If there was ever an inspiring story of a young, married couple who sought out entrepreneurship hand-in-hand only to look up years later to see the fruits of their labor, it’s Jake and Valerie Kendall.
Just three months before they were married in 2015, Jake and Valerie officially launched Kendall Outdoors, a grass-cutting and lawncare company.
Jake had always dreamed of being an entrepreneur, and he was marrying a girl who had grown up watching her parents navigate the hills and valleys of their own entrepreneurship journey. She saw the cons but fell in love with the pros and decided to go all-in with Jake on his quest to grow their own family business.
They knew it wouldn’t be easy, but they also knew it would be worth it.
So they set out to slowly but surely grow Kendall Outdoors, a company that just recently celebrated its 8th birthday. Kendall Outdoors is proud to have many employees who feel like family, a spacious downtown Madison office, and a list of high-quality services a mile long.
What began as simple grass cutting and general lawncare has now evolved into magazine-worthy hardscaping projects, whole backyard landscaping overhauls, big and small commercial projects, and now their newest venture: Green Thumb Artificial Turf.
Valerie says that the idea to begin offering artificial turf installation stemmed organically from a growing number of inquiries about the service.
“No one around here exclusively offers artificial turf from the design all the way to laying it down, so we decided to go for it since there seemed to be a hole in the market,” she explains.
Green Thumb Artificial Turf is now actively serving the community and beyond with its artificial turf needs, and Valerie says that the community is in for a treat when it comes to what it can provide.
“This turf is so versatile, from the length to the color to the cushiness and more. You can customize it to exactly what you’re looking for!”
When I first learned about Green Thumb Artificial Turf back in February, I was mega curious to get a quote for our own yard. We have a very small piece of property that takes us little time to cut, but I was intrigued by turf for other reasons. It would be wonderful to have a yard that stayed green year-round. We wouldn’t have to pay for our lawn care service, and gone would be the days of tackling the uneven areas that puddle and seem to die when we get too much rain.
I received a quote within days as well as a virtual mock-up of what our yard would look like without our poured concrete patio and with the addition of turf. It goes without saying that my husband and I are putting this on our bucket list; We’d love this for our home! The price we received included removing our large concrete patio and existing grass, all of the labor, and the artificial turf itself. The price was significantly lower than what we guessed it would be!
When asked what Valerie and Jake believe are the biggest reasons that one should consider artificial turf for their home, church, business property, etc., they were quick to share many responses.
As aforementioned, maintaining natural grass demands a significant investment of time and effort when it comes to mowing, trimming, edging, fertilizing, watering, weeding, and more. With turf, one will maintain a well-manicured lawn all year round.
Next, homeowners with turf love how it eliminates the need for excessive watering, which is great for their bank accounts and for general water conservation.
Additionally, artificial turf is engineered to withstand heavy use from constant foot traffic, pet play, and all kinds of weather conditions.
Valerie says that even if an area begins to show wear and tear (which she says will take years!), they are happy to come out and replace various pieces to ensure that your product looks and feels brand new for years to come.
Finally, Valerie says that aesthetically it’s hard to match the beautiful appearance of artificial turf thanks to its consistent and flawless look.
As far as maintenance goes, Valerie says that spraying it off is typically the most you’ll ever have to do to keep it clean.
“There may be a little shedding right after the installation, but after that, there is essentially no maintenance ever.”
It’s highly customizable too! Those interested in having turf installed are invited to choose the length, shade, plushness, and more.
Part of Jake and Valerie’s “secret sauce” with both Green Thumb Artificial Turf and Kendall Outdoors is that they offer to do every bit of your job from start to finish. From demo to hauling off what’s pulled up to reworking the ground and rebuilding it into the desired look, Green Thumb Artificial Turf and Kendall Outdoors will do all of it.
Jake and Valerie are so thrilled to finally launch Green Thumb Artificial Turf and cannot wait to create a unique, customized look for each customer they work with!
When Valerie looks back at the journey that has led her and Jake to the point of launching this significant new arm of their family business, she says that it’s amazing to consider that they were once sharing a one-bedroom home office and arguing over who was using their shared laptop.
“We had one mower, a couple of weed eaters, and a friend that we put on the payroll that first summer,” laughs Valerie. “For three years, we took the time to grow organically so that we could start proving to the community that we could be more than a ‘mow, blow and go’ company and that we had a lot to offer.”
Valerie shares that regardless of what type of project they’re hired for, whether it be artificial turf, a backyard fire pit, or another landscape design project, they promise to deliver an end result that gets an A+.
“We don’t do halfway jobs for anyone. We work hard at providing great customer service and quality work while making sure that each person we work with feels like family.”
Website (Green Thumb Artificial Turf website coming soon!)
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Call to learn more or receive a free sample of artificial turf: 256-476-5753
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