“Tell me about your background.” You’d naturally make this inquiry if you wanted to get to know someone better—or to find out more about a company when you’re applying for a job. It’s human nature to wonder about the back story. And, you should know some history about a business before you consider working there.
What kind of growth has the company experienced—and why? What milestones are employees proud of, and what opportunities have opened up at the company over the years? Sometimes, you can get a feeling for where the company is headed based on where it has already been.
We think history is important because past events shape the company’s culture and business philosophy.
A few things you’ll learn about Grassperson are that it has always been a family business, and consistent growth throughout the years has resulted in creating careers that support other families. Family really is the core of Grassperson, a business that was founded by Brian Gasperson, who is well-known in the community and respected by our customers, friends and neighbors.
My wife, Ann, and I took over ownership of Grassperson in May 2017, and we’re proud to carry on the people-first values and impressive growth, while creating a next generation of Grassperson family by giving landscape career opportunities to hard-working individuals who share our values.
Let’s take a walk down memory lane for a moment. We’re proud of our history and want to share some of the company highlights with you.
Grassperson started in 1999 as a local, Denton and Collin county, TX business that was focused on maintaining lawns in Flower Mound, Highland Village and Lewisville, TX. Like most small businesses, our humble beginnings meant the garage was our shop and the home was our headquarters. Our customers were (and still are) neighbors and friends. Word passed quickly that Grassperson’s maintenance was giving customers the best lawn on the block. So, we grew.
In Texas, we are forced to take water seriously because many municipalities put in place watering restrictions in the hottest months—but we still want our lawns to look their best. We also know that watering is a key component to achieving a healthy lawn, so in 2001 we created an irrigation division and became licensed by the the State of Texas to repair and maintain irrigation and sprinkler systems. With a deep base of knowledge and many years of experience, we are helping our customers conserve water, while also making sure their lawns stay healthy year-round.
When customers get the best-looking lawns they’ve ever had—they tell their neighbors. And, as you know, word passes quickly if you stick to your values and treat customers’ lawns like you would your own (or ever better!). By 2003, Grassperson was serving more than 500 customers in Denton and Collin counties, TX. You’ve probably heard statistics about the number of startup businesses that fail within a year, or five years. But early on, Grassperson had a firm stake in the ground as an honest, responsive, quality company that people could depend on—and our business has stood the test of time.
By early 2007, Grassperson had grown out of its original facility and relocated to our current headquarters on Main Street and Business 121 in Lewisville, TX. We were developing our management team and hired multiple crew leaders, some of which are still with us today. Our landscape maintenance and irrigation businesses were steadily growing, and we had began to offer fertilization and weed control services to our growing customer base. The move to a larger facility with offices, ample yard space for equipment, and room to expand set the tone for our continued success as a business.
In April 2009, two years after moving into our new facility, we surpassed 1,000 customers, and by then we had 25 employees on our staff. Providing lawn care was one more way for Grassperson to give customers the best lawn on the block. Lawn Care was a missing piece to our core business, and we addressed that need. Also, we could grow more career opportunities for lawn care specialists. By spring 2013, this proved to be the case across every division of our business as we grew to 50 employees. In the next two years, our client base grew to 2,000 customers.
In May 2017, my wife Ann and I purchased Grassperson with a goal to continue providing landscape career opportunities for hard-working people, and to be the best landscaping company to work for in North Texas. Every one of our employees plays a part in this effort—and each is a member of the extended Grassperson family. It’s just as important to us that our people feel valued as it is for our customers to experience the value we deliver through our lawn care and landscape maintenance services.
What makes Grassperson different than other landscaping jobs is not just the family feel, but our focus on professionalism and career development. We want people who want more than a job. We are looking for individuals who want to make a difference through their work—and Grassperson does that every day by giving customers tangible, positive results. It’s a truly rewarding job.
We’re serious when we say we are making history. Grassperson has beat milestones our founder Brian Gasperson probably never imagined 20 years ago. We’re competing against top landscape companies in Flower Mound, Highland Village and Lewisville, TX—and winning because of our approach to delivering quality service. Most of all, we are creating long-term careers for our people—which supports local families and our local communities.
Learn more about what it’s like to work at Grassperson. Find out what positions are open today and how to join our team.