Member Profile

Ruizscape Construction

43W471 Bahr Road Hampshire, IL 60140 (224) 623-0323 www.ruizscape.com

by Meta L. Levin In 2019, Juan M. Ruiz Sr. approached his two sons with a proposition. All three worked in the landscape industry. Did they want to combine forces and start their own company? They agreed and Ruizscape Construction was born.

Ruiz started what has truly become a family business. In addition to his son, Juan M. Ruiz, Jr., who serves as vice president of operations, and his other son, Chris Ruiz, the company’s senior estimator, several other family members work with them. Ruiz Sr.’s daughter, Angela Ruiz, is administrative assistant/accounts payable and his sister, Grace Gonzales, takes care of human resources and accounting.

“Working with family is important to Juan,” says Jessica Poyner, who oversees sales support for the company. “It’s a great dynamic.”

In fact, it was family that got Ruiz Sr. into the landscape industry. His father-in-law, Raul Del Toro, welcomed him into the industry in 1979, “He bestowed his knowledge, experience and expertise in landscape construction,” he says.

During the first year, Ruizscape Construction employed three or four laborers. Now there are 20-25 employees. Ruiz is proud to say that it is a union shop.

“I enjoy coming in, saying good morning and seeing the smiling faces,” says Ruiz Sr.

In her years there, Poyner says she has noticed Ruiz Sr.’s dedication, patience and knowledge. “He takes time with employees to sit down and explain. He emphasizes doing it the right way the first time.”

Specializing in landscape construction for municipalities, IDOT, ISTHA and airports, Ruizscape partners with major contractors and is responsible for projects at such varied sites as O’Hare International Airport and Buffalo Grove Creek along Lake Cook Road. Its services include erosion control blankets, seeding, planting trees and shrubs, excavation of topsoil, building retaining walls, laying brick pavers and other specialty projects. Several employees are specially trained to work at major airports.

It is a certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE).

At first, the Ruiz family worked out of Ruiz Sr.’s home, bought a little equipment, and gradually added a little more as

Schaumburg Urban Central Park work came in. By the second year the company bought a farm in Hampshire, IL and set up shop there.

The work continued to flow. “I know a lot of general contractors and they know me,” Ruiz Sr. says. “We just had to prove we could do the projects.” And prove, they did.

Ruiz Sr. is proud of the company’s ability to complete projects “on time and without excuses.” They are, he says, known for their reliability.

Ruiz was familiar with ILCA from previous jobs and joined at the beginning of 2022. “Sometimes I need extra information for bargaining and networking,” he says, noting he hopes that he will gain that through his ILCA membership. In the meantime, he has attended iLandscape, found the website to be a great tool and is looking forward to attending training himself, as well as sending his employees.

In his time off, Ruiz Sr. likes to fish, especially early mornings on the Fox River. He especially enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and working with his hands. “I enjoy working with my hands and developing machinery that improves landscape construction.”

Primarily, however, he is proud of what Ruizscape Construction has achieved. “We’ve come a long way in the last two years.”

T T T A A A G G G G G G III N N N G G G & & & T T T O O O U U U R R R III N N N G G G F F F O O O R R R S S S P P P R R R I I I N N N G G G O O O R R R D D D E E E R R R S S S

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Personally tagged by our knowledgeable team Efficient loading crew to keep your jobs going 725 acres of quality trees and over 500 varieties of trees

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815-653-9293

WWW.GOODMARKNURSERIES.COM GOODMARK NURSERIES 8920 HOWE RD WONDERLAKE, IL