landscape Design has about 43 employees. Moline, IL, which sits on the Mississippi River, is part of the Quad Cities. Thus, Heritage Landscape Design’s clientele straddles two states — Illinois and Iowa — with heavy growth on the Iowa side. The business has grown primarily through word of mouth and referrals. “We get a lot of referrals,” she says. “We have a reputation for creative designs. We get into a neighborhood, and neighbors ask about the work.” The company has two locations, both in Moline. Their offices are on 41st Street in a house, which they remodeled 54
into a design studio and marketing office. Their production facility is on an old horse farm in a light-industrial park at 4500 49th Avenue. They primarily use it as a holding yard for plants, as well as an organization area to manage their landscape crews and grow some grasses. They also do some wholesale and retail sales. A full-service design/build company, Heritage Landscape Design does a lot of hardscape work, says Lewis, creating outdoor living spaces, but subcontracting such work as pools, seeding, sod, and pergolas. They are proud that they make it a habit of returning calls as quickly as possible. Customer service was one of Troy Lewis’ priorities when they started the business. They also stand behind their work, providing one-year warranties on plant materials and two years on retaining walls, but every time a client calls with a problem or question, they attend to it quickly. “The customer comes first,” says Lewis. “We all care about our customers and employees.” In fact, Lewis considers the people who work for them as Heritage Landscape Design’s number-one asset. The attitude is reflected in the longevity of their employees. Justin Thompson is the general manager and has been with the company for 16 years. “He started on the crew when he was just 20 and knows everything from the bottom up,” Lewis says. “His focus is on the customers and quality.” Thompson also acts as a mentor for the younger, newer employees. “We’re lucky to have him.” The Lewis’ son, Kyle Lewis, provided the impetus to join ILCA. He attended the 2020 iLandscape and liked what he saw. “The resources are just great,” says Lewis. “I knew we would get good information and it would be good for us.” Besides Kyle, the Lewis’ have two other children: a daughter who lives in Chicago and works in digital marketing, and a son who is a senior at Hamilton Technical college, studying electrical engineering technology.
The Landscape Contractor August 2020
