Stonecrest Landscaping - Boise

Brian Strand graduated from Boise State University with his MBA in business management. He opened the doors of Stonecrest Landscaping in 1994.  He was the sole employee and began the business with only a small amount of working capital, which he used to purchase his first operating equipment. Strand formed strong business alliances with building contractors who understood that he was not only skilled at landscape design but at managing the work so that the project was completed on time, within budget, and done exceptionally well. 

In January 2001, Strand took advantage of the no-cost business consulting available through the Boise SBDC. He had the opportunity to expand his business, and was concerned about both the logistics and risk associated with his possible growth opportunity. One opportunity he considered was the purchase of an existing landscape nursery. He operated from the nursery as a tenant for two years and was able to study the nursery market and evaluate the potential savings he could make through acquiring his plants from his own nursery instead of purchasing from others in the area.  He met with the SBDC consultant several times to before deciding not to make an offer on the property.

Meanwhile, his sales continued to grow, despite the slowing in the housing market since 2005. He will have record sales and earnings in 2007. The company currently has three full-time and 12 part-time employees, with a much larger workforce during the summer months.